LONDON MAY TERM
UPDATE
Fall 2012
Dear Alumni of the London May Term,
We are trying to make this update letter an annual event. It helps that we have reminders throughout
the year of previous groups with whom we have experienced this trip together. The DEMA
department has just recently installed a flat screen monitor in the entrance area. Among the many
different feeds that come across the screen are multiple pictures of London May term students as they
“attack” England’s fair city. Another convenient reminder is an email we receive from the folks at
StoneCircle Access asking us if we still desire to visit Stonehenge. Our quick response is always
affirmative as the program would not be the same without an evening spent “frolicking among the
stones.” So, with anticipation for a wonderful 2013 group, we look back at the May 2012 group with
much fondness and a trip that provided many “firsts.”
Porter family: Brigitte, Tristan, Brian, Cedric
2012 Group during Heathrow Terminal 5 tour
To begin our “firsts,” we were privileged to have Professor Brian Porter co-lead the program this
year. Brian has been at Hope since 1999 and he brought a wealth of knowledge about Europe and the
financial and economic health of the EU. We were also blessed to have Brian’s family along for the
entire trip. Brigitte is a professor of French at Hope. Her ease with the French language and culture
made our four-day excursion to Paris all the more meaningful. The Porter children were a constant
reminder of the joy of youthful enthusiasm. Even though this was their first year with the program,
the Porters were already veterans of foreign travel and plans are that Brian will once again co-lead the
program in 2014.
Another first was getting behind the scenes for the baggage handling operations at Heathrow airport.
We all came away with a greater appreciation for how our luggage gets from Point A to Point B and
will perhaps be a little less annoyed at the occasional inconvenience of lost luggage. Actually, we
were informed that our luggage is never lost, it is simply not in the right place.
For some of our students, the highlight of the program was an extensive tour of the recently
completed exhibition of Warner Brother’s “The Making of Harry Potter.” Even for non-Harry Potter
fans, the exhibition was top notch and provided an extensive look at the monumental task of making a
big budget movie; in this case, eight movies. Since it just opened this past March, this was our first
visit to this venue. Judging from the reactions of the students, it will not be our last.
We also arrived in London three months prior to the 2012 Summer Olympics. Therefore, we took
advantage of the opportunity to visit the Olympic Village and all the new construction. The village is
in a somewhat depressed area of northeastern London. One of the driving forces for the organizers of
the London games was to invigorate this area in both the short- and long-term. It will be interesting
to visit this area next year after the glamour of the games has worn off.
Susan Howatch receiving her honorary degree
Finally, we had the unique opportunity of
welcoming President Bultman and his wife
Martie. They joined us as part of our
alumni/friends dinner that we have been hosting
in London for the past three years. It was a
special evening as we were able to couple this
annual dinner with the conferring of an honorary
degree on author and Hope College friend, Susan
Howatch. Over thirty people gathered for the
event, one which grows in number each year. In
fact, in attendance this year was a high school
student that was enrolled at Hope for the fall.
Three final thoughts to sum up our letter. First, please remember the Heisler-Muiderman London
May Term Scholarship fund. Once again, it provided some much needed funding for two financially
needy students. We invite you to consider supporting this scholarship fund. Checks may be made
payable to Hope College with “London May Term Scholarship” on the memo line of the check. We
have enclosed a return envelope should you decide to contribute. All gifts of all sizes will help make
this program a reality for deserving students.
Second, we have established a beginning for the London May term. It has been determined that the
first official group was May 1974. Thus, we will mark our 40th anniversary with the May 2013 group.
Mark your calendars for the 50th year celebration in London for May 2023. Consider this an early
invitation.
Lastly, we leave you with one of the unique joys we have on this trip—watching our students
navigate the Cam River. The two pictures below tell much of the story. Our students don’t earn
much in terms of style points, but all of them return dry and in high spirits.
Nick at the controls
Liz at the controls
Who do you think had to fend off the walls more often?
Cheers,
Brian
Tom Smith & Brian Porter
Co-Leaders, London May Term 2012
Tom