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- Lacy S. •
- Irish Studies Summer School •
- Global Studies Major
“The professors
who lectured were people who are scholars in their topic.
We got the best of the best.”
—Lacy S. |
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Lacy is a global studies major with a minor in political science. Spending a summer in Dublin, Ireland was a chance to learn more about the historical, political, and cultural importance of a European country. It was also a personal test—Lacy wanted to know if she could survive abroad!
Through the Irish Studies Summer School at Trinity College, Lacy took courses on critical issues in Irish politics, Irish history, Irish literature, and Gaelic culture. The professors who lectured were people who are scholars in their topic. We got the best of the best. One of the highlights of the summer for Lacy was meeting Seamus Heaney, a Nobel Prize winner for literature. I think that's really unique to this experience. Trinity works hard to get good speakers and performances for evening programs for all the American students. They really do an excellent job.
Studying in Ireland shifted Lacy's focus from political science to global studies. A woman who works for the European Union gave one of the lectures for her critical issues class. She talked about the help that Ireland received from EU members, bringing the country out of debt and into a growing economic period. I realized how much the interconnection of countries helps. Ireland would probably be a failed economy, and probably not even on the globe anymore, had the EU not allowed it to be a member. Lacy now hopes to go into international law after graduating from the University of Minnesota. I hope that I can work abroad too, and use what I learned in Ireland.
Weekend travel was an important part of Lacy's experience in Ireland. She went with classmates to different parts of the country, learning about regional culture, and gaining perspective on Irish culture as a whole. One memorable experience was attending the family reunion of a classmate, where people ate, talked, sang, and shared their celebration with her. “We were just like family to them, which was amazing to me. Getting to know a family is definitely great for getting integrated into the culture.” Other experiences, such as dancing a jig at a restaurant in Dublin, learning words and phrases in Gaelic, and visiting Northern Ireland gave Lacy the chance to see Irish society from many different angles.
What does Lacy have to say to students who are interested in history, political science or global studies? “Just go. There's so much in Ireland, historically and even now with recent progress, that you will learn so much there.”
Last modified on November 21, 2008 |