Ryan Creps Study Abroad in South Africa!

Linebacker Ryan Creps '12 is studying abroad this semester in Cape Town, South Africa.  We asked Ryan to update us a little bit on his experience and this is what he had to say:

After spending every winter in the snowy Midwest, I decided to take a tip from the birds and head south this winter for a semester abroad at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. As a small town Iowan, who had never left the central time zone or been on an airplane before heading to college, I have found my time in Cape Town to be quite a learning experience.  Not to mention, the enrollment of UCT is 23,000, over twice the size of my hometown! However, I have yet to be overwhelmed and I have thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Cape Town thus far.

With the mountains and beaches each within thirty minutes of my apartment, my weekends have been filled with plenty of outdoor adventures. As midterm break is fast approaching, I have made plans to spend a week at Kruger National Park on a safari and a few days in Gaborone, Botswana, where other Grinnellians are currently studying. Likewise, over the Easter holiday, I will be spending a week with a group of friends camping and sand surfing in deserts of Namibia. I have had a blast this semester and would study abroad again if given the opportunity. However, spending the offseason thousands of miles away from my teammates has been difficult. I found an excellent gym that allows me to complete my workouts and email, Skype, and Facebook have made staying in contact with the team simple. Yet, the camaraderie developed during 6 am workouts, the competitive intensity of 7-on-7, and the constant presences of forty other guys working towards a common goal cannot be replicated by technology. Though I could stay in Cape Town forever, I am exciting to get back to Grinnell and spend the summer with my teammates, preparing for the 2011 season.

Coach Swett Overseas

Around here, the student-athletes aren't the only ones who get to travel abroad.

Pioneer wide receivers coach, Nolan Swett, spent a week in Sweden this summer coaching football to the Swedish youth. Coach Swett is back at Grinnell for his second season and we are excited to have him as a part of our program.

To read more about Coach Swett's experience check out this release from D3Football.com.

More From A Pioneer In Argentina...

Scott Koenning '10 is spending this spring semester studying in Argentina. Recently you read about his trips around the country and in particular about his experience at a soccer game. Today, Scott updates us on his semester abroad where he shares the work he's doing with school-aged children in Argentina:

During my time in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I've spent my Monday afternoons at Casa del Niño Padre José Kentenich, a community day care center for kids ages three to thirteen. It's located in Florencio Varela, a humble city south of Buenos Aires. The Casa del Niño is a place for kids to go during the day while their parents are unavailable to take care of them. The Casa serves to help keep the children active and involved in school.

Scott teaching football to Argentine children

With two other students from the United States, I've worked to introduce the Argentine children to different games and sports. Our goals are to have fun, share a little American culture, and to get girls to participate more in athletic activity. Although females here in Argentina do play soccer and other sports occasionally, it is far from the norm. At Casa del Niño, it's clear the girls are typically shut out of the sporting activities, and can often be seen playing marbles, coloring in books, or just chatting while the boys play soccer. Coming from the United States where participation by females in sports is a strong and normal part of our culture, seeing this lack of female participation was surprising to us. With soccer being so strongly male dominated, we've tried to level the playing field with new games for both sexes, getting the girls involved in such American classics as kickball, dodgeball, and wiffle ball.

Look at that form!

Argentina is a country where there is no doubt, soccer is the national game. It dominates the sporting scene on all levels, and the Casa del Niño is no different. American football is essentially unheard of. I wanted to introduce it to the kids at the Casa, so I brought two footballs one Monday. It was their first introduction to American football, and some had to be reminded that they were playing with footballs, and not rugby balls. Despite its novelty, the game was a hit. Much like I've done at kids football camps at Grinnell College, I helped the Argentines run routes, learn to hold and throw a football, and even hit a mat. It was fascinating to watch the kids playing football for the first time, some were naturals, while others struggled with the new game. The best part was seeing the girls playing along with the guys, having just as much fun, and at a times, a little more success.

Pioneer in Argentina!

Scott Koenning (left) and his Argentine host family

Pioneer Football player Scott Koenning '10 is spending the spring semester studying in Argentina. The following are his words, with photos, about the experience.

My name is Scott Koenning, I'm a junior Grinnell College football player and a Sociology/Spanish double major. First, I'd like to send a warm hello to the whole GC football family: players, coaches, fans, and recruits! I sincerely miss what being a Pioneer football player in the off-season means - hanging out with my teammates, cheering on other Grinnell teams, and playing wesball.

Casa Rosada

Anyways, I'm writing to share my experiences from this semester so far. I'm studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina - the country's capital and largest city. Buenos Aires is famous worldwide for its love of tango, soccer, and the delicious and abundant Argentine beef. As juniors, Grinnell students are afforded the amazing opportunity to spend a semester abroad. I chose Buenos Aires and my program in particular because it focuses on the social sciences and gives me the chance to practice my Spanish in a vibrant, unique, and wonderful city. Of course, near-perfect weather doesn't hurt either. I think I made the right choice, because I've been loving it so far; there are so many wonderful sights to see and things to do. Being immersed in a very different culture and language is fascinating to me as a Sociology major and obviously incredibly beneficial to my Spanish.

View of the Argentina vs. Venezuela World Cup Qualifying Match

I live with an Argentine family, who I've gotten to be close with after many meals and adventures together. I take classes in Spanish with Argentine students at the University of Buenos Aires. It's intensely different from Grinnell College, with over 300,000 students and a campus that spreads many miles - it's a challenge, but well worth it. I have also been to a few soccer games, and the passion is incredible. The fans stand and sing for the entire game, and the rivalries can get very intense. For a recent World Cup qualifying game, some friends and I stood in line from 2 AM to 10 AM to get tickets. Being packed in with thousands of young soccer fans for 10 hours, held back by police in riot gear, was quite an experience, but being in the stadium to see Argentina's national team play before their home fans was unforgettable.

I still have a few months here, and I'm so excited for all the experiences I have in front of me. I hope to learn a lot, enjoy myself, and come back with a more global perspective. Here's hoping beautiful weather comes to Grinnell sooner rather than later, and that all of you have a wonderful spring! Thanks for reading, and feel free to e-mail any questions or comments to me at koenning@grinnell.edu.


We hope to hear more from Scott as his semester abroad winds down!