Sydney has beaches and sun and myriad reasons to study and explore in Australia, but Queen's University in Belfast has a castle.
Sir Charles Lanyon designed Queen's University's signature building in 1849. Bearing it's designer's name, Lanyon Building is one of the most beloved structures in Northern Ireland. It's silhouette appears on bank notes and its Great Hall is one of the most sought after venues in the country. Lanyon Building is also the reason Sela Scarangella '25 spent three weeks this summer in Belfast.
"I knew I wanted to study abroad this summer and it came down to either Sydney or Northern Ireland. Matt Schiesel in the Study Abroad office was showing me pictures of where I would be taking classes if I chose Belfast. That pretty much decided it. I wanted to go to school in a castle!"
Sela and three Siena classmates spent three weeks at Queen's University this summer taking a different course in Lanyon Building each week. The castle lived up to the hype.
"The campus had to be one of our favorite parts. It was surreal going to class there every day. I love Siena, but this was a completely different experience. The quad is surrounded by these old, beautiful brick buildings. I couldn't believe we got to go to class there."
Much of their education, though, happened outside the castle gates. Their second class, "Communities and Place," provided a look inside the divided communities within Northern Ireland. There are 97 Peace Walls in Belfast, stretching a total of 21 miles, separating predominantly Catholic neighborhoods from predominately Protestant neighborhoods.
"On the first day of class, our professor took us straight to one of the walls. We were standing in front of it, and there was an eerie feeling. You look at houses that are so close to each other, but divided by this wall, and you realize these people will never interact with each other."
The class covered the history and origins of the often bloody civil unrest in Belfast, but it also provided hope.
"We spoke to high school students and heard their perspective. They want their city united. I think it's the older generations that have pride in their 'side,' but the younger generation has a different idea of community. They'd like to see the walls come down."
The Saints also took a class on political extremism and spoke to former inmates who had been incarcerated for... well, that was actually the one question they weren't allowed to ask. The conversations, though, were lively and enlightening and something Sela never would have experienced unless she was there. She chose Belfast for the castle (which was awesome!), but connecting with the community, understanding their past and rooting for their future is what made the experience so special. Her only regret:
"I wish I was there longer! We were in Belfast for three weeks. I really wish the experience lasted one more week."