Our Talent Show this semester included an amazing 15 acts plus a couple surprise acts, all of which were absolutely fabulous! Congratulations to Sam, who managed to raise the most money for the much needed disaster relief - Shelter Boxes. Well done to all those concerned!
We have many more photos for you to look at, these can be accessed by clicking on this link.
Behind the scenes photos can be viewed by selecting this link here.
Time seems to zoom by when you're having fun; students have thrown themselves into the many activities and events going on here.
The Valentine's Dance and Karaoke in the Bistro were both very well attended and so much fun. The Clue Night (a night of intrigue and mystery) was a great success; students and faculty dressed up in costumes, and the acting (like the venue) was just amazing.
Lastly, and just as important is volleyball, our lovable Lions made the crowds roar with their hits and digs; great technique Lions.
Photos are now ready for you to view by selecting one of the following links:
by Kathryn Cesarz
Saturday Morning started bright and early for students going on the York Trip. The buses left at 8am into the cool, morning fog (but the weather was reasonable; after a month of living here, this climate that, in the beginning, made us seek the Tube in London not because we wanted transportation but because we needed the warmth of the subway cars, and that made us think our hands would fall off while we stood in the rain on the Lincoln field trip has now put us into a state of mind, where if we only have to wear one coat while eating in the refectory rather than two, we say "well, what a pleasantly balmy day!")
Though some would call them just a means to get from A to B, I personally enjoy the coach rides. This morning, the picture windows of the bus (and they are huge windows) presented us with a scrolling blue countryside speckled with sheep and flocks of birds. So I'm a romantic. It's travel; I'm allowed.
We arrived a couple of hours later in York, home of the world-renowned York Minster Cathedral. Most students headed from the Coach Park straight for the Cathedral (which was easy to spot, since it towered over all the puny buildings between us.) Walking the streets to the Cathedral, we could tell right away that the city would be a pleasant place to spend the day. Tea shops and quirky stores (life-like baby dolls in the shop window! vintage records!) lined the narrow, cobblestone roads, many of which were closed off as pedestrian-only streets.
And the Cathedral was impressive. We were able to buy passes to see just the cathedral, or the cathedral and the crypt, OR the cathedral, the crypt, and climb the tower. I buckled up my adventure belt and did all three. The treacherous 260-ish-step climb to the top was well worth it, because the view (although it was one we came upon huffing and puffing, hearts pounding) was lovely.
The crypts in the cathedral had remaining structures from both the Roman Basilica and the Norman Cathedral that preceded the modern Cathedral. These sites were both fascinating and useful; I used York Minster's architectural history as an example on last week's British Studies Exam!
The other features of the city gave day trippers lots to do. I walked the walls of the city with a friend, stopping shortly in a big tea house (shortly because it had no vacancy), and then (maybe being rewarded for our failed efforts) found a wonderful coffee shop in one of the wall's gate towers. The weather remained cool and misty all day, but it wasn't enough to keep us tourists inside.
A lot of tourists were there, actually. The shopping streets were crowded like US malls at Christmastime. They had good reason, though. The shops were great, as was the bustle and seeing all the people. I encountered three street music performers - a guitarist, a violinist, and (I kid you not) a pianist on an upright piano. They were worth stopping for (especially with my rose-colored glasses on.) The piano man treated us to a rendition of the "Family Guy" theme song.
As 4:00 approached, students returned to their seats on the coach, and headed back home to Harlaxton. The countryside that was bright blue that morning became a dark indigo as the sun set. Most people fell asleep. It was a good day.
Harlaxton Theatre Classes broke the tedium of the unusually long five-day school week last week with a Wednesday evening trip to London. The destination was the world-renowned National Theatre's production of "The Pitmen Painters" by Lee Hall.
A 3-stage theatre complex that hosts 20 Theatre productions and various presentations and speakers throughout the year, the National Theatre makes an excellent destination for anyone looking to get a taste of the London stage. It is located on the West Bank of the Thames river right near the London Eye and the Tate Modern art museum, so it is at the center of London's excitement.
The Harlaxton coach arrived in London a little after 4:00pm. This early evening arrival allowed students lots of time to grab dinner somewhere before the 7:30 curtain. Students enjoyed getting another chance to wander London (as many had been to London already with the first weekend school trip) and explored the exciting, complex city even deeper.
As show time neared, we reassembled in the lobby of the Theatre. After splitting up from when the coach had first arrived, it was a warm little comfort to happen upon other students we'd not seen for a couple of hours.
We were seated (everyone was entranced by the colorful, well-designed ticket stubs,) and after the house filled up (and it was FULL!) the house lights dimmed and the play began.
The play was a true story about a group of miners from Ashington, Northumberland who, although not formally trained in the visual arts, created paintings that advanced British art of the 1930's and 1940's. They are historically referred to as The Ashington Group. The play was less about the historical men themselves, though, and more of a forum to discuss the changing definition of art in the 20th century.
Professor Bruce Woodruff, in charge of organizing the trip, said he wanted his students to see this play for the insight it gives into British cultural identity. The themes of class tensions and regional disparities made it easy for students to get a glimpse into English and British identity through this play.
One Harlaxton student commented that he liked the play because it was "unpretentious" - the curiosity and earthiness of the miners while going through their art classes invited the audience to lose any inhibitions toward the hefty discussion on art. Other students were interested in the rapid pace of the play: dialogue moved quickly and the scenes ended and began abruptly.
I was particularly interested in the play's discussion on the changes in art in the 20th Century because I am taking a class on 20th century literature, with a focus on works from Great Britain. The play illustrated how English people of the thirties might really have been reacting to the changes that surrounded them. It helped me get a sense of how the people we take for granted today, like Picasso and Cezanne, really were revolutionary in their ideas, as were smaller contributors like the Ashington group, who I'd never heard of before this play.
Since I am a Theatre Performance major working towards a career in the art, it is inspiring and encouraging to experience a piece of Theatre that energizes and enlightens the audience (in this case, myself,) in some way. I was grateful to have had this opportunity to see an essentially British play that tied right into my studies here this semester.
Last Monday we had a lively and entertaining cultural experience here in our very own manor. As students gathered in the Great Hall to wait for the performance to start, Dr. Kingsley announced the Forest Morris Dancers and in they came. The colourful bunch included a man wearing a rainbow fringed jacket who played the accordion, followed by a crew of men in socks with jingle bells on them, funny crossed ribbons over their chests, and straw hats encircled with bright silk flowers. The energetic dances involved lots of hopping to maximize the sound of the jingle bells, as well as hitting sticks together (usually involving two people) and waving handkerchiefs in the air.
The mood was cheerful and humorous. During one of the first numbers, a man came around with, what we found out later, a dried sheep's bladder on a stick, bopping women on the head. He told us that anyone who had been hit with the bladder was guaranteed to get pregnant in the next year. This news was received with chuckles and groans. One song involved a "virgin sacrifice" of a Harlaxton student from the crowd, who was escorted to the center of the circle of dancers. For the final pose of the dance, she was lifted above their shoulders, which the crowd received with whistles and cheers of delight. The dancers had their final dance and proceeded out of the Great Hall.
The audience was then ushered into the Conservatory where a group of women in green wool skirts and clogs performed clog dances for us. The dances were linked historically, they told us, to clogs worn to work in factories during the industrial revolution.
After the clog dancers were finished, the men who had earlier performed the stick-and-handkerchief dances for us entered, one at a time, as silly characters - as in a traditional English Panto play. The story involved a doctor, a farmer, a soldier, and a couple of gaudily dressed "women". The play ended with a sing-along of some folk songs, a couple of which were familiar to American ears (most of us knew "A Bicycle Built for Two".)
After the performance, students and performers met in the Bistro to continue the musical festivities late into the night.
The visit from the Forester's Morris Dancers was an enjoyable evening of English culture.
History. Reading. Papers. Projects. Presentations. While it is a lot of work, the British Studies program gives you a deep appreciation of the places that you will be visiting. You will discover the historical significance of the sights and who the people in the pictures are. The purpose behind it is to make your Harlaxton experience more meaningful and it does the trick! A part of the British Studies program is mandatory field trips to various places throughout England. You go to them as you study their significance in class. It’s pretty neat getting to actually physically see and touch the things you are studying. It gives you a tangible object to think about rather than just words on a page and words in a lecture.
The first British Studies field trip of the year was to Lincoln. I’ll try to spare you most of the historical jargon, but its roots go all the way back to the Roman Empire in the 1st century. There isn’t a whole lot left from that era, just remnants of walls and postholes where the way-older-than-dirt Roman colonia (settlement for retired soldiers) once stood. Our tour guides (British Studies professors) showed us around, pointing out things here and there with historical significance. It was neat getting to hear about the history while we were actually getting to see whatever it was. It made it more real. Whether or not that will help on the test is still up for debate!
Just like, seemingly, every other city, Lincoln has a cathedral. The cathedrals are impressive structures to say the least. They were built that way on purpose to convey to the 11th-century people (often poor peasants) how small they were and how powerful their masters were. I cannot imagine how those peasants would have felt way back then coming from their tiny little shacks into the cathedral. Even today, in the age of skyscrapers and multi-million dollar houses, the cathedrals demand amazement at their massive, intricate, breathtaking beauty. The effect still hits home: God is big, we are small and insignificant.
Another stop on our field trip was Lincoln Castle. The castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1068, two years after the Norman Conquest. The castle was also used as a prison and location for executions. Our tour guide guided us through the cells and into the showcase for Magna Carta (it was a copy, the real deal was in the U.S.), which is not something you get to see every day!
Overall, it was an interesting and informative trip. We had to walk around in the cold rain a lot, but other than that it was pretty solid! Later on in the semester, we’ll be going to London, Southwell Workhouse, Nottingham, and taking a look at the history behind the Harlaxton manor.
To view more photos select "this link" to access our photo gallery.
by Kathryn Cesarz
Some news for home on the events of the 15-17 of January weekend London trip. We are now in our third week of classes, have settled in well, and are already reminiscing on the adventures we had in London just over a week ago.
The coaches left for London Friday morning, carrying most of the Harlaxton student body (over one hundred students went on the school-sponsored trip.) The coaches stopped for a lunch break at a big truck stop an hour outside the center of the city. Don't be fooled: the truck stop was a lovely newly constructed establishment boasting a food market, a convenience store, and several restaurants (even Burger King!)
We all arrived at the Royal National Hotel at the heart of London, across from Russell Square. As soon as we arrived at the hotel, we would leave again (the students didn't even step off the bus!) But this time we had tour guides tagging along. The guides guided our drivers on a sightseeing tour that covered all of London one could hope to see. Among the sights were Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, London Tower, the Tower Bridge, and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Students later commented that the tour was a great way of deciding which attractions they would want to visit during their free time over the weekend.
Speaking of free time, after the tour, students were free to do whatever they wished until Sunday morning.
The hotel was at a convenient location for students, as it was practically next door to the British Museum (a popular stop for many Harlaxtoners over the weekend) and an Underground station so students could quickly hop on the Tube.
Many students found themselves perplexed by the Tube this weekend. Although many agreed the London Underground is an easy-to-use system, a line of trains was closed and left students getting off at the wrong stations and wandering at street level, out in the cold London rain.
The weather didn't wash us out, though. Students managed to have a great time. Many visited the National Gallery, the Tower of London, and all kinds of pubs and clubs (just for the food and dancing, of course!) Students also attended plays in the world-class theatre district, the West End, where popular choices were "Les Miserables," "Avenue Q," "Hairspray," and "The Phantom of the Opera."
Sunday morning we were all on the coach by 10:00am to get to Hampton Court Palace. There we spent the day exploring its huge rooms filled with priceless tapestries, painted ceilings, and royal history. The clear sky and shining sun made for great weather to wander the spectacular gardens sprawled around the palace.
Upon arriving back at the Manor House Sunday night, over the potatoes and brussel sprouts on our dinner plates, students giddily agreed that the trip to London was a successful one.
by Nathan Winklepleck
Experiencing different cultures is one of the foremost reasons to spend a semester abroad at Harlaxton College. This can only happen when you go out and immerse yourself in the environment and really experience life in that environment. The Ceilidh was a little taste of a new culture brought right to us - no travel guide needed!
In the days before, everyone was asking “what in the world is a Ceilidh (actually pronounced ‘kay-lee’)?” Ceilidh is actually a form of traditional Scottish music and dancing that is often used in weddings & other events. A little Googling would have gone a long way, but many (including me) went into the mysterious event with not a clue about it except that it involved dancing.
Dancing is definitely not my cup of tea, but I decided to go and check it out! I found very quickly that the dancing that comes to my mind is very different than the Scottish Ceilidh dancing. There was a full Ceilidh band set up in the Great Hall - singer, guitar, drums, and the whole nine yards! The music was upbeat to say the least. It was pop-rock music with a distinct Celtic flavor and cool accents!
On the singer’s orders, everyone partnered up and we were introduced to some different Scottish dances, none of which was overly complicated (which was a good thing)! Rather than singing, the lead vocalist helped us through the dances with the music clamoring on in the background.
The dances had a more community feel than American dances. They emphasized branching out to dance in groups of 4, 6, 8, and sometimes more. There were several that incorporated the entire group into one big mass of twisting & twirling. The best part was that there was no experience or talent needed! The focus was not on how well you were doing it, but just that you did do it.
One of the biggest things Harlaxton does is get you out of your comfort zone & challenge you to try new things. Challenge you to think of things differently & understand that there is more to it than our personal viewpoint. There’s more to dancing than hip-hop music & strobe lights. Get out there and try new things! And if you ever get the chance to sit it out or dance, dance!
There are some photos, so select "this link" to access the photo gallery.
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This year's production was "Sleeping Beauty", an incredible adaptation of the world famous story of a beautiful princess in a fairytale world. The actors and their wonderful costumes were amazing; the singing and dancing, all rehearsed to perfection! A big thank you to the local school children from Denton and Harlaxton primary schools for an outstanding show, we all enjoyed watching and singing along to every song. Well done to all!
A special thanks to Mrs Theresa Tanner for making all this happen – you were fantastic!
Donations were gratefully received for our chosen charity “Compassion International”.
We have photos saved on our Photo Gallery, please select this link to view.
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Guy Fawkes BonfireOur Guy Fawkes bonfire on November 4th was a great success! Even though the heavens opened and it rained the whole time. It did not dampen our spirits, we just moved closer to the fire!
Students worked all hours to make ready our handcrafted effigy of Guy Fawkes, but of course it was quickly body surfed into the fire. Take a look at our photo gallery for the true likeness of Guy Fawkes (the best effigy in town).....
