Hello Rotary friends and family at home! I’m writing from Oxford as Hilary Term comes to a close and spring trots along on its heels. It’s a welcome change from the cold, short winter days which have formed the mode of this term so far, though thankfully our libraries stay warm and cozy year-round.
As exams and dissertations loomed on the horizon, Hilary term ushered my coursemates and I into more serious study and investigation of our research interests. We attended research ethics workshops, learned how to fill out a CUREC form for research clearance, applied for grants, and recruited supervisors. I’m very excited to be working with an energetic and creative professor on my dissertation work, which will examine how Christian moral imperatives can provide frameworks for more just and sustainable food systems in the UK. I’m interested in this topic as an environmental communicator hoping to reach people of faith like myself through appeals to our shared values. This work is also a fitting extension of my undergraduate thesis, and provides an opportunity to reconnect with faculty at Duke Divinity School who are world experts in matters of food, farming, and faith. If all goes to plan, I’ll be doing my fieldwork in June at an agrarian community in Scotland and writing up my findings over the summer!
Wintertime views in Merton College Chapel and University Parks
Beyond dissertation preparation, this term brought a bevy of new academic topics from urban infrastructure to environmental justice. One of my favorite academic opportunities was an unofficial course taught by renowned economist Kate Raworth (a personal hero!) on her groundbreaking book, Doughnut Economics. A handful of friends and I got to sit starstruck each Monday evening as Professor Raworth lectured on how to transition today’s global economies to models that won’t overshoot planetary limits or undercut human well-being. While my thinking was pushed to new limits, I also gained a more robust hope in our future; brilliant young minds surrounded me in the vast lecture hall, each dedicated to boundary-breaking innovation and hard work toward our common good.
Doughnut Economics Live class photo
Another academic highlight this term was our course field trip to Edinburgh. We traveled to the historic Scottish city by train, where we divided into small groups and conducted fieldwork on various research topics for three days. My group looked at how Edinburgh’s monuments tell the story of Scotland’s history; who are the victors, the enemies, the moments worth mentioning? We examined which definitions of Scottish heritage are deemed worthy of monuments and how inclusive the Scottish government’s contemporary policies are around cultural installations. I especially enjoyed practicing fieldwork methods through our “Postcard Palooza” event, in which we recruited tourists along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile to comment on their most memorable takeaways at various monuments.
Scenes from my group’s research on the field trip to Edinburgh
This term also presented new opportunities to work with my local host club, the Rotary Club of Abingdon Vesper. I loved getting to know club members and their manifold passions and pursuits when I gave a presentation on my own studies earlier this year, and I look forward to seeing many of my new friends again when I volunteer at service events in the next few weeks. I was also treated to a delicious Sunday roast at the home of my hosts, Astrid and Ben, and had the pleasure of inviting them to a formal dinner at my college. I remain deeply grateful that the Rotary Global Scholarship has connected me with such wonderful mentors and “fairy godparents.” These relationships have enriched my time here and made this scholarship far more valuable than its monetary grant. I look forward to developing my Rotary friendships beyond the bounds of my studies here, as Rotarians in the UK and at home become my colleagues in the work of serving the world.
Attending my college formal dinner with Ben and Astrid
As you may recall from my last blog, Oxford is a place of serious work and serious play. I struck a balance once again (balance is key!) and got to check a few more classic Oxford experiences off my list. I attended my first Oxford ball, a centuries-old tradition of white tie elegance that these days is accompanied by DJs, silent discos, and (in my case) a made-to-order mac n cheese bar that served up cheesy goodness til 4am. I also experienced Burns’ Night, another Oxford tradition featuring wax candles, haggis, folk dancing, and readings from the works of its namesake, Scottish poet Robert Burns. And while I didn’t take part as a competitor, I enjoyed the relative warmth and comfort of acting as spectator at Oxford’s most exciting rowing race, called Torpids. This all-college boat race brought a weekend of excitement for students at the boathouse island along the Thames, where we watched the races from boathouse rooftops, cheered on our friends, and helped spray down the victors with bottles of champagne. Not bad for college sports!
Students watch Torpids boat race from the rooftops
My first Oxford ball!
I’m now soaking up a brief Easter break and dreaming of my sunny home in California (it’s currently hailing here). I wish to thank you as always for your abundant generosity and faith in me. Until next time, cheers from Oxford!
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