Three different Drake organizations traveled to the People’s Republic of China the last week of May. The Drake football team, Jazz Ensemble One, and RaySociety traveled more than 24 hours to Beijing where they experienced a myriad of cultural and academic experiences.

The football team became the first NCAA Division I football team to play in China. The team won the Drake-China Global Ambassadors Bowl, 77-0, over a Chinese All-Star team. More important than the final score were the relationships the players made afterward. In addition to the game, team members facilitated youth football clinics and participated in volunteer service work. During the 12-day trip, the team had an opportunity to engage in various cultural activities, such as a visit to the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City. Academically, the student-athletes attended several seminars and lectures to learn about the country’s culture and economy. View photos and a summary of the football team’s trip.

Leveraging longstanding University ties with U.S. Ambassador Terry Branstad, Drake’s award-winning Jazz Ensemble One performed at the ambassador’s private residence. In addition, the ensemble performed at three universities in China, allowing students to interact and build relationships with local Chinese students. At the Contemporary Music Academy, Jazz One played a joint concert of Count Basie’s Flight of the Foo Birds with eager Chinese jazz students. Jazz One also performed at Nankai University in Tianjin and the Beijing University of Chemical Technology, where they listened to a Chinese string ensemble and choir. During the trip, the ensemble was able to meet Jin Yulong, a trumpet student at Minzu University, who will be an exchange student at Drake next year. Jin spent one whole day with the band and got to know many of the students he will be studying with next year. The trip was the sixth international trip for Jazz Ensemble One. The group has also performed throughout Europe, including invited performances at the Montreux Switzerland Jazz Festival and Holland’s North Sea Jazz Festival.

In addition to the football team and jazz ensemble, a group of RaySociety members traveled to China with Professor David Skidmore during the same week in May. Sixteen members of Drake’s lifelong learning organization visited Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hong Kong, providing the group with a deeper understanding of China’s cultural heritage, political history, and current systems.