Last week as part of our Welcome Week activities at the University of Northampton, we ran a free trip to the British Museum. A lot of our new students joined us, along with a few returning students who fancied a day out in London! Given this involved a 7.45am start after a busy, sociable week, we were impressed by how many students were ready to forego a lie in and join us on the coach.
At the start of the day, lecturers accompanying the trip gave students tours around rooms that reflected their specialisms, and then after a lunch break, students had a scavenger hunt that took them through some of the ancient history rooms through to the Sutton Hoo exhibition. I wrote the scavenger hunt with quite open-ended questions, because I thought it was more engaging to have students think about and interpret the exhibited items rather than just searching for the “right” answers. We got some fun and interesting answers to the questions! For example:
Room 70 - the Roman Empire. What do you think is the most controversial item in this room and why?
The item I had in mind was the Warren Cup, because its scene of two male lovers meant that until homosexuality was decriminalised in England and Wales it was not put on public display. Some students said this, but I also enjoyed the response: “The goose, because geese scare me silly.” I went to university in York, which is famous for its aggressive geese, so Group 1: I feel ya.
This day out was just one part of a whole host of fun activities that ran last week, from a board games afternoon to a trip to the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, as well as of course all the usual induction information events you’d expect. I really enjoyed taking part in some of these activities, and I hope the students did too! This week classes start, and hopefully our new first years have already started making friends with their course mates. Welcome to the University of Northampton! We’re excited to have you with us.
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Dr Rachel Moss is Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Northampton.
HISTORY AT NORTHAMPTON 