9/11 from the UK and Walking Until we Dropped

This 9/11 was a very different kind of experience from the previous 10 years. I didn't open my computer (meaning I didn't read e-mail or check news feeds) until this evening and I didn't take note of the date. I read a message posted by our youngest son and was taken aback when he referenced remembrance. It took me a while to recognize what today was. I listened to a very poignant memory from NPR's Story Corps memorializing a firefighter's two sons who lost their lives trying to save others on that fateful day. I can't imagine the depth of that poor man's loss. I also watched Jon Stewart's reflections on 9/11. What an amazing statement he made.

Today was our students' first full day in Worcester. It was an exhausting, albeit fun day. We were slated to meet by the Elgar statue across the way from the Cathedral no later than 9:15 this morning.

I actually got there an hour early and decided to do a bit of a walk about. I sauntered up the High Street just a bit and turned down a street called The Shambles. There were a number of charming shops which caught my eye, but all of them were closed at that early hour.

Helen had warned the students to be on time, and to consider coming early (i.e. 9:05) if they were worried about being on time. Linda arrived right around 9, and Helen followed in good time. The appointed time came and went, but there was no sign of the students. Finally, around 9:35, the students came up from the river to the statue. We were a little taken aback by their tardiness, but we had a task to complete and we set about doing so.

Helen and Cath put together a scavenger hunt and Helen, Linda and I each led a team through the city looking for answers to the various questions on our four page "hunt" document. One of our goals was to learn something about tourism. After sorting out phones, we then went to Guild Hall to learn more about the community.

In addition to learning about where to windsurf (Top Barn), the students also learned that although the Guild Hall houses Worcester's mayor, the seat of government resides in county halls outside of town. It turns out the mayor is a figurehead, rather than a political leader. The city council seems to have more responsibility for government function and service.

We were instructed to find a police officer or constable and to ask questions about how the British police differ from American Police. We also sought to learn more about the police that might be unique. We found a "bobby" and he very kindly spoke with us. He told us (although we already knew this one) that one major difference was that British police do not carry firearms. He also shared what he characterized as "an old wives' tale"--namely, that constables must allow pregnant women to urinate in their helmets. He was quite adamant that this story was a myth, however our Cath, a former policewoman, says this was indeed an old (and legitimate) policy.

The students were instructed to explore the cheapest options for getting to the Houses of Parliament in London and Stratford Upon Avon. Naturally, they went to the train station.

Our "hunt" also took us to the bus station and to the river. The students were instructed to learn about rowing opportunities as well as maneuvering the locks.

They were also instructed to take pictures of themselves in front of buildings, monuments, or other structures which represented different centuries. Our team got a bit bogged down with that, but we did make our way to the St. Andrew's tower and spire.

St. Andrews church dated back to the 12th Century, but it was demolished in 1948 due. The church had fallen in to disrepair. According to a Worcester History site, "The Tower was built in the 15th Century and the spire, which was rebuilt in 1751 rise to a height of 245.5 ft. The Spire is locally known as 'The Glover's Needle' due to its shape and Worcester's association with the glovemaking industry." The city council established gardens around the tower and spire in honor of Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953.

My team ended our quest at the Cathedral

and then it was time to regroup with everyone else. Helen's team came in first, Linda's second and mine third. In listening to Helen and Linda describe their interactions with students, I think I could have been a more effective facilitator. Still the students learned a lot from their experiences and had fun doing so.

I'm rather surprised we didn't have this little gem on our list of items to record:

We then set off to have a spot of lunch before exploring the Crown Gate Shopping Centre, a brief session of our Intercultural seminar and a lesson in campus regulations regarding attendance and computer policies. Finally, at 3:30, we went back to the Bredon Building to set up our offices.

Our first task was to clean up the rummage. We managed to get it in to one corner.

We moved our furniture around a bit and then Helen helped us set up our computers.

We found a little stuffed dinosaur had been left, and Linda and I decided "he" could be our mascot. We've dubbed him St. John (pronounced Sinjin) to honor our campus site.