I’d never paid much attention to international soccer before, but this past summer I had the privilege of celebrating Spain’s first-ever World Cup win on a street in Madrid with my fellow Northwestern study abroad students. Although the team and the tournament could have stood alone to turn me into a “fútbol” fan, I can identify a catalyst in this process. Shakira’s “Waka Waka” was one of the official World Cup songs, and we danced to it in discotecas all over Spain. On the eve of the final game, I realized that the song not only offers a good reason to shake your body like Shakira, it also gives some very sound advice -for the World Cup teams and for students like us.
The song was written for the World Cup’s host country, South Africa, but its words apply to many of the struggling countries who sent their representatives to Johannesburg. There is one phrase from the song that resonates with me when I think of these countries: “choosing your battles.”
Since before the tournament, Spain has been suffering from the effects of an economic crisis. Prices keep falling and the unemployment rate is at an all-time high. Casillas, Villa and Iniesta, the important players in Spain’s rise to championship, may not be their country’s FDR, but in agreeing to play on the national team, they brought their own brand of weapons against the crisis: footwork, initiative and endurance. They don’t have the knowledge or skills to improve the economy, but they can win the World Cup for their country, choosing to fight the battle of improving morale and offering a chance for celebration in the midst of defeat.
Caught up in the hype, my Northwestern friends and I began to idolize these players. But were we doing it for the right reasons? Yes, they are astonishingly good-looking. Yes, they know how to kick a ball. But it is the way they put this to work that is the really admirable aspect. “Waka Waka” claims that there is a lot of pressure on the players, but everyone is standing and supporting them. They are using their soccer skills to unite their country and the world. Maybe there’s something we students could learn from them, in addition to worshiping their talent.
Northwestern students spend a lot of time being frustrated – with themselves, with the school and with the world. We slave through leadership roles and studying for midterms so that we’ll have an edge in the competitive job market. We try to maintain solid relationships with our friends and family. And on top of this, most of us are looking for a way to change the world, exhibited by our political campaigners, living-wage activists and Evanston Library supporters.
Though we are an overwhelmingly intelligent and gifted group, there are many things we cannot change and will never be able to. Luckily, there are battles each of us is fit to fight, and discerning what these are (and what they’re not) is the most important step. For example, as much as I’d like a new student center, I acknowledge that Claire Lew is much better at leading ASG in this battle than I would be. I’ll just use my position as a columnist to raise some awareness. Like Shakira advises and the Spanish soccer team emulated, don’t try to fight against everything you think is wrong. Instead, choose the battles that you are fit to fight, and get to work.
Meredith Wise is a Weinberg junior. She can be reached at [email protected].
