Recently the Rolling Stonehill got the chance to catch up with Andrew Norkiewicz, who's currently studying at Oxford University in England. Read all about his amazing experiences below- from country hopping, to "Fire Shots," to getting the chance to roll in a zorbing ball!
RS: How has your abroad experience been so far? What places across the world have you explored?
RS: How has your abroad experience been so far? What places across the world have you explored?
AN: My abroad experience so far has
been extremely diverse and I am very glad that it
 |
| Bodleian Library |
has been. I have mixed a lot
of academic work (I now know the inside of the Bodleian library better than MacPhaidin)
with sport, volunteer work, and travel. Though I have not had much time during
term to travel, I managed to make my way around England (Stonehenge, London,
Bath) as well as Galway, Ireland in the fall semester. In the spring I was able
to spend a week in Vienna, Salzburg, and Munich and I have been currently living
in Wales on an organic farm for over a month now.
RS: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done abroad yet?
AN: If my parents are reading: On Easter Sunday I ran on a high coastal
path in Wales that took me onto cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. I ran
until the sun set over the ocean and Welsh headlands and was accompanied by
four wild horses at one point. If my parents aren’t reading: in Vienna I went
to a dive bar that offered a “Fire Shot” for only a euro or so. I thought it
was just something that would burn on the way down. Rather, it was a shot of
alcohol that was lit on fire while in my mouth. All I can say is that Brother
Mike’s should invest in this.
RS: What are you excited most about to bring back to Stonehill?
 |
| Water zorbing |
AN: Two things. Farming and water
zorbing. Working on an organic farm in Wales for over a month has been one of
the greatest aspects of being abroad. It has been a great break from bookwork
and it has given me a variety of practical skills which have helped me to
develop a much more comprehensive understanding of my academic studies. I am
very much looking forward to returning to Stonehill with what I’ve learned
abroad about sustainability, global perspective of environmental issues, and
organic growing in order to help make Stonehill a greener college.
On a more important note: I
would very much like to start an initiative that would see the ice-skating rink
in front of the science center to be changed into a large pool during the
warmer months and used as a water-zorbing station for students. During the
Mansfield Ball at Oxford, such a station was created and I can honestly say:
running around in a human-sized hamsterball on top of a pool of water was
probably one of the greatest/claustrophobic/nauseating experiences of my life.
Carolyn Meklenburg '14
Image credit: Guardian.co.uk
Carolyn Meklenburg '14
Image credit: Guardian.co.uk