Weeks to remember- intern reflects on Torino

By Matt Juliano
Collegian Staff
March 22, 2006

Being one of only 11 La Salle students to intern with NBC at this year’s Winter Olympic
Games, I felt it necessary to share some memories about my experience with the entire school. Below are just some of the many things that made my trip one for the ages.

As I stepped off the airplane in Rome, I realized something: for the first time in my life,
I was a foreigner. I initially missed the comfort of being in my own environment. People
spoke very little English, and when I attempted to speak Italian, I made quite a spectacle out of myself. It’s extremely difficult to start a conversation with people who speak a different language. I felt awful for not being able to communicate with the Italians, but there was little I could do to change that.

One night proved to be very intriguing. After leaving a downtown bar, a few La Salle students and I walked to catch a bus back to the Riberi Media Village, but instead we were forced to travel back by foot. The 20-minute bus ride took almost two hours to walk. Quick advice: if you ever want to learn about a city, get lost in it.

A few friends and I watched the lighting of the Olympic torch from outside the Olympic
Stadium. This was one of the most beautiful sights I ever had the pleasure of witnessing. When the fireworks went off and the torch was lit, the crowds in and out of the Olympic Stadium cheered in awe.

My first day of work was a disaster. Since my work station wasn’t operational yet, I was unable to log a game. The look of terror I had on my face when one of the assistant producers asked me for the log of the first period must have been priceless. I just shot them a dumbfounded look, which probably led them to believe I was an idiot. What a great first impression.

While I was in Italy, I managed to meet most of the ice hockey crew, but I wasn’t starstruck until I met play-by-play announcer Mike “Doc” Emrick. I walked by him in the food tent and said hello. I thought he would blow me off, but to my surprise, he turned to me, stuck out his hand, and said, “Hi, what’s your name?” That was one of the greatest experiences I had in Torino, and one of the greatest experiences of my life.

After 14 days of work, I realized that I was finally finishing. I couldn’t believe I only
had one more game to log at the Olympics. When I first started, I remember looking at the schedule and thinking it would never end.

The last day in Torino will forever be etched into my memory. Since I finished up my
internship requirements the previous night, I received a ticket to the gold medal men’s ice hockey match between Sweden and Finland, which saw the Swedes win their second gold medal in Olympic hockey competition. Everything came back to reality as I departed for the United States. I will miss Italy. I grew to love the country and the surroundings, and it slowly began to feel like home to me. But when I saw signs in English and heard people speak in a language that I could actually understand, it put a smile on my face. I was back in my country, back where it all began a little over three weeks ago: Philadelphia.

julianm1@lasalle.edu