The Observer, September 8, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 2
Palomares enjoys transition in cultures and sports
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Juan Palomares is a senior foreign exchange student from Madrid, Spain taking part in the Global E3 Engineering program. Palomares is also a member of the cross country team, which may seem odd because he hails from a soccer-dominated country. Palomares had played soccer in Madrid for 11 years but decided to run cross country here because he wanted to do new things.
"I have nothing to learn about soccer and everything to learn about cross country," he said. "I have good skills in running but I never had a coach, it was always on my own."
Palomares first started running in gym class during which he participated in running competitions, and he would often finish first, even among the upperclassmen. In Spain, however, there are not many cross country teams available to join. If you want to run, you play soccer. Palomares loved to run so much that after soccer practice he would stay an extra half hour and just run.
"People would think I was crazy, but I like running, so I did it," he said.
Picking which sport to play was not the only decision that was highly influenced by society. Choosing classes was another. Palomares currently attends the private university of I.C.A.I in Madrid
"Private is very different from public [in Spain]," he said. "It is like high school. You are in class with 40 classmates, and you are in class with them for your whole major. Professors come to your class room, you know the courses you have to take in advance, and everything is mandatory. Here [in the U.S.] you pick up whatever you want."
He likes having this freedom because he can take classes that don't pertain to his major. Palomares has kept himself pretty busy with classes, cross country, and activities while here, living a pace of life which is not new to him.
"Everything is crazier in Madrid," he said. "The streets are crowded, and people are everywhere till 1 a.m. I take the underground for 40 minutes to school, and I study until 10 at night. Everything is really hectic."
One of the main components of Juan's daily routine is cross country as he has practice every day to improve his position on the team. Cross Country coach Kathy Lanese said Palomares has made a positive impression.
"Juan's work ethic is comparable to most others on this team which is very strong and willing to improve," she said.
Improve is what Palomares wants to do, as he finished 118th out of 160 people at the Bill Sudeck Classic. When asked about how he felt after running the race, he said. "It was so fun because it was the first time I used spikes. At the end of the race, I was really happy and not really tired because I wanted to preserve my energy and finish the race."
Palomares's goal for the season is to be in the top 10 on the men's team. Currently he ranks among the top 15. Even though he has not reached his goal, his current standing is quite an accomplishment, considering he is adjusting to both the sport and American life. Palomares feels he owes his achievements from running on the team to his teammates.
"If I am improving and having fun, it's because of the team and not because of me. They always worry about me because I have never run long distances. One of the reasons I feel so good is because of the cross country team. If I had to take something from here, it would be the cross country team," he said
This same energy and appreciation is felt from the team regarding Palomares as well.
"Juan brings a cosmopolitan flavor to the team. He definitely brightens everyone's day with his Spanish flair. He is a great team motivator!" said a teammate.
After this year, Palomares will go back to Madrid and finish his engineering degree. As of right now, he seems to have his postgraduate plans well thought-out.
"I do not want to start working with a company where I have to wear a tie for 12 hours," he said. "I want to go to a place like Bangladesh and work in underdeveloped villages and help them get basics such as electricity."
