jarrexi

Today the Brown Scholars took a trip by coach to Oxford University. After having breakfast with the group, all of us proceeded to a coach bus to Oxford. On the way, we received an overview of the tour for the day and a brief foray in the history of Oxford by our tour guide. The coach bus is very relaxing, so naturally some of us fell asleep. Upon being re-awoken, we embarked on our tour of Oxford. We visited the different spires, bridges, and libraries, learned about the college system at Oxford, and discussed life at Oxford with our tour guide. After that, we were taken on a tour of the grounds, the garden, and the surrounding city, where we learned about how Oxford developed as a town and the influence of the university on the surrounding area.

After a filling lunch and afternoon tea and scones, we returned to our coach bus and were lulled to sleep once more. Upon awakening once more, finally getting our 8 hours of sleep for the day, we met for the final ‘talk back’ class of the trip with Dr. Nic. We discussed one of his personal heroes, Socrates, and how his story was situated with Athens in Ancient Greece and the inspiration he can serve as for us today. Finally, we went out for our final day in London. We navigated the tube system and got some amazing steak and Italian to celebrate Sophia’s birthday. It was amazing to spend so much time with new people and get closer to the other Brown Scholars, joking around, discussing London, our future careers, and what we thought of the trip. Finally, we all returned to the lounge for a birthday celebration and a farewell to a great trip. After much laughing and last minute packing, we bid farewell to the UK Leadership Trip of 2025.

 

Howdy!

The day began as any other on the trip, an insufficient amount of sleep, a rushed breakfast, and a short ride on the tube to class. As we poured into the classroom and took our seats, we prepared to listen to our final lecturer, Lucas Villegas-Aristizábal, and his class on the history and role of the British Monarch. The lesson took most of the morning. He began at the Battle of Hastings and took us on a journey through to the present King and how his power is still used to run the British government today. Upon reaching the end of the lesson, we left for a two hour lunch break. We went all over the city from restaurants ranging from Italian food to pub food to Persian food. The meal took longer than expected and we had to rush to make it back to the palace on time. We joined the conglomeration of other Brown Scholars out in front of the King’s Gallery and waited for stragglers to emerge. Once everyone had arrived we went through security and entered into the ornately decorated palace. Every room was immaculately designed. Everything was gilded. In fact many Brown Scholars that went to the bathroom were astounded by how “10 out of 10” the restrooms were. Some students tried to sneak back in to witness the restrooms in all their glory to no avail.

As people left the palace, Dr. Nic rounded us all up and began a social experiment on the authority of the leader. He named Mathew and Piyush king and then had the others propose laws. Mathew promised free gold to all and Equinox gyms to all of his support. Unfortunately he said he was above the law whereas Piyush said he would follow it. Nearly everyone chose to join Piyush’s kingdom. Dr. Nic’s lesson we took a short break to sway and saw them horns off.

Señor Alex talked to us about the importance of habits as we enter into the new and unfamiliar realm of independent college student life. He taught us that it’s about thinking about the final product like when you make bolognese.

After being enlightened by student leader Mr. Alex’s insightful presentation (that definitely wasn’t based off the book Atomic Habits) we split off for free time. Some of us began our free time souvenir shopping around the palace, near Trafalgar Square, or leisurely strolling around town. Despite a few of us getting separated by the smudged glass doors of a crowded Tube carriage, we all managed to later meet up at St. James’s Park where we sat down, talked, and touched grass. Some of us ate pizza on the lawn while others, joined by JZ, had a high class dining experience at the Golden Arches aka McDonalds. We tried some of the UK exclusives like the fried chili cheese, spicy nuggets, mango passion fruit/green apple sprite, and the Big Arch (a double Big Mac). Others went to explore the city at places like Notting Hill, Arsenal, and the Gardens at 120.

We took the Tube back to the hotel yapped some more and played games.

Thanks & Gig’em!

Karina and Michael S

Top of the morning to ya!

We awoke this fine London day with money on our minds. We boarded the Tube to class, but some of us accidentally boarded the Eastbound train across the platform, so they were a little later to arrive. Today’s session covered the institution that circulates our money, more specifically the banking system within the UK. Our amazing professor, Dr. Cohen, touched on the history of banking, the function of money, and the purpose of these institutions in our society. We learned London has a higher density of banks overall compared to New York City; it could be considered the banking capital of the world! He also imparted a new British tradition on the class - call out latecomers with the term, “Wanker.” We put this new information into immediate use and proceeded to condemn our tardy friends by screaming out “wanker” as they arrived at the Royal Exchange (needless to say, we received numerous side eyes, incredulous glances, and embarrassed laughs from unsuspecting passer bys). Lunchtime approached and a group of us headed to an Indian restaurant to try England's national dish. chicken tikka masala. Everyone agreed the food was fantastic (very spicy too - I cried) and very different to the stereotypical and, let’s be honest, bland English beans on toast. Another group of us went to a pub nearby, and while the food was good, quiet and empty 11 a.m. pub vibes are definitely not the right vibes. They made up for it by eating incredibly disappointing blackberries while chilling in a park. Yet another group went to an Asian restaurant, Wagamama, where they ate some delicious noodles. Once we had all gathered our bearings, we began our tour of the Central Bank, which was founded in 1694. Exploring the museum within the central bank, we all gained a deeper understanding of the banking system in the UK and were given the exciting opportunity to touch and lift a bar of solid gold (surprisingly heavy!). Our day spent on banking ties into the concept of the situated self. As active citizens in a world connected with money, it’s important that we understand the context in which we exist so we can better comprehend our role in society. With the museum tour completed, the group dispersed as some Brown Scholars scurried back to the hotel (and Tesco for a quick grab-n-go meal deal) to prepare for the Phantom of the Opera. The show was fire (literally, the pyrotechnics were but of this world!). After a very lengthy and well-deserved standing ovation, we regrouped outside of the theatre for a photo session in front of the show posters. Selfie-satisfied, we boarded the Tube for a late night ride to The Inn where our London eyes shut closed for the night.

Cheerio from Julia, Michelle, Zach

Howdy! Today was another fantastic day in London. We started the day off with a filling breakfast. After that, we headed to class at the Richmond American University to learn about today's subject, the UK political system! Taught by an excellent professor, we learned about the division of Parliament into two houses, the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The professor led us through the history of Parliament, explaining how it originated from struggles against the English monarchy and how it developed into the institution it is today. We discovered how, over time, more and more authority was vested into the people, with laws to expand voting rights to all groups of people in all of the United Kingdom's constituents.

We ended class with a discussion where we considered three questions relevant to politics in the United Kingdom. The three questions were: should the voting age be lowered to 16? Should voting be mandatory for everyone? Should the UK continue with its current voting system, or should its system be changed? These questions led to lively discussions, challenging our beliefs and encouraging us to think deeper about these political issues.

After class was lunchtime. One group of Brown Scholars ate at a falafel shop, while others groups ate at a cafe, a Mediterranean restaurant, or even Chipotle!

Unfortunately, we were unable to visit Parliament after lunch like we had initially planned, as it is closed on Mondays. But instead of visiting Parliament, we were able to listen to an impromptu lesson from our dear Dr. Nic! He taught us about the history of democracy in Western history, starting from the Phoenicians to the Greeks, and then on to the Romans, the Renaissance, and the British Empire, showing us that our modern day system of democracy hasn't really changed much since its conception in ancient Greece.

What better way to end our journey through politics than our student leader Cathryn's lecture about self-governance in college. Taking some advice, I (Michael Y) learned college is much more volatile than high school- one day, you might be stressing out about an upcoming test while the next you are calling your mom about how to do the laundry. The freedom associated with college should not be taken lightly. You must be organized with academics, organizations, and social lives. Transitioning into topics about ambition, Dr. Nic advised us to "no mo fomo," survive, not thrive. Even though it is wise to be cautious, my the flame of my limitless potential will not smolder even under the heaviest pressure. I go to college to compete, not to simply pass a class. Who needs wisdom when there is talent?

After the lesson in the park, we went to go watch Les Miserables on the West End. The show was amazing with great singing, production, lighting, and everything else. Everyone had a great time.

After the theater, my group (John's) went to Dave's Hot Chicken for a late night snack. Unfortunately, everyone on the West End had the same idea, and our food took forever to come out. Afterwards, we were sprinting through the streets of London and the tube to get back on time, only for our train to get held at one of the last stations. Our group strolled in a smooth six minutes after curfew to the delight of the adults.

And that's a wrap!!

Thanks and Gig 'em!

John, Michael Y, Nathan

Howdy from London! Today has been an absolutely wonderful day!!

Today, we got to wake up slightly later and recharge from our free time the previous night. We started off with classic English breakfast in the hotel lobby from 7:30-8:30 a.m. The fruit in London is so amazing!

We had the classic British breakfast and hopped onto the coach buses for a tour around London. Our tour guide took us through tons of historic streets and famous buildings and told us all about the inner workings of the royal family and the significance of so many monuments around us!

First on the itinerary were the quintessential London tourist stops: Big Ben, Elizabeth Tower, and Westminster Abbey. Our guide informed us that Big Ben has more than 300 steps up to the very top and is covered in real gold leaf rather than fake gold in order to reduce regular maintenance, as gold leaf lasts for up to 60 years! We also learned that the abbey’s empty niches that had been empty for hundreds of years were filled with modern statues, such as Martin Luther King Jr., reminding us that history is a continuously evolving process. All of the monuments we have seen during this trip were new additions at some point in time.

Continuing on, we walked around the City of Westminster, which is one of 32 boroughs that make up London. Not coincidentally, the ferris wheel across from Big Ben, the London Eye, has 32 carriages, representing each of these boroughs. While we added riding the London Eye to our ever-growing list of activities to do over the next few days, we marveled at the Georgian architecture of houses with their smaller windows towards the top to make them appear taller. After perusing the man-made structures, we entered St. James’s Park, admiring the serene natural beauty that rivaled the grand structures.

As we said our farewells to the many geese, pelicans, and other avian creatures that occupied the area, we crossed a bridge and continued our journey towards the courtyard in front of Buckingham Palace. Drawing on our recently acquired skills from our trip to Windsor Castle yesterday, we determined that King Charles III was not in residence, as the Union Jack was flying instead of the Royal Standard. Although we didn’t actually get to see the changing of the guard ceremony take place, we got a beautiful view of the palace and even saw a guard walk right by our group in full uniform! We boarded the bus again and continued to go through historic parts of London, including Fleet Street, Borough Market, Piccadilly Circus!

We hopped back on the coach bus and traveled to the Tower Bridge, commonly confused with the London Bridge. As we were leaving, we marveled at the robust HMS Belfast battleship that had fought in WWII, and we caught a glimpse of the Shard, the tallest building in London.

Afterwards, we were dropped off at Piccadilly Circus and began our afternoon of free time to explore the city! Splitting off into groups for lunch, we continued our exploration of this vast city, leaving no food market, restaurant, or shop unexplored. Some opted for Italian, while others went for street food, and many others explored Chinatown and various Eastern Asian cuisines as well.

The group that I (Heather) was in (including the student leaders) took the tube to Borough Market for lunch! The market was such an incredible experience and all of the food looked so good! We got Mediterranean food from a famous place called the Gourmet Goat and it was delicious and fresh! Then, we got in line for the nutritious cups of Borough Market chocolate covered strawberries, which were absolutely worth the hype! Alex, JZ, and Nicholas N. also got crumbles from a famous shop called the Humble Crumble. The shop accidentally made an extra strawberry lime crumble by mistake, so they gave it to us for free! All of the food was so great, and I’m so glad we got to spend time at the market!
While some of us went to the Royal Albert Hall, National Gallery, or Covent Garden, others made their way to the Science Museum, a fitting place for engineers. We (Nicholas’ group) marveled at how much technological progress has been made over the past couple centuries, or even the past few decades. We saw devices that had been state-of-the-art during our childhood placed behind glass panels in a museum. It made us wonder what technology that we use today will find its place in a museum in the next few years and what advancements are yet to come.

A different group of us (the group including Heather) then made our way back to the tube and headed to SoHo for some shopping! Our first stop was the Jellycat Fish and Chips Toy Store in Selfridges Mall! We spent forever admiring all of the Jellycat stuffed animals they had in the store, and some of us got some souvenirs! (I got a special edition London Jellycat that was named Charlie Chip!) We then went to other stores including Brandy Melville and Abercrombie & Fitch, and even purchased some specialty UK dark chocolates from the famous Hotel Chocolat! Some of us also attended mass at the Westminster Cathedral before dinnertime!With our brains full of knowledge and our hands full of souvenir bags, we headed off to fill our stomachs with nourishment.

While some of us ate pizza, we rooted for England in the final of the Women's European Cup against Spain. The game was close, but our host country won on penalty kicks.
My (Heather’s) group went to Pho District for dinner and had some yummy Pho! Then, we went to Tesco to grab some different snacks to try. We have officially become Cadbury connoisseurs!

Meanwhile, another one of our groups traveled to the Michelin Star Amaya Grill and Bar. Although words cannot describe it, here is Alex's best attempt: “Best food in my life, ever.”

Afterwards, as the night winded down, some opted to head to Hyde Park, while others went to the gym or opted for a late-night snack.

We ended the day with a discussion with Dr. Nic about our classes this upcoming week and applying what we’ve learned so far this trip to our own lives as future student leaders at Texas A&M. Dr. Nic’s talk-backs are always very insightful, and it made us all excited for class tomorrow! Gig ‘Em and goodnight!

Sincerely,
Heather Korth, Nicholas Tyner, and Dylan Bago