Looking into Shannon's Eyes

Shannon chose a picture of a small, warm, inviting home surrounded by green shrubs, grass, and trees. It is a beautiful picture that reminds me of the openness that is associated with the Irish culture. She notes that it reminds her of a picture that she has seen of her great-grandfather’s house in Ireland. Her comparison of the two pictures makes me all the more curious about my ancestors that came from Ireland and what their houses looked like. Shannon includes a poem called “An Irish Airman Forsees His Death” by William Butler Yeats. She says that she chose it because, in addition to Yeats being one of her favorite poets, she is struck by the emotion and nationalism that is defined in this poem. I think in her choice of written work, Shannon shows her interest to obtain a better understanding of the Irish people in general. We all have our stereotypes of what we think makes up this culture, but there is so much more to the people that live there. They have seen hardship and poverty, and it is these times that have made the land and the people so rich with culture and tradition. I think this interest is also reflected in her personal statement. While growing up, Shannon has heard many stories of Ireland that have painted an image of the culture and people in her mind. I think she may wonder if she has painted a fairytale land or a fairly accurate depiction of life in this country. I know that Shannon is a music major and plays the flute because we met at the Tech Band and Orchestra Camp a few summers ago, so it came as no surprise that Irish music especially catches her interest. I do not know Shannon very well, but I think this will be a great common interest to start to get to know each other much better.