Rams in Oxford 2021

Well, our time in Oxford is already nearing an end! In fact, today is the last that I'm meeting with my tutorial professor.  It looks like none of my classmates have spoken about the tutorial process yet, so I figured that today is the perfect time to quickly explain it.  Before arriving in Oxford, I was asked for a few ideas for a specialized course in my field that I'd like to focus on.  Then, before I knew it, I was here! A few days later, I was matched with a professor to study my second-choice topic: the neuroscience of dreaming.  (I know it sounds nerdy, forgive me. I'm a STEM major.) The tutorial itself is a one-on-one meeting between you and a professor, where they assign you a reading list and an essay prompt each week. Then you write a ~1500 word paper to present for your next meeting, rinse, and repeat.  It's a bit of a blur honestly– the tutorial combined with our Shakespeare course is more weekly writing than I've done in years.  That's not to ...

  By Sam Nolledo This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to go to the city of Dover and see Dover Castle. As a budding medieval historian the opportunity to see such a famous castle was not one that I could miss. The experience itself is wonderful. After entering the castle grounds you are able to hike throughout the entire castle, both the keep and the grounds near the outer walls. Nearly all the buildings are in great condition and the exhibitions inside the castle were excellent, leading one to believe that they have stepped back in time. One of the greatest advantages of this trip is the fact that us students are able to embark on these individual journeys. The United Kingdom offers so many opportunities for expanding our education through extracurricular experiences such as going to museums or national heritage sites such as Dover Castle. Having such an experience makes this study abroad trip so much better.

     Oxford is vibrating with creative inspiration on nearly every turn. It is not hard to digest the legendary writers that walked these same streets, glanced at something or someone, and thought,  wow, this would make a great story.  This realization is found every time we take a trip somewhere. Recently, this was the Oxford Botanical Gardens, where The Prince of Wales just planted J.R.R Tolkien's favorite tree. There's also the statue of the Cheshire Cat from  Alice in Wonderland,  planted peacefully in a tree gazing right back at its onlooker. These tangible items linger as a wonderfully haunting reminder of how impactful literature has been in our bustling world. For my tutorial here at Oxford, I am writing poetry. While I have been writing for a while, I've never been able to write so quickly. Every play we read, every place we visit, gives me a new idea. We recently read and watched  Romeo and Juliet ( at Shakespeare's Globe). Fittingly, m...

On Saturday, June 26th, the class took a field trip to Bath to see the Roman baths! The baths were very ancient, and it was cool to see how they were restored to a more modern-day glory (minus the roof. The roof is just gone).  Unfortunately, there was no time to enjoy a luxurious spa day. After the baths, Tobin, Sam, Cole, and I hiked up to the Royal Crescent, and that’s where my Bridgerton filming locations scavenger hunt began (I would highly recommend watching the hit Netflix series “Bridgerton”). The Royal Crescent is a massive apartment complex, a hotel, and hosts a museum in the NO. 1 apartment (home to the Featheringtons in the Bridgerton series).  After the crescent, I went to Beaufort Square, a charming outdoor space in a quaint little neighborhood. Funny enough, when I was watching the show, I wondered where that shot was located and hoped to see it one day. And after going down a side street to avoid some crowds, I literally ran into it! However, I did get a few lo...

       When I'm at home, all I do is walk. I'll feel that I've been sitting too long, throw on an album, and just explore. I think that I must have acclimated quickly to Oxford because that's exactly what I've been doing here. It has made this little community feel more like my own. I'm starting to find joy in recognizing my way around: turn left at the family owned Thai place, continue past the grocery store covered in scaffolding, take a moment to admire the university press, and jolt across the median before the light turns red again, finding yourself next to an old brick wall with foliage growing over it. This last week, my tutorial lined up perfectly for me. My tutor had to change our meeting location, and it happened that we met a block away from The Ashmolean library, where we were going as a group later that day. I woke up early, and I began my walk, accompanied by  Animals  by Pink Floyd. I walked into a cafe I had never noticed before and ordered ...

           As we begin our second-to-last week of the OSAP program, the town of Oxford has become familiar and our home-base. When I travel to other towns throughout England, I feel as though I have arrived home as I fall on my bed in Oxford. Walking the streets of Oxford has become a familiarity. I can navigate between the streets to my destination without the use of Google Maps. This city's beauty captivates me with every step. However, in two short weeks, some of us will be moving on to other adventures and others will be returning to the states. This is becoming a more prevalent thought as some of our roommates begin to move out.       There is a sense of urgency to fit in everything left that I dream to do while here in Oxford. Thus far, I have experienced the University of Cambridge (yes, the "other place"), Buckingham's Palace, the London Tube, The Globe, St. Paul's Cathedral, Magdalen College, the writers' walk, New College, the ...

This past Friday we had the pleasure of visiting the Ashmolean Museum. There was so much to see (in fact, I'm pretty sure that I didn't see everything) and all of it was fascinating. There was a heavy focus on art from antiquity and from Medieval Asia, and less of a focus on post-Renaissance European painting, which was an interesting curation choice. Most art museums focus pretty heavily on Renaissance and more recent pieces, but most of the art at the Ashmolean fit the vein of archeology rather than art. The curators also addressed the origins of their art quite well, and acknowledged the colonial past of Britain as well as Oxford specifically in acquiring the artifacts that they display. All of the art was really wonderful, but one of my favorites were these hydrangeas. There was also a fascinating 19th century painting of Jerusalem which I found to be interesting. And what's a visit to an art museum without at least one severed head painting? -Tobin Gold

  This past Wednesday, I sat in my living room scrolling through Google's tourist generated list of "Must See Sights in Bath" when I suddenly remembered Dr. Hentschell having mentioned the Jane Austen Centre was there. I asked my flat mate, Karina, if she wanted to come along with me, hoping desperately to convert her into a fan. She agreed, and I promptly booked our tickets before she could change her mind.  Jane and I            We entered the centre and were promptly greeted by a cast of Austen characters, from Mr. Darcy to Catherine Moorland. The experience began with sitting in a small room, doing Jane Austen trivia and word searches, and learning about the filming of Persuasion. We were then greeted by Mr. George Knightley (from Emma ) who talked to us all about Jane's (or as he liked to call her, his employer's) life. Following this lecture, we were led downstairs to the exhibit where we got to view port...

I awoke this past Saturday morning and realized that I didn't have any plans. I was tempted to stay inside my flat, hunkered down under my blankets. I decided however that I wasn't going to let myself waste a perfectly good (if cloudy) day sitting inside when I could be creating my own adventure. I set out into the streets of Oxford with no plan. I simply meandered and allowed the sidewalks to tell me where to go next. My first stop was a lovely little bookshop on Walton street. The store was small in comparison to other bookshops around Oxford, but had a much homier feeling. I purchased a copy of Jane Austen's Emma before setting back out on my adventure. As I walked around town, I allowed myself the space to slow down. To take in the skyline, the noises around me, and the people rushing around. When I sat down in a cafe, I had a piece of blackcurrant and orange cake and gave myself permission to just sit and enjoy it. Not scrolling on my phone at the same time or ...

Sitting in the audience at the Globe Theater watching Shakespeare's plays before you is nearly like being in a time machine. Knowing you're in a place where history was made, surrounded by the ambiance of something legendary. You can't help but wonder what Shakespeare would have thought about a modern-day staging of his play A Midsummer Night's Dream. I think Shakespeare would have enjoyed platform boots and glitter.  Leaving the theater, I was enraptured by the London skyline–the clouds dripping with rain, the architecture a perfectly blended mix of modern and historic. It welcomes a sense of realization, that you're somewhere that matters, has a past, and is building a future.  As the time machine dragged me on, I came to Buckingham Palace. I couldn't help but wonder what conversations had taken place in the building with the golden gates. Some of the most critical world events, tragedies, beginnings, and endings (even some conspiracies). I think it's esse...

  Did you know that a meadow is really just a field? With some flowers in it, I suppose. Maybe some cows, or even horses on a lucky day.   I don’t know exactly what I was expecting when I heard the word “meadow”. To be honest, it probably had something to do with faeries and wildflowers and beautiful rays of sunshine… and now I’m realizing how ridiculous that all sounds.   This is to say, the meadows have been a little bit disappointing. But that’s where the disappointment ends for me.   Oxford is beautiful. Each and every building is so full of history, and beautiful, intricate architecture. The stories surrounding the university are those of ancient kings, fantastic writers and academics, old and precious manuscripts, dead languages… and plenty of references to bloody beheadings.   London has been all the more amazing. I can’t tell how much of it is just the awe of being in such a big and important city for the first time in my ...

  By Sam Nolledo One of the most exciting parts of my journey in Oxford has been the distinct change in scenery from Colorado. I do miss the Rocky Mountains, but I have also found a new favorite setting of mine. Port Meadow, located just to the north of my flat, has become my favorite place to take a walk in the woods or bask in the beauty of the meadow.  Outside of the beautiful scenery and the fact that I can easily get there on my mid-morning runs is that it is a wonderful place to write. Walking along the woodland trails, or watching the sunset from the grassy fields is a great way to boost the motivation I feel to pursue both my hobby of creative writing as well as the academic writing that I want to do in the future.  One of the aspects of this trip that is often unmentioned is the fact that these new experiences—walking through different meadows, seeing new cities, going to old and well-renowned libraries—are all a great way to recharge after a long year. For insta...

  Twenty minutes before seeing A Midsummer’s Night Dream at the Globe on Wednesday (which was terrific), I decided to book an impromptu trip to Windsor. I am not a person who does something on a whim. I very much like to plan things out, but this time I decided to try something new. Taking the free day on Thursday, I ran to OSAP to print my tour ticket, got in the 9:32 am train, and arrived in Windsor by 10:30. (Oxford Study Abroad Program office is the hub for international students to study, meet with tutors, and print!) When  I first got there, I was excited to see the castle. I went into the estate to these grand and elaborate structures created throughout centuries. It was interesting to see some tie-ins with King Henry the VIII and what he did with the castle. I visited Henry in St. George’s castle. Unfortunately, I could not get an audience with him as he well in a profound slumber. However, while in the State’s apartment portion of the Windsor Castle tour, I got to ...

  After 10 long days in quarantine, my legs were rearing to get out. Getting to know Oxford began with one of my flat mates, Emma, showing Aubrie and I around on the first day. She provided a thorough tour of the town and university, including Magdalen college. In Magdalen college, we saw the cloister where Tolkien supposedly ran across naked. We took the long walk along the path where Tolkien and C.S. Lewis strolled together discussing various topics. After walking under the replica Bridge of Sighs, Emma pointed out the house of Edmond Halley, who Halley's comet was named after. On our first Tuesday out, a sweet Blue Badge tour guide showed the group the significance of city. She described the traditions, like the one at All Souls college that involves chasing a duck. She explained where all the characters from  Alice in Wonderland  came from, real people at Christ college. She presented us with a plaque that signifies the spot where Robert Boyle discovered Boyle's Law...

  The first week out of quarantine has been nothing short of brilliant. I hadn't realized how much I missed walking or even just being outside. This week our Shakespeare class focused on The Life of Henry VIII  and the Oxford martyrs--both of which have deep context here in Oxford. It was wonderful to tour around the city multiple times, highlighting the Martyr's Memorial, St. Michael's Church and the site of the burnings on Broad Street, even though it's been so warm here for the whole week. The history of the reformation, among other historical periods, is very tangible here in a way that it is not in the Western United States, and the ability to walk to sites where such historic events happened is fascinating.  I keep catching myself falling down the existential hole of considering all of the people who have walked these streets before me, all of the hands that helped to build these buildings. I'm truly in awe of this place! Our class time has also been super pro...

    After being quarantined for ten days, the city of Oxford had began to feel very small, as if it was reduced to our little street corner, garden, and the pub across the street. It was only during the walking tour we went on a few days later that I realized just how big the place is. Beyond that, it was only then that I realized that the land I was walking on was deeply historic and storied. On that walking tour, there were a few things I noticed. The first was the undeniable affect of celebrity here. People seem truly proud of the fact that JRR Tolkein and CS Lewis laid their hats down here. Even our tour guide was glowing. The second, was that the community was the college, not that the college was part of the community. Everywhere we walked, there was some touch of academia. If there was any one thing that stuck out to me, it was learning about All Souls' College: an institution you can only join by invite, that is devoted to honoring the duck. The is full of idiosyncrasi...