First Impressions

Classes officially commenced today. I'm in Page to Stage with Stephen Berenson and a dozen of my friends, and I could not be happier. After just the first day, here are the numbers that I've gleaned so far:

• 22 meeting days
• 7 trips to the theatre 
• 11 plays
• 15 students
• 2 essays 
• 5 image presentations
• 1,104 pages of required reading
• 1 London tour
• 3+ museum visits
• 1 incredible summer

Oh my gosh, that last one is so cheesy...pretend you didn't read that. Anyway, I'm already overwhelmingly excited for what this course has in store for us. It will be an insane experience, and who better to take you on such a summer tour than a man in a Shakespeare tie? 

In the meantime, we've already been assigned our first presentation, and, not gonna lie, I'm kinda pumped about it. Our task: To tell a story using only inanimate objects, which can be moved when "the lights go down" (AKA when the audience's eyes are closed). I'll post pictures of my project after it's done, but I really like it so far! I've also spent my first hours in the Lincoln College Library reading Titus Andronicus (Jeeze Louise, can you believe that guy?!), which made me feel incredibly academic. 

Honestly, though, reading there (surprisingly) wasn't even the best part of the day. This is the week when prospective students and their families get to come and tour the school to see if they want to come here. It's Oxford, so the streets are pretty crowded anyway, but the hustle and bustle of these new academic tourists is a making it a bit claustrophobic. However, I already went on my tours yesterday, so I know my way around (at least to the most important places) without a map, so I've officially graduated (at least marginally) to the level above the lowly tourist category.

It feels even cooler, though (if that's possible) because of our all-access-pass key fobs. I walked right in front of a group of families with their student tour guide, went up to a locked iron gate, swiped my fob, and the gate magically opened in slow motion right in front of me with oohs and aahhs from the tourists. [Okay, so maybe they didn't really make sound effects, but I definitely felt impressive with my magic gate key...And the gates really do open on their own when you swipe, so that part is real...and awesome.]