 FIRST
REPORT FROM Leicester, England
Natalie Lesly, Jan 15, 2008
My study program:
Based on my experiences during the past two months, I am pleased with the
Museum Studies MA program at the University of Leicester. Part of the
reason why I chose to come to Leicester was because it has one of the
oldest and largest university-based museum studies programs in the world.
I thought that this would ensure that the program was well-established. I
have not been disappointed. The professors are very
 prolific researchers
and writers, who are clearly experts in their field. The academic staff
has been warm, welcoming and nurturing. I have no doubt that having this
year to study current practices in museums and the forces that are shaping
today’s cultural organizations will help me to make a greater impact in
the sector in the future.
Adapting to
the British university system has not been difficult, since there are many
similarities with schools in the United States. A far bigger adjustment has
been returning to the student lifestyle after working full-time for several
years. I’ve had to adjust to writing academic papers instead of publicity
materials, thinking about museum issues in a more theoretical and abstract
way, and reading academic literature.
I have
observed some differences between my current program and my experiences at
UCLA, although some of these may be attributed to being at the postgraduate
level. Instead of having a very strict reading list that the teachings are
based on, the professors here point students in the direction of a long list
of relevant literature and encourage them to explore the areas in which they
are most interested. While many of my courses at UCLA were constantly
assessed with quizzes, exams, and essays, at the U of Leicester there seems
to be fewer assessments, which are consequently worth a lot more. This
requires a lot of self-motivation and time management skills. Finally,
I’ve found that my courses here have a more interactive nature, where
lecturers incorporate group discussions into their presentations and expect
students to contribute their personal observations and opinions. At UCLA, it
was more common to find very formal lectures and most discussions took place
with teacher’s assistants, not professors. I do not see these stylistic
differences between the university systems as obstacles, but more of an
opportunity to develop new ways of thinking.
Preparing for this experience:
 In order to prepare for this year abroad, I took advantage of orientation
sessions organized by Rotarians, attended my host club’s rotary meetings,
and independently read about the history and culture of Great Britain.
There were two orientation meetings that I attended prior to my departure.
The first was the regional orientation, which took place in San Jose, CA.
This weekend event helped me to understand in greater detail the
expectations and requirements that Rotary had for Ambassadorial Scholars.
It was also a great opportunity to meet with other scholars from the
region and learn about their plans for the year. After hearing about all
the different places scholars were planning to study and why, I had a
clearer picture of the Ambassadorial program’s purpose and a heightened
sense of honor to be associated with that purpose.
In the month prior to my departure, my sponsoring district coordinator
organized a more intimate meeting at her home for me and the other
outbound scholar. She invited a past Ambassadorial Scholar and World Peace
Fellow, Angela Raeburn, to come and talk to us about her experiences with
Rotary. It was especially relevant because she had studied in the UK, so
she was able to offer insight into the cultural differences that I would
encounter. It was also inspiring to see the enthusiasm she had for the
program.
Before leaving for Leicester, I attended several weekly meetings with my
sponsoring Rotary club and spoke to them about my plans as an
Ambassadorial Scholar. This was a great opportunity to familiarize myself
with the rotary meeting format, get comfortable talking to Rotarians in an
informal setting, and experience the camaraderie that is a part of the
organization.
In addition to these meetings that helped me to prepare for my year in
Leicester, I read several books on the history of the UK as well as
cultural etiquette. My host counselor also sent me a book about Leicester
before my departure.
 I think that all of these things helped contribute to a fairly smooth
transition to living in the United Kingdom. Of course, because the U.S.
and U.K. share a common language, some history, and many of the same
values, one would expect to experience a lesser degree of “culture
shock”. Another factor that helped contribute to an easy transition was
the warm welcome I received from the Rotarians at my host club. The
Leicester Rotary Club provided a sort of care package upon arrival with
various items to help me get settled. My host counselor, as well as
several other Rotarians from the club, have welcomed me into their homes
and offered their support during my year here.
Rotary abroad/Ambassadorial activities:
Link Weekend in
Bournemouth
Presentations in
Stamford, Market Bosworth, Oadby
District Foundation
Meeting
Dinners, social events
with Rotarians
Since my arrival, I have been involved with Rotary in many ways. The first
weekend I was here, I traveled to RIBI’s LINK weekend in Bournemouth, with
another scholar studying in Leicester. The conference brought together all
the scholars in the UK for a welcome orientation. We stayed in the homes
of Rotarians, who cooked traditional English food for us and showed us
around their city. My hosts, John and Judy Thorpe were very warm and
treated me and the other scholars who stayed in their home like family.
 As
part of my ambassadorial responsibilities, I have attended several rotary
meetings in the surrounding area, giving presentations that include
information about my background, sponsoring city, and my plans for this
year. By sharing my own experiences and elaborating on how this
opportunity will impact my future, I hope that the local members will see
the value of the ambassadorial program and the Rotary Foundations other
educational programs.
Some other ways that I have been involved with Rotary have
been less formal. I’ve been welcomed into the homes of several Rotarians.
Whether it was a dinner party for twenty, or a meal with just the family,
these have been wonderful opportunities to talk candidly about life in the
U.K. and U.S. Rotarians have shared UK culture in other ways as well.
Patrick Boylan, my host counselor, recently took me to see the Royal
Shakespeare Company’s Henry VI, in Stratford-upon-Avon. The
district scholarship coordinator, Moira Bartlett, invited me and the other
scholar to take part in her church’s annual Christmas tree decorating
contest.
During my remaining time in Leicester, I hope that I will be able to get
involved in some of the service projects that Rotary has organized in the
community.
First impressions:
Leicester has an incredible amount of cultural diversity—it’s no wonder
why it’s known as “the multicultural city.” Walking into the city center,
I’m always amazed at the number of languages being spoken. A few weeks
ago, I attended the lighting celebration for the city’s Diwali festival, a
major Indian festival that is observed by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs.
Leicester hosts the largest celebration outside of India, and it was
exciting to observe a cultural tradition that I had no prior knowledge of.
The University of Leicester also has a very large international student
population, offering countless opportunities to learn about life in other
countries, as well as share my own experiences. I’d estimate that more
than half of the 80 students in my program are international, and I live
in a flat with students from Greece, Canada, Lebanon, and New Zealand.
Sharing my culture:
Along with
another student from the United States, we recently hosted a Thanksgiving
dinner, sharing an American tradition with a gathering of friends who were
from the UK, Finland, Germany, Austria, and Portugal. They were especially
eager to try the much talked about marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes and the
pumpkin pie, neither of which are common over here.
Cultural Significance
:I am also fortunate that my field of study encourages exploring the
cultural organizations of this country. Every few weeks, the program has a
fieldtrip to a different museum, which has included national museums in
London like the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum,
and the Museum of London. We have also gone to museums in smaller
communities, like Sheffield and Wolverhampton. It truly is inspiring to
see these diverse regions that take immense pride in their cultural
heritage. Through these museum visits, I have the opportunity to learn
about a wide range of topics including the history of England’s industry
and design, the British Yemeni population, and the stories of refugees
from war-torn countries.
Considering the number of opportunities I have had to learn about other
cultures and share my own in the first two months, I have no doubt that this
year will be a mind-opening experience and a chance to learn more about the
world we live in.
Natalie Lesly
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