Rather than a sip of tea and a bite of crumpet, Neil Gorman enjoys a good cup of coffee when taking a break from his rigorous training schedule for the boxing club.

Gorman's thick accent and subtle humor reveal his identity as an exchange student from Exeter in southwest England. When he's not sparring with an opponent, Gorman is "observing" University students for his North American Studies course at the University of Leeds in north England. While Gorman has spent two years studying American culture at Leeds, boxing is relatively new to him.

"(Boxing) is a sport that I have seen a lot on television," Gorman said. "It looked to be one of the toughest I have seen, and I was wondering whether or not I could do it."

So in October, Gorman joined the boxing club to satisfy his curiosity. He passed his physical fitness requirements and earned a spot at 147 pounds. However, since Gorman suffers from asthma, he had to first get the approval of a physician and Coach Bill Wrable before entering the ring.

"He kind of surprised me the first time he had that (inhaler)," Wrable said. "(But) he is a very determined person."

Gorman said that his asthma is "a bit of a restriction" but doesn't usually bother him.

"I did a lot of running and cycling in the past, so my cardiovascular system is O.K.," Gorman said.

Since Gorman had no previous ring experience, he boxes in the novice division, which he said is much different than boxing as seen on a professional level.

"With regards to the boxing that we do, beating the crap out of somebody is not something that we aim to do . . . it is not professional boxing," Gorman said. "The aim, really, is not to knock the other person out. The aim is to score as many points as one can by hitting the person in different areas.

"There are very strict safety standards . . . to prevent people from getting hurt."

While Gorman takes a modest stand on his own boxing talent, teammate Jay Neville said Gorman uses skill, rather than strength, to his advantage.

"He's a very tactical fighter . . . he can exploit other people's weaknesses and experiment with different styles," Neville said.

While Gorman admitted that boxing and academics take up most of his time, he does try to get away every now and then, literally.

On an occasional weekend, Gorman and several of his fellow English exchange students cram into a car and drive to various cities for a different taste of American nightlife. Among their conquered territories are Boston, Baltimore, New Orleans, Nashville and Memphis.

"It really is kind of off the cuff," Gorman said. "We just decide to go somewhere, get a map and away we go. It is good fun."

When Gorman isn't touring the eastern United States, he is perfectly content with hanging out with friends. He enjoys watching a good movie and has seen every Rocky film, calling them "amusing."

Gorman is also a frequent patron of the local bars, although he goes to "hang out with friends" rather than to drink. The bar scene is one of the aspects of life most familiar to Gorman in State College.

"In England, the bar scene is a far more integral part of someone's social life than it seems to be here," Gorman said, "though some Americans might disagree with me on that one."

Although Gorman can't go home for the weekend like many other students, he is enjoying his year in America. But does he ever have bouts with homesickness?

"I have to say 'of course', because if I say 'no' and my mom reads this, she will kill me," Gorman said.

At the end of this semester, Gorman will return to England for his final year of study at Leeds. He hopes to continue boxing at a competetive level when he returns home.

"If a (novice) system exists in England, then I will continue (boxing)," Gorman said.

Gorman also plans to return to the United States after receiving his degree, but not to pursue a career in professional boxing.

"(The plan) is to enter the fashion industry or accounting," he said. "I know that doesn't quite correlate with boxing."

If Gorman's current ability to get what he wants is any indication, there is not much doubt that we will see his name on some article of clothing in the near future.

"He is never satisfied with anything, he always wants to be better," Wrable said. "He's kind of a character . . . that type of person that just kind of rubs off on you."