From:
Tuttle, David
Sent: Friday, December 19, 2008 8:12 AM
To: 'ParentTalk@trinity.edu'
Subject: FW: Happy End of the First Semester (a message from your faculty
marshal)
Parents,
The message below is from our Class of 2012 Class Marshal, Dr. Angela Breidenstein. This is the most recent of many posts that have gone out from her and Alumni Sponsor Dave Mansen to the Class of 2012. In addition, the pair has attended various events and tried to be visible to the class. The goal of this program is to treat each incoming class as its own entity for the duration of their time here. This allows the University to address their social, developmental, and educational needs and to guide them through the experience as well as mark important milestones. Dr. Breidenstein has done an excellent job thus far and this message typifies her good work and the importance of intentional and thoughtful communication with students. Only three-and-a-half years to go!
Mr. David M. Tuttle
Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life
Trinity University
One Trinity Place #40
San Antonio, TX 78212-7200
Blog: http://trinitydean.blogspot.com/
Northrup Hall, Room 118
Staffed office (210) 999-8843, Direct line (210) 999-8844, Fax (210) 999-8885
http://www.trinity.edu/deanofstudents
From:
Breidenstein, Angela
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2008 10:06 PM
To: Breidenstein, Angela; Trinity Students FY 2008
Cc: davemansen@alumni.trinity.edu; Tuttle, David
Subject: Happy End of the First Semester (a message from your faculty
marshal)
Dear Class of 2012 Students,
The first semester is over - congratulations! By now many of you have headed home or to the place where you will spend the holidays and you are reconnecting with family and friends. I know that some of our international students, athletes, and other students stay in San Antonio due to the travel logistics, thinking of family and friends at home. Wherever you are, I know that you are likely catching up on sleep and looking forward to a restful period of time to catch your breath and think about what you've just experienced. Maybe you're realizing how quiet your home is, or how you already miss your friends, or how different it is to be back with your families who want to know where you are going and when you are going to be back... ah, transitions!
In the next few days your first semester grades will be posted in TigerPaws. I'd urge you to take them seriously and also to remember that the grades are not the full indicator or sum of what you've learned. You have learned and are still learning about how to learn in college -- how to take notes, work with study groups, manage time, do a lot of reading, write extensively and analytically, do research, prepare for college exams, figure out just what you think the professor is looking for, figure out what you think about events, issues, complex problems - did I mention manage time? Use this time off to take a mental inventory of what you learned about learning, what worked, what didn't, what you want to do differently next semester, what resources you want to check out in the future to support you, what you know you will do better, what you will stop doing. This kind of metacognitive thinking about the processes of learning is critical in your evolution as a college student and academic. If you are worried about your grades and/or implications for scholarships or other things - please know that you can talk to your advisor, your RM, any member of the faculty or staff, the Financial Aid Office, your alumni sponsor Dave, or me.
On another note, while you're on break, don't be surprised if you start wondering about sticking it out at Trinity. This is common, not just for Trinity students, but students on campuses nationwide. The newness of college life has worn off, the last memory you have is of finals-papers and packing up. After the break and some initial excitement of no classes, no homework, being back home or someplace new - you may start experiencing some post-holiday blues, January weather (even in Texas), and thoughts about going back and leaving friends and family. It is completely OK to have mixed feelings about returning to school. What you will usually find when you return is that you have a new sense of belonging: you missed your friends, are OK with sharing a room because as it turns out you miss (or at least can live with) the quirky things your roommate does, and you like the freedom of college and your independence.
In fact, speaking of living in the residence halls, as you've learned and will discover from talking to friends returning from other universities, Trinity has a unique and distinctive residential program. While it is not uncommon for first year students to be housed together, few institutions intentionally house sophomores together as we do at Trinity. This is done in order to help students extend the community feel from their first year and to offer programs targeted at the specific needs of sophomores. Some of those needs are to help sophomores identify majors, consider study abroad options, gain academic and extra-curricular traction and more. For years, feedback from students has been that there was a highly developed first year student housing program and then students were released into the abyss of upperclass housing, where there was a sense of loss for that same feeling in the first year.
The Trinity program is structured to help first year students adjust to campus. The second year allows students to continue to live in common housing areas with the people they want to be around (previously sophomores just received what was left over) and start to gain some independence to prepare for a more hands-off residential experience in the junior and senior year. I know some of you are starting to wonder about next year, think about roommates, and wonder where you might be living -- after all, you're halfway through the first year already! At this time it looks like sophomores will again be housed in Thomas, Prassel, and North Halls next year. This is an exciting experience for Trinity residents. You will learn more about how room sign-up works in the early spring. I just wanted you to have a head start in thinking about next year.
So, hopefully you've made it to the end of this message - after all, no classes, no required reading, no studying. Enjoy this time of rest and reflection - already it's too quiet at Trinity - I look forward to your return in January!
Best wishes,
Dr. Breidenstein
From:
Breidenstein, Angela
Sent: Fri 12/5/2008 1:35 PM
To: Trinity Students FY 2008
Cc: davemansen@alumni.trinity.edu; Tuttle, David; Nickle, Stephen
Subject: a message from your faculty marshal and alumni sponsor
Dear First Year Students,
I wanted to let you know about a few things coming up that are both community events and academic milestones:
(1) Tonight's university holiday celebration concert - the concert will be presented an all-star student cast, including members of the Trinity Choir, the University Chorus, the Trinity Symphony Orchestra, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and the Parker Chapel Handbell Choir. The program will feature traditional holiday favorites and a narrated version of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Dave Mansen, our alumni sponsor, will be there with his wife Carol, so look for him there!
(2) Vespers - Sunday night - another way our community celebrates the holiday season -it will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, in the Parker Chapel. The annual service of carols, chorals, instrumental music, candlelight, and readings is followed by open houses of the University Oakmont homes. Thanks to an invitation from Rev. Nickle to include us as special representative for the Class of 2012, Dave Mansen and I will be participating as readers in the service, so we hope to see many first year students there! A note, though, that one needs to get there early to get a seat! And, even if you can't get a seat for the service, come tour the Oakmont houses and get some great treats -- this is your chance to meet the President and Vice Presidents (along with their families) in their homes.
Also, on the academic front, I know many of you have returned to campus from the Thanksgiving break glad for time with family and friends and the breather from school, but also faced with lots of deadlines for papers and projects before finals. Hang in there, get lots of sleep (not sleeping, it turns out, does more harm than good to your physical and mental health!), eat well, exercise, and try to manage your time wisely. Right before finals, you'll get another brief breather called "Reading Days," when we have 2 days without classes so you can study and get ready for finals. Do use this time to study and get ready for finals, especially in study groups or review groups. Try not to get lured into too many organizational meetings or gatherings -- do go to some study breaks -- try not to freak out or panic -- do take things one step at a time and one test at a time.
I'll be sending out a bit of info at a time as we head into the end of the semester -- I wanted to start with these two first special community events and a heads-up about what's to come....
Take care - hope to see you tonight or Sunday or soon!
Dr. Breidenstein