Sport and Globalization in London & Seville

On Friday, February 21, 2014, the inaugural Carleton College Sport and Globalization Seminar group of students visited Lora Tamayo Primary School in Bellavista, Spain, for the first time. It was a unique, educational, and amazing experience. After figuring out how to use the transport system, we were welcomed with bright smiles, little children jumping for joy, an enthusiastic director, Rafael, and the incredible value of Omar’s bilingualism. We first gathered in a classroom where Rafael gave us a brief overview of Lora Tamayo and the community of Bellavista—a school and community where Rafael himself grew up. Bellavista, an extremely close-knit community, supports this school with all they have—something Rafael stressed and was clearly evident in the eagerness of parents to assist with events and the plethora of them standing outside the playground fence during recess, supportive and ready to be of service however they could be. Rafael also discussed the Bellavista soccer club, which, despite its lack of tournament or league success, has been an important way to bring the community together. He was extremely proud of it—and the new turf field we saw being rolled out as he gave us a tour of the athletic facilities available to the school and community. (I must say, the indoor basketball court was quite nice.) Lora Tamayo itself does not have the finest facilities. Computers are scarce, and the computer room is made up of the white box kind from the mid-1990s that have homes in many American garages. The town consists of many run-down buildings that would have difficulty passing American safety standards. Nevertheless, there is a joy that is evident in the teachers and the students, and the warmest welcome that we Carls have received from any group of people anywhere in quite some time. Every classroom had students desperately wanting to jump into photos and teachers more than happy to oblige with a short interruption. Following this introduction via knowledge and visitation, we were kindly treated to coffee (truly espresso, as drip-coffee is virtually impossible to find in this country) and a vast array of Spanish pastries, breakfast treats, and things that contain so much sugar or chocolate that you will smile so wide but not want to eat for a week. One of these was homemade, as was mentioned several times. They all were quite delicious and we starving and tired college kids greatly appreciated caffeine and sugar. We needed it too, as the next thing on our to-do list was to hang out with kids at recess. Recess was a blast! Several of us played some soccer, only to learn quickly that the hard-floor surface was extremely slick and one must be careful running on it. Autographs were begged for—and given—by and to the students by all of us. Others of us talked—or attempted to talk—with various groups of students, being as genial, kind, and energetic as possible. Games of tag also sprung up spontaneously, as is the case in almost every single recess that has ever occurred, and some of us joined in. A couple of notes on the Spanish schooling system. It is a two-tier system quite different from the US’s 3-tier one. One significant difference is that teacher assignments are given by a central authority, with local schools having no discretion over whom they hire, and teachers can expect to move every couple of years—much like a Catholic Priest or Methodist Pastor. After serving enough time and earning enough “points,” however, teachers can choose where they wish to teach—and Rafael chose to come home to Lora Tamayo as director. Though we may not agree with his teaching philosophy all of the time, we have absolutely no doubt that his heart is in the right place and his passion for this school is unmatched by anyone, anywhere. As for Bellavista, it is a community with a history of marginalization. Its citizens were the primary builders of Plaza España and Plaza America, two amazing sites we have been fortunate enough to see, and were exploited in that specific endeavor, as well as several others. It is definitely run-down and relatively poor—as Doug’s host mom, Cristina, who lives about an hour’s walk from the city center, said, Sevilla is very pretty “en el centro.” As Bellavista shows, however, true heart lies beyond the confines of tourist attractions. Rather, it prospers in areas that stand together; that fight for their livelihood; that have one another’s backs, no matter the hardships. Bellavista will not become a first-class neighborhood anytime soon. Lora Tamayo will not be state-of-the-art overnight—especially with the massive budget cuts and difficult decisions facing Spain’s government if it wishes to avoid a default. Nevetheless, this is a community that sticks together through thick and, most commonly, thin. It is a philosophy of togetherness we all can learn from. Bellavista and Lora Tamayo exemplify togetherness and dedication. It is an absolute honor to be serving this community and this school, especially with the smiles displayed this day by every child we encountered..