Field Trips Exist in College

By Anushka Boyd, Global Strategic Communication, ’16

Remember those days back in elementary school when a field trip was the coolest part of class? Those fun filled days don’t have to be over! Here in the School of Arts & Communication, we get so many chances to go on field trips that blend classroom education with real world application. This semester, our first field trip was to the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre to see the play Henry V. Shakespeare is currently being taught in courses such as Civilization 1, Shakespeare and Film, and Writing About Literature. Although I already took Civilization 1 and Writing About Literature, this was a great opportunity to refresh my memory and help me visualize the characters and story in a way I couldn’t in class. In addition, I’ve never seen a Shakespeare play before and I heard from fellow classmates that it was a must. Needless to say, they were right! From the humor in the play to the projection of emotions, words that were once on a page came to life. After the play ended, the cast came out and had a Q&A (question and answer session) with the audience, which was a rewarding experience to engage with them. The cast gave advice on how to become a performer and shared details of all the funny and difficult parts of the job. Before returning to campus, the group stopped for lunch at Chipotle (love that place!) and had lunch together. Going on the field trip allowed me to get to know students in my department better and share experiences outside the classroom setting. I’m so glad I went on the field trip and can’t wait for the next one! Check out what some of my fellow classmates had to say about the trip:

Jennifer Wayne, Humanities Pre-Law

“Last semester, I took the class Western Civilization 1 with Dr. Ruane in the School of Arts and Communications. In the class, we learned about the Hundred Years’ War, and the many conflicts between England and France. After being taught the background of the Hundred Years’ War including the major players, events, and underlying causes, seeing the Orlando Shakespeare Theater bring the story of Henry V to life added an additional level of understanding. Dr. Ruane explains history in a way that is very interesting and easy to understand (especially at 9 in the morning), but it is a completely different experience to see King Henry, portrayed so majestically by John P. Keller, rallying the troops, ‘Once more unto the breach…’”

Aaliyah Thomas, Communication

“I thoroughly enjoyed the field trip to see Henry V. I have seen other plays, but I enjoyed going with people of similar majors because they valued the art as much or more than I did. I recommend all Humanities and Communication majors to take advantage of the field trips because you learn different perspectives of people with similar majors and it is great for networking.”