trentmagazine.ca

When I came to Trent for the very first time, in the fall of 1968, I fell in love with what was then a slightly rag-tag collection of old houses spread over half of Peterborough, connected by buses to the still raw collection of buildings nestling between the river and the drumlin. When I returned as a student in the fall of 1969 the changes were subtle, some of the newness wearing off as the University settled into its surroundings. At that time, a tension existed between the university, a predominantly liberal and comparatively affluent collection of students and academics, and the more conservative, economically troubled, central Ontario city. For better or worse, Trent was present in the heart of Peterborough in the form of Rubidge Hall, the bookstore, Peter Robinson and Traill colleges. As always, time passes and Trent changed, as did Peterborough. Rubidge Hall was eventually abandoned, some of the residence houses at Robinson were razed and replaced with modern apartments, pubs came and went, Otonabee College rose on the ridge line across the river. Trent continued, becoming more and more an integral part of Peterborough in the process.

Now, it appears that to survive, Trent may be compelled to complete this retreat from the city itself, driven by economic necessity and architectural practicality to give up those old converted houses and retrench. I find this somewhat saddening, as the changing order always brings some sadness, but if it is necessary to preserve Trent then... Still, I can't help holding out the hope that somehow, some way, Trent's presence in the center of town can be maintained. U of T has done it, Carleton has done it, here in North Carolina, Duke and Chapel Hill and NC State continue to do it, retain their links and their history through the judicious maintenance of selected old buildings.

Regardless, Trent will continue, and continue to evolve, as the premier liberal arts university on the Canadian education scene. And Mr. Fienberg will also, one hopes, continue to evolve; experience and the passage of time gradually softening the sharp edges of his distaste for medieval imagery, dysfunctional hippie communes, and bus rides. Volume 31 of the magazine recognizes many of those who have gone on to get, or create, jobs, donating some of our income to Trent. No doubt we do this at least partly in a quest to preserve our memories, but also to preserve the opportunity for others to create memories of their own in a special place. I wonder what memories Mr. Fienberg holds, what images of Trent he carries in his mind, that motivate him to be at once so condescending and so cavalier in his dismissal of the city colleges.

Andrew House
Traill, 1969

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