May 10, 2011
As long as Vanderbilt redshirt junior linebacker DeAndre Jones can remember, he has dreamt of visiting Africa.
Jones’ dream is close to becoming reality. Later this week, Jones and other Vanderbilt undergraduate students will journey to the continent for a multi-week study of the Morocco culture and Muslim religion.
The trip is part of Vanderbilt Athletics’ unique effort to provide study abroad opportunities for select student-athletes. Jones will become the fourth Commodore football player in the last three years to study on foreign soil, joining current defensive lineman Josh Jelesky and former players Joel Caldwell and Gaston Miller.
“I’m very excited about the trip and the opportunity to study in Morocco,” Jones said. “By going to Africa, I’ll be marking one off my bucket list for sure.”
Jones will study with Sherif Barsoum, the distinguished director of Vanderbilt’s International Student and Scholar Services. Originally destined for Egypt, the trip was moved to Morocco following widespread Egyptian political turmoil.
A month ago, Jones knew little of Morocco. Since learning of the trip, he has spent weeks learning about the nation of 33 million people located in northwestern Africa along the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
“When I thought of travelling to Africa, it was always Egypt or South Africa,” Jones said. “Being from Memphis and knowing that it was named for the city in Egypt, I’ve always wanted to learn more about it. So Morocco was never on my radar.
“Honestly, I had to ask exactly where Morocco was in Africa. But I’ve Googled and read a bunch on it now, and I think it’s going to be a great place to visit,” he added.
The chance to study Muslim and Moroccan culture will serve as an academic diversion for Jones, who has been immersed in upper-level engineering classes working toward a degree in mechanical engineering.
“It’s definitely a change of pace, and I’m glad about that,” Jones said. “One of the things I want to do is grow as much as I can as a person. I can’t think of a better way of doing that besides experiencing new people and cultures.”
Jones and seven students will travel to the Moroccan capital of Rabat. The group will deeply delve into the nation’s predominate Muslim religion, tour museums and markets, learn about its monarchy and King Muhammad IV, and get an introduction into the Arabic language. Along the way, they’ll also bargain with local merchants, search for prime beaches, and indulge in couscous, a staple of Morocco cuisine. The students are responsible for providing daily written reports on their observations.
“Because of the small number (of students), the professor thinks there will be more one-on-one interaction with Moroccans, and greater opportunities to experience the culture. I’m interested in all of it, especially the foods,” Jones said.
Jones is looking forward to learning more about the Muslim faith. “It’s primarily Christianity here, so I want to learn as much as I can about Muslims and the culture and rules surrounding the religion.”
Even the long flight to Morocco excites Jones, who travelled little as a youth in Memphis due to constant involvement in youth sports. “We didn’t take a lot of trips because I was always busy. In fact, I’ve been west of the Mississippi River just twice and that was for (football) games,” Jones said. “So the idea of flying across the ocean is pretty exciting. I want to do more of it in the future.”
As far as Jones is concerned, every hour of the trip will bring new experiences. “For one thing, I only know one other person on the trip, so I’m going to be meeting new people from the start.
“That’s exciting to me. I want to grow as much as I can as a person. Studying abroad will give me a new prospective of the world in general, and a greater prospective of life in particular,” Jones said.
The son of Demetres and Lisa Jones is appreciative to Vanderbilt Athletics, especially Vice Chancellor David Williams, Academic Center Director Elizabeth Wright and Head Coach James Franklin, for providing the unique educational opportunity he awaits.
“We’ve been planning for it the entire (spring) semester and I’m thankful to a lot of people, including Mr. Williams and Ms. Wright. And Coach Franklin has been very supportive since arriving on campus. He wants me to bring him something back,” Jones said.