Day 3

Today we visited Trinity College and the National Museum of Ireland. Trinity College was quite interesting. It was a thrill to be on the same grounds, under the cover of the same maple tree that Oscar Wilde once was. The architecture was breathtaking and is something rarely seen, especially in the Midwest region of the U.S. Trinity is a top school internationally and the exam system seems to hold students at a very high standard. I feel like Trinity differs from SIUE in this way. Less emphasis seems to be placed on exams in the U.S. We had another outstanding tour guide. She told us a story about a man named George Salmon who was the head of the university in the early 1900s. Salmon opposed the idea of women entering the university and said that they would only be admitted over his "dead body." Salmon died shortly thereafter in an awesomely ironic twist. The Trinity Library was especially impressive with its vaulted ceilings and "great many choice old books of great value."

*A few thoughts regarding SIUE and Trinity College:

-Trinity was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I as a way to "civilize Ireland with both learning and the Protestant religion, for the reformation of the barbarism of this rude people." This makes Trinity College about seven times older than SIUE. Also, SIUE lacks the tense religious dynamic, as Catholics were not freely allowed to study at the College until the 1960s. So, the histories of the two universities are indeed quite different.
-The architecture is another detail which is quite different between the two universities. SIUE has 1960s style block buildings, whereas, Trinity's architecture is classic British style, and in fact our guide told a story of the British architect who mailed his plans for two of the main buildings without even visiting the site. This is great demonstration of how little the British cared about their Irish colony at the time.
-Another difference of note is the location of the two schools. Trinity is in the heart of central city Dublin, whereas, SIUE is situated apart from all other parts of Edwardsville (and in fact has its own zip-code) and is virtually inaccessible by foot or bike.

If I were a student at Trinity College I might find it easier to find employment post-college with such a prestigious college listed on my resume. SIUE is beginning to make a name for itself academically. Even within the past few years, I feel like the school has made steady improvements academically. However, a Trinity College alum I spoke to at the hotel pub told me that finding a job has been easier for herself (she works at an ad agency) and her Trinity brethren than it has been for her peers that went to lesser schools. As I get older, the likelihood of finding a job post-college has become increasingly important to my decisions regarding my education (in fact, it caused me to return to SIUE in order to supplement my Sociology degree with a more practical degree in Secondary Education Political Science).