Posted on Monday, November 14, 2005
Written by Kristen Nelson, a junior sociology/criminal justice major from White Oak;
Carsen Nesbitt, a sophomore political science major from Albion, N.Y.;
And Michele Mair, a sophomore exploratory major from East Aurora, N.Y.
With only one month left, the ¾¨Ó㴫ý students studying at Oxford have been using their time wisely. Besides taking weekend trips, students have been keeping themselves busy during the week.
On Wednesday, Nov. 9, students were invited to dinner at Nandos, a Portuguese restaurant on Cowley Road in Oxford. The dinner was planned by CAPA, our study-abroad programmer. The Portuguese meals consisted of corn, " chips," chicken, and "peri-peri" sauce, a very hot sauce that was put on chicken. Students and CAPA members had a great time eating and talking about student's travels and stories. The food, though extremely spicy, was good.
"The food was pretty hot - fiery hot," said Carsen Nesbitt, a sophomore political science major from Albion, N.Y. "My lips were burning! I still liked it though."
On Thursday, Nov. 10, Dr. James Perkins took his "Travel Writing" class to "The Kilns," the house of C.S. Lewis. Located in Oxford in the little town of Risinghurst, this house was where Lewis wrote the famous series, Chronicles of Narnia. Unlike other tourist sites the students have visited, the Kilns is not a museum, but an actual working house that is rented out to graduate students of Oxford University.
The house was bought by the C.S. Lewis society and restored to how it would have looked when Lewis lived there . Since Lewis was an avid smoker, they have even painted the ceilings yellow with smoke stains. Though the house only contains one of Lewis' belongings, his typewriter, it still has many similar things that Lewis had in his house. Many of Lewis' things have been bought out by private owners or are owned by Wheaton College. The Kilns' location is absolutely beautiful. There is a pond close by and the forest is everywhere. Students, as well as Dr. Perkins, walked to the pond and took a nature walk around Lewis' house. Also, it is rumored that Dr. Perkins had a little too much fun on a rope swing.
Students had a wonderful time learning about Lewis and his life at the Kilns.
"It was really nice to explore such a quaint and historical place, while learning more about one of my favorite children's movie,"said Laura Swanson, a junior English major from Erie.
The Kilns has also gained more popularity with the filming of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which is scheduled to be released in December.
Also this week, students reflected on Remembrance Day, the day that World War I officially ended. It is similar to the United States Veterans Day. This day is specifically marked as the 11th month, of the 11th day, at 11 o' clock when the war had ended for Britain. At 11 a.m., many public places had a two minute moment of silence in honor of the war ending.
"Remembrance Day was very respectful," said Leah Zacewicz, a senior English major from Enon Valley. "It is similar to Veterans Day at home, but the tradition here seems to be taken more seriously than it is in the states."
To symbolize Remembrance Day, many British wear Poppies, a red flower that they wear on top of their heart. There were also several parades throughout the week and weekend in major towns and cities.
