“London is one of the greatest tourist cities in the world; everyone knows about London,” says sophomore Tristan Naicker. What might not be known to some, though, is that the 2012 Summer Olympics are scheduled to be hosted in the splendid city. London is the only city in the United Kingdom to have ever hosted the Olympics and has hosted the Games on two past occasions, in 1908 and 1948. With the upcoming Summer Games, it will make London the first city ever to have hosted three Olympiads.
Most of the Aragon community is looking forward to the upcoming Olympics, some even wanting to be in the stands as each country’s athletes compete for the gold. Freshman Oliver Al-Shamari says, “It would be a great experience [to attend] and it would be awesome to see the Olympians in person.” Others are satisfied with just television. “I’m really excited to see [the Summer Olympic Games] because it only comes every four years,” says freshman Marisa Torres.
High expectations seem to radiate from students, but whether or not it’s possible for the upcoming Games to be even better than past ones is hard to determine. AVID and Algebra teacher Don Bush, who attended the Games in Montreal, Canada in 1976, the Games in Los Angeles, California in 1984, and the Games in Atlanta, Georgia in 1996, says, “I’m not really sure what will make the London Games stand out but I know that the Beijing Opening Ceremonies will be a hard act to follow.” Sophomore Rachel Suarez begs to differ. She says, “Each contestant is working hard to improve from past Olympic games so I’m sure we’ll see more advanced performances. The athletes will also be striving to set new world records so I think the well practiced performances of the contestants are what’s going to make this year’s Olympic Games stand out.”
Since the 2012 Summer Olympics haven’t even occurred yet, most of Aragon’s students are left with their past Olympian experiences to keep them excited for the new Games. Naicker reminisces of his past memories. He says, “Basketball was awesome [in the last Olympics] because USA destroyed everyone. But we couldn’t beat Jamaica in track – I don’t think anyone can.” Bush recalls the performance of American Jesse Owens in the 1936 Games. He says, “One of my favorite athletes has to be Jesse Owens because he won four medals in Hitler’s stadium and put an end to the whole ‘superior race’ idea.”
Some students have other reasons to be excited for the Games. Junior Brandon Mathura says, “I’m looking forward to watching track since I like seeing people get new times when they run.” Junior Chanel Joyce says, “I’m involved with sports and an athlete myself so it’s really fun to see people competing at a higher level.”
Seeing people compete when you are an athlete is probably one of the most inspiring experiences ever but to actually know an athlete personally would be one of the greatest. AP Biology teacher Katherine Ward knows of a U.S wrestler named Sara Fulp-Allen who was marked third place in the U.S Olympic Team Trials. She says, “I have known Sara Fulp-Allen’s mother for a long time, she was even a teacher of mine. She and her sister have been training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for the past few years.”
At the end of the day, though it could be very exciting, the 2012 Summer Olympics isn’t just for the competition of the best athletes around the world. Freshman Sienna Williams says, “Its a reminder of the athletic opportunities there are.” Suarez adds, “It’s about people from all over sharing their talent with the world and about each contestant performing to the best of their abilities regardless of winning a medal.”
