A discussion with six Trinity teachers, all graduates of THS, each from a different decade of the school’s history, revealed some of the ways the school has changed--and has stayed the same.

1950s
Chaplain Fr. Dave Zettel graduated in 1958. Asked how Trinity has changed since he was a high school student, Zettel said, “The way it has changed most of all is in size, physical upgrades and reputation locally and otherwise. The spirit remains the same, the campus culture is much the same, and the brotherhood is unchanged.”

1960s
Once a student-athlete Mr. Joe Thompson (Class of 1963) had a lot to say about his experience as a Trinity student and how the school has changed. “We only had 44 teachers and most of them were priests,” he said. “You didn’t give the priests any problems. They were firm but fair. I loved every one of my teachers. They were the reason I became a teacher. The students stayed in class and the teachers came to them. I liked it that way. It was much easier for the student than it is today.”
Concerning extracurricular offerings, he said, “There are many more extracurricular activities available to the students today. Discipline was much different, and the campus is much larger and more attractive.
“We had a marching band of 52 members. Mr. (Tom) Zehnder (Class of 1963) was a member of it.”

1970s           
Mr. Joey Porter (Class of 1978) said, “The spirit is basically the same. When I went to Trinity we had only three buildings, and only one was air-conditioned. The buildings were called A, B and C buildings, later renamed Old Trinity, Floersh, and Sheehan halls.
“There were also many priests and teachers from religious orders in the ‘70s. We were landlocked by businesses that sat on the current locations of Alumni Hall, Shamrock Hall and the land to the east of Sherrin Ave. The weight room was virtually non-existent. We had absolutely no technology. We used slide rules to perform trigonometric functions. The theater was housed in Old Trinity Hall. It was very small but also very cool. We ate lunch in a much smaller space that is currently the four science areas on the bottom of Floersh.”

1980s

Mr. Mike Domzalski (Class of 1985) said it was amazing to see the changes since the 1980s. “The buildings, facilities and landscaping had a plain look,” he said. “Sheehan Hall was the only building with air-conditioning. The third floors of Floersh and Old Trinity were miserable because of the heat rising. It made them so hot we all hoped to get classes on the bottom floors. The library was very small. Computer classes started in 1982 and there was no online communication.
“Tradition and discipline haven’t changed. There wasn’t very good security. We had ID cards but the doors were always open. Students used to be able to smoke on campus outside the first floor of Sheehan Hall.”

1990s
Mr. Michael Bratcher (Class of 1997) said, “It’s really neat to see all of the new buildings and the campus growth. Shamrock Hall, Duerr Hall, the Marshall Center, Marshall Stadium, new parking lots are all new since my time as a student.
“It’s really cool to teach and work with some of the same teachers who taught me. It’s also cool, though, to see all of the new teachers that we’ve hired along the way. While Trinity has changed physically, the mission and culture of the school still stands as strong as ever.”

2000s

Mr. Craig Kannapel (Class of 2002) mentioned a few noticeable changes from when he was a student.
“Spiritually it’s about the same. The retreats are more based on the House System now. Duerr Hall and the third-floor tunnel are both new since I graduated. Not every room had a projector. The old football stadium was still there, and St. Patrick’s Place is new also. There are more students, and the House System was new my senior year.
“The student section at the football games are horrible compared to when I was a student. The IDs are different and we didn’t have to wear them around our necks. It’s much different being a teacher at Trinity than it is being a student.”