Running at night (Photo: Reuters)

One of the first things I noticed when I got to school in Virginia was how many people ran outside.  They seemed to be everywhere, at all times of day or night – people jogging through the main quad, students walking around in exercise gear, traffic jams as runners tried to navigate through slower-moving students on their way to class.

I was not a sporty person before I came here.  My high school life was pretty hectic, and when I had time away from schoolwork I was too tired to work out.  Even when I went to college in China and had a bit more spare time, working out was not part of my regular routine.

Coming to university here totally challenged my belief that working out is something you only do when you have lots of free time.  I hear my friends say, “I have so much work to do,” and then a minute later, “I’m going for a run.”

One of my housemates is incredibly busy during the day, so she started getting up very early to make time for running.  She is not obligated or forced to, but she wants to.

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What is behind all this school spirit?

When I first arrived at the University of Maryland, and for many weeks after, I was bemused by the number of students who walked around dressed from head to toe in clothing with our university’s name on it, and by the volume of merchandise in the university bookstore that features our mascot, Testudo the terrapin.

The weeks went by, and every day you could guarantee that at least 50% of the students on campus would be wearing at least one garment of University of Maryland attire. It wasn’t just the students – I saw their parents sporting large ‘M’ bumper stickers on their cars, and even younger siblings wearing Maryland red.

The university that you choose to attend in England is something to be proud of – most of us worked hard to get there and try to make the most of the experience – but at the end of the day it is just a university: a place to earn a degree, to meet friends, and to introduce you to another way of life.

Here in College Park, going to the University of Maryland is not merely an academic or a social choice – it is a way of life.

I remember one of the first orientation seminars I had when I arrived in Maryland, during which they played us a video showing a sea of red-clad students singing along to the Maryland victory song. They didn’t seem at all reserved or self-conscious to be professing so publicly their love for their educational institution.

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University of Kansas basketball trophies (Creative commons photo by proforged on Flickr)

As the end of March approaches, so does a sporting event that captivates almost everyone in college (and many who have long graduated), March Madness. I got the inspiration for this post from the excitement of having my own school’s team – the University of Kansas Jayhawks – making the finals, to be played tonight. Now I guess I should explain what that means.

As you might know by now (or in case you don’t there is a post here about it: March Madness hits  University of Kansas), March Madness is the most important college basketball tournament in the U.S. 68 Division I basketball teams qualify each year to play in the tournament.

But what exactly is Division I? The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) is the body that rules over the competition of all the higher education institutions that participate in competitive sporting events in the U.S and Canada. There are over 1,200 schools involved, so they are divided into smaller groups called Division I, Division II and Division III.
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I went to college in Romania, studying Psychology at the University of Bucharest. From the beginning I was involved in extracurricular activities, from the school to the national level. I didn’t even think about them as extracurricular – I just loved doing things, working with students from other disciplines, coordinating teams, organizing events and going to training sessions where professionals inspired us to dream big.

In 2006, when I first experienced American culture during a summer trip, I was impressed by an educational system based on the liberal arts principles I had always instinctively pursued. It reminded me of the Renaissance, when a person was encouraged to develop a variety of talents and when great ideas came from combining disciplines in new and exciting ways.

The value of bringing together different ideas and approaches stuck with me when I returned to Romania, and continued to define my approach when I came back to America to partake in that liberal arts education. This system has impressed me so much not only because of its idealistic educational principles but also for more pragmatic reasons: In the changing reality of the 21st century, single-mindedness and studying only one field are not sufficient to prepare ourselves for the future.

[Read more about extracurricular activities in American education]

Time and again I’ve found the value of connecting my academic pursuits to activities outside the classroom and doing those things that, although not “required,” turned out to be essential.
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Green Bay Packers fans celebrate in Wisconsin after their team beat the Pittsburgh Steelers to win the Super Bowl (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

What were your favorite articles from the past school year?

#1) Football and Patriotism: A Super American Day, by Nareg

Nareg is one of my favorite writers for the blog, It’s always interesting how he portrays American-ness in his blog posts.

#2) Meeting Movie Stars and Oscar Winners, by Tara

As a movie buff, I was jealous but extremely happy for her because I agree with her. A 4.0 GPA is cool…I think. And hanging out with Tom Hooper and Melissa Leo is not amazing…it’s fantastic.

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Now added to our Glossary of Confusing Words: gymnasium

In the U.S. a gymnasium, more commonly referred to as a gym, is a building where athletic activities take place.

Most colleges and universities have a gym for students to use for sports and athletic activities.  The gym will usually have a fitness center where students can work out.  In every day English, that fitness center is also called a gym.

The building where indoor varsity sports are played may also be called a gymnasium.

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University of Kansas basketball trophies displayed in the university basketball stadium, Allen Fieldhouse (Creative commons photo by proforged on Flickr)

If you are a college student in the U.S., international or American, there are two things in March that create a hiatus in academic life. The first is spring break, which is usually a well-deserved week-long break after the dreaded midterms. And it’s usually about that time that the second – “March Madness” – starts.

For most U.S. college students those two words don’t need any explanation, but for those who don’t know what I’m talking about, let me explain a little bit. “March Madness” is the name given to the NCAA’s (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division I basketball tournament. This is probably the most important event related to college athletics, and at the University of Kansas I can truly feel the emotions flowing in the air.

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Sunday Feb. 6 was the day of the Super Bowl (the American football championship), perhaps the biggest annual sporting event in the United States. St. John’s College hosts an annual Super Bowl screening, and our main auditorium was packed with students and staff, along with plenty of food and drink, for the event.

Screening Super Bowl 2011 for the students at St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Photo courtesy Bryce Corkins

American football (i.e., not soccer, but the rugby-like sport played in the States) is one of those “very American things,” I have come to discover, and the Super Bowl seems to showcase that American-ness to an immense degree.

First of all, the national anthem. Before most athletic events, The Star-Spangled Banner is sung, and the big, national matches often have some famous entertainer doing the singing (fun fact: the author of the lyrics to the national anthem, Francis Scott Key, was a student at St. John’s College).

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A campus map hangs at Michigan State University (Creative commons photo by Flickr user druark)

As international students, when we first arrive in the U.S, we like to have a sense of the place – we want to feel home. We start by walking long distances to discover the area around us. We get lost and then suddenly, we find the way back. Our hearts are full of excitement and curiosity to explore the city and get familiar with the places. We try to create our own maps and guides, illegible to anyone but us.

Although it is my second month here in East Lansing, Michigan I still get lost frequently. Neither the actual maps, nor the maps that I have created are helping me find my destinations.

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Blogger Jamie describes going to an Oklahoma University football game and shares some incredible photos of the football stadium in full swing