Sharing a laptop; senior Christian Contreras and sophomore Elisa Garcia, Walton Scholars, work in the student center Sept. 12. Harding University was one of three schools in the United States that offered the Wal ton International Scholars Program to international students. ·Russell K"k Talking over lun(h, Chinese freshmen Yiqun Jia and Xiaohua Chen eat in the cafeteria Sept 20. Jia, frorn Hunan Province, Chino, was on exchange student from the Chong Shan University of Science and Technology. ·Jonathon Lindsay Soccer brings kickers from severol notions together One challenge ofgoing to college was overcoming homesickness. For students living in the United Scates, it was rather easy, but for international students who did nor go home every break, it was much more difficult, O ne group ofstudents from rhe Walton lnrernarional Scholars Program found that playing a SpOrt they have always loved, soccer or fucbol, was a way to reconneCt to theif home countries. Junior Keylor Campos, from Costa .Rica, said when playing, he and his friends sometimes used shoes and other items to mark goal poses, [0 make it feel more like home since this was how they played in rheir countries. Senio rJaime CastrO, from EI Salvador, said from the first day he arrived at Harding as a freshman in 2002, he had played wirh his fellow international students. He said soccer was how he got to know people. "Soccer is something I have loved all my life," Castro said. "By getting together and playing, it makes me feel more at home, more comformble and less homesick. Soccer is a big thi ng in Costa Rica. It is tradition. By getting to play here and having fun with my friends, it i'r.~ st uden t life just makes me feel like I'm at home." Castro said the international students starred gathering to play soccer about five years ago and played either on the front lawn or the so~::cer practice fields almost every afternoon of the week, regardless of the weather. "We try to play every day no matter the temperature, depending on our schedules," Campos said. "Sometimes we've even gotten frozen from playing too long. It is JUSt fun." With added humidity, Castro said the temperature added a weather challenge w the front lawn version of the SpOrt. "E1 Salvador has che same hot temperatures, bur not as much humidity," Castro said. "I've never experienced this type of weather before." Castro said that he could see people from different countries and how they played the game. Even though the majority ofthe people who regularly came Out to play were from other countries, Campos and Castro said char the games were not exclusively for international students. "I think I'd enjoy it even more if more people would come out and play," Campos said. "In [intercollegiate soccer's] off season, some [members] of the Harding soccer team come out and play, but everyone should at least give it a try." Sophomore Jake Wood, though nOt an intercolle– giate soccer team member, took advantage of the open call to play. "I really missed playing soccer," Wood said. "-The international students were the only people on campus who played soccer on a regular basis for fun." From playing soccer, Wood was able to learn a few things from the international students. 'Tve actually learneda little Spanish and some awesome soccer skills from these guys," Wood said. "Even though we come from completely different cultures, we can all bond through playing a game we all love." Wood said he saw the real reason that everyone came together to play soccer. "I've gained new brothers in Christ," Wood said. "We hav: different backgrounds, but we're really all rhe same. -EmilyBurrows
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