By Nina Payne
Trinity Times Correspondent

As Jay Pope prepares his cart to make mail deliveries throughout the campus at Trinity Washington University during a hot July day, he is reminded that the college is far from the ghost town people often imagine it is during the summer.

“The summer months at Trinity Washington University are quieter than fall and spring, but there is still a lot going on,” said Pope, assistant manager of Trinity’s post office, which is also responsible for preparing campus printing. “There are a lot of things that keep the campus moving and there is always something happening.” 

It’s true there are fewer students and faculty on campus during the months of June and July and half of August, but the athletic fields are filled with people playing sports, the Trinity Center is host to Washington-area camps and other group activities, the college technology and facility teams are busy making updates and repairs in the buildings and summer classes allow students to continue their education.

Many groups have been on campus this summer, said Robert Hanlen, director of the Trinity Center. 

These groups include camps, such as Trinity’s Summer Bridge Program for first-generation and first-year students to come to campus early and transition to college life, and the Early College Academy for students in the dual enrollment classes for high school and college.

Some major sports organizations – such as the Washington Wizards and Washington Mystics basketball teams – host camps on Trinity’s campus during the summer, as well as RDU Tennis, pool rentals and the presence of the Washington Area Frisbee Club, which uses the athletic fields for its league games. 

“Ultimate frisbee is your favorite sport you’ve never heard about,” said Charlie Baird, manager of Marketing and Outreach for Youth Programs with the Washington Area Frisbee Club (WAFC). Baird describes Trinity’s campus as the perfect spot for the organization. 

“Trinity has a great geographic location, it’s a great meeting spot for many people in the organization, whether someone is traveling by car or public transportation,” Baird said. “Trinity is easily accessible for many of our members.” 

Additionally, he said the university has tremendous field quality compared to many athletic facilities in the DMV (D.C., Maryland and Virginia region). 

The Washington Frisbee Club’s main goal is to create popular momentum for ultimate frisbee in the Metropolitan Washington area. 

The organization has several leagues actively playing throughout the area, and hosted its advanced mixed league at Trinity this summer, allowing WAFC to reach its goal of spreading ultimate Frisbee throughout the community.

Trinity’s fields along Michigan Ave. provides a lot of visibility for the teams playing, which has been a real boost for the WAFC, Baird said.

Trinity is a “hidden gem” tucked away on Michigan Ave. and has several facilities useful to groups around the DMV, said Carlota Ocampo, the university’s provost and vice president of Academic Affairs.

Although Trinity has been home to many camps this summer, the academic work didn’t stop during June and July, Ocampo said. 

Several summer semester classes were offered, especially for the School of Professional Studies and the graduate program, giving older students who work full-time jobs a way to finish their degrees quicker, she said. 

“The difference with the summer semester compared to the spring and fall is that there are more targeted programs and populations on campus,” Ocampo said. “Trinity is very busy in the summer. It’s just a different pattern and look than what you’ll see in the fall and spring semesters.”

Though most students do not live on campus during the summer months, the university housing is occupied by several overnight visitors, many of whom have packages delivered to them through Trinity’s post office, said Debra Mattern, manager of the post office.

The post office is “functioning at full force,” Mattern said of the summer operation, adding the staff is “always prepared to accommodate the needs of the Trinity community.”

In the earlier part of August, before the official fall semester begins, Trinity is also offering its first “Start Strong” program to orient first year students since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020, Ocampo said. 

The “Start Strong” program is a pre-orientation for first year students to learn about the campus, their advisors, and the courses they will be taking, she said. 

The summer campus excitement will transition to the fast-paced environment that comes with the new fall semester and the beginning of the 2023-2024 academic year at Trinity.

Trinity Times correspondents Corey Best and Janet Platt contributed to this story.