Take classes and ride the tube

By Brent VonCannon
The Collegian

While most Fresno State students will soon be mulling what classes to take on campus for the upcoming spring semester, a select few already have their sights set on English literature, English theatre, English history, and anything else that can be studied on English soil.

These students are about to embark on the London Semester. As the name suggests, enrolled students will spend a semester studying abroad in London, England, seeing first-hand many of the institutions that led the foundation for much of the subject matter studied in schools today.

In existence since 1984, London Semester has sent 867 students to England, said Carla Millar, head of the London Semester office since 1989. Millar said the program was developed by a former dean and strongly supported by the late Fresno State President Harold Haak.

Millar said London Semester offers a 14-week, intense learning experience that includes 10 courses, three of which are mandatory for every student—Art 100 (London art tours), Humanities 101 (The British Experience) and Drama 188 (British Theatre). These three courses and several others of the students’ choosing round out the full 17 units the student will take.

London Semester is sponsored by the Department of Arts & Humanities. Although other colleges have similar programs, London Semester is unique to Fresno State and is comprised of only Fresno State students, Millar said. Students from other campuses can go too, but only through applying at Fresno State for the spring semester.

Classes are held primarily in the morning. Afternoons are for field trips or for general exploring. The students stay in flats and take the underground public transportation, popularly dubbed “the tube,” to get to their classes and just about everywhere else in London.

“One of the first things you want to do in London is get on a tube, and get lost,” said Daniel Barron, a Fresno State senior who enrolled in London Semester last spring. “I just went around town and hung out.”

Barron said his long-time interest in English history and culture helped seal the deal in making London Semester his goal, and that the trip ended up being everything he expected and more.

“Our professors were amazing,” Barron said. “They were more concerned with us getting out and getting the culture than on book work. We could learn by travel.” Barron said his favorite places were Rome, because of its history, and Dublin, Ireland for the huge Saint Patrick’s Day festivities.

Indeed, travel is a big part of the curriculum. For example, Joyce Aiken, who has been with the program since its inception and will instruct the Art class come spring, has a long itinerary of art galleries and museums to visit.

Robert Maldonado, director of London Semester and chair of the Philosophy department, plans to teach his courses through, for example, seeing plays at Stratford-upon-Avon and visiting places frequented by J.R.R. Tolkien, author of “The Hobbit.”

In addition, students will get about a nine-day break in February in which they can buddy up and go out and explore on their own or perhaps visit other countries.

The program’s classrooms in London are leased and have changed location from year to year.

Classes were held at the University of London last year, although no site has been finalized yet for spring 2007.

“London Semester is open to all majors,” Millar said. “But it primarily offers upper division courses.”

Millar added that students who don’t have enough units for upper division courses should still get in touch with the London Semester office to see if an arrangement can be made.

One student looking forward to joining London Semester for the first time this spring is junior Michelle McWilliams, who attended the September 17th meeting.

A lover of art, architecture and history, McWilliams said she wants to study those subjects overseas.

“When I first moved into the dorms, I saw this poster for London Semester,” McWilliams said. “That was it for me. I’m there.”

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