Garfield/Palouse students travel to UI for international study day

Junior and senior students from Garfield-Palouse High School were specifically invited to the University of Idaho to attend a special day of classes. They were accompanied by their Current World Issues and U.S. History instructor, Dennis Griner, and teachers, Scott Thompson and Tim Coles.

Dr. Bill Smith, Director of the University of Idaho’s Martin Institute of International Studies, organized a full day of presentations, guest speakers and activities for the junior and senior classes from Garfield-Palouse High School. As part of an enrichment program for the Current World Issues and U.S. History classes, the students prepared for the day by studying international sports competitions, the history of the Olympic games and the major international political confrontations that interrupted the games.

Dr. Katherine Aiken, Dean of the U. of I.’s College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences presented the topic of sports and their role in achieving equality in our society. Using the emergence of women’s baseball during and shortly after WWII and Jackie Robertson’s introduction to major league sports as examples, Dean Aiken traced the history of social change in America and the influential and leading role sports played in that change.

Elizabeth O’Brian, a New Zealand graduate student, led a session on nationalism and the role of sports. The students were impressed by her explanation of the haka, a traditional native dance used by her nation’s rugby teams. Although a historic welcome dance, it is used to intimidate opponents.

Dr. Smith used various activities to provide students an understanding of the international sports world, particularly the upcoming 2012 Olympics in London and the international football (soccer) championships, the World Cup. To explain how countries and sports are intertwined he brought numerous national sports jerseys.

Dr. Smith then related the history of the nations to explain the jersey’s appearance. The day-long series of presentations ended with each student being assigned an actual proposed Olympic sport for the next Olympic games. Thirty-five unique sports such as Wushu, Boules, Tug of War and Chess were assigned to students. The students read the background to the sport, explained the sport to the group and gave reasons why the other students should select this sport to be included in the next Olympics. The students then voted to select the new sport, air sports – parachuting, aerobatics, air gliding.