James Jiang, Trinity News Staff Writer
Let’s paint a caricature of the average Trinity College student. Convinced that they are the aristocrats and nobility of UofT, Trinity students are snobs. In their minds, students from different colleges are unsophisticated creatures. As the snobbiest, rudest students on campus, Trinity students act as though they are superior to everyone else—that the spotlight of attention is always shining on them. And with daddy’s money in their pocket, they march around pretentiously, believing themselves to be the elite. During dinnertime, they may don Harry Potter robes for their own weird enjoyment and sit at unusually tall dinner tables. For fun, they might talk about politics or head to that Episkopon cult—their favourite social club—and partake in some questionable rituals. Altogether, Trinity students are an insufferable bunch.
But wait. This caricature is just plain wrong. Trinity College students are none of that. In fact, they are some of the nicest, most inclusive students at UofT. However, for some reason, in every corner of campus, the gossip is that Trinity College students are elitist and terrible people.
There’s a stigma in the air: if you’re a member of Trinity College, you’re automatically looked down upon. In introductions, for example, when others ask what college you belong to, they make a weird face and bellow out an awkward “Oh” when you remark that you’re from Trinity College. Most Trinity students have shared this experience, feeling as if they must apologize for their college affiliation.
In reality, Trinity students are the same as students from any other college. We are normal people, with normal interests and normal personalities. We are normal college students with the same fondness for alcohol and partying as anyone else. The stigma is wrong. Trinity College isn’t elite.
Moreover, Trinity students are not emotionless, elitist aliens. Just like other colleges across campus, we are simply a tight-knit group of friends. Just like everyone else, we enjoy joking about the terrible cafeteria food, playing pick-up basketball, and living student life at UofT.
Of course, Trinity College is sure to have its bad eggs—to have a few students who fit the aforementioned caricature. But so does every other UofT college: any group will have its good and bad eggs. In Trinity College’s case, because we are the smallest college population-wise, these bad eggs may stand out more in the crowd. But to ascribe the faults of a few onto thousands is just plain wrong.
I guess it is easy for ill-informed students behind their screen of ignorance to say that all Trinity College students are snobby and elite—to look down on its members. But when you begin to understand how normal the students at Trinity College are; when you realize how kind and friendly they are; when you experience this epiphany yet witness students from other colleges disparage you and your friends for no reason—then you will understand why the stigma around Trinity College is intolerable.
It’s ripe time for this stigma to be erased. No one enjoys being judged and disparaged for no reason. Trinity students are not elite. Trinity students are not snobby. In truth, we are just normal college students.
