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Mars Hill Junior Meets Mother Country in Semester Abroad
by Elizabeth Head
Studying Mythology...
Shakespeare...
War, Conflict, and Peace...
and British Life and Culture
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Sitting in Taco Bell with three other friends, Brandon Freeman munches happily on a Crunchwrap Supreme. Though it is not quite as tasty as he would have preferred, he voices his satisfaction with enjoying this food for the first time since he has been back in the United States.
Brandon, a Mars Hill College junior and Asheville native, spent last semester studying abroad in London. He had always been interested in a study abroad program, and after transferring to Mars Hill from Western Carolina after his freshman year, he was given the opportunity to do so.
Although originally interested in studying in Ireland, Brandon heard about the London trip and applied for a scholarship. This study abroad program, called the Missouri-London program, is made possible by the Appalachian College Association, of which Mars Hill is a member. Brandon received the scholarship, which covered his tuition and a place to stay in London.
He said he was fortunate enough to be able to live in Chelsea, which is one of the wealthiest sections of London. He lived in an apartment with one other roommate. The pair did not get along as well as Brandon had hoped. "He just didn't adjust well to the London culture," Brandon said of his roommate. "He didn't have as much fun as he could have had."
The roommates shared a flat that Brandon described as half the size of an apartment on Mars Hill's campus. "The bathroom was so small we had to step into the shower to shut the bathroom door. In the kitchen, we couldn't open the refrigerator, oven, or kitchen door at the same time. We could only open one at a time."
Despite the small size of his apartment, Brandon says that his friends from London were impressed by it because of its location. The flat was located in Earl's Court, an upscale, "posh" area of the city, making it "really great for picking up girls," said Brandon. Had he had to pay for his living quarters, the apartment would have cost 300 pounds (or $600) per week.
Brandon studied at Imperial College, which is part of the University of London and is regarded as the "MIT of Europe". His classes were not ones regularly offered by Imperial; instead, they were designed specifically for American students. The courses were focused on getting involved and seeing London, and the professors were all Americans.
Brandon took four courses during the semester: Mythology, Shakespeare, British Life and Culture, and War, Conflict and Peace. Through his British Life and Culture class, he was able to visit places such as Stonehenge, Parliament, Canterbury, Stratford-upon-Avon, and many palaces and castles.
When asked about the low points of his experience in London, Brandon had a difficult time recalling any. He did say, however, that the first month was the worst, because London is "a hard city to get used to." During his trip, he learned that London was once voted the loneliest city in the world.
Although he definitely felt this loneliness during the first month of his stay, he soon became close friends with a couple of other students in the program. Brandon said that these friends helped to make his trip a great experience, and he still keeps in touch with them.
He was able to somewhat satisfy his curiosity about Ireland with a weekend trip. The sightseeing was intense; his group went on an 800-mile bus tour in three days. Brandon said that when they reached a historical sight, there was only enough time to jump off the bus, take a few pictures, and jump back on the bus. Despite non-stop daytime touring, Brandon and his friends were able to enjoy Ireland's nightlife. They went out together every evening of their visit and "experienced the local culture."
While in London, Brandon was able to incorporate another of his interests into his experience. He played on two hockey teams, the first being a team from Battersea. This team consisted of what Londoners refer to as "Cockney kids". They were from one of the poorer neighborhoods in London and spoke with the Cockney accent common in those neighborhoods.
Brandon was also able to play with Westway, a more upscale London hockey team. While playing with this team, he befriended Peter, a former professional hockey player in the Czech league who had gotten caught for steroids. His father sent him to London to live on his own, to see what life was like not playing hockey for a living. Peter and Brandon got along well because of their shared hockey passion. Brandon said that a month after he left London, Peter was reinstated to the pros.
Brandon's favorite place in Europe was Austria, particularly the city of Salzburg. He was able to visit Austria because Jim Lenburg, Mars Hill history professor and Brandon's uncle, was there at the time. He flew Brandon over to stay with him for a few days.
As a definite advocate for the study abroad program, Brandon said, "If you are the type of person that can handle it, you should do it." He said one needs to be able to find inner happiness and to be satisfied with being a little lonely. He says that studying abroad allows students the opportunity to realize that there are more ways to do things than just the way you've always done them.
Being in London also helped Brandon to overcome certain popular stereotypes. "Public opinion says countries don't like America, but people are still nice on an individual basis." He said that getting to know people on a deeper level and moving away from these stereotypes helped him to see that they are friendly and understanding. "You have more in common than you really think."
Now that he is back from London, Brandon has plenty to keep him busy. He is a Bonner Scholar; he mentors with Upward Bound; he coaches two kids' hockey teams in Asheville, and he plays on Western Carolina's club hockey team. While his London experience was unforgettable, he is happy to be back in the mountains of North Carolina, near his family…and of course, near Taco Bell.
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