Fall 2005 brought with it the addition of Mercy Hall to the array of On-campus housing options and gave Trinity Campus a new reputation. Many people on Central and Athletic Campuses think it’s too far away, that it’s a pain in the butt to get to, or that it’s just a bad place to live in general. The truth is that it’s better than they think. Many people claim that Trinity is too far away; in other words, it’s too far away to roll out of bed five minutes before class starts and still get there on time. In terms of being far away from Central Campus, it’s a ten minute walk. But with Margaret, the ex-New York City cab driver, steering the Trinity bus, it takes only two minutes to get there. The Trinity Bus comes every fifteen minutes, so rolling out of bed is still an option. You just have a choice to roll onto the 15, 30, 45 or the on-the-hour bus. Another complaint is that there is no place to eat, which is semi-true. There is the Delehanty Deck, but it closes at 6:30 every night. Most of the students on Trinity eat an early dinner or rely on the amazing delivery options around Burlington. When Trinity residents found out that they would be living on Trinity, many were upset. “I thought it was going to be very isolated and very out of the loop of the University experience,” said Freshman Alyssa Gagne, “but I was pleasantly surprised.” Most students on Trinity Campus had the same initial reaction, but many of them have become attached and have found many positive aspects about living there. Trinity Campus is different from all the other housing options at UVM. “It’s a smaller community within a bigger community,” said Caitlin Jackson. The people who live on Trinity Campus love the sense of togetherness it creates; Sam Lederfine Paskal says, “it’s the Mercy Family.” In asking some of the residents their opinion of living on Trinity, there were a lot of similar answers. Liz Joyce says, “We’re all best friends.” Emily Voorhees says, “The people are awesome.” Lauren Gauthier says, “The people here rock my socks.” It’s true. Trinity Campus has a strong sense of community and the reputation that Mercy Hall has for being one of the most party-oriented places on campus makes Trinity one big, crazy, happy family. The back lawn is a crucial part of Trinity, serving as a place for great sledding and also the site for a tiny ski/snowboard park complete with rails and jumps in the winter. Faye Oppenheimer says it’s “a good place to lounge and relax or do work on a nice day, or listen to a concert. There are just so many options I can’t choose sometimes.” A few weeks ago, when the weather was beautiful, Trinity’s back lawn hosted an outdoor concert featuring the band Johnny Tea. Four out of five of the band members live on Trinity Campus. Everyone was outside listening to music, having a good time and embodying the spirit of UVM. Upperclassman Alexis Castro said that she changed her mind about Trinity after spending some time there. “At first I thought it was away from everything and that the people were loud and obnoxious at night, but now I realize that you get to know everyone and it’s like a little family.” Despite the distance and the lack of food, Trinity Campus is one of a kind. “It is a fine place to live,” says Catie Nally with enthusiasm. People should give it more of a chance before jumping to conclusions. After all, it’s still closer than Redstone.