Category Archives: Irish University

The 0.6 Percent: Destenie Nock, Engineer and International Volunteer

The 0.6 Percent: Destenie Nock, Engineer and International Volunteer Only 0.6% of engineers in the US are African American women. That’s approximately one in every 31,000 people in the nation, according to a 2013 report from the National Science Foundation … Continue reading

Posted in Queen's University Belfast | Leave a comment

Thoughts on composing

When you decide early that you want to be a composer, you get used to people asking you “So how do you plan to make a living at that?”  Sometimes the question is aggressive, sometimes kind and genuinely curious, but … Continue reading

Posted in Class of 2014, Music, Composition, University College Cork | Leave a comment

Islam in Ireland

Last Friday, I was finally able to attend Jumu’ah (Friday) prayers at a masjid (mosque) in nearby Clonskeagh. Jumu’ah is a congregational service that takes place once a week on Friday afternoons, bringing together the Muslim community and offering an … Continue reading

Posted in Class of 2014, Trinity College Dublin, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

A Window Into a Wonderful World

I was three hours into my first day of pike fishing in Ireland when I heard the best words that have been spoken to me since touching down in the Emerald Isle. As an 8-pound pike took a brief hiatus … Continue reading

Posted in Class of 2014, Natural Resources, University College Dublin | Leave a comment

Midyear Update

My time in Ireland has been valuable and constructive for so many different reasons. I have had the opportunity to explore Dublin, a vibrant and historic city, and to immerse myself in a new and foreign culture. There is something … Continue reading

Posted in Class of 2014, mathematics, Trinity College Dublin | Leave a comment

The Unconqerable Christmas Spirit of Belfast

Last December, the Belfast City Council decided to limit the number of days the Union Jack would be flown over Belfast City Hall. This decision sparked a firestorm of controversy, protests, and civil unrest.   This discontent led to protests … Continue reading

Posted in Class of 2014, Queen's University Belfast, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Why Limerick Feels Like Home

The American-Irish relationship is evolving, with 38 million Americans defining their ancestry as Irish or Scotch-Irish in 2010 compared to 44 million in the 1990 census. Irish youth from my generation increasingly look to live in Anglophone cousins other than … Continue reading

Posted in Class of 2014, University of Limerick | Leave a comment

Holidays Abroad

Year after year, I hop on a plane and make my way home for Christmas. I look forward to this journey and the holiday season, its familiar traditions, and time spent with family. This year, rather than go home, I … Continue reading

Posted in Class of 2014, Dublin Institute of Technology | Leave a comment

Emerald Isle; Sapphire Sea?

People are drawn to visit Ireland for many reasons: to see the rolling green hills of its countryside; to explore the vibrant arts, music (and pub) scene; or to connect with their family history.  Relatively few, I expect, come to … Continue reading

Posted in Class of 2014, Trinity College Dublin | Leave a comment

Wait, Finals Come AFTER Break?!

As I start to write this, it’s around 3 AM. The National Championship game is on in the background, and I’m once more reminded that Bama did not make it to Pasadena this year (sniff sniff, wipes tear). Football woes … Continue reading

Posted in Class of 2014, Queen's University Belfast | Leave a comment

Wading Into Ireland

I emerged from the Glenomena dormitory into the grey Dublin afternoon. The air was crisp for a late September day. The sky looked as it often does here, foreboding and on the verge of a downpour. Sporting a waterproof backpack … Continue reading

Posted in Class of 2014, University College Dublin | Leave a comment

Coming back to Cork

My program got off to a good start.  All of us in the MA in composition were told to bring our instruments for the first day of class.  When we arrived, the course coordinator told us we wouldn’t be doing … Continue reading

Posted in Class of 2014, University College Cork | Leave a comment