Last week Pope Leo XIV issued his first major writing to the global Catholic church, an Apostolic Exhortation – an urgent word of encouragement – on love for the poor, Dilexi Te. As a Mennonite, this theme caught my attention.
News
Trip to Oxford
May 17 2025
By Maggie Lapp
On Thursday the group took a day trip to Oxford. As the self proclaimed biggest fan of the Harry Potter series, (though not the author of the books,) I was excited to visit the campus that inspired Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We went on a two hour walking tour of Oxford and unfortunately some of us were ill prepared for the brisk weather. Our fantastic tour guide, Isabel, showed us the University’s monumental buildings and other gems of the city. It was mind boggling to learn just how old of a school Oxford is, its establishment dating back nearly a thousand years. Some architectural highlights included the Bridge of Sighs, the Radcliffe Camera, and Christ Church Cathedral, which are pictured below. Naturally, we spotted many students around campus, some coming from their final exams. It was fascinating to consider what life as an Oxford student would be like. Between the campus tourism, high academic pressure, and historic buildings, it was memorable to put ourselves into that world, even just for one day.
Arts-in-London students are on walking tour of Oxford.
An urgent word from the Pope
‘Even in darkness, ever-rising joy’
We have experienced another hard week of gun violence in America. For me, it has been a week of intense emotions – heavy emotions as well as joy and hope. How do we escape the doom loop? How do we stop partaking when it is dished up to us from all sides of the media and culture that we swim in?
Directors’ Corner
Goshen College’s “SST for all” makes global education more accessible with flexible study options at home and abroad.