Hughes Hall -- Week 3 in Cambridge (July 9- July 15)

Hey everybody-

We arrived in Shrewsbury yesterday for a three-day visit to key sites that were a part of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. This visit coincides with the course ECON 222: The Industrial Revolution in Britain. But more on that next week.

Last week we bid farewell to our fearless leader, Mike Hemesath, as he departed for his new job as President of St. John's University last Wednesday afternoon. After three years of being associated with Carleton College and the Economics department, I have only heard great things about Mike from my peers. They speak to his flexibility, integrity, and congeniality which will serve him well at his new job -- and our experience with him was no different. I believe I can speak for everyone in our study abroad program and say that we were proud to be part of Mike's final lecture as a member of the Carleton community. St. John's University is fortunate to have him and we wish him luck in the future. If you are interested in Mike's ascent from Carleton professor to SJU here are two links (one from an article in The Carletonian and the other from a press release on St. John's website) that gives more information:

The Carletonian

http://apps.carleton.edu/carletonian/?story_id=835714&issue_id=835710&section_id=345118

SJU

http://www.csbsju.edu/news/sjupresident2012.htm

Mike's celebratory last dinner/Steve's celebratory first dinner in the Hughes Hall Dining Area

Our fearless leader, Mike Hemesath, showing us the road to success (or, more literally, where Hughes Hall is on the first day we arrived).

Replacing Hemesath for the duration of the program is Professor Steve Strand who, accompanied by his wife Dana (a French professor at Carleton), has taken multiple groups on the Cambridge program in the past. Strand will be in charge of teaching the aforementioned Industrial Revolution course as well as finish the Keynes course. 

Along with transitioning between professors and starting the Industrial Revolution course last week, we also took an excursion to communities neighboring Cambridge such as the Island of Ely, St. Edmund and Lavenham. Janet, our entertaining tour guide that we had been introduced to during the walking tour of Cambridge, was back on the microphone and informing us (in her unique, storytelling way) about the background of the sites we visited. We finished our tour in Lavenham, a town which has historical significance in our ECON 222 class. 

Janet tossing out some knowledge about monuments surrounding Cambridge

This is the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial that remembers Americans who lost their lives in WWI and WWII. To the left is a grave that has a Cross or Star of David for the people who are buried there.

Ben Truax ('14) practicing laying in a coffin at Janet's request inside Ely Cathedral. I apologize for the picture quality it was dark inside. Fun Fact: Ely Cathedral is where they filmed the 'Westminster Abbey Rehearsal Scene' for the
 film The King's Speech.

The garden in front of Bury St Edmund Abbey

Our last destination at The Swan in Lavenham for tea and scones. David Stillerman ('14) set the pace by eating 17 scones in one sitting.

Since we are in Shrewsbury this week and next week is independent travel week, there may be a delay in posts regarding trips that groups of students took (both last weekend and in the coming week). Last weekend, a large group of students went whitewater rafting in Scotland, some got trapped in the Netherlands, and other, more responsible, students stayed in Cambridge and visited some sites while studying for the ECON 224: Multinational final we took on Monday. However, I do plan on posting about our trip to Shrewsbury early next week when I will be in Prague (or Austria..who knows?).