Liberal Arts, Fall 2017, Newsletter II

Fall semester is going fast! In this issue, we would like to talk about students participating in sports while in Barcelona and the visit to a primate rehabilitation center. Find here some details.

“Fencing here allows me to use my Spanish while continue training for the NCAA season”

Ilana from Columbia University is at the fencing team back home. She didn´t want to miss her practices so she joined a local fencing team. She commented: “Fencing here has been one of the highlights of my trip. Going to practice allows me to use my Spanish while continue training for the NCAA season when I return back to school. The other fencers are very nice, and have found it a great way to meet local people and become friends.

She travelled with the Barcelona fencers to compete in a tournament in France. She said: “We took a 6-hour car ride together across beautiful terrain to get there, and during the competition I was part of the camaraderie of Barcelona fencers, so when I was competing I had people cheering and coaching me, and I was able to reciprocate. This made the tournament very fun and I also learned the words to cheer and support athletes.”

“It has been so much fun playing with the UPF team”

Carla from Lewis and Clark University joined the fútbol 7 (soccer) team at the local university Pompeu  Fabra. She assured: “It has been so much fun playing with the UPF team. The girls are all really welcoming and so nice! My favorite part is going to hang out with the team after practice!”

Visiting a primate rehabilitation center

Students had the opportunity to visit the MONA foundation, a rehabilitation center for abused chimpanzees and macaques that are recovering from their previous lives as circus artists, television actors, and even pets. MONA gives these primates a second chance at a life free of pain and abuse.  They provide the primates a curative, nurturing, and restorative environment in a group of their own kind within a spacious and natural installation.

Students enjoyed the visit and afterwards they visit the medieval town on Besalú.