A Universe Within a University

Among the many excursions our class has taken over the course of our London stay, I believe it's safe to say that Oxford University is the unanimous favorite. Our class is a (self-proclaimed) group of history buffs, literary nerds, Harry Potter fanatics, and medieval groupies; thus Oxford is an academic Mecca for each of us alike.

During our day, we made the typical ‘Oxford stops’; the Eagle and Child where the Inklings met, Blackwell’s bookstore, the University shops, the Natural History Museum, etc. It was chilling to imagine how many revolutionary minds have walked the same streets, eaten lunch at the same places, and studied on the same campus.

But what set our trip apart from perhaps anyone else’s who visited Oxford that day, is that in our company was our very own Oxford alum! While Dr. Hornbeck, having received his PhD from Oxford, was able to share with us the traditions and ways of Oxford from an insider’s perspective, the most memorable part of the day occurred when it came time for dinner.

We met outside Christ Church, Dr. Hornbeck’s former college, and made our way in, feeling very VIP as we passed the ‘No Visitors’ sign! We saw the famous Christ Church courtyard, and the Great Hall, as the squeals and literary references escalated dramatically (i.e. “OMG, Harry sat in here!”). We then made our way to dinner, which took place in one of the Senior Dining Rooms. The meal was beautiful, complete with china tableware, a kind butler, delicious food, table talk on education, and post dinner coffee. Thanks to our professor, we undergraduates experienced what few non-Oxford alums get to. The day was beyond memorable, and we regretfully loaded the bus to leave what felt like an imagninary world. Our brief glimpse into the way Oxford students live and study was eye-opening; one would think that an inside view of a place such as this would have had a disenchanting effect, but it did just the opposite. Oxford University is indeed a vast universe of its own, and thanks to Doctor Hornbeck, we five undergraduates, and of course our most favorite TA, had a most unforgettable day discovering it.

Helpful English Hint of the Post: If you do get to Oxford, you should try the famous 'punting' there. A 'punt' is a shallow-water boat propelled by a pole with which the 'punter' (that would be you) sort of pokes at the riverbed. An Oxford tradition and a must!

*Cheers to Greta Chapman for her contribution of this post.