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Students Study Sport in the Birthplace of the Olympic Games

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This week, 26 Cal State Fullerton kinesiology students will explore philosophy where it was debated by Plato and Aristotle, study the history of the Olympic Games in the olive groves when they began and gain an indelible once-in-a-lifetime learning experience.

They are the first students to take part in the University’s 12-day study abroad program to Greece. It is the latest such program established through departments, colleges and with partner universities.

“Traveling to foreign cultures has the power to transform individuals and the way to see the world,” says Matthew P. Llewellyn, associate professor of kinesiology and one of the faculty members leading the Greece program.

“Students will engage in learning that goes, both figuratively and literally, way beyond the classroom,” adds the scholar, whose research specialty is the history of the modern Olympic Games, as well as sport and culture in the modern world.

“For kinesiology students, traveling and studying in the birthplace of their field with fellow majors will build pride in their profession and a sense of mission that links their current professional ambitions with a tradition that dates back more than two millennia,” he added.

Also leading the program is John T. Gleaves, assistant professor of kinesiology, whose research interests are the philosophy and history of sport; and David Lunt, assistant professor of history at Southern Utah University, whose area of study is ancient Greek and Roman history, plus ancient and modern sport history.

During the program, students will explore museums and ancient sites, such as Corinth, Olympia and Delphi. They will earn six units of course credit and be responsible for writing essays and a daily journal, as well as completing scholarly readings and online quizzes, explains Llewellyn.

“On top of this, it is a special opportunity to interact with fellow Titan students and faculty as they will all be living together, sharing meals and engaging in some recreational physical activity after hours at the International Olympic Academy,” Llewellyn adds.

Participating students by cities of residence:
Anaheim — Lesley Torres
Buena Park — Megan Hana
Chino Hills — Lauren-Ashleigh Sayoko Piatt
Corona — Justine V. Prata
Covina — Tyler Craig Siedentopp
Elk Grove — Aimee Levan
Fresno — Kevin Anthony Villicana
Fullerton — Joanne Antoine Khoury and Robert William Salatto
Garden Grove — Kevin H. Kim
Gold River — Justin Angelo Carrido
Lakewood — Robert Mendoza
Mission Viejo — Araceli Sevilla and Jonathan Patrick Strengholt
Ontario — Alexis Diana Velasco
Oxnard — Ashley Marie Torres
Pico Rivera — Mark Anthony Rios
Rialto — Brandee Aliyah Barbee
Rocklin — Nicholas Richard Brooks
Rowland Heights — Andrew Vinh Nguyen
Santa Ana — Ana Lilia Chavez
Suisun City — Cristian-Giovanni Torres
Torrance — Nicholas J. Nguyen
West Covina — Whitney Leyva
Whittier — Tanya Kathleen Jones
Yorba Linda — Danica Linn Yoshimura