Emersonians bound for Olympics unfazed by anti-China protests
Catherine Andrews
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The 35 Emerson students and graduate students who will travel to China to join the official Olympic News Service (ONS) in reporting on the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing remain unfazed by the China Tibet conflict.
During their most recent class of International Sports Reporting, led by Professor Paul Niwa, the students discussed the latest dispute between China and Tibet. According to the Chinese Government, Tibet has been part of China for more than 700 years. However, Tibetans maintain that they are a separate country with their own culture, language and religion.
As the Olympics approach, tension between the Chinese government and Tibetans is growing. There have been protests held around the world for the freeing of the Tibetan people, the Olympic flame tour has been interrupted repeatedly and some countries have gone as far as to threaten to boycott the Olympics.
But despite the possibility of violence and turmoil, Emerson students training for their trip to China seem unfazed.
"Honestly, I'm not worried about what's going on in Tibet or in any of the other Chinese provinces affecting my safety. What's going on there won't really alter anything I normally do while traveling to stay safe," said Michael Nagel, who is a student in the MFA creative writing program.
The 3rd-year graduate student also said that he plans on taking precautions such as being aware of his surroundings and making sure to keep his passport in a safe place, just like he would in any other city including New York City and Boston.
"I fully expect there to be protests surrounding the Olympics, whether they're from Falun Gong [an outlawed spiritual movement], Tibetans, the Taiwanese, Muslim separatists or whomever. It will be an interesting time to be there," Nagel said.
"It is a little nerve-wracking traveling to China during this crisis," Cathryn McDonough, a print journalism junior, said, "but at the same time the Olympics promote peace and I'm very proud to be a part of it. I hope things settle a bit before we head over there and won't affect our plans to travel over there."
Justin Demarco, also a junior said that the group has been instructed not to focus on the heated situation, but rather, "just to focus on the Olympics as an athletic event. After all, that's why we're going to Beijing. We're not going to China for peace talks. We're going to ask athletes questions and get quotes. I don't plan on talking about that topic before I go or while I am there."