Arcadia England

Each semester we offer a wide range of events, from adventure weekends away, to nights at the theatre. But what made our recent event to Dublin so unique and exciting, was that it brought together students from Arcadia Centers in Ireland, Scotland & England and was the first Arcadia event of its kind to do so.

Dublin 1916: Centenary of a Nation Rising, was an ambitious event selected to take place in the Spring term of 2016, to coincide with the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rebellion. Over the course of the weekend students would be guided across sites that were central to the Easter Rising, such as the General Post Office (headquarters of the rebels and where Pearse read out the Proclamation of the Republic) and Kilmainham Gaol (where the leaders of the rising were executed.)

Woven in to this schedule was also a lecture from historian Mary McAuliffe on ‘Women & Revolution’, a walking tour exploring Dublin, a performance at the Abbey Theater and a guided visit to the National Library. This fantastic program of events was put together by Arcadia Ireland, a carefully thought out itinerary that would not have been possible without their local knowledge.

Students were also joined on this event by Arcadia faculty member, Dr Morgan Daniels. Before we set off for Dublin, Morgan kindly wrote a blog post to give students some background on the Easter Rising and the events that surrounded it. Over the weekend Morgan continued to share his knowledge and enthusiasm and has reflected on the weekend below;

The Easter Rising weekend, for which I cannot thank Arcadia enough, was perfectly balanced: students (& staff) were served up a great deal of challenging material about that revolutionary year of 1916 --- on the streets & in the theatre no less than in lecture halls & museums --- but plenty of time, too, was allowed for the exploring of Dublin itself. (Losing oneself in a city, noted Walter Benjamin, is the best way to get to know it. I certainly let myself get lost enough times.)

It's an extraordinary thing that this weekend took place, when you think about it. We were respectfully but far from 'neutrally' learning about & marking events that plenty would seek to downplay or else ignore. At the same time, the trap of soppy revolution tourism was avoided, too (these days you can buy the Proclamation of the Republic on candles & cushions). No small feat. Seems like the sort of thing study abroad programmes are for.

Thank you to all students and staff who took part in this event, particularly the Ireland Center for hosting such a fantastic weekend!

 Feedback from students on the Dublin 1916 Weekend

“ I had such a great time this weekend. Learning about the 1916 rising really gave me a feel of the Irish culture, today and in the past. I had not realized how long the people of Ireland were struggling for their independence.
I liked that I got to meet more Arcadia students, from London and from other places in the UK. I have already made plans to meet up with the London students I became close with.
The trip gave me enough time to really get a feel for what Dublin as a city is like, and gave me time to see how 100 years later, the 1916 rising is still controversial but also celebrated.” Clare Isakson (University of Tampa student studying at City University, Spring Term)

“I have to say, I have been on a few Arcadia trips, but this Dublin trip was the best one I have been on so far. It was the perfect length, and comfortably balanced informative talks, fun touristy activities, and free time. I like that it was focused on a specific event (the 1916 uprising), rather than, say, general uprisings in Ireland. I really enjoyed meeting and becoming friends with the students in different programs - I never would have had an opportunity to hang out with them at any other point. I made a lot of new friends this past weekend, both in the Scotland program and in the London program.” - Katie Bell ( Arcadia University Student, studying at The University of Westminster, Academic Year)