Behind the Scenes of “Humans of Trinity College”

Gillian Reinhard ’20
Staff Writer
Across campus, members of the community can always look forward to “Humans of Trinity College-Hartford,” an online art project that provides both entertainment and insight into the lives of Trinity students. The project began with Marisa Tornello ’15, who sought to model Brandon Stanton’s “Humans of New York,” by taking candid photos of various people on campus while also providing a deeper narrative by providing quotes from each subject. The collection of photos continued with David Linden ’16 in 2015-2016. As of this year, “Humans of Trinity College” is co-led by Joy Kim ’17 and Lily Jewell ’17, who work alongside three photographers. “Marisa and David envisioned a club that could expand the scope of the project, and it’s exciting that they have handed this vision to Lily and me,” commented Kim.
“Humans of Trinity” is focused on celebrating the diversity and uniqueness of individuals on the Trinity campus. The goals of the project are to both inspire and illuminate. The stories accompanied by pictures are often relatable and funny, while others are more thoughtful and serious. In this way, the complexity of the community is fully shown through featuring various people, be they freshmen or seniors, athletes or artists. The process of photographing and interviewing varies from photographer to photographer. Often, subjects are chosen at random or due to their own, interesting story. With the ultimate goal of capturing each person in their natural element, “Humans of Trinity College” hopes to replicate an authentic picture of life on campus. Kim remarked “In most cases, I have no idea what someone will have to say. I’ll start asking someone what no one knows about him or her, or an experience that really shaped him or her.”
“Humans of Trinity College” promises a new and different story to its large audience several times a week. The project is able to reach the wider community because it operates on a the social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram under the handle @humansoftrincoll. Upon being asked about the impact of “Humans of Trinity College,” Kim quickly responded with what she believed the project added to the community. “Though we have a relatively small campus, there are so many unique stories and experiences around us. There is so much we can learn from each other, and our hope is that when people look at our Facebook page, they will be both entertained and enlightened.”