nICE Day at Trinity

Students took advantage of the snow day on February 4 to play with the fluffy white stuff. Two of these juniors are no strangers to snow but were up around 7 a.m. to play. The third student, from Texas, built the mini-snowman and dubbed it LeeRoy. I have never seen happier students.

Above and below, students engage in two of the most pathetic snowball fights ever. One worried whether or not snowball fights were against the rules. I assured them we had never anticipated needing such a rule in San Antonio and gave them the green light.

In my parental way, I urged this student on crutches to be cautious on the campus ice. He then reassured me by showing off his "ice boot" on the crutch. He put the equivalent of tire chains on his gear in order to avoid slippage. Clever. Below, Trinity mechanic Richard Ibarra joined the "essential personnel" to help shovel snow and melt ice around campus. As a Wisconsin native I would consider the crew spirited and effective. For amateurs.

Previous post.

Glazed Donut

The Trinity campus closed today, in line with other universities and schools throughout the area. Frigid temperatures, snow, and ice created hazardous conditions throughout Texas. Above, note the iced over Miller Fountain in the center of campus. Bid Day, when new students find out about their invitation to fraternities and sororities, was planned for today, but postponed until tomorrow. This is certainly disappointing to active members and those awaiting bids. The Crisis Management Team cancelled all scheduled activities. See the slide show at right for bid day from two years ago. By waiting for warmer weather tomorrow, hopefully there can be a safe and enthusiastic celebration.

Pictured below is the acequia at Northrup Hall, also frozen, and with light snow in the background. (I klnow. But it is a big deal to US!) Click here for subsequent post.

BRRRRRRRaving the Cold!

An Arctic blast stifling the nation has penetrated the Trinity Bubble. Temperatures that are below freezing have led to rolling state-mandated (sounds eastern European) black-outs. By mid-day the San Antonio area, including TU, has dealt with three such interruptions. The Crisis Management Team met in the morning and decided since there were no health and safety issues (icy roads) that school would remain open and that professors would decide individually if they could instruct their classes depending on when the black-outs occurred. Most schools and businesses seem to be taking similar approaches.

I am pleased to report that there have been minimal issues under the circumstances and the faculty, staff, students, and parents are taking the situation in stride. Pictured above is a student in the Commons preparing to go back outside after a meal in the dark. The power went off around lunch time and students who had purchased their meals were able to eat. The serving lines close during the 20 minute outages because the registers stop working. Those already in line can have their meal card information taken manually. If the power were out longer, then all of the students would be managed this way.

A packed audience from around the city was on campus for a presentation by Dr. Christine Drennon as part of the Food for Thought lunch/lecture series. The program was conducted, in part anyways, in the dark, and without Power Point. The professor rocked it anyways.

This is as close as our students get to a snow day. It is nice to have a break in the action and something else to focus on. Reverend Nickle has been wanting us to have a "Technology Sabbath," which would be a voluntary holiday from our gadgets. This is getting us there, though students can still text during the black-outs. Our students would still prefer we just call it a day, in spite of reports we may need to deal with this for several days. Witness this actual e-mail exchange between me and a student:

Kendra
In light of the recent power outages, which have deactivated my alarm clock, and the numbingly cold weather that nobody is prepared for... Why aren't classes cancelled again?

Dean
Uhhh. You are from Alaska.

Kendra
Hahahaha foiled again. I tried.

Kendra really IS from Anchorage! And today, I think we all feel as though we are too.

When push comes to shove

I’m not sure why, but I second-guessed myself as soon I asked Karyna Richards if I could push her in her wheelchair up Trinity hill. It would be rude not to offer, right? Or maybe it would be rude to offer. How do you know? My instincts were correct: She didn’t want help. That was two-and-a-half years ago.

Now, a junior, Karyna can be seen being pushed around campus by her friends. What changed? Karyna explains: “Do you remember the showers last fall? How it rained constantly for about a month and a half? That, if anything, was what 'changed my approach' to navigating campus. I lived in Prassel last year, and since I had just declared Comp Sci (in Halsell, behind Chapman), I was walking the longest possible route through campus in the pouring rain. And much like driving, I have to slow down in the rain. I hated it. A lot. And that was the first time I had ever just asked somebody for help. Then I just started to get used to the shorter time it took to get to class. So now sometimes, maybe 50% of the time, that I am going to upper campus, I am secretly hoping that somebody will help me get there.”

Since asking questions is clearly not an issue for me, I recently asked Karyna about campus access -- related to assistance from others. “Let’s just be clear that we are talking about accepting help getting around campus. In that respect I was determined to not accept assistance,” Karyna explains. “I make the distinction because I have always tried to only accept help with things I truly cannot do myself, and to handle the things that I can. It was the way I was raised, and I still feel the same when I am not on campus. The fact that I am so obviously disabled means that people -- without thinking about it -- will see me in a certain way. Often, people see me as a bit helpless. Accepting help over and over only helps to affirm that idea in others' minds.”

According to Gavin Steiger, Coordinator for Disability Services on campus, asking people if they would like assistance is preferable over assuming they want it. Whether the person was born with or acquired a disability later, the specific physical components of the disability, and the person’s disposition about the disability all factor into how a disabled person wants to manage his or her disability. Karyna echoes this. “What really bothers me is when people come up and just start to push me. It is a huge assumption that I want the help.” But she understands it can be confusing. “If people always see me being pushed, it is a reasonable assumption to make. However, when I do not accept help, this happens far less. But more than that, I don't want to become anyone's burden. I want to save my favors for when I need them.”

Karyna came to Trinity because of the size of the classes and enjoys interacting with her professors as she pursues a Business major in addition to Computer Science. She is a delightful young woman from Houston, with a big smile and a big heart – and a lot of pride. Does that factor into asking for help or not? “I hate to admit it, but yeah, definitely. It still stings a little to be sitting there doing absolutely nothing, as somebody else does all the work. Or to say hi to people I know on the way to class, knowing that they have to kind of awkwardly ignore the person they don't know who is pushing me. I want the help, but I resent 'needing help', if that makes sense. So definitely it is an issue of pride, which, really is the least important thing when compared to being on time for class. And I like to think that I meet a lot more people this way,”

One can see how complicated this can get. “People may assume I need help, but if I was always refusing help, I would be seen as standoffish, less friendly. I'd much rather be humble and amicable, than proud and cold.” Indeed, she says, “It’s kind of complicated for me, most of this is just stuff I feel, and it’s a bit hard to describe. I don't want anyone to feel like I am not incredibly grateful.”

“One of the reasons I came to campus in freshman year ready to battle cardiac hill all by myself was that I never expected this outpouring of kindness from the trinity community. I have gotten so very many offers of help, from gardeners, construction workers, teachers, students, alumni, everybody. One time I had an eighty year old alumni push me for a bit, because she said it was almost as good as having a walker for the climb. People have pushed me in the rain, and many people have sacrificed being on-time to class for me, or have started pushing me even though they are headed in the opposite direction, and have often had to double back from where they just were. Once or twice people have even helped me carry groceries from the C3 store back to my room. It’s these people that make me continually grateful that I did decide to come to Trinity.” Likewise Karyna.

While we can muddle through doing the right thing, or not, for Karyna and others, this is something she lives with daily. And clearly like us, deciding what is right or not for Karyna can change with the day. “Some days I just enjoy the exercise,” she says. For her, the question will always be whether it is easier to accept help, or decline it. Only she knows which is better at any given time. When push comes to shove.

Counter inTUitive 1.21.11 - Conduct Report

This is a regular feature to examine the information in the weekly Trinitonian editorial. I love the Trinitonian and the students who run it. Sometimes, however there are more nuances to the issue than they have space for. Besides, electronic media allows for there to be "watchdog" watchdogs. Editorials are rated by "hits," as in blog hits, with one being worst and 5 being best. If they are published on-line I will provide links.

2 blog hits

Student conduct report should influence university decisions
I appreciate that the Trinitonian cobvered the Fall 2010 Conduct Report. The point of the report is to share information with students to educate them about the conduct process and how it unfolds here. Sometimes students are suspicious of authority, so laying out the facts is important in building trust. Plus, rules are here to ensure students can live, sleep, and study in a safe environment. As I often say, I am not a big "rules" guy. But, people do need expectations and parameters.

Nice job by Tommie on the news article. The editorial, I think, was taking issue with any of the following:
- A Student-centered process (all student conduct board)
- An inaccurate perception, by me about a decrease/increase in alcohol violations
- And lack of action drawn from statistics

The editorial misstated the number of fall violations, instead referring to last spring's violations. That error, I think, led to a premise based on misinformation, I think. I hope that is cleared up in the next issue. Last year a committee reaffirmed the conduct structure here (Trinitonian was invited to attend committee meetings, but didn't). People like that we have an all-student board, and I think are encouraged that half the students who come before it are found not responsible. The Trinitonian infers that the board must be letting their friends off. In fact, they are actually making decisions based on the best information presented. That is a perfect role for students to play. The alcohol coalition reviews information and actually sets sanctions for violations. I like that too.

The statistics vacillate regularly. I like to publish them, but drawing conclusions on a semester by semester basis can be difficult. I have learned that. I hope the Trinitonian does too. I appreciate that the paper tied to raise the topic as one of importance. I think.

Links to be added when available.

It's a Wrap: Happy Holidays!

Dr. William Burke (above) serves at the Residential Life midnight breakfast on December 9, 2010. The tradition happens each semester during the second reading day. This year, Student Affairs staffers invited professors to assist in the program. See the slide show, which features photos of the professors with those who invited them, pre-gaming of caffeine at Starbucks, and fun between the students and those working the event. A second slide show features students, many whom arrived in costume directly from the library Rave. The following day, Residential Life, under the coordination of Cally Chenault, brought puppies to campus for a stress-relief break. It seemed to have worked (see slide show).

These events were preceded by the Trinity Christmas Concert, Vespers, and Christmas on Oakmont. Because there is not a VP for Student Affairs living on Oakmont this year, the staff pulled together to feature a Charlie Brown themed open house at 146 Oakmont. Thanks to Cecily Cassidy and the rest of the staff for really putting together a fun display and reception!

Here is to wishing all students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and friends a very happy and joyous holiday season. The blog will hibernate until the University reopens in January.