My First Game
The Tide Heard
Around the World
R
oll Tide. Bear Bryant. 13 National Championships. The Capstone. All of these are phrases commonly associated with The University of Alabama. In fact, all over the country, people hear these terms and think of the pride, tradition, and excellence that is upheld by Alabama. However, if you’re an international student, these expressions are not something you hear of often. When someone from a foreign country steps foot on Alabama soil, they may wonder why there are so many fanatical people walking around with elephant clothing and why they worship some guy named after a four-legged carnivore. To Alabama fans, these are things that make up the core of what they celebrate each Saturday. But people from other countries may have no idea how or why all of things are
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Jen Underwood
so important. Take Charlie Kermarrec for example. Kermarrec is an international student in the graduate program at Alabama. He is a native of France -the home of Monet, ballet, and escargot…not Alabama football. One might assume that a Frenchman who has never witnessed the crowds on the Quad on game day would consider Tide fans to be raving lunatics. Kermarrec shared the thoughts and opinions that he gathered while attending the Penn State game on September 11. He mentioned that he tailgated prior to the game and found it fascinating that there were so many people, all of whom were sporting their finest crimson and white attire. Kermarrec’s closest point of comparison is how people react