The third instalment of the “Rediscovering Trinity” webinar series, organised by the Library Council of Trinity College, was conducted on the 25th of June.
With the great goal of what Trinity means, recognizing its great minds and learning from the past, the topic that evening was “How did it all Begin? Revisiting the Vision of the Pioneers and Protagonists“
The keynote speaker for the webinar was Mr Harendra Alwis (Old Boy) who joined us all the way from Melbourne, Australia.
The webinar was conducted on Zoom and live streamed on Facebook.
The lecture was indeed a very informative one that touched on how Trinity came to be as a result of the British colonization and how all the milestones in Sri Lankan history thereafter affected Trinity.
At the start of the Webinar, Mr. Harendra Alwis spoke about Mr. Keshan Thalgahagoda and Professor Gishan Dissanaike who were featured in the last two episodes of the Rediscovering Trinity Webinar series. He quoted Mr. Keshan Thalgahagoda – “The primary responsibility of a Trinitian is to be a good citizen”. In the webinar he said Professor Gishan Dissanaike led an illuminating reflection of the relevance and the ingredients of an all-round education. The kind that nurtures good citizens and empowers them to think and act.
How did it all Begin? needs to be rediscovered and it is only when we see the story of Trinity as parts of stories about our communities, nation, and world that gave rise to it that we can grasp its relevance to our present lives and appreciate the hope and promise that offers to the future.
The idea that Trinity should be strongly involved in the community’s life, education, and improvement was a deeply held conviction of her pioneers. Rev. A. G. Fraser said,
“If I go into a village and see the place full of flies and mosquitoes, the poultry scrawny, the streets untidy and the houses dilapidated, I know at once that the school – if there is one – is not doing its job”.
Rev. A. G. Fraser
In the final analysis, the vision of the pioneers was to institutionalize the ethos of unity and the spirit of service at Trinity College, Kandy. To that end they initiated traditions to habitualize and monuments to memorialize and holistic education to empower men and women who would pass through the institution.
The Library Council wishes to thank Mr Harendra Alwis for taking time off his busy schedule to speak at this webinar, the Student Task Force (STF) and the IT department for their continued support, and all those who took part in the webinar.
The 4th instalment of the Rediscovering Trinity webinar series will be held in August 2022.
– Rahul Jayasinghe (Curator, Library Council)
