Students studying abroad in London as part of the Northern California Study Abroad Consortium (NCSAC) have concluded their semester. They have returned home to their friends and families in California, bringing with them many memories and life-changing experiences of their time abroad. Our partners at the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) gave students many opportunities to participate in cultural activities and excursions throughout the semester. This provided faculty with the privilege of making London their literal classroom.
To highlight a few key moments:
On Tuesday, October 15, 2024, students enrolled in Professor Lindsey Ayotte’s COMM 160: Gender and Communication course attended an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew at the famous Globe Theatre. Post-performance students engaged in dialogue about gender roles and supposed submissiveness in women as it related to gender theoretical frameworks and current-day discourse. Thank you to Dean Ghori and the Study Abroad office for sponsoring students to attend this production as a part of their coursework.
On Monday November 18, 2024 the entirety of NCSAC was invited to a talk at the European Parliament Liaison Office in the United Kingdom. Students learned about the European Union and Brexit, and posed some intellectually stimulating inquiries to the office employees enriching the overall experience. This was one of many cultural field trips students attended as a part of the British Life & Culture course.
The following day, Tuesday, November 19, 2024, students enrolled in Professor Lindsey Ayotte’s COMM 127: Argumentation and Debate class visited the UK Parliament. The class watched a live debate in the House of Commons, where Members of Parliament (MPs) and Peers questioned the government and debated current issues and legislation. The topic up for debate was the current status of the National Healthcare Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. This was an extremely unique experience, where students were able to take their classroom knowledge of debate and see it in praxis on a national scale. We thank AIFS Academic Director Joe Videan for speaking with our Member of Parliament to coordinate our attendance at the public gallery.
If you are interested in learning more about future study abroad opportunities and ways to empower and transform your global identity, please reach out to the SMCCD Study Abroad Office located at Skyline College.
website: https://smccd.edu/studyabroad/
phone: 650-738-7098
email: studyabroad@smccd.edu
Article and Photos by: Lindsey Ayotte
