Guns go off to start the races. People cheer on their favorite runners who compete to represent their nation. Noise, excitement and energy rise from Hayward Field as fast as the runners themselves.
Agate Hall, the temporary home of the University’s School of Journalism and Communication, lies just over 1,000 feet away from the main entrance to the historic field. During the Trials first week, 11 classes are going to be starting in Agate Hall.
Jenny Dean,@@http://uoregon.edu/findpeople/person/Jenny*Dean@@ a University graduate student teaching photojournalism this summer, doesn’t see the Trials as a concern for her class.
“If you ask me the question in a couple of weeks, I might have a very different opinion,” Dean said. “But, for now, I’m not really worried about it.”
The biggest concern for Dean and professors in the journalism school is making sure their students understand Agate Hall is locked 24 hours a day during the summer for security reasons. Because of this, students need to get a special ID card that will unlock the doors but give them access to the building.
Brian Smith,@@http://uoregon.edu/findpeople/person/Brian%20Smith/1003@@ University assistant vice president for administration, said the University teamed up with emergency management and continuity to coordinate meetings, ensuring every need of the University community gets addressed.
“We have regular meetings for people to come from the journalism and law schools to voice problems about what’s happening to resolve issues,” Smith said.
He also noted the University itself is going to continue with summer as usual. During the summer term and during the Trials, not only will thousands of children in summer camps be on campus, but the University is also hosting a conference that gathers schools from all across the Pacific Rim, University spokesperson Julie Brown said.
“We don’t foresee anything going wrong,” Smith said. “It’s a very safe event — track events are very safe and quiet.”@@oh, and don’t mind those blanks that go off often…or the roaring crowd@@
Dean said she understands the potential problems with maintaining the students’ attention when a national competition is taking place outside. She figures she will adapt her class by moving it or taking it outside; since her class is small and it’s summer, she has plenty of options.
“I’ve worked in the journalism field for a long time,” she said. “I’m pretty good at changing plans on short notice. So, I’ll just kind of roll with whatever happens.”