One Month in Oxford

A little over a month ago, on September 16th, I arrived in Oxford, England. In one month I have learned enough Latin to read the first four lines of the Aenid, matriculated into the university, been down to Exeter to see the sea, and currently I am "studying" in the Radcliffe Camera in the heart of the University of Oxford.

I've made friends with students the program for a Masters in Finance and Economics.
 I tell them they need me to even out their numbers and math. Here we are dressed in our matriculation finest.

Behind me is the Keble Hall, housing both the dining hall and the library. 

We are in the Sheldonian waiting for the ceremony to start. See how excited everyone is?
We can hardly hold it in.

We are officially enrolled in the lists of the University. Now we get lunch.
This is Arianna from Italy who is one of the Masters in Finance and Econmics (MFE) people.

This past weekend I had several adventures. First I was matriculated. Now, when I first heard matriculation I was excited, it sounded official and I like being official, but I had no idea what it actually meant. Matriculation comes from the Latin verb "matricula" which means to be enrolled in the register. So every "fresher" or incoming student, both undergraduate and graduate dressed up in their sub fusc. We marched over to the Sheldonian and stood for about an hour outside, then trailed in and were carefully packed into the seats for maximum use and then the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford processed into the hall behind two officials carrying maces. The Dean of Degrees then intoned Latin to the Vice-Chancellor who lifted his cap in acknowledgement. The Vice-Chancellor replied and then spoke to us in Latin, telling us about the former Latin examination all incoming students used to have to sit and how only a vestige is left in this short ceremony. He then left once more and we filed down the winding stairs once more. However, while we were in the building, the weather had made a switch and we were about to be drenched. English weather...

My second adventure happened on Sunday. I went to church in the morning, its about a mile and a half away and I have no bike so I walked. It was a beautiful morning and after church I was able to go have lunch with several other college students at the house of one of the church families. I was there for a couple hours and then had to race back almost two miles to my room so I could grab other stuff to walk another mile for tea with my Russian friends. We talked about politics and Russia for a while until I had to leave for supper. Supper was with a Chinese couple, the guy, Kai, is a member of Keble getting an MBA, his wife is getting her second, SECOND, Ph.D. in Chinese history. We met at a real Chinese restaurant. (They ordered in Chinese.) The food was really great and really spicy, and they said I did pretty good with my chop sticks.

Those are two of my adventures. I hope you enjoyed hearing about them, they were pretty fun to live through. Now, I must go sleep so I can study more tomorrow. I will talk to you later.

Daily Life of a Student

Ok, I have a few minutes but I thought I would give you a quick glance at my past few days. This is first week of Michaelmas (pronounced Mik el mus for all those wondering) and as such, I have been running around like crazy. I alternate between walking on air in the clouds because I am rushing to class at Oxford and feeling completely overwhelmed and inadequate because I am rushing to class at Oxford.

The way my course is set up is that there are two core courses every Master of Studies in Modern European and British History takes. Then I have a Early Modern Britain Seminar, lectures and language and skills training as needed. The core courses are Theory and Methods, where we talk about the different theories and methods of historiography and some of the cutting edge techniques. This can be interesting, but also frustrating because its easy to make something much more complicated than it is by giving an idea really fancy names. The other course is Sources and Resources and that meets for the first time on Friday but so far we have been asked to look at some training for plagerism and some journal articles. The first article was written addressing a certain topic in Elizabethan England, the second by a different man challenged the first authors conclusions, saying they were wrong and the article was a load of rubbish. The first man responded and so we get to talk about historical arguments. My seminar this week is on the Restoration of Charles II. I have several book chapters that I have been looking at and will finish up tomorrow morning.

As far as lectures go, I want to go to as many as possible but....that isn't necessarily the best plan. There are several history ones that I will be attending and some theology ones on Luther, Calvin, and maybe just for fun Barthe and Bonheoffer. Finally the language and skills training include further Classical Latin, some Medieval Latin reading, Intermediate French (if I wanted I think I could move up to the Advanced group! I would not have guessed that but my grammar is good enough...I think.) and paleography. I will be taking a real course for that next term in Hilary but for now I am looking online at a training that the National Archives has.

Other than all of that, and trust me, I'm tired and out of breath most of the time, I just gave my first Rotary presentation to my home club of Eynsham. It went very well and I really enjoyed getting to meet the group. I think there will be a couple activities that I will be able to help with throughout the year. Tonight I have a swim test to be able to be on the novice women's rowing team for Keble and over the next few days I will be trying to simple stay on top of things. This weekend will be very exciting, on Saturday I will get to dress up in sub fusc, white shirt, black skirt and shoes, my academic gown and black string tie and go to the Sheldonian where all the freshers at Keble College will be officially matriculated into the University of Oxford. The ceremony is in Latin so the next question is...how much will I understand?

Thank you all for listening (reading rather) and talk to ya'll later.

Exeter and Sidbury

This last weekend I went down to Exeter along with 60 other Rotary Scholars from all of the UK. We were welcomed into the homes of various Rotarians in the area and met at the Exeter Guildhall, the building that had served as the center for city council for over 800 years. First about the Guildhall. When I walked in for the first time on Saturday morning, I glanced over at a display in the entryway. It held an old ceremonial hat and a sword sheath with a crown on one end. I looked at the plaque explaining what it was and very nearly started jumping up and down and pointing.

Cap of Maintenance and Ceremonial Sword

The Cap of Maintenance as its called and the Ceremonial Sword were gifted to the town of Exeter in 1497 after they had successfully resisted the army of Perkin Warbeck in support of Henry VII, the grandfather of Elizabeth I. Perkin Warbeck was pretending to be Richard, Duke of York, the younger brother of Elizabeth of York, Henry's wife. Richard had disappeared into the Tower of London years ago, during the reign of Richard III, the king before Henry. If Warbeck had really been York, he would have been the rightful king of England. Exeter supported the crowned and anointed king and received these symbols of his special favor. I stood there and looked at two artifacts that originally had been given by the father of the Tudor dynasty. 

The coat of arms of Exeter

Princess Henrietta

Exeter's motto Semper Fidelis was supposed to have been adopted at the suggestion of Elizabeth I after their support during the attack of the Spanish Armada, the town has had intimate connection with the Tudors and has had a history of supporting royalty. During the Civil War, Henrietta, the youngest child of Charles I, (who was beheaded) had to be left in Exeter after it became too dangerous for her mother. She was protected there until her older brother, Charles II, came to power. In reward Charles II had a portrait of Henrietta commissioned and given to Exeter. This also stands in the Guildhall. I paid a little attention to the presentations during the weekend, but I have to admit I was in a happy haze of just looking around me and realizing that the people I've only read about stood in this space five hundred years ago. It was a heady feeling. 

Garden of Judith and John

So there is a short history lesson, and while seeing the Guildhall, and being in Exeter was incredible, by far the best part of the weekend was the couple I got to stay with. Judith and John were Rotarians who had been asked to host two scholars for the weekend. They lived in Sidbury and there were five scholars who were staying with couples in that area. So the first night we went out to the Blue Ball which had stood as a pub for over four hundred years. The current building is not that old, as it had burned down not too long ago but it has since been rebuilt in replica of the old pub. 

Judith and John lived on a small farm on which stood a mill that they had helped to restore and now still works to make flour that they sell to a few stores in the area. Its a beautiful place with gardens and well-kept grounds just above the river Sid. They showed us a little bit of it in the time we had and were so gracious to us. I was able to sit up with them both nights for a little and drink some tea and talk with them about their lives and the farm. That has got to be one of the best parts of a new country--encountering the new people. They also have a beautiful golden lab, and this dog reminded me of our black lab Sadie. So I had a grand time playing with their Madge.

Statue of Sir Walter Raleigh

Hayes Barton, birthplace of Raleigh

One of the last things we had time to see was actually the birthplace of Sir Walter Raleigh. It is called Hayes Barton and is not open to the public, being owned by Clinton Devon Estates. These Estates are held, at least in part, by the 22nd Baron Clinton. This was my first interaction with the peerage of England. 

I am back at Oxford now, working on Latin and having meetings this week, for Freshers week. Its really exciting but also a little intimidating, I'm about to really start working. In a few weeks I will be actually studying at Oxford University, working towards earning a Master's degree in History from this incredible place.

Graceful Buildings and Soaring Towers

So I wish that I could send my thoughts as I walked back here and let you know what I am seeing. I don't think that pictures can really do this place justice. I walk into the main courtyard of the Bodlien Library and names like Schola Moralis Philosphiae stare back at me. They challenge me with questions, daring me to find out the secrets they have revealed to the students who have walked through their doors for centuries before me. The soaring tower, the Tower of the Five Orders looms over the courtyard, James IV and I of Scotland and England is seated as a statue on the fourth order of the Tower. I just stand there and feel so insignificant, like history has allowed me to stand at his feet while he continues to stare across space and time. Again, a little philosophic, but when I am surrounded by the School of Moral Philosophy (translation of the Latin Schola Moralis Philosophiae) perhaps that can be forgiven. 

The Tower of Five Orders

James IV and I in the Tower of Bodlien

Today I went to the Examination Schools for a program for international students. We received information about what it was going to be like, there was some free stuff for us, the free coffee and biscuits (cookies, how great!!) were really appreciated. But this place had been built specifically for the exams at the end of the Oxford years. 

Main Entrance to the Examination Schools

Ok quick update on the Oxford undergraduate system. There are three years instead of four and you take a course instead of a major. So for a history course, I have three terms per year, Michaelmas, Hilary and Trinity, and for each term I have two or maybe three modules I am taking. For those I have specific tutor with whom I meet and write papers. However, there are lectures going on all the time, and while I am not required to go to any, many of these will be very helpful for the next paper or are just really interesting. At the end of the three years, I will be tested over all three years, so I will be taking tests and writing for about a week straight. All this, or at least most of it will take place in the Examination Schools. For a place that was built for such stress and agony, it is absolutely gorgeous. 

The Virgin Mary above New College

  Today, after I got the information from the international fair I just started walking. Oh, there are so many things I want to tell you. New College, founded in the late 14th century (really new?) is approached by a winding road that blocks out the sounds of the city center. Each side is old weather stone walls that are many feet above my head. Finally you turn a corner and in front of me I see the back entrance to the college. It is a wooden door but above the door is a graceful statue of the Virgin Mary. It is so peaceful and timeless. Its just beautiful. I need to go now. I'll have more places to share soon, I hope you can see just a little bit of what I am seeing. 

Be Interesting

The Sheldonian

The title of this blog was written in chalk on the side of the Ioannou Centre where I had just finished the first class of Latin for the day. I was walking with one of my classmates and he saw the chalk written line on the wall and started to laugh. He told me that the other piece of Oxford graffiti he had seen once was "capitalism is boring." Even the graffiti of Oxford is intelligent.

Radcliffe Camera

Today was great, I went to class and studied in the Radcliffe Camera in between classes. I haven't taken a picture yet but don't worry, I will. Let me describe it for a moment. I walk down Broad Street, past Exeter College (where J.R.R. Tolkien studied as an undergraduate), to a small curved door in the wall surrounding the Sheldonian. I curve around some walls and through a couple doors, over graveled courtyards and stone walks, through the middle of a courtyard with souring walls and carved statues and gargoyles. It catches my breath every time I walk in there. The courtyard has several entrances for tourists and scholars into the Bodlien Library, the main library for Oxford University. Through another tunnel I emerge into sunlight (sometimes) and I see dark, soft green grass surrounding a building that brings to mind thoughts of ancient scholarship and beauty. I'm being a little romantic but this place is just wonderful.

St. Giles Cemetery

The Norrington Room

Ok so after class I went walking again, I went down to this AMAZING bookstore called Blackwell. It has a place called the Norrington Room that claims to have three miles of bookshelves and the longest bookshelf in England. Its wonderful. This is one picture of it that gives a hint of the glorious number of books there.

So I spent some time there and finally wound up sauntering my way back up St. Giles street to the old cemetery five minutes from my room. Its just outside of St. Giles church and the Old Parsonage Hotel. (I am hoping to have high tea there at some point.)

Well now I am back in my room and I need to finish my homework. Thanks for listening to my ramblings and romantic phrases. I'll catch you soon.

In Oxford...Unbelievable

I am sitting in my dorm room in Acland, Keble College to type this post. What can I say? Cars are driving on the wrong side of the road, I'm told to revise instead of review or study, my room is on the first floor even though I had to go up a flight of stairs and the accents every now and then cause me to repeat in my head what was said so I can understand. I walk down the street to my Latin class and I hear German, Spanish, Russian, Italian and other languages I cannot identify as well as the many different English accents in the ten minute walk. The buildings are touching on either side of the road and what buildings--they belong to another world, to fairy tales, behind wrought iron gates I catch a glimpse of beautifully kept grass in the quad of another college. I worked through my homework yesterday in the Bodlien Library, the main library of Oxford University. Everything is so different, but I can hardly stop smiling as I walk up and down the streets. I need to go find some lunch and return a temporary pass to Keble College. I will be taking pictures soon and giving you a glimpse of what I am experiencing.

One more thing though. Across the street, a little to the west and south of where I sit there is a pub called The Eagle and the Child, affectionately dubbed "The Bird and the Babe" by the Inklings. C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and several other brilliant Oxford writers would meet there and talk over a pint about their current projects. Lewis read drafts of the Screwtape Letters and Tolkien regaled the group with recent additions to Middle Earth. On Sunday afternoon, I was able to eat there, it is a small place, you wind through a narrow passage opening on small rooms with tables apparently randomly placed, past the bar to more tables and larger rooms. We sat in the back room where the roof was glass panes enclosing the area. The food was good and I could hardly believe that it truly was real.

Thats all for now folks, thanks for reading and catch you later.

Summer Adventures

Fort Sumter

The youth group

So this morning I purchased my ticket for London. Yes it is a little late but for some reason I couldn't quite bring myself to push the button. Don't get me wrong, I am excited but there are so many questions and I'm still very nervous about going to England for an entire year.

One of my fellow drivers at Magnolia

This summer has been amazing and intense. I've learned to drive long distance with a vehicle full of high school kids. I was one of three drivers who drove my sister and brother along with their youth group out to Tennessee for a Bible camp, and then went on out to Charleston where the other two drivers and I visited Fort Sumter, Old Town Charleston, and Magnolia Plantations. The walls of Fort Sumter are, in some parts, the original walls from the Civil War, hundreds of thousands of mortars tore the top three layers off of the walls down to where it is today. I could close my eyes and hear the echos of those mortars pounding relentlessly against the walls. It was an amazing experience, I stood at the edge of the fort and looked out across the bay and into the Atlantic Ocean. Oh it gave me thrills.

Magnolia Plantations has sixty acres of the most beautiful gardens. There are Oriental bridges across ponds, the Ashley River is the boundary on one side. It was here that General Cornwallis landed during the Revolutionary War and was able to take Charleston. There were trees that seemed to go up forever, beautiful flowers and paths that would meander past the most beautiful sights, it felt like I was in another world. However, then I was suddenly brought back to reality when we saw an alligator in the water. The water came up to the path, I could take a step and be in the water. About twenty feet away a 4-5 foot alligator was floating. The other two ladies and I looked at each other and gave a nervous laugh. So we walked a little quicker, hoping to find the end of the path a little sooner. Then we found a part of the garden where there was bamboo plants growing so thickly that it was almost dark at times. We were a little worried about the spiders, the beauty of the gardens was quickly growing old. We saw one more alligator and then a snake and we were extremely glad to leave. So the conclusion was that the Gardens are amazing, they are gorgeous but just like a rose, breath-taking beauty comes with a few scary thorns.

This summer has been an absolutely amazing experience. I've got to spend time with my family, especially with my little sister who is going to K-State in the fall. I love the people here, there are so many precious friends who mean to much to me and it has been such a joy to spend a few months just enjoying them. I'm looking forward to Oxford, looking forward to my next adventure, but I've definitely loved my time at home.