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Baseball
at East Carolina
Inaugural ACE Class Checks in from China
7/29/2016 6:00:00 AM | Baseball, Rowing, Swimming & Diving, Track & Field, Athletics
DURHAM, N.C. – Six Duke student-athletes – Tanner Johnson (track & field), Domonique Panton (track & field), Anna Quinn (swimming & diving), Isabel Ruby-Hill (rowing), Colt Sessions (track & field) and Zeke Young (baseball) – are in China this summer as part of the inaugural class of the Rubenstein-Bing Student-Athlete Civic Engagement (ACE) program. The program provides one-time funding for Duke and Stanford student-athletes to engage in a three-week international service project.
All six Blue Devils provided blogs on their initial experiences in China, which can be read below.
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Cultural Connection through Sports
July 25, 2016 l Colt Sessions, Duke Men's Track & Field
Several days ago our small group toured a local monastery. It was tucked up in the hills outside of a small city named Shangri-La. As expected, we wandered around and many of us witnessed a new and peaceful religion. As our journey through and around the monastery was ending, a young monk (maybe 20) called out to us, using his broken English to ask where we were from. After sharing that we were from the US, he looked around and quickly loosenedd his robe in order to show us his Cav's Jersey of LeBron James. He was hyped, and quickly let us know that his English name was little James. For the next 20 minutes we spoke (in broken Chinese and English) about LeBron, the Cavs, Golden State, and Curry.
Today, basketball brought about similar rage at a small sports camp. Ryan (6'7”) was only known as Yao Ming; Jack (who sank a half court shot) was known as Chef Curry, and I, after dunking a ball garnered the name LeBron. We were instantly transformed from their camp leaders into camp legends. They shoved the ball into our hands asking us to shoot, dunk, and dribble.
The western culture of basketball has infiltrated China, even in a small town setting like ours. Jerseys are worn, and names are passed around as children compete and live their daily lives. It is amazing to see how much of an impact basketball can have on a culture and on children worldwide. It is similarly amazing how two different cultures can connect through such a simple thing as sport.
Click here for Sessions's full blog post.
---
Breaking Down Barriers
July 25, 2016 l Domonique Panton, Duke Women's Track & Field
July 22, 2016, was the first day of summer camp.
Everyone in our group was really excited and nervous to begin the sessions. Fortunately, the English classes went smoothly, and the children really took a liking to us. I was truly amazed on how quickly most of the students picked up on the English that we taught them. It's funny because I know how long it took us to learn how to say basic conversation starters, and they picked it up in less than 30 minutes.
As the day progressed we moved onto our sports sessions. We played a game of musical chairs since the children really seemed to enjoy it during the beginning of the English classes. During the game of musical chairs, children who got out had to meet in the middle and cheer on the rest of their peers who were still in the game. The song “Panda” came on by Designer. The song is well known for the incorporation of the popular American dances: 'dab', 'the whip', 'the nae nae' and 'hitting the folks'. So I took the initiative to teach the children those dances. They picked it up almost immediately. By the end of the song they were all dabbing and hitting the folks as if they were doing it for a long time. It was the cutest thing in the world to see the smiles on their faces as they did the dances. It really was priceless! To be honest I think they find American dances really funny and silly because they were laughing at us the entire time.
Click here for Panton's full blog post.
---
Exploring Scenery and Culture
July 25, 2016 l Anna Quinn, Duke Women's Swimming & Diving
We have been here in Zhongdian for only a couple days now, and so far, we have seen and experienced many parts of the community through visiting a local Tibetan home, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, and the Napahai wetlands.
Currently, we are staying at the China Exploration Research Society (CERS) center near the wetlands. In our short time here so far, we have been immersing ourselves in the local culture and learning about the community.
On the second day here, we visited the local home of Little Droma, one of the cooks at the center. The house was made almost completely out of wood with beautiful intricate carving and paintings on all of the walls. It was surprising to see the differences in their home compared to those back in the US. Each room was carefully decorated and had symbols that represented certain aspects of their life. For example, there were two small statues of the vegetable Bok Choy which represented that the family was healthy and could provide plentiful resources for themselves.
Click here for Quinn's full blog post.
---
Building Communication Confidence
July 25, 2016 l Izzy Ruby-Hill, Duke Rowing
China has been amazing. I am constantly surprised by how many new things I am learning and how fun it is to engage yourself in a completely new culture. Although every day has been special in its own way, my favorite day so far was the first day of our camp with the local children. We prepared activities for two days before our first lesson on Friday morning. Nerves quickly turned into excitement when eager campers started showing up (45 minutes early!). By giving the 20 campers English names and introducing ourselves through a talent show, we were able to quickly spark their interest and make them excited to learn more English.
The first challenge we had to overcome was the language barrier; none of the kids spoke English and none of the student athletes spoke Mandarin. With the help of one of our program leaders, Claire (who speaks in Mandarin), we were able to kick off the day. The campers were very excited to receive English names, and we spent most of our morning lesson learning each others English names and teaching the campers how to introduce themselves and greet others in English.
The hardest part about the English lesson was instructing the campers what to do, whether it was explaining a game or transitioning the group into a new activity, because they could not understand us. To work around these minor setbacks, we had to be very expressive and animated in order to help guide the campers and demonstrate what we wanted them to do.
Click here for Ruby-Hill's full blog post.
---
Witness to a Different Culture
July 22, 2016 l Zeke Young, Duke Baseball
My experience in China up to this point has not been anything like I imagined it would be. While I was aware that we would be interacting with the the community, I could not have imagined this interaction would be as intimate as it has been.
During my first week here, I have been able to become completely immersed in the local culture, and while I was prepared for that aspect of the trip, I did not know what it would look or feel like. The most intriguing element of the culture we have been immersed in—for me personally—is the religious traditions of the area.
Our group has gained knowledge about Tibetan Buddhism in a way that very few others have been able to. I believe that being able to learn and experience this crucial part of the area's culture has allowed the group to understand the implications and effects of this tradition on a much more personal and intimate level than one could ever learn in a classroom. I believe I speak for the entire group when I say that visiting the temple was an incredible experience which showcased the amount of dedication, historical significance, and current importance religion plays in the lives of many of the locals. The aura the temple gave off was absolutely unlike anything I have ever experienced.
Click here for Young's full blog post.
---
What are those little green balls?
July 22, 2016 l Tanner Johnson, Duke Men's Track & Field
If you had asked me if I were a fan of tea a week ago, I would have laughed at you. For one, it's a time investment. I'm used to the Starbucks drive-thru that churns out caffeine-packed drip coffee within a moment's notice. It's become a necessary fuel to keep up with the full throttle pace of life back home. Not to mention, those 16 oz. big gulps kept me wired almost all day.
Then I came to China. There's a rich history of tea here in the Yunnan Province, so much so that it's impossible to leave out when diving into Tibetan culture. Visit any local home here, and you're bound to find at least one or two areas exclusively dedicated for tea time—a pot, cups, benches for company, and of course plenty of those magical little leaves.
The history is quite fascinating, too. According to our wonderful and extraordinarily open local expert, Tsering Drolma, the tea trade started centuries ago. It was transported from areas in the south, and ultimately made its way to Zhongdian (better known as Shangri-La today). In return, consumers traded horses, a valuable transportation commodity at the time. The leaves would be fermented and packed into dense cakes to last the long trip, the fermentation giving it a distinct taste, different from any tea I've been exposed to back home.
Click here for Johnson's full blog post.
---
For additional information on the ACE Program, visit www.ace.duke.edu.
#GoDuke
All six Blue Devils provided blogs on their initial experiences in China, which can be read below.
---
Cultural Connection through Sports
July 25, 2016 l Colt Sessions, Duke Men's Track & Field
Several days ago our small group toured a local monastery. It was tucked up in the hills outside of a small city named Shangri-La. As expected, we wandered around and many of us witnessed a new and peaceful religion. As our journey through and around the monastery was ending, a young monk (maybe 20) called out to us, using his broken English to ask where we were from. After sharing that we were from the US, he looked around and quickly loosenedd his robe in order to show us his Cav's Jersey of LeBron James. He was hyped, and quickly let us know that his English name was little James. For the next 20 minutes we spoke (in broken Chinese and English) about LeBron, the Cavs, Golden State, and Curry.
Today, basketball brought about similar rage at a small sports camp. Ryan (6'7”) was only known as Yao Ming; Jack (who sank a half court shot) was known as Chef Curry, and I, after dunking a ball garnered the name LeBron. We were instantly transformed from their camp leaders into camp legends. They shoved the ball into our hands asking us to shoot, dunk, and dribble.
The western culture of basketball has infiltrated China, even in a small town setting like ours. Jerseys are worn, and names are passed around as children compete and live their daily lives. It is amazing to see how much of an impact basketball can have on a culture and on children worldwide. It is similarly amazing how two different cultures can connect through such a simple thing as sport.
Click here for Sessions's full blog post.
---
Breaking Down Barriers
July 25, 2016 l Domonique Panton, Duke Women's Track & Field
July 22, 2016, was the first day of summer camp.
Everyone in our group was really excited and nervous to begin the sessions. Fortunately, the English classes went smoothly, and the children really took a liking to us. I was truly amazed on how quickly most of the students picked up on the English that we taught them. It's funny because I know how long it took us to learn how to say basic conversation starters, and they picked it up in less than 30 minutes.
As the day progressed we moved onto our sports sessions. We played a game of musical chairs since the children really seemed to enjoy it during the beginning of the English classes. During the game of musical chairs, children who got out had to meet in the middle and cheer on the rest of their peers who were still in the game. The song “Panda” came on by Designer. The song is well known for the incorporation of the popular American dances: 'dab', 'the whip', 'the nae nae' and 'hitting the folks'. So I took the initiative to teach the children those dances. They picked it up almost immediately. By the end of the song they were all dabbing and hitting the folks as if they were doing it for a long time. It was the cutest thing in the world to see the smiles on their faces as they did the dances. It really was priceless! To be honest I think they find American dances really funny and silly because they were laughing at us the entire time.
Click here for Panton's full blog post.
---
Exploring Scenery and Culture
July 25, 2016 l Anna Quinn, Duke Women's Swimming & Diving
We have been here in Zhongdian for only a couple days now, and so far, we have seen and experienced many parts of the community through visiting a local Tibetan home, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, and the Napahai wetlands.
Currently, we are staying at the China Exploration Research Society (CERS) center near the wetlands. In our short time here so far, we have been immersing ourselves in the local culture and learning about the community.
On the second day here, we visited the local home of Little Droma, one of the cooks at the center. The house was made almost completely out of wood with beautiful intricate carving and paintings on all of the walls. It was surprising to see the differences in their home compared to those back in the US. Each room was carefully decorated and had symbols that represented certain aspects of their life. For example, there were two small statues of the vegetable Bok Choy which represented that the family was healthy and could provide plentiful resources for themselves.
Click here for Quinn's full blog post.
---
Building Communication Confidence
July 25, 2016 l Izzy Ruby-Hill, Duke Rowing
China has been amazing. I am constantly surprised by how many new things I am learning and how fun it is to engage yourself in a completely new culture. Although every day has been special in its own way, my favorite day so far was the first day of our camp with the local children. We prepared activities for two days before our first lesson on Friday morning. Nerves quickly turned into excitement when eager campers started showing up (45 minutes early!). By giving the 20 campers English names and introducing ourselves through a talent show, we were able to quickly spark their interest and make them excited to learn more English.
The first challenge we had to overcome was the language barrier; none of the kids spoke English and none of the student athletes spoke Mandarin. With the help of one of our program leaders, Claire (who speaks in Mandarin), we were able to kick off the day. The campers were very excited to receive English names, and we spent most of our morning lesson learning each others English names and teaching the campers how to introduce themselves and greet others in English.
The hardest part about the English lesson was instructing the campers what to do, whether it was explaining a game or transitioning the group into a new activity, because they could not understand us. To work around these minor setbacks, we had to be very expressive and animated in order to help guide the campers and demonstrate what we wanted them to do.
Click here for Ruby-Hill's full blog post.
---
Witness to a Different Culture
July 22, 2016 l Zeke Young, Duke Baseball
My experience in China up to this point has not been anything like I imagined it would be. While I was aware that we would be interacting with the the community, I could not have imagined this interaction would be as intimate as it has been.
During my first week here, I have been able to become completely immersed in the local culture, and while I was prepared for that aspect of the trip, I did not know what it would look or feel like. The most intriguing element of the culture we have been immersed in—for me personally—is the religious traditions of the area.
Our group has gained knowledge about Tibetan Buddhism in a way that very few others have been able to. I believe that being able to learn and experience this crucial part of the area's culture has allowed the group to understand the implications and effects of this tradition on a much more personal and intimate level than one could ever learn in a classroom. I believe I speak for the entire group when I say that visiting the temple was an incredible experience which showcased the amount of dedication, historical significance, and current importance religion plays in the lives of many of the locals. The aura the temple gave off was absolutely unlike anything I have ever experienced.
Click here for Young's full blog post.
---
What are those little green balls?
July 22, 2016 l Tanner Johnson, Duke Men's Track & Field
If you had asked me if I were a fan of tea a week ago, I would have laughed at you. For one, it's a time investment. I'm used to the Starbucks drive-thru that churns out caffeine-packed drip coffee within a moment's notice. It's become a necessary fuel to keep up with the full throttle pace of life back home. Not to mention, those 16 oz. big gulps kept me wired almost all day.
Then I came to China. There's a rich history of tea here in the Yunnan Province, so much so that it's impossible to leave out when diving into Tibetan culture. Visit any local home here, and you're bound to find at least one or two areas exclusively dedicated for tea time—a pot, cups, benches for company, and of course plenty of those magical little leaves.
The history is quite fascinating, too. According to our wonderful and extraordinarily open local expert, Tsering Drolma, the tea trade started centuries ago. It was transported from areas in the south, and ultimately made its way to Zhongdian (better known as Shangri-La today). In return, consumers traded horses, a valuable transportation commodity at the time. The leaves would be fermented and packed into dense cakes to last the long trip, the fermentation giving it a distinct taste, different from any tea I've been exposed to back home.
Click here for Johnson's full blog post.
---
For additional information on the ACE Program, visit www.ace.duke.edu.
#GoDuke
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