NIU Oxford
45th Annual Summer Program at
Oriel College, Oxford University
June 29 – August 1, 2014
Professor Artemus Ward
Dept. of Political Science
Office: Zulauf Hall 405
E-mail: aeward@niu.edu
The Oxford Experience
Students can take up to
nine credit hours (most
take one, maybe two
courses) taught at Oxford
by NIU faculty: Political
Science, English, Biology.
 A typical class will meet T
TH for two hours each
day, leaving plenty of time
for long weekend trips or
hanging out in Oxford.
 On certain days, instead
of having class, we will go
on field trips to London
and other nearby
locations.
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Political Science

The Beatles: A Study in Politics & Popular Music

This course focuses on how the music of the Beatles affected, and
continues to affect, the political and cultural landscape. Broadly, we will
examine how music and musicians confront political and social issues
such as war, drugs, race relations, and gender discrimination.
The Beatles provide an important case study in this phenomenon. For
example, John Lennon’s political activism—as demonstrated by such
songs as “Revolution,” “War is Over (If You Want It),” “Give Peace a
Chance,” and “Imagine”—continue to have influence over policy makers
and the public at large. President Nixon’s secret investigation of Lennon
and his attempts to deport him from the U.S. during the 1972
presidential campaign show how musicians can affect the highest levels
of government.
Paul McCartney’s “Blackbird” and Lennon’s “Woman is the Nigger of the
World” exemplify how musicians can affect civil rights.
George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh was the first large-scale
benefit concert to aid disadvantaged populations, paving the way for Live
Aid, USA for Africa, and other mass fundraising efforts led by musicians.
Courses: POLS 395, 414, 495, 494, 496, 498, 595, 696, 798.
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Beatles London Day Trip-per

In addition to our Oxford
seminars, we will travel
to London to visit
important locations made
famous by the fab four
including Abbey Road,
Apple Records on Saville
Row – site of the final
rooftop concert, and the
Hard Rock Café where
important Beatle artifacts
are on display.
The program cost includes group trips to
Shakespeare’s birthplace Stratford-uponAvon with tickets to a Royal Shakespeare
Company performance, the Royal Kew
Gardens, the Globe Theatre in London
where we will see a Shakespeare play
performed exactly as it was in his day,
Stonehenge and the Salisbury Cathedral
where the Magna Carta is on display.
 The entire group often travels to other spots
including the Royal Regatta at Henley which
you may recall the Winklevoss twins
competing at in the facebook film The Social
Network.
 London is any easy bus ride from Oxford
and offers numerous sites such as
Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the
Houses of Parliament, the British Museum
where the Rosetta Stone and other famed
artifacts are housed, the underground
“Cabinet War Rooms” where Winston
Churchill and the British government
conducted WWII, and No.10 Downing Street
where the Prime Minister lives.

Field Trips
Accommodations & Meals
Students will reside in modern
single rooms in Oriel College’s
James Mellon Hall.
 Breakfast is served daily and
dinner will be served Sunday
through Wednesday in the 17thcentury dining hall. Students will
be responsible for the purchase of
all lunches, as well as dinners ThSat.
 Students will have use of a
Common Room for socializing,
kitchen, laundry room, and will
have access to the College Library
and other Oxford libraries.
 The town of Oxford has all the
modern conveniences you might
need including major department
stores, drug stores, grocery
stores, movie theaters, and
restaurants.

Program Cost

The fee for the program is $6,550. This includes:
– Housing, breakfast seven days a week, and dinners Sun-Wed
in the College Dining Hall
– Use of an Oriel College Common Room and the College Library
– Two field trips and possibly more
– NIU tuition for 3-9 semester hours of undergraduate or
graduate credit
– NIU major medical insurance
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Airfare – You are responsible for this.
However, the study abroad office can help you secure
scholarships/grants to help offset the costs of the
program. Contact them for more details.
A $200 application fee/deposit is required and will be
charged to the student’s NIU Bursar’s account.
More
Information
Application Deadline: April 15, 2014.
 More information on the program:
– http://www.niu.edu/studyabroad
– NIU Study Abroad Office: Williston Hall
417 Phone: (815)753-0700
– niuabroad@niu.edu
 E-mail Professor Ward: aeward@niu.edu
 This PowerPoint presentation is on the web:

http://www.niu.edu/polisci/faculty/profiles/ward/