The world loves soccer, but most Americans may only love
to hate it. Tom Weir of USA Today once wrote that “hating soccer is more
American than apple pie, driving a pickup, or spending Saturday afternoons
channel surfing.” Learn more about this global disconnect at a free lecture
offered by the UW-Stevens Point College of Letters and Science.
“Why the World Loves Soccer But Americans Hate It” will
be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, presented by Tobias Barske, associate
professor of German and chair of the Department of World Languages and
Literatures. Held in the Pinery Room of the Portage Country Public Library,
1001 Main St., Stevens Point, this is the seventh talk in the nine-part 2015-2016
Community Lecture Series. The public may attend free of charge.
“This talk will explore the impact of sport on culture,
especially how an American national identity is constructed through football
against the ‘other’ worldwide football passion, soccer,” Barske said.
Barske earned his bachelor’s degree equivalent from
Universitat Regensburg in Germany before earning his master’s and doctorate
degrees from the University of Illinois. He teaches German, language teaching
methodology, culture and linguistics courses. A UW-Stevens Point faculty member
since 2006, Barske’s research interests include conversation analysis, grammar
and interaction, pragmatics and sociolinguistics.
For more information on the Community Lecture Series,
visit www.uwsp.edu/cols/lectureseries
or email stappa@uwsp.edu.
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