A letter from Brandon Hubbard
Emmet Scholarship Winner, 2005
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2005 Robert Emmet
Scholar Brandon Hubbard at the Memorial of the |
Welcome home gathering for Robert Emmet Society Scholar Brandon Hubbard is held at the City Park Grill. RES members George Colburn and John Rohe converse with Brandon about his experience in Ireland. |
Scenes from County Galway, Ireland. These pictures were taken in the Connemara region north of Galway. |
Members of the Robert Emmet Society:
Greetings from
Galway, Thurs Oct 20, 2005
Life has been non-stop for the past month. Between school and athletics, my
days start at 8am and end at 8pm. A few weeks ago, I decided to give the whole
of Ireland a chance to bludgeon me. I tried out for the GMIT rugby team. It
had been two years since I played for Grand Valley, not to mention I was 30
lbs heavier, so my expectations were limited. After a rusty start, my new
black eye and I made the team. I am heading to Dublin for a tournament this
weekend. (This is really a clever way to tour the country.)
The courses are
unique. Currently, we are studying folk medicine in Tradition. Although I may
never try to cure measles by crawling through the legs of a donkey,
understanding what has been almost forgotten gives incite into my origin.
There is no question that I am receiving a quality semester of learning.
Monday, one of my professors was absent because he was in New York as a guest
lecturer. He has a couple of works written about the course matter. In fact,
most of the lecturers are actively working outside of the college in their
subject areas. (I am going to attend my literature professor's book launch
this week.) All learning is applied here. Heritage students are given
Wednesday's off for the application of lessons learned. In Literature and
Tradition, we have been discussing what composes traditional Irish music. So,
this Wednesday we head to a local pub where the professor has asked
traditional musicians to perform. For History, we will head to Cork for a long
weekend looking at sites of historical importance. I have never been involved
in such a hands-on learning experience.
The student life exposure is
incomparable. During the week, classes organize formal parties at local pubs and nightclubs, keeping everyone very close. However, most Irish students
travel home to work during the weekend, leaving only the foreign students.
But, we all bind together to form strange gatherings, where Spanish sangria
mixes with French wine and German beer, while Americans teach Non-English
speakers how to play poker.
Lately, (when I'm not studying or getting tackled)
I have been trying to check out some of the historical literary sites. Kenny's
Bookstore was my first. Hundreds of famous writers have given signings and
readings there. If you name ten writers off the top of your head, seven will
have visited this place. I'm going to dig up some Joyce sites during the
weekend. Finally, my biggest nerd excursion is going to be to a nature
preserve in the south called Coole Park. There is a poet's tree with the
carved initials of W.B. Yeats, Samuel Beckett, Bernard Shaw and others
belonging to the Irish Literary Revival. Well, I'm about to head out for the
weekend. Everything has been amazing. Say hello to everyone for me. See you in
December when I return.
Brandon
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© 2005 Robert Emmet Society