English London: London during times of crisis and change
English London: London during the time of crisis and change. This program was centered around how the city of London has changed throughout history. There were three in classroom sessions, but the majority of the class was based on walking the city and discussing important places/people who have influenced history. The course started with the reformation. Then it switched to the great fire of 1666. We then covered the Victorians and WWI and finished the course with discussions of immigration and the Brexit debate. Some of the key highlights of the city were Hampton Court, Whitehall Castle, Southwark Cathedral, The Great fire walk, the TS Eliot walk and walking through the city seen in the Novel Brick lane.
The Global Scholars program has been a life enriching experience for me. Learning to look at the world in a different perspective. Rethinking your ideas about equality. To put less value to monetary things. To look at what people from other cultures can teach us. Not to step in as savior of the world. To work with the people on the ground every day to help make changes to enrich their lives. Learning to truly listen to the people whose lives you are trying to change to see what will truly help them.
My time during global scholars and my study abroad experiences was not always Sunshine and Roses. Throughout this course I have had to face some very hard truths. I have had to own my privilege as a White Woman who is from the Global North. That I have been given certain advantages from birth due to that fact. Once I was able to realize and accept that the world is truly not equal, was I able to look out and spot inequalities. Knowing is half the battle. This class has turned me into someone who wants to make the world an equal place. My experience in London was not always spectacular. My homestay was nice, but I felt like I was being suffocated by the hosts. I was a 39-year-old woman that has been running her own household for 20 years. It was weird to not make my own meals or do my own laundry. Also the group I went to London with was very young, and I felt very excluded from the group.
A local connection I want to make involves the LGBTQ community. I want to connect what I observed and learned about the treatment of LGBTQ people in London with the treatment in the greater Seattle area and the United States as a whole. I am trying to work with the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention outlet that specialized in LGBTQ youth. I also plan to reach out to the Lambert House in Seattle about volunteering their as well.
Reflecting on Global Scholars and moving forward: I hope that the experiences and knowledge I gained as a global scholar will guide me to make better decisions globally. It will influence my vote, where I spend my time and money, how I treat others and how I raise my children. I hope to vote with my conscience. Vote for leaders who are trying to make the world equal for everyone. I will pay attention to the companies where I spend money, maybe reevaluate where I shop depending on their global actions. I will raise my children to realize that not everyone in the world is as lucky as they are. Help them to realize they are very privileged. Guide them to look at the world as a whole and realize that decisions they make can affect others.
I have many people I would like to thank for their part of my Global Experience.
First and foremost is Eric Williams. My love, you always push me to spread my wings and experience all I can in the world and I am forever grateful!!! Many thanks to my family members who have all helped me emotionally/mentally/monetarily in ways that made this experience possible. A huge thanks to my study abroad professor Peter Buckroyd. You made my first experiences in London spectacular. I also never knew I could walk over 15 miles in one day!!! I really need to thank Zane Mehl for letting me vent all of my crazy ideas and helping me with my essays into the program. You are a lifesaver!! I also want to thank the Global Scholars program: Ron Krabill, Ben Gardner, Eva Navarijo, Melina Tovar, Willy Oppenheim, Anu Taranath, Eroic Opoku Agyemang, Indhu Subramaniam, Maanda Ngoitiko and Francisco “Pancho” Tenorio. You all have guided my Global Scholars experiences with your stories, your wisdom, your patience and your huge support to the Global Scholars project. Without all of you, this experience would not have been possible. I am forever thankful!!!
When I think about my ideal vision for how our society should be, I’d like to see a society in which all people enjoy the benefits and the riches of a quality life, not just those who have power, wealth, educational access, a particular skin color or body shape. i’d like a society in which we can all love who we’d like to love and look how we’d like to look. A society where all of us enjoy good nutrition and healthcare, green trees and warm homes. A society in which kids play and read books and where all of us feel heard, seen and validated. I’d like a society in which we all have enough- not just a few of us but all of us.
Anu Taranath. Beyond Guilt trips: Mindful travel in an unequal world. pg 3-4
Jennifer Wallace, Summer 20119
