Curious about study abroad for football team
There are a couple fluff articles up in the local papers regarding not just Rome, but the subsequent study abroad opportunities.
Several players are highlighted in the articles.
- Bredeson and several other linemen are going to Barcelona, Spain to study "Sports and Society" (along with visiting Florence.)
- Keith Washington is going to Buenos Aires. Argentina, studying sports and culture (with a particular interest in soccer.)
- Wangler, Poggi, and freshman Will Hart are going to Iceland to study Fairy Tales (and Norse fables.)
- Garrett Moores is going to Belgium to attend two weeks of European Union meetings in Brussels.
- Wilton Speight and others are going to Armenia, sparked by interest in visiting the first Christian country in the world. (Aside: I thought Israel, or Ethiopia, would be considered prior to Armenia. Still a very interesting trip.)
- Coach Zordich, as mentioned in his interview, is visiting his son who is studying winemaking in Italy, and then going on to Croatia, which is his family heritage.
Other unnamed team members will be going to Austria and to Costa Rica.
If there are other links to what guys are studying or doing and where they're going, I'd love to hear about them. What a great opportunity Coach Harbaugh is providing. Truly magnificent.
I never was able to study abroad while at Michigan. However, I spent 6 months in Korea while in grad school, and also spent several months in Mexico as a child and a month of service and vacation in Austria as an adult. All of these trips were very formative for me. I think what Michigan football is doing for the team is absolutely awesome. This should be at least a bit of a recruiting plus going forward.
That's nothing. By comparison, MSU, which we all know recruits interplanetarily, already has a bunch of its players spending time on the Red planet.
I heard 3-9 players were traveling south to Jackson, MI. Gonna study at a petting zoo.
Why? Do they have a prison there?
Poggi. Iceland. Fairy Tales.
Yep, sounds about right.
For the Icelandic folk tales, I will fight anyone on this board who says that Egil's Saga is better than Njal's Saga. I'm not joking around here.
I believe that Wangler, Poggi and Hart will come to the same conclusion (not about me fighting, but about which saga is better).
Wangler, Poggi and Hart all told me that you fight like a girl and that your hair is silly. ;)
They're probably just being sore losers from when I beat them each in arm wrestling.
"Wangler, Poggi, and freshman Will Hart are going to Iceland to study Fairy Tales"
lol... I lost it there.
Tall blonde women!
CBS Sunday Morning had a segment on Easter Sunday about the Vatican. It is one of the most incredible places on Earth. Unfortunately, it is incredibly crowded. The only way to do it for normal citizens is to have a private guide to avoid the lines, but the crowd is still there.
BTW, not from a religious standpoint, but rather historical. The art is simply unbelievable. Michelangelo painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is one of many examples.
It would be terrific if the team could visit but with a private tour. I doubt that any of these kids have visited it.
Can Jim Harbaugh pull this off?
You don't have to be religious to be blown away there.
I thought Harbaugh said they have an audience with the pope (which is not particualarly private) on the 26th. Not sure about the tour though.
then she caught me and I got slapped
*rim shot*
This is seriuosly so awesome. Thank you for the summary. Like I always thought that it was a great idea (study abroad, football, community service, etc.), but seeing it all laid out like that with the variety of countries and subjects that players will be branching off to study really drives home just how unique an experience this is.
The EU meetings might be interesting
Historical fact: Armenia is considered the first Christian nation because it was the first to adopt Christianity as its state religion, in 301 AD (though that figure may be off by a few years).
The more you know, the more you know . . . thank you!
I have a brother-in-law with a grandparent who fled the 2nd Armenian genocide. Will be following up more on this.
We had an Ethiopian church meeting in our building, and I know they have churches that are older than 301, but I'm sure Christianity wasn't the "State Religion," hence they aren't first.
Can't wait for our O-line struggles to blamed on our guys taking a month off from lifting and football this summer. Predicting this sentiment kicks in 3rd quarter of the Florida game knowing this board...
Must be one helluva confession if he had to see the Pope for absolution!
If those guys going to Iceland are with the Prof. who teachers the Norse/Celtic/Germanic fables are in for some fun. Very difficult reading, but amazing professor. Also a fairly hard class for a humanity FWIW, but fulfilling. She also spoke like 1000 languages.
I can't help but be really proud for these guys. Ihaven't heard of this happening anywhere else.
April 19th, 2017 at 10:14 PM ^