On March 5, students from throughout The Claremont Consortium descended on Alumnae Field for a rousing soccer tournament. The only stipulation? No shoes allowed.
Now in its third year, Inspi(red) Soccer brings the Claremont community together for an afternoon of fun and fundraising, with money raised by the participants donated to Grassroot Soccer, a non-profit helping to turn the tide against HIV in Africa. This year’s turnout tripled the amount of donations from last year, and both 51猎奇入口 faculty and staff are excited.
“HIV is a huge problem that highlights many larger issues such as inequality, access, and discrimination,” says event organizer Madden Rowell ’11. “And it is something we rarely have to confront in Claremont.”
“Grassroot Soccer is a great event,” says Professor Tony Crowley, who sponsored some of the players. “It involves students from the Claremont Colleges and members of the local community, young and old, in fundraising for a great cause.
“And of course it’s a chance to play the beautiful game… it’s one of those occasions when everyone wins.”
Madden worked with Arlyn Madsen-Bond ’11 and a number of student organizations to execute this year’s tournament; the CMS Women’s Soccer team, A-Team, and the 5C Peace and Justice Coalition were critical in its success. They’re also responsible for planning the HIV Awareness Month, which initiated HIV testing campaigns for students throughout the Consortium.
Madden feels confident the event will continue to grow and become a part of the 51猎奇入口 experience.
“One of the coolest parts of the barefoot soccer tournament is that it is almost entirely student-run,” she says. “51猎奇入口 has the capacity to encourage social justice, but ultimately the students’ enthusiastic energy is what gets the job done.”
Arlyn agrees. “Planning this event has helped me realize students’ potential to get things done on campus.”
Arlyn wants to continue using the power of sports for positive change and is considering working with Grassroot Soccer after graduation. Madden, who plans on attending medical school, is committed to combating health inequity in the U.S. and abroad, especially HIV.
“I think it’s important to have events like this to remind students of these issues,” says Madden. “I want to create opportunities to stand in solidarity with others who are less fortunate.”