Howdy key
lovers!
Today’s key is to the front gate of Oriel College, a segment
of the University of Oxford. This extraordinarily
special key, donated by Ted Steele, unlocks the gates of knowledge…literally! This key is of particular interest to me
because I hope to have a career in the world of academia; also, I will be spending
the upcoming 2017/2018 school year in the United Kingdom studying at the
University of Essex.
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| Key to the front gates of Oriel College, presented by Ted Steele. |
The United Kingdom is known for many things, one of which is
its academic and educational excellence.
The University of Oxford, located in Oxford, United Kingdom, is one of
the most prestigious centers for higher education in the world. In addition to its reputation for providing
students with a first-rate education, records suggest that students were being
taught at the university in as early as 1096, making Oxford the oldest
university in the English-speaking world.
Key to Oxford’s success as a
school are its 38 outstanding constituent colleges, responsible for the actual
teaching of students.
The constituent colleges of Oxford
are self-governing institutions within the university that house and facilitate
the teaching of students. Within Oxford,
each college offers a variety of subjects and student housing for undergraduate
and postgraduate students. Among these
constituent colleges, one college stands above the rest: Oriel College. The fifth college to be founded at Oxford in
1326, Oriel College holds the title of the oldest royal foundation in
Oxford. Because of this, the college is
sometimes referred to as King’s College or King’s Hall. Even more interesting, the college was used
to house members of the court of King Charles I during the English Civil War in
the 1640s. From 1780 to 1830, the
students and faculty of Oriel College were leaders in a movement to reform the
academic standards of the University of Oxford.
Overall, the Baldpate is very privileged to have the key to a place
known for such prestigious academic standards and which possesses such a rich
history of innovation and success.
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| Oriel College at The University of Oxford. |
In light of recent events, I would like to dedicate this post
to the United Kingdom and its many remarkable/outstanding strengths and
successes as a country. We here at the
Baldpate send our thoughts and prayers to a great nation that has experienced
extreme tragedy in recent weeks. Through
heartbreaking events such as those that have occurred over the past few weeks,
we pull together as a human race and mourn the tragic loss of precious life. Although this has been a difficult season for
the United Kingdom, as well as for the rest of the world, we know that this mighty
nation will grow even stronger than it has been before and its people will
bring each other strength and comfort.
Love and unity will bring healing to a nation in pain.
Blog written by:
Alicia Byers
Museum Curator, The Baldpate Inn
Resources:
