What makes life at Trinity fun? Well, one or two things… like turning our library into a golf course. Or hosting an annual all-male pageant. Or an explosive paint battle on the campus lawn. When you schedule a visit to campus, ask some students you meet about these traditions. They’ll probably have a lot of stories to tell!
Santa Lucia pays tribute to Trinity’s Swedish roots by celebrating a tradition that has been around for centuries. Trinity holds an annual Santa Lucia dance each December. The student body votes to elect one freshman girl who embodies strong Christian character. Previous Santa Lucia court members surprise the incoming court by surprising them and taking them out to a restaurant in the middle of the night. The winner remains unknown until the night of the dance when one girl is given the title, Ms. Santa Lucia. This winter celebration is a great time for students to create memories together and is always a student favorite.
Johnson Hall Coffee House is a campus-wide event where the entire student body comes together to watch student performances and cultivate community by enjoying food and fellowship. The Johnson Hall Coffee House takes place once each semester and is one of the student body’s favorite events of the year.
Mr. TIU is Trinity’s annual male pageant, where TIU seniors compete in various challenges to prove that they are worthy of such a title. Past challenges have included describing a rainbow to a blind person, singing karaoke, and highlighting one of their many talents. The whole campus attends the events and a panel of judges ultimately crowns one lucky guy with the title, Mr. TIU.
Junior/Senior is Trinity’s annual formal hosted by TIU’s College Union. Junior and Senior students are able to get off campus and celebrate their TIU memories together at this yearly dance. Each year the location of the dance moves, but past venues have included the Willis Tower and a boat on Chicago’s Navy Pier. The dance is typically held during second semester making it one of the graduating senior class’s favorite events.
During the week prior to Thanksgiving, the dining center staff treats the students to a fancy Thanksgiving Dinner. Students are able to enjoy an array of pies, delicious turkey, stuffing and loads of mashed potatoes and gravy.
The Ice Cream Social is College Union’s event that marks the start of a new school year. The entire campus is invited to a night of ice cream, meeting incoming students, and getting more information about ministries at Trinity.
