VOLUME 118 ISSUE 10 TRINITONIANServing Trinity University Since 1902 OCTOBER 30, 2020 4 Diet culture is inescapable, 5 Trinity Cat Alliance discusses role 11 Safe and competitive activities OPINION and we need to be cautious PULSE during COVID-19, importance of cats SPORTS to partake in this Halloween Academic honor council sees a spike in cases TLearn’s updated system makes catching instances of cheating easier for professors GLORIA FARRIS | NEWS INTERN [email protected] With the online semester introducing a new set of opportunities for academic dishonesty, the academic honor council has seen a spike in cases this fall. “Unfortunately, we do have a lot more cases this semester with being online. There are just more opportunities, and I think a lot more scrutiny from professors,” said Mia Vu, junior neuroscience major and external chair of the council. “In a normal year, we get quite a few plagiarism cases, but now we’re just seeing a lot more collaboration: students working together on exams or on projects they’re not allowed to.” The role of the academic honor council is to encourage academic integrity among its students and to hold individuals accountable for their actions in a just way. Similar to years prior, the council emailed first-year students The academic honor council has continued conducting meetings and hearings over Zoom to address issues of academic dishonesty throughout the semester. the academic honor code, which students were photo by CLAIRE SAMMONS required to sign to signify their allegiance to academic integrity. Despite the changing environment, the and council member, noticed a trend in the catching instances of cheating has become During new student orientation, first- honor council continues to hold meetings and implicated students. much easier. Professors are able to see when years were also required to watch a video hearings online. “Whereas during normal times a large students click between tabs on a quiz or detailing the academic honor code at Trinity “I feel like our role has transitioned pretty majority of cases would be from first-years, exam, the timestamp of when it happened and expectations. well to online. We do all of our meetings and a large number of cases are being processed and what page they visited. “I think there’s just a different feeling to hearings over zoom because we have quite a against sophomores, juniors and seniors,” “I think a lot of us didn’t know that until it. It’s a different experience from sitting in few members who are at home. We still want said Peña. “There have been large numbers of now,” said Vu. “Cheating on a test was a little Laurie Auditorium with all of your peers them to be active and participate,” Vu said. multi-student cases as well.” harder to do in-person. Professors are more that you just don’t get watching a YouTube Thomas Peña, junior business analytics Due to TLearn’s updated system and aware of it with online testing.” video,” Vu said. & technology and finance double-major the school-wide shift to virtual learning, continued on PAGE 3 Student Accessibility Services welcomes new director Spencer Scruggs, director, aims to take a strengths-based approach when assisting students “We try to approach it from a very NEHA KUMAR | NEWS REPORTER strengths-based approach: a disability is not [email protected] a deficit; it’s not something that needs to be fixed. It’s something that we recognize as At a time when daily life involves a variety something that can be a strength. It is just a of complications and stressors unknown to different way of engaging with information students before the virus, access to support for and with the campus,” said Scruggs. academic pursuits is needed more than ever, According to Betty Curry, director especially for those with mental and physical of Academic Support, the director of disabilities. Trinity’s new director of Student Student Accessibility Services is responsible Accessibility Services (SAS), Spencer Scruggs, for providing expertise in the legal and is prepared to offer that support. educational aspects as well as ensuring that “I would say our office really does its due operations run smoothly. diligence in going beyond accommodations. “[The director] is the subject matter It’s so much more than just accommodations expert on what the law requires, what is — it’s working with faculty to help them current and best practices in the field, understand different ways to make their and supervises the staff, and manages the classes accessible,” said Scruggs. “It is budget,” said Curry. listening to faculty on creating classroom While many hold a narrow definition of environments and learning situations that are the term ‘disability,’ Scruggs seeks to bring accessible to all students.” awareness to the fact that disabilities exceed In September, the SAS Office announced such constructs and instead encapsulate a the hiring of Scruggs, who will oversee variety of conditions. the office’s operations and work to build a “It’s fairly broad, but it’s very overarching learning environment in which all students how disability is defined. It’s really anything can succeed. that can cause an impairment to a major life Scruggs began his career at Florida activity. That could be studying, it could State University, where he graduated Prior to beginning his work at Trinity this September, SPENCER SCRUGGS, director of Student Accessibility be living on campus, it could be dining on with a Master’s in Higher Education Services, worked in the Office of Student Accessibility at Floria State University for six years in a variety of roles. campus - all of those different things can be Administration. After taking on various roles photo provided by SPENCER SCRUGGS considered. It opens consideration for things at the Office of Student Accessibility there, that we might traditionally not think of when Scruggs began seeking positions elsewhere. office so I took that full-time position, While Student Accessibility Services we see the word ‘disability,” said Scruggs, When the director of Student Accessibility and essentially six years later, this position typically navigate the legal requirements for “Something like ADHD, or allergies, or a Services position opened up at Trinity, it was opened up [at Trinity]. I just felt like I was accommodations set by the government, the chronic health condition, or mental health an ideal opportunity for him. ready for that next step. When I applied Trinity SAS staff seeks to go beyond these concerns — all of those generally comprise “I did the graduate assistantship and and started interviewing it just was the requirements and provide comprehensive what we call a disability.” then a full-time position opened in the perfect fit,” said Scruggs. support for students. continued on PAGE 3 2 TRINITONIAN.COM • OCTOBER 30, 2020 • NEWS WEAR Previously, on SGA: City Vista Uncertainties This covers the meeting on Oct. 28. discussion regarding post-election plans and how SGA plans to deal with the outcome and inevitable stresses CLIMATE CHECK of the election year. YOUR Sophomore senator Sol Rivas-Lopes kicked off Advisor Thompson said she is looking forward to the this week’s climate check by mentioning general collaboration between Student Involvement, the Chapel, concern over the library intercom announcements. and the Health and Wellness center. They will be hosting The announcements serve to remind those utilizing an “in preparation for the Election” program that will the library to keep their masks on, but Rivas-Lopes include a “voter swag bag” and stations that will allow MASKS suggested that the announcements should be made participants to make “self-care” kits. during passing periods in order to avoid disrupting First-year Senator Nguyen suggested decorating the students that are in classes. Advisor Jamie Thompson path from Trinity to the nearest polling area in order to suggested that SGA talk to Chris Nolan, librarian, and make voting a more appealing and fun experience. She PLEASE Jason Hardin, access services manager, about the issue also encouraged that SGA continue to promote voting on of disruptive announcements. their Instagram page. CITY VISTA CONFUSION LGBTQIA+ SAFE SPACE Junior Senator Gail Grady brought up her concerns President Harris asked SGA members for their thoughts STAFF over transparency with students planning to live in City on safely planning a discussion with new director of KAYLA PADILLA editor-in-chief Vista in the spring. She mentioned it was not made clear Diversity and Inclusion Courtney Balderas-Jacob, and GENEVIEVE HUMPHREYS managing to her whether or not students got charged extra if their LGBTQIA+ students. President Harris emphasized that editor roommates chose to live at home. this was not going to be in debate format, and any JORDAN JURAN business manager students who were being unprofessional or trying to JESSIE DE ARMAN ad director DANA NICHOLS news editor 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION debate LGBTQIA+ rights would be kicked out of the PHOEBE MURPHY opinion editor SGA senior President Jaelen Harris opened up Zoom meeting. MACKENZIE COOK pulse editor SAVANNAH WAHLGREN arts editor BRIAN YANCELSON sports editor Meetings are held every Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. on Zoom. KAYLA PADILLA KATE NUELLE visual editor Additional coverage can be found online at trinitonian.com, coverage by LOGAN CREWS web editor GRACEN HOYLE assistant web editor REPORTERS Neha Kumar, Rachel Poovathoor, Jake Perry, Benjamin Adams, Joshua Anaya, OVERALL NUMBERS Total # Active Cases: 9 Christian Settles, Gail Hodges Grady, COVID Snapshot: # Test Results to Date: 3,664 Cumulative Tested Positive: 20 Paige Wallace, Alejandra Gerlach, Updated 10/28/2020 Carmine Villareal, Victoria Henretty, Isabel Chavez, Mikayla Mullin COLUMNISTS Ben Falcón, Julian Valdez, Mai Vo, Yukiko Yamazaki, Noelle Barrera COPY EDITORS DISTRIBUTION CLASSIFIEDS CORRECTIONS PRINT Katy Browne, Nadia Crawford, Ashley Oct.