September 11, 2007 10:00 PM
Hello from Europe
After just a week at the school where I will be studying for my gap year, I am loving it. I am at Oswestry School, near the border with Wales, but just inside England and about an hour by train from Manchester and Birmingham.
When the opportunity to take another year in boarding school before going to college, I decided to apply for the English-Speaking Unions scholarship for a postsecondary year of study across the pond. I've always been young for my year in the states and loved travelling to Britain. Just this past Spring I had the opportunity to travel to London with Jim Applebaum, Laurie Mufson, and a group of Mercersburg students from all years for an arts-focused spring break.
So when I got the scholarship I deferred from Columbia University and committed myself to a year of study at a British boarding school of the program's choosing. Fortunately, a classmate of mine, Julia Thorne, put of her studies at McGill University for a year to do the same. There are also two of Mercersburg's own spending their first semester of college at the University of London through New York University.
After a few days with Catherine Kernaghan (Class of 2007 and ESU Scholar as well) and Julia near Winchester I departed for Oswestry, in Shropshire. The moment I arrived on campus it became clear to me that I had made the right decision to take this gap year. All of the students (from age 7 to 17, from Hong Kong to Hungary, from boarding to day) are all extremely friendly and keen to accept newcomers into their ranks. In its 600th year (and no, that is not a typo: the school was founded in 1407), Oswestry is also home to varied, fun, and engaging faculty.
Here I will be studying English Literature (for which my preparation under the guidance of Mr. Kearney will surely be more than sufficient), European History (for which the work from my lower-middler year with Mrs. Howley will be invaluable, and two courses that I've not yet experienced: Geography and Critical Thinking. There is also talk of the addition of a section for advanced Spanish, the realization of which depends on the interest of students. Things have certainly gotten off to a quick start here: already I've made the football (the correct term for soccer) team and played in a tournament in which Sir Alex Ferguson was the guest of honor.
I've been through a day of leadership training (which involved many of the outdoor activities acquainted with Mercersburg's inbound and prefect-training programs), numerous and typically ill-fated games of pool, vigorous athletic training sessions, and a lively weekend in the dorm. The food on-campus isn't that great, but I must say that the free laundry service does put to shame the washer and dryer on third floor Fowle Hall by which I spent many a Sunday afternoon. So many of these and other things remind me of my previous academic home in Pennsylvania and make me envious of my younger brother, Joey, who has just started his first year there. He will have so much put in front of him in the way of opportunities and experiences in a school that is always evolving.
With a full academic year ahead of me (with only a return to the states in December), I plan on making the most of it. Plans are already made to attend professional football and rugby matches with friends. Other arrangements are being made to meet up with the Mercersburg students in the country and on the continent (several of whom are on SYA programs in Spain, France, and Italy). In addition to that, I will hopefully be able to see my former adopted family at Mercersburg (Mr. Applebuam and Ms. Mufson) if and when they bring over another group of lucky students come spring break.
Whatever happens, I have the highest of hopes and expectations. The only thing that I'm upset about is the fact that I will miss the Blue Storm games, Stony Batter productions, dance concerts, and other events to which I had been looking forward in my first year as a Mercersburg alum!
Posted by at September 11, 2007 10:00 PM