Spring Break
The Daily OrangeBejing Olympics wrap-up
By Amanda Allison
Posted: 8/28/08, 1:28 AM EST Section: News
Ask the Experts
As Olympic athletes return home this week following the close of the Beijing games on Sunday, The Daily Orange asked three professors - each with their own expertise - their thoughts about the 2008 Summer Games.
Our Experts
-Norman Kutcher: History professor with emphasis in cultural, social and intellectual history of China. He spent this past May and June, as he does almost every year, researching and living in the Hebei Province, which serves as the gateway to Beijing.
-Hongying Wang: Political science professor and director of East Asia Program at the Moynihan Institute of the Maxwell School, with an emphasis in politics of East Asia, Comparative Politics and Politics of Globalization. In addition, she teaches a graduate seminar on Chinese politics.
-Dennis Deninger: Adjunct professor, teaching sports on television class for television, radio and film program in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. He spent 25 years at ESPN and has worked with NBC's Mary Carrillo.
How do you feel China represented itself during the Beijing Olympics?
Kutcher: I think that they were intent on showing themselves to the world in a way that demonstrated their true identity. It's very important to people in China to introduce themselves to the world, and they think that westerners don't understand them and are very suspicious of them. I think they were very successful.
Wang: I think China represented itself very well. The opening ceremony was spectacular - though it was very costly - presenting China's historical glory and recent achievement in a memorable performance. Chinese athletes, winning by far the biggest number of gold medals of all the participating countries, made a strong statement of China's new strength.
How do you feel the world responded to China during the Olympics?
Kutcher: I think in a way that China and the world are really in a better place after the Olympics. There will be better understanding; and the West will be more understanding that China is going to chart a different course. It won't modernize in a way that the rest modernized.
As Olympic athletes return home this week following the close of the Beijing games on Sunday, The Daily Orange asked three professors - each with their own expertise - their thoughts about the 2008 Summer Games.
Our Experts
-Norman Kutcher: History professor with emphasis in cultural, social and intellectual history of China. He spent this past May and June, as he does almost every year, researching and living in the Hebei Province, which serves as the gateway to Beijing.
-Hongying Wang: Political science professor and director of East Asia Program at the Moynihan Institute of the Maxwell School, with an emphasis in politics of East Asia, Comparative Politics and Politics of Globalization. In addition, she teaches a graduate seminar on Chinese politics.
-Dennis Deninger: Adjunct professor, teaching sports on television class for television, radio and film program in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. He spent 25 years at ESPN and has worked with NBC's Mary Carrillo.
Kutcher: I think that they were intent on showing themselves to the world in a way that demonstrated their true identity. It's very important to people in China to introduce themselves to the world, and they think that westerners don't understand them and are very suspicious of them. I think they were very successful.
Wang: I think China represented itself very well. The opening ceremony was spectacular - though it was very costly - presenting China's historical glory and recent achievement in a memorable performance. Chinese athletes, winning by far the biggest number of gold medals of all the participating countries, made a strong statement of China's new strength.
Kutcher: I think in a way that China and the world are really in a better place after the Olympics. There will be better understanding; and the West will be more understanding that China is going to chart a different course. It won't modernize in a way that the rest modernized.
Be the first to comment on this story