Savannah Brooks ’26
Editor-in-Chief
On Saturday, Oct. 18 at 9 a.m., Trinity College held an inauguration ceremony in the Ray Oosting Gymnasium in the Ferris Athletic Center for Daniel G. Lugo, Trinity’s 23rd president. Lugo has held the office since July 1, after previous president Joanne Berger-Sweeney retired following an 11-year tenure. The inauguration ceremony is a longstanding tradition which has seen little variance. Lugo’s inauguration, which was accompanied with symposia and receptions through the day of his inauguration and the Friday prior, followed the typical schedule of a large procession, brief speeches from various people representing different groups of people from the college community, musical performances from the Chapel Singers and a speech from Lugo himself.
The ceremony drew about 200 people, including faculty, staff and students of the College as well as parents and community members. The inauguration weekend coincided with Homecoming Weekend and Family Weekend, leading to a busy schedule of sports games, arts events and social events. At the ceremony, speakers emphasized Lugo’s commitment to the future of Trinity along with acknowledgements of the current political turmoil surrounding higher education in the national sphere. Prior to the event, members of the group Students and Faculty for Justice in Palestine (SFJP) wrote messages in chalk on the lower Long Walk encouraging Trinity to divest from and disclose their investments in companies which have ties to Israel. On Saturday morning, Trinity staff members hosed the chalk to remove them.
During the event, Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam spoke of Lugo’s commitment to the city, mentioning an AI center which Hartford and Trinity are developing. Following Arulampalam’s remarks, representatives from each sector of the college (faculty, staff, alumni, parents and students) spoke to welcome Lugo to the community. C. Andrew McGadney, president of Knox College, spoke of his relationship with Lugo from their work at Colby College, and Walter Harrison ’68 H’18 told the story of Lugo’s interview in the spring, noting that he arrived 15 minutes late on a mobility scooter after a recent surgery.
After following the regular presidential traditions (the giving of a ceremonial mace, key and book) , Lugo’s inaugural address focused on Trinity’s future. Lugo advocated for “Hartford’s next renaissance,” stating that “there is no fence high enough to separate Trinity from Hartford.” In regards to current federal hostility towards higher education, Lugo said, “We will not yield,” and encouraged members of the community to “love Trinity more than we fear change.” He described his aim for Trinity to “not simply endure, but define the next century of liberal arts excellence” in the face of current challenges. Lugo’s commitment to a partnership with Hartford drew a standing ovation from the crowd, as did the final words of his speech.
The ceremony was completed after the Chapel Singers performed the alma mater, “‘Neath the Elms,” and the Quiet City Brass Quintet and Tympani played for the recessional. College Carillonneur Ellen E. Dickinson performed a carillon postlude following the event.
[…] held another chalking campaign — specifically on the lower Long Walk — in advance of Lugo’s presidential inauguration in October. Those outdoor messages were hosed off by College staff the morning of the event. When […]