There is nothing quite like the Transatlantic series as Paul Wilcox explained. The teams on various sides of the Atlantic traveled before there were even flights between the two continents.

I believe the magic of this exchange is not in the actual events, but in the history that is made between the various institutions. The universities chosen are interesting as they represent the top institutions found in both the US and the UK and gives me the impression that the Transatlantic series is very elitist. That caught me off guard during the talk, although Cornell is an Ivy League school, elitism doesn’t usually come to mind.

It was incredible to see Mr. Wilcox and Dr. Hill talk about the transatlantic series. I could tell that both men are very passionate about it and have put a lot of work into making the series successful. Overall, I think that this is good for the institutions involved and helps bridge barriers between institutions across the Atlantic. I hope the schools will find other areas to also collaborate on in the future.

Last Wednesday, Paul Willcox, president of the Transatlantic Organization came to gave a talk about the track and field legacy that exists among the Ivy League universities, Cambridge University, and Oxford University. And having a passion for sports, I think it was a great talk overall. I remember used to having watched documentaries about my favorite players in basketball and the feats they achieved, and much of my enjoyment was reflected in Mr. Willcox’s presentation about the history and the players that dominated the game. But beyond the joys of hosting the games, Mr. Willcox denoted the taxing schedules their athletes have at hand. Right after the games, these students have to go back to London to take their exams and this talk has made me more appreciative of the effort that athletes put into their work. Not only do they have to balance training and competing, but they also have to balance their studies. After all, they are students just like us.

Though I really wished we could have talked to some of the students that attended Cambridge or Oxford. I personally have seen them in the dining halls, but have not had the opportunity to talk to them. I think it would have been a great way to learn more about other cultures and what life is like in London! A fellow Rose Scholar did also bring this up and I’m glad that plans may potentially be made in the coming years for us to mingle with the athletes.

But beyond the sports gatherings, I also learned about subtle cultural details that separate the US and the UK. For instance, Assistant Dean Hill told us that it was frowned upon when universities asked alumni to donate money as means of showing gratitude. Here, in the US, on the other hand, school organizations frequently send out mail asking for alumni to give back for future development of the school. In fact, even my middle school and high school send e-mails once in a while telling me to participate in alumni affairs, one of which is to give back to the community. All in all, Mr. Willcox gave an insightful talk about track and field development over the years while keeping things engaging.

Last week we welcomed Paul Wilcox to the Rose Cafe. Being a bit of a video game nerd who was forced into sports earlier in my life, I am personally not very interested in sports, so I was not expecting the talk to solicit much interest from me. I personally could not really care less about the dynamics of a team sport, and ones training regime. However, I was very excited to learn not only that that his presentation was about track and field (the only sport that I have ever participated in since I am uncoordinated), but the presentation also didn’t really focus so much on the sports itself, but more the history and culture exchanged from these sports, and how participating in these sports affected the athlete’s lives.

I ran cross country in high school, however I was only good enough to be the slowest person on my high school’s team to make it into the state competitions. Therefore, hearing about the cultural exchange going on between the athlete’s competing at a collegiate level really drove home how different sports are from a high school perspective and a college perspective. As a high school student, participating in a school sport just meant going to practice and dying for 2 hours. However as a college athlete, so much of ones life at that level revolves around the sport, since being that good at a sport allows an athlete to get more opportunities than they otherwise would be able to get.

When he was talking about the effect that the sport itself has on athletes, I was reminded of the athletes from England in the United States at Cornell last week. He had mentioned that the athletes need to prepare for finals as they begin right after they return. I cannot imagine the stress of having to prepare for finals while also being abroad for a sports meet. I wonder what they will get out of their time in the US other than stress. Personally, if I were in these athlete’s circumstance, I would be too stressed to sleep.

My only connection with Track and Field is watching it as a spectator during the Olympic games. I enjoy watching the sprints-100m,200m because the athletes have such high energy and look like they are flying across the track in a matter of seconds. The endurance and strength of the athletes are reflected in the sport as they are forced to battle against some of the best and fastest athletes from around the world. Since track and field is not a team sport, each athlete is left on their own to reach the finish line before anyone else. I always found it fascinating that no matter where you are in the world, track and field is a common sport in every country. Paul Wilcox’s talk about the transatlantic series showed how track and field helped connect students from different colleges and countries in order to participate in a sport that they were all passionate about.

The historic rivalries between Oxford and Cambridge and Harvard and Yale are broken during the transatlantic games which encourage teamwork among different colleges who are participating to win together. Oxford are Cambridge are usually paired up along with Harvard and Yale and Cornell and Penn. The games allow either the American teams to travel to England or the English teams to come to America in order to participate in the event. Both the English and the Americans face a culture shock while traveling to the other country; however, they bridge the culture gap through their mutual passion for track and field. The athletes not only get the opportunity to participate in one of the most prestigious events for track and field, but also get the opportunity to form long lasting friendships. Wilcox is still on the board of the transatlantic series committee and fondly reminisced about his track and field days. The series is more than just a competition among the best track and field athletes, it is a coming together of different minds and cultures and the positive relationships that grow out of these interactions.

Mr. Wilcox gave an interesting talk on Track and Field and the transatlantic competitive history that began before my time. Composed of top-tier universities primarily Ivy Leagues and Oxford and Cambridge, the Transatlantic Series is a American-British meet for Track and Field. I didn’t expect this going into the talk because the title of the actual event was attributed to something an athlete in that meet had once said. But his presentation thematically fit it: “Freedom to Look at Life in a Different Way.” I think it is remarkable that these athletes are able to dedicate at least a week of their time to travel across the ocean (traveling was more impressive in the past when boat was the form of transportation) and engage in a competition with their counterparts. Now while it was a fierce series, both sides of the Atlantic winning over the years with a constant shift in victories, Mr. Wilcox highlighted the more social aspect of the experience. After all, it is not often you get to meet foreigners for a continuous period, work hard and sweat alongside them and eat as well. Mr. Wilcox showed pictures of where the participants stayed during the Series and it was a very impressive vacation home. I think it is great that they are able to represent themselves in a sport they clearly love and also bond with others and get a different perspective on life. From what I can tell, the social aspect grew organically and soon became an integral part of the experience. I think it is something valuable, going back to the title of the talk, to not only do what you are given and instead extend beyond. You don’t need to just go there to compete and leave. Instead make friends, socialize and essentially make bonds that could possibly last for a long time. This philosophy could be applied to other parts of life as well.

It was a good talk because he did a fine job of detailing the history of Track and Field, particularly at a collegiate level, giving context. I was only aware of what events the sport involved but nothing totally in depth. The extra information was certainly helpful and interesting to learn. There also a section about the differing cultures and the cultural shock the athletes have when they come over so that was certainly illuminating. I think it is a good thing that this type of event is promoted and facilitated since it allows for collegiate unity across the ocean. I can tell this would quite the experience to go if one had the chance. I am curious if other sports or activities have similar programs in place. It is of course expensive to implement, and I liked learning about how Mr. Wilcox and his fellow colleagues work together to make this event happen, but if it can happen, I don’t think anybody would reject such an opportunity. What would you be interested in if you could get a transatlantic completion of sorts for it?

This past Wednesday I attended the talk by Paul Willcox on the Transatlantic Series entitled “Freedom to Look at Life in a Different Way.” The Series is an international track and field event in which the Ivies, along with Oxford and Cambridge, take turns hosting track and field athletic competitions. This event involves the creation of joint teams, Cornell and Penn, Yale and Harvard, and Oxford and Cambridge.

In his talk, he explained the history of the Series starting in 1874. I found the history to be very interesting, but was more excited by the component of cultural exchange and community which exists within the event. The Transatlantic Series serves as an avenue for these athletes to be hosted by different universities both within their own countries as well as in another. The cultural differences experienced here are beneficial in that they simultaneously broaden the mind and expose these individuals to new communities. I find the travel is incredibly valuable in this aspect, but is even more enlightening when it involves the kind of immersive experience offered by the Series.

Additionally, I was interested in the way the Series promotes camaraderie between universities with stark rivalries. In they formation of joint teams, these universities learn to value the other’s particular culture and community. In this one, the athletes can expand their sense of community to include those outside of their own university.

Overall, I found Paul Willcox’s talk quite interesting. As someone who is not involved with sports, his talk provided me with a deeper understanding of the community formed within an athletic team. I came away wishing I was a part of the Series myself!

I went to a Rose Cafe where I learned about the Transatlantic Series, which is a track and field competition between members of the Ivy League and Oxford and Cambridge. I learned that the Series was the first “international” athletic competition that the US participated in. While looking through the pictures of the competition in the past, it occurred to me how cultural exchange between countries helps prevent conflict. If two cultures understand each other better, then they are less likely to fight with each other. Competitions like the Transatlantic Series and the Olympics create good will between countries, and they also give people an outlet to show national pride that isn’t war, for example, cheering on your team. In recent years there has been less conflict in the world than there has been previously, and I think that that is due to globalization. As people, food, ideas, and sports migrate between countries, people not only understand each other better, a global culture starts to appear. That’s why I think that international athletic competitions are good for world peace, and I’m really happy that I got to learn more about the first international competition that the US participated in

One of the great things about attending the Rose Cafe is having the opportunity to learn about various topics that I would be unlikely to encounter otherwise. At the Rose Cafe with Paul Wilcox, the Honorary Secretary of the Achilles Club, we learned about the Transatlantic Series, which is a track and field competition pitting Ivy League schools in the United States against universities in the United Kingdom. It originated in 1894 (which predates the modern Olympics!), and in its current iteration, Penn and Cornell team up against Oxford and Cambridge, with the location of the event alternating between the universities.

As an avid sports fan, I personally feel that such events are truly awesome. When we think about college athletics and also professional athletics in today’s world, there typically is little interaction between sports teams in the United States and teams in other nations in numerous sports (ex: NBA, NFL, etc.); this is unfortunate since I have always believed that sports possesses a unique unifying power for human beings. Having such events as the Transatlantic Series can be crucial for breaking down barriers and experiencing cultures from all over the world. The fact that the event involves college students is especially neat, and it seems like a bit more exciting and shortened version of studying abroad!

This past Wednesday I had the pleasure of listening to the Rose Cafe given by Paul Willcox. I was a bit confused about the topic of the talk as all the information I had was the title. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I did not know anything about track and field before this talk except for some very vague information. There was a large amount of history involved in this talk and I think that made it more interesting for me. Overall, I had never heard of the Transatlantic series. The concept behind it is very intriguing. It is bringing together athletes from two different countries, separated by an ocean. I find it very interesting that they managed to carry the series out even when the athletes had to travel on a ship. To me, this is some serious dedication.

I think that this type of competition is a great idea. I think it is something that would be interesting to do with other areas of life such as with common majors or programs. This kind of opportunity allows a study abroad type experience without having to be away from college. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this talk and was very glad that I went.

Last week’s Rose Cafe was an extremely interesting talk that shed light on both athletics and cultural exchange (although some would say the two are intertwined. Mr. Paul Wilcox from the UK spoke to us about the Transatlantic series. I had no idea what the Series was prior to the talk and was extremely surprised and impressed to hear about such an international sports tradition! I was definitely proud to hear about Cornell being a part of this sports league.

According to Mr. Wilcox,the Transatlantic Series is a track and field league between Oxford and Cambridge in England and the Ivy League Universities with a four year cycle- with Harvard and Yale touring the UK every four years. Even more surprising to me was hearing that it is the world’s oldest international fixture. As someone who is not particularly interesting in sports, being especially clueless about track and field, what was really interesting was learning about how unique the league by providing participants with cultural exposure and developing friendships across the ocean through the context of sports and high quality competition. The passion in the speaker’s talk really made it clear that this league is much more than just sports, but about international cooperation and unity and friendship.

As an international student who grew up in three different countries, and even as someone simply living in an increasingly globalized world, I think events and opportunities like the Transatlantic Series are extremely important. It is vital that people have the chance to understand different cultures and perspectives and it was really eye opening to learn how sports can offer a platform to do this.

I attended Mr. Paul Wilcox’s talk as a part of the Transatlantic Series. I was surprised to learn that our own Dr. Hill organized and created the trophy for the event, as there had been none for the past 80 years. My experience with Track and Field is quite limited, but I enjoyed learning more about its history and development.

What interested me most about the talk was the idea of cultural exchange. Mr. Wilcox noted that the “experience of traveling together as a team and meeting your counterparts (with different cultures, etc.), broadens the mind immensely”. From differences in naming conventions (long jump or broad jump?) to something like having two taps for hot and cold water, learning and experiencing things that aren’t customary is valuable. And I believe that it is this spirit of competition and learning that has allowed the conference to survive the Great Depression and two World Wars. Sports is a perfect platform upon which this exchange may occur, with the Olympic Games being another notable example. Through tough but friendly competition, sport can be a force that unifies people in our world which is more globalized than it has ever been.

Before attending the Rose Cafe with Paul Wilcox, I did not actually know what the Transatlantic Series was. However I did remember hearing about the “British track team” being at Cornell and seeing them in the dining halls, without really knowing why they were here. People told me it was to train and compete, but I had no idea that this was a long-standing tradition that started before the Olympics.

The history described by Wilcox was very interesting, and it was obvious that Wilcox is passionate about the Transatlantic Series. It was very interesting to see the progression of the sport through the lens of the Series and it’s connections to Cornell. They were some of the first international sporting matches ever, and Charles Sherril, a competitor in the series, started the starting squat that all track athletes use today. Many of the athletes have gone on to be Olympic champions and world record holders. I think the most interesting thing about this series is the connections made between the schools involved. To be able to bring these teams together, to both combine and compete against one another and be completely immersed in the culture of the school traveled to would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and makes the sport even more worthwhile. Being an athlete myself, there is no stronger connection than the shared love for a sport between people. Bringing these two teams together fosters not only skill and strong competition for an exciting meet but creates a bond between these two groups.

I’m glad to have learned about the Transatlantic Series as I now know why there were members of the Oxford track team in Becker for breakfast last week. I think it’s awesome that this tradition has been continued and think that it really enhances not only the experience of the athletes that participate, but the community as a whole by immersing the athletes who don’t attend that school in the culture and practices of the school. The exposure to a different educational environment is mutually beneficial for all involved.

This past Rose Cafe series featured Mr. Paul Wilcox, the Honorary Secretary of the Achilles Club since 1987. He talked about the Transatlantic Series, a track and field series that took place and invited participants from various higher education institutions in both England and the United States. I found this talk interesting because I did track and field in middle school and for a season in high school, so I could personally relate to the role sports played in my life in bridging communication gaps within society and the community.

I especially enjoyed how Mr. Wilcox touched upon this communication power that sports has on different communities and cultures. The Olympics is a modern example of really bringing the world together through athletic talent; but more so, the Olympics shows a sign of sportsmanship and unity. Mr. Wilcox emphasized how the experience of traveling together as teammates and meeting counterparts from the other side of the world really broadens the mind. I can wholeheartedly agree with this statement.

Mr. Wilcox also discussed the history of different relays which I found interesting as I love learning about history, and having not known how far back track and field travels, it was cool to see how the sport has developed to further bring people from different cultures and organizations together.

Yesterday, Mr. Paul Wilcox spoke with the Rose Scholars about the importance of sports in Britain over the course of two centuries. He is the Honorary Secretary of the Achilles Club – a track and field club for Oxford and Cambridge athletes – and is therefore well educated in the origins of track and field and how it molded the best of people. It was interesting to hear the importance of being an athlete in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Students would be removed from class for over a week at times to train and compete for the soul purpose of representing their country and winning the gold. Even before the Olympic Games became a huge event, the British were hosting the Transatlantic Games to bring forth athletes during that time.

I loved how Mr. Wilcox showed so many historical black and white photos of track athletes, military men, and college students. It was incredible to see how clothing, athletic physique, and methods of training have evolved over the years. Today, there is no doubt that America has some of the best, highest quality machines to develop and athletes body into a future first place, gold medalist. But more than that, it was so touching to see how much athletes really treasured what they did, the training they endured, and the success they achieved in representing themselves and their country. Nowadays, it seems like athletes are much more interested in making lots of money, having tons of sponsors, and simply becoming a big name. There are definitely still some athletes that practice their sport for the love of the game, but with the rise in popularity and fame and fortune, it is hard for many to remember what they stand for.

I think that the amount of training necessary to be a successful track and field star is ridiculous; the stamina and drive necessary to run hundreds of meters or even short distance requires both mental and physical training that cannot be learned overnight. It was a pleasure having Mr. Wilcox, and I hope to meet more athletes from Cornell in the future.

As a runner, I found Paul Wilcox’s talk tonight particularly interesting. I haven’t competed in a track event since high school, but listening to Mr. Wilcox talk about track and field and watching old videos of races made me want to get back out there on the track.

Mr. Wilcox discussed the history of The Transatlantic Series, a competition in which university track and field athletes from the US and the UK cross the ocean to compete against each other. Started in 1894, two years before the first Olympic Games, The Transatlantic Series has been bringing students from different cultures together for over a century. It not only gives students an opportunity to get to know athletes from across the Atlantic, but also from other schools within their own country, since the competition places rival schools on the same team, such as Cornell and Penn vs. Oxford and Cambridge.

Participating in The Transatlantic Series sounds like an incredible experience, allowing students to compete against new competitors and learn about differences between the two cultures. In a world where countries are always in disagreement, it is amazing how events like the Transatlantic Series, the Olympic Games, and the World Cup are able to bring people together from rival schools or rival countries over a common love of excelling at their sport.