ASA: Academic Study Associates 2008 Programs

Dear ASA Families and Friends,

We had an exciting week three at ASA Cambridge. Students took a Ghost Tour through Cambridge, and attended Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" in the gardens of St. John's College. Almost every student and staff member took a turn at the microphone for Karaoke night! Students were enthralled at the staff's rendition of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from the Lion King, and Chris and Kate's version of "I Want it that Way" by the Backstreet Boys. Several students braved the rain in order to take a tour of King's College Chapel, and none were disappointed.

London
On Saturday, students had a picture-perfect day in
Parliament Square, Knightsbridge and Harrods.
Students walked along the River Thames, took photographs of the London Eye, Parliament and Westminster Abbey, and then headed over to the world-famous Victoria & Albert Museum, Museum of Natural History, and National Science Museum. Perhaps the highlight of the day for many students was a walk through Harrods department store.

Dover
On Sunday, ASA Cambridge traveled to the White Cliffs of Dover for a visit to Dover Castle and the Secret War Tunnels. They visited the 1st Century Roman Lighthouse the "Pharos," and got to witness an airshow of World War II fighters. This past weekend was the 100th anniversary of the Bleriot flight across the Strait of Dover. A highlight of the day was the tour of the Secret War tunnels that Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsey used to orchestrate Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Dunkirk.

Dear ASA Families and Friends,

This past weekend at their Floor Meetings, students met with their RAs to go over their departure information. If any of their departure information has changed, please let me know as soon as possible. Students on the group flight will be escorted to the airport by staff on a coach bus.
If you would like to request a car service for your child's transport to the airport, please let us know. Please note, however, the cost of this will be charged to your account and there will be no staff member with them once they are dropped off at the terminal.
Similarly, some students are departing from Gatwick, Stansted, or Luton. Please let us know if you would like to have your student taken to the airport via a car service.

Kerry Newhall
Director
ASA Cambridge Experience 2009
asa.cam.administration@gmail.com

Dear ASA Families and Friends,

On Friday, students and staff had the wonderful opportunity to hear a lecture by Corpus Christi's Head Librarian for the Parker Library, Dr. Christopher de Hamel. Dr. de Hamel is one of the world's leading experts on illuminated manuscripts, book making, and Medieval History. After the lecture, students enjoyed an English tea service with Dr. de Hamel, and they got the chance to ask him numerous questions about the Parker Library and his work and research on illuminated manuscripts.
Today, students got the rare chance to visit the Parker Library along with Cambridge Art & Architecture teacher Nancy Fresella-Lee. Nancy works as an art historian at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and has specialized training in printmaking and medieval bookmaking.

According to the Corpus Christi website, the Parker Library, named after Archbishop Matthew Parker (1504-1575), former master of the College, is a treasure house of Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts and early printed books. The magnificent collection was given to the College by Parker and includes the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, principal source book for early English history, and the best manuscript of Chaucer's Troilus. No less important to the collection are also the Middle English, French and Latin texts on subjects ranging from alchemy and astrology to music and medicine.
The collection comprises over 600 manuscripts, around 480 of which were given by Parker, who also donated around 1000 printed volumes. The collection includes a sixth century Gospel book from Canterbury, which is used for the enthronement of each new Archbishop of Canterbury, the oldest illustrated Latin Gospel book now in existence.
In the fall of 2009, the Parker Library will be completely on-line as an interactive, web-based workspace. Users will have access to high-resolution images of every imageable page of the Library's collection of 538 manuscripts spanning from the 6th to 16th centuries.

http://www.corpus.cam.ac.uk/parker-library

Dear ASA Families and Friends,

To break up the week, ASA students and staff went on
mini-excursions on Wednesday. Cambridge Art & Architecture teacher and Art Historian Nancy Fresella-Lee let a group to Ely Cathedral, and other students visited the famous Duxford Imperial War Museum.

At Ely, students got the opportunity to learn about the history of the region through the architecture of the building. Several churches had been built and destroyed on the same plot of land in Ely since the 7th century, and it wasn't until the 11th century that ground was broken to build the present cathedral. Other notable highlights from Nancy's tour related to Henry VIII and the Reformation. All the stained glass in the cathedral was smashed during Henry VIII's reign, and many of the statues inside the chapels were beheaded. All of the stained glass inside the church as well as the paintings in the Octagon are from the Victorian period.

The highlight of the trip was tour of the Octagon and the roof! The Octagon tower is over 140 feet high, and students got the chance to have a bird's eye view of the cathedral from inside the Octagon. In medieval times, monks sang in prayer inside the Octagon, which looks directly down 140 feet to the main altar. If you look at the picture to the right, you can see two students inside the Octagon, as well as the beautiful colored light created by the stained glass of the cathedral. We also got a chance to walk up the windy steps to the top of the cathedral. Because it was a clear and sunny day, we could see Cambridge in the distance and the gargoyles up close!

Duxford Imperial War Museum
According to its website, Duxford is Europe's premier aviation museum. It has one of the finest collections of tanks, military vehicles and naval exhibits in the country. This famous heritage site began as an airfield in the First World War and also played a vital role in the Second World War, first as an RAF fighter station and later as an American fighter base. The American Air Museum in Britain stands as a memorial to the 30,000 American airmen who gave their lives flying from UK bases in defence of liberty during the Second World War, and also honours those who fought in Korea, Vietnam, Libya, Iraq and other conflicts and battles of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Norwich Castle



On Sunday, ASA Cambridge made the short trip to Norwich. Students enjoyed the sunshine, the shopping, and the castle that dates back to the Norman conquest. Norwich was originally a collection of Saxon settlements dating back over 1000 years. Norwich Castle was originally built by the Normans as a Royal Palace, and in the 14th century it became a prison. At the turn of the 19th century, it became a museum. Today it houses an impressive collection of modern art, rotating exhibitions, and artifacts from the days when it was a prison and torture chamber.

Up Next: Ely Cathedral and Duxford Imperial War Museum

Kerry Newhall
Director
ASA Cambridge Experience 2009

Dear ASA Families and Friends,
It has been an exciting first week of ASA Cambridge 2009. Students have adjusted to the time change, attended their Major and Elective classes, and made lots of new friends.
On Thursday, students and staff walked to Leckhampton, the Graduate Housing and Sporting Grounds of Corpus Christi College. We had a BBQ lunch, and students and staff played touch football, football (or soccer), and lots of other games like frisbee. It was a great day to stretch out on the grass and enjoy the sunshine. After afternoon classes and RA dinner, we walked to Leisure World for bowling, pool,and arcade games.

On Friday, students and staff walked to Parker's Piece, one of the open green spaces in Cambridge, for the annual "Big Weekend" festival. Students rode carnival rides, saw an Abba tribute band, and watched a fireworks display

Saturday, we took our first trip outside of Cambridge. We visited the Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, and Covent Garden. At the Tower, we got a chance to see the new History Channel exhibition on Henry VIII called "Dressed to Kill." It chronicled his time as king as a sportsman and a warrior. During our trip to St. Paul's, students climbed to the top of the cathedral for a spectacular view of the Thames. They also got the opportunity to spend some time marveling architect Christopher Wren's most famous building. At Covent Garden, we all enjoyed watching the street performers and musicians.

Today, ASA Cambridge is heading to the ancient city of Norwich.

All the best,

Kerry Newhall
Director
ASA Cambridge Experience 2009

Dear ASA Parents and Friends,

I just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know that almost all of our students have arrived in Cambridge. There are a few more students who are en route, but shortly we will be all together in Corpus Christi College. We had a mix of sun and light showers during registration, during the move in process, and during our RA led tours of Corpus Christi College and the beautiful city of Cambridge. The students are now meeting with their RAs, going over program rules, and getting ready to head over to the Ice Cream Social.

The Student Body of ASA Cambridge 2009 is comprised of students from 11 countries and 4 continents! This year we have students from Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Lebanon, Pakistan, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United States, and Venezuela.

Our students will start classes tomorrow and will take a ride on an Open Top Bus Tour of Cambridge after lunch. We’ve got a busy week ahead, and I will continue to be in touch with updates.

If your child has any questions or concerns, please encourage them to see a staff member. Students can find us in Old Court in M1 and N2.


Kerry Newhall
Director
ASA Cambridge Experience 2009

We have now past the June 1st due date for all forms. Make sure to log in to MyASA to double-check that all your forms and materials have been received. If some are missing, please go to the Form Downloads section of MyASA, print, complete, and fax the form to our office ASAP (fax: 212-334-4934).

NOTE: It may take 2-3 business days for forms to be processed and appear on MyASA, as we have over 1000 students joining us this season. Please be patient and use MyASA to verify receipt rather than contacting our office directly.

In just a few short weeks, you'll be on your way to England! From now through the summer, this page will be a key resource to keep you updated on what to do to prepare and what’s going on at the program.

Before you go, I'll be posting details like your mailing address, program phone number, airport pick-up instructions, etc. Be sure to subscribe to ‘News & Updates’ now so as not to miss any pre-program details.

Once the program begins, the senior staff will post updates and photos of what you and your new friends are up to. Encourage grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends to subscribe before the summer so that they can see what's happening at Cambridge.

Look for a new post each week. Keep working to complete your pre-program forms and don’t forget to visit the ‘Forms Download’ section within MyASA to get a packing list, the pre-program handbook, and other important materials.