Collegeville Borough Resident Meets Mayor of Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland

The following information was provided by Lock Haven University:

Collegeville resident Morgan E. Cummings recently had the opportunity to meet and question Mayor Maurice Devenney of Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

Cummings, a sophomore majoring in psychology, is one of 12 Lock Haven University students enrolled in a social science seminar entitled "The Troubles in Northern Ireland."

The students, who are taking the class with Professor Sandra L. Barney of the LHU History Department, are spending three weeks living on the campus of the University of Ulster and studying the history and political developments that led to decades of conflict in Northern Ireland.

The MacGee campus of the University of Ulster is located in Derry/Londonderry, a town which bears two names because, as Barney states, "There are two competing identities here, and their differences are reflected in the name they use for the town. Roman Catholic nationalists call the city Derry, a name which dates back to the time of St. Columba in the sixth century, while Protestant unionists use the term Londonderry to remember the development of the town in the 17th century by English investors acting under the authority of the Stuart kings who sought to expand their influence in Northern Ireland."

While studying in Northern Ireland, students will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from a variety of political perspectives and from groups seeking to advance the ongoing peace process.

In Belfast, for example, students will sit down with former members of the paramilitary forces and learn about the reconciliation movement.

Students' study of the historical origins of the Troubles will take them to archives and historical sites across Northern Ireland, where they will explore how the history the conflict is being interpreted today.

Lock Haven University is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), the largest provider of higher education in the commonwealth. Its 14 universities offer more than 250 degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Nearly 405,000 system alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.