Emily Trinkle's Student Spotlight

Emily Trinke is a 20 year old junior, who is double majoring in Business Administration and Philosophy. This engaged student is also the Cheer and Dance team captain and a Dance Marathon Morale committee member. She was the Connect Coordinator for the incoming freshman class this summer and is doing a social media marketing internship right now. On the side, she is working as a tour guide at Clarke as well.

We asked her all the questions and here is what she answered:

Why did you choose Clarke University?

"I originally chose to visit Clarke because I talked to some admissions workers at a college fair and they really convinced me to make the visit. Once I visited, I knew Clarke was the place for me. It just felt like a place I could see myself living and having fun. It had a sense of home that the other campuses I had been on didn’t have."

What’s your favorite memory so far?

"A favorite memory is hard to choose because Clarke has brought me so many, but I think my 19th birthday here is one I’ll never forget. The day before my birthday my friends and I decided that we wanted to make a big game of cops and robbers happen the next night, so we started to spread the word. It was initially a joke and we thought maybe fifteen people would show up, but word spread fast and the night of my birthday we went outside where we told everyone to meet, and a ton of people started showing up. It was the most massive game of cops and robbers I have ever played with people running all over campus. Students continued to join in all night, and we just had a really good time."

What was the craziest thing you witnessed in your time here?

I think the craziest thing I’ve seen since I’ve been here is my own face on a billboard. It was pretty weird to see my face get blown up that big and be on the road where everyone who drives by can see it. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it and I had a previous goal of getting my own billboard, but it was still weird.

What were your tasks as CONNECT coordinator this summer?

I had a very large variety of tasks as the CONNECT Coordinator. One of my biggest tasks was to find and train tuckpointers, the people who lead the freshman groups. I had to pick people that would be good with freshman, separate them into groups, create their training schedule and put that schedule into action. I also worked with outside businesses to try and get donations and find activities for the incoming class to do. There were also a lot of little things in the process such as posting on Instagram, meeting with marketing, organizing folders and papers, and emailing faculty and staff that was planning on working during CONNECT. During the actual weekend of CONNECT my responsibilities included welcoming everyone and giving the opening speech. I needed to make sure everyone knew where they were going and got there smoothly. It was basically a process of answering messages and walking around and helping whoever needed it. I really enjoyed being the CONNECT Coordinator and I would recommend it to anyone interested.

What do you want to do after you have your college degree?

After getting my degree I would like to get a job in social media marketing. This is something I work with through the school, and I have found that I really enjoy it. I also would like to travel and just be able to explore the world because I haven’t been to many places yet.

What would you like to change about Clarke?

I really enjoy Clarke; I don’t have anything too big that I would want changed. If I had to pick something I would say the laundry machines because they can be a pain. I would also probably make it more accessible because it’s not an easy school to get around with an injury or disability.

When did you start doing cheer and dance?

I started doing cheer when I came to Clarke, and I started doing dance the summer before my senior year of high school.

How does the process of competing in cheer work?

With this being the first year the team gets to compete, we never did it before but with cheer, there is a process of deciding which competitions to go to, then all the teams there compete against each other in the same style. The point systems are based on the tightness and how together the dance portions are, the level of stunts done and if they are hit, the jumps, and the tumbling in the routine. Then teams can move on and compete in bigger, tougher competitions if the first ones go well.

What hopes do you have for your season?

My main hope for this season is just that we are proud of ourselves. With us never competing before, we don’t really know what to expect from the competition so I just want us to focus on getting out there and showing what we can do. I want us to be able to show how much we’ve grown and get our name out there. I also want everyone to leave the competitions feeling accomplished and happy with what we’ve done as a team.

What makes the cheer and dance group special this year?

I think the thing that makes this group so special is that we all get to compete for the first time together. We’re all working towards this end goal together and everyone is in it for the team. We have all been there to support each other and are excited to move forward even though it’s stressful sometimes.

One piece of advice for someone that’s new to Clarke/College:

My biggest piece of advice to anyone going to college is just to put yourself out there. Go to events, ask questions, say hi to people, try new things! This will all make college so much better.

Emily and her cheer and dance team are preparing themselves for their first season of competing ever and we wish them the best of luck! If you want to know more about the cheer and dance team, follow them on social media @clarke_cheerdance.

Benjamin Reiser