2017 Harlaxton – The Gatton Academy News

Harlaxton 2017: Final Day in Harlaxton

August 4, 2017 | 2017 Harlaxton, 2017-2018, Alexa Thompson, Avatars, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Alexa Thompson

As the trip comes to a close, we are all seeking out last Harlaxton 2017 hoorahs. Today marked the end of class with a moment of reminiscence with Professor Rutledge and the final. The final consisted of 70 multiple-choice questions, a short essay analyzing a poem, and a blog about three unscheduled, individual excursions. No more required short stories, poems, or novels…. At least for two weeks.

The afternoon, as usual, was free with an optional croquet tournament. George Mattingly and Alex Pena will be remembered as the 2017 Doubles Champions. Later, a five-star play was performed, thanks to the directing team of George Mattingly and JJ Marquardt. They created an adaption of The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, adding a musical twist. The cast, song selections, scene arrangements, and behind-the-scenes work created quite possibly the most hysterical play of all time. We, the audience, were both on edge and giggling for the duration of the play. Original lyrics were put to the tune of real songs and sung live!! I am deeply sorry to all who missed it as it was a true work of art. This wonderful play was prefaced with a short skit directed by Wren Jenkins, which poked fun at how the spin-off play came to be an actual plan.

Tonight we are packing, ordering our last pizzas, and star gazing until 4:30 in the morning when we will leave for the airport. Let’s hope we all get to sleep on the plane. We love you, England.

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Harlaxton 2017: Final Class Day

August 3, 2017 | 2017 Harlaxton, 2017-2018, Avatars, Caleb Curry, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Caleb Curry

We are nearing the end of our time here at Harlaxton. Today we had our last class, which began with a quiz over various poetry terms. We were then handed back our second essays, and we briefly discussed them. Following this, we examined dramatic poetry, including Lord Tennyson’s “Ulysses,” Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress,” and Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess.” We then discussed T.S. Elliot’s “The Hollow Men” and his influence on the musical Cats, and we ended class with a review for tomorrow’s final.

Following class, everyone spread across the manor as they enjoyed games of croquet, traveled into Grantham, or packed for our trip back home. I, however, rehearsed for our musical adaptation of The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, cleverly titled Sharkboy and Lavagirl The Musical. In this production, I star as the Tobor — a wise robot who comes to life on Planet Drool. We had an afternoon rehearsal, followed by an evening rehearsal attended by Professor Rutledge and his wife.

Although today has been full of many fun and exciting things, it has also been full of studying and hard work in preparation for the final. However, I’m sure it will all pay off tomorrow! Wish us luck!

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Harlaxton 2017: Field Trip to Bedford, Elstow, and the Houghton House

August 2, 2017 | 2017 Harlaxton, 2017-2018, Avatars, Morganne Williams, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Morganne Williams

Today had a main focus on John Bunyan, who is most famously know for his religious allegory: The Pilgrim’s Progress. We started out in Bedford, in his old church. After we arrived, we first took a tour of the town, passing by his old house, a large statue of him (right), and the gaol (jail) where he was imprisoned in for 12 years. We then headed back to the church, where we discussed his life and works. Following that, we had another tour through the Bunyan Museum, and then we all headed out to the Ouse River.

Sitting on the bank of the river, we ate our lunch and were soon joined by small a paddling of ducks, gaggle of geese, and game of swans. Unable to resist the temptation, we began feeding them bits of our lunch, which caused the birds’ numbers to grow until they eventually outnumbered us. Luckily, they were kind creatures, and left us alone once they realized we had no more gifts to give.

Following lunch, we then drove through Elstow, Bunyan’s hometown, and then headed towards the Houghton House. The House is a 17th century mansion that is now in ruins, but is said to have been beautiful in its prime. So beautiful, in fact, that it gave Bunyan the inspiration for the ‘House Beautiful’ in The Pilgrim’s Progress. Determined to explore the place, we left no stone unturned; we scaled the walls and climbed through windows, trying to find the best nook to claim for ourselves. However, our adventures were cut short due to rain, so we headed back to the bus to avoid being drenched.

After our trip, we had a quiet evening preparing for both our quiz on Thursday and our final on Friday.

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Harlaxton 2017: Second-to-Last Day of Class and Preparation for a Play!

August 1, 2017 | 2017 Harlaxton, 2017-2018, Avatars, Ben Kash, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Ben Kash

Our second-to-last day of class culminated to an exciting lecture on 17^th Century English monarchs and the English Civil War. Our minds may have grown weary after some in-depth poetry analysis but don’t fret because a triple entente of eclairs, crepes, and donuts for lunch raised our spirits. Afterwards, we scattered around the manor and Grantham to partake in activates ranging from croquet to thrift store shopping.

This afternoon, I found myself on a stage, rehearsing for a production that about 15 of us will be performing Friday evening. This piece is a modern take on a Robert Rodrigues classic… Sharkboy and Lavagirl the Musical! By combining the time-honored plotline of the 2005 hit with adapted musical renditions, director JJ Marquardt hopes to produce, direct, and star in a performance that will elicit the nostalgia of a generations youth with the excitement of contemporary tunes. I will be attempting to fill the shoes of the great Taylor Lautner as I take on the role of Sharkboy. Please check back soon to hopefully read some good reviews of our Planet Drool original.

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Harlaxton 2017: Stratford-upon-Avon

July 31, 2017 | 2017 Harlaxton, 2017-2018, Arjun Kanthawar, Avatars, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Arjun Kanthawar

Today, we left Harlaxton Manor bright and early at 8:00 a.m. We headed towards Stratford-upon-Avon, England, home of William Shakespeare. We first visited Warwick Castle, a medieval castle that was built in 1068. The castle is rich in history surrounding England’s royal families and wars. I was able to see a trebuchet launch a rock, and the castle had many species of eagles including the bald eagle!

After Warwick castle, we headed for Anne Hathaway’s (Shakespeare’s wife) cottage. Her descendants lived in that home for over 13 generations! After looking around Hathaway’s home, we visited the church where Shakespeare was buried (fun fact: it was recently discovered that Shakespeare’s head has been stolen from his grave) and then the home where he was born. We were able to see the actual bed where Shakespeare was born. After visiting these sites, we were free to eat dinner and then roam around Stratford-upon-Avon for a couple of hours. We reached Harlaxton a little before 9:30 p.m., and everyone got ready for another day of class tomorrow.

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Harlaxton 2017: Class and Grantham Exploration

July 30, 2017 | 2017 Harlaxton, 2017-2018, Avatars, Jacob Harris, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Jacob Harris

There’s no need to worry about being late for a class in the manor; we are awakened every morning by a bell that hangs from Harlaxton’s highest tower! At the insistence of this Victorian gong, we rolled out of bed this morning and navigated our way through Harlaxton’s endless corridors to breakfast. When everyone had eaten their fill, it was time for class.

Professor Rutledge has his work cut out for him in keeping us from getting distracted by the beauty of our classroom! The paneled walls conceal secret passages and are adorned with several gorgeous paintings. The massive windows let light pour in from the gardens and offer us a view of the manor’s intricate gates. But more stunning, still, is the ceiling—a vast skyscape embellished with ivory dragons, gold detailing, and a brilliant chandelier.

After a lecture on the terms relevant to poetry and a group analysis of several poems, we were given free time for the rest of the day. The manor’s shuttle was busy that day, as people bussed into Grantham. Several groups went out exploring, while others were content to find a soft place to nap. I, sitting in a windowsill I may never find again, wrote this blog.

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Harlaxton 2017: Lord Byron Visit

July 29, 2017 | 2017 Harlaxton, 2017-2018, Avatars, Camuel Hart, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Camuel Hart

If there is any country whose weather lends itself to feelings of illness and congestion, it is England. Due in part to the perpetual rain, but perhaps mostly my lack of adequate sleep, I was brought to a state of utter fatigue and sickness. Not a worrisome, bed-ridden, miserable sickness, but a benign, minimal, melodramatic sickness. England through itchy eyes and a stuffy nose is an interesting place that anyone who visits should (and given the clime, probably will) experience. In the halls of the home of Lord Byron, all the aesthetic grandeur was humbled by the strain of my vision. The gardens achieved a dream-like quality in my intense sleepiness. My nasal congestion spared me from the ubiquitous aromas of the native wildlife. I persevered, as nothing could diminish my experience, save a torn ACL.

In spite of my mortal affliction, the endeavor was quite an enjoyable one. The large grounds leant themselves well to exploration and contemplative walks, while the tomb of Lord Byron’s dog Boatswain evoked a heartfelt sentiment in its sincerity and uniqueness. Like all great sites in England, this house was rich with history known and unknown, and provided interesting insight into the poet who resided there, as well as the robust lineage of monks who preceded him. Byron was an interesting man, who lived an interesting life in an interesting home, and left an interesting legacy.

I am glad I was able to experience it while my immune system experienced an interesting bug to feign.

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Harlaxton 2017: Haworth and The Moors

July 27, 2017 | 2017 Harlaxton, 2017-2018, Avatars, Grayson Fuller, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Grayson Fuller

Today we departed from Harlaxton Manor and headed to the small town of Keighley. Here we boarded a steam train which carried us to the village of Haworth. The village seems to be in a constant state of rain and cold, and we quickly sought shelter in Haworth Church to await our tour. In small groups, we left the church to tour the parsonage that the Brontë sisters grew up in. Here we saw where the sisters conducted the majority of their writing. Also, we saw some of the original pieces of literature the sisters produced, written in the minuscule script that was characteristic of all the Brontë sisters.

After departing the parsonage, we began our walk through the moors. These stark, tranquil hills served to give us insight into how Emily Brontë illustrated them in her novel Wuthering Heights. On our trek, we experienced not only the beauty of the moors, but also the difficulty of having to climb them. This opportunity afforded us tremendous understanding of the characters in Emily Brontë’s aforementioned novel, allowing us to personally relate to Catherine and Heathcliff and to experience a work of literature in a way that few can.

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Harlaxton 2017: Brontë Class, Exploration and Movie

July 26, 2017 | 2017 Harlaxton, 2017-2018, Avatars, Callie Freeman, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Callie Freeman

One thing that makes our Harlaxton experience truly one-of-a-kind is getting to visit the very places where authors lived, breathed, and wrote the works we’re studying. Our professor Dr. Rutledge says it best – “we write about what we know.” The sites we see on our every-other-day field trips were inspiration for some of the world’s greatest literary minds. And this idea can’t be more prevalent in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. Thus, in preparation for our field trip to Haworth tomorrow, Dr. Rutledge began the morning by explaining how Emily Brontë’s childhood on the moors of Haworth shaped her literary career and inspired the iconic setting of her only novel Wuthering Heights. After a lecture on the ghosts, undying love, moorland and passion that fill the pages of Wuthering Heights, we enjoyed a not-so-British lunch (but friendly favorite) – pizza!

Dollar Store, Dollar General, and Dollar Tree fans rejoice! Because our next adventure was a trip into Grantham to visit the bargain hunter’s paradise – Poundland. After purchasing a few British classics (i.e. Kinder eggs and Bueno candy), my friends and I browsed some thrift stores and stopped at a café for a quick snack before heading back to the manor. Right about the time we arrived back, we noticed the lighting outside was perfect for photography. We explored the extensive immaculate gardens and grounds of Harlaxton Manor, snapping photos of the natural beauty and architectural intricacies that abound here. Needless to say, we took a lot of photos!

By the end of our shopping and manor house meanderings, we were all more than ready for dinner and a showing of a Masterpiece Classics Wuthering Heights adaptation. Seeing a visual representation of the characters we had all known so long on paper made the book come to life. But I’m sure this visualization will be nothing compared to actually visiting the very moorlands where the novel was set (which we will do tomorrow!). Each day really does keep getting better and better. Stay tuned, everyone!

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Harlaxton 2017: Arrival at Harlaxton and D.H. Lawrence Class Day

July 24, 2017 | 2017 Harlaxton, 2017-2018, Avatars, Caleb Curry, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Caleb Curry

One short day in the Emerald City, or rather one short week in London, has at last passed us by. We arrived at Harlaxton Manor yesterday (Sunday) evening. As we saw the Manor for the first time, gasps echoed through the bus. It was breathtaking. On arrival we settled in, ate dinner, went on a tour of the manor, and studied for the next day’s quiz. Before I begin today’s happenings, though, I must mention my last day in London, which, by far, has been my favorite day of this trip. That morning (Saturday) we had our typical class, followed by my groups immediate departure to the British Museum. This was then followed by lunch, Wicked the Musical, dinner, Les Misérables, and Buckingham Palace. The shows were absolutely amazing and have been stuck in my head ever since.

Today (Monday) has been a much-needed day for a lot of people. Sleep has been on a lot of peoples’ minds lately (you know, besides the fact that we are staying in what seems like a castle). We have all learned that a quick remedy to sleepless nights is sleeping 6 (or less) hours every night for over a week, and falling asleep reading classic literature. Exhaustion has swept over everyone over the duration of this trip, and today we finally had the chance to catch up on some much-needed rest.

This morning, we began our class with a quiz over the chronology of D.H. Lawrence and his short stories “Rocking-Horse Winner”, “The Odour of Chrysanthemums”, and “The Blind Man.” This was followed by a discussion of these works, as everyone chimed in their thoughts about certain aspects of these stories. We even got to witness the entire class, along with Professor Rutledge and Cheryl, embrace one another’s faces in order to mimic the ending of “The Blind Man.” After class, which ended at 12, we had free time. This is the time when people took extremely long naps, wrote and revised their second essay, explored Grantham, finished preparing their presentation, and caught up on all the needed things. Tomorrow, we will be going on a field trip to explore D.H. Lawrence’s birthplace and Brinsley Headstocks. Which means, no quiz and (hopefully) one long night of sleep.

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