Rams in Oxford 2021

       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 ...