The End of the Beginning

Welcome Home! (I suppose)

I know I only posted to the blog once on this entire trip but it is because I was enjoying myself way too much to pause for even a few minutes and write to people back home. This trip was the experience of a lifetime and I wish I could stop and replay every second again and again so I make sure that I don't forget any of it.

It feels kind of strange to be back in the States, in my little town, without 11 other kids within 15 feet of me at all times. It feels strange to talk to all my friends again and my family and realize that I have not spoken to most of them in over 3 weeks. But mostly, it feels strange to realize that I've grown so much in just the past 2 1/2 weeks. I owe that growth to Professors Ryan and Veley and to my classmates who took this trip with me.

I know that throughout our trip, we all thanked Prof. Ryan & Veley for the experience, and we all talked about how much fun we have had and our favorite memories. But we also grew together; we all experienced something that no one else in the world can share with us. That means something to me. That is something I don't want to forget- the feeling of being able to share this experience with 13 people I would have mostly considered just acquaintances and now consider friends, even family.

The places we got to see, the people we got to meet, the experiences we got to share with one another- from seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkling at night, the sun set behind Notre Dame, an unparalleled bonding experience on a rooftop in Athens, running the Olympic stade, eating dinner in Lausanne, and going out in LONDON- was incredible. No matter who comes on this trip in the coming years, or who else goes to visit any of these cities, they cannot have an experience that comes close to ours.

The students that went on this trip are people I hope to keep in touch with for years to come and I hope that we all keep these memories forever, and don't forget the things we experienced in Europe or how much that has changed us. Coming back to America was much harder than I thought it would be, and I am already planning my return trip to Greece.

For the final time, bon soir and kalispera to my chavs and wankers: the Original Olympic Gangsters, I love you.

Athans...Last day

To family and friends,

It is hard for me to put into words the experience we have been through over the past three weeks.  I have had the privilege of being able to watch 12 young men and woman explore four of the world’s great cultures and experience firsthand the subtle and at times dramatic differences in how they approach the sport industry and the impact the modern Olympic movement has made and will make in communities we have visited.  This has been more than a class on the Olympics, it has been for some an eye opening experience that will enrich industry and personal lives.  I am proud to have been part of this experience and only hope that you all have the opportunity to share in the memories with the students once they return.  Connection is slow but I will post more pictures over the next few weeks and I invite the students to continue to post thoughts, memories and pictures after they return.   See everyone back in the good old USofA

Prof Ryan

 

            This is Matt Grodd writing from you live in Athens, Greece.  I was given the honor of heading up the ladder end of these blogging entries, and I couldn’t be happier about it.  This trip has by far been the greatest experience of my life, and wrapping it up in Athens was the perfect idea.

            Today we met up with our tour guide Robert, who after spending four days with our crew, he’s now definitively one of us.  He is by far one of the funnier guys we have come across along our journey, and he is so bright as well.  Everywhere we have gone during our journey in Greece, Robert has just had a wealth of knowledge about each spot. 

            So Robert met us outside our hotel at 8:30, and we went on an early morning hike up to the peak of the Acropolis.  The Acropolis was absolutely gorgeous, and Robert obviously gave us the whole story behind the reasoning, history, and purpose of the sacred building.  We then moved on and saw the Parthenon, which was such a unique structure as well.  After we went through the Acropolis, we took an informational walk through Agra Square.  We then did another mini hike up to the Temple of Hopotholus, which was a fascinating sight.  We ended our Acropolis journey at Temple of Stoa, which has recently been turned in a mini museum.

            After we left the Acropolis, we journied off to the Theatre of Dionysus, to learn about how drama often was used as Competition in Ancient Greek times.  We saw a lot of different Tripod Monuments all around Dionysus that were still in very good shape compared to a lot of the other structures we’ve come across in Greece.  We ended our travels at the Modern Olympic Stadium, which was the perfect way to end our final day in Greece.  The Modern Olympic Stadium was the main sight for the first Olympics in Greece in 1896, and its structure is sill very in tact in nice looking.

            After today tour a lot of us went out for Soulvaki Lunches, and then did some last minute shopping for our friends and family.  At around 5:00 we met to determine the winner of the Scavenger hunt, which Rachel and John S. won by one point over the Will/Dave Tandem.  It’s now 6:30 and I am very excited for our final Farwell dinner tonight in Athens.  I’m looking forward to some great dialogue, some fantastic food, and one last great memory from this amazing journey in Europe.

Signing off from the greatest experience of my life,

Matt

The 2009 Olympiad of BPYAN (Brian): Day in Olympia

This post is relative to Monday in Olympia:

The 2004 ALCS will forever be remembered by Curt Schilling's bloody sock. The 2009 Olympiad will forever be remembered by my bloody toe...

Held in Olympia, Greece, the site of the original Olympic Games in 776 BC, we arrived Monday afternoon and after settling in at the beautiful Hotel Antonios (I think that's how it was spelled) we went into the town of Olympia to grab a quick bite to eat before heading off to the archaeological site. In town, I got my first real Greek meal of the trip and had a terrific Greek salad, except for in Greece, the Greek salads contain no lettuce, but merely of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, and feta cheese. It was absolutely great, I would call it a pleasant surprise. After eating, I found the greatest shirt of the trip as it has a Spartan helmet on it and the words below, those that I live by, "THIS IS SPARTA!" And I was so happy to find it that words cannot explain. We've quickly found that Greece is the least expensive destination point on our trip (thank God) and not soon enough as by this time our funds are all starting to become depleted.

Next up was the Mecca of Olympic sites, the place that started them all in 776 BC: the site at Olympia. Robert Pitt, Assistant Director of British Archaeology in Greece, led us around the site explaining the ins and outs of the site, and what each things once used to be and how it pertained to the Ancient Olympic games. We started at the original Temple of Zeus, later to be renamed the Temple of Hera after another temple was built to honor Zeus. We learned that this place, in addition to honoring the Gods, was a place of storage of wealth and almost like a treasury. Just outside this is also the location where the Olympic torch is lit each year before the Olympics before it leaves around the globe. The events that took place afterwards, I'll get to that in a moment. Our last few stops at the site included the Palaestra and the Gymnasium, 2 places used for training and education of the athletes about not only how to perform in the games, but general education as well learning grammar, religion, and other important things while also learning how to ready themselves for competition in the games.

Now, the main event. In the Ancient Olympics, the games were based around one main event, known as the Stade, which consisted of a sprint down the stadium floor of about 200 meters. Being the boys that we are, we decided that we needed to see who would be the champion of the class and have the games named after them as they did during ancient times. A few of us were not properly equipped with running footwear at the time and decided to run the games barefoot, just like the ancients did. The sad part is that the 2 people who came in first and second were both not wearing shoes and were able to beat all those that did. And being one of those without footwear, getting a stone stuck in the underside of my big toe, I emerged victorious from the race, and the games of this day will forever be known as the 2009 Olympia of BPYAN (Brian in Greek). Have no fear, the toe is in fine condition, and I will be ready to defend my crown and my name in 2013 to become the first ever Olympic Odyssey back-to-back Champion. Only one more day left to enjoy the Greek food and lifestyle, and our Eurotrip altogether. And to quote Mark Alken, which I never thought I'd do: Let's go out with a bang.

-One last time

-Ya boy

-I love Europe like for rizzay

-Lets get it

-Call me da champ like Nike but I run wit no shoes

-BMey

Fun with Veley

This is Mark Alken coming to you from Athens, Greece. I may be just 20 going on 21, but I've traveled to numerous locales in my lifetime. So far this entire Olympic Odyssey trip has been the trip of a life time. From London to Athens, this trip has been everything I expected and more. So much has transpired since our arrival in Athens, but I will fill you in on our group's activities from last night and today.

Last night we had an authentic Greek style dinner with both Professors Veley and Ryan. A good time was had by all. Myself, Matt Grodd, and everyone else at the table told some pretty amusing jokes and funny life stories. The restaurant's atmosphere was very relaxed and laid back. They had two vibrant guitar players entertaining patrons in the corner of the restaurant. From sitting next to Prof. Veley, I can tell he probably enjoyed it the most. Just being able to study with Professor Veley and Professor Ryan outside the classroom has been a truly enjoyable experience in and of itself. Since it was also a clear, starry night, we also went on the roof of our hotel and got a bird's eye view of the famous Acropolis. Afterwards, it was off to bed.

It was another early start for the group today. After an 8 AM breakfast, we took a bus to the 2004 Olympic site. What I saw was rather unfortunate. I was quite surprised at the disrepair the entire site has fallen under since the conclusion of the 2004 Games. The main stadium had some graffiti on the inside and looked nothing like the stunning facility back in 2004. The place where I saw the most visible signs of deterioration was on the basketball facility. There was rust growing on the steel supports and more signs of vandalization. Our own Carrier Dome has been around since 1980, but it is still very well taken care of and the most ironic is that it is located in one of the coldest regions in the United States. The facilities in Athens never have to face those kinds of harsh elements, but still we find them in disrepair. It stuns me that a place that is seen as the proud birth place of the Olympics would let the facilities fall into such disrepair. The trip to the 2004 site was a brief couple of hours.

We then hopped back on the bus and rejoined our friend and colleague Professor Robert Pitt at the Greek archeological museum. Since we've been in Greece, we have heavily immersed ourselves in Greek archeology. However, unlike the museums we visited in Olympia, the things we observed today focused more on ancient Greek society in general. It was amazing to see how ahead of their time the ancient Greeks were. Many of the tools they would use in everyday life were on display here. We saw funeral masks and other elegant forms of sculpture that would depict the Greek gods and certain powerful figures. It is from these that we get the idea of how they lived back during those times. To anyone outside the field, they may not see the connection. After visiting both the museum in Olympia and the one here in Athens we see how sport has evolved along with the society. This has been one of the more enlightening parts of this trip.

Well, tomorrow is our last day here in Europe. Let's go out with a bang.

Your's Truly,

Mark Alken 

Olympia Museums

                The first day in Olympia was very pristine, but yesterday morning the streets were filled with tourist buses and filled with people. It is pleasing to know that we were able to experience the ancient ruins before the crowds of people arrived. We went to 3 museums before heading back to Athens; the archeological museum, the ancient Olympics museum, and the modern Olympics museum.

                 It was evident from the start that the military was a major influence on the ancient Olympics. There was a lot of armor that was dedicated to the sanctuary as war prizes from victorious Greek battles. It was interesting to see the sculptures that were taken from the ruins. There was a horn and ear, which is all that is left from a giant bull statue that was directly in front of the Temple of Zeus. There were also statues of Zeus and Ganymede, Nike (the Goddess of victory), and Hermes (the messenger God). The Hermes statue is one of the best surviving statues from the ancient world. It was taken from the ruins of the Temple of Hera, which was like a museum at the time of the ancient Olympics. The statue told of the story where Zeus had a child, Dionysos (God of wine and dining), with another woman and charged Hermes to take Dionysos to the Nymphs, who were to nurse him, before Hera found and killed the child. We also saw artifacts from the building where the famous statue of Zeus was made. I was shocked to see how tiny the tools the artist used to sculpt this masterpiece. There were also molds that were used to shape and build the statue. We also saw all of the statues that were on the front and back side of the roof of the Temple of Zeus. Since the roof was a triangle they had to make the statues be larger in the middle and smaller on the outsides. They accomplished this by putting a God in the center because they were taller than ordinary men, then people standing, then horses or centaurs, then people sitting down, and finally people lying down. These groups of statues always showed a mythological scene, usually involving someone trying to get the girl.

                 We next went to the ancient Olympic museum where the displays did a great job of walking people through different aspects of the ancient Olympics. The ancient Olympics are regarded as a revival of Games that had been interrupted for a long period of time similar to how the modern Olympics were founded. The Games were held from 776 B.C. to 393 A.D. (1169 years). It was interesting because it was held every four years without interruption and local wars between city states would be suspended until after the Games, unlike the modern Olympics which have been interrupted twice for World War 1 & 2. The athletes themselves had to be Greek citizens in order to compete. They would travel to Elis, which was where the organizers of the Games were headquartered, a month prior to the start of the Games. The athletes would train and have their character tested because athletes were not only supposed to be good athletes, but good people as well. Women were not allowed to be at the Olympics because the athletes would compete in the nude. There was a competition for women, but not at the Olympics. We found out the stadium was 192.28 meters long so Brian won the 192.28 dash when we raced in the stadium the other day. The winners of the different events would be rewarded with a crown of woven olive branches and enjoyed privileges at their city state for the rest of their lives such as free meals, exemption from taxes, and seats of honor at entertainment events. Along with a lot of descriptions of the Games they had many artifacts. My favorite room in the museum had a glass floor with a beautiful artistic tile floor underneath.

                 The modern Olympic museum was not as good as the Olympic museum in Lausanne, but it did have a lot of unique artifacts such as stamps, tickets, Olympic programs, pictures, newspaper clippings, medals, pins, figurines, and Olympic torches. The most interesting information that I learned was that Pierre De Coubertin’s heart was buried in ancient Olympia as per his final request.

 I know my blog was long and I hope I didn’t bore you,

 Jonathan Prinsell

You'll all be home soon

I for one can not wait until you all arrive back in the states. Although I realize this has been an experience of a lifetime, the mother in me (and wife) will be thrilled when you are home safe and sound.

I am sure you all will treasure the memories and learning experiences you have stock piled for a lifetime. This trip has been quite the experience. I trust you all will return as "Olympic Scholars."



Professor Ryan's wife.