With the recent hosting of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Soccer and the upcoming Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, scholars around the world have focused their attention on Brazil.
This past spring semester five College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences students were enrolled in the special topic course Sport in Brazil. Gonzalo Bravo, associate professor in CPASS sport management, served as the architect behind this course as well as the lead-faculty of the Brazil study abroad trip this summer.
One of the main objectives of the Sport in Brazil course was to prepare students who are participating in this international experience, which includes visits to the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. In Brazil, the CPASS group will meet nine other students and one faculty member from the School of Hospitality, Sport & Recreation Management, James Madison University. The two groups will spend seven days visiting several sport-related organizations and other landmark tourist sites.
CPASS students in the Sport in Brazil course had the opportunity to learn and discuss aspects related to sport along with the history and culture of Brazil. Earlier in the semester, Natalia Sterci, president, Brazilian Student Association and a graduate student in the WVU Department of World Languages, presented two sessions on Brazilian culture. Dr. Michael Vercelli, director, World Music Performance Center at WVU, introduced the students to the African roots of Brazilian music. Finally, members of the Anu Academy of Martial Arts in Morgantown conducted a demonstration on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.