Six sports studies majors from Guilford College in North Carolina visited the Adivasi Ashram Shalla school in Chikhale Village, India as part of their coursework. During their four day visit, the students participated in fitness testing and sports competitions with the 700 Chikhale students. They also attended the school's annual sports awards celebration where students sang and danced on stage in front of the village. Two students commented that they enjoyed connecting with the Indian students and seeing concepts they had studied applied in everyday life.

1. Guilford College Students Visit Chikhale School
(prepared for the Institute of Cultural Affairs International’s
quarterly publication “Wind and Waves”, March 2016)
In January 2016, six sports studies majors from Guilford College along with their professor, Dr. Lavon Williams,
and Nelson Stover, President of Emerging Ecology, visited the Adivasi Ashram Shalla at Chikhale Village as a part of
their January Term course work. Guilford College is a liberal arts college located in Greensboro, North Carolina. It
has a long history of encouraging its students to include international experiences as a part of their undergraduate
education. The Adivasi Ashram in Chikhale, sponsored by ICA India, provides a residential learning experience for
700 students grades one through twelve.
During their time in India, the Guilford students participated in physical fitness testing of the students of the
Chikhale School. During two days of sports competition among the Chikhale students from all grades, the Guilford
students joined in the festivities. The highlight of the time in Chikhale came during the school’s annual sports
awards celebration. After the winners of the competitions were acknowledged, all of the students joined in a
three-hour cultural program of singing and dancing. The stage was lit and decorated for the occasion and people
from the village filled the courtyard to enjoy the festivities.
As a background reading focused on Indian cultural understandings, the group studied “Being Different” by Rajiv
Malhotra. After visiting the school for four days, the group headed off to Aurangabad where they went to the
Ellora Caves and the Daulatabad Fort.
Two sets of pictures from the visit are available at: www.emergingecology.org/Presentations/
AnnualDay2016.pdf and at www.emergingecology.org/Presentations/SPST250.pdf. For more information about
the Chikhale School or the Guilford College J-Term experience contact NStover@EmergingEcology.org. When
asked to comment on their trip, two of the students reported:
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in India, and would strongly recommend this trip to anyone interested in it.
It was amazing to be able to connect with the kids despite having a slight language barrier. Another thing I would
say is to really pay attention to the surroundings, many of the things we read in the texts were things I noticed in
everyday life situations. For example, the chapter in the text titled, ‘Anxiety over chaos,’ I could really notice the
chaos occurring but how India seemed to be functioning in what we considered ‘chaos.’ I thought it was
fascinating to read and then actually see these concepts applied in everyday life scenarios. – Lucas McCrory”
“Just when I needed a transformative experience in my life, I received it. I felt as if I was at the lowest point, and
my life had become repetitious and dull. Possessing a lifelong passion in Exercise Science, the opportunity to study
sports and the healthy mind-body link in India, was something I knew I couldn’t miss. I knew it would be good
practice for my future endeavors in Sports Medicine and enlightening the lives of others.
India’s a place one must experience firsthand. The Chikhale School held a sports week during our time there. The
students displayed remarkable athletic abilities. Their happiness and intrinsic motivation derived from
participating in games of India strengthened my desire to help others by improving performance. Much of my life
has been devoted to sports and exercise, as well as the psychological benefits and medicinal value it offers.
Regardless of culture, sport and exercise are vehicles that can be used to transform societies. I am encouraged to
assist in this transformation when I see others improving in their game of life, contributing to a healthy mind and
body. – Will Sands”
F. Nelson Stover, Emerging Ecology
March 1, 2016

2. Photos: Above – Guilford Students begin explaining the rules of “American” Football (what the Chikhale Students
thought should be called “Throw Ball”).
Above – Chikhale students dance during the cultural performance. Updated: February 28, 2016