A big election day (in more ways than just one)!!!

Hello! 

Jac and I had a nice time in Edinburgh! We didn't accomplish many things on our list (other than having a really fun time together). Thankfully, Edinburgh is only a short jaunt away (45 mins. by train). I left my planner at home by accident and discovered upon my return that I will be in Edinburgh again next Monday for my course! :)  

Now to the juicy bits:

Unless you are living under a rock, you know that Barack Obama won the election in a LANDSLIDE! :) The international perspective was quite interesting, as many British folks were so excited about election day and asking us Americans our thoughts, opinions and questions about our voting system. I found their enthusiasm and interest in our election to be completely refreshing. Thankfully, according to the voter turnout numbers in America, Americans were also enthusiastic about voting! :) 

I went to bed on election night around 11:30 p.m. and woke up again at 3:15 a.m. At 4:00 a.m. the West Coast returns came in and Obama was called the winner! :) :) :) I could hear cheers throughout my block! When Obama gave his acceptance speech, I actually cried. It is an awe-inspiring moment to watch history unfold and bittersweet to know that you can't be in America to witness it...I must say, I would have given just about anything to have been in Grant Park to hear his speech! 

I saw that McCain won every single county in Oklahoma (all 77 of them), giving him the largest margin of victory than any other state (and Oklahoma was the only state in which he won all of the counties). I know that many friends, family and acquaintances in Oklahoma voted for McCain and are upset that he lost. Sadly, I received a few messages that were less than kind regarding my support of Obama...everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, but I am saddened by the display of ignorance in those remarks (and countless MySpace and Facebook status messages). 

Also on Election Day, I met with the Head of my Department to discuss my dissertation proposal. Thankfully, my proposal was approved and I will be researching/writing on the 1999 Museum and Galleries Commission Report on Museums and Insurance here in the UK. 

The Museums and Galleries Commission (MGC) was responsible for advising the UK government and museums on the security of museums and exhibitions. However, in 1998, one year before the report, it was announced by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport that the Museum and Galleries Commission would be disbanded in the year 2000 and would be absorbed by the Library and Information Commission (LIC); creating a new body (the Museum, Libraries and Archive Council) that would be responsible for the strategic direction of museums, libraries and archives in the UK, inheriting the responsibilities of the MGC and the LIC.

I intend to explore the effectiveness of the Museum, Libraries and Archives Council by scrutinizing reports, the new (October 2008) initiative for the development of a National strategy for museums in England and the impact of such reports on museums via case studies. 

I am interested in the following questions: How were the identified issues in the Museum and Galleries Commission’s 1999 report managed? Do the same issues/problems persist? Are there any new problems? How much focus is given by MLA to important museum issues, such as gifts made in lieu of inheritance tax, a comprehensive insurance policy and an automatic government indemnity scheme? Are museums getting lost in the shuffle?

My goal is to understand how effectively the Department of Culture, Media and Sport is protecting museums of the United Kingdom.  How have things improved since the Museum and Galleries Commission report almost ten years ago? What issues current issues are museums facing in regard to risk management? What does the future hold? 

Whew...I know that is a LOT of information to take it, but it does excite me in a way that I can't even begin to describe. Thankfully, Liz loved my proposal and said that it was fresh, interesting and something that I was clearly passionate about. :) 

At the same meeting, I discussed with her the possibility of returning to the program in the Fall 2009 to write my dissertation as a University of Glasgow student. Liz said that I would need to petition the faculty in my department for permission, but she felt there was no reason why they would not allow me to do so!!!! :) :) :) Also, I would not be required to wait until the "normal" writing period of April to September...rather, I would be able to begin writing in the Fall 2009 semester! :)

Thus, I met with the International Office last week to discuss my visa options and such. I will need to petition my faculty by January 23rd and I will know more then. :)

I am sure your retinas are burning looking at the screen after all of this information...more later, I promise!

-Vanessa

P.S. Have also managed to cut and color my hair again (how many incarnations have you seen in such a short amount of time) in hopes of looking more "polished" in preparation for our upcoming job placement experiences next semester. :) The photo from the post on Sunday was taken on my way out the door to meet Jac and the train to Edinburgh.