(Crider) Comparing Trinity and Loyola

  

  Trinity and Loyola possess many differences: one was founded in 1592 and the other in 1904, one boasts nearly seventeen thousand students while the other is shy of five thousand, and then there is the obvious gap created by 43,000 miles of ocean and land.  The New Orleans university is subject to grueling humidity much of the year, but sweaters are necessary almost year round at the Dublin college.  Loyola's campus can be traversed within a five minute walk, but traveling from one side of Trinity to the other requires slightly more of a hike.  Finding one's way around the larger campus proves daunting without a map at first: buildings are differentiated by small number placards and many are hidden behind each other, accessible only by narrow passageways down stairs, through arches, and between seemingly ancient stone walls.  Loyola's compact area could probably be nestled snuggly in the Trinity College Park alone.

   But nevermind the differences in age, population, climate, or layout; taking a stroll through and around either school will reveal several similarities.  Both rest in major port cities and were established in close proximity to a river.  Composed of either stone or brick, they each contain structures that flaunt an appearance of antiquity, while modern means of public transportation run directly in front of their entrances.  Outside their perimeters the streets are alive with energy, whether it radiate from the history that pervades them or the countless bars and pubs that line their sidewalks.  Often a pedestrian is enticed by the smell of delicious cuisine wafting from restaurant doorways.  Close to large bodies of water, both New Orleans and Dublin have a fancy for seafood, but their eateries, and shops alike, display a global awareness and appreciation for other cultures.  Trinity and Loyola share a similar spirit, and the following month is sure to unearth more affirmations to this claim.