Dalton and Julian’s Adventures in England: Updates From Our Oxford Lads
by Alice Asch ‘22
You’ve maybe noticed that two familiar faces have been absent from recent English Department happenings—Dalton Greene ‘22 (a former Words editor!) and Julian Applebaum ‘23. This semester, these two are both studying abroad at Oxford University! They were kind enough to write to us with some exciting updates about their experiences so far.
We miss Dalton and Julian ever so much, but we’re delighted to hear that they’re having a blast kicking it overseas. Enjoy their letters below!
Dalton’s Letter:
Dear Words readers,
After about two years of trying to work out studying away during a pandemic, I am finally writing to you all from Oxford! We’re now wrapping up the sixth week of our eight-week term, and things have been crazy, in a good way. Since the term started, I’ve written a grand total of 22,593 words—that’s about 90 pages, double spaced—for my tutorials. The learning style is very different from what I’ve gotten used to at Macalester, but it has been such an enriching experience to talk one-on-one with my tutors about subjects that genuinely fascinate me. And with so much writing being a regular thing, I’ve found I can churn out an essay in no time now, a skill which might have come in handy earlier in my college career!
Outside of the classroom, I’ve really enjoyed getting involved with the larger university community. Visiting students have all the same privileges as full-timers, so we get free entry to the many wonderful museums, access to all the oldest and coolest libraries, and the ability to fully participate in student organizations. In fact, this semester, I’m using my invaluable experience as a former Words editor in my new role as editor for the Broad Street Humanities Review, an interdisciplinary journal run by students here! In general, everyone has been so welcoming and made me really feel at home here.
And speaking of feeling at home, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Oxford’s excess of bookstores, some of my absolute favorite places in the world. From the Norrington Room at Blackwell’s (the single largest room in the world selling books) to Gulp Fiction (where you can conveniently buy used books and a pint in the same place), there are enough quirky bookstores within walking distance to keep an English major occupied forever. I’ve already picked up more than my share, so that now, even in another country, I’ve got an ever-expanding stack of books that I haven’t read but that I want to get to soon. Some things never change….
Sincerely,
Dalton
Julian’s Letter:
Dear Words readers,
Hello from Oxford! I’ve been here about six weeks now, and it has been surreal in the best way. Oxford, from its architecture to food to culture, feels like a totally different world. I have attended more formal dinners in the last few weeks than I have in my entire life. I met a student who plays the organ and conducts operas professionally, another writing his dissertation on rare book bindings, and another in my politics lecture who writes all his notes with a fountain pen. I’ve drunk at a 700 year old pub where Oscar Wilde, CS Lewis, Margaret Thatcher, and Ernest Hemmingway have also drunk. I even got to attend a black-tie ball last weekend!
Perhaps the biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is operating in Oxford’s tutorial system. Oxford has a unique academic structure. Rather than attending classes, everyone self-studies the material and meets with a professor once a week or less. These meetings, called tutorials, are one-on-one with the professor to review the material. I am taking one English course this term: Victorian Gothic Fiction. I need to read one book from the reading list and submit an essay about it every two weeks. So far I’ve read Great Expectations, Villette, and Wuthering Heights. My tutor Professor is an upbeat but stern British woman named Charlie who wears long, dark dresses with puffy sleeves and always has her hair tied back in a tight bun. Our bi-weekly tutorials feel like a rollercoaster; she asks me difficult questions about the novels and pushes me to deepen my analysis. I left the first tutorials feeling totally out of my depth and melodramatically wondering if I wasn’t fit to study literature. I had a sort of breakthrough recently, though, so my essays are getting better and I feel a lot more confident in my abilities.
For fun I have been hanging out at the college bar (yes, there’s a bar where the students live), competing with the Mock Trial team, and going to really interesting events around the university. A few weeks ago I attended a workshop with the Oxford English Society held in celebration of Virginia Woolf’s birthday where we went to the Bodleian Bibliographical Press to use the same kind of handpress and typeface that the Woolfs would have used for their first publications. I also bought a tweed jacket for 15 pounds, which I’m thrilled about. Oxford feels like an academic’s Disneyland. There’s just SO MUCH to do all of the time!
Since this is The Words, I wanted to share some fun new British and Oxfordian words I’ve learned:
- Rusticate: verb, to either be suspended from Oxford take a leave of absence for welfare. It comes from the root “rustic” for country, and rusticate quite literally means “to return to the countryside.” You’ll hear students say “I’m thinking about rusticating next year,” for example.
- Invigilator: noun, a proctor/someone who watches over exams to prevent cheating.
- Plonker: noun, an idiotic or inept person.
- Bugbear: noun, an annoyance or pet peeve. “The lack of sinks in the dorm rooms is a bugbear of mine.”
- Scaf: noun, An informal self-service dinner held before the night’s formal hall
- Buttery: noun, the college kitchens. Originally meaning the place from which you request more butter/milk/tea when you run out, now used more generally.
Sending love,
Julian
The Words thanks Dalton and Julian for taking the time to tell us about their adventures!
P.S. We have received exclusive insider information from Dalton that he will be making a visit to Macalester for his graduation this spring! We can’t wait.