Brown Smith UK 2024

Farewell,

Farewell for the time being. This has been an amazing trip in which we have discovered the UK, grown together as friends, and learned about ourselves. After struggling to get out of bed, several of us ate our last dining hall breakfast here, something that I will not miss. A few of us continued our day by biking through Hyde Park. We later arrived at the airport, said goodbye to London, and disembarked on a quite long ride.

It was on this ride that we were given a chance to reflect on our experiences. Considering that this is a leadership trip, it seems reasonable to discuss its meaning. Yet, the more that I think of it, the more that I realize that there is no simple way to define leadership. In fact, trying to create such a phrase will inevitably result in the ambiguous and unhelpful definition that leadership is “the ability to lead”. This is because leadership involves so many variables and entities that a few words simply can’t represent them. Leadership can be conducted from any person in the group, whether they are in a leading or supporting role. As for how effective of a leader you are, that largely depends on your motives and goals. The strongest organizations have shared goals that they are striving to accomplish, they believe and trust in the leader, and the leader uses this power to advance their interests. To lead, one must also be capable of communicating and understanding people’s arguments. They need to be willing to come to a consensus and resolve conflicts as they arise. This ability to communicate extends past one’s organization, as a leader is bound to represent that organization to promote its goals to others. These skills are valuable in leaders, yet there are several other virtues that are not listed. In order to become a leader, one should strive to develop these virtues and gain experience in such a role, with the end goal of advancing their organization’s interests within its moral bounds.

Leadership is not an easily definable concept, at least, not in its entirety. We have learned a few values that make us more capable of practicing it. But, what I would argue to be the most important aspect of leadership is one’s willingness to always continue learning. A good leader will always strive to learn from their mistakes, from other’s mistakes, and take responsibility for their actions. That willingness to learn is what has brought us all here, and we intend to continue learning throughout our entire lives.

I hope these reflections have given an idea of what this trip offers. I could honestly go on and on about our experiences. Simply stated, this trip gave 44 strangers a chance to bond together and learn valuable concepts while abroad. 

Thanks for reading,

-Seth

HOWDY!

Our last full day of this memorable trip started bright and early at breakfast in the dining hall. We then went to the classroom for our final lesson, during which we discussed the interconnectivity of all the concepts that were discussed during our class for the last few weeks, as well as how they tied into Les Misérables. Dr. Crick left after an inspirational conclusion to his class about leadership, passion, and how to navigate college. We then watched the videos made by each group about our trip, allowing us to reminisce and remember this epic experience. Eric gave us a presentation about study strategies and navigating college, prefaced by a chaotic, “silent,” team game of chess during which a brown scholar fumbled the queen after contemplating their move for about 5 minutes. We then did a last teambuilding activity where we had to build bridges using cards and our Brown Scholar ingenuity. The bridges *mostly* stayed up with the weights being added on them, and “expert builders” from other teams judged the bridges for a third-party opinion. The Bodacious Blokes won the bridge building contest, and after a farewell from the student leaders, we started to split across the city of London and explore the city one last time. Some explored the gold-gilded interiors of Buckingham Palace, the grandeur of Big Ben and rode the London Eye, while others had the amazing Indian food (chicken tikka masala, the supposed “British” national dish). Some explored the technical wonders of the Faraday Museum, others went shopping at the vast Camden Market in the afternoon. We all met up for dinner at the Blues Camden Kitchen, where we enjoyed delicious burgers and  karaoke. After that, some got their final meal deal and dessert (gelato, boba, milkshakes, etc.) while others wrapped up their sightseeing by visiting platform 9 3/4 and playing the Aggie War Hymn on the public piano located in the St. Pancras International Train Station. We all then travelled back to our dorms to pack and get one last sleep before our grand flight to Houston and back to our homes in America. We’ve had a great time, built connections, grown as leaders, made friends, and so much more. We’re sad it’s over but glad it happened and made so many memories we will never forget and friends we will always cherish.

Thanks and Gig ‘Em!

-Reva & Rishi 🙂

Dearest gentle reader,

 

After another hearty English breakfast at the Imperial College, we boarded our coach and headed to the city of Oxford. The bus ride was sleepy and uneventful, provided by our wonderful driver, George. Upon arrival, we stepped out into the bright morning sun and gazed upon the cobbled streets and Gothic architecture that mark the city of Oxford. Our tour guide, Tim, gave us some nifty headsets that let us hear him from a distance and then gave us a brief overview of the city and its university.

 

While it’s primarily known for its world-class university, Oxford is full of its own rich history. Particularly, back during the Protestant Reformation, Oxford experienced some turbulent times. The English bishops Latimer, Ridley, and Cranmer were burned at the stake in the streets of Oxford under Queen Mary Tudor’s bloody reign. Standing in the place where these stout religious officials were condemned was sombre, but necessary to appreciate the turbulent past of Oxford.

Having existed for almost a millennium, the University of Oxford is the premier collegiate institution in the United Kingdom and perhaps in the world (only second to Texas A&M). The halls of Oxford University have produced 33 prime ministers, famous authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and T.S. Eliot, and numerous nobel prize winners, highlighting the significant impact that solid education can have on culture and history. In addition to its academic accolades, Oxford holds a prominent place in current pop culture, serving as one of the primary filming locations of the Harry Potter movies. Walking among the birthplace of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings was remarkable and a memorable part of our trip. 

For lunch, we were given free reign throughout Oxford. The majority went to the Covered Market, a quaint conglomeration of small restaurants and shops. I, for one, ate Moolin Rouge Pie, with mash and gravy, which was quite delicious.

Next, our afternoon excursion: Blenheim Palace. The birthplace and ancestral home of Winston Churchill, a set for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The interior features baroque architecture and fine porcelain displays, while the surroundings consist of lavish gardens and fountains. A subsection of our team immediately departed for the hedge maze and butterfly gardens. 

The rest explored the palace and formal gardens individually, many guided by the online audio tour. As we tour these grand estates during our trip, I enjoy placing myself in the positions of those who once resided in them. I wore horseshoes in the first area I explored – the stables consist of numerous stalls for the Duchess and Duke of Marlborough’s prized horses. It seems they adored their rides and races, but they also surely adored the indoors, for ornate paintings and elaborate ceilings characterized each room with dignified glamour. A certain favorite is the saloon, which features a tall painted ceiling It was also a location for a scene in the third season of Bridgerton, when Lady Danbury and the Queen play a symbolic game of chess. 

Also at Blenheim Palace, another group of us went through the maze in the walled gardens. Weaving in-between the tall bushes was exhilarating, but also frustrating as we hit dead-ends and loops. Eventually, we all made it out, Preston first, Collin second, and the rest following suit. Afterwards, as we walked around the gardens, we encountered a small brown mouse, named him Craigory, and adopted him as a Brown Scholar pet. 

Our night concluded with a memorable performance of Shostakovich’s 4th Symphony. Chaotic chords and turbulent melodies flooded through Royal Albert Hall and struck a magnificent spectrum of emotions in our hearts.

Happy Birthday to Derrick (18) and Mary Faith (19)! Derrick can now go into pubs here in London and Mary Faith can feel older than the rest of us. She’s the elder of the group for real. Poor Reva and John, the only remaining 17 yr olds of the group.

Yours truly,

Nitya and Preston <3

Howdy! Day 14 began with a nice breakfast in the Imperial College Dining Hall. As we get closer and closer to leaving the UK, many of us have begun to take advantage of the commodity that is “beans on toast” while we still have it. After breakfast, we met up with our tour guides, Gayle and Tom, and began our excursion for the day. The transportation to our destination was a nice change of scenery from the typical tube experience, as we took an “uber boat” on the River Thames to Greenwich, just outside of downtown London. 

After a scenic hike up to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich (which included a view of one of the fields used for the 2012 Olympic Games), we were treated to a closeup view of the Prime Meridian and officially became teleportation savants by jumping back and forth over the line, traveling across hemispheres in mere seconds.

After visiting the Prime Meridian, we were treated to the most culturally diverse area of town in the local farmers’ market, which housed many types of food, clothing, and small trinkets and souvenirs. Some highlights were the local fudge store, the handmade strawberry lemonade, and the thai pop-up stand (basically the food because we were HANGRY). After exploring the surrounding area, we departed from Greenwich and moved onto St. Paul’s Cathedral, using the tube to travel.

 

Saint Paul’s Cathedral, the largest church in all of Great Britain, was one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring sights from the entire trip. There were many famous military commanders and artists buried in the crypt, along with Sir Christopher Wren, the architect who designed St. Paul’s Cathedral and other notable landmarks around London. A mathematician by trade, Sir Wren designed the cathedral to be perfectly symmetrical, with a slightly oval dome that results in great acoustics throughout the cathedral. 

We also climbed all the way to the top of the cathedral (528 steps!) to the Golden Gallery, and the view was incredible. We were thoroughly impressed with the art of the cathedral, and we even got to hear a bit of the church choir practice. Because the acoustics are virtually perfect, we were able to communicate across the oval balcony near the top of the cathedral — the “HOWDY!” heard around the world, if you will.

After we got back to the dorm and had dinner, we split off into three main groups. A group of us rented some public transportation bikes and rode around Hyde Park. We had a great time, and took some great pictures along the way.

Another group extended their theater streak to two days and attended a showing of Phantom of the Opera this evening, greatly enjoying it.

The final group attended a pub to hang out and watch the Olympic Games, bringing that USA spirit to the UK. Allegedly, the boys swimming in red, white, and blue induced tears of pride from our classmates’ eyes.

 

Around 10 pm, all three groups met back up at the park outside of the Imperial College dorms to practice our country dancing and debrief about our different evenings. Secretly, we all scheduled a surprise for three different birthdays: George Gulde, who celebrated his 18th birthday throughout the day, Derrick Seele, who is turning 18 years old on Wednesday, and Mary Faith Schnautz, who is turning 19 on Wednesday, as well. The birthday surprise included personalized food gifts for each of them and concluded with some line dancing to the Footloose soundtrack.

Anyways, that’s a wrap for Day 14 of our UK trip! 

Cheers lads and God Save the Bloody King,

 

-Tommy Avery, Nic Parra, and Iko Wibowo

 

Howdy!

Today was our third day in London, which started off slow for some but ended with a bang for all. We had a free morning, which many used to catch up on sleep lost to playing cards, but others took advantage of the time by visiting the British Museum, shopping at Spitalfields Market, or watching the guard change at Buckingham Palace.

Unfortunately, there were also two trips to the ER today for injured appendages (a big toe and an ankle). They had a lot of bonding time standing in the lines for four hours. Thankfully none of the injuries were serious and everyone was able to make it to the rest of the afternoon activities. 

After lunch, we had an afternoon classroom session for the first time! Dr. Crick presented a lecture on Rhetoric and Power and how it relates to leadership. Using clips from popular shows and movies such as Game of Thrones, the Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and the Incredibles, we learned all about how leadership is about how a leader relates to other people and create systems to enact change, creating spaces where people trust the leader.

Valerie also presented to us on the history of theater as well as theater etiquette in order to prepare us for one of the biggest events of our trip: Les Misérables! After receiving our tickets, we ate an early dinner at the Imperial College dining hall before getting ready for the show. Everyone put on their best attire, and we might be the best looking group of Brown Scholars in the history of the program. Once we captured our style and beauty on camera, we made our way to the Sondheim Theater in the West End.

The show was absolutely amazing, and everyone gave it a standing ovation after its concluding song. The beautiful singing, brilliant set, and vibrant lighting literally transported us into the poignant story of Jean Valjean, Fantine, and Cosette. Nobody has stopped raving about the talent we saw on stage, even as this blog is being written.

The night was concluded with McDonald’s and Meal Deals for some but many pictures for everyone. Today will definitely be one of our most memorable days of the entire trip!

-Mary Faith and Shreya