The -Established 1904- rinity ripod T T Volume CXVI Now then-Trinity! Tuesday, September 8, 2020 Number I SGA Election SARS-CoV-2 at Connecticut’s Colleges: Preview SHAWN OLSTEIN ’22 The Tripod Charts Cases Across the State NEWS EDITOR SGA election are page coming Sept. 14: find out who is running and what positions are contested in the 3 Tripod this week. Advice for Class of 2024 BAILEY MCKEON ’22 FEATURES EDITOR page The Tripod’s Features Editor shares her 10 pieces of advice for the Bants of 8 the Class of 2024. Megan Thee Stallion LIZ FOSTER ’22 DANIEL J. NESBITT ’22 ing, with varying com- MANAGING EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR binations of remote and Tripod Examines Progress in-person learning, which How Megan The choropleth map page could result in increased Thee Stallion above shows the rela- or decreased likelihood found a way to tive amount of confirmed on President’s Special of infection. Finally, each dominate the COVID cases for nine school likely has a differ- music season Connecticut colleges and ent testing protocol, mean- Opportunity Hires and the charts. universities. The data ing positive cases could 9 shown were obtained BRENDAN W. CLARK ’21 ing members of underrep- be detected more quickly from the New York Times EDITOR-IN-CHIEF resented groups,” Acting at certain schools than interactive page “Track- Vice President for Aca- others, and with varying Trinity’s faculty Edu- ing Coronavirus Cases demic Affairs and Dean of degrees of accuracy de- cational Policy Committee Fall Sports at U.S. Colleges and Uni- the Faculty Sonia Carde- pending on the specifica- (EPC) and the College’s versities,” and the data nas told the Tripod in July. tions of the test employed. senior academic adminis- are current as of Thurs- Berger-Sweeney also told on Hold The choropleth shows tration have met over the day, Sept. 3. The yellow the Tripod that the posi- that the University of summer to consider the ANNA BAUER ’23 regions on the map indi- tions would be reserved Connecticut, located in apportioning of new facul- SPORTS EDITOR cate an area with large to “increase our faculty Storrs, CT (yellow region, ty seats for several “Spe- numbers of confirmed diversity.” This amounts Trinity’s fall top right), has the great- cial Opportunity Hires.” COVID cases, while the to eighteen estimated po- page sports and est number of cases among The Tripod examined fac- lighter, purple regions sitions—six each year, ap- practices Connecticut schools with ulty involvement in this indicate an area with pointed over three years— are radically 186 confirmed COVID hiring process, among sev- relatively few confirmed based on the July email altered by the cases as of Sept. 3. Yale eral objectives outlined by COVID cases at colleges. from Berger-Sweeney. COVID-19 Univesity has the sec- President of the College It is important to note It was not immediate- 12pandemic ond-greatest case total Joanne Berger-Sweeney ly clear when the College the limitations of this with 126 confirmed COVID in response to demands Also in this issue... dataset. First, all these expected to begin the hir- cases, shown as the large by student activists in data compiled by the ing process, though an Opinion: Waiting to Study colored region over New June over ongoing inci- Times is all publicly avail- email from Cardenas to Abroad? Remember Otto Haven, CT. These are the dents of unrest and dis- able, meaning delays in faculty in late June not- Warmbier, page 6 two largest hot spots on content over racism and reporting by schools could ed that it will occur in the the map at present. Cen- discrimination at Trinity. result in out-of-date, inac- 2020-2021 academic year Spiritual and Religious Life tral Connecticut State The special opportuni- curate data. Second, each while a general hiring Connects Virtually, page 7 University has the third ty hires “will be for diverse school has a different, freeze remains in place highest number of cases faculty members, includ- National Hockey League Contin- unique plan for re-open- see SPECIAL HIRES on page 4 ues Through COVID, page 11 see COVID on page 4 Published weekly at Trinity College, Hartford, CT TRINITYTRIPOD.COM 2 SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 The Tripod Editorial Trinity Tripod We Need More Than Assurances Established in 1904 “Now then-Trinity!” As COVID-19 forces col- reflects only one positive the multitude of emails sent leges to implement various case on-campus (others oc- in August). Our Dean in- Editor-in-Chief means of testing, reporting, curred before students re- formed us that gathering BRENDAN W. CLARK ’21 and protecting their stu- turned). But the dashboard on the quad and in other Managing Editors dent body from harm, Trin- is updated only “twice” public places was subject to LIZ FOSTER ’22 ity College has succeeded during “business hours” prohibition until September KAT NAMON ’22 in providing a comprehen- throughout the week. Only 7th. From the day students DANIEL J. NESBITT ’22 sive testing procedure. It twice a week while students returned to campus, the is clear that the institution are tested four out of seven quads have been sites of so- NEWS EDITORS SPORTS EDITORS has made a concerted effort days? Twice a week when cial activity--with and with- KIP LYNCH ’22 ANNA BAUER ’23 this summer to afford the tests can come back positive out masks--and to the pass- SHAWN OLSTEIN ’22 MATEO VAZQUEZ ’21 sense of a safe environment one day after an update was erby enforcement seems left and that countless adminis- issued? The numbers are in- to chance. If Trinity’s policy OPINION EDITOR A&E EDITORS trators have sought various congruous. Between Friday has changed, that should skyler simpkins ’23 JOEY CIFELLI ’23 solutions to the problem and Monday, when the dash- be communicated. For now, MACIEJ PRADZIAD ’22 the pandemic introduces. board has yet to be updated, those who reside on the FEATURES EDITORS CAROLINE RICHARDS ’22 But appearances are Trinity could have seen any quad, absent a pronounce- KATIE CERULLE ’22 only half the battle: the number of variations in cas- ment, seem the contraven- MAURA KEARY ’22 SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER sanitizing stations, colorful es. We simply do not know. ers of an unenforced law. BAILEY MCKEON ’22 alexandra boursican ’23 “Protect the Nest” signage, On a small campus of Some students believe OLIVIA PAPP ’23 and touchless door mecha- 2,000, Trinity’s rumor-mill that if they are seen with- BUSINESS MANAGER nisms are but a modicum is always turning. With a out a mask, they will be DIVYANSH GAUR ’22 of the most fundamental pandemic on our hands, expelled. Others believe element of effective leader- students cannot afford to be that gathering in groups of ship in a time of crisis, clear getting all of their informa- 25 indoors violates no pol- and seamless communica- tion from the alleged tales icy. Many students have tion that informs and drives of what happened on Ver- had disciplinary meetings student understanding. non Saturday night. If this this week for incidents that Following the first posi- College is to succeed, data range from a casual hello tive COVID-19 case on cam- cannot be hidden. If the Col- to friends to being in the The Trinity Tripod has been published by the students of Trinity Col- lege since 1904. Its staff members are committed to the reporting pus, announced via email on lege has good cause to only wrong place at the wrong and distribution of news and ideas that are relevant to the College August 29, students were update its dashboard twice time. Countless others par- community. The Tripod is published weekly on Tuesdays during the informed that updates on a week, tell the community ty at off-campus residences, academic year. Student subscription is included in the Student Ac- positive tests will not always why. Nothing can be left to another veil that Trinity tivities Fee (SAF). For non-students looking to subscribe, a one-se- be made to the community. chance and honesty remains cannot pierce. When these mester subscription costs $10.00 and a one-year subscription costs This, on its face, seems prob- essential: students should stories circulate, strong $20.00. Please address all correspondence to: lematic: students should know--at all times--how administrative response is 300 Summit St. Box 702582 know when and where pos- many cases rest ‘neath the needed. We need more clar- Hartford, CT 06106-3100 itive cases emanate. If that elms every day of the week. ity on what is acceptable Phone: (860) 297-2584 means ten emails in the The same is true of Trin- and what is not. Most im- course of a day, then so be ity’s return-to-campus pro- portantly, violators should Opinions expressed in Tripod editorials represent the views of the it: the level of communica- tocols. As students arrived, be met with consequences: Tripod editorial board, unless otherwise signed. Those opinions do tion in large part dictates vague guidelines and ex- if we expect to make it the not necessarily reflect the views of all contributors to the Tripod. Ad- the degree of seriousness pectations abounded, and semester, Trinity cannot ditionally, writing expressed in the Opinion section belongs to the and suggests that we need answers could be found advertise one message yet writers themselves and are not affiliated with theTripod in any way. to change course promptly only by scouring the Trin- enact and enforce another. The Trinity Tripod is always looking for student contributions in pho- as they grow out of hand.