36th London Trip is a success

Dr. Tracy Nobiling, professor, led 13 justice studies majors, nine who chose to fulfill a class journal requirement by blogging their experiences on the department web page at www.csc.edu/justicestudies/. Dr. Don King, professor and department chair, and Dr. Patti Blundell, professor, led 14 education students on the trip.

Blundell said that two new features were added this year. One was a boat trip down the River Thames which allowed the students to see the skyline of London and grasp an overall impression of the size and scope of the city.

Overlooking the River Thames, the second new feature on the trip was the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the location of the prime meridian, also referred to as the place “where time begins.” This experience was excellent for those planning to teach time, science and math, according to Blundell.

Tours of a variety of public, private, elementary and high schools were included on the itinerary for the education group. Each evening, members of the justice studies and education group reconvened and share their days’ experiences.

Tiffani Roelle, an English major on the trip, said she found value in the lectures and PowerPoint presentations given by the administrators at the schools. She plans to graduate from CSC in December and then embark on a Peace Corps service assignment in March of 2014.

“When I was sitting in on the Academic Review Committee that approved the trip, it seemed like just a concept, but then to actually be on the trip, it became very real. It was an eye-opening and refreshing exposure to the global community. It felt safe to be with such a good group,” Roelle said.

Nobiling, who has traveled on 11 previous trips, said in her blog, “I have nothing but positive things to say about the London International Studies Abroad staff…. They were everything we had hoped for - organized, punctual, professional, and fun to be around.  All of the guides they arranged for us were very knowledgeable and pleasant.”

Justice studies major Morgan Black said in her blog that being allow to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace inside the gates was a highlight of the trip for her.

“This was a pretty exclusive honor. We were escorted up to the gates which are blocked off by police during this time…. So this was a pretty rare experience. I was very grateful that I was able to do this. We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the gate but I will never forget it,” Black said.

Dr. Charles Snare, vice president of academics affairs, and his wife, Karen, met up with the group for three days and bought dinner for them at a well-known Ethiopian restaurant.

Other popular side trips included Stonehenge during which the tour guide explained a bit about local agricultural practices, the ancient Roman bath ruins in Bath and the New Scotland Yard. Optional jaunts to Dublin, Edinburgh and Paris taken by several members of the group.

Two British constables escorted the CSC justice studies group to the front door of Prime Minister Cameron at 10 Downing Street where their photo was taken.

The late Dr. George Watson and his wife, Kit, originated the trip in the 1977 when they led 17 students to London, Paris, Switzerland and West Germany for three weeks. Watson, a Nebraska native, had completed post-graduate work at the University of Exeter.