Artifact-Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is an English church located near the River Thames that has been the coronation grounds for English monarchs since 1066. Benedictine monks founded the Abbey some years before the coronations began, but these monks established the lasting tradition of daily worship that continues to this day. For further information on Westminster Abbey, a good source is:
http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history

Pre-Trip:
What amazes me most about Westminster Abbey is not the incredible age, or the iconic architecture, but that Westminster Abbey is still in operation as a functioning church. Some would find it controversial that such a notable icon of Great Britain is a church, but for hundreds of years now, religion and Great Britain have had an undeniable connection. During King Henry VIII’s rule, he at one point was serving as the head of the state, and also the head of the new Anglican religion. People, most notably the first American colonists, left Great Britain on the Mayflower because of religious persecution. Being a Christian has definitely had an impact on the way I live my life and how I look at issues, and I am curious to see the extent of the connection between religion and Great Britain. There are definitely some similarities between Anglicism in Great Britain and Christianity in the United States, but I am curious to see if Anglicism plays a similar societal role as Christianity does in the United States.

Artifact- Soccer (Football) and the Barclays Premier League

Soccer, or football as it is known in Europe and the United Kingdom, is a sport that has dominated English culture for decades. The sport has particularly strong ties in England, as England was the place where the first organized soccer began in 1863. Currently in England, Barclays Premier League, which is the top football league in England, is widely renowned as one of the best and most competitive football leagues in the entire world. For more information regarding the Barclays Premier League, a good site is:
http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb.html

Pre-Trip:
I am a huge soccer (or football) fan. I first developed my love for the beautiful game during high school when I was on the team that my high school had. Being exposed to soccer in high school created a thirst for it, and I was delighted to discover that the Barclays Premier League quenched that thirst. Coming from the United States where Major League Soccer is just beginning to really take off, I have always looked at the Barclays Premier League as sort of an example that the MLS should strive for. Also looking comparatively at the skill level in both leagues, I have always seen Barclays Premier League as the more competitive and skilled league (however, recent Major League Soccer is starting to look more and more like the Barclays Premier League). I am of the belief that the Barclays Premier League is one of the most competitive leagues in the whole of organized soccer. I am a huge soccer fan, and I have heard that the people of England are also huge soccer fans, so I am interested to see the role that soccer takes on in the daily lives of the English people.

Artifact- The Beatles (and Abbey Road)

The Beatles were a British rock-band popular in the 1960s. Some have labeled them as one of the most influential rock acts of all time. The Beatles experienced especially huge success in American pop culture. While not their best-selling album, Abbey Road, generated arguably the most iconic cover art for a musical album and was still incredibly successful, staying at number one in album charts in the United States and in England for eleven and seventeen weeks respectively. More information about Abbey Road can be found at:
http://www.thebeatles.com/album/abbey-road

Pre-Trip:
Growing up, music has always been a constant in my home. Whether it is hearing someone practice an instrument, or more often than not, hearing and singing to the radio, music has always just been there. My family listens to practically every genre available, and of course, many of the songs that we have listened to have been products of the Beatles. Through my upbringing, I have become acquainted with a number of songs by the Beatles. This has led my to have an understanding of the Beatles in a very large sense, but definitely not an understanding to the same extent as the understanding of the British people. The Beatles were big in the United States, but much bigger in their home country of England. While I have an idea of the impact of the Beatles, at least in the United States, I have no idea to how big they truly were, so it will be interesting to see if the Beatle’s are as popular across the pond as I am imaging.

Artifact- The British Museum

In 1753, the first national public museum opened. This museum was the British Museum. Located in London, this museum opened with its intial collection from a man named Hans Sloane. Founded with the goal of expanding knowledge and providing access to all people, the museum has granted free admission since its opening. Further information about the British Museum can be found on the following site:
http://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/the_museums_story/general_history.aspx

Pre-Trip:
Being a self-labeled history lover, I see the British Museum as a brilliant institution. The collection that they have is second to none, even if some of the materials do not really belong to the British Museum, and the variety and breadth of knowledge that the British Museum displays is astounding. Also being a conservative spender and a firm believer in the power of education, I see the British Museum as an even more impressive institution. It seems impractical to not charge an admission cost, yet, the British Museum has remained open for over two hundred and fifty years. The free admission helps to increase accessibility to the museum. This is incredibly significant because the free admission allows anyone that wishes to enter and become more knowledgeable about the world around them. This in turn helps to not only create the next generation of history lovers, but also allows anyone that has a desire to learn more the opportunity to do so.

Artifact- The Globe Theatre

The first Globe Theatre was created by William Shakespeare’s acting company around 1600 and constructed on near the River Thames in London. Shakespeare was an English writer who is regarded by many to be the greatest writer ever. The Globe was built as another, larger venue for Shakespeare to perform his works. More information about The Globe Theatre can be found:
http://www.bardweb.net/globe.net

Pre-Trip:
The Globe Theatre is arguably the birthplace of modern theatre. In that building, Shakespeare performed a number of his most famous pieces, and also increased the popularity of theatre itself. It is incredibly difficult to find a play that was performed in a theatre prior to Shakespeare. I think that The Globe itself is a testament to the impact that Shakespeare had, not only on theatre and writing, but also on the country of England and even the world. Society still remembers William Shakespeare and his writings, despite the fact that William Shakespeare lived 400 years ago. To do this day, actors aspire to play parts in Shakespeare pieces and audiences flock to performances of his works. The remembrance of Shakespeare speaks significantly to the cultural and historical impact that William Shakespeare truly had. As a brother to two sisters who are heavily involved in high school theatre, I am able to see the wide impact that Shakespeare truly had.

About Me

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Hello! My name is Skyler Isch. I am a first year student at the Ohio State University and am double majoring in English and Business (undecided) as well as pursuing an academic minor in Music. At the conclusion of my undergraduate career, I plan on attending Law School where I will obtain my J.D. and become an attorney.

I come from a suburb just outside of Cincinnati Ohio called Anderson Township. I graduated at the local high school, Anderson High School, in the top 6% of my graduating class with a 4.60 GPA. I was a two sport athlete in high school, playing soccer and being a member of the swim team. Outside of high school, I enjoyed playing guitar, hanging out with friends and my two younger sisters, and playing with my dog Rex. Through all of my time in Anderson Township, one of the most meaningful experiences I had was being cut from my high school soccer team as a junior. Many people see being cut from a team in a negative light, but it was a great experience for me, because it really taught me the value of hard work and dedication. Being cut also made making and starting on the varsity squad next season during my senior year even more special. Another experience that I really cherish is my overall involvement with an organization called Young Life. Young Life is an evangelical Christian organization, and during my time in Young Life I found and developed a relationship with Jesus as well as numerous friends, including a man that would become my mentor.

As I have prepared for college and life at the Ohio State University, I have received a lot of advice, and even more warnings about the difficulty that lies ahead of me. As I reflect upon that warning and begin to look toward my undergraduate experience, I have to realize my goals for the future. For me, the end goal, like it is for many other people, is success. Success in the classroom, professionally, in social life, and in whatever else I choose to apply myself. In addition to that, my goal is enjoy the experiences and to take advantage of all that is offered to me at Ohio State. Studies have shown that children smile an average of 400 times in a given day, whereas in the same given day, an adult will smile less than thirty times. Arguably one of my biggest goals, not only for my undergraduate experience, but for the rest of my life, is to try to smile 400 times a day. Also, on a slightly related note, if anyone knows any good jokes, please feel free to share. Thanks for reading!

Skyler Isch

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

I plan to work towards Global Awareness in a variety of ways. First and foremost, I want to become a global citizen. I am taking the first step in that process by taking the London Honors course this fall, and actually traveling to London over the upcoming winter break. In addition to that, I look forward to becoming more globalized by exploring the different Buckeye Serve trips that work internationally and perform public service. Domestically, I plan on taking a few courses that will hopefully assist me in my quest to become a global citizen, classes from the Hebrew and Spanish departments, and taking classes that have to deal with the interdependence of the world. By becoming a global citizen, I can enhance global awareness by being more informed on a variety of global issues.

To work towards original inquiry, I plan to create an environment for myself in which I can contribute original inquiry. As an English major, I have the opportunity to participate in research in the humanities that looks radically different than the research taking place in the more scientific fields. Through taking classes such as Creative Writing, as well as orchestra classes, I will have the opportunity to engage in creative productions and performances. Of course, my participation in original inquiries will largely result from my course load, and my ambitions to take advanced classes. Pushing myself by taking advanced classes will lead me to have a different perspective, and this different perspective will help me to contribute to original inquiry.

I have used my academic plan to create a program of study that both indulges my interests as well as prepares me for life after college. My choice of majors and minors reflects this. I have a passion for both English and music, but I also have a firm belief that the knowledge garnered by receiving a business degree is incredibly useful because of the opportunities it allows me. Despite being a person who does not get very excited about science classes, I am incredibly excited to take the science classes that I have chosen for my GE courses. I am excited because the courses that I chose deal with disciplines of science that are not typically regarded as “hard sciences,” and the classes that I have chosen are interesting to me, despite the fact that I am not a person who typically gets excited or looks forward to science classes. My academic program goes beyond merely the minimum requirements because of its diversity and breadth of academia that is encapsulated in my studies.

As I plan my degree and prepare for my career, I am excited at the numerous leadership opportunities that are available to me. Currently, I am involved with Young Life, intramural sports, and a part time job, and I look forward to getting involved with various other organizations found on campus, such as the Buckeye Philharmonic, the Soccer Tennis Club, Sigma Tau Delta, which is an English honorary, and any other organization that piques my interest. Involvement with these organizations will teach me and refine a number of important traits such as time management, organization, etc. Being a member of these groups will help me to refine and develop my leadership skills as well.

I have always been drawn to the idea of service and being beneficial to others, and am a big proponent of serving others. To date, I have not had as much time for service as I would like, aside from assisting people in my residence hall with English homework, but I look forward to seeing that change in the future. I am really interested in serving in a soup kitchen or a similar establishment, and working with those who are having issues with food security. I also am really intrigued at the prospect of a Buckeye Serve trip, and hopefully I will have the opportunity to be a part of one of those trips in the future. While helping my peers with their English homework in my dorm has been quite enjoyable, I would love to be able to help other people through free tutoring or something of that nature. I plan on investigating that further in the future.

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]