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Category Archives: Irish University
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
“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
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
Starting Off with a Bang
After nearly ten months of anticipation and excitement, I was finally in my room at Trinity College Dublin. I immediately began to unpack, anxious to get settled and begin this new chapter of my life. In just a few minutes, … Continue reading
Posted in class of 2016, Trinity College Dublin
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Life in Ireland is “grand”
The alarm goes off at 5:30am, signaling the start to my day. As a Muslim, I pray 5 obligatory prayers and our earliest begins at dawn. This means I’m always awake by 5:30am everyday! I also try to spend parts … Continue reading
Mitchell Scholar Michael Solis reports on his experience with the Irish development agency, Trócaire, in Latin America and Sierra Leone
It feels like just a few days ago that I was furiously typing out my master’s thesis at NUI Galway, in-between runs along Galway’s promenade and late night hang-outs at the pub with Mitchells and Irish friends. That was back … Continue reading
No Marathon, But Dissertation Research
Last I left you, dear reader, you were waiting anxiously to hear whether or not I survived the Belfast City Marathon. Did I finish? Can I still use both of my legs? Was I airlifted to the emergency room at … Continue reading
A Tale of Two Prisons
I’ve been in South Africa for the past month doing fieldwork for my dissertation. My topic is looking at barriers to implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the community level. I’m working with colleagues … Continue reading
“Our pioneers keep striking, inwards and downwards:” Poetry in Northern Ireland
The first thing that drew me to Belfast was poetry. After spending a year poring through the verse of Northern Ireland’s poets, I wanted too to live “in Belfast between the mountain and the gantries/To the hooting of lost sirens … Continue reading
And go.
My next seven months will be all consuming. It is time to start something. My course of study at DIT is in Creative Digital Media with a focus on social media app design. In my opinion, the programme is excellent. … Continue reading
Dublin: What To Expect
When I left the United States on my way to Ireland in mid-September 2014, I had no idea what to expect. As an engineer I researched notable sources online and started to piece together just what it would be like … Continue reading
Posted in Class of 2015, Trinity College Dublin
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All Politics is Local
In the United States we have a saying: ‘All politics is local.’ While this phrase is most famously associated with former Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill, it more readily applies to the context in Northern Ireland, where local is … Continue reading