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a year after the referendum, so everyone I met had already had time to grieve over it ... but it still stuck over everything like a fog, and that was kind of a bummer,” Nasta said. Nasta had European friends at the University of Westminster, whose European perspectives, he claimed, dramatically improved his educational experience. “We weren’t really sure if their residency and their lives were at stake because of Brexit,” Nasta continued. “The anxiety Brexit was causing did not improve the quality of life,” he said. In March 2017, Prime Minister May officially triggered Article 50, which started the two-yearlong countdown until the U.K. would have to officially leave the EU. May continued to meet with different EU officials, but in March 2019, with no viable deals as options, the House of Commons voted to extend Article 50. Finley Peay, FCLC ’20, studied abroad in London in spring 2019 and watched as the U.K. Parliament tried and failed to craft a realistic Brexit deal. Peay was able to attend parliamentary debates with her political science class. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I didn’t know what was going on, no one really knew. Even May was trying to figure out what was going on,” Peay said about watching the negotiations. Also studying in London at the same time was Michael Finnan, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’21, who said that he was paying attention to Brexit politics in order to monitor the value of the pound. “I knew that if Brexit actually went through the pound would definitely drop,” he said. “Even though I was conflicted about the politics, there was a part of me that wanted to see the impact on the economy, as life as an American in London would have gotten a lot cheaper,” Finnan continued. After failing to pass another Brexit deal, May stepped down as Prime Minister on March 27. The U.K. and the EU agreed to extend Article 50 on April 10, 2019, until Oct.
March 27, 2019
31, 2019, giving the House of Commons another five months to reach an agreement. As fall 2019 study abroad students arrived in London, Boris Johnson took the helm of British politics and worked to try to pass another deal. Then, in October 2019, Johnson’s Brexit deal failed to pass in Parliament, and he wrote to the EU asking for a third extension. “I felt like Fordham students started avoiding the topic with Londoners that we met because they were both so heated about it and also just exhausted from talking about it for so long,” said Sydney Costales, FCLC ’21, who studied in London in fall 2019. In December 2019, Prime Minister Johnson promised the British public that he would “Get Brexit Done,” and voted to make it illegal to extend Article 50 in 2020. On Jan. 31, 2020, the U.K., even without having secured a deal or finalizing a plan for the future, left the EU and officially “Brexited.” Zahir Wuader, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’21, attended Brexit demonstrations in front of Westminster Abbey on Jan. 31 at 11 p.m. “We just went for fun to see what was going on since we had no stake,” he said. Wuader stated that it was mostly Pro-Brexit celebrations from people wearing Union Jack paraphernalia. “It was much calmer and relaxed; we expected it to be like a Trump rally.” Many students did not take part or even see any Brexit demonstrations. Kyle Eber, an Emerson College student studying in the London Liberal Arts program, said he saw protesters dressed in Star Wars costumes holding “We’ll Be Back” signs the next day, but chose not to participate in any demonstrations, saying, “It’s not my rally to attend. I’m not a citizen of the U.K. or from Europe. As an American, it’s not my place to protest or support.” While the country has officially Brexited, political negotiations that will determine the future of the U.K. are far from finished, and will continue to shape the experiences of Fordham London study abroad students.
Theresa May steps down, leaving Boris Johnson as the next leader of the country
April 10, 2019
The U.K. and the EU agreed to extend Article 50 until Oct. 31, 2019
October 19, 2019
Johnson’s new Brexit deal fails, and he writes to ask for another extension
October 28, 2019
The EU and the Prime Minister agree to leave by Jan. 31, 2020, without a deal
January 31, 2020 The U.K. formally leaves the EU
PHOTO BY SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS/THE OBSERVER GRAPHICS BY LARA FOLEY/THE OBSERVER