Lawrence’s fourth annual London Week kicks off Feb. 14 and will run through Feb. 18. The week’s events will be organized and coordinated by the Off-Campus Programs Office in order to showcase both London and the London Centre.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Lawrence’s London Centre program. Over 2,000 Lawrentians have studied at the London Centre, making it Lawrence’s most popular study abroad program.
Off-Campus Programs Coordinator Laura Zuege said, “[Lawrence] is unique from a lot of schools in that we have a lot of students with a close connection to London. London has a definite presence in the Lawrence experience.”
Lawrence’s London Centre program is a focal point of the week, but London Week is also about celebrating London as a cultural, literary and historical center of the world. The week’s events are intended to highlight this from both the student and faculty perspective.
Associate Professor of English and Bonnie Glidden Buchanan Professor of English Tim Spurgin, who spent the 2009-2010 school year in London, commented, “The book I was teaching took place a block and a half from the [London] Centre. That just doesn’t happen in Appleton.”
The London Week events include two talks, a movie showing, a tea party for London Centre alumni and an informational meeting.
London Centre alum Sam Flood ’11 will be giving a presentation titled “The Pretend Londoner – Memories of a Spring in London” Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Hurvis Room. He will be sharing his creative works, including stories, poetry and images all inspired by his term in London.
February 16 at 4:30 p.m. in Main Hall 201, Spurgin will be giving a talk titled “Literary London,” which will highlight the literary significance and history of London, while he also shares some of his experiences living in the city.
Spurgin noted, “Being there was one of the great experiences of my life. I studied English literature for 25 years and I had never been there. It seemed like an imaginary place. so to see the places where famous people had lived and famous poems were written was an amazing experience.”
On Feb. 17 at 9 p.m. there will be a showing of “Sherlock Holmes” in the cinema, which will be hosted by both the Off Campus Programs Office and the LU Film Club.
Finally, there will be a London Centre informational meeting in the cinema on Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m., open to any student considering the London Centre.
“With the winter weather, now is a great time to think about other options out there in the world,” suggested Zuege.
The London Centre is open to students from all disciplines. Every year, Lawrence professors from different departments are selected to teach at the Centre. In addition, the London Centre has its own faculty and staff teaching a variety of different classes. The focus is on firsthand experience and learning from the city itself.
Said Zuege, “The London Centre is a Lawrence tradition, not just a departmental tradition. There is something for everyone.” To learn more and be a part of this Lawrence tradition, attend the London Week events. For further information regarding the London Centre or other study abroad programs, contact the Off-Campus Programs Office.
London Week hosted to elevate enthusiasm for London Centre
