When Salt Lake City was awarded the Olympic bid for 2002, Chris Keeler participated in the celebration held downtown for the announcement.
“I’ve been looking forward to [the Olympics] ever since,” the senior studying public relations said.
Keeler, along with 3,122 U students, will volunteer during the Olympic Games. These volunteers will do everything from handing out food to assisting foreign delegations, gaining experience many of them describe as “once in a lifetime.”
“I think it’s a great opportunity to show the world how great a state Utah is,” Keeler said. “I’m excited by the opportunity that’s presented by the Olympics.”
Other student volunteers mimic Keeler’s sentiments.
“I’m very excited,” said Craig Cooper, a junior majoring in business administration. “I’ve always really enjoyed the Olympics, just the chance to be a part of it is very exciting.”
Cooper will act as a driver for the visiting athletes.
Many U students will work in the Olympic Village, which doubles as the campus residential halls.
“You meet so many interesting people, you get to see the Games from inside and you get to see the Village,” said Ekaterina Hatch, a graduate student in microbiology. “I’ve already started my scrapbook.”
Hatch is one of the many students that will work in the Olympic Village with a foreign delegation. These students were selected for their language skills and will act as translators and interpreters for the athletes.
“I’m going to spend a lot of time in the Olympic Village, maybe going to the venues sometimes,” Hatch said.
Although many students were selected as volunteers for their language experience, Alyson Finley, a senior majoring in French and political science, applied because of her French experience, but was not chosen for the delegation she planned on working with.
“I originally volunteered to keep up in my French,” Finley said. “They assigned me to the Norwegian delegation so it should be interesting. I’m supposed to be a Norwegian speaker to help them out. I’m the only one out of 22 volunteers that doesn’t speak their language.”
Despite Finley’s language disappointment, she looks forward to working with the delegation.
“I’m excited to work with the Norwegian team because they usually do pretty well,” Finley said. “I would be more excited if I was using my French.”
Finley is not nervous at all to work in the Olympic Village despite the warnings of friends.
“A lot of my friends are nervous about something happening during the Olympics,” she said. “I think it will go off a lot more smoothly than a lot of people might think.”
Ben Briggs, a senior majoring in exercise and sport science who plans to volunteer as a medical assistant is worried for another reason.
“I’m kind of apprehensive about it just because the amount of time they’re asking us for,” he said. Briggs will work in the main media center for 10 shifts of eight hours while still working his other job.
Like many other students, Briggs has a very simple reason for volunteering during the Olympics.
“Well, because they’re here,” Briggs said.
Other students cite wanting to be involved as their reason for signing up.
“I wanted to volunteer just because I wanted to become involved with the Olympics,” said Steve Westover, a senior majoring in biochemistry.
Casey Corry also wanted to be involved with the big event.
“I think it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” the senior in behavioral science said. “I know this is not something that comes along every year.”
Brannon Patrick, a junior majoring in finance has another reason for volunteering.
“Honestly, I don’t have anything else to do during the Olympics,” he said. “It will look good on a resume.”
Patrick cited a love of sports and athletics as other reasons for volunteering during the Games.
Patrick is assigned to volunteer at food services at Deer Valley, but he is considering accepting a Games-time job with another company instead of volunteering.
Patrick is looking forward to the Games, but he is concerned about the traffic they will bring.
Despite his concerns, Patrick also described the opportunity as “once in a lifetime.”