Social Life

What is there to do on a Friday night, or a Saturday evening, or a Wednesday afternoon?

A lot according to Kara Ryczek. "Every night there are three different lectures or exhibits or musical performances," she says. "There are things happening all over campus all the time."

Sponsored by academic departments, the College itself, or Trinity's Student Activities and Campus Centers, which include many student committees, these happenings might include first-rate films at Cinestudio, a dance concert at the Austin Arts Center, a lecture by a visiting scholar on Dante's Divine Comedy at Hamlin Hall, "open mike" night at the Underground Coffeehouse, "Midnight Madness" pickup basketball games at the athletic center, or meeting and eating at the Bistro.

And that's only what's happening on campus. For those who are not content with those options, the city offers theater, opera, rock concerts, dance clubs, restaurants, and more, depending on how adventurous students would like to be.

Social life, though, is not simply composed of events. It's also composed of people. "Trinity's a small community that allows its students to feel comfortable in a short time," says Honduran native Marlon Quintanilla. "At first, I didn't know anyone. Now, I know almost everyone." Keith Wolff, a transfer student, says, "One way that I got to know people was through athletics."

Some students choose to join a fraternity or sorority. All of the Greek-letter organizations at Trinity are coed and open to upperclassmen only.

Austin Perkins says he has friends from his dorm, from his classes as a political science major, from his minor in performing arts, from the choral group he sings with, and from intramural sports. "Basically," he says, "I set out to meet everybody on campus."

Pieter Boelhouwer, a graduate who is currently a management consultant with a large firm, believes that social activity is not only fun, it's educational. "Trinity has a great balance in terms of providing a stimulating academic environment as well as a very healthy social atmosphere," he says. "And one of the most important ingredients of success in business and politics and the law is having an understanding of people."

Social life at Trinity is really about options, about doing what you feel like. Says Jim Washburn, "It's not going to be handed to you. You sort of have to go out and seek it."