Limitless education
Academic travel broadens perspectives for freshman Katelyn Sims
By Katelyn Sims, freshman from Cleburne majoring in the Guy D. Newman Honors Academy, global studies and strategic communication
It’s hard to imagine just how expansive our world is – a world of 8 billion people, full of history and untold stories. All my life, I’ve had such a fascination and love for traveling, whether it’s been with my family on camping trips through the national parks or with friends on day trips all across Texas. This privilege of travel has broadened my horizons in numerous ways, such as deepening the value of education in my life through understanding that education influences every area of our lives.
For example, it may broaden our faith through witnessing God’s presence within His creation. It may even influence the intimate part of our lives by revealing our individual calling or intended place in the world.
This type of added dimension was brought to life last semester when I joined the Student Speaker Bureau speech and debate team on a trip to Oxford and London, England. The team members were Devin Schurman, Ben Sartain, Rishona Raub, Landon Chenault, Cora Raub and Adrielle Sloan, as well as our wonderful coach Dr. Julie Welker, professor of communication and department chair. We were blessed to be surrounded by some of the most timeless places in all of history, in addition to participating in the World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC).
The debate tournament was the first part of the trip and my favorite part of the entire experience. The WUDC follows the British Parliamentary style of debate, which consists of four teams in every round: two supporting the government’s side and two supporting the opposition’s side. British Parliamentary is not a style of debate that we frequently utilize throughout our season at HPU; however, I’m looking forward to continually practicing this format moving forward!
This year’s tournament was hosted by Oxford University, which is one of the oldest surviving universities in all of Europe. In addition to participants from Oxford, there were students from other distinguished schools like Cambridge, the University of Belgrade, Stanford, Harvard and Yale. Devin Schurman and Landon Chenault were the only active competitors from HPU, but the rest of us were able to observe many rounds throughout the competition, one of which was between the London School of Economics and Politics, Trinity College Dublin, Stanford and Cambridge. As a freshman, this was a fantastic opportunity to learn as much as I could about international policy, contrasting philosophies and even different argumentation styles that other debate teams used.
Apart from the actual competition, the environment alone was incredible! The majority of the rounds that we observed took place in two libraries at the Oxford Union, the Goodman Library and the Old Union Library, one of which had a second floor that ran along the entire room with murals extending all the way across the ceiling. It was one thing to simply wander around the library and look at books that had been used by scholars from who knows how many generations, and it was another to watch scholarly debates unfold within these rooms overflowing with knowledge.
Another part of the Union that I found fascinating was the debating chamber. Before each day began, everyone congregated in the chamber for announcements and resolution releases. This room has held many controversially renowned debates like the passing of the 1933 motion “This house would not in any circumstances fight for King and Country,” which was condemned by Winston Churchill as “that abject, squalid, shameless avowal.” The finale of this year’s tournament was also held in the chamber, along with the Irish Intervention, which was a patriotic presentation of speeches and Ireland’s anthem sung by all the competitors from Ireland.
"The privilege of travel has broadened my horizons in numerous ways. Such as deepening the value of education in my life through understanding that education influences every area of our lives."
Though the tournament consumed a large portion of our time in Oxford, we were still able to explore a lot of the town! We joined a tour of the Bodleian Libraries that took us through the Chancellor’s Court, where students faced trial, and Duke Humphrey’s Library, which is one of the oldest libraries in all of Europe. It is said that a couple of kings and queens of England would come to read in the library booths, to be secluded from the busyness of the world outside. This was by far one of the things I enjoyed the most during our time in Oxford, aside from the competition and being surrounded by the generational history that seemed to be archived at every street corner.
The final portion of our trip was spent in London, and we covered a lot of ground during the week! The first of many visits was at the Tower of London where we saw the crown jewels, the exact location of Queen Anne Boleyn’s execution, and various museums within the whole structure. We also had the privilege of meeting with International Mission Board missionaries Scott and Dana Belmore and talking to them about the work they had been doing, sharing the gospel and being witnesses of Christ in London. Our group then joined a Christianity-themed tour throughout the city, stopping at various cathedrals and significant landmarks within Christianity’s timeline.
Aside from these, I personally loved our visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral, which was originally established by Saint Mellitus and Saint Augustine in 604. After much destruction and rehabilitation, the structure that stands today was finished in 1711. Inside are multiple domes with a combination of Renaissance and Baroque-styled paintings, further decorated by Gothic masonry and glittering chandeliers. Beneath this magnificent cathedral is a massive crypt that serves as a resting place for many famous individuals including Arthur, the first Duke of Wellington, and Sir Alexander Fleming.
Following that, my second favorite part of London was our visit to Parliament, near Westminster Abbey. It was a short stop because everyone was extremely exhausted, but it was still a wonderful opportunity to watch another country’s government at work, and walk through an establishment where brilliant people have made history!
One of the things that I’ve reflected on after this adventure was the importance of experiential learning for students. I believe that learning cannot and should not be restricted to the classroom, since there’s an entire world beyond it that offers real-life experience and integration within cultures.
Growing up, my parents have always told me that one never stops learning, no matter how old you are or wherever you may end up in life – and there’s a biblical truth in that idea. Proverbs is famous for its verses about knowledge and wisdom, like Proverbs 1:5, “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance …” (ESV). If there was a limit to knowledge and wisdom, humankind would have run out of things to discover by now. However, the very fact that, even up until this second, we have yet to uncover the depths of oceans and the expanse of space proves that, given our finite existence within a universe designed by an infinite God, there is always something to learn and discover.
Experiential learning through academic travel deepens the educational richness that is already cultivated within classrooms. Through this, I believe education is limitless!
Use the link below to view the digital version of the current Link, as well as past issues of the magazine.