FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2007

MUW Residential Honors Program culminates with London trip

By Jill D. O’Bryant

COLUMBUS, Miss. -- After one year of living and studying together as part of Mississippi University for Women’s Residential Honors Program, 19 students enjoyed a month-long study abroad experience in London this summer.

“The trip was an important piece in a two-year honors program called the Residential Honors Program,” said Dr. Eric Daffron, director of the Ina E. Gordy Honors College, coordinator of study abroad and professor of English. “That program is designed to foster student learning by asking participants to live and learn together.

“These students took history and English classes together and lived together in the Honors Residence Hall the entire year. The study abroad program, a continuation of that living-learning environment, was the culmination of that first-year experience.”

Daffron, along with Dr. Tom Velek, professor of history, accompanied the students who earned four college credits for taking a history seminar and a literature seminar while in London.

For the history seminar, Dr. Velek created a list of 25 London neighborhoods or sites the students read about in Peter Ackroyd’s book “London: The Biography.” The students each chose one site from the list to write a research paper and then give an oral presentation at the site.

Each student received a card to the main Kensignton Library, and this allowed them to use any of the borough libraries in the system.

“They showed amazing self-motivation in terms of getting into the libraries and getting at the sources,” Velek said. “More impressive, many found their way to the neighborhoods and found local resources.”

Lauren Jee of Greenwood had an interview with a curator at the Museum of London to discuss the London Stone, Vicki Elinburg of Fayette, Ala., found the rector at St. Barts for a tour and sources, Kacy Lee of Pontotoc made her way to Canary Warf in the East End and found the Docklands Museum, and Sarah Ellwein of Ridgeland convinced the people at the London Central Market, which is normally closed to the public, to give her a tour.

For the English seminar, called London and the Gothic, students were asked to read three 19th century Gothic novels set in part or in whole in London. In addition to discussing the novels, the students read Gothic-inspired excerpts in “London: The Biography,” which helped the students make connections between London and the Gothic, and they went to museums and other cultural sites which helped them place the novels in a large aesthetic context.

The students will write a research paper on one of the novels and will be encouraged to make use of their London experience as inspiration or even as sources.

In addition to working on their individual projects, the group went to Stonehenge and Bath where they toured the Roman baths. They went to a traditional English cream tea. They also visited a Bangledeshi area in London where they had a group dinner.

“All three events were designed to help the students’ understanding of Britain and British culture,” Daffron said.

Some students also made side trips to Scotland and Paris.

“This was an incredible opportunity for the students,” Velek said. “This is the kind of really innovative program that is particular to MUW. We can do this kind of program because we are a small school.

“It really highlights MUW’s commitment to give students international experiences and help create a global understanding.”

Daffron agreed, “For many of our students, going to London was their first time out of the country. They, like all students their age, need international experiences so that they can learn how others think and live. Doing so leads to better intercultural understanding.”

Velek said the trip brought back memories for him.

“This was a wonderful trip for me,” he said. “In 1985, I first came to London as a student on an art and drama tour with a professor from Millikin (University in Decatur, Ill.). It is something, 22 years later and many return trips later to be the professor bringing the students.”

MUW will continue making such trips, Daffron said.

“This is a set piece of the Residential Honors Program,” he said. “Thus, we will replicate this program next summer for this fall’s incoming Residential Honors Program students.”

For more information about MUW’s Honors Program, please visit www.muw.edu/honors.