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Question: Describe a professor or project that has taught you about history, politics or business from an international perspective.
Written by: Kyle Apanaschik
One of the most interesting courses offered to Bentley students in Dublin is the Irish History course. This course is mandatory for all American business study abroad students who are attending the university.
The American students all pack into a lecture room for a two-hour seminar once a week. Each week, the lecturer talks about a topic that has left a lasting impact on the lives of many Irish natives in the past. Past lectures include “The Anglo-Norman Invasion,” “Gaelic Sports,” and “The Irish Famine,” to name a few.
Each student in the class gets graded on three separate pieces of work throughout the semester, which include a presentation with a small group, a paper, and the final. This past week, all of the papers were due. Each student had the opportunity to write about any topic covered so far this semester. Many of us found the most interesting topic to be the Irish Famine.
The papers had to be about 10 pages in length, and in turn, much extra research was needed. At the culmination of the drafting of the paper, I was astonished by the impact that the famine left on many of the individuals throughout the country.
Approximately 20 percent of the population either perished due to starvation or immigrated to America. What is extremely intriguing about the famine itself is the way that it aided in the current social and cultural aspects of Ireland today.
The famine led to many changes throughout society. For instance, the main Irish language completely changed. For years, individuals throughout the country spoke the traditional Gaelic language, but once the famine struck, English became the prominent language.
The survivors of the terrible blight believed that they would be looked down upon and considered impoverished if they spoke the native Irish tongue. Today in Dublin, signs all throughout the city and countryside have both languages, but English is the most popular of the two.
My Irish History class has aided in answering many important questions pertaining to the Irish heritage and culture. In addition to class time, the lecturer also offers many day trips to important historical locations throughout the semester. These day trips to specific locations definitely aid in the full understanding of the locations, as well as the Irish history.
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