Hartford Requirement Crucial to Trinity Experience

With the opening of the Center for Urban and Global Studies last Friday, one wonders what the faculty was thinking last semester when they did not pass the second half of the global-urban proposal presented to them by the Curriculum Committee, also known as the Hartford requirement. It would have basically made it obligatory that while at Trinity, students take one class related to the study of Hartford. What's even more puzzling to me is that they did pass the global requirement as well as the language requirement.

Personally, I think a mandatory Hartford-engagement course would make Trinity students more well-rounded and better people in general. Sure, there would be those who wouldn't give a hoot about the subject matter, but I feel that the majority would benefit from it and actually learn a thing or two. I mean, honestly, how many kids who go here can say they've walked down to Park Street, for instance? Very few, I believe. It seems that the predominant image we get of Hartford residents are those that we receive from e-mails sent out from the Campus Safety Department - "sexual assault," "criminal trespassing," "carjacking," "suspect described as a Hispanic male approximately 16-17 years old, riding a bicycle," "three non-Trinity College individuals who attempted to rob [students]" - really, the list could go on indefinitely. It appears that we only hear about the bad people that come onto our campus, never about the true Hartford. Or do we really think the entire city is made up of a bunch of miscreants? It would be very easy to stereotype the city based on the one-sided view most Trinity students receive, but anyone taking the time to even walk across the street to Trinfo Café would realize just how diverse, exciting and cool the average Hartford resident is.

Plus, since our school is located in Hartford, doesn't it make sense that we should know about the city in which we will be living for four years? I would assume that most people know at least a little bit about their hometowns, and seeing as how Trinity becomes our home away from home for about seven or eight months of the year, shouldn't we become familiar with the place in which we live? I would dare to venture to say that your typical Trinity student doesn't know much about the history of Hartford, about its local politics, or even about good local restaurants. As far as I can tell, the furthest a lot of Trinity students venture to familiarize themselves with is The Tap.

Also, doesn't the College always claim that it has great relations with the Hartford community? While there are some programs on campus that help students to interact with the local residents and do outreach, for the most part I sense tension between Trinity and the city surrounding us. And doesn't the fact that we failed to pass the Hartford requirement last academic year send an extremely negative message out to those with whom it would be in our best interest to cooperate and work with, rather than segregate from?

We live in a bubble, and if students are unwilling to step out of that comfort zone on their own, then maybe what they need is a good push from the faculty to get them started. Because really, I feel that after most people discover what a neat place Hartford is, they'll want to go back for more, whether it's exploring cool shops or working with local organizations.

Furthermore, wouldn't stronger ties to Hartford be attractive to prospective students? With the state of affairs now, it's already appealing - people on campus already do stuff with the Connecticut River, the State House and even local Planned Parenthood health centers. Imagine how much more appealing Trinity would be if we did even more with the community, if every student was out there getting hands-on experiences in the city. For those who argue that this type of requirement would only be adding unnecessary obligations for students who already have a lot going on, I think there are so many opportunities applicable no matter what one's field of study.

Ultimately, it seems pretty ludicrous to not have passed the Hartford requirement. The College definitely needs to reassess its principles and priorities, and one can only look forward to the motion being resubmitted (maybe even with a few revisions) to the faculty's discretion once more. Hopefully this time around they'll get it right.