Six Tusculum College students representing the College’s Physical Education Majors Club attended the 124th National Convention of American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance held in Tampa, Fla., March 31- April 4.
The students, which included Nicole Ferris of Lebanon, Ohio; Anna Johnson of Jonesborough, Tenn.; Katherine Shelton of Dandridge, Tenn.; Simon Holzapfel of Nuremberg, Germany; Micah Haney of Ft. Payne, Ala., and Jason Grove of Knoxville, Tenn., are physical education students majoring in Physical Education, Sports Science, Health and Wellness and Sport Management.
Ferris organized the trip, securing transportation, accommodations and the necessary funds for travel. Shelton had the unique opportunity of co-presenting with Dr. Kirpal Mahal, professor of physical education at Tusculum College, in a session on the topic of “Many Stressors – One Remedy: Breath Control with Yoga.”
“We are very appreciative of the Office of the Provost at the College which helped provide funds for our trip,” said Shelton.
Over the course of four days, the Tusculum College students had the opportunity to attend numerous sessions and hear presentations from professionals on trends and issues, best practices, experiences and research in the fields of health, physical education, recreation, exercise science, coaching, sport management and many others. Socials, meal functions and tours were also attended by the students.
The exhibition hall offered a variety companies and universities presenting their merchandise and programs that provided an opportunity for the students to establish contacts that could potentially be beneficial if they choose to pursue graduate studies in physical education-related fields.
Due to the downtown Tampa location of the convention center, students were able to enjoy the city. A trip to Clearwater Beach on Saturday afternoon, after the convention had closed its doors, offered a great opportunity to relax and appreciate the sunny locale.
Students in the next year’s senior seminar class of the Physical Education Department plan to attend the 125th AAHPERD National Convention in Indianapolis, March 16-20, 2010.