England, it seems to me, is a land of rules. Before I arrived here, one of the first things I told people about my impending trip to Oxford was that students aren’t allowed to walk on the grass. Coming from Princeton, where as soon as the temperature gets above sixty-two it seems like the entire… Continue reading Rule Britannia
Yesterday’s election wasn’t a particularly big deal for me. I’ll admit that my heart sunk when I saw that Maine voters rejected equality for gay couples, but beyond that, I wasn’t too invested in any of the races. It doesn’t particularly bother me that the multi-millionaire investment banker claiming to be a man of the… Continue reading The Great Disappointment, Plus Five-Hundred Fifty-One Wednesdays of Drinking
It occurs to me that I’ve written my last, well, who knows how many posts on various political topics. Anyone who knows me probably isn’t too surprised about this. To some extent, writing (and complaining) is my way of dealing with a world that, quite frankly, scares me. It’s hard to stay positive when I… Continue reading Living in Darkness, and Loving It
Last April was probably the period where I was the most politically radical—and optimistic—I’ll ever be. By the time I handed in my thesis, it was pretty evident that I had drank the proverbial freegan kool-aid. I genuinely believed the freegans, by working to create sustainable, egalitarian, local anarchist communities, were on to something that… Continue reading The (Near) Death of an Activist
Even before, I came to Oxford, I had already realized that the stock American responses to the Oxford experience are fairly cliched. I’m friends on facebook with enough people who have taken a Junior Year Abroad to already have heard every imaginable variation on “I’m in Oxford – and it’s just like Harry Potter!” Now… Continue reading (Insert Harry Potter Comparison)
Unsurprisingly, England still feels really new to me. Somehow, I don’t quite fit in as a local after forty-eight hours (Okay, that’s letting myself off easy – somehow the English know I’m an American from 20 feet away – something to do with the loudness of my voice). I’m still in awe of how old… Continue reading New Normal
I have no business blogging tonight. I’ve been up for a solid thirty-six hours, and although I arrived in Oxford almost twelve hours ago, I have very little of significance to say about it. Still, I feel like I ought to write down a few first impressions of England – impressions that I will later… Continue reading Welcome to England, It’s Very English
“I haven’t been this scared in a long time And I’m so unprepared so here’s your valentine Bouquet of clumsy words, a simple melody This world’s an ugly place, but you’re so beautiful to me.” – Blink 182, “Going Away to College” Four years ago, “Going Away to College” seemed like poetry. I was preparing… Continue reading What’s My Age Again?
Alex V. Barnard - Sociology 