Submitted by Alexander Heger on the 2016 winter session program in London, England sponsored by the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice..
Just as the sun broke through the clouds on this lovely London day, studying in a foreign country has led to many breakthrough moments for me and the other twelve students in the Winter 2016 London Criminal Justice program. Now, I know what you’re thinking. How many breakthroughs could this guy possibly have? London is an English speaking city with tons of tourist attractions. Right? Well, you are right technically, but London is so much more.
To refer back to my photograph, look at what you see in it. Sure, there is the London Eye, a practical icon of the tourist’s world, but look closer. Below the London Eye is a tugboat. Down the river, there is a ferry. On the bridge in the background, there are cars and buses taking people to their jobs, and even behind that are buildings that were constructed before the United States was even a country. And people live and work in them. Above those buildings are towering cranes erecting new buildings each day to bring more jobs and housing to a city with a 660 square-mile territory and 8.5 million residents. This was my first breakthrough. London is not just a city for thirteen white, college-educated, American students. It is a city for everyone, from all walks of life.
I could not count on both my hands and feet the number of countries that are represented by just the people we have encountered here. It is a city that is as rich in diversity as it is in history. In just a week, we have learned about the evolution of England and its legal system from medieval times to the present, and there are artifacts from every era every place we look. All over London, there are modern skyscrapers neighboring old pubs and factories that have held their ground for centuries. Don’t believe me? Take a ferry from the Westminster Pier just like we did, and when you get to the Naval College at the second stop, you’ll know exactly what I mean.
Oh, and don’t talk on the Tube. You will stick out like a sore thumb.