With only a few weeks left before the opening of the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Emory faculty and staff involved in campus Olympic activities are winding up their long planning process and crossing their fingers.
At a June 11 management symposium sponsored by Human Resources, some of the key people involved in formulating Emory's Olympic plans discussed how those plans have been coming along and what they believe the campus will be like during the Olympics.
During his presentation, David Anderson, Emory venue manager with the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG), said that ACOG activities at Emory fall into three categories: accommodations, athlete training and media operations.
Accommodations
Emory will provide accommodations for 1,181 Olympic competition officials; 300 members of the print media from 81 countries; 150 press chiefs, photo chiefs and information managers; 90 language services trainees; and more than 500 ACOG staff and volunteers. Residence halls serving as accommodation sites include Turman (including the deli and parking lot), Woodruff (including the parking lot), Harris, the Complex, Trimble, Dobbs, McTyeire and the Asbury/BSA/Spanish houses and parking lots on Peavine Creek Drive. Access to ACOG-leased residence halls will be controlled.
The Cox Hall Food Court and Cappuccino Joe's will be available for Olympic visitors, who will be served breakfast in the Dobbs Food Plaza.
Transportation, security and medical services also will be provided to Olympic visitors.
Athlete training
The University will serve as the training site for six sports: swimming, synchronized swimming, water polo, baseball, rhythmic gymnastics and athletics (primarily running events). Anderson said all athlete training will be held at the P.E. Center, the track and Chappell Park. A maximum of 250 athletes per day will come to campus between 7:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. for two-hour training sessions. Athlete training at Emory will begin in phases from July 6-20.
The P.E. Center will be closed to members July 3-Aug. 6. Members who want a refund of one-twelfth of their annual fee may pick up their refund at the P.E. Center prior to July 3. Refunds not claimed will be placed into a matching fund to purchase new equipment for the P.E. Center.
ACOG has leased the first and second floors of the building. Administrative activities on the third floor will continue as usual through the Olympics. Access to all ACOG-leased spaces will be controlled.
Athlete training at Emory will end Aug. 2.
Media operations
The Press Subcenter on the third floor of Cox Hall will be operational from July 16-Aug. 4 from 6 a.m.-2 a.m. Features will include cable television for all competitions, daily schedules and results, a phone and fax network, and language services to support 11 languages. Access to the facility will be controlled. Media representatives, as well as competition officials, will depart on Aug. 5 and 6.
A typical day
Anderson described what he foresees as a typical day on campus during the Olympics for the competition officials and media who will be staying in residence halls and the athletes who will be coming to train. That day includes:
*4 a.m.: ACOG daily staff begin arriving, internal ACOG trams begin service.
*5 a.m.: Officials begin departure for Olympic venues.
*5:30 a.m.: Media begin departure for Media Transportation Mall downtown.
*6 a.m.: Opening of Press Subcenter in Cox Hall, Venue Communications Center and Venue Operations Center.
*7:30 a.m.: Athletes begin arriving at P.E. Center for training.
*9 a.m.: Officials, media and ACOG staff complete their departure from campus.
*6 p.m.: Officials, media and ACOG staff begin returning to campus.
*7 p.m.: Peak activity in Press Subcenter and Cox Hall Food Court.
*10 p.m.: Athlete training ends.
*Midnight: Internal ACOG tram closes.
*2 a.m.: Press Subcenter, Communications and Operations Centers close.
Anderson said that Emory is one of 252 non-competition Olympic venues and only one of two such venues assigned a venue manager. The other is the welcome center at Hartsfield Airport. "The Emory campus should not be congested, bustling or even seem unusually busy," Anderson said. "The campus should not be interrupted by ACOG's presence."
Information on Olympic activity at Emory and how the Games will affect the Emory community is available on the World Wide Web at <www.emory.edu/WELCOME/Olympics/olympicshome.html>.
--Dan Treadaway