The third event in the Spring 2023 International Seminar Series, The FIFA World Cups of Soccer-Joy and Context is now open for registration. It will be presented simultaneously in-person in the Old Main Room of the Bone Student Center, and online through Zoom. This event will be held on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, from noon-1 p.m. All events in this series are free and open to the public. RSVP is required for in-person attendance.
With the men’s World Cup taking place this past fall, and the women’s World Cup coming up this summer, the spring semester presents a perfect opportunity to take an in-depth look at how these events are shaping the world stage. International sporting events unite fans from around the globe through shared passion and excitement for the players, teams, and competitions. However, there is a dark undertone of corruption, gender inequality, and human rights and labor violations that surround these events. This series aims to take a comprehensive look at some of these topics and provide a broader context for how these events impact issues beyond the world of sports.
The topic for this event in the series will be “Joy of the Game—How Soccer Opens Doors in Our Community and Around the World.” This talk will be led by Dr. Agbenyega Adedze, Mboka Mwilambwe, Rick Gardner, and Rabah Seffal.
Dr. Agbenyega Adedze is a professor in the Department of History who specializes in African history. He is an active member of the Park Drag Soccer Club in Bloomington-Normal. His research interest is in material culture as a source of history and has recently curated a philatelic exhibition on “the Beautiful Game” in Bloomington-Normal at Illinois Wesleyan University to coincide with the FIFA World Cup (2022) in Qatar.
Mboka Mwilambwe is the mayor of the City of Bloomington and the assistant director of ISU’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Access. Mwilambwe was born in DR Congo and played soccer since the age of 4. When enrolled at ISU, he played in intramural tournaments most years. Once he began working at ISU full time, he joined a recreational league team with many international students, appropriately called I-House. One of its members from Tanzania told him that organizing and managing the team was an important community service. He said it provided a sense of belonging for those far from home. To Mwilambwe, the game is important beyond simply playing, and he has now transmitted his love for it to his son, a member of Scott Gallagher, a highly competitive travel club in St. Louis.
Rick Gardner is a lifelong resident of Bloomington, ISU alum, and retiree. He was introduced to soccer during his freshman year of high school in the fall of 1971. He coached boys soccer in the PCSL and CIYSL in the 1990s. He has been playing pickup soccer in Bloomington-Normal for close to 20 years. He organizes the games for the Park Drag United pickup soccer group and is the de facto activities director for the group.
Rabah Seffal retired from Caterpillar after a 24-year career as an engineer. Born in Algeria, he is a resident of Bloomington since 1998. His two daughters attended Bloomington High School where the youngest played soccer. He played soccer in Algeria and in New Orleans where he went to college. He joined the Park Drag United soccer group more than 14 years ago and will continue to kick the ball, laugh, and dance after scoring a goal.
The speakers will discuss the history of the Park Drag United soccer club in Bloomington-Normal. A diverse group of players from different origins in a challenging environment come together around a soccer ball to enjoy the game. Adedze will focus on global joy and celebration of the FIFA World Cup and the recent soccer and stamp exhibition at IWU to coincide with the World Cup in Qatar, 2022. Gardner’s presentation will emphasize the diversity and organization of the Park Drag Games over the years. Seffal will reminisce on his personal experience joining the group, and likewise, Mwilambwe will talk about his playing years from ISU, with Park Drag United, and soccer in the community in general.
Upcoming series events:
- March 29: Labor and Human Rights and the 2022 Soccer World Cup
- April 19: Corruption in the World of Soccer
Those wishing to attend the event in person must register in advance. A free lunch buffet will be provided for in-person participants before the event at 11:45 a.m. If you cannot attend in-person and still want to join, you can do so virtually using this Zoom link (advance registration is not necessary for online attendance).
Anyone with questions, concerns, or regarding any accommodation to participate fully, please contact Emmy Buonomo at ecbuono@IllinoisState.edu or call the Office of International Engagement at (309) 438-1651. Please allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.
