Before March, I would walk through the Trinity College campus a few times each week — either as a cut-through or because there was a stop there I was making, like at one of the cafes or to see a movie at Cinestudio.
Then, it felt wrong to go into that space without compelling reason.
That was just my own choice though.
Unlike some other colleges and universities in the area, Trinity never posted the rude “Get Off My Lawn!” type signs that appeared elsewhere during the pandemic, as if a neighbor walking his dog posed more of a threat in any of those spaces than the students did to one another in the dorms or classrooms. There was even an area institution that shut off its public transit stop on campus — a move that showed how little that community values the health and safety of its bus-reliant students, faculty, and staff, as the alternative is for bus riders to cross a busy road that lacks a pedestrian light cycle. I understand that there have been a lot of unknowns, but I personally have little patience for those whose strategies are based on fearing strangers.
All of that is to say that Trinity deserves credit, especially given its relationship with the city in the past, for not jumping on the “stranger danger” bandwagon and keeping its outdoor spaces welcoming to neighbors.
Maybe it’s because there was a tone of respect that I felt like keeping off the campus until the students returned home after Thanksgiving. When I finally walked across the campus for the first time in months, I was interested to see what had changed and who else might be around.
Usually there would be a few campus neighbors out for a walk, or there would be a handful of students and staff out, even on a cold and windy day.
I saw nobody else out in the open. Maybe it was my timing.
There was campus security, inside their vehicles, and some indication of people inside buildings.
So, still not a ghost town.
It felt less desolate, however, than at the beginning of the pandemic, right after all students (except fewer than 300 with special circumstances) departed campus suddenly. Maybe the cuter and newer signage made the learning and living space feel less scary than what appeared back in March, letting everyone know they could only access buildings by swiping their IDs. Instead, everyone is reminded to “protect the nest” — Trinity’s mascot is a bantam — by wearing a mask, etc. People are still on campus, but you won’t hear the ruckus from parties or football games.
So, if you’re looking for another area to stroll where you aren’t constantly bumping into others, it looks like the majority of students won’t be returning to campus until at least late February 2021.
