The best thing about Trinity is the classes, teachers, and the relaxed stance on drinking and drugs :). The parties are always raging.
I would change the student body. (Diversify the painfully homogenous population)
I really do like the size of the school. It's big enough you can run into different kids every weekend, but at the same time also run into kids from your Economic class, and have a drunken. "heeyyy, what's up! econ class remember!!! yeah Mr. smiths a total douche muncher!!!" They can be fun moments, because every kid here is getting just as messed up as you are every night, it doesn't matter who they are.
People often don't know of Trinity College where I am from down in the south.
To others who are more informed/educated, I think Trinity is viewed as a strong academic school, for the children of the rich.
The jist: If you have decent grades, and your parents have the money, you don't have to be like the rest of our countries children and go to a State or Community college. You can just pay tuition and send you kid to a top college!
I spend most my time in my dorm room or the library. My life is sinking into depression right now. I'm from Florida, the lack of ambient lighting and a climate suitable for outdoor activities is a definite negative.
The doors in the rooms automatically lock, which is not conducive to socializing. Sometimes they're will be a kid in every room of your floor but due to the auto-locking doors and lack of common areas, one can feel isolated and might find it hard to meet others. (resulting in depressed studying and loneliness).
Trinity is under no circumstances a college town. Wondering off of Campus will almost always result in a mugging, not that there is anywhere to go (with the exception of 1 gas station, and 3 liquor stores.) Because of the surrounding ghetto around Trinity, you may feel as though you are on an island, only the TrinIsland has no sun, no water, no sand. It is a land locked safe-zone in the middle of mayhem and possibly one of the worst ghettos in the nation. I went through a phase of reading the Hartford Current everyday seeing what crimes went down the night before, and then punching in the addresses of the altercations. Each time I am more amazed than the last, each crime took place closer to Trinity than the last. At a certain point, the fact that a dead body wound up in front of the liquor store you hiked 10 minutes into the ghetto to pick up booze from (so they don't ID you) the day before becomes banal.
The administration of Trinity is highly regarded. President Jones is a nice enough guy, he has the ability to relate to everyone from everywhere which is great. But a politician type, you never really know with that kind of person. (Being new, I'm not sure if that's because that's what were supposed to think, being brainwashed members of the student body, or if they actually are doing a good job.) In my opinion, the admissions department is doing a terrible job. I don't see positive change in our student body if we continue to accept (Northeastern) Prep Schoolers mindlessly. We need some substance in this place!
The biggest controversy on campus, that's a hard question. There is not much controversy here at Trinity. Opposition is crushed as in a dictatorship. The fraternities ensure that everyone strives to be as white and elite as possible. There is no time for individuality or protest. The structure of every aspect of Trinity (calendar, events, everything) is geared to be a rich spoiled kids dream school. (Long breaks for European excursions in the winter, and lame, poorly-organized parties in the student center for those who can't make it in the Frat scene.) Even when you get in trouble for drinking underage or something, you're not actually reprimanded. You have to pay a fine, like the f@ing NFL. Trinity is similar to the NFL, in that there is so much money that a student, similar to an NFL player can get out of any trouble by throwing some of his/her excess money at the problem.
(They may try to have you do some community service as punishment instead, but if you feel that you (commonly: a jobless, sport-less, COLLEGE kid (the epitome of someone with time) don't have time to do the community service, they are very understanding and will just fine you instead.)
I would say there is little to no school pride. There are the kids who pride themselves in being part of a community that is as white and littered in ridiculous Patagonia fleeces and Polo shirts as they. There are also those who are part of the squash team, and have a sense of pride in being part of the team with the longest win streak in any sport at any level, and rightfully so. But none of this transfers to school spirit, or Bantam pride. There is no one wearing Blue and Gold. No one will paint their faces. Sleep is priority over supporting the Football team or even the great Squash team.
What is unusual about Trinity is the extreme homogeneousness. I have never been in a place where something as subjective as "cool" is so unanimous. The thing that is the most unusual about Trinity is the blandness, even amongst students from very different places
and cultures. They all secede to the powerhouse that is Trinity popular culture. First year students may come in hearing Trinity is preppy. They'll accept that, and won't expect to change themselves. Three months later, the (commonly wealthy) individual will already have purchased an awful olive-colored barnyard jacket and several pairs of Sperrys. This ultimately continues to keep it's ugly student body, ugly. (But well dressed.)
I have had a lot of fun at Trinity. I will always remember the parties and the beautiful people. I will remember my self-developent and character-development as I become an adult. I will never forget interacting with these rich kids, who act like brats and try to steer my children away from how they act.
Students complain about:
-Absurd amounts of snow
-Cold
-Dorm locations (if your not part of the concrete jungle as a Freshmen, you're really an outsider from the beginning)
-Boring repetition in activities from day to day
-Not being able to get off campus/isolation
-Having to eat at the same two places every day.