We Must Embody Social Responsibility On A Personal As Well As Institutional Level

During his visit to Hartford this Thursday, President Clinton announced that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would provide $6.2 million in loan guarantees for the Learning Corridor and Cityscape (on Zion Street), two of the Southside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance's (SINA) most important projects. Clinton's action affirmed Trinity's dedication to civic responsibility. This commitment lies at the very heart of Evan Dobelle's educational vision. As part of Clinton's visit, President Dobelle spoke to a group at the Artists' Collective where he stated a principle that he has put into action at Trinity: it is the college's obligation to "set knowledge at the service of humanity." Trinity is receiving much deserved national attention for looking beyond its ivy-covered walls. President Dobelle has allowed Trinity to make its mark. Just four short years ago, we were a school that was searching for its place. Seen as a safety for the Ivies, we were our own greatest critics. Williams was seen as better, so was Amherst, and we lacked a coherent mark of pride. That has changed. Trinity is now a socially responsible school. We care about our neighborhood, and we realize the obligations that come with the privilege of attending such an institution. Now that we have reached this mark, we must climb higher. We must realize our full potential as an institution and look inwards just as strongly as we have been looking at our surroundings. This is not to say that we should ignore the neighborhood‹quite the contrary. We must continue to build externally while solidifying Trinity itself. We need to foster the growth of pride in our school while building a community of which we can be proud. Most importantly, we need to take the social responsibility we demonstrate as an institution and apply it to ourselves as individuals. Strengthening our academic focus is imperative. In addition, we have to raise the level of respect for each member of our community and the community itself‹Trinity is not a brief stopping point on the way to a career; it is a tremendous, dynamic institution worth caring about.

We Must Embody Social Responsibility On A Personal As Well As Institutional Level

During his visit to Hartford this Thursday, President Clinton announced that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would provide $6.2 million in loan guarantees for the Learning Corridor and Cityscape (on Zion Street), two of the Southside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance's (SINA) most important projects. Clinton's action affirmed Trinity's dedication to civic responsibility. This commitment lies at the very heart of Evan Dobelle's educational vision. As part of Clinton's visit, President Dobelle spoke to a group at the Artists' Collective where he stated a principle that he has put into action at Trinity: it is the college's obligation to "set knowledge at the service of humanity."

Trinity is receiving much deserved national attention for looking beyond its ivy-covered walls. President Dobelle has allowed Trinity to make its mark. Just four short years ago, we were a school that was searching for its place. Seen as a safety for the Ivies, we were our own greatest critics. Williams was seen as better, so was Amherst, and we lacked a coherent mark of pride.

That has changed. Trinity is now a socially responsible school. We care about our neighborhood, and we realize the obligations that come with the privilege of attending such an institution. Now that we have reached this mark, we must climb higher. We must realize our full potential as an institution and look inwards just as strongly as we have been looking at our surroundings. This is not to say that we should ignore the neighborhood‹quite the contrary. We must continue to build externally while solidifying Trinity itself. We need to foster the growth of pride in our school while building a community of which we can be proud.

Most importantly, we need to take the social responsibility we demonstrate as an institution and apply it to ourselves as individuals. Strengthening our academic focus is imperative. In addition, we have to raise the level of respect for each member of our community and the community itself‹Trinity is not a brief stopping point on the way to a career; it is a tremendous, dynamic institution worth caring about.