Thirty Students Study Abroad at Oxford - A Weekly Report from England (Report II)

Thirty Westminster College students and two faculty members arrived in England to begin a semester abroad studying at Pembroke College, part of Oxford University. Instead of living in dormitories, students are living with host families among the outskirts of the city to experience British culture.

On Sunday, Sept. 18, Westminster College's study-abroad Oxford students and faculty embarked on their first excursion to London. Traveling using "the tubes," London's famous underground rail system, the group freely toured the historic city. While some found this form of transportation exciting, others were, to say the least, anxious.

"At first it was scary, with the terrorist bombings that occurred here in July, but I slowly became comfortable and adapted," said Kristin Nelson, a junior sociology/criminal justice from White Oak.  "Plus, my friends made fun of me so I had to calm down quickly."

Once above ground, the historic qualities of the city were overwhelming. For several students, the main attraction was "Big Ben."

"It was absolutely breathtaking standing in front of Big Ben. It was unreal; you see the structure in movies and in pictures, but it is nothing like seeing it in person," said Katie Crompton, a junior elementary education major from Pittsburgh.

Other attractions included Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, Portobello Market, Buckingham Palace, and the London Eye.

An end to the day's excursion, the group watched "The Tempest," a comedy by William Shakespeare, at the famous Globe Theater. The Globe, which was built eight years ago, is a modern replica of Shakespeare's actual theater.

"The Globe was absolutely amazing! I thought it was interesting how the show was directed with Shakespeare's traditional ways of not having any costume or scenery changes and having few actors playing several different characters", said  Matthew Kurtz, a senior history major from DuBois. After the two-hour show concluded, the group took its last trip on "the tubes" and headed back to Oxford on a double-decker bus.

Written by Carson Nesbitt, a sophomore political science major from Albion, NY; Kristin Nelson, a junior sociology/criminal justice and English major from Pittsburgh; and Michelle Mair, a sophomore exploratory major from East Aurora, NY.

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