Abby Arbeiter wanted to sing pop songs in a pub. So, she approached a musician in Fitzgerald’s Bar, in Dublin.
Her request led to some cultural confusion.
“I asked if they would play "Vienna" by Billy Joel, and he was very confused on who Billy Joel was,” Arbeiter said. “He was like '"Piano Man"?' And I said ‘Yeah, "Piano Man," that’s fine.' He said ‘The only Vienna I know is the one in Austria.’”
This was one of the many highlights of Arbeiter’s recent university-sponsored trip to London and Dublin, where she gained a broader understanding of British literature and history, and the world. Arbeiter, a junior majoring in creative writing, traveled to the United Kingdom with other Wichita State students.
Fran Connor, associate professor and chair of the English department, and Katie Lanning, assistant professor of English, took 16 students from several majors to the UK in May. For academic credit, the students wrote reflection papers, and created a digital or social media project based on their experiences.
Arbeiter said the trip changed her worldview.
“I just realized how big the world is and how the way others live their daily lives is both similar and yet different to mine,” Arbeiter said. “Just like the way they have tea with their breakfast, it is a core element to the English culture. I was happy to be a part of it.
“I didn’t hesitate to say yes and try new food or explore the customs. I think that no matter where we come from we still have a shared humanity and love of life,” Arbeiter said.
The trip wasn’t designed as a literary tour, and was kind of history heavy, Connor said. However, students stayed engaged and brought ideas home with them.
“Maybe they’ve learned a little more about Richard the Second, and Charles the Second, and Jonathan Swift and Shakespeare,” Connor said. “One thing I’m most proud of started in Dublin. Our tour guide pointed out things related to James Joyce and said ‘He’s the most complicated writer you’ll ever read.’ An engineering student took it as a challenge to read “Ulysses.” He emails me every so often to say ‘I’m on this part now.’”
Additionally, Connor said he saw the students gain confidence, reflected in their attitudes and in the travel journals they were required to keep. Arbeiter’s experiences confirmed his observation.
“It changed me in ways of mindset and how I could achieve something, to take the courage and just go for it. To explore, to be a part of something, like the pub singing. It’s worth the elation,” Arbeiter said. “One lesson I’ve learned from the trip is to be bold and go after what you want. Be sure of your route and desired destination in life you want to aspire to. It’s not going to be perfect. I just know I’m on a journey that’s going to lead me to where I want to be.”
The trip also encouraged students to discuss controversial actions in history. The group visited the British Museum, where they saw the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles. Lord Elgin, a British diplomat, had taken the collection of marble sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens, Greece in the early 1800s. The British government later bought the sculptures from Lord Elgin and placed them in the museum. The marbles piqued students’ interests about what could be.
“We saw the marbles and had a nice debate about imperialism,” Connor said. “If it’s not the British taking care of the Elgin Marbles, who is? The students all disagreed, and that’s fine. That’s what a college education is.”
Courtesy photoThe week abroad provided several opportunities for students to experience literature settings coming to life. In England, some went to Canterbury to see the cathedral, the pilgrims’ destination point in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales.” Others went to Stonehenge, referenced in Thomas Hardy’s “Tess of the d’Urbervilles,” and Bath, Jane Austen’s former residence and partial settings for her novels “Persuasion” and “Northanger Abbey.”
The Dublin itinerary took the group to places made famous through the literary works of Jonathan Swift and James Joyce. At St. Patrick’s Cathedral, they viewed Swift’s grave, complemented by his death mask and replica skull. At Trinity College Chapel, they saw the Book of Kells and the college’s Shakespeare portfolio.
“I agree with the idea that some sort of travel program should be part of a college education,” Connor said, “seeing the world outside what you’re familiar with, expanding your curiosity to other places.”
Generous scholarship support designated for travel abroad made it possible for Arbeiter to participate, she said. Connor thought the support was essential for several students.
“Thanks to the donor who gave money for study abroad. It’s already paying dividends,” Connor said. “Some students flat out said if they couldn’t get some scholarship funding, they wouldn’t be able to go. That support is vital.”
For Arbeiter, going abroad for a week was less daunting than going for a semester, and she hopes others find opportunities to travel.
“If you want your world expanded, I highly recommend studying and traveling abroad,” Arbeiter said.