London Architecture

One thing I have always been quite found of is the incredible architecture of London. It is quite fascinating how this city has evolved over centuries and the historical relevance of its buildings. I remember when we first arrived in London walking around the city in utter fascination at how incredibly beautiful the buildings were. It was like walking through a movie set as there is not such rich architecture in California.
The walking tour of the city was very interesting because it made the fusion of old London and new London very apparent. Although the old buildings have made a stamp on London I was actually quite amazed by the modern architecture as there was a building that was built inside out which I found to be absolutely genius since it was innovative and added a little edge to the city’s personality. The other building I found to be quite unique was the Gherkin. This phallic skyscraper is beautiful at any angle with its woman hips and curvature.
This tour as well as being in London has given me a greater appreciation for architecture especially seeing the pride that Londoners have in their city. It has taught me to adapt to new surroundings and grow to understand and value all that is past and present.

The U.S. - U.K. "special relationship"

The end of the UK – US special relationship has been sounded with an economic crash and a turn of power. Since the 1946 speech by Winston Churchill, the two nations have held exceptionally close political, diplomatic, cultural and historical relations until now. Over the years, the relationship has been maintained by two major powers has been due to the level of cooperation in military planning and execution, as well as the sharing of technology and intelligence at a level that some considered unparallel.
What I found most interesting about the lecture was that the US pays in millions of dollars into the British Intelligence budget. This definitely indicates a trusting bond of some sort as America is investing a lot of money into a British system. In fact the United States is the largest source of foreign direct investment to the British economy; likewise the United Kingdom is the largest single investor in the US economy. This is why the British economy took such a hard hit with the stock market crash in comparison to other major nations. The two not only share the same language or shared history but its economic policies seem to be quite in sync with each other.
While their relationship has been beneficial to both parties in many ways, I still think there is such a thing as being too close. Yes, it is absolutely detrimental to not have any allies during war time as having foreign support has proven to be very useful but where does one draw the line at being too close for comfort. Having such a close relationship drags one into the others problems and that itself can be a recipe for disaster.

Imperial War Museum

The War Museum was quite remarkable because it gave and illustrated facts from the war as well as its impact on people. The use of interviews, live and recorded was very effective because it showed how the war affected the real victims, the regular people. I came across two men who were sharing their memories from the war and what it was like living through Blitzkrieg and there is nothing like listening to a live recollection of the event and hearing the uncertainty these people lived with on a daily basis as they could lose loved ones or their lives without as little of a warning except the ticking of the V1 that served like the angel of death ushering them to their demise. Although there has been more civilian deaths in other wars, listening to these men speak reminded me that those recorded deaths were not just numbers, those were people’s lives. It was someone’s mother, daughter, father, son, brother or whatever the relationship may be, to someone they mattered.

I think the museum is quite brilliant in that it uses real live witnesses changes the experience completely. I remember walking through the Holocaust exhibit and this specific interview struck me. This lady was talking about the mass relocations. She recalled her family being told they were being relocated and were told to bring their most important things as well as pots and pan and home necessities and the glimpse of hope for normalcy that existed. For days they travelled, crammed together with very little air and forced to urinate or excrete in the open or on themselves. The experience was demoralizing as their most private acts became public. The museum was definitely eye opening and made me more appreciative of my life and opportunities as well as more respect for the lives lost and those who survived. I am greatful for the liberties I have and the respect for my human rights. It is very easy to take the little things for granted like the roof over ones head or even having a clean toilet at one's disposal.

ARCHITECTURE LECTURE AND TOUR

One of the truly amazing and magnificent things about London is its rich and historical architecture. Something that I have always commented about is Los Angeles’ lack of historical architecture when compared to London. In Professor Bob Craig’s architecture lecture and tour I was able to gain even more appreciation and understanding not only for London’s historical architecture but for London’s new modern architecture as well.

London is very full of rich architectural history that most Londoners are quite proud of. The times, however, they are a changing and there are those who believe that London deserves a more new and improved look. The compromise in this case is to allow the new to built in with the old but with a couple of limits. Protecting St Paul’s Cathedral and the view of it from several places in and around London due to its important architectural and historical significance.

During the walking tour I was really amazed by the new architecture already built special in London’s financial sector. I was surprised that my internship is within a five-minute walk of all these buildings. When I looked at new that is being built right next to the old I am reminded of how not to long ago the new rich and the old poor were very much concentrated in this one little area.

Lastly, I am still amazed and baffled at the fact that after four months of living in London and doing British life and culture classes I was still under the impression that St Paul’s Cathedral was catholic. It wasn’t until Bob Craig’s architecture walk that I was informed that St. Paul’s Cathedral is in fact protestant. I had heard it from someone in passing and I guess because I was more interest and fascinated about the cathedral as a great historical and architectural monument rather than a religious holy place I never gave it anymore thought. If anything I have learn from Professor Craig is this one very important and significant bit of information about St. Paul’s Cathedral.

British Law tour and lecture

The main point that I found interesting throughout the entire lecture on English law and the walk from Temple station was that the system has become outdated and is losing its impact because of it. This stuck out in my mind because it was a full vocalization of a thought that has seemed to work throughout many of the semesters, which is that English culture is failing to do as it once was because many of its procedures are now irrelevant. This does seem though to run against what most people think of English culture holding its traditions and its history higher than anything else.
The primary reason that our lecturer insisted that English law procedures are doing more harm than good is that they are intimidating and alien to the common man. English law procedure still requires that barristers and judges wear wigs to court along with gowns, which is a tradition that has existed for centuries. While the wig wearing has become more relaxed over time and people who are taking part in law procedures are able then to relate more with the people they are working with. Most criminals these days have come from a lower social status and because of this they would not know what to do in this scenario.
While I do find some appeal in the prestige and the history of wearing wigs to court I can see how it is not a very practical way of doing business. The concept of keeping up these outdated practices in only one section of social interaction does more harm than good. While it could be that by keeping up these practices we are trying to keep up certain standards, the more important thing to examine is whether they are standards that truly have an affect on society or if it is just lost symbolism.

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM

My object for the imperial war museum is a P-51 Mustang Fighter Plain, made by the North American plain company. It is a grey fighter plain that is small but filled with style. The plain has a white and black-checkered tip that looks like a very funny and cool nose. It has a black tail with the numbers 472218 and on either side of the air plain you can see three things. Towards the front of the plain in black cursive letters that are outlined in red you have the name of he plain – Big Beautiful Doll. The middle part of the plain has the letters “WZ” in black with a red outline. Towards the back of the fighter plain you have a drawing of the plain’s wings – a black circle with wings coming out of it and a white star in the center. Lastly, on the left hand side of the plain there were about fifty check marks in an almost perfect dot box square shape

It is the highest air plain in the museum. The plain hangs from the ceiling at eyelevel for people in the top floor. I first saw it when I walked into the museum and looked up, but I was able to see it more up close when I got to the third floor, right before entering the wing of the museum that is the concentration camps during WWII.

The history of this plain was very much the same as any other fighter plain during WWII. Both the pilot and his plain were in charge of protecting its country and attacking the enemy. This plain caught my attention because of the unique way in which it was painted. To me the plain represents a young brave soldier who is proud of who and what he is fighting for. Most importantly what amazed me about this plain is the check marks on the plain, which represented the number of enemy plains that this one plain had already destroyed. The plain and it’s pilot became example to it’s people and an intimidation to it’s enemies.

Special Relationship lecture

The relationship between the English and American’s has defiantly changed from its original position of warring countries. Throughout the years they have been able to form a sort of partnership that reached its highpoint in the twentieth century. The actions that took place during World Wars I and II were the defining moments when the United Kingdom and American’s were able to work together to a capacity that had not been seen before in world history.
Because World War I was a war that was able to reach all over the world and divided countries between two sides it would be expected that the most powerful countries to win would be the countries looked to for world leadership. It was through this that the special relationship between the United Kingdom and America was built and then began to thrive throughout the rest of the century. What then tends to be taken as the first strong example of this special relationship is the United States entering World War II along with British soldiers and their allies. Through this war we began to see the first real bond between the English Prime Minister, at the time Winston Churchill, and the American President, who at the time was Franklin Roosevelt. The way the two countries have been able to keep this sort of friendship in their leaders has been interesting over the years, but I found it to be especially interesting over these recent years. It makes sense to me that Ronald Regan and Margaret Thatcher were able to work cooperatively and that Bill Clinton was able to keep a strong relationship with Tony Blair. Both of these pairings were with leaders of a similar political stance and that may be why the special relationship was able to exist so well. Over the past few leadership terms though there have been very differing view points on each side with roughly eight years of Tony Blair and George Bush Jr. and then the start of Gordon Brown and President Obama. While these four leaders have all tried to remain friendly with each other they are of very different viewpoints and have seen what is now being called the end of the special relationship. While the countries and the leaders have maintained a good friendship they are not working together in the same way and we have to look towards other countries for the possibility of joint leadership.

Social Class lecture

The discussion on social class really put a definite twist to the basic information given in the first part of the semester. The basic themes were given in that Britain’s class structure still thoroughly exists within society and shows no signs of leaving. In fact all that has really happened over the past century is that these divisions have become much more clear in society despite there being attempts to rebel against them. The classes have become much more clear to each individual in regards to those around them yet almost impossible for identifying within yourself. Class structure has gotten so complicated that most people need nine levels of economic class to define a person, yet 95% of people will describe themselves as being middleclass.
The lecture was very key in pointing out that social class structure depends on a great deal more, especially in western cultures like Britain, than economic status. Who the parents and ancestors are of an individual play a great deal into their social status, particularly in Britain because of the school systems. Britain’s best schools tend to work off people having enough money or knowing the right people and it tends to be that the connections exist if a parent went to the school as well. Ethnicity is playing a less important role in society than it was before but the factor of ancestry can be a part of ethnicity.
The film that was shown to us then had the certain twist that seemed hinted at throughout the entire lecture which was that, the upper classes, when closely examined, should be viewed with as much ridiculousness as the behaviors of lower classes. As the lecturer pointed out the behaviors of the upper classes in the United Kingdom tend to be the same sort of activities that are associated with the lower classes of the United States. This sort of familiar reference gave a great point into his implied twist that the upper class should be viewed with the same sort of thought as the lower classes at first glance.

Legal System

In this lecture we learned a lot about the legal system in the UK and how the court system operates. The lecture and the walking tour combined provided great deal of information and gave us a good visual of the life of a person working in the court system. It was interesting to learn all the differences between the US and UK legal systems. The two most interesting difference between the US and the UK law is that the UK doesn’t have a written constitution. The closest document to our constitution is the Human Rights Act, and the UKs stance on murder. The UK court system doesn’t have a death penalty or degrees of murder. Another intriguing fact was that in the UK court system, the judge and lawyers have to wear wigs and robes. It was interesting to pass by the Ravenscroft store, which displayed various wigs; this gave a great visual of the attire worn. The lecturer was very opinionated and spoke about how the American legal system was more complex than the UKs as well as stating various times that we stole ideas from the United Kingdoms legal system. Although the lecturer was very entertaining and cracked many sarcastic jokes, I think his lecture would have been hard to follow with out attending the walking tour.

Imperial War Museum

The Imperial War Museum was my favorite museum thus far. It offered great information about the warfare, people, and sufferings during this time. My favorite and most touching exhibit was the Holocaust exhibition. The videos, pictures and artifacts displayed, offered a real life view into the time era of the Holocaust and the horror and suffering that took place. A picture that stands out most in my mind is that of a young woman by the name, Anna V. Anna was a young orphaned girl who suffered from depression after losing her job after unemployment struck the country. She was sent to a mental hospital where she was diagnosed with ‘innate feeble mindedness.’ The doctors attempted to sterilizer her so she wouldn’t pass on her ‘bad genes’ to her child. A few months later she gave birth to a baby and her baby was taken into care and she was sterilized. It is awful that the government had such power, that they could decide who was suited to have children and was could not. Taking away a woman’s right to birth is so appalling to me. I couldn’t believe people who were mentally and physically disordered were sterilized and killed for their misfortunes.

Another exhibit that struck me was the cabinet containing a roll of yellow Jewish stars. In many countries controlled by the Nazis, Jews were ordered to sew these yellow stars onto their clothing. Anyone caught without one could be imprisoned and shot. This star was first intended to humiliate the Jews and mark the out for segregation and discrimination. Later it made them easy to round up and deport to camps. Watching the films near this exhibit was heart wrenching. People spoke of how they felt like animals herding through the streets, and how they felt humiliated. It was so sad to see pictures of children wearing these yellow stars.

"Special Relationship"

The lecture on the special relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States was one of my favorite lectures from the second half of the program. Living here and traveling throughout Europe I am always interested to see people’s response to finding out I am American. For the most part peoples’ response have been positive but I have also run into situations that we not so positive and a bit awkward. Thus I have always wondered about the relationship the United States has developed with other countries, especially the United Kingdom. The lecture focused on their similarities in language, economics and government. The lecturer also went over cultural similarities. The history of this “special relationship” began with the original 13 colonies. With British occupancy of the east coast of the US, England had a heavy influence on policy and culture. The part I enjoyed most was the activity at the end of the lecture. This gave a great visual as to how alike the United Kingdom is to the United States compared to the European Union. For example, British obesity and the size of their smoking population is closer in common to the United States. The language spoken in both countries is an obvious similarity, although slang in both countries differs a little. Living in London, our countries cultural similarities have been quite obvious to observe.

Therefore the part I found most interesting was the similarities within our governments. Our American Bill of Rights found some inspiration from the English Magna Carta. The big difference between law, government and policies is the United States has a written constitution and the United Kingdom does not. Such similarities may stem from constant allied relationships through wartime. It was exciting to take a step back and time and learn where our relationship routed and how it has grown. Learning about British history this semester has given me a better insight into American history and where our history began.

The U.S. and the UK—A Special Relationship: Jessica Ramirez

This was one of the most interesting lectures for me this second half of the term. I have always wondered about the relationship the United States had with other countries, especially the UK. The start of this special relationship started in 1945 where the Yalta Peace Conference took place and it was made between the UK, the US, and Russia. It was meant to discuss the re-establishment of Europe, who had just been damaged because of the war. A year later, the 1946 Sinew of Peace Address was established for the world to be a safer place. This is when the United States and United Kingdom would band together for the joint use of naval and air force. I am noticing that it is important for countries to have allies, especially in times of war.

Although the United States and United Kingdom are do not longer have this “special relationship”, they are still connected with so much history and each country wouldn’t be what it is today if it wasn’t for their past experiences with each other. Since Obama came into office, he has stopped focusing on Europe as a whole and has started to focus on other countries such as Russia and China. Although both countries are now undergoing many changes, especially because of the hard economic times, the people of both countries remain powerful and strong.

Well, the United States and United Kingdom have many similarities in language, shared history, literature & film, investments, military alliance, intelligence, and legal institutions. I was shocked to see that both of these countries have more things in common than they do differences. Even within legal institutions, the fact that the United States has a written constitution and the United Kingdom doesn’t still creates a massive difference between both countries.

Jessica Ramirez 23/04/10

Social Class—(Jessica Ramirez)

I have always found this topic very interesting because in America, pretty much everyone considers their status as ‘middle class’. They figure if they’re not homeless and if they are working, then they are not upper or lower but middle. England on the other hand has more distinct classes. This is mainly determined not only by wealth in (pound amount) but by land ownership. This was a main difference in the social stratification between the United States and the United Kingdom. The feudal system has now caused this major distinction in the social classes in England today. The United States never had a feudal system, which is a main reason why most people believe they are in the middle class sector. The feudal system was basically a division between the Lords and the Serfs. The King would grant land to the lower line and so forth and in return those lower lines would grant promises to the line going up. It was either owning land or not. In the 1340s, England’s feudal system was terminated because of the Black Death which wiped out half of the population. Of the people left, a new class was created called the Gentry—where America’s founding fathers were a part of and these members owned land and were considered wealthy. Depending on which society we are discussing, money doesn’t necessarily mean upper class. In class, we discussed all the other factors that make a person upper class which included education, income, and occupation. These are all different factors that individuals consider when classifying a person under class. In England, certain hobbies and activities are not considered upper class such as hunting, and performing hobbies in the countryside. Overall, it was a very debatable lecture and I love that everyone had a say in what they thought social class was! I also enjoyed the video I saw, it was hilarious!

-Jessica Ramirez 23/04/10

Imperial War Museum—(Jessica Ramirez)

My experience at the Imperial War Museum was very touching. My favourite part was the thirty minute genocide film. This film dealt with why genocide occurs, the biggest genocides that have ever occurred, and how it still occurs in this day in age. Genocide begins with a thought. It is the mass killing of a certain group, which is performed by another group who literally hates and blames the other group for their state of despair or anguish. Genocide is a way to try to “exterminate” their interpretation of the perpetrators Genocide is a way to try to “exterminate” who they believe is at fault and not take full accountability. Just like Hitler blamed all Jewish people and people who were not “Aryan” for causes of the Great Depression, he thought the only way to gain economic prosperity was to kill the supposed perpetrators. The Holocaust was the biggest genocide the world’s history has ever witnessed. This film also delved into the mass killings still occurring in certain parts of Africa. Rwanda was greatly impacted by these mass killings and they also derived from the same thought processes that Hitler had. The government system is not structured and that is a major reason for this happening today. What really touched me were the true life accounts of people directly affected by genocide. There were several interviews done with victims from the genocide in Cambodia, in this case, for their religious beliefs. This woman who was interviewed literally witnessed her whole family slaughtered in front of her eyes. Toward the end of the film, anti-genocide advocates stressed the importance of having a stronger international force to help prevent this from happening. Volunteers are beginning to go out to the countries still affected by genocide and try to help the people that are living through it on a day to day basis.

-Jessica Ramirez 23/04/10

Legal System Fieldtrip: Inns of Court

(Photo credits: me; I thought their names were cute)

Last month, we were able to go on a fascinating walking tour (early in the morning!) around Embankment area which is where most of Britain’s legal system functions. We were able to get a tour of Inns of Court and witness everyone doing their daily routine. Everyone hurried past us on their way to dealing with some case or another, and while our ex-barrister tour guide told us about the judges, we got to witness one of the judges in his wig and robes getting driven off in a nice Roles Royce on his way to get sworn in!

We then walked into their one hall, into the room where they eat lunch, and were supposed to learn how much history had happened just in that one room. We learnt that the long head table was made out of the tree that Queen Elizabeth I had given to them, and that the tree was actually planted really far away from London, so they transported it down the Thames to the Hall and then had a table made out of it. He also spoke about how around Christmas, they would have a long celebration filled with merriment and entertainment, and for one of their parties their commissioned Shakespeare to write a play for them. He wrote 12th Night for them, which is why there are jokes about lawyers in the play and even made a joke about yellow stockings because Queen Elizabeth I made it a rule that no one could wear yellow stockings. We then took a tour around the other buildings near by, such as the church which hardly had any damage from WWII (though all the buildings around it got bombed) and saw one of the buildings where the lawyers are stationed (and even ran into the head-honcho one!). We then went over to Ravenscroft store and learned about the wigs and robes and the tradition to wearing them.

This relates not only to my course of studies (business) but to everyone because law is something that everyone must abide too (though some do not), and it is interesting to see the differences between different countries such as between their law system and ours.

UK and US special relationship

I found this lecture to be very interesting compared to other lectures because we haven't heard any information about the UK dealing with other countries except for during war times. The "special relationship" started in 1945, with the Yalta Peace Conference. It created the closest Alliance of World War II including Russia, UK, and US with Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt. Other special relationships between the two countries included Reagen and Thatcher, Tony Blair and Clinton and also George Bush.
When it comes to both of these countries, there are many things in common. Apart from the fact that there isn't a language barrier between the countries, they also have similar views when it comes to investments and economics, military intelligence, and legal system. When it comes to entertainment, the countries are very similar with literature, films, and theater. In the UK, London is very into theater and has various productions going throughout the year, which brings in a lot of money. The US isn't as big as the UK, but New York and Los Angeles also have various theater productions throughout the year which brings in a good amount of money as well. The fact that the countries have these things in common, among with others, I think that also made the special relationship easy.
Today, the use of "special relationship" is no longer politically correct. Some people say that the special relationship between the two countries has completely ended due to the relationship between Barack Obama and Gordon Brown. It is thought that Obama is less sentimental about the relationship and is concentrating on building relationships with other countries.
With that said, I feel that the US should still try to keep a strong relationship with the UK because of everything the countries have been through. There is always a chance that something will happen and each country will need the support of the other.

UK and US special relationship

UK Legal System

I really took interest in learning about the United Kingdoms legal system and learning about their rules and the way they run the country. The Magna Carta was originally written to give people their rights. But technically it only applied to the upper class. It was also interesting to learn that "trial by jury" came from the Magna Carta.
I found it interesting that individuals that were from a Protestant background could only be royals. I think that it is sad that if you want to marry someone of a different faith you have to give up your royal identity. I love that the Queen is the one that gets all the attention and not the King. I love the fact that there is a royal family and the people of Britain do as well because their was a vote in 2004 and 71% of the people in Britain elected to have a monarchy. Unlike the U.S. the Parliament is elected for five years and there are 649 members of Parliament. There are three stages of Parliament which include common then lords then on top is monarch which is Queen Elizabeth. I am excited because campaigning is going on right now for a new Prime Minister and I like that I can watch how they campaign and learn about what all the candidates stand for. Also because it is election time the House of Parliament is empty until the election which is May 6th.
In our Miranda Rights in the U.S. we have the line "you have the right to remain silent," but in the U.K. they do not say that. In the U.K. legal system they have three tiers of courts. The lowest tier is the Majistrates court, the second tier is Crown court and lastly the highest tier is the Supreme court.
I was intrigued to find out that the U.K. does not have the death penalty, I do not think we could ever get that passed in the states, places like Texas would never allow it. They do have a good reason though in the case of John Christy. He strangled women then had sex with them, but unfortunately another man (the wrong person) was hung before John Christy, that man was obviously wrongly accused.
Finally, there is no TV in the UK court rooms and only press are allowed in courtrooms. Unlike the U.S. the United Kingdom has no constitutions. We have a lot of similarity between our two countries, but our ways of running the country greatly differ.

U.S. and England Special Relationship

During our lecture with Professor Adamo, we spoke about "the special relationship" between the U.S. and England. In the past, England has always seemed to be a priority for the U.S. and throughout history; they have always been one of our closest allies until recently. During the lecture we spoke about the past and what consisted of our relationships throughout the years.

In 1945 at the Yalta Peace conference, Russia, America, and the UK created the closest military relationships ever and joined the WWII effort. The term 'special relationship' was coined during WWII from Churchill after Roosevelt and Churchill became close during WWII. This relationship eventually dissolved in 1956 after the Suez Canal incident. England and U.S. leaders have always been close up until Obama. Besides Churchill and Roosevelt, then there was the relationship between Thatcher and Regan. Together they were close and dealt with the Cold War and with the Falk Islands which was when Britain was fighting against Argentina for control of the islands. US stepped in and helped with the intelligence and helped Britain to take control of the islands. Next there was Blair and Clinton who went through Kosovo, Northern Ireland (peace talks), and through Clinton’s Monica scandal. Blair was more of a ‘soul mate’ with Bush though, who both went through Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Today it is Obama and Brown who have to both deal with the economy though Obama is focusing more on his relationship with Asia and Russia then with England and France.

I think that it is a shame that our special relationship is dead because of everything both of our nations have went through together, but it was something that was already on its way to dissolving. We will always have a link with England because our history and bond goes way too far back and we’ll always have some sort of allies with them, and hopefully we will be able to become closer with some other countries such as Asia and Russia.

The Special Relationship between the U.S. and U.K.

It is fascinating to see relationships take their course especially with the U.S. and the U.K. I have always seen the U.K. like a cousin to the U.S. and finding out that it is ending kind of upsets me. I respect that are relationship came to terms at such a time of turmoil in the world's history during World War 2. Winston Churchill coins the term special relationship between our two countries back in 1946. Winstson Churchill also said in 1946 for the world to be a better place the U.S. and the U.K. need to be close. So what happens next for our two countries? We have so much in common with our shared language and close history, we invest more in each other than any other paired countries, and especially right now in a time of war with Afghanistan and Iraq we have a military alliance and shared intelligence. The relationship between our countries was understanding, communication, compromise, exclusivity, and equality. Now the relationship that we have is only in terms of intelligence and security. We have had similar history and have been so close together for a good majority of the time. Now with our new President Obama he is ending this special relationship and not focusing on Europe anymore. President Obama is moving his focus to China. Everyone now wants to be Obama's friend and is fighting for his friendship. The old special relationships were between Reagan and Thatcher, Tony Blair and President Clinton and Tony Blair and President Geaorge Bush who all got on well with one another, espeically President Bush and Tony Blair after 67 British people died in the tragic 9/11 attacks. I think it is important that we continue the relationship with Britain since they are a strong country and they do have the second largest batch of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Our two countries have invested a lot in one another, it is unfortunate that it has to end.

Imperial War Museum

I spent a lot of time in The Holocaust Museum. Every part of the museum stroked my emotions in such different ways. When I came to the actual Star of David that the Jews had to wear, I was saddened. The fabric of which the star was made and seeing actual stars that belonged to Jews really touched me. The stars were in two cases right after the “Final Solution” of the full conquest of getting rid of the Jewish community. The case was labeled “Marked Out.” The Star of David has significance because throughout World War Two that was how Jews were identified. In most countries that the Nazis controlled, Nazis ordered Jews to sew a yellow star onto their clothing. Since the Nazis were so intense anyone caught without their star could be imprisoned or simply shot. The yellow stars were first introduced in Poland, which of course was the first country to be occupied by Germany in 1939 and as the Nazis became more powerful they made Jews in other countries wear them from 1941. It just pains me that a symbol of Jewish faith was used against them to humiliate the Jews and mark them out so that people could identify them and stay away from them because they were inferior and seen as subhuman. The yellow star segregated and discriminated the Jews. Later, unfortunately, the yellow star made it easy to round up and deport the Jews to concentration camps. To be called out because of your faith and because after World War One Communists and other Jewish leaders formed a revolt supposedly making the Germans look weak for losing the war does not mean that gives anyone the go ahead to punish everyone of that background. To punish all and humiliate them and destroy their race and culture is completely ridiculous. I still wonder how Hitler got away with as much as he did because his own mother was Jewish and in Jewish culture if the mother is Jewish then the children are Jewish.

UK and US Special Relationship- Ali Mazzulo

In the UK/US "special" relationship lecture I learned great detail of this distinct relationship between our two countries. I learned (and was already aware of most of these) the reasons for this special relationship with the US and UK's similarities in : language, shared history and blood, literature and films, economic cycles and investments (invest in each others' cultures), military intelligence (and alliance to each other) and finally in our legal systems.  I learned how Winston Churchill articulated the phrase "special relationship" about the two countries in 1946. He even stated that the US and UK need to stick together to maintain peace in the world. I have always thought of the US being linked to the UK and vice versa, but this lecture really reiterated just how linked our countries are. 

What I found the most interesting were the pairs of UK Prime Ministers and US Presidents who got on so famously well.  PM Churchill and President Roosevelt, PM Margaret Thatcher and President Reagan,  PM Rogers and President Clinton, PM Blair and President Bush, and now PM Brown and President Obama! It is really quite comical just how well these world leaders got along, starting of course with Churchill and Roosevelt who seemingly had the "most special" relationship. Learning about these special relationships between Presidents and Prime Ministers makes it even more clear why and how our countries are so linked.

Refreshing my memory on WW2, I was also reminded and found it interesting just how closely the US and UK worked together during the war. This was likely the closest intelligence ever between to countries and it does not surprise me that it was between the US and UK.

This lecture could tie into my major because of its link to culture, with both the US and the UK influencing one another. When two countries work together as closely as these two it is inevitable for this influence to happen, whether it is through ideologies, pop culture such as fashion and entertainment or our democratic legal systems, we will likely be forever linked.

Legal System- Ali Mazzulo

In this lecture we learned a lot about the legal system in the UK and how it is operated.

Two things  I found the most interesting were the changing views and there fore punishments for both rape and murder.

For rape, it was once not seen as a big deal, like in many other places, likely with women being blamed more than the men that raped them. Now in the UK convicted rapists can get life in prison. I think this is great and it shows the public that rape is a serious crime that will not go unpunished or unnoticed.

For murder, there has been no death penalty since 1998 with the Human Rights Act. The famous case of the 1950's serial killer on the loose made law makers rethink this policy. The "killer" was caught, tried for murder, and put to death, however the murders continued, meaning of course that they convicted and killed the wrong person.  When the "real" killer was finally found there was big debate on whether or not to continue capital punishment and soon thereafter it was and is still no longer used in the UK.

Something I found very interesting about UK legal system comparing to the US's is how there is no written constitution. The closest that comes to this is the Human Rights Act, however even that is debatable. This is one of the biggest differences between UK and US law, with the US referencing its written Constitution for nearly all rights and laws, and the UK not even having anything in official writing.

This lecture ties into my major of Sociology with the example of rape cases. I have learned a lot about women's rights and gender roles and power struggles between the sexes in my classes.  As women in this new age are treated more like equals, crimes like rape that had little to no punishment years ago (when women were seen as inferior) are now taken very seriously. It just represents how the view of women and men and the powers and hierarchies between them have been changing over the years and will continue to change.

SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP

The United States of American and England are two powerhouses that can perfectly stand-alone but together they have proven to play quite nicely with each other. Their unstable history goes back to the founding of the United States, which was an act of revolution against the English government to begin with. However, after a long time a strong and beneficial relationship between these two countries was built.

The events that took place during World War I and World War II were crucial steps in the right direction between the countries. World War I introduced the world to a level of global conflict and destruction it had never seen before. The alliance formed between the United States and Britain would be a long-lasting connection that only grew stronger during World War II. Although the American people did not support U.S. involvement in the war and England was being bombarded and destroyed by Germany, once Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941 the U.S. had no choice but to enter the war. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin Roosevelt formed an incredibly strong and comprehensive alliance. The alliance, which was termed a “special relationship,” was a governmental, militaristic, and intelligence-based partnership. Never before and never since then has there been such a unilateral sharing of information and planning between two countries.

The developments of the countries parallel very similarly, in addition to their common history, and when the founding fathers of America formed their basis of government, they drew from many British and European principles. Even as the decades continue to pass, the relationship between England and the United States will undoubtedly continue to thrive. However, just recently, the governments declared an end to the infamous “special relationship,” and although the countries continue to be close allies the recent shift taken by the Obama administration has moved towards working with the European Union and away from simply England. This should bring about some interesting political commentary over the next few years.

US and UK - a special relationship

Churchill in 1946 created the term "special relationship" to describe the US and UK's relation. Which was based on understanding, communication, compromise, exclusivity and equality. Since then the UK and US have had a continuous 'special relationship' that finally seems to becoming to end. It all started with Churchill and Roosevelt then Thatcher and Reagan, then Blair and Clinton and Blair and Bush... all these presidents and prime ministers had similar agendas and each others backs.

 It all began around WWII when Britain new that eventually Hitler was going invade/attack and that it needed the support/funding of the U.S. if it was to stand a fighting chance. At the time many Americans were not up for war. So the US decided (forced) to remain neutral. After a long meeting the US agreed to 'lend-lease' which meant it would lend money to Britain (assist for the war). But it all turned around when America was attacked at Pearl Harbor. Churchill was believed to be glad for Peal Harbor since he believed that it would force the US to join WWII. Churchill believed that 'for the world to be a safer place the US and Britain need to be/stick together".  And for a while (looking through history) I think many Presidents and Prime ministers also believed that. 

Realistically speaking even though it is believed that this 'special relationship' has come to an end- the UK and the US will always remain connected in some way or form- through our language, history/blood, lit and films, investment/economies, war/military alliance, legal institutions, etc. Maybe that relation won't be as strong at it one stood but there is no denying that they will continue to influence and take each other into consideration. 

Social Class

All societies have some form of social stratification (the way society is structured either by many factors: age, gender, income, ethnicity, etc) which gives preference to certain groups of people over others. As a sociology major it was interesting to hear and understand UK's social class and how it differs from the U.S. Many tend to believe that class is usually made up of financial capital (more money= higher class) but as  we learned in lecture other factors also influence an individuals social class. Along with financial capital-  cultural capital (status) also plays a big part on a persons social position. Having money is only partial. How a person dresses, what they eat, how they talk, what they do in their free time, who they socialize with, what schools they go to, etc all this also plays a factor in dividing groups. For example just because David Beckham makes millions of dollars does not  mean he is upper class- at the end of the night he is still just a football player. What I found really ironic and which proves class is a social construction (not 'real') was that what is considered to be high class- snobby things (actions) in England- like hunting, rural, horses, religious, right wings, etc is similar to what Americans associate with being a 'redneck'. 

England used to be a feudal society which was divided between the Lords and the serfs- no middle class. Feudal England ended around the 1340's when the Black Death killed half of its population. Out of that time emerged a new class called Gentry- where actually many of the US founding fathers belonged to. The Gentry were considered 'upper class' gentlemen who owned property. In England today 'power' is made up of not only wealth but also landownership- since it is only owned by a few. England still has a clear cut distinction between upper vs. working class since it never had a middle class revolution unlike America where everyone considers themselves middle class.

Architecture

In lecture we covered a few different British architects and their works. The first piece of architecture (although it is much more then that) that we discussed was St. Paul's Cathedral. This historic building holds much meaning for the people of London, and it is so important that it is protected. At any time, there are five protected corridor viewpoints of the Cathedral. There may be no buildings that come within about two fingers width of the Cathedral, to preserve this space. Designed by Christopher Wren, the Cathedral was purposefully build so that from a distance, it looked like it was a building above the rest. Bob also mentioned that there are three different grades of listed buildings, Grade I, II*, and II. Grade II*. Buildings are graded according to their architectural, and historical significance and interest. Most buildings are listed, even those that seem miniscule—a barn that was made before 1600 will still be listed, for the mere fact that it was made before 1600.
As for more modern architects, we talked about Richard Rogers who is known for celebrating what makes a building's interior, on it's exterior. He is also marked by using primary colors. Known as “Lord Rogers,” one of his buildings can be found in London at Lloyd's Insurance Market. Another well known architect is Norman Foster, creator of the Great Court in the British Museum, the Millenium Bridge, the Gerkin and much more. On the walking tour we go to see a few of these buildings, which is always fun because it's nice to actually see the things you learn about, immediately after. Going to school to be a teacher, I think talking to kids about architecture is a great idea. Maybe not all of the kids would be particularly interested, but there may be one that will be, and besides that, it is just informative anyway. British architecture may seem far away from the education field, but I think it would be great to show kids where their creativity can take them.

A Special Relationship

I was interested in the US and UK special relationship lecture before I even walked into the room. Why? Because I really like the idea of it. The idea that countries can have positive shared histories together that are still alive hundreds of years later, through the people, culture, and politics. In lecture, we pinpointed three aspects that quality a relationship as being special: having communication, exclusivity, and equality. At the 1945 Yalta Peace Conference, Russia, America, and the UK were together via Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill. Russia was soon kicked out of the picture (three is a crowd, I guess) and from 1946 onward, it was decided that mentally and practically the UK and US should stick together...although, as we know, we share an entwined history that further strengthens some kind of intrinsic, second kin relationship. After all we share a language (although it doesn't feel that way sometimes), have the same blood, share literature and films, and have always had a strong military alliance and shared intelligence.
I especially loved learning about it from a British point of view. I thought it was incredibly interesting learning about the Britain's 'missed opportunity' to be a part of the EU, and to also learn a little more about the personal relationship between our national leaders. Some say that the term 'special relationship' should be dropped however, and that may be a part of the growth of the relationship. As a prospective educator in an elementary school, I liked learning about the different point of view from the UK prospective. I think it would be great to mention this to children, as a way to not only build empathy but also deepen their knowledge of the importance of history to our present. I am not sure what I think about dropping the 'special relationship' term, or even how much of an impact that has on changing it any way.

Imperial War Museum

When I went to the Imperial War Museum, I was impressed by all the different exhibits and vast amount of history in the building. Although the entire museum was interesting, I was most moved by the Holocaust exhibition on the third floor. Between the mobile killing squad room and the ghettos exhibit, there was a photograph and quote on the left side of the room. In the picture, there is an enormous, deep ditch full of corpses of people piled on top of each other. Surrounding this ditch is a building with an upper level full of Nazis. There is a man with a gun about to shoot a man standing by the ditch. This picture is describing what, unfortunately, was common practice during the Holocaust. Jews were forced into camps and would often be told to dig ditches, which could (and most likely would) become their own grave. I think this picture is important and meaningful because it captures such a horrible moment in the world's history. And I don't think it does so in a sensationalist way at all, but rather in a solemn one. Remembering events like this and putting these pictures up keeps those awful memories alive in a constructive respectful manner, reminding future generations of the struggles and trials of those before them. That's one of the reasons that museums are so important. The Imperial War Museum is uncomfortable and unpleasant. Walking through the different exhibits doesn't make a person feel good about themselves or human nature, but that's okay because it reminds us of what people can be capable of if they let themselves partake of such hate . It also reminds us of the power and impact that a single individual's choices and decision making can have. I will definitely find my way back to this museum.

Imperial War Museum

London has had an extensive war history. From early invasions to the great war(s). All the wars have had an affect on soldiers in battle and their families, the city's infrastructures, and civilian casualties. But war also has had a tremendous effect on a group often dismissed- children. I found it really interesting that the Imperial War Museum designed an exhibition dedicated to children- how they were affected by the war- called 'The Children's War'. An object that really stood out to me was the Headstone of Raymond Steed. Located at the enterance (right side) in between the Violet Webb Gravestone and the bronze sculpture commemorating more than 4,000 people of Liverpool and Bootle who lost their lives during the air rades of 1940-1942. The headstone belonged to Raymond a 14 year old who became the youngest boy to die on active service during the war. He served with the Merchant navy as a galley boy and was killed when his ship hit a mine of the coast of North Africa on 26 April 1943.Sadly he wasn't the only boy to die, overall 3,547 boys under age 18 died on active duty. His headstone was heartbreaking and made me realize that everyone is affected by war- even those who have no real business being in it. Not only did young boys die in service but many died as civilian casualties and many more were dislocated from their homes and parents. Many kids were shipped off to other regions or countries and many didn't see their families for years to come- even after the war. This exhibit and especially the headstone shows the price of war- and really gives a new perspective on war (through the eyes of children). It really takes into account the fact that those who end up being effected the most are those who had the least say on it- women and children. Having a younger sibling and living in a country who is currently at war- I couldn't fathom how it would have felt to be in active duty at such a young age or to be separated from your parents and send off to another family that you don't know- or in general how it felt to be so young living under violence [terror]. But by seeing this exhibitions it really gives people like myself, who haven't experience the effects of war directly, and opportunity to get a slight sense of how life was for many younger children (and civilians) during the war.

-Ariana

London Architecture

I found the lecture on London Architecture to be very interesting since the buildings and history are very different compared to the surroundings I am used to at home. One of the areas I found most interesting was the Barbican. The area is a 35 acre bomb site that was purchased by the city of London corporation. It is a 1955 design that had flats for 6,500 people. It is also known as the tallest European residential towers. There are 43 stories and it stands at 400 feet high. The area includes shops, schools, theatre, gallery, and museum of London. I found this information interesting because while I have been walking around London with my boss for my internship, I have been to many different areas of London, and the Barbican was one of them. My boss pointed out the buildings to me, and even told me a little of information about it. It was really cool to hear more information in the lecture about an area I had already been exposed to but didn't know alot about. Since the buildings were built in order to provide housing for so many people, alot of wealthy business men and bankers have bought some of the units as investments, hoping to rent them out or sell them in the future in order to make a profit.
Another part of the lecture that I found interesting was about the 3 grades of listed buildings. Grade I is buildings of outstanding or exceptional interest. Grade II* is important buildings of more than special interest, not of outstanding class. Grade II is buildings of special interest which warrant every effort to preserve them.
The last part of the lecture that I found interesting was how the buildings that are thought to be built in the future have interesting names based on the shape. My favorite was the "Cheese Grater". It is currently a hole in the ground and right now is a victim of the recession. The reason the building is planned to be slanted, giving it the cheese grater look, is because it has to have the protected views of St. Pauls Cathedral.

Imperial War Museum

Inside the Imperial War Museum, I found the Holocaust exhibit to be very interesting. This exhibit was filled with pictures, videos, artifacts, and information from the start of the Holocaust till the end in 1944. A few pictures and objects stood out to me the most. The first was a picture of Margot Schloss. In November 1935, she and her husband were arrested in their home along with the other members of their literary discussion group. They were thought to be communists because of what a prior maid had said, and were put into solitary confinement for six weeks. During this time, she made a set of playing cards with a pin and some packing paper that she had found on the floor of the cell. The playing cards were on display in the case with her picture. I thought it was so cool to see the actual playing cards that she had made during that time. I also thought this was interesting because the whole group was arrested on the basis that someone said they were communist, and they weren’t. During this time, everyone was judged harshly and any accusations were taken seriously. Another thing that I found interesting throughout this exhibit was the “Mother’s Honour Crosses”. The Nazis encouraged ‘Aryan’ women to have more children during the holocaust so that the population could grow and leave no traces of the Jews. The mothers were given these crosses when they produced more children, along with a certificate. If a mother had eight or more children, they were awarded the ‘Gold Mother’s Honour Cross’. This object of the exhibit really struck me because it was mind blowing to see a certificate and cross that was actually given to a mother for having more ‘Aryan’ children to support the community. It is so interesting that the government urged mothers to have more children, and then gave them award for it. I think of it as exploitation. Overall, the Holocaust exhibit within the Imperial War Museum provided a lot of information and was very interesting.