Students to study abroad with Dr. Lidh in London

By Alison McClausen

Dr. Todd Lidh gets a starry-eyed look anytime he talks about his first love — William Shakespeare.

“It’s always been Shakespeare,” Lidh said with a smile when asked where his focus in teaching has been during his career. It was that love and utter devotion which made Professor Lidh organize this summer’s Study Abroad program to England.

The trip to London will be made by Professor Lidh and his wife as well as 15 students. One such student is sophomore Nathan Spicer, an English major. This will be Spicer’s first trip out of the country. He said that he’s looking forward to it not only for the international exposure, but also because of who is leading the group. Spicer said that, having taken a couple of Lidh’s classes, he felt assured this would be both intellectually stimulating as well as an enjoyable experience.
As the Study Abroad program is a three-credit course, there will be equal increments of classroom time and foreign travel. This is done to ensure that the students have both a sound understanding and well-rounded appreciation of the plays.

After arriving in London, the itinerary is full for the Study Abroad class: three live performances, tours of old theaters, visits to cathedrals and the palace, a boat tour, and basic tourist attractions. Even so, Lidh specified that the weekend is open for students to do as they like, free from any educational obligations.

The point of the trip, Lidh said, is to show the students a glimpse of Shakespeare’s London. To see how it has changed from then to now, both historically and culturally. Lidh plans on showing the students parts of London that visitors don’t generally get to see, because they wouldn’t normally know about it.

“I wear ’em out,” Lidh said jokingly.