Through the Olympic Academic Experience, I was able to specifically study the organization of the Olympic games. Upon acceptance, my departure date was circled on my calendar and inched closer as the days went by. I followed official accounts on Twitter and searched for relevant articles regarding the London games to pass the time. My understanding of the organization of the Olympics grew and the Olympic Academic Experience enhanced my professional development throughout the program.

            Before the class started, I read press releases and articles regarding the London Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) preparations and strategy. From the bid stage, LOCOG set out to plan and execute the most sustainable Olympic games ever held. From the slogan, to the design of the Olympic park, it’s stadiums and legacy plans, many detailed plans were put into these sustainability strategy. The organizers first worked to establish compliance amongst its suppliers through the BS8901 event management framework. Associating with the London Olympic games enabled businesses to adapt sustainable practices and improve their brand image. Executing unique, positive change focused social programs helped to offset negative environmental impacts. In the years leading up to the games, funding was provided for help programs promote the positive aspects of physical activity. The slogan of ‘inspire a generation’ was the perfect message for the event’s sustainability, an approach that meets the needs of the present and to improve conditions for the future. But to pull all these efforts off, LOCOG needed to develop working relationships with a wide array of non-government organizations, the Mayor of London, sponsors, countries, the United Nations Environmental Program and the IOC. The extremely complex set of stakeholders that the Olympics needs requires constant communication and high levels of trust that plans will be carried out and issues reported. The delivery of Olympic games also puts an absolute deadline on plans, which is fundamentally different from other development projects. A legacy that LOCOG will leave the international sporting community is the ISO 20121 framework. Utilizing the BS8901 framework as a rough draft of sorts, this event management tool allowed for weak event aspects to be identified and enabled action items to be carried out. The London games served as a catalyst for development in an economically distressed area of town. By the time I got to London, I was a walking reference guide to the London Olympics sustainability strategy.

            Once the class opened up, I learned about the organizational structure and purpose of the International Olympic Committee, National Olympic Committee’s and International Federations. The Olympic Charter serves as a guiding document for the IOC and the organizations it works with. The IOC works to spread the Olympic spirit throughout the world by ensuring the annual games are held, assist needy NOCs and to determine access to the Olympic intellectual properties. The IOC is a non-profit organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland and has the status of a legal person. The IOC has reserved the right to control other legal entities such as foundations and corporations. The IOC serves to place the Olympic games at the harmonious development of mankind so they make sure companies are in compliance with their rules and traditions. Membership guidelines also stipulate that there must only be one representative from a country on the committee. The IOC meets in a general session once a year and must meet quorum of half the membership plus one. The next level of organization below the IOC is an International Federation, abbreviated as IF. IF’s serve to administer a respective sport. To be recognized by the IOC, an IF must be in compliance with the Olympic Charter and the Olympic spirit. An IF must ensure that it’s sport is being developed throughout the world, control their sports competition at the Olympics and express it’s opinion on sport related matters in an Olympic bid. The reach of these organizations is tremendous. The IF sits at the top of the pyramid of their sport. The authority and impact an IF has is large when you consider the amount of participants of every sport in the Olympics. Below the IF’s is the National Olympic Committee (NOC).  Each competing nation must have a NOC to participate in the Olympics. A NOC is responsible for providing Olympic educational programs in schools, encourage the development of high performance athletes while ensuring sport opportunities for everyone and compliance with the Olympic Charter. Within the NOC there is the foundation for National Federations to form. A National Federation must be affiliated with an Olympic recognized IF but can operate as a member of an NOC. Notable National Federation’s in the U.S.A are U.S. Soccer and U.S.A. Basketball. The study of the basic organizational structure of the Olympic movement reveals a level tremendous reach. Some Ifs can have less than 5 officials but can impact hundreds of thousands of participants and this is the power of the Olympic movement.

            Being able to experience, watch and interact with the London 2012 Olympic games provided for reflection and experiential learning opportunities. Mega sport events require two things, amongst many others, to be successful and they are sponsor and volunteer support. The city of London opened itself up to the world for three weeks. Volunteers played in an important role in the daily operations of facilities and in the city. Official volunteers filled various roles at Olympic events and Ambassadors served as guides to help visitors travel around town and answer questions. The travel ambassadors were in bright pink and stationed all over town. They provided a sense of welcome and were empowered to respond to security issues. Official volunteers had many roles, from running security checkpoints to fetching tennis balls at Wimbledon. They had to apply for the opportunity and were decked out in an Adidas volunteer uniform. Thus, assistance from official sponsors, partners and providers supported the organization and operation of London 2012. The IOC signs a handful of worldwide partners but leave the local organizing committees to sign partners in many categories. Partners such as BMW, Adidas, EDF, BP, British Airways, Lloyds TSB and others all provided support through their products, services and/or cash payments. Partnering with the Olympics is an exciting opportunity for businesses to advance their brands value proposition. London got help with sports equipment, energy production, food and drink and for the International Broadcasting Center. All the efforts of the Local Organizing Committee, legacy corporations, stakeholders, sponsors and volunteers all come together to execute the largest peace focused event this world sees.

            When senior year begins in September 2012, the experience and lessons that the Olympic Academic Experience provided advanced my professional development in many ways. Focusing on the Olympic games prior to the class allowed me to dive into the intersect of sustainability and sports. This emerging discipline coupled with studies of the Olympic Charter once the class began further solidified my desire to use my career as an opportunity to improve the livability and conditions of our planet. Getting to travel to the London Olympic Games brought it all together. 

The Olympic Academic Experience has given me a level of understanding about the global nature of the Olympics and people through experiential learning, academics and reflection. The Olympics serve to bring the world together through peaceful athletic competition. Interacting with the world and British cultures, history and the advancement of human rights highlighted my educational experience while studying abroad in London.

            Experiencing the British culture and interacting with the British people allowed me to understand British and Olympic culture. From the beginning, I was greeted with smiles and a friendly welcome from the British people. Often times I also experienced a little of pub culture. The pubs are a great place for friends to meet up, talk and share a meal and/or drink. It is important to find time for the people in your life. The British people like to have fun and seem to do a lot in groups. Their society was built on friendship and respect for others, a great lesson to learn. The other institutions in British society, such as their police system, nationalized healthcare and universities further reflect this sense of compassion that I felt while in England. Having the Olympic games in London added to the cultural experience of the trip. 204 nations competed in the 30th Olympiad and people from all over the world visited London to cheer on their nation. Getting to talk with people and hear their perspective on current events and their nation was eye opening as well. From hearing different stories, I got a sense of appreciation for the moment I was in and my nationality. From all my experiences abroad, I gained tolerance for others. It would have been hard to learn this while at home. The cultures of the world are apparent through their people. Living in an Olympic city during the games allowed me to interact and ultimately appreciate other people and their cultures.

            Spending two weeks in London was a history lesson. The Romans originally settled London so there are many chapters in this cities history. The city is home to four UNESCO World Heritage Sights of cultural significance and I visited three. The Tower of London is an ancient castle along River Thames, which was built around 1066. The structure has served many purposes such as a royal residence, a treasury, armory and a prison. Walking amongst this place took my imagination back to the 1300s when the building was in its prime. Seeing this monument offered hope for the future as our society has come a long way since then. The Royal Observatory is home to the prime meridian, the longitude line that separates the eastern and western hemispheres. The observatory was built around 1674. Once used as an astronomy center, it eventually served as a time keeping facility. A conference in 1884 established the prime meridian to be centered at this location. The Palace of Westminster is one, home to the United Kingdom’s Houses of Parliament. The Clock Tower, named Big Ben, is the most recognizable structure in London’s skyline and has been for the last 150 years. The city of London has history written into its streets, is living through monuments and is kept in record. Being able to walk the streets became a source of appreciation for my English heritage. Having the opportunity to become a part of London’s Olympic chapter in 2012 gave me appreciation for it’ historical significance when I visited World Heritage sites and walked the streets.

            The London 2012 Olympic games helped advance woman rights in the Middle East and in America. In America, women Olympians were more successful in their respective competitions than men. Further, this was the first year more women were on Team USA than men. Of the forty-six gold medals Team USA hauled in, US women won twenty-nine of them. Women team sports also dominated their competition, the soccer, water polo and basketball all won gold in London. The women’s 4x100 relay team also won gold and set a world record time of 40.82 seconds for the fast and technical race. Missy Franklin figures to be a new role model for aspiring female athletes with her successful debut in the London games. Susan B. Anthony fought hard to get women’s suffrage in the United States and showed us the fighting spirit of American women. The women competing in these games showed us that women are capable of amazing things in sports and displayed class and humility. These women all changed the conversation surrounding our Olympic athletes and left a golden legacy. Our nation will benefit from this renewed attention towards women in sports, business, education and politics. Women from countries in the Middle East also made a big impact on their societies. Qatar and Saudi Arabia sent women to represent their countries and compete in London for the first time. Bahrainian women competed in many distance-running events and Mariam Jamal brought home her countries first medal, a bronze in the 1,500. The IOC asserted that every competing country have a female representative and soon became a hot international news topic. The London games became a watershed moment for the Gulf region when Saudi Arabian Wajdan Shaherkani overcame the ban on women competing in public sports events. Olympism was indeed at the service of preserving the dignity of mankind at the London 2012 Olympic games, women wre celebrated at a level unseen before these Olympic games.

            Participating in the Olympic Academic Experience offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to immerse myself in the study of the theory of the Olympic games. I found that experience and reflection of the Olympic games in London to boost my understanding of the cultural case a country could make for hosting the Olympic games. London used the Olympic games to spur development of it’s nations capital in many needed areas. Through the games, culture and history was celebrated as the world’s eyes descended upon London. Being able to experience the Olympics first hand heightened my respect, appreciation and tolerance for other countries and their people. I will be able to take these lessons with me forever as visiting London provided me with a lifetime of memories and experiences. 

In talking with some British people, it became clear that sports play a big part in their culture. A tremendous level of pride has been shown in hosting the games as well. But one thing they bash American sports on is the amount of advertisements, or adverts as they say in London. At least in the US, ad space is a source of revenue and the thirty second commercial can command high prices, helping to break even on content rights fees. Trust me, these conversations were lengthy and heated. I do admit that soccer is a great sport to watch on TV, your guaranteed 45 minutes of uninterrupted action twice. Below are some interesting ads that caught my attention in London.

British airways, an official sponsor of Team GB, had a #HomeAdvantage campaign in print and on boards  in the Underground. The messaging actually asked residents of the UK to support their team by not traveling on holiday. Some Londoners may skipped town to avoid the boost of visitors attending the games. The strategy British Airways pursued was to boost good feeling towards the Great Britain flag/identity which they hope will be ingrained in their markets mind the next time their market books a flight. Though it is an interesting strategy to tell people not to use their service.

The IOC and NOCs don't sign any sponsorships in the beer or liquor category. Jack Daniels created a presence in London through ad spaces facing platforms in the Underground. It's key messaging focused on its gold medal awards won in international competitions. The brand, one of the most famous US liquors,  is seeking to have a presence in international markets. With clever and specific word use, the company hoped to piggy back on the theme of world class quality that the Olympics athletic competition is all about. 

Nike, the third most recognizable brand in the world, is not an official Olympic or London 2012 sponsor. It's competitor, Adidas, is an official sponsor of London 2012. The company is widely assumed to be the first to use ambush marketing strategy. This year was no different. The day before I left Nike rolled out its 'Find Your Greatness' to the world, though people in Tracktown USA (Eugene, OR) got a taste at the US track and field trials. The campaign supports and celebrates the sport activities of the everyone. After all if you have a body, you are an athlete. The ads claimed that greatness is within us all, all we have to do is keep living our dreams and playing our favorite sports. Coincidence that the theme of London 2012 is 'inspire a generation'? I don't think so. The ad campaign features digital components online and through social media. The majority of the ambushing took place on the streets in London. Nike decked out several targeted Underground stations to get the valuable 'first shot' at consumers. A diverse amount ads were created around the many different sports people love.

Being a sponsor of the Olympics  is a privelege that only a few companIes can claim and actually afford. Having access to the Olympic Rings and their color ways was not necessary for Nike and not possible for Jack Daniels. The association British Airways created hopes to pay off in the long run. I think the British people and I would conclude that we were all exposed to adverts while being in London during the Games.

The last night on trips/experiences of this type are always fun and unpredictable. First off, we watched the Sunday night athletics session. In perhaps the greatest day of British sport, many Britons claimed gold. Andy Murray got redemption for losing Wimbledon by beating Roger Federer for the gold at Wimbledon. The evening was capped off with the final of the 100 meter dash. Usain Bolt became the first man to defend his 100 meter Olympic gold medal. Being the fastest man alive is one of the most prestigious and fascinating titles in all of humanity. The Americans looked good in those red Nike hyper elite track uniforms. Justin Gatlin got the bronze and the US range fourth and fifth fastest times as well. Once coverage ended, it was time to pack and hang out for one last night in the room with everyone.

With an ecclectic group like we had, our conversations were never dull. Last night proved no different. Sean gave us a look into his singing talents with renditions of a an older song I had never heard before and Adele's hit 'Rolling in the deep'.

We had some group confirmations as well. Everyone had to give one word to describe the others. I did appreciate the opportunity to tell others how they have impacted me throughout this trip. Sometimes you never get this opportunity.

But unfortunately some good things have to come to an end. This trip validates that saying.

It's the last day here on the Olympic Academic Experience in London. I hadnt gone to a museum yet and decided to go to the Tate Modern art museum. I've only been to the MOMA in Sam Francisco and needed to go to this one, the most visited Modern art museum in the world.

I bought a ticket for the Damien Hirst exhibit visiting the museum and the permanent collection is free. Hirsts art focused on the plurality of life and death and color in the natural environment. His use of animals tried to create feelings of serenity and primal fear, depending on the piece. Among the fearful pieces were a severed cows head in an case with many flies. One piece featured a taxidermied cow that was cut in half. People walked through the middle of this to get a sense of the difference between internal biology and the outside appearance. This was te most crotesque piece in the exhibit and provided a plurality of feelings to be felt. There was also a taxidermied shark suspended in a cage that allowed for viewers to get up close and feel the frightening animal in a strange way, see picture below. The coolest piece showed was a live exhibit. A sectioned off room set at a humid temperature was a butterfly hatchery. Cacoons were placed on canvas where butterfly's hatched. Food was layed out and plants were there to provide habitats and such. Even though plenty of butterfly's were flying around, there were also some dead butterfly's, again with the plurality of life and death. Many emotions were evoked through Hirsts many pieces that were on display.

The permanent collection was on display over four floors and fell into many different artistic themes. I particularly liked the exhibit focusing on nature and structure. I hope this exhibit impacts viewers to use our resources in the way they were meant to be used and to minimize waste. I have some pictures below from my favorites in this hall.

I spent about three hours total in the museum. I strolled along the South Bank of River Thames and grabbed a beer on a nice patio along the river. It was a beautiful day today. London is a great city and has been a great host to the world.

It is bittersweet to be ending this trip. It was been absolutely amazing and I've enjoyed every minute. Unfortunately I have to leave but I know one day I'll be back again...

We're getting on the underground at 6.30 tomroww to head to Heathrow airport. I'll be back home on Tuesday.

London never disappoints when you don't have a set agenda for the day. I went to explore with a couple classmates, Shaun and Leslie for the day. 

We first headed to Tower Bridge to see this historic and famous bridge. Authorities rigged a set of Olympic rings to the front of the bridge and I maybe took a profile picture quality type photo. For me this is big, I dont take these type of photos everyday. 

We got lunch at a pub nearby. Alot of pubs have really funny names, such as The Walrus and The Carpenter. The food is good and you never leave hungry. I do enjoy the fish and chips. However, they serve the fish in one large side  instead of pieces like they do in the states. We decided to go to the Olympic Museum and a very nice local guy told us what bus will get us there fastest. Even though he had no bottom teeth, his directions were spot on. 

The Olympic Museum contained artifacts and the history of the ancient and modern Olympic Games. The beginning of the exhibit featured more of the story behind the ancient games. Back then, it truly was a ges for everyone as truces were set between territories for people to travel through without harm. There was an exhibit on Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the Modern Olympic Games. I'll fix up a post on him under my Olympism Section when I get back.  A torch from every games since '36 were on display. Sydney's torch took a bit more of a modern, sleeker design and each one side has been more unique in its own sense. Olympic medals were also on display. I managed to get a picture of some before I got yelled at by a museum curator. 

We left the museum and were surprised to find the NBA house. The league set up a place for fans or people unaware about the game to come in an experience it first hand. We were some of the first people to get in, we were there for the grand opening. Gordon Heyward, from Butler university now with the Utah Jazz, was on a Cisco web hat with fans. We talked to him for a bit and he said LeBron is a freak athlete and "on a different level". He had presided some photos, so I now have his autograph. The only bad part about this is that I failed to get a picture with the Boston Celtics cheerleaders that were there. :'( 

To cap the night off, the classmates and myself headed out to a local club to have fun and enjoy one of the last nights we were to share on the Olympic Academic Experience.

The weebly application I've been using is causing me problems. I have lost a couple posts while trying to publish. Please keep checking back for posts.

The last couple days have provided alot of excitement. Working with the World Olympian Association, seeing an Olympic event and going to Paris was a lot of fun but I didn't get a lot of sleep.

I got the chance to sleep in today. Which was nice. I caught a bit of the games on the TV downstairs. I haven't been watching too much TV here and it'll be nice to head home and watch NBCs coverage of the games. It'll be interesting to see how content is offered on different platforms at the states. NBC will get a lot of good data on the demand for different platforms during high profile events, such as knockout basketball and during track and field finals.

I got lunch at an Indian restaurant and ordered Curry style chicken and rice with naan. It was delicious. Being abroad has opened my taste palate for more ethnic food from the east.

I headed to Hyde Park for the afternoon. Coca Cola sponsors a sectioned off part of the park for people to come in and watch games. There are also concerts at night, I might try to go to one more concert. I love live music. I stayed for about three hours and watched many events.

I got back and checked up on email and my itinerary for the rest of the trip. Tonight I heard that there are basketball courts nearby. I plan on playing a couple games of pickup before I leave. I think I finally found a way to get access into the Olympic Park. Details to come. Cheers from London!

Yesterday, three of us made a day trip to Paris. It is only a 2 hour high speed train ride away from London. We got up at 5.45 and pulled away from the platform at 7. I slept the whole way there which made up for getting up early.

We made a friend at our hostel who met up with us at the Paris station and served as our translator/tour guide for the afternoon. That's the great thing about staying in hostels, people are friendly and looking to have a good time while traveling.

We hung out in the area of Montmartre and climbed up a hill to a massive church. We got lunch nearby and had our first experience with the French. The waiter didn't give us any time and an artist who'll draw your face was a real. I ordered a ham sandwich FYI.

We then bought a day pass to ride the Metro and hit all the major sites in Paris. The champs de ellisys was cool and we got some good pics while traffic was stopped in the middle of the street. We then headed to see the Eiffel Tower and climbed to the middle level. The view was amazing.

After a while, it became comical to the extent which people in Paris had a hate for Americans. I wasn't wearing anything with logos besides my Nike shoes but people knew I was an American. We had some fun fulfilling the view the French had of us. Almost too much fun.

I really felt like I was in Inception while in Paris. The people didn't like me so it was kind of like those scenes when the people in the movie turned on the team. The architecture was fantastic and I am certain the movie had to have been filmed in Paris.

Overall, I had a great time in Paris. The food was delicious, and I made a lot of memories with friends and thanks to the Parisians, I really know that that I am proud to be an American!!