Modou Lo Surprises Students

Modou Lo Surprises Students (Dpt of State)

Andrea Whiting and Modou Lo (Dpt of State)

On Wednesday, August 8, Andrea Whiting led a discussion about sports and the Olympics at the Embassy’s American Information Center.

Message from Ms. Whiting

“I was pleased to lead a discussion about Sports and the Olympics while the 2012 Summer Olympics are happening in London.  As a fan of ‘la lutte’ (Senegalese wrestling), I asked wrestler Modou Lo, who carried the Olympic Torch on July 1st, to join us and tell us what it was like to carry the Olympic Torch and share his experiences training in the United States.

We also had a spirited discussion about Title IX (a law that protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.  This year marks the 40th anniversary); the role of women in sports; and the importance of government support for athletics.  Students talked about the role of sports in society and why certain countries seem to dominate medal count at the Olympics.”

The American Information Center hosts regular discussion meetings.  The discussion program was designed to enable center users and other interested people to enhance their English language skills.  Sessions are held every two weeks, on Wednesday afternoons to enable students to participate.  Past sessions have included topics like environment, management, U.S. politics, etc.  The next session is scheduled for Wednesday, August 22.  The group will discuss Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s August 1 speech at UCAD.  Participants will be invited to read and discuss the speech, after an introduction by a representative of the U.S. Embassy in Dakar.