May 26th, 2015

            To start, having seen the site of the first ever Olympic games yesterday was a great way to transition into today.  Walking through the ruins of multiple Ancient Greek structures and ending up at the first Olympic track, which dates back to early 5^th century BC, really gave us a sense of how lucky we were to be standing there. At the start of the track, where the race would begin, there was long and skinny stone slab known as the balbis extending the width of what now looks like a simple rectangular patch of dirt. Within this slab there is a set of grooves in which the athletes would place their toes in order to achieve the best possible jump at the start of the race.

            Today, with what we had seen yesterday fresh in our minds, we paid a visit to the Museum of the Ancient Olympic Games on our way to Athens from Olympia. My favorite part of this museum was seeing the painting of a man leaping over a bull and apparently doing some sort of flip. It was painted around 1400 BC in Crete, Greece and depicts the infamous, ancient practice of bull-leaping. Today, a modernized version of the sport actually still exists and is known as Course Landaise. Southwest France and Northern Spain are where this game is most popular.

            After the museum, we hopped back on the bus (which we are all very accustomed to doing by now) and continued on our journey back to Athens. Although most of us fell asleep and missed out, we drove through beautiful, nonstop views of everlasting mountains and valleys. I can’t say Professor Ryan didn’t tell us in advance that this would happen. Aside from the Swiss Alps, Greece provided some of the best views and sites that most of had ever had a chance to experience. Before arriving in Athens, we made a quick pit stop for some Souvlaki, which alongside the gyro, epitomizes Greek food.

            Upon arrival in Athens, we settled in to our new hotel and finally had a chance to relax and start to explore the surrounding city. It was bittersweet as we reached our last destination on this once in a lifetime trip and began the final stretch of the program.

May 27th Olympic Park, the Race, Marathon and the BEACH!

Hello World!

Today we traveled to yet another city, Athens! The day before we were a little frustrated because of the living arrangement we were assigned that was not what we expected, not even Professor Ryan. Nevertheless we went on and made the best of it and just hoped that tomorrow will be a better and brighter day. We wake up Wednesday morning having to be ready to leave the hotel at 9:30am. We got on a chartered bus that day and took it to the Olympic Stadium Complex. When we got there our official Greece tour guide named Nike (Nikki) introduces us to a man who has been working at the stadium for many years. As he spoke Greek, Nike translated what he was saying to us. Most of the conversation told us about his career and what it was that he had started out doing and what his current job at the stadium was. We then watched a video of the many groups of students that has come to the stadium that the man had assisted.
Next the tour of the stadium happens that was very similar to the Wembley Park in London but not nearly as big. The students then walked around the track and of course the boys get competitive and made the bet that the loser had to buy all the guys lunch. Unfortunately Jeff was the guy that lost the race so was stuck with the bill. We leave the Olympic Stadium and start to head to Marathon. Our colleague Brendan Crowley gave a five minute presentation on Marathon due to him doing his paper on the events that happen during and after Marathon. When we got to Marathon, Nike started to explain in detail the battle fields and the reasons as to why Marathon happened in the first place. During her presentation it starts to thunder and lightning so everyone is praying that it hold off until we leave the beach.
Furthermore, we visit the National Archaeological Museum where the kept sacred statues in order to explain Greek history as well as Marathon. Something I took from the visit was the Greeks having Egyptian statues in order to say thank for all of their help during Marathon which I found the most interesting.
Finally the BEACH! Too bad it was a little cold and rainy and no one wanted to get in the water (besides Professor Ryan, Jeff, and Rob). We did have some snacks and drinks while being at the beach which gave more time for bonding. We went back by the hotel and just chilled with one another and used the Wi-Fi, had dinner with one another and called it a better day than yesterday!

Wednesday, May 27th: Olympic Park & Visit to Marathon

After arriving in Athens the previous afternoon, we again prepared to witness and experience an entirely new city. Quick side-note to explain what I mean. This trip has been phenomenal and more than I ever dreamed it to be, but after a while, the wear and tear of constant travel and activity takes a toll both on you. I found myself sore and lacking energy multiple times while in Olympia and over the course of the day in Athens, not to mention we are still getting over the severe jet-lag. Nevertheless, back to the events of the day. 

We once again boarded a coach bus and ventured out around twenty-six miles away from Athens to the town of Marathon. Our Greek liaison Nike (pronounced Nikki) prefaced the day with facts and stories about the Battle of Marathon, which occurred directly in the center of the town itself. In the middle of her presentation, Brendan Crowley (affectionately known a Pops to us) gave a five minute speech about the same subject on the orders of Professor Ryan. This was purely due to the fact that he chose the Battle of Marathon as the topic of his class paper, but it was educational as well as lighthearted for the group to receive the presentation. 

Now the Battle of Marathon itself has two major components, the actual battle, and the events that took place afterwards. During the bus ride, we focused on the latter. A soldier by the name of Pheidippides was tasked with running back to the city of Athens in all haste to deliver the message that the Athenians had prevailed in the battle and a warning that the Persian fleet could attack. He completed this task, whether or not in full hoplite armor is a matter of debate, and according to legend, collapsed and died after. Nike explained to us that there are two possible route that Pheidippides could have taken, either through the mountains or along the coast. Our journey to the town of Marathon was through the mountains, while we returned by the coast. This gave us a better idea as to how strenuous both routes must have been to the original marathoner. 

In total we visited four sites: the 2004 Greek Olympic Park, the Tumulus of Marathon, the Marathon Museum, and the Trophy of the Battle of Marathon. 

The Olympic Park was the only site we visited that pertained directly to the class, and did not fail to impress us. We were greeted by two Greek officials who gave us a tour of the Olympic Stadium, that resembled Wembley Stadium rather closely. We watched a video on the major events that had taken place at the stadium during and after the Olympics. Then we toured the facility and were allowed to walk onto the track and football pitch itself. The sun was rather overbearing, but we ventured into the shade and held a group 100 meter dash between Jeff, Lee, Ethan, Brendan, and Rob. The loser Jeff, who ironically enough was the one who thought of the race, was labored with buying lunch for the group. 

After the stadium we visited the Tumulus of the Battle of Marathon which is the tomb where 196 Athenian soldiers who died during the battle are buried. It is also believed to be the exact spot where the two armies clashed. Now this battle took place in 490 BCE, which highlights just how significant events of antiquity are to the modern Greek people. We followed this up with a visit to the regional museum and then the victory column that was built to honor the Athenian triumph. 

The day concluded with a trip to the beach, which was very beautiful and tranquil, except for the fact that a thunder storm followed us from Athens and ruined our chances of swimming. However we did get to enjoy some relaxation time and the company of a stray puppy that brightened our moods. Altogether it was was another successful day in Greece; another reason I grow fonder of the country every day. 

Monday May 25th (sorry for the delay)

Sara Tumminia

After a much needed rest from over 12 hours of traveling, we were off bright and early in Olympia!

Nicki, our wonderful tour guide, who is an expert on Greek history prepped us in the morning about what we would be seeing in Olympia and told us some more facts. 

It's interesting to think that we study the past and even the ancient Greeks studied history as well. 

In the lobby we started with an informational session from Nicki about Ancient Greece as well as some of the elements of the ancient games. 

With every story from history there is of course a myth associated with that story. An interesting myth that stood out to me from today was the founding myth about a mythical king in Olympia. When his daughter grew up he realized that he did not want her getting married because he did not want to lose his power once she found a husband. Therefore, he created a contest for all the potential husbands in which they had to beat him in a chariot race. If you won the race you could marry his daughter and if you lost the king had to kill you. One of the potential candidates loosened the screws on the Kings chariot, so that he would win and he was seen as one of the heroes of Ancient Greece. There are issues around whether this was ethical or not, however the argument is that it was fair because if he had not done that Ancient Greece as we know it would not have continued. His move was necessary for the evolution of the civilization. 

We then headed over to Olympia where we were able to see many interesting buildings. Some examples include the Temple of Hera, the Temple of Zeus, the Philippeion, as well as many more. When you first walk in to the sacred area of the site, you see the building that Alexander the Great built for people to know that he was the ruler. The Temple of Hera was beautiful. Not much of the columns were still in tact, however you were able to get a good idea of what it looked like because of the foundation that was still standing. Most of the ancient temples had the statue of that particular God towards the back for worshipping, with the entrance on the east side facing the sun. The Temple of Hera is actually about 200 years older than the Temple of Zeus. 

Walking through Olympia was breathtaking. It is unbelievable to think that we saw where all of sports as we know them today began. We saw the first track where they held the foot race for over 30 years when it was the only sport in the Olympics. As a Sport Management major, it is really cool to see where sports started, and it makes you appreciate how far we have come. 

After a long and hot day walking around Olympia, we got some "pool time baby ow!" (-Jeff Slawson) at the hotel. Some group bonding and pool chillin is always a good time. 

Dinner was family-style: large portions of a bunch of appetizers where everyone could share. Trying new food is definitely a must when you go abroad. We were able to eat some Greek dishes were delicious! 

Athens tomorrow! Stay tuned. 

~t-minus 4 days till home~

Tuesday, May 26th- Athens Hotel Drama and More!

Today was the in-between day, during which we would spend a little time in Olympia, travel all the way back to Athens where we had landed two days prior, then spend some time in Athens as well. Our morning began with breakfast at the hotel and an 8:30 meeting time in the lobby. Shortly thereafter, we loaded up our luggage and jumped on the bus, which was to take us only a few minutes to the same place we had visited yesterday. This time we would be visiting a much smaller museum dedicated to the Ancient Olympic Games that was located just before the archaeological site. Despite its small size, we were able to learn a ton of information, between the exhibits themselves and the mini lectures from Nike, our translator and historian.

First, we were able to see how the sanctuary (part of the archaeological site) evolved over time and which buildings were added or demolished. This was really to cool to see considering we had just been there the day before and had seen the ruins of these very buildings and temples. The museum also contained a lot of old vases and other pieces that Nike told us were given to the winners of events at the Ancient Games. The process that was involved to create all of these "awards" was long and tedious, but the results were really beautiful. Finally, there was a statue of Antinos, who Nike explained was a symbol of beauty back in Ancient Greece and killed himself simply because he had a wrinkle on his face. Overall, the museum was a great way to wrap up our stay in Olympia. 

Following the museum, it was time for the long ride back to Athens. A few hours into the trip, we stopped at a resort town called Loutraki , which was right by a bay and right near the city of Corinth. We had some great seafood for lunch, and afterwards we had a little free time to explore. Most of us took advantage by walking along the waterfront and taking in the breathtaking scenery. Soon enough, however, it was back on the bus for another hour and eventually we made it to Athens and checked into our hotel (which was so poor, we have been trying to get upgraded or switched). A tasty dinner in the downtown area and a little exploration of the streets and alleys, combined with some ice cream, capped off a great day. The weather has been poor since we arrived and the forecast calls for rain, but we all are excited for the last few days nonetheless!

Friday, May 22nd: Olympic Museum & Special Occasion!

Today marked our fourth day in the beautiful country of Switzerland. Coming off of a much needed day set a side for R&R, the group was ready to get back on track. Another light breakfast greeted us in the morning accompanied by an outstanding view of the French Alps across the lake. The day was much more uplifting than the previous three, mainly due to the sunny weather and pleasant temperature. For the few days before we were subjected to dreary fog, periodic showers, and cold that rivaled even Syracuse. However, Friday was the first day in Lausanne that we were able to break out our shorts. 

After assembling around 9:30 am, we ventured down the sidewalks of the scenic lakefront parkway towards the Olympic Museum, which was conveniently located about half a mile from our hotel. We had already experienced the outdoor park on Wednesday from our introduction to the Olympic Research Center that was right next door, but this did not spoil the experience. From the bottom of the hill visitors are encouraged to walk up steps showcasing the names of the individuals who lit the Olympic Flame from each of the Olympics over the past seventy years. Of course there were many, which provided me with flashbacks, not necessarily pleasant ones, of the trek up to my freshman dorm that I endured all year. At the top were numerous sculptures and athletic representations. For example, a rather exquisitely colored pair of human figures playing soccer (futbol) adorned the front lawn, Pierre de Coubertin stood examining the courtyard framed by the Alps in the background, and an exceedingly muscular spinning torso proved that the IOC was intent on providing visitors with an image of athletic prowess in physical form. There was also a sample 100 meter track and a high jump bar to provide a sense of what athletes in the Olympics must overcome to attain glory. 

Once we entered the doors a lovely tour guide named Patricia stood awaiting our arrival. We ventured up the winding ramp to the first exhibit and began our fully guided tour. The museum was divided into three phases: The inception of both the Ancient and Modern Olympics, the evolution of the Modern Olympics, and the Olympic Spirit. To start, we witnessed a representation of what ancient Olympia looked like over 3,000 years ago both in animation and model form. This held special significance as we now have a map in the back of our minds for when we visit the actual site on Monday. From there we saw artifacts and the actual belongings of Pierre de Coubertin, who founded the International Olympic Committee in 1894. The second leg of the museum displayed both artifacts of clothing and equipment used by athletes throughout the course of the Modern Olympics, combined with interactive displays that gave more information on each individual Olympics in terms of location and important facts. From there the Olympic Spirit portion added a personal touch to the Olympic experience as recordings of athletes speaking in their native languages showcased the multicultural blending and education that the Olympics provides. Not only that but healthy eating quizzes, Olympic truce pillars with athlete signatures, and interactive sports simulations decorated the room, and kept our group busy for a good twenty minutes or so.

The Museum to me was the most important Olympic element we had experienced so far. In terms of the class and content we are learning, it provided that all important tie in to real life experience. While it is amazing and essential to visit locations where events took place in the past, it is also important to visualize those events to help cement key lessons, whether it be moral, emotional, or educational. Don't get me wrong, I loved visiting the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the IOC headquarters, and the Olympic Research center, but the Museum helped me most in terms of the class itself. 

Now, I have saved the best for last. Ask any person who has traveled anywhere that the most important part of any trip is the people you share the experiences with. When it comes to this trip, the cornerstone and major personality is without a doubt Professor Ryan. Not only does he dip in to his eight year pool of experience to give us advice on transportation, dining, you name it, but he also makes us laugh with numerous stories and jokes or educates us with important information on sites we visit. It is only fitting that we provide him the same courtesy he gives to us on his birthday, which happened to be today. He provided the restaurant and we treated him to revelry and good times. This seems a strange place to have American food, but it was quite close to American barbecue in fact. Our group all pitched in to buy him a birthday cake and a card signed by all twelve members. We cannot thank P-Ry enough for all that he has done for us. He has made this trip the experience of a lifetime, and I cannot wait for future classes and reunions. 

My next blog will be from Athens, Greece. Until next time.

Friday, May 22nd- P-Ry's Birthday and more!

Similar to Thursday, Friday was more of an easy and laid back kind of day, as we had only one true destination, the Olympic Museum. That being said, Friday was special for two reasons. First, the morning greeted us with the most sunshine we had seen in several days (since France), setting the scene for a truly gorgeous day. Secondly, it was Professor Ryan's birthday, meaning it was time for all of us students to give back to the guy who makes this trip as great as it is. Our day started off normally, with a semi-early wake up and a quick breakfast at the hotel for most of us, at which some of the girls presented Professor Ryan with a small cake which was from the group and soon enough, we were ready to leave for the Museum.

The Olympic Museum was only a 10 minute walk from our hotel, and when we arrived, a tour guide was ready to go. As our tour went on, we learned more and more about not only the games themselves, but also the athletes, the history, and the cities that have hosted and will host them. This museum differed from the ones we had previously visited in two ways. First, being the Olympic Museum, its focus was primarily on the evolution of the games, the modern Olympic games, and the all-encompassing Olympic spirit. Other museums we had visited already (i.e. the British Museum, the Louvre) contained really incredible information and exhibits on Ancient Greece, the early Olympic games, and other things of that nature. The Olympic Museum we visited was really the first to have its emphasis on the Modern Games and how they got to be exactly what they are today. The second way it differed is that it, by far, was the most interactive of all the museums we had been in so far. Many of the exhibits allowed us to explore the content even further, and some were really fun and informative. This visit was very relevant to the trip and to the class because it gave us insight into the what the Olympic games were, what they are now, and where they are headed.

Following the tour of the museum, we all headed back towards our hotel to grab a much-needed lunch. Myself, Professor Ryan, and a few other students got cheap sandwiches and just ate them right by the lake. Sitting in the sun and looking out on the lake into the beautiful scenery really put things into perspective for me and reminded me of how lucky I was to be there. Afterwards, it was back to the hotel to relax before the group dinner.

The dinner was really amazing, with good food and drinks all around. We gave Professor Ryan a birthday card signed by everyone which made him smile, and after the meal, Jeff secretly ordered a mini cake dessert which was given to P-Ry while we all sang "Happy Birthday" in the restaurant (which even received applause from the rest of the place). Our time in Switzerland was slowly coming to an end, and this night was simply one of celebration.

Wednesday May 20th, 2015 Lausanne

Today we got to dress up professionally and visit important offices that are essential sectors that make the Olympic Games possible. First we went to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Here we met with Brent Nowicki, an attorney that represents the athletes who are trying to settle disputes with the IOC (the International Olympic Committee). We sat in the court rom that is used during these trials, which just fit the 13 of us. Brent said that they are soon to move to a bigger location because for bigger cases they have to go to different locations.

Brent helped us understand what it was exactly that the CAS does. He explained that in the past, many people complained about athletes doping. But where would that get you? Corruption was high in European countries and athletes where using substances to improve their performance and there was no rule to disallow it. People finally decided that there had to be an end to this. They thought if you go the national court, you may not see a judge for months or years, a time period in which the athletes can still perform if they are taking drugs. The IOC said that they needed a place to handle disputes quickly so that by the next day or the next competition, the athlete will know if he or her can compete. The CAS was created for quick, effective justice. Now, cases can be heard and resolved in 24 hours.

In 1985, the CAS consisted of 60 IOC members and national federations. This happened for 10 years, but it was still unfair to the athletes because they were not represented in court. The ICAS (International Court of Arbitration for Sport) now has 360 arbitrators and everybody is represented, including match officials and referees.

According to Brent, 60-70% of the cases at ICAS are FIFA related. These cases include breaching of contracts, media marketing, and transfer appeals. I found this funny because I love FIFA but we all know that there is some hard core corruption going on behind the scenes (FIFA is a profit organization which made $2 billion just this year). Other cases the CAS handles involve broadcasting and marketing rights. In terms of the next Olympics in Rio, all sponsoring contracts, vending contracts, or any type of contract for that matter, will go to CAS.

When there is a major event like the FIFA World Cup or the Olympic Games, the CAS provides "pop-up" charters in the hosting cities while the events take place to handle real-time cases. CAS is not as popular in the U.S. because there is a players union, although unions are not necessarily the best choice for athletes.

Brent asked everyone what their interests are. When it got to me, I said that I just graduated as a Health and Exercise Science major and am looking to go into Physical Therapy. Right away he stopped me and offered me an opportunity to go the Men's International Lacrosse Championship and help the Swiss National team to tape, wrap and stretch on the sidelines. I was really excited when he said that he was looking for students interested in PT, and especially when he said that the tournament will be held in Syracuse (the International Federation for Lacrosse headquarters is in Canada- its Canada's national sport!). I definitely look forward for the opportunity!

After we had lunch, we took the bus to the IOC. We met with Susanne and Didier, representatives for the marketing sector of the IOC (TMS). The major talking points that we hit about the Olympic movement included:

• The Olympic Platform
• The Olympic Movement Structure
• IOC TMS Structure
• Commercial Partners
• Rights holder
• Broadcasting 
• TOP partners
• Power of the Olympic Rings
• Olympic positioning 

There was also an intern with Susanne and Didier. Her name was Jasmine and she participated in the Sochi Winter Games as a women's bobsled competitor. When talking about the Olympic Platform, she said, "Whether you know sports or not, during these two weeks, you are a fan of the world". Based on the presentation that we saw, it seems to be that this is the basis for vision of the Olympics. People come together for the duration of the Games to see the best from different nations compete.

Didier spoke about the power of the Olympic Rings. He mentioned that 74% of people recognize the Olympic symbol and a smaller percentage (I can't remember the figure) recognized the World Cup logo for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Didier also said that the World Cup has a smaller audience than the Olympics. While I can't prove that this is false,  I didn't like these stats because when I questioned him he said the they took the stats right after the Olympics or before the World Cup would start, so automatically the Olympic rings logo (which doesn't change, meanwhile the World Cup logo changes every tournament) is more recognized than the Brazil World Cup. I wanted to question him more about these stats because I have read several times that the World Cup is more popular than the Olympics. When they did these stats, which people are they asking? Are they asking people in secluded tribes around the world? Are they asking people in areas with less access to see these events on TV? Are they asking American viewers, which is a population that does not favor soccer? Are they asking people in Lausanne, the city where the Olympic Rings can be seen on almost every corner? If Didier was more clear about the source of his data, I would have been more convinced but as a futbol (soccer for my fellow Americans) fan, I still stand by the World Cup being a bigger even than the Olympic Games.

The last part of the day was dedicated to visiting the Olympic Research Center. Here, two women on staff helped us go through the different sections of the library to be better able to find the books that we need for our research papers. Another woman who works in the archives section of the library showed us a document from when the Winter Olympics were in Lake Placid. A letter was written by the Senator of New York, who at the time was Franklin D. Roosevelt. We all thought that was pretty interesting. The size of the archives was very impressive considering they throw out the majority of things that they get.

Today was the busiest day so far. I couldn't possibly be able to write about everything that happened but if we are taking away anything from this day, its that I will support FIFA even in an IOC conference room!

CAS, IOC, and the Research Center oh my! -Jeff Slawson

Our second day in Switzerland was probably our most meaningful day on this entire trip. We began our day by visiting the CAS (court of arbitration for sport), followed by the IOC (International Olympic Committee), and then finished it off with a visit to the Olympic Research Center. All of the places we visited gave us incredible insight into the business of not only the Olympics, but world wide organized sports as well. 

Brent Nowicki gave us our tour of the CAS as our first event. He went on to explain how the CAS is essentially an independent court system that works to resolve issues quickly for athletes. The problem that international athletes run into is that they will need an arbitration done quickly, because they need to be playing for the next day. They do not have time to wait for months or a year for a court date, they need quick results. The CAS will take a ruling that is being questioned by any sport that has an international federation, and then deliberate on the case to come to a conclusion within 24 hours. We were given examples of cases that they deal with such as player eligibility, and media rights. 

The CAS sees over 500 cases per year, and will deal with cases from sports like football (soccer for all you Americans) and curling. They are there to stand up for the athletes, and be an unbiased view. Unlike the NFL where the commissioner is the arbitrator, the CAS brings in three different "judges" to make the ruling more fair and controlled. 

After the CAS we ventured over to the IOC to have a presentation by the TMS (television, and marketing services). Holy acronyms. We are incredibly lucky to be given this opportunity as we are only one of about four schools in the world that are allowed to do this tour. In the presentation, we were briefed on the marketing strategy of the Olympics, and how they work to spread the brand of the Olympics. The interesting thing about the Olympics is that their brand is completely global. After learning about the work they do to complete the brand, we found out that the Olympic Rings logo is actually one of the most widely known logos in the world, and 93% of people recognize them, and their significance. 

We had the chance to speak to an Olympian who was at the Sochi 2014 Olympics for the women's bobsled who expertly told us what being an Olympian means. As an Olympian, Olympic Rings mean so much not only to the athletes or the individuals who work for the IOC, but to the world and competitive sports. These Olympians stand for hard work and determination, and for that short time are huge roll models to millions across the world. 

Once our time at the IOC was done, we went to the Olympic Research Center to take a look at their massive collection. All of the material they have, if it was laid out, would span over 1 km. Our tour guide thought it would be cool to grab some papers from when New York was lobbying for the Olympics, and happened to stumble upon a letter from then Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt with his signature at the bottom. The woman said this happens very often as only about 40% of the materials have been catalogued. I feel bad for the interns. 

Today was an absolutely exhausting day with an early wake up and a lot of guest speakers. Each speaker, however, gave us a different view of the Olympics. It's nice to see the Olympics as an actual business entity, instead of just games and medals. 

Open Day in Switzerland

Today was a very calm and relaxing day for the group. After a full day yesterday, professor Ryan gave us an open day minus some time at the Olympic Research Center. Most of the group took the opportunity to catch up on sleep and do laundry despite the absence of Lazybones. Now we don't have to hear about how bad we smell when we come home next week!

After laundry, we made our way to the Research Center to meet with Professor Ryan about our paper topics as well as do some research on the topics. We spent about an hour and a half at the center, which is a beautiful facility filled with documentaries, books, and everything you need to know about the Olympics. They even have the bid books from the cities that did not host the Olympics, but were in the running i.e. New York 2012. There was a really interesting documentary about the 1936 Berlin Olympics, made by German film maker Leni Riefenstahl, who Hitler used as form of German and Nazi propaganda. The way the movie was shot was extremely pro-German. For example, whenever a German athlete was participating, there was no volume during the actual act, but a lot of cheers before and after. It was very interesting to see the way in which it was shot. 

After time at the Research Center, we made our way down to the park for a cocktail hour with hors d'oeuvres. We were going to have a picnic, but it was too windy to cook and we were not sure if it was going to rain. However, we had a great time relaxing and hanging out as a group. We even had some visitors by the names of Swan and Duck. They didn't stay too long and tried to eat our food so we made them leave. After roughly an hour and a half, we made our way back to the hotel and most of us got Chinese food for dinner, which was pretty good.

Today was a calm and much needed day. Everyone recharged their batteries and are ready for the rest of the trip both mentally, physically, and clothes-wise. Tomorrow we are going to make our way down to the Olympic Museum, which should be very interesting. Tomorrow is also the most special day of the trip - Professor Ryan's birthday! He is finally legal to drink! 

Free Day In Switzerland

May 21, 2015

It's a beautiful day in Switzerland and what better time to post a blog than on a free day. I think the most exciting part about today was being able to sleep in until noon. After being well rested the group went to the Olympic Library in order to discuss the topics of our papers in depth. Professor Ryan took time out and thought of individual topics for everyone to do based on their career goals and personalities which we all appreciated very much. After being students for a while, everyone branched off to get lunch. Pamela and I got on the train and went to the Lausanne-Gar stop and ate at Vapiano (which has the best pasta in the world FYI). Later on around 6 pm, we all went down by the water and had a mini picnic where we enjoyed the view of the Alps Mountains and almost getting attacked by beautiful swans. The guys (especially Rob and Brendan) were trying very hard to hit the balls floating in the water and although they had a few close ones, they just did not count lol! The funniest part about today was Cady and Ethan racing one another and Ethan surprising Cady by being very fast and leaving her in the dust. For dinner some went had Chinese, others had Pad Thai and I had ice cream! I was still so full from the pasta I had no room to eat another meal (one reason why it is the BEST pasta in the WORLD)! Tomorrow we go back to having things to do but it was nice to have a day that insisted of sleeping (which doesn't happen too often) and still hanging out as a group! Can't wait for what tomorrow has in store for us! Until my next post America!

-Taylor Mone

Paris Day Two- Jeff Slawson

Day two of Paris began with an early morning wake up, and a short metro trip to The University of Paris. The University of Paris is the third oldest university in the world behind Oxford and Bologna, making it full of history. The University brings relevance to us and our trip because it is home to the first International Olympic Committee meeting in 1894. Essentially, this place was the reason for our whole trip. 

Pierre de Coubertin decided back in 1894 that he desired to bring the Olympics to a world wide scale, and to make them more professional. He brought together multiple sports officials from different countries in order to set up universal rules on each sport. His hidden agenda, however, was to discuss the possibility of making the Olympic Games an annual event. Coubertin would eventually succeed, and in 1896 the world saw the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. 

In our tour, we were given the opportunity to see the exact meeting room that these talks took place, and the auditorium in which guest speakers would talk to all of the members of the conference. While our tour guide only spoke French with some broken English mixed in, our personal translator formally known as Professor Ryan, or P-Ry for short, got us through the tour, and allowed us to understand the relevance of the campus. 

After our campus tour had finished, we walked for what to me seemed like the equivalent of a fortnight. The walk took us from the campus, all the way to the Louvre. On the way to the Louvre, we stopped at the Chapel at Notre Dame, an incredible building to look at, and even more so on the inside. Walking around the Notre Dame I truly began to wonder how they were capable of building that huge chapel with no modern tools or scaffolding. I mean I can barely change a lightbulb in 2015, and in 1163 they were building a 226 foot tall chapel. 

Once we left Notre Dame, we headed towards the Louvre to study some of their Greek exhibit, and also to see their main attraction the Mona Lisa. The Greek exhibit provided us a very unique look at some of the parts of Greece that are relevant to our trip, and the Olympics.

The biggest disappointed to me was actually the world famous Mona Lisa. While the painting was phenomenal, I believe the other art within the Louvre is just as impressive. Simply turning around would provide you with a painting just as great. 

London Day 4

Going off of Sara's post, Charlie Foreman was great. He was very interesting to listen to and had a lot to offer about the logistics, planning, and aftermath of the 2012 games. Professor Ryan talked about how he uses London as his example of what to do after the Olympics and the group got a very good understanding of why after speaking with Charlie. Following the end of the games, London used the village where the athletes stayed for civilian housing. Not only that, but the Government paid some of the money, providing an opportunity for the locals that they would not usually receive, which has bettered the economy. 

Another example of what London has done so well after the games is the building of the new West Ham stadium, which is taking the place of the Olympic Stadium. West Ham and Tottenham were the two teams bidding for the new stadium, but West Ham was awarded the rights. Foreman did not talk about this too much, but it reflected how well London has handled its economy following the games, using them as a springboard for change and innovation throughout the city. 

After our time with Charlie, we went to Borough Market for lunch, which was regarded as one of the coolest experiences we had as a group in London. It was really interesting to see how the locals interacted and the atmosphere and food were great. It was essentially a farmer's market. They had everything from sandwiches, cheese, bread, olive oil, fruit, to dessert. Wegmans should seriously consider buying some food from there (just kidding, but not really). After lunch, we walked along the Thames River down to the London Eye. It was beautiful outside so we took a leisurely stroll, capturing photos of the scenery as well as watching some street performers. We decided the line was too long to go on the London Eye so we walked to see Big Ben. After taking photos by Big Ben, some of which will probably be someone's profile picture on Facebook or at the very least a worthy Instagram post, we went back to the hotel for some downtime before dinner. Overall, it was a great day between Charlie, the sightseeing, and the weather. 

Tuesday May 12th - Lee LaRosa

Day 1 in Europe

After a fairly east and sort of long flight, during which almost everybody slept, and a quick bus ride from the airport to the hotel, which consisted of sight-seeing and lots of sports discussions between us and the Syracuse UK staff, we finally arrived at our hotel. It was official, we were finally in London and finally begun our journey. Each student was assigned a room/roommate and we all checked in and left to quickly go drop our bags up in our rooms and then met back up in the hotel lobby/café. Once all together again in the café we met with the Syracuse UK staff and discussed what it meant to be a SU abroad student. However this was not before attempting to do a quick “ice-breaker”, which was fairly awkward and it did not last long when it became apparent to the UK staff members that every single person was clearly way too drained mentally to partake in it. We concluded the quick meeting with a short overview of what the layout of the trip would be like and discussed the day-to-day itinerary to make sure everyone was on track, and broke for free time (really nap time). 
We regrouped at around 7pm and headed off for dinner. We went to an Italian spot called the Spaghetti House. Once there we enjoyed a night full of bonding, drinking, and most importantly delicious food, as we prepared for the wonderful journey that awaits us! 

London Day Two

May 13, 2015-Day 2

            Following a long and slightly stressful two days of traveling, and finally making it to London. Day two to start our journey through London we went to the recently renovated Wembley stadium. We took the tube and upon our arrival we slowly walked towards the stadium taking pictures and absorbing the stadiums essence. As we walked into the stadium Professor Ryan took us aside to see the Olympic tablets from the 1948 Olympics that were held here in London. Those commemorative tablets were the remains from the reconstruction of Wembley stadium. He began to explain the background of those Olympics, the roots of others and the stadiums surroundings.

            We then took a tour of Wembley; it was amazing to say the least! I learned so much about the stadium, and experiencing any other way wouldn’t have been the same. Wembley is not only used for football, soccer, matches but they hold concerts, rugby, and the NFL has even played there! The stadium its self holds three world records and is 2.5 times the size of the old Wembley. It has the worlds largest roof span; you can even fit the London eye underneath the arch. The arch above the stadium supports more than half of the roof, which allows the stadium no seat obstructions because there is no need for pillars. There are 90,000 seats, all, which, are, pointed towards the field, and makes Wembley the biggest all covered seat arena in the world. According to our tour guide there is no other crowd louder then the Wembley roar! The glass of the box seats bounces the sound from the crowd around the stadium creating the roar. The last world record Wembley holds, is the stadium hold the most toilets in the world standing at, 2,618!

            Wrapping up we got a chance to sit in the room where the captains of the teams are interviews and where the press sit and ask questions. Concluding the tour we got a chance to sit in the royal box and take a picture with the FA Cup and I believe it was made out of silver! Our lovely tour guide also took us into through the whole stadium and into the locker rooms where we could take pictures with jerseys, from some recent or famous players; that have all played in Wembley.

            After the tour we parted for lunch and headed back on the tube to the city to continue our day at the British Museum. We learned about the history of Greece and the most of the artifacts are here in London instead of Greece. We saw carvings, pottery and statues, that weren’t all complete but we restored to be shown and tell the history. Professor Ryan informed us before and throughout the tour of the museum giving us information about the early Olympics and the background we need or wanted about Greece.

Everything about today was amazing the experience, food, sites, and people. I can’t believe it was only day one of our amazing journey. I can’t wait to absorb the different cultures from each city and explore the different learning’s from each day to come!