The greatest lessons in life we would learn not from grown-up learned men, but from the so-called ignorant children.
-Mahatma Gandhi
Hey everyone,
I talked to Dan Roche, and Dean Stamoolis who said the building plans for the theatre are on hold indefinitely. Some of you may not even be aware that the school won’t even extend an offer to Dan to come on as a full time teacher (and thus run the program).
I know Dan really wants to be part of Trinity. There just seems to be hesitancy about having him come to Trinity. The official reason is they just don't have it in the budget to hire him.
I can only imagine the real reason why the school won’t hire him is that many in charge simply think theatre isn’t Trinity’s priority right now. Some on the executive board feel the chapel is sufficient to host plays, and think it’s unnecessary to spend money on building a black box.
Dan told me that two high schools extended teaching offers to him, one in Florida, and the other at Wheaton academy here in IL. But I know his heart is really here at Trinity.
I'm meeting with Dr. Hsieh in a few weeks to discuss the student’s side, which is completely unrepresented in this whole issue. But, I need all of you to do two things to help me make my case:
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Contact those in charge and let them know that we want Dan to head up a theatre at Trinity, in the fall of 2006.
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Sign this petition to show that you are committed to brining the arts to Trinity.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/776963787
Here are some people to e-mail and call:
President, Gregory L. Waybright
gwaybrig@tiu.edu
847-317-8001
Executive VP, Jeanette Hsieh
jhsieh@tiu.edu
847-317-8194
Senior VP for Student Affairs Dean of Students, Coffee Washington
coffeew@trin.edu
847-317-7115
Senior VP of Academic Affairs Academic Dean, James Stamoolis
jstamool@tiu.edu
847-317-7001
Interim Associate Dean of Students, Greg Leeper
gleeper@tiu.edu
847-317-8192
Senior Advisor to the President and Executive VP, Wesley L. Anderson
wanderso@tiu.edu
847-317-7083
Director, School of Language, Literature and Communication, Lois Fleming
lfleming@tiu.edu
847-317-7144
Director, School of Humanities, Steven D. Fratt
sfratt@tiu.edu
847-317-7173
Director, School of Music, Don Hedges
dhedges@tiu.edu
847-317-7141
Warning
For the LOVE of all that is good, please be VERY respectful, and tactful when contacting these people.
Yes, we are in charge. Yes, we pay their salary through our tuition money. And yes, we ought to have a say as to what happens here at school. But you get NO WHERE if you're rude, argumentative, or crass.
If you don’t know what or even how to write this type of e-mail, here’s a few things to remember – Be polite, but be firm. Make sure to spell names correctly and to spell and grammar-check the letter before e-mailing it. But, remember to ask the most important question: Why won’t Trinity forge ahead with the theatre program?
School administrators really appreciate and listen to those who take the time to write out their concerns in a thoughtful and intelligent letter or e-mail. However, if you’re hesitant about sending something out, e-mail me: aomega79@yahoo.com and I’ll fwd you a form letter you can use.
Also, if you know others want the same thing you do, connect with them, and pass this e-mail on, encourage them to speak out. This can be ANYONE:
Parents
(They pay the tuition bill, and higher-ups will listen to them)
Fellow Trinity College Students
(Prove those wrong who say young people are apathetic)
Teachers
(They actually care deeply about enriching student’s lives)
Alumni
(Stuff like this might be the reason why many don’t give to Trinity)
TEDS or Grad students
(The theatre would’ve been open to all students, making it a university wide issue)
Prospective students
(Who might have attended Trinity before they found out there isn't going to be a theatre)
There is still time (albeit limited) to build a theatre over the summer. Just remember few on the board really hear from students, so it’s easy for them to gloss over student wishes. Let yourself be heard! E-mail me if you have any questions about this.
Much love,
Athanasios Drugas | 
