Eton College Exhange 2016

Eton College Exhange 2016

Introduction

Ever since my good friend Michael Milam (MBA Class of 2015) returned from his exchange experience at Eton College in the spring of 2014, I had my heart set on spending third quarter of my junior year abroad, travelling and studying in England at perhaps the most reputed and prestigious boarding school in the world that claims such notable alumni as Percy Shelley, George Orwell, and Bear Grylls, not to mention 19 English Prime Ministers and both Royal Princes, William and Harry. When I expressed interest to Mrs. Scholer and Mr. Gioia at the beginning of my junior year, I began to build up the experience even further in my mind. When I was lucky enough to be selected among a small pool of extremely qualified applicants, I was both honored and ecstatic in my fortune. Little did I know just how incredible the experience would turn out to be.

Me in my classic Eton uniform: full tails.

After a phone call with Mr. Gioia wishing me well before my journey, I set off on a flight across the Atlantic. After a significant delay in Chicago, I made it to Heathrow the next morning to be picked up by Mr. Ralph Oliphant-Callum (RDO-C), Mr. Gioia's friend at Eton who coordinates the exchange in addition to being a Housemaster and a Latin teacher. He made my introduction to the school extremely smooth, and I spent that day with him as he showed me around the campus and the neighboring town before a nice dinner, where he told me about all of the wonderful opportunities I would soon be enjoying.

The next day, I met Mr. Nolan (TEJN- teachers and housemasters at Eton are often referred to by their initials for organizational purposes), who would be my housemaster for my time there. He helped me get settled into my room and arranged a dinner at the house Henry Wyard, a boy in my year at Eton who would grow to become one of my best friends there. Henry told me not just about some of the courses I would be taking but also some facts of the school, including the uniform, a full set of tails usually reserved for only the most formal occasions. 

Seeing the beautiful campus and meeting just a few of the people, I knew as early as the first day that I had underestimated how incredible the experience would be.

Academics

The day that classes began I signed up for the four classes I would take that term. Unlike in America, where everyone takes the same core classes all throughout high school and at the beginning of college, in England, once you reach your junior year, you begin to narrow down the subjects on which you focus before ultimately choosing one subject to study for your entire time at university. To this end, I was a bit of an anomaly among my peers, as I chose four subjects that covered a very broad spectrum: English, French, History of Art, and Physics.

The academic schedule at Eton is also quite different from MBA's: where we have the same classes in the same order, every day, five days a week, at Eton the schedule rotates depending on the day. Some days, you may have a class twice, others, not at all. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you have class all day, but Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday (yes!), you only have classes until lunch.

In English, I was lucky enough to study under Mr. Newton (JDN) and Ms. Osborne (HEO). Having been a top English student at MBA, I kept the teachings of Dr. Batten, Dr. Tarkington, and Mr. Kelly in mind as I wrote essays and participated in class discussions about The Bloody Chamber, King Lear, The Merchant's Tale, and various poems studied in one off exercises called practical criticisms. My strong performance in these classes enabled me to really get to know both the teachers and my peers, who were all very passionate about the study of English as they had elected to take it in lieu of other options. My good experience in this class pushed me over the edge to fully commit to studying English at the college level once I leave MBA.

I had a very similar experience with French, where I studied under Mr. Powles (AP) and Miss Brooking, the former teaching me language with the latter teaching me culture. Mr. Powles was very strict and very tough, but the excellent language instruction by Mr. Trotter at MBA had prepared me to be the best speaker in a class of very strong students. Mr. Powles exercised a completely opposite language approach to that of Mr. Trotter: where Mr. Trotter emphasizes speaking and fluency, Mr. Powles emphasizes grammar and writing, speaking a good deal of English in class when Mr. Trotter speaks none. I was skeptical of this approach at first, but ultimately grew to enjoy the change of pace and improve areas of my French that had been previously lacking. With Miss Brooking, we studied the classic 19th century realist novel Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant, analyzing and enjoying the book very thoroughly. Both classes were a real pleasure to be in.

Charlie Broad and I in Trafalgar Square on a field trip to the National Gallery. 

History of Art was wonderful as it is an area of study I had always wanted to learn about without ever having a chance. Mr. Harrison (JDH) and my housemaster Mr. Nolan, who I was lucky enough to have serve in both roles, were both incredible at exposing me to an area of study I had never experienced before. Mr. Harrison covered the High Renaissance, where we discussed many classics likeMona Lisa and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, while Mr. Nolan covered abstract art, Dada, and surrealism, a complete change of pace. Both classes were extremely enlightening and entertaining, a particular highlight being Mr. Nolan's creative way of introduce a painting: putting it up on the slideshow, staring at it in silence for a moment, saying a single word (usually a preposition such as "with!"), remaining silent for a bit longer, and ultimately calling on a student.

My choice to study Physics with Mr. Fielker (MNF) was a source of mystery for many of my friends, who had usually decided to focus on humanities or sciences. Physics was a nice change of pace, as I was able to mix more essay based courses with more work with a quantitative subject matter where understanding was the only real expected outside effort. We did have one research project, and my teacher let me work on Rotational Mechanics, a topic from my AP Physics class at home that is not covered in the English syllabus. Physics was very interesting, and I was able to get ahead on some of my work from home through my study of Electricity.

The outside work was substantial but not even close to the amount of work MBA students juggle on a nightly basis. Even while keeping up with the work for my two AP classes at home and working very hard on my Eton coursework, I read 7 books on my own, watched all of How I Met Your Mother, and was able to participate in various extracurricular activities. Daily work is not emphasized as much because students are expected to be following through with the subject on their own, doing independent reading and research to further their knowledge. At Eton, I met some of the most intellectually curious and intelligent teenagers I've ever encountered, and it was an absolute pleasure to study and work with them.

My housemates in my year at Eton. Great blokes. 

Activities
I did not just stay shut up in my room in between classes. In between socializing with my friends in the hallways at night, putting golf balls or messing with each other between rooms, I was able to participate in several outside activities.

One such was the tutorial, which is the Eton version of an MBA advisory, except it meets once a week for an hour (or more, for occasional outings) rather than for ten minutes every day. My tutor, Nick Goetzee, was an extremely nice and welcoming man who taught music and directed the Jazz groups at Eton. He let me join his Big Band, where I was honored to play with some incredible jazz musicians who were all my age or younger. I was humbled to hear some of their solos, and I will never forget how good we sounded play Chick Corea's "Spain" at our final concert. I also sang in the E.C.M.S. choir, which helped me build enough confidence in my singing abilities to audition and receive a lead in the MBA-Harpeth Hall musical Return to the Forbidden Planet

I participated in the House Drama competition as well, where my friend Henry Wyard directed ten boys from the house in a small production of Act III of Chekov's The Cherry Orchard. I played the part of Petya Trofimov, the wandering student. Though we did not advance past the initial round in the competition, we spruced it up enough to perform it very well for several house parents, pleasing Mr. Nolan in the process.

For sports, the Eton schedule has a two and a half hour break from 2:00-4:30 each day set aside for sport (they always refer to it in the singular). I was able to play in the Sine (JV) team for the field game, a very complex sport that predates and served as a basis for modern association football. I can't say I got a real grasp on many of the rules, but I had an excellent time running around with some of the boys from my house.

The Eton College chapel. 

As for other aspects of the experience, the food was decent, though not quite as gourmet as the MBA  Dining Hall that spoils me with daily offered pizza. I also enjoyed sleeping in until about 7:45 each morning before going down to breakfast at 8:00 before Chapel at 8:35.

Chapel services were another wonderful experience, where I sang some beautiful hymns loudly and proudly.

Excursions
Throughout the 11 week semester, I was able to get away from the campus a few times for a few weekend leaves in addition to a generous 10 day half term break.

For a few weekends, I went into London with my best bud Jack Parker, where I met his extremely nice family and got to see Camden Market and buy some vinyl albums missing from my classic rock collection.

I also stayed one weekend with Charlie Broad, who took me to a F.A. cup football match and let me get some good reading time in.

During the halftime break, I stayed again with my pal Jack Parker as well as my other friends Will Dobbs, Tom Henderson, and Henry Brooke. While I was at Will's house, I visited four museums (The National Gallery, the V&A, the Courtald Gallery, and the Tate Britain) in two days, a good complement to my study of History of Art. With Tom, I enjoyed a nice tour of the upper English countryside as well as the hilarious musings of his father. With Henry, I was able to see enough of the University of Oxford to make it one of my top choices for college after MBA. I really enjoyed the mid-term break, as I got to experience England from a tourist angle as well as a student's angle in addition to spending more time with my friends.

Aftermath
When my parents arrived in England to pick me up at the end of term, I was extremely sad to leave all of my friends and teachers. As early as a week into the exchange, I knew I was embarking on a one-of-a-kind experience. I couldn't bear to get back to the daily life of Nashville after spending three months among castles and tailcoats.

I was very happy to bring my friend Jack Parker over to stay with me on his own exchange to MBA for two weeks. I was able to set up him up with a date for both MBA and Harpeth Hall prom as well as take him to a baseball game and to see downtown Nashville. It was nice to have Joss Tricks from my English class at Eton come over for a few weeks as well; we spent many study halls catching up and chatting about everything under the sun.

In the end, I wouldn't trade my experience for the world. My time at Eton was easily the best three months of my life. I cannot thank the Warner family enough for making this experience possible. To any student reading this blog who is considering applying but is worried about the school he might miss, do yourself a favor and apply. The catch up work is inconsequential compared to the sublimity of the experience you will have. If you are selected, you will not regret it in the slightest.

My Eton friends (Sam, Me, Joss, and Jack) at Harpeth Hall Prom. Jack and I wore our Eton uniforms.

Eton College 2015

On my flight over to England, I could not seem to embrace the thought of attending one of the World's most renown schools, Eton College, for three months. And although it was nerve racking at first, it became one of the greatest experiences of my life. Upon landing, I was met by Mr. Oliphant-Callum, who drove me from Heathrow Airport to Eton College in Windsor. Due to my unfamiliarity with the roads in England, I constantly thought that we were about to be in a car accident on the ride over, yet we survived. Upon arriving, I stayed in Mr. Oliphant-Callum's personal house for two nights until Eton's next term started and I could move into my house.

For the term, I stayed in Manor House along with 40 other boys with Mr. Nolan, who was the housemaster, watching over us. Manor House, also known as TEJN in accordance to the housemaster's initials, was one of the older, more traditional houses that was located on the main road that led through Eton. Manor House was also across the street from College Chapel, the school's personal church. I attended Eton College for an entire term, requiring me to due all the work just as a regular student would as well as choose classes. I was put into the C-Block, the equivalent of a junior, and I took classes in math, language, history, and english. As a C-Blocker, or Junior, one is only to take 4 classes as they narrow down their interest and determine which subjects they wish to major in and focus on. Therefore, although there may be only 4 classes, these classes could be taken twice a day or more. These classes were taken every day of the week except Sunday. On days where classes were required, the morning consisted of an alternating chapel service or school assembly, depending on your grade or block. Yet, before going to this morning event or even classes, one must put on a full tuxedo complete with a tail coat as permitted by the school uniform standards that originated in the 1400s.

Athletics at Eton College varied from soccer to rugby to the Eton field game, an original game invited in 1815 that only Eton college plays. These athletics were played on Tuesdays and Thursdays while there was open time on all other days to organize a game with a group of friends. I was able to play the field game, and I must say that it is one of the most confusing games ever invented. In fact, there are constant pauses were the referees have to discuss the call or even consult the rule book. There are other times when referees call a penalty that players did not even know existed. Regardless, it is a fun and interesting game that incites much concentration and aggressive play.

All in all, Eton College provided me with an unforgettable opportunity to be apart of a school that is filled with history, world influence, and political entities. I will never forget the friendships that I created with my friends in England with people such as George Rix, Villiers Smith, Kit Eastwood, and Charlie Mostyn. For now, those names may seem unfamiliar to you, but in coming years they will be some of the most highly influential people in the world due to their studies at Eton College. In going to Eton, I was able to see how the royalty of the World study and understand that MBA has provided me with not only the opportunity to study at such a school but also the ability to be competitive with such students who attend these schools. I will miss all of my mates in England, and I will never forget the influence that Eton College has had on me.

Michael Milam: Eton College 2014

Exchange at Eton College (January 6, 2014 - March 19, 2014)

On Monday January 6th, as all other MBA students returned to school from Winter Break, I found myself driving to the Airport to leave for almost three months. I departed from Nashville knowing not a single person in England, and I was ready for the experience of a lifetime.

Arrival:

My uniform for the term (with Chapel in back)

Upon arrival at Heathrow I was greeted by Mr. Oliphant-Callum, or RDO-C as the Etonians called him, and he drove me to the school. The school was utterly fantastic. It surprised me how a road passed directly through the heart of the campus - except they never referred to it as a campus, as it was not secluded from the public in any way. One could walk from the school buildings to Windsor along the High Street. I spent the first night in RDO-C's house, Durnford, and the next day moved to my permanent residence in Mr. Nolan's (TEJN) house, Manor House. I went down to Eton Tailors to get my school uniform which was comprised of the following: Black tailcoat, white collar-less shirt, stiff collar, studs, white collar slip, waistcoat, pin-striped pants, dress socks, and dress shoes. I would wear this uniform seven days a week for my entire time at Eton, so I became very well acquainted with it.

Eton College:

College Chapel, built ca. 1440 

View of Chapel from High Street

Before I go speak any further, I would like to take a moment to explain the way the school works, some of the terms used at Eton, and some of the strange customs as well. The school is divided into two parts, the Collegers, and the Oppidans. College is a house of seventy students specially selected who get to wear different uniforms with billowing cloaks and whose names are followed with the suffix for KS (for King's Scholar). The year is split into three terms, and I was to be present for almost all of the middle or "Lenten" Term. The students there refer to their teachers by their initials, hence TEJN for Mr. Nolan. They also refer to the houses not by their names, but by the initials of their housemasters, so I lived in TEJN, as they would say. They were on something of a block schedule, as each day was different, but periods, or Divs, were only 40 minutes with some doubles thrown in to keep things interesting. They had 1st Schools, 2nd Schools, 3rd Schools, then Chambers; 4th Schools, 5th Schools, Lunch, then Sport. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, they would have classes from 4:30 to 6:10 which were termed "After 4," and "After 5," but on Tuesdays and Thursdays school would end after Lunch. On Saturdays 5th Schools was an open period.

Average Day:

New Schools, the Math(s) building

Students before the first "Legit" in years

In my average day at Eton I would wake up around 6:50, and would have to be down to breakfast by around 7:05. Manor House had its own kitchen and dining room, so we would eat all meals in the house. We would have Chapel or Assembly on all days except Thursday, and that would be at 7:35. If late to chapel, one would be put in the "Tardy Book" and would have to report to chapel at 7:00 am for three mornings in a row. After Chapel, classes would start at 8:00 a.m. From then until around 10:20 a.m., I would have classes. At 10:30, we would have Chambers, something akin to break in which the houses would provide free food (Kit Kats, Bagels, Scones, Muffins, etc.). We would resume classes from around 10:45 until 1:30 and then would eat lunch. After lunch there would be a large free block for athletics, and then around four o'clock the kitchens would be open for "Messing" or Tea Time as Americans call it. Anyone in the younger years was able to make food in the kitchens during this hour, though those in the older years had access to the kitchen at all hours. Afterwards, on Mondays, there would be classes until after 6 p.m., and then there would be a tutorial session. The tutorial groups would meet every Monday night after classes with a Tutor who was very similar to an MBA advisor. My tutor, CMJ, or Mr. Jones would usually provide food, and we discussed many things from current events to cultures and beyond. After Tutorial, we would have dinner and then Societies from 8:45 to 10. Unlike some of the exchange programs that MBA offers, since I was completely enrolled at Eton and was there for 11 weeks, I did all of the work at Eton just as a normal Etonian. I had to keep up with the EW (Extra Work) for Eton while juggling my AP curricula back in the US.

Academics: 

Upper floor of the radial library at Eton

During my time at Eton I took four main classes and one "Option." My A-Levels were Latin, Physics, Math(s), and European History. In Latin they split the class into two sections: a grammar class and a literature class. In Grammar we had the opportunity to read some very interesting passages such as Catullus 64, an epyllion about Ariadne and Theseus. We also had sight passages that I enjoyed translating on Friday evenings (in the last div of the day). One feature I was not prepared for was English to Latin translation, and it was a skill that I developed in my work there, as Latin Composition is a valued skill in the UK. In Literature we focused on selected poems from Ovid's Amores, and I really enjoyed getting to know my teacher, Mr. Shorrock, who is the editor of the Penguin Latin Dictionary. In European History I think the largest discrepancy arose between US and UK teaching styles. We spent 11 weeks on less than 50 years and on one single issue - Martin Luther and the German Reformation. Not the Protestant Reformation as a whole - just the German Reformation. We spent very much time focusing on the minutiae of the conflict and in analyzing firsthand the primary sources. I got much practice with writing essays analyzing information and bias, and this practice helped me greatly on the AP exam for Modern European History, even if we had already covered the Reformation earlier in the year. I found it interesting to see just how focused their history programs are, and in some ways it was intriguing to delve so in-depth into one topic. In Math (or Maths), I was challenged greatly. I was initially put into a lower Div, then into the high C Block (11th Grade) Div, and eventually into the upper B Block Div (12th Grade). I greatly enjoyed my time with the older boys, as I really found myself challenged in new ways mathematically. While we did not cover anything that I was missing back in the US, we learned how to do very complex integrations using substitution and other methods, how to utilize matrices and vectors in higher level math, as well as the uses for Eigen Vectors, and we studied the hyperbolic functions, which I had never been exposed to. In Physics, I similarly jumped around some from the middle Div to the top Div, and once there, I was challenged. I learned a great deal about circuitry, about materials science, and even about gravity and astronomical physics. I enjoyed doing Cambridge interview practice problems, as it was interesting to see the kind of topics tested in Cambridge interviews. My option for the term was Classical History - something I greatly enjoyed while at Eton. We studied the history of Greece and Rome, and I found the Greek history especially interesting, as I had never really studied it before that point. The Academics as a whole were different in that marking scales were strange - a 75 was a good score on a paper, whereas in the US, only things above 90 are considered exceptional. The marks were not nearly as important as grades in the US; the exam grades were much more significant for college admissions. EW nightly was not as much as at MBA, I do not think, but when coupled with MBA work, along with less time to do the work, it was quite the course-load for me. It was also interesting to see how much more specialized people in C and B Blocks are - they only take 4 classes, as opposed to MBA's 5 or 6, and they stay in these classes for two years, not just one.

Societies:

College Yard featured in Chariots of Fire

Societies are like clubs at MBA, but they meet in the evening after classes and last for over an hour. In my time at Eton, I had the opportunity to attend several societies and hear very intriguing people speak on a range of topics. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing from a Cambridge professor about Aeneas and his relationship with Dido. He made a compelling case in defense of Aeneas, and I found it fascinating to hear someone defend him. I also enjoyed hearing a man talk about forming businesses around scientific discoveries and a prominent British philosopher speak on the existence of a God in the universe. Eton is able to procure intriguing speakers because of its prominent status in society, and I even heard the Economic secretary speak, the adopted son of George Orwell speak, and the former head of the National Arts Board speak on Television broadcasting and the continued funding of art forms like the opera in England. One speaker talked on our perception of the Crusades in the West and the bias brought about by our selective viewing of ancient texts.

Arts:

Rehearsal for Thark

While at Eton I was able to participate in the Arts in several capacities. I acted in the House Play directed by Mr. Nolan entitled Thark, though we only did Act 1. I played the American boy Lionel, and the play tells the story of a distinguished Londoner and how his mistress, client, and wife all show up to his house at the same time when he runs into scheduling problems. I was also able to participate in the singing programs at Eton. I was part of the ECMS Chorus, a very large chorus open to all, and we worked all term on the Carmina Burana as well as another piece, though I left just before they performed it. I also was able to be a part of the inter-House a Cappella competition, and I sang Bass on the Beatles song She's Leaving Home. Though we did not win, I really enjoyed singing in a small 5 person a Cappella group. The really exciting opportunity I received, however, was to sing with the Eton College Chapel Choir for the last two weeks of my time there. They met to rehearse very often. Wednesday and Friday Evenings and some morning as well were reserved for these rehearsals, and they were tough but rewarding. All the people in the chorus were exceptional - they could sight-read music exceedingly well, and the people of various voice parts were not even arranged together, but were interspersed. Basses would never sing next to each other, as they all knew how to sing it alone without needing support from others. My time with the choir allowed me to practice my sight-reading and also allowed me to sing some extremely interesting songs in Latin and even German including Allegri's Miserere, mei Deus. It was also through the choir that I was able to experience an Anglican confirmation ceremony (two in a row in fact), and as a Presbyterian, it was very revealing about other forms of Christianity.

Traveling and Outings:

I had the opportunity to leave campus many times, and the next few sections will focus on my adventures while away from the school.

Short Leave I:

On my first break from school, I went with Paddy back to his home in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. I traveled from school on what was my train ride ever, and I passed through King's Cross Station and saw the placard saying "Platform 9 3/4." While in Cambridge I got to see the quaint town, visit with Paddy's family, and visit the marketplace. I loved seeing the arcade (shopping center) in the town, and I was enthralled not only by the architecture of the area but also by the atmosphere of such an influential place. I enjoyed the time for relaxation, and I was only able to stay briefly, but I thoroughly enjoyed my home-stay and enjoyed experiencing an English household.

Entrance to King's College, Cambridge

Long Leave:

Great Hall of Parham Manor

Holdens' Castellated Manor

Nighttime view of National Gallery in Trafalgar Square

Long Leave was much longer, and I found myself going across the country to many different places. At first I went with Sam Robson to his house in London. That first night he took me around London to Piccadilly Square, Trafalgar Square, and even to Westminster Abbey. The next morning he took me on a much longer walking tour of the city from Parliament to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge to London Bridge and the Globe Theatre.  Later in the evening we went to the Museum of Natural History and the Victoria and Albert Museum. That night upon arriving back at the flat, the Robsons drove out to their house in Gloucestershire. I got to spend the next couple of days in the countryside and I even got to visit the Roman Baths of Aquae Sulis (in Bath). Next I returned to Cambridge to visit Paddy, and I got to go to an Open Day for one of the colleges at Cambridge. I was interested to see in to a college at Cambridge and to visit, as I was considering applying at the time. After Cambridge I returned to London for a half-day to see art at the National Gallery and Courtauld with Hubert Holden. Afterwards he took me back to his "castellated manor" in Shropshire on the Welsh border. The Holdens were extremely hospitable, and I loved hearing about their manor form Mr. Holden, a very prominent art broker in Europe. The next day they took me to Ludlow Castle, a very old castle, and I got to explore it a bit. The final day Mr. Holden fired a small canon for us, and I was off to West Sussex to visit Benjamin Barnard. Ben lives in an Elizabethan Manor House entitled Parham Manor, and I spent several days here. The Barnards showed me their house and gave me a tour of the grounds. I was even given a tour of the old part of their house and saw their Great Hall with authentic narwhal horn. After a couple of days at their home, I returned to Eton - I had gone from one side of England to the other.


Short Leave II:

View of Duomo in Florence

My final break while at Eton was the second short leave in which I went with Mr. Nolan's History of Art class to Florence, Italy to study early Renaissance art. I was able to visit the Duomo, a church outside of the city with a fantastic view, the Uffizi Museum, and the House de Medici, among other monasteries, churches, and museums. I found this trip truly inspiring, and I was given a general overview of Renaissance art which I found extremely helpful and interesting. The trip was an unbelievable opportunity for me to visit a part of Italy I had never visited and one in which I was and still am very interested.


Windsor: On my last day before departure I was able to visit Windsor Castle down High Street and then to see a show in London. The Castle was beautiful and one of the largest in England. I really enjoyed seeing the various rooms and portraits, as well as the large doll house kept in the castle. Later that evening my tutor group took me to see Emile and the Detective in the National Theatre, and seeing a show in London was a brilliant experience.

Garter Throne Room

Interior Courtyard of Windsor Castle

People:

During my time abroad I made many great friends. I really enjoyed getting to know Patrick Orme, and my relationship with him was one of the highlights for me. He helped me grow in my views and beliefs and challenged me to think outside of my own personal beliefs and paradigms. I enjoyed getting to know my housemates Theo Hayes, Sam Robson, Hubert Holden, Ed Fenwick, and Jack Eastwood, among others, as well as the people in my Divs, such as Benjamin Barnard. One of my favorite parts of this exchange was getting to meet new people and teach them about the US, and I was ecstatic when Paddy was able to return to the US with me and stay at my house for 2 weeks.

History Div with Benjamin

Paddy (Left) and Theo (Right) at Lunch

Thanks:

I would like to thank Mr. Gioia and Dr. Seay along with others at MBA who helped make this trip possible. I would also like to thank Mr. Nolan, Mr. Oliphant-Callum, and Mr. Little for helping organize the program on the Eton side and for welcoming me into their community. I would like to thank the Ormes, Robsons, Barnards, and Holdens for housing me at various points in my trip, and most importantly I would like to thank Mrs. Beth and Mr. Dudley Warner for funding my experience and organizing it as well. This experience has been one of my most formative and one that has been extremely influential for me; I will always remember this time away as a time that I learned more about who I am and what I love. I enjoyed making relationships and journeying into a foreign land with no connections. I cannot express fully my complete gratitude, and I hope to use this experience to benefit MBA, as well as encourage others in the younger years to consider applying for this exchange specifically.

Eton College 2013 - Bates O'Neal

Filled with nerves and excitement, Nick Boney and I packed our bags for 10 weeks in England. We had no idea what to expect other than the praise of previous years' exchange students telling us that going on exchange is the greatest thing someone can do in high school.  As the rest of the MBA community was beginning classes for the second semester on January 7, I was headed for the airport to spend an amazing few months in Windsor, England.

Despite the long plane ride and the fact that my luggage was left in America and would not arrive for another twenty-four hours, Nick and I were immediately welcomed into England and the Eton College community by an Etonian house master and good friend of Mr. Gioia, Ralph Oliphant-Callum. We quickly learned that most teachers and faculty at Eton were referred to by their initials (RDOC). We spent a lovely day and a half with him, learning about the school and being introduced to some traditional English meals before meeting our respective house masters and meeting all of our soon-to-be Eton friends Wednesday evening, January 9.

The first day:

My Home for 10 Weeks (aka the Dorm)

I stayed in Manor House, also known as TEJN (the houses were commonly named after the current housemaster's initials), which turns out to have played host to the princes of England while they were enrolled at Eton. After meeting the house master, Justin Nolan, and enjoying a bit of tea and pleasantries while getting to know each other, I was given a tour of the magnificent house, which houses more than fifty students at a time as well as several staff and the house master's family. I enjoyed a very large room, only to be reached by climbing up five flights of stairs.

Eton High Street is a marvelous resource for Etonians to find anything and everything that he could possibly need: clothes, souvenirs, school supplies, sports equipment (although they did not carry an American football), and last but not least, food. Mr. Nolan took me to the tailor to get my uniform, to Eton Sport to get my athletics kit, to the post to get school supplies, and he showed me other stores at which I could find other things I might need. My final first-day task with TEJN was to fix my schedule. I decided to take a schedule including French Revolution history, taught by none other than Mr. Nolan himself, Divinity, which included Ethics and Theology, "Maths," and Warfare, topped off with C Perspectives, which included a series of speeches and discussions about human nature.

Mr. Nolan with my Etonian friend Tom

I received a grand welcome by all of the Manor House boys that first night, watching a football match and singing some some songs around the piano while sharing stories and small talk to get to know each other. I knew from the first moment in the house that I was welcome there.

Thrown into the fire:

Let me first provide you with a little bit of vocabulary that I might use from Eton:

Beak = teacher
Timetable = schedule
School = class period
Div (short for division) = also class period
B Block = Seniors
C Block = Juniors
D Block = Sophomores
E Block = Freshmen
F Block = 8th Graders
(There used to be an A Block, which was like a PG year, but they removed                        that and never reorganized the block scheme.)
Chambers = break / midmorning snack (25 minutes daily)
Dame = house mother
Prayers = roll call every night in the house
Reader = study hall
Sport (never uses and "s" even in the plural) = athletics

Me Wearing the Uniform + Overcoat

The Uniform:
The traditional Eton uniform consists of a three piece suit with pinstriped pants and a tailcoat, a white collarless French cuffed dress shirt, a stiff collar with brass pins to hold it in place on the shirt, and a "tie" which is essentially just a long thin strip of fabric that covers the front pin. Overcoats, scarves, and gloves are also popular to help students cope with the freezing temperatures.

The Schedule:
Engulfed in a sea of unknown territory, wild vocabulary, British accents, and freezing cold weather, I had to learn Eton's ways very quickly, since I would be there for the entire Lent term. School runs Monday through Saturday every week. After an 8:00 breakfast, the school day usually starts with chapel (or an assembly) at 8:35, with classes starting at 9:00. I really enjoyed sleeping in, as my schedule at MBA often requires me to be at school before 7:00 in the morning. Each school runs for 40 minutes, with a 10 minute break between each div for changing books and walking across campus. There are five schools in the morning, with Chambers after the third. Lunch starts daily at 1:30, with every member of the house in the house dining hall. The timetable varies in the afternoon. Every day, sport follows lunch, but on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, there are two schools late in the afternoon, from 4:30 - 6:00. This means that Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are the main days for sport competition.

Eton's Original Building behind the statue of Henry VII

Classes:
My teachers were fantastic for the entire term; however, courses are taught much differently to prepare for English exams, which took some getting used to. Mr. Nolan, my French Revolution teacher, did a fantastic job teaching the class in depth material concerning this period in history, throwing in some "banter" throughout. My maths beak, Mr. Vivian, prepared me for my current calculus course, as I was taking an very advanced maths course. I had a very odd warfare teacher, who I can only describe as a mixture of Mr. Jon Lanier and Mr. Dan Herring. Mr. Proctor was passionate about the subject, but I was befuddled at some of his mannerisms and teaching styles. This man was also immaculately dressed every day. Finally, in my Divinity divs, Dr. "Muscle" Russell (long story), my theology beak, and Mr. Griffiths (aka WING: really great initials), the ethics beak, gave me valuable insights into religion, human nature, and lawfulness through history and current events which helped me decide that I would like to study Judaic Studies in college.

Eton's College Chapel

Extra-Curriculars:

Music:
While at Eton, I had the honor of being able to be a member of the prestigious College Chapel Choir (CCC). We sang daily in the magnificent 15th century chapel at Eton and were accompanied by the fantastic grand organ. This is certainly the most talented group of singers of which I have been a part. We sang SATB (male and female) music using the younger F Block and E Block singers whose voices had not changed as the Sopranos and Altos, and the talent level was so high that we were expected to sight read college level pieces. In addition to this, I had two other singing opportunities in England. I sang in a ~400 person chorale which performed Bach's "St. John's Passion" in German at the end of the term. I also participated in my house choir, which took 3rd place out of 24 houses in the house harmony competition.

Sport:

Eton's main Sport field

          At Eton, I decided to explore new sports which are not often offered in America, field game and rugby. Field game is a sport which is exclusive to Eton College. Picture a mixture of football, American football, hockey, and rugby, but with a myriad of other rules which have evolved over time. I played for the Manor House team, but I did not succeed very often in playing the game correctly, as I was still learning the extremely intricate sport and all of its nuances through the end of the term. Playing rugby sevens was great fun, and even though I am an excruciatingly slow runner, they liked having me on the team because of my size and physicality. Also, I dabbled in kickboxing as well, which had late night practices twice weekly. It was hard work to improve, but it was also really enjoyable once all of the bruises went away.

Great Relationships:

The students at Eton College are fantastically talented. Being around brilliant students, great athletes, world class musicians, or just all-around great people, I made a connection with nearly everyone I met there. I made some great friends at Eton, and I even have tentative plans for a few of the Etonians to come to America in a couple of years for a reunion cross-country road trip.

The House Social with the Girls of Wycombe Abbey

Leaves:

Short Leave = a 2 and a half day break at the beginning of the term

In addition to the amazing opportunities I had at Eton, some of the most memorable moments on the trip were during the vacations. During Short Leave with Jack, I got to see a small village in the south of England and witnessed the quieter side of life, playing piano and singing with his family until nearly 2:00 am. Then, I took the train to Cambridge, where Edmund lives. We got some of the most delicious food I have ever had from the Sunday courtyard market at Cambridge University, and we even were able to go to an evensong at King's College Cambridge, which hosts one of the best and most prestigious choirs in the world.

Jack's Historic house

Chapel at King's College Cambridge

Long Leave = a 10 day break in the middle of the term

For Long Leave, I stayed in three different places. First, I was with Ned in Yorkshire, at his castle. He is the Earl of Hillsborough. His humongous castle sleeps around 28 comfortably, which is crazy. They run a nearly self-sustaining property on their 1300 acre estate. In the castle, they have a grand dining room, a full sized snooker table, a tennis court, and bathroom reading selection that looked like the rare books archives of most libraries. I even was able to go "shooting" the English way, when we hunted pheasant on the grounds of his estate. After an action-packed first weekend, I stayed with Freddie in Kent, in a house which was built in the 13th century. Staying with him, I was able to see several historic sights, including Leeds Castle. Finally, I was able to visit London with Alex. One of his friends hosted a party in her beautiful 8 million pound penthouse apartment overlooking the London skyline, a stunning view to say the least. We played golf in the middle of London and watched the Six Nations Rugby tournament all day on Saturday as well.

Ned's Castle from a distance

Three Eton friends in front of the London night skyline

Me by the river on Ned's estate

Leeds Castle

Thank you:

I am so glad that I had the opportunity to spend this time in England at Eton College, and I would do it again in a heartbeat if I could. I met so many wonderful people, had countless fantastic opportunities, and it was a growing experience for me without a doubt. I will certainly recommend this exchange opportunity to anyone in the future who is thinking about going abroad. Thank you to Mr. Gioia, Mr. and Mrs. Warner, the MBA community, my teachers who put up with my missing an entire quarter of school, Mr. Little (Eton headmaster), Mr. Oliphant-Callum, Mr. Nolan, all of the Eton boys who befriended me, the Clovers, the Ryans, the Fishers, the Hills, the Horns, and everyone else who made this great trip possible for Nick and me.

Robert Papel: Eton College Exchange (January-March 2012)

The Eton College Experience

             In January 2012, I left Nashville for England. I was lucky enough to be chosen as MBA's representative to Eton College for the Lent Term. After the long lines at Heathrow, I was picked up by Mr. Oliphant-Callum, a house-master at Eton. So began my foray into the English way of life.

The Life-style

            At Eton, the exchanges are set up through the individual houses. I stayed in Manor House, the house of both Prince William and Harry. Each house at Eton is known by its house-master's initials - for example Manor House is known as TEJN, after Justin Nolan. Each boy has a room to himself, but with college-style hall bathrooms. About half of the twenty-five houses eat "in house," while the other half eat in a dining hall. TEJN's head-chef is named Rick, a man with a heavy cockney accent straight out of a Dickens novel. The food was filling, like MBA's fare, but entirely English. Lunch is the formal meal of the day - everyone stands until the arrival of the house-master and the dame (the mother-figure of the house). Once Mr. Nolan says grace, everyone sits down and is served by the house staff. Every other meal is informal, and the full tail-suit is not required.

The Uniform

            One of the most peculiar traditions is the uniform. Each boy is required to wear tails, pinstripe pants, black shoes, and an attachable collar (see photo). One of the stories I heard was that a top-hat used to be part of the uniform. Due to the struggle of juggling books, a top-hat, and a gas mask (WWII), they stopped requiring one.  The uniform, by far, was one of my favorite parts of Eton. I loved every time I put on my tails.

The Courtyard- with the Statue of Henry VI - The Chariots of Fire footrace was filmed here

The Tails

Schedules

            The equivalent of junior year is known as "C-Block." The senior class is called B-Block.  The schedule is very similar, for each student takes four classes. I took Politics, English, History, and Art. At first I was put in the American Civil War history class, but I switched into the French Revolution class. They call classes "divs," which is short for "divisions." Each div is only forty minutes long, but they are spread out until five or six in the evening. English class was great because you have two different teachers teaching two different books. I studied Hamlet & A Streetcar Named Desire (Stelllaaa!!!).

Sport

             All athletics take place right after lunch during the Lent Term. I did rowing and played "Sine" (jv) Field Game. Rowing is their most intense sport, and I helped out whenever they needed a coxswain. They built their own lake a few years ago, and the Olympic rowing took place there. Field Game, on the other hand, is fun and very complicated. Only Etonians play the game, which is a mix between rugby and soccer. The rules (like cricket) are strange, but you can still have tons of fun. We were Sine runner-ups for the term.

The Boat House

The Sine Field Game Squad

Outside of Eton

            The students come from all over England and the world. There were three other Americans in the house, all full-time students. A lot of kids go home on the weekends, and I went with them several times. During the "long-leave," (a week off in the middle of term), I stayed all over southern England. I visited Kent, Hertfordshire, Hampshire, and a few other English counties. I stayed with one family whose house was owned by Henry VIII at one point. While I was in London over one weekend, I was lucky enough to go to a Premier League Match, Fulham vs. Newcastle. Clint Dempsey, an American on the Fulham squad, scored the first American hat-trick in the Premier League. It was quite a game.

Craven Cottage-  the home of Fulham

Speakers

             Since Eton is one of the most prestigious high schools in the world, they attract some of the coolest speakers. I saw James Murdoch, the son of Rupert Murdoch, speak. He mostly talked about his business endeavors, and stayed away from the recent controversy. I also saw Boris Berezovsky talk, who was one of the Russian Oligarchs who put Putin in power. He's been exiled, so he lives in England. One of the more fun speakers was the #4 darts player in the world - he gave an exhibition and played some Etonians.
             Eton has many societies, or clubs, that bring the speakers in. There are also some very exclusive societies, like the Wine Society or the Cheese Society. B-Blockers have to be invited to join, as they are the most popular societies in the school.

Andy "The Hammer" Hamilton in action

Chapel        
            A huge part of the routine is going to Chapel daily. College Chapel is a soaring cathedral, though smaller than some of the others built around the same time. Students mostly fall asleep or read off kindles during chapel (suit overcoats make the action easy). The chapel itself dominates the Etonian sky-line. It is easily the most recognized part of Eton besides Upper School (the famous room where Etonians carve their names, eg Percy Shelley).

Prince Harry's name in TEJN

Vocab

Divs = classes
Beaks = teachers
Chambers = break
Prayers = nightly roll call
Dame = house mother
Old Etonian = graduate of Eton (eg David Cameron is an OE)
Rut = a general term of disgust
Wet Bobs = rowers
Head Man = headmaster
Reader = study hall
Tap = the school bar (yes, they serve alcohol to those over 16!)
Tardy Book = demerit hall
B-Block = seniors
C-Block = juniors
D-Block = sophomores

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FtZkVRkusQ