PBPL 85: Global Policy Leadership Participant Noah Reichblum '15

This post is part of a series on the Global Policy Leadership Practicum through PBPL 85. Students reflect on their experiences as part the travel abroad portion of the course to Northern Ireland during the winter break.

PBPL 85 students at Boston College's Dublin campus.

Today was filled meetings, pints of Guinness, and a riveting contemporary take on partition in Northern Ireland. Our morning started bright and early, with a classic Irish breakfast of sausages, eggs, and a whole lot of coffee. The group then trumped off to Boston College's campus in Dublin. We learned about Gerry Adams' past, the current Boston College Controversy, and a whole lot more.

After two hours of meetings, the group walked to the Guinness Factory for a tour and free pint, some of us rather excitedly. After learning how to taste and pour a Guinness, the group enjoyed a free pint on the 7th floor of Guinness' factory.

After a lunch where British citizen Nick taught the team how to play "God Save the Queen," the 15 of us walked back to St. Stephens' Green for two more meetings. After learning about Irish history, we met the head of the Irish Royal Academy. A discussion on education reform followed, and a short tour of the building concluded our formal agenda for the day. As dusk fell, the group made our way to dinner in the heart of the shopping district. We debated the best movies of our generation and traded jokes. The group then settled down for a long night of writing and editing our memo (stay tuned for more). All in all, a great day.

-Written by Noah Reichblum '15, Global Policy Leadership Practicum Fall Term 2014 Participant