Study Abroad – Page 7 – The Gatton Academy News

Studying Abroad in Costa Rica

September 29, 2016 | 2016-2017, Avatars, Study Abroad, Veronica Johnson | No Comments

On my Interview Day, the Gatton staff and some current students lead a panel about coursework and Study Abroad at the Academy. At this point, I already knew that I wanted to go to Gatton, but this was the icing on the cake. I applied to the Costa Rica trip because I thought that I would enjoy traveling around and taking a Biodiversity course. That was the understatement of a lifetime.

I had the time of my life in Costa Rica. Every location housed a new set of thrills. At the Goldring-Gund Field Station, I got to hold baby leatherback sea turtles as soon as they hatched from their nest and release them into the ocean in the hopes that they will grow to maturity and return to the same beach to make their own nest.

At Cloudbridge Nature Reserve, I got to do research on butterfly diversity. I loved spending my days wandering the rainforest looking for butterflies. The beauty of these butterflies is unparalleled by those we have in Kentucky. At Poor Man’s Paradise, I got to go snorkeling where I saw whole schools of fish swimming together, tiny jellyfish, and even a sea turtle. We would step outside our cabins only to see a family of Capuchin monkeys swinging through the trees.

I became passionate about the environment and very interested in studying Biodiversity and Environment. Studying abroad in Costa Rica probably changed the course of my life because it gave me the opportunity to find something that I love doing. It opened my eyes to the possibility of a career that I had never considered before.

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Harlaxton 2016: Flights Home

August 7, 2016 | 2016 Harlaxton, 2016-2017, Avatars, Katie Ashley, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Katie Ashley

Our final day in England began with a departure time from the manor at 9:30. Many of us spent our final hours doing last-minute packing, while others had one last cup of tea in the refectory. We had a two-and-a-half hour drive to London, and we arrived at London Heathrow Airport around noon. We checked in, dropped off our bags, and made it through security in time to have about 30 minutes in the airport to grab lunch. We boarded our plane around 2:30 and had a smooth eight and half hour flight. We landed in Atlanta a little after 7:30 and arrived at the gate to our connecting flight with twenty minutes to spare. Our last flight boarded around 8:30, and we arrived in Louisville at 10:30 eager to see our families.

This trip did prove to be exhausting, but I, and I’m sure all of the other students, had an exceptional time. The Harlaxton trip was unlike any other study abroad experience I have been on, and I wish we could have extended the trip for a few more weeks. From hiking through the Moors to walking through the streets of Oxford, we have had a truly amazing trip. As we left the airport Friday night, we all said our “goodbyes” with an excitement of getting to move back into Florence Schneider Hall in just one week.

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Harlaxton 2016: Finals and Packing

August 5, 2016 | 2016 Harlaxton, 2016-2017, Amanda Zahn, Avatars, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Amanda Zahn

And just like that, we are packing to go home.

It’s unbelievable that our final day in England has come. These three weeks have truly flown by, leaving the majority of us exhausted and in a daze. We all pushed through though for our final day in the classroom. We showed up to class anxious to take our final examination, which covered the English poetry we had been studying these past few days of class.

Before our exam began, we took some time to have an open discussion about our trip and our opinions on the program as a whole. Personally, I really liked this, as the discussion also involved lots of reminiscing on the past few weeks. After our discussion, which was cut short at the one hour mark, we set to taking our exam.

Overall, the final was what I expected. As far as finals go, I thought it wasn’t as stressful as some of those taken on WKU’s campus, probably because we had all been immersed in the course for the duration of the trip. After the final, I for one was relieved. I think I can speak for everyone when I say it was such a wonderful feeling knowing we had the rest of the day to enjoy ourselves without the pressure of an impending quiz to study for or an essay to write.

Most of my classmates spent the rest of the day exploring the manor one last time, playing volleyball, or touring the gatehouse. After dinner, many people split off to pack and relax, and some played hide-and-go-seek on the property. With the extended curfew, a small group of students decided to take a midnight walk down the mile long driveway to view the façade of the manor house and look at the stars. Words cannot describe the view in the moonlight, and I feel that it was quite the experience spending our last night at Harlaxton like this. Truly it is something you have to experience yourself, as is the rest of this study abroad experience.

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Harlaxton 2016: Last Day of Class

August 4, 2016 | 2016 Harlaxton, 2016-2017, Avatars, Study Abroad, Tricia Thompson | No Comments

By: Tricia Thompson

The last day of class. Surreal to say the least. I think I speak for all of us when I say it feels like we landed in London only yesterday, yet it also feels like we’ve been here forever. Everyone woke up this morning with that slight sense of confusion about where the time had gone. Class this morning held our last quiz—poetry terms—and a discussion on the things we DIDN’T see in England during our trip; bumper stickers, lawnmowers, pickup trucks, railroad crossings, nacho cheese, and fast food, especially Taco Bell, were all among the things noticed as being absent from our lives for the past three weeks. The rest of class was spent preparing for the final exam over poetry tomorrow, and afterwards, everyone rushed off to lunch.

The afternoon was spent as downtime, with various groups using the sports hall, playing board games or Frisbee, watching movies, doing photoshoots on the grounds, or preparing for the final tomorrow. A major hit of the afternoon was the college store, which opened for the first and only time during our stay, allowing students to buy sweatshirts, T-shirts, postcards, and more. An incredible flautist group also staying at the manor held a concert that was open to all the Gatton students, so it became the hit of the evening before everyone buckled down to study. We all tried to make the most of some of our last bits of free time before having to start the bittersweet process of packing tomorrow. Our time may be winding down, but it is an experience we will never forget.

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Harlaxton 2016: D.H. Lawrence Field Trip

August 3, 2016 | 2016 Harlaxton, 2016-2017, Avatars, Study Abroad, Tyler Smith | No Comments

By: Tyler Smith

This morning we departed from the Harlaxton Manor to travel to Eastwood, England to visit the birthplace of D.H. Lawrence. Lawrence is a realistic fiction writer from the early 1900’s who writes about the darker, more scandalous side of life. Growing up in the coal-mining town of Eastwood, he was provided with a great amount of inspiration from the rugged and distinct characters he was surrounded by. His mother was an intelligent house-wife, very intent on educating her children, and his father was a common coal-miner, hard-working and simple in lifestyle.

It was an amazing experience to see the town D.H. Lawrence grew up in as it gave me a lot of insight on what went into the novels he wrote. Like many other novelists, D.H. Lawrence wrote about what he knew, and for him, it was the life of coal-miners. One of his novels, Sons and Lovers (a novel I recently acquired and have enjoyed), is simply an autobiographical story about himself and his family with a slight fictional twist. Another piece of his work, this time a short story titled “The Odour of Chrysanthemums,” details the real story of his uncle’s death in a coal mining accident and the response of his aunt, again, with a slight fictional twist. Lawrence combined his real world experiences and dark yet engaging writing to create a number of different captivating novels and short stories, which I myself have come to greatly enjoy.

I learned all of this information about Lawrence from the museum located at Lawrence’s birthplace, and aside from taking in all this knowledge, I was also able to purchase a copy of Lawrence’s novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover, for a mere two and a half pounds, and look upon the beautiful country side that surrounded the small community of houses. It was an amazing trip, and one of my favorite we’ve taken while in England. I am glad I was able to learn so much about an author that is quickly becoming one of my favorites, and I’m glad the academy chose this as one of the stops. I believe next year’s students will enjoy this trip as much as I did.

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Harlaxton 2016: Class and Afternoon Fun

August 2, 2016 | 2016 Harlaxton, 2016-2017, Avatars, Sara Saeed, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Sara Saeed

Our 19th day in England started with a 9:00 am quiz over selected works from Lord Byron and Robin Hood Ballads. Class continued with presentations from Cameron, Ruth, Rhiannon, and Aaron over British film, the West End theatre district, double decker buses and black taxi cabs, and the differences between American and British English. After a short break, Professor Rutledge led a discussion on D.H. Lawrence’s, The Odour of Chrysanthemums and gave a lecture on poetry terms that will be on our final in a few short days.

At noon, we were dismissed from class, and most of us rushed straight to the refectory. After lunch, we had the rest of the afternoon and evening to spend how we wanted. I watched a movie, while some took taxis into the town of Grantham to tour the birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton, some played a game of croquet on the back lawn of the manor, and some rode bikes into town for lunch. One of the highlights of my day was making my first call in a British red telephone box to, ironically, order Indian food to the manor. When the evening came to a close, many spent their time in ‘The Bistro” (another name for the basement of the manor), took advantage of the plentiful common space, watched movies and ate pizza, threw darts, played sardines, or played cards. Others chose to throw a frisbee on the lawn or play a game of volleyball in the sports hall. Our relaxing day ended with a midnight curfew and we went to bed in preparation for our exciting field trip tomorrow.

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Harlaxton 2016: Newstead Abbey

August 1, 2016 | 2016 Harlaxton, 2016-2017, Avatars, Logan Parker, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Logan Parker

After we finished breakfast, we all gathered in the lobby area to wait for our packed lunches to arrive. As soon as the refectory staff brought the carts of brown paper bags, we all rushed to grab any lunch that contained a PB&J. (The alternative if we were too late is a butter and cheese sandwich.) After we packed our necessities for the day, we boarded the double-decker bus for the second time of our trip. Even though the views don’t change much from the bottom floor to the top floor, it’s still a unique and worthwhile experience to view the English countryside from the second floor of a coach.

Our drive to Nottingham Castle was around 30 minutes to an hour. Upon our arrival, we hoped to catch a glimpse of the castle because the day’s plan doesn’t have us going into the castle. The trees block a full view of the castle, but many of us found excitement in snapping photos with the Robin Hood statue. We then head to Newstead Abbey, home of poet Lord Byron. We toured the historical building, learning of the many John Byron’s who lived there over the centuries. Newstead Abbey is a large building with a maze of rooms and corridors. It’s most memorable traits include the church, which only has the front facing wall (Henry VIII commissioned the rest of the church to be demolished for the first Sir John Byron to live there) and the endless gardens located on the grounds. After our tour, we explored the many gardens, each having a unique theme: Japanese, Spanish, American, stone, etc.

We came back to find that Harlaxton Manor was having its annual open house. Between the buzz of visitors, we participated in various activities: teaching friends how to ride a bike, sleeping, watching a movie, studying, etc. Personally, I went on a run to explore the surrounding area. The rest of the afternoon continued as the beginning; we spent our free time doing what we wanted to do. The night rounded off with watching movies, studying for tomorrow’s quiz, ordering delivery food, or a mix of the three. I spent my time watching the movie As Above, so Below, eating Chinese takeout, and hanging out until curfew. I, as many probably were, went to bed looking forward to going home in a few days, but also longing to stay here.

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Harlaxton 2016: Class Day (D.H. Lawrence) and Free Time

August 1, 2016 | 2016 Harlaxton, 2016-2017, Avatars, Jonathan Kinnard, Study Abroad | No Comments

By Jonathan Kinnard:

Yet another Harlaxton day started by most with a warm cup of tea and a hearty breakfast. This morning’s class started with presentations as usual. As the sunlight breached through the garden windows in the Long Gallery, I started by giving a brief presentation on Nottingham Castle and its history. This was followed by interesting discussions from Mia Weaver on Robin Hood and Amber Carroll on Lord Byron’s love-life. Without missing a beat, Dr. Rutledge then launched into our quiz on D.H. Lawrence and his literary works. Next was an unorthodox lecture that ended with each of us feeling each other’s faces to demonstrate how awkward it must have been for Bertie in D.H. Lawrence’s The Blind Man.

Next was lunch. Then we dispersed to all corners of Harlaxton and Grantham, England. Woodland walks seemed to be popular ventures today as the many nooks and crannies of the trails behind the manor were explored. Other students took biking trips to Grantham to shop, eat, and go to church. I was surprised to find that the bike ride to Grantham is not all cement and sidewalk either. Plenty of creek-side trails were used as shortcuts to get around. Thanks to Veronica Johnson’s expert trailblazing, my group made it to church safely and on time for a wonderful Sunday service. The Bistro (Harlaxton Manor’s basement) is certainly becoming a favorite spot thanks to the plethora of movies, darts, and cards available. I walked around the manor around 9:00 pm and noticed four different movies playing at once. Without a doubt, it’s been a relaxing day here with a beautiful sunset to put the cherry on the cake.

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Harlaxton 2016: John Bunyan Field Trip and the Houghton House

August 1, 2016 | 2016 Harlaxton, 2016-2017, Avatars, Sherafghan Khan, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Sherafghan Khan

Today’s class field trip was dedicated to visiting different sites associated with John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim’s Progress. We went to locations such as the John Bunyan Museum, the Bunyan Meeting Church, a trip to Elstow, and, finally, the Houghton House. I really enjoyed riding in the double-decker bus as well; it was the full British experience.

It was amazing to see the actual metal violin Bunyan made, the anvil that he carried on his back, Pilgrim’s Progress written in 170 different languages, and life-size models of John Bunyan. The church was truly a work of art. The windows of the church depicted different scenes from Pilgrim’s Progress with great artistic detail; I was in complete awe.

Our next stop was Elstow (only about a 10-minute drive south of Bedford), the birthplace of John Bunyan as well as the location of the third largest abbey in all of Britain – the Elstow Abbey. We stopped in a park in this town and ate our lunches and fed wild geese in a local river. We then arrived at the Houghton House (also located in the Bedfordshire county). Bunyan was a tinker, meaning he would go to mansions such as the Houghton House and fix the resident’s pots and pans. Even though this house was in ruins, it was neat to see what a mansion that John Bunyan would visit looked like.

When we arrived back at Harlaxton Manor, my friends and I decided to rent bicycles and travel to the town of Grantham. Coincidentally, the last time I wrote a blog I talked about how I biked in the streets of London. There is a clear distinction between the setting in which we biked today and that of London. Here, there were mostly wheat fields compared to the tall skyscrapers in London. As we biked to Grantham, there was a soft British mist and subtle rain that fell on our faces. The weather and the scenery was completely picturesque, especially our view on our bike ride back into the manor. My day concluded with a game of basketball in the Harlaxton gym and studying for tomorrow’s quiz in the exquisite library. It is truly amazing how many different places we have visited so far as well as our residency – a marvelous castle in the British countryside.

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Harlaxton 2016: Class and Second Essays Due

July 28, 2016 | 2016 Harlaxton, 2016-2017, Avatars, Study Abroad, Veronica Johnson | No Comments

By: Veronica Johnson

Today was day 15 of our 23 day trip. We began class this morning at 9:00 AM (3:00 AM Central Time) with a quiz on John Bunyan and excerpts from “The Pilgrim’s Process.” Alexa and Chloe presented to us what they learned about Brexit and Social Differences between different countries in the UK. We then discussed Bunyan’s story and The Puritan Era, the time period in which Bunyan wrote. We concluded our class with a discussion on how social differences appear in “The Wind in the Willows” and some lively banter about how we personally perceived the main characters when reading the novel.

After class we had the day to ourselves, so you would think that everyone would be relaxing and exploring Harlaxton and Grantham, but this was not quite the case. For many of us, today was stressful because our second essays were due today. I spent my afternoon having my essay critiqued and critiquing the essays of my peers. I found the process to be very enlightening because I got to see what other people thought about the books we read for class. Because we got to choose our essay prompts from a long list, everyone wrote about something they thought they knew a lot about or were interested in. Although this was a positive experience, I am relieved that I am done writing essays, at least until our final.

I explored the grounds after submitting my essay, and I have yet to be disappointed with anything here at Harlaxton. I continue to find beautiful scenery and perfect places to lay out and take a nap or relax and read a book. Today was a long day, but it has been a very good one!

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