Letter From the Editor: As the Semester Winds Down

Savannah Brooks ’26

Editor-in-Chief

Happy Tripod Tuesday! We are getting closer and closer to the end of what has felt like a marathon semester. This issue of the Tripod is our third-to-last of the semester. The air is getting crisper, the leaves are piling up and the terror of both Halloween and midterms are over. We are reaching the slower part of the semester, where commitments begin to wind down and students retreat to their dorms when it gets dark before 5 p.m. 

As I reflect on this semester so far, I feel unbelievably full of hope for the future of the Tripod. If you read my first editorial of the year, you may recall that, during my tenure as EIC, I was hoping for more engagement from the community, whether that came in letters to the editor, more contributing writers or even simply just more outreach from us. Thinking about our semester so far, I am extremely proud of the community which has shown itself in the paper. We have five first-year staff writers who have joined the paper this semester (which has to be some kind of post-Covid record) and several more who have contributed once or twice, we have published seven letters to the editor already this semester, we have a new social media team, and we have entirely committed to only publishing material which is immediately relevant to the Trinity community. 

I want to thank you, readers, for your help in creating a better paper for our community. To those of you who have met with me and shared information, filled out a survey we have released or even just picked up the paper every now and then to read a headline or two, thank you! We are a very small paper with very big dreams and any level of support means a lot.

In this week’s issue’s news section, you will see an edition of Along the Long Walk where we ask students about their opinions on our new president, our reporting on the Chartwells employees’ demonstrations, the new faculty grievance committee that is in the works, local Board of Education elections and the recent Board of Trustees meeting. In opinion, you will see several of our regulars opining about the Chartwells employees’ demonstrations as well as an opinion on ChatGPT use and protest culture at Trinity. In arts & entertainment, you can find our reporting on the unveiling of a new stained glass window at the Chapel and a cappella’s yearly “Spook-Appella” event as well as a review of “English” at TheaterWorks Hartford. In features, we have a spotlight on longstanding Fine Arts Professor Pablo Delano, and in sports, we have outlooks on men’s basketball, men’s squash and winter sports in general. Of course, we also have some lovely offerings in our biweekly Bits & Pieces section — check it out to learn about how campus squirrels are terrorizing students, President Lugo is reopening the Hall and some places to find a cozy spot on campus.

As always, we are constantly looking for writers, graphic design enthusiasts, cartoonists or anyone else who wants to make an impact, large or small, on the paper. You are always welcome to submit a letter to the editor or simply email feedback to tripod@trincoll.edu. If you are a student, we would love to see you build your writing portfolio with us. Our open meetings are held every Monday at 4:30 in the Tripod office in Jackson Hall — come join us, or simply email us with a story idea or a willingness to learn! We will help you every step of the way.

– SNB