August 2008 blog archives
Posted on
Aug. 26, 2008 by Shane Epping
Photo by Josh Nichols
The Quad’s lush green grass wasn’t the only vibrant color to surround the columns during Tiger Walk on Sunday. Pink, yellow, black and several shades of blue livened up the scene, too. Worn by more than 5,800 incoming freshmen, the multihued T-shirts peppered the lawn like psychedelic ants swarming a lava lamp as students ran toward Jesse Hall, where Tiger Stripe ice cream awaited their arrival. In early-evening amber light, the Golden Girls danced, the color guard waved black and gold flags, and Marching Mizzou played Michael Jackson songs. After a thriller of an event, everyone beat it. It definitely wasn’t bad.
Photo by Shane Epping
Posted on
Aug. 22, 2008 by Karen Pojmann
Category: Mizzou in China
No, Mizzou wrestler Ben Askren did not bring home the gold medal from the Olympics. Instead, he finished in seventh place after losing to a Cuban wrestler.
Greg Bowers, a University of Missouri School of Journalism professor, was there to watch the match.
Posted on
Aug. 18, 2008 by Karen Pojmann
Category: Mizzou in China
GUEST BLOG
Mizzou journalism students Mark Welsh (left), former Miss Missouri Sarah French and Paige Hansen with Today Show host Al Roker.
Being a broadcast journalism major, I feel almost [as] excited by the gymnastic events taking place below me as I do by watching the NBC sportscasters doing their on-camera report.
Gymnastics is one of the most popular Olympic events, and the National Indoor Stadium, which seats about 18,000 spectators, is usually packed full. It is always crazy-loud inside, and I love hearing all the different languages. It is amazing to be surrounded by journalists from around the world. I have met journalists from everywhere from London to South Africa to Tokyo and Brazil.
The women’s individual gymnastics final was such a big event the Today Show) crew decided to come watch. They walked into the press tribune, right by me, looking flawless without makeup. They look just as they do on camera! I could barely focus on the event; I was so excited they were sitting just a few feet from me.
When Meredith Vieira left, I decided to introduce myself to her. She was so kind and gracious, just how she seems on television. I told her I was coming to the taping of the Today Show later that night (they tape at 7 p.m. for the 7 a.m. show in the states), and she told me to yell at her so she would know I was there. That night she recognized me! I was so excited, and we even got a picture with her, Matt and Al! It was great.
Mizzou journalism students with Today Show host Meredith Vieira.
Yesterday, Meredith was back watching gymnastics. She greeted me with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. I couldn’t believe it! Later I saw her getting ready to leave, but she couldn’t find her way out and asked if I would help her. I gladly escorted her to the exit she needed to get to, all the while talking to her about journalism, Beijing and my love for the Today Show.
I can’t believe all the great experiences I am having here in Beijing and really don’t want the trip to end. I have really gotten used to Beijing (the people, the food and even the sometimes-horrid smells) and know it will be bittersweet when I leave in just two weeks.
Journalism students Mark Welsh, Sarah French and Paige Hansen give a shout-out to Mizzou’s NBC affiliate station KOMU while talking with Today Show host Matt Lauer.
-Paige Hansen
Posted on
Aug. 15, 2008 by Karen Pojmann
Christian Cantwell, a University of Missouri alumnus and coach, has won a silver medal in men’s shot put at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
With a throw of 21.09 meters in his sixth and final attempt, Cantwell eased into second place in the final round Friday, overtaking Andrei Mikhnevich of Belarus, who won the bronze medal, and coming in behind Tomasz Majewski of Poland, who took the gold medal with a top throw of 21.51 meters.
Cantwell is the first Mizzou Tiger to win an Olympic silver medal since 1992, when runner Natasha Kaiser-Brown took home silver from Barcelona, Spain.
Cantwell, a 2003 Mizzou graduate, is an assistant shot-put coach in the MU Athletic Department.
On Wednesday, Aug. 20, Ben Askren, the second Mizzou athlete to compete in the 2008 Olympics, goes for gold in men’s freestyle wrestling.
Photo by Shane Epping
Posted on
Aug. 12, 2008 by Karen Pojmann
Category: Mizzou in China
GUEST BLOG
Opening ceremonies
I didn’t have any work to do for the opening ceremonies, but my coworkers and I were allowed access to the Olympic Common Domain and the National Indoor Stadium on August 8. I could see almost every other nation’s athletes waiting for the ceremonies to start. Some athletes started the wave. [It] caught on and went around the stadium two or three times. My co-volunteer commented at how awesome it is that the wave is internationally known. I was awed at how people from so many different countries around the world with nothing to tie them all together but sports could cooperate in one gesture. The atmosphere was so much fun. In one case, I took a picture with a man from the Ivory Coast, and we traded pins.
As the ceremonies progressed, people who had performed in various parts of the ceremonies would wander around the area. Occasionally, these costumed performers would approach us and ask to take a picture with us. It did make me realize we’re all equally in awe of the ceremonies.
Day 1 at work
The first day of work with a paying crowd, I did not do my job entirely satisfactorily. My job is to get two or three good quotes from two or three athletes and run them back to the office for publication. I have slipped into a mindset of grabbing as many quotes as I can from as many athletes as I can, which isn’t good. I just have to remind myself that even though I think long conversations with athletes are fascinating, I am here not to write whole stories but to collect a few quotes. I admit it’s a little harder in French because it goes by a bit faster and I don’t understand all the words. I have discovered a trick: I write in English and French, which goes faster than trying to write in only one language. I have no idea why it’s easier for me to think in the two languages than to think in one or the other when I’m interviewing in French. Tomorrow, though, I will improve on my job as I interview the French women’s gymnastics team.
Day 2 at work
Today was more successful. I managed to get fewer quotes but with more meaning — and faster than last night. The athletes I interviewed were also extremely nice and patient with me as I took quotes. I am apparently not a very fast quote-taker. Today felt good in other ways: I talked to the PR woman for the U.S. gymnastics team, and she is very nice and traded a pin with me. I also will be doing a little bit of translation, from French to English. Don’t worry, Dad; I haven’t taken on the translation of someone’s speech or anything big like that!
-Beth Androuais
Red carpet glamour
My friend Lauren blogs for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and they invited her to watch the opening ceremony at Club Bud (Budweiser). She invited a few of us to tag along with her.
After taking the subway, we were excited to see big spotlights in the distance. We followed the lights but ended up in front of the Heineken watch party. The Heineken people were a little upset when we asked them where Club Bud was, but we certainly were not disappointed when we arrived on their red carpet!
It was so amazing inside: tons of media and journalists, free Budweiser, crab cakes, steamed vegetables, kebabs and tons of plasma TV screens to watch the Opening Ceremony on! The best parts were the outdoor cabanas and TV projector screens. We felt like celebrities. It was a great night and an amazing opening ceremony.
-Paige Hansen
Hello, boys
It feels like the first day of school all over again. You go in knowing what you have to do (in this case, find an athlete and get quotes), but it never quite ends up exactly as expected. I’ve talked to athletes in training. I even fought reporters for quotes (here and elsewhere). And of course I’ve watched gymnastics before, many times. But to put everything together is a whole other ballgame. You know how hard it is to watch six different events simultaneously, keep track of who did what and why (fall, shaky, whatnot) and still focus on the few particular men who you’re going to interview?
Today I went in early. The first subdivision was still progressing (I was to work the second of three). While watching it in our little office, my manager came in and said one of the individual athletes had finished and was already in the Mixed Zone - and I needed to quote him. At first I’m like “OK, who the heck is it!?” since I hadn’t done much studying of the other subdivisions. But with a two-second rundown, I was out. I acted like I knew everything about him and was published as the first official flash quotes of the gymnastics competition! Woo-hoo! He was really nice, too.
I technically worked all three subdivisions, voluntarily staying late to help with the last one too. I don’t think my feet or back can take that kind of schedule again tomorrow, but I was happy to help where needed. It’s a real rush to be in the thick of things - journalists from five-plus countries all crammed in trying to get the best quotes possible from their chosen spokesmen. I did screw up once, but I think my overall work made up for it.
-Laura Dotson
Burning the midnight oil
The past two days of have been hectic and sleep is … well I forget what sleep is because I get so little of it. Yesterday I spent my entire day at the gymnastics venue watching the women’s qualifications. My shift wasn’t until the afternoon, but with permission I went early to watch because the first group included China and Romania, the second had the U.S. team, and the third included Russia. My group included Brazil and France, both of which made the finals but were not talked about as much. After getting only five hours of sleep last night, I woke up this morning to watch beach volleyball; BOCOG had given us free tickets to the event. I take what I can when I can and can handle sacrificing sleep for Olympics.
[Later we] headed on over to The Today Show. It was a great experience; my signs got on TV, and I got autographs from the entire Today Show crew of reporters and TV personalities. The best part was getting insight from Ann Curry when she talked with our MU group during a commercial break. Her words of wisdom were noted by our group and will not soon be forgotten. My shining moment is that in the last few minutes of the show one of my signs, “Hello Perry MO,” is shown in the middle of the screen. I had to give a shout out to everyone back home.
-Julia Shuck
Posted on
Aug. 11, 2008 by Karen Pojmann
Story and photos by Shane Epping
This past Sunday, normally not a day of the week to visit Columbia’s Memorial Stadium and cheer on the Tigers, thousands of fans showed up to meet their favorite football players during MU Tiger Fan Appreciation Day. And they didn’t sit in stands. Instead, the crowd congregated on Faurot Field and waited in lines longer than a 100 yards to collect autographs and shake hands. Players signed items (limited to one per person) including T-shirts, footballs, posters, replica helmets, drawings, photos and a recent, regional issue of Sports Illustrated featuring Sean Weatherspoon, Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin on the cover. Fan Day attracted visitors from throughout the Show-Me state who were eager to support the 2008 Cotton Bowl champions.
Tiger Fan Appreciation Day lasted an hour and a half, and lines still were long when it was over.
Two-year-old Gabreille Pemberton sports an MU cheerleading outfit behind members of the team she supports. Tents and oversize electric fans kept some players cool, while other athletes roamed the turf and sporadically greeted fans in the summer sun.
After signing a copy of the regional Sports Illustrated issue with his picture on the cover, Chase Daniel returns it to fan Lezlie Doll.
Ben Lewandowski (left) and Cameron Huff compete for an overthrown pass while fans wait in line for a chance to meet members of last year’s No. 4-ranked team.
Posted on
Aug. 6, 2008 by Karen Pojmann
Category: Mizzou in China
GUEST BLOG
Yin-Yang
Everyone knows yin and yang. Light and dark, good and evil, happy and sad. Everything in the universe can be connected to one of the two, and they keep each other in check. Well, I’ve had both when it comes to Beijing transportation.
A few days ago: We want to go to Wangfujing (shopping area surrounding the Olympics Flagship store). So, we set out in a taxi. We’re on one of the ring roads, which are about five roads equivalent to highways that circle the city, and all of a sudden a van to our right is trying to merge onto the road. We don’t move over because there should be no need, but he’s honking and trying to get where we are. OK, first off, you can honk here at anything, and they do. But mainly a honk is because you want the adjacent lane to know you’re there and they shouldn’t come over. Makes sense, right? This guy won’t slow down! He merges in behind us finally, and we think all is OK. As soon as a lane to the right opens, he zips out (we think cursing at us, but we don’t know the language), pulls ahead of us, and cuts us off. Actually slams on his breaks on the highway! The four of us in the car are like what the…! Our driver, getting a little flustered, goes to pull around him. The guy cuts us off again. And again. Finally, he parks his van sideways, gets out pointing and yelling, and goes to get our driver out of the taxi. On the highway, remember. We’re freaked and looking for both an exit and, hopefully, not a gun in the pocket he’s reaching into. Eventually he lets our driver go, but we still don’t know what happened.
So that night, we’re not liking taxis. But we need to go home, so we get into one just past rush hour. This driver immediately knows where we’re going (unlike some) and tries to tell jokes to us even though we don’t understand him. So, he turns on the radio to an American pop station. Cool! Then he proceeds to dance to the music. We’re all laughing with him and in a good mood. Then he tries to sing (he doesn’t know English, but he has obviously heard the songs before), and motions for us to do the same. Why not, right? “There Can Be Miracles” (Prince of Egypt song) and Michael Buble’s “Home” never sounded worse, but he sure turned yin into yang.
-Laura Dotson
“We are so LIC”
“LIC” is a phrase one of my friends made up that stands for “Lost in China.” Today I was definitely “lic-ed” (pronounced “licked”). Lauren and I decided to go to the 798 Art District, which is located in northeast Beijing in the Dashanzi district. It is pretty far away from where we are staying, so in an attempt to save money (which we’d rather spend on food) we opted to take public transportation. We were very determined. So we hopped on the subway, transferred lines just once and, after an hour and a half, reached our destination. Only it wasn’t our final destination. We still had to take the 909 bus east.
We were a little confused, so we started looking for English speakers. We spotted some people from Holland, and mid-conversation we saw the 909 bus and said a quick goodbye to the kind but unhelpful foreigners and got on the bus. We did not know which direction the bus was going. After attempting to ask if we were heading in the right direction for nearly 10 minutes, we discovered that we were not going the right way. We hopped off the bus, and the other riders waved goodbye to us. We then encountered another problem: We knew which way to go, but we had no idea how far we needed to ride or where get off. We tried to make friends at the bus stop, and once we found an English speaker, we clung to her. Soon there were at least seven women surrounding us trying to figure out where the 798 Art District exit was. Suddenly our bus arrived, and a woman decided it was her duty to escort us onto the bus! Two people in the front seat got up so that Lauren and I had a place to sit. It was so cute, and we were happy to be heading in the right direction!
-Paige Hansen
Taxi!
Taxis in China are something special. The base price is 10 RMB (7 RMB = 1 USD), and then it costs 2 RMB for every kilometer. The most expensive ride cost almost 45 RMB ($7) to go across town. My favorite taxi experience in Beijing was actually the first. Molly, Erin and I were riding in a taxi heading to the closest subway station that was open. The driver’s phone went off. He answered it, chatted for a bit and then handed the phone to me. His friend wanted to practice his English, so we talked until I noticed the driver acting really funny and poking a bunch of buttons. I handed him the cell phone back, and within three minutes the cab coasted to a stop on an overpass bridge. It had died, and he pointed to us to walk back from where we came. We hailed another cab, and it got us there — kind of. We tried pronouncing our destination in Chinese, which was a no-no. It got us to a totally different location but still close to a subway station, so it wasn’t such a bad deal.
-Julia Shuck
Going underground
On Sunday, a friend of mine and I tried the subway. It is a little farther away from us than the bus stop, but we wanted to see what it would be like. I’ve been on a few subways around the world, and this ride was the smoothest I’ve had. You can barely tell if you’re accelerating or decelerating, and going around curves doesn’t make you look for the nearest thing to grab onto. I was impressed. I also liked the lit map in the subway cars: Dots were lit in red for the stations that had been passed and in blue for the stations still to come, so you knew where you were during the entire ride. I can imagine when line 8 opens our commute will only get faster.
-Beth Androuais
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Line 8 subway finally opened. But it actually makes commute more troublesome. You can’t just transfer from 10 to 8 like you do the other lines. Because they built it underneath the Olympic Green, we must exit the subway line 10 and go around the block, through two security tents, back down and around to where we started, so THEN we can ride the line. Efficiency anyone? At least going home is easy; only staff can ride it right now, so there’s no one on the trains. We used it to take nighttime pictures the other night. Someone should have told us it closes at 10 p.m., though, since we were stuck on the Green at 10:30 not knowing how to get back.
-Laura Dotson
Posted on
Aug. 4, 2008 by Karen Pojmann
Category: Mizzou in China
GUEST BLOG
Five days and counting
A friend of mine who has been living in Beijing for the last three years said the countdown signs have been in Beijing since the city won the bid to host the 2008 summer Olympics. Tonight, she said it seems unreal that the countdown for the days to the Olympics is in the single digits. I see more and more people with credentials to access venues, more security employees and more swatches of Olympic colors than any day before in the month that I’ve been here. I am torn between two feelings: one of excitement and one of anxiety. Am I well enough prepared? We’ve been going to training at our venue for so many days that I feel comfortable with what I am supposed to do, but none of the mock interviews and press conferences can approach what I think the Olympics will actually feel like. I try not to think too hard about it. Maybe when it hits I won’t have time to worry and I’ll be OK. Stay tuned!
-Beth Androuais
Night on the Green
The [Olympic] Green is stunning at night. Runway-style lights line the huge plaza as each building is lit to emphasize its unique grandeur. I’m sure as soon as the tourists arrive, the scene will feel like a wonderland. We saw stages and screens set up everywhere. I can’t wait for the games to start.
Ted called after work to say he had good news. To my surprise and joy, he pulled out a pass saying “Rehearsal” on it. It wasn’t actually a pass into the Bird’s Nest for the opening ceremony rehearsal, but it was a pass onto the Olympic Green. We set up just south of the Nest over the pond and waited. They didn’t disappoint us. Not only was everything lit up last night, but they shot off fireworks several times throughout the practice. Now, if I had my tripod and wide-angle lens, these would be awesome, but they’ll do.
As people were swarming out, one of our Chinese colleagues mentioned her friend getting inside after the last rehearsal. I was very skeptical. But, sure enough, no one stopped us. It is completely amazing. Walking between the huge pillars that make up the outside of the nest, you can only see a little sliver of what’s inside the stands. But, as you approach, it just opens up into an amazingly huge stadium. Everything circles around unobstructed to the very top. It is something to behold.
This week starts “podium training” for the gymnasts. Nope, it’s not showing them what it’s like to win a medal, though that would be kinda cool. Athletes get to train and work out on the equipment in the FOP (field of play), which then journalists and FQRs can watch and ask questions. I finally got my first true Olympic interview. Granted, it was two questions because the athlete was in a hurry, but it still counts! INFO ‘08 published it! We as flash quotes reporters do an interview with an athlete and then run it back to the office, where a copytaker takes it down and sends it off to the editors. If it’s approved, it gets published on INFO 2008, which is the Internet one-stop shop for accredited journalists. Complete with everything from daily weather and traffic to full coverage of past tournaments and biographies, it makes research soooo much easier.
This interview also was my first use of an interpreter, since [the athlete] was a Japanese gymnast and spoke no English. You really take language for granted, and I’m sure this won’t be the last time I would be lost in translation without an interpreter. It went well, though. Now I just need to learn Japanese to see if any newspapers use them.
-Laura Dotson
International friends
The past few days I have been training at the National Indoor Stadium with my new Chinese friends.
This is a picture my friend Rosy (that is her English name) took the other day in our staff training room at the National Indoor Stadium. I am getting really excited about the Olympics starting and cannot believe they are just four days away! All the journalists are beginning to arrive, so it has been really exciting to be at the Olympic Green the past couple of days.
Two days ago my friend Sarah and I were walking around near the Lama Temple after dinner and an older man came up to us and started talking in German. After we told him we were American, he started talking in broken English. He told us his name was Yalcin Ozer. and that he competed in the 1960 Rome Olympics, representing Germany in gymnastics. Now he is 66 years old and has been to every Olympics since he first competed, except for the Moscow Olympics in 1980. Despite his age, Yalcin still has young muscles, a great sense of humor and the ability to stay out later than I can, and his kind smile makes him a friend to almost everyone — even if he doesn’t speak the same language.
-Paige Hansen
