In Belgium it Rains...A Lot

Saturday, May 20, 2006

This morning we had the opportunity to listen to two lectures. The first
lecture was given by Dr. Daniel Janssens, head of budgeting of food
Quality with the EU Commission. Dr. Janssens also teaches a management
course at KU Leuven. His lecture entitled EU: History and Institutions
focused on the key developments that helped the formation of the
current European Union. One of the facts that he drove home continually
was the importance of the commission, the council, and the parliament.
The Commission is in charge of making the proposals that represent the
interest of the community, while the Council represents the interest of
the Member States with each having a seat on various committees. The
Parliament then represents the people of the Member States and its
general role is as an advisor.

Dr. Guido Latre, professor of English Literature and Culture of the Middle
Ages and the Renaissance at Universite Catholique de Louvain gave an
engaging lecture on Ypres and World War I. He also discussed that
heroism ended during WWI and it became a war of attrition. Dr Latre
briefed us of the two exhibitions we will be viewing later this week
when we visit Ypres and Flanders Fields. One is a permanent exhibit and
the temporary one is entitled “The Last Witness”. Only two witnesses
remain alive as witnesses to WWI and are 107 and 110 in age.
Furthermore, once the last witnesses pass away, the landscape will be
the only witness remaining. He also told stories of his youth. His
family rented a WWI farm and he explored and played in the trenches
while he was young.

After the two lectures it was time to board the bus and leave the town we had
all come to enjoy.  Unfortunately, it decided to storm right, as we had
to leave, which made for an interesting and wet trek to the bus.
Nonetheless, we successfully made it to our next stop, Antwerp. Antwerp
just shy of an hour away from Leuven, is an extremely old port town and
happens to be one of the largest diamond districts in the world. Once
arriving we found our rooms and split up to find a bite to eat. Then
several groups went shopping and explored the city. Due to the still
rainy weather, most of us decided to see a movie and experience what
movie theaters are like in Belgium. It turned out to be a nice theater,
very similar to what one might find in a city in the United States, but
very fun.

-Greg, Kelly, and Kristina

Posted by IBIP Administrator