Category Archives: Class Year

West Coast, Best Coast

It is 7am on a Saturday, and the sleepiness in Galway is infectious. Most students have gone home for the weekend, and those who haven’t have yet to stir from the warmth of their abodes. Resisting the temptation to follow … Continue reading

Posted in class of 2016, Irish University, National University of Ireland Galway, National University of Ireland Maynooth, Natural Resources, Travels on the Island, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Center Stage

Throughout Ireland and Europe, the first thing I’m usually asked after stating that I’m American is “what do you think about Donald Trump?” I didn’t think much of it at first, but over time I spotted a trend: I was … Continue reading

Posted in class of 2016, Conflict Resolution, Travels in Europe, Trinity College Dublin, US Military | Tagged , | Leave a comment

What is a heroine?

In my course in Conflict Transformation & Social Justice at Queen’s University, Belfast, and in all of my travels around Europe, I am focusing, broadly, on women. I am consciously examining everything that I read and see through a gendered … Continue reading

Posted in Class of 2015, Conflict Resolution, Northern Ireland, Queen's University Belfast, Travels in Europe | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Are We Different?

I have a best best friend forever. She is kind and thoughtful and funny and she can perform one-handed cartwheels with her eyes closed. “Tara,” she says, the corners of her mouth slowly forming a smile. “Have you ever seen … Continue reading

Posted in class of 2016, National University of Ireland Galway | Leave a comment

Homecoming

Dia daoibh! I have a deep affinity for all things Irish. This enduring fascination with Irish culture was a predetermined eventuality put in place long before I was born. Seven of my eight great-grandparents emigrated from the Emerald Isle to … Continue reading

Posted in class of 2016, Irish Relatives, University College Cork | Leave a comment

A Sense of the Familiar — Judaism in Ireland

As I prepared to begin my year in Ireland, I was confronted by countless unknowns. Questions about classes, food, and travel circled in a brew of anxious excitement. But with the holidays of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur happening only … Continue reading

Posted in class of 2016, Religion in Ireland, University College Dublin | Leave a comment

Life on the Lough

I don’t like to ride my bike against the wind. So I often double back alongside Lough Atalia, letting the air guide me past the expansive lake. I learned early on in the semester to always leave for class two … Continue reading

Posted in class of 2016, National University of Ireland Galway, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

One Little Journal

Before I started my Mitchell year in Ireland, I had the incredible opportunity to spend three months wandering around Europe and India. With a backpack and a fledgling sense of independence, I embarked on my little journey to experience a … Continue reading

Posted in class of 2016, Irish University, Travels in Europe, Trinity College Dublin | Leave a comment

The University of the Waves

In my application essay for the Mitchell, I had referenced a letter I had written to my freshman year advisor at Brown. In that letter, I had written the following: “As September approaches, I am reminded of James Joyce’s Eveline … Continue reading

Posted in class of 2016, National University of Ireland Galway, Travels on the Island, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Tale of Declan the Hero

For the Mitchell Scholarship Orientation in Dublin, Sasha and I took a bus from Belfast, where we both attend Queen’s University, Belfast. We arrived with a few hours to spare  before the reception at Google HQ. We got off the … Continue reading

Posted in Class of 2015, Northern Ireland | Leave a comment

“Slagging,” authenticity, and Irish hospitality

An acquaintance of mine, upon learning that I would be living in Ireland for a year, encouraged me to keep a journal of observations about the nation’s culture and institutions—a sort of Toqueville-esqe Democracy in Ireland, as he put it. … Continue reading

Posted in class of 2016, Housing in Ireland, mathematics, National University of Ireland Galway | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Straight Ballin in Belfast

Hello everyone! I’ve been in Belfast for about two months now, and I am happy to provide some updates on my life so far. To provide a bit of background, I’m completing a Master’s in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice … Continue reading

Posted in class of 2016, Conflict Resolution, Northern Ireland, Queen's University Belfast, Uncategorized | Leave a comment