And Snow Will Make the Flowers Grow

The day today is Sunday 19 February, and last night was the annual Caldwell Fellows Gala at NC State.

I begin with this tidbit for a variety of reasons: to recall the Caldwell-inspired week I have just had, to reflect on the Caldwell-inspired values of personal development and thinking big, and to remember the importance of the Caldwell family for bringing about positive tangible change on scales from NC State to the world.*

Recall
I have had the fantastic opportunity to welcome a Caldwell guest to Oxford this week. Kayla (NCSU '11) has been spending the year in Lyon, France teaching English and developing her own proficiency in French. Currently on holiday, she decided to make this pilgrimage to England in hopes of finding some holy grails of English literature. Aiding her in this quest, we spent the week examining sights around Oxford, checking out multiple libraries (pretending to be Shakespeare), eating at the Eagle & Child (pretending to be Lewis and Tolkien), and walking the snowy English countryside (pretending to be Austen and Dickens). We even found the first flower buds of spring!

For me, the highlight of Kayla's visit was our trip to London. To begin, we met another Caldwell, Sara (NCSU '08?) for lunch near her work. I thoroughly enjoyed talking not only about news from the Caldwell community, but also about living abroad, breaking down personal barriers, and recognizing the far-reaching impacts of being a (high-profile) leader. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to reminisce with Sara, so I look forward to visiting with her in London more often over the next several years!

From there, Kayla and I ventured up to the British Library. Having visited once already, I took pleasure in seeing Kayla divulge in the many incredible books and - especially - Jane Austen's writing desk. With waning time, we traversed London via the Tube in order to catch Evensong at Westminster Abbey. I must say that the acoustics were incredibly clear and that the organ/choir were, in a word, heavenly. I couldn't help but think back upon the concert Kalli and I heard at Notre Dame in November. Indeed, both were incredible, but the chamber-sized sound was just so crisp in Westminster that I was a bit more enraptured.

Finally, we walked across the Thames in hopes of finding dinner. Kayla fancied fish and chips, so I searched in vain along the waterfront by the London Eye. At last, dejected and wet from the mist, we decided to try our luck in West End, where we needed to be for Les Miserables. Thankfully, we found a real hole-in-the-wall chippy; it sort of reminded me of a small-scale Long John Silvers. We watched as the man deep-fried two frozen fillets. Sure enough, they were tasty (If it's deep fried it can't be that bad!) but not exactly gourmet. Les Mis was splendid as always, and we returned to Oxford, quite content.

It was fantastic having Kayla in town. As an added bonus, she fit in well with the Keble crowd and immediately clicked with my dance partner, Jenna. Hopefully I (and maybe Jenna too?) will get the chance to visit her in Lyon before her teaching program ends in April.

On top of all this fantastic-ness, yesterday was the second competition of four this term. Jenna and I were both nursing injuries coming into the competition, so we weren't overwhelmingly optimistic regarding our dancing. As it turned out, however, we had a really good day of dance! In the morning, we semifinaled in both waltz and quickstep (exact placings to follow), and in the afternoon, we placed 3rd in cha cha (our first cha final!) and semifinaled in jive. Unfortunately, we were the only beginners couple to even make the quarters in jive; I am really hoping that we as a team can pull it together before the championship in two weeks. Overall, Cambridge and Imperial are looking better and better while Oxford seems to be trapped in mediocrity land. Ugh.

Finally, tonight was the "Electricity-free Acoustic Open Mic Night" in the MCR. Six of us performed a total of about 20 songs by candlelight in the MCR. Aside from being unable to read my Bach Unaccompanied Prelude in the darkness, it was a wonderfully soothing evening. Charlie went first, performing three great pieces on guitar, including one that she wrote herself. Then, Luke (guitar), Vincent (banjo), and I performed seven songs - six Irish folk songs that Luke picked out/wrote, and the Bach Prelude. Finally Jess and Rose played some amazing music on guitar and mandolin, including a great song called "Shine On, Harvest Moon" from the first decade of the 20th century. It was a truly brilliant evening with really beautiful music.

Reflect
Last Sunday night's dinner was what they call "half way hall." This is because Sunday 5th week of Hilary marks the half way point for the school year and, for 2nd year students, the half way point of their Oxford education (Oxford undergraduate degrees are only three years, unlike the four requisite years in the US). At the year's half way point, it is a good time to reflect on how far I have come so far.

In many senses, being a student at Oxford is like being a Caldwell Fellow. The "work hard-play hard" mentality is in full effect here, and to some extent I think Trinity term will be even more intense for most people. Additionally, thriving here requires students to think big and think outside the box. One must make connections and develop a network to get the most of being at Oxford. In fact, it is practically impossible to avoid becoming immersed in social situations. The free flow of unique ideas perpetrated by the college system is excellent.

In other senses, Oxford is about capitalizing on Franklin Scholars-style opportunities.* In my own case, it is proving insufficient to merely study civil engineering. I am asked to tie in elements of several different fields to solve complex, interdisciplinary problems. The academics here are the real deal. Further, Oxford places a high value on isolated, mind-broadening experiences. Here, it is normal and encouraged for students to simply sit in a pub/kitchen/cafe/hall discussing current events or exchanging stories about travels. So-called 'graduate discussion evenings' highlight intellectual student presentations such as "Deobandi Islam: Religious Revival, Nationalism, and the Communalism Problem," "Build Your Own Molecular Robot," and "The Portrait of the Artist as a Cultural Celebrity." These opportunities - like the Franklin Lecture Series - promote cultural understanding, intellectual diversity and critical thinking.

In a final respect, being a student here can be extraordinarily normal. Perhaps that is hard to believe given the previous information, but one must remember that people are people; students are students regardless of cultural, economic, or other differences. As I recall from my times in Ecuador and China, I was surprised at how normally people lived their lives. Even at Oxford, it should be no surprise that students aged 18-25 get into the same kinds of nonsense as they would at NC State or at any other school.

So where am I? Am I engaged in my school and community? Do I give back as much as I take in? Am I a positive influence on those around me? How am I using God's gifts and talents to impact those around me for the better? Am I investing in the future appropriately? These are questions which I will seek to answer over the coming days, using the lessons learned from the Caldwell program.

Remember
As Kayla and I were walking through the countryside, we were discussing the merits of a romantic lifestyle. Then I realized: this is it! How much more romantic does it get than studying at Oxford with engineering, music, dancing, and friends in multitudes? Is this even real? On such an amazing weekend as this, it is thus only right that I think back to the Caldwell Fellows, reuniting together some 3800 miles away from here. To the program and the people that inspired me to "think big" and act globally, I offer my gratitude.

*NB: The Caldwell Fellows is a program at NC State University which promotes personal development through scholarship, leadership, and service. It is the oldest active scholarship at NC State, selecting approximately 25 freshmen each year to carry on the legacy of former NCSU chancellor, John T. Caldwell. The Benjamin Franklin Scholars Program is a double major program at NC State for students wishing to pursue studies in both engineering and the humanities. The program stresses the links between the two fields through seminars in Science, Technology, & Society (STS) and service/academic/social events hosted by the student-led BFS Council.