A Model Provost

Western New England University Provost and VP for Academic Affairs Jerry Hirsch, center, models the commemorative t-shirt of the university delegation that will attend the 2012 Olympic Games in London this summer.  Senior marketing communication/advertising major, Marisa Harris, will join 14 fellow WNE students in a trip of a lifetime that will be led by Center for International Sport Business director Curt Hamakawa.

June 23 is Olympic Day

Contrary to what you might have thought, "Olympic Day" is not an invention of the Hallmark syndicate to market another greeting card.  In fact, I have yet to find commercially produced cards commemorating this day.  Olympic Day -- June 23 -- is the date in 1894 that Pierre de Coubertin called a meeting of a dozen or so sportsmen at The Sorbonne, who christened themselves as the inaugural members of the International Olympic Committee, and out of which came the Olympic Games as we have come to know it today.  So Olympic Day is the anniversary of the founding of the IOC, and is celebrated worldwide by events and activities coordinated by National Olympic Committees intended to promote health and fitness, as well as the values of sport -- the so-called Olympic ideals -- in society.

Pin Trading: The Spectators' Sport

A long-time tradition at the Olympic Games, pin trading has become a popular pastime for athletes, coaches, officials, and fans alike, whether at the competition venues, hotel lobbies, shopping centers, restaurants, or sidewalks of the host city.  It is a great way to interact with people from other countries, as well as to acquire unique "badges" (as some people call them) to add to your collection.  These photos are of Western New England students engaging in the pin-trading phenomenon at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

For London, students will be provided with a packet of 80 custom-made pins in three designs, in addition to the 20 or so Olympic pins that they previously received.

A neat aspect of this tradition is that one need not speak the language of the person with whom they are trading, as simple pointing gestures will do the trick! 

Savino Named Coca-Cola Player of the Year

On June 12, rising senior Emily Savino, a leader and all-star player on the Golden Bears women's basketball team, added another accolade to her already sizeable collection of honors, as she was named Coca-Cola Female Athlete of the Year at Western New England University. This past season, Emily was a first team All-Conference selection, leading her team to a winning season while averaging 16.0 points per game and a whopping 82.3 free-throw percentage!  No slouch in the classroom, Emily also earned Dean's List and conference All-Academic Team honors.

Check it Out!

Emily Savino and Nick Varney (who along with Lauren Silvis hail from Ellington, CT) recently were featured in an article in one of their hometown newspapers, The Sports Department. 

http://thesportsdept.villagesoup.com/news/story/local-kids-are-off-to-cover-the-olympics-for-thesportsdept-com/834015