Campus News
Paris Attacks
We are happy to report that none of our students or staff were harmed in the Paris attacks on Friday 13 November, 2015 during their second long weekend excursion for the semester. Harlaxton Principal, Dr. Gerald Seaman, and British Studies professor, Dr. Bianca Leggett, were leading the college-organized trip and took immediate action to locate every student in Paris, including the students traveling independently.
Harlaxton student, Kristen Sanders, wrote a post in the Lion's Roar blog titled
"The Day We Will Never Forget" that shares her experience as an independent traveler in Paris during the attacks.
Counseling was offered to everyone at Harlaxton the following Monday and Tuesday, and students and staff were invited to speak openly about their experiences at the open forum on the Paris attacks and global citizenship in the Gold Room on Wednesday 18 November.
Pictured below are the students that traveled to Paris with Harlaxton at St. Pancras train station.
Academics
Ridgway Scholarship
The Ridgway Scholarship, which is sponsored by the late Dr. William Ridgway and tenable for one year of study at the University of Evansville, will again be offered for the 2016-17 academic year. This offers a unique opportunity for undergraduate students at a British university to further studies in their own field, or opt for courses of interest which may not be offered in the United Kingdom.
My Harlaxton Resume/CV
Visiting faculty member, Dr. Judy Smrha of Baker University, led a workshop on 18 November to help students integrate their study abroad experiences into their resume or CV.
Dr. Bianca Leggett Presents Paper at Symposium
British Studies Professor, Dr. Bianca Leggett, presented a paper at Brunel University London on Friday 27 November titled "'Lady Thatcher Way': Commemorating/Desecrating Thatcher in Grantham." The paper considers the relationship between Lady Margaret Thatcher and Grantham, and the town's reservations about naming a new bypass "Lady Thatcher Way."
Travel
Local Travel
Students traveled to Oxford on 7 November, which began as a center for higher learning in the 11th century. It is the oldest English-speaking university in the world, and the world's second-oldest surviving university. Many students also toured the Ashmolean Museum and the Bodleian Library, visited famous pubs like The Eagle and Child, and walked in the same footsteps as Harry Potter through Christchurch College.
British Studies professors led two other day trips in November to apply local culture experiences to materials taught in the classroom. They led a class to Leicester to visit sites such as the Jewry Wall Museum, St. Nicholas Church, Leicester Castle and the medieval Guildhall on Sunday 8, and then took the entire student body to London on Friday 20 to tour St. Paul's Cathedral, the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery.
The last weekend of November was full of local culture trips to Nottingham to watch a Forest football game and to Leicester for a Tigers rugby match.
Second Long Weekend Trips
Despite the attacks on Friday 13 November, the students and faculty that visited Paris did experience Parisian culture and were able to visit historical landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, the Luxembourg Gardens, the Tuileries and many more during their time in the city. Students took the opportunity to venture around for a few hours on Saturday 14 November to observe the mourning of the city, and two of them joined Parisians and other travelers to donate blood for the victims of the attacks.
There was also a college-organized trip to Barcelona for the second long weekend. Students stayed in a hostel near Las Ramblas, the city's most famous street, explored the Catalonian capital and visited many rich cultural heritage sites including Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia church and saw the architectural works of Antonio Gaudi and Lluis Domenech i Montaner.
The Manor
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day was observed in the Pegasus Courtyard on November 10 to recall the end of the hostilities of World War I on 11 November 1918. Students and staff placed wooden crosses in the courtyard to recognize the fallen soldiers of WWI.
Guy Fawkes Night
Although the event was postponed two weeks due to weather, students gathered around the annual Guy Fawkes bonfire and enjoyed hot chocolate, s'mores, and good company to celebrate the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
Thanksgiving
A Thanksgiving service was led by Dr. Graham Baker and students that included music, readings and time for personal Thanksgiving, followed by a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in the Long Gallery. Many visiting family members of students joined the celebration as well as Meet-a-Family members and a few Grantham community members.
Tree Trimming
Harlaxton students and staff joined in on the annual Tree Trimming and decorating in the Great Hall on Friday 27 November, and of course, there were cookies, brownies and hot cocoa galore.
The Community
Happy Retirement, Doug Mitchell!
Security guard Doug Mitchell retired this month after working at Harlaxton for nearly ten years. We wish him the best in his retirement and appreciate his years of service.
Walton Girls' School Performance
A group of students from Walton Girls' High School performed several short theatrical pieces on Monday 23 in the Great Hall. Dr. Judy Smhra's daughter, Katherine Smhra-Monroe, is attending Walton this semester and coordinated the event which allowed her classmates and a few Harlaxton students to participate.
ASDA Charity Bag Packing
Harlaxton students and staff participated in the local ASDA bag packing event on Friday 27 to raise funds for Grantham Passage, a project created for the homeless to receive hot meals, clean clothes, safe storage and help gaining employment.
