The Politics of Spring Sliding 

Talia Cutler ’27

Editor in Chief

Post-Trinity days, with spring break firmly within arms reach and the snow (finally) beginning to melt, it is the season of slacking. The senior slide in particular, like any form of raucousness and irresponsibility, is an art form that will come to a head in the coming weeks. You’ve put in three and a half years of (pretty) good work and (some) effort, and now the slide begins. 

This is not to say it isn’t an uncertain time, because this stage of the senior slide is defined by uncertainty over what’s next. Graduate school decisions come out in several weeks, jobs are likely still in the recruiting stages, and no one knows when the pasta bar is coming back. Trinity seniors are not alone in this precariousness. It is also an uncertain time in terms of geopolitics, digital safety, and the amount of microplastics I consume on a daily basis. On campus, however, this uncertainty is not life and death — although I’m sure it may feel that way. Instead, it is a transitional period, one that revels in the quintessential college-ness within us. 

This week, the Tripod has for you some collegiate excellence: News reports on Men’s basketball’s NESCAC championship, as well as Early Decision admissions and Dr. Dumas’ Thursday panel on female judiciary representation. On the opinion page, writers discuss the impending war with Iran, the liberal arts approach to office hours and the winter blues for quite the smorgasbord-ian section. Arts reviews the students who participated in the American College Dance Association’s conference in Cambridge, while Features reviews Trinity’s Environmental Justice Program. Finally, in Sports, we have stories on Women’s hockey and an introduction to spring athletics. 

Hopefully, this issue acts as a preventative measure towards those disposed towards senior (or junior, sophomore, freshman) sliding. Perhaps these stories will inundate oneself with motivation to make the most of what is left of the school year. If men’s basketball can be consistent with winning, maybe you can find it in you to be consistent about lecture attendance or sending out summer job applications! Perhaps more realistically, though, one can be reminded from these pages that the spring semester is uncertain, formulaic and short (much like the Tripod itself). Unseasonable tank tops are right around the corner, bants, as is the inevitable “spreak” drama and the point in the semester where your syllabus begins to look suspiciously optional. Slide responsibly. 

In peace, 

TBC