Running of the Bul
Wednesday 7 October
Warden Andrew McGowan cuts the ribbon with staff and students watching on
Fenced off for the last seven months while 800,000 litres of underground water storage was installed and the surface re-turfed, the Bulpadock - the open green space in the centre of the College that serves as our 'Village Green' – is now accessible to all after the fences were removed earlier this week.
The ability to once again enjoy this highly-prized space was marked today with a celebratory picnic for staff and students. After the Warden cut the obligatory red ribbon, students and staff were invited to participate in the 'Running of the Bul' – a symbolic race across the pristine new turf. The first male student across the 'line', Jerome Cubillo, and the first female student, Yien Li Yap, were presented with a 'trophy' set of 'bull-horns' to share and a bag of bulls-eye lollies each.
Revelling in the spring sunshine – and the restoration of their recreational space – students tested their skills in egg-and-spoon and three-legged races before resorting to the much-missed fun of simply tossing balls around. For this year's 'freshers' it was the first real opportunity to experience the core Trinity pastime of 'hanging out on the Bul'.
The re-opening of the Bul is a part of a broader Sustainability program and is just the first step in a prioritised series of initiatives to take responsibility for a sustainable College.
Yien Li Yap (left) with Jerome Cubillo, the winning 'Bul' runners
Students enjoy the sunshine on the re-opened Bulpadock