Kscopeforum

You could say that I’m ignoring the present state of things.
I know there are a lot more things that I could write about. Some people who read this might wonder if this story is even relevant, now that the economy is falling around Americans’ feet and politics are the heaviest they’ve ever been. But a person can only take that for so long.
That’s why I’m rewinding back to the Beijing Olympics. That’s about the only time in the recent months where things seemed the calmest and the happiest. And who doesn’t like the Olympics? So I hope this column serves as a release to those like me, who are bogged down with politics and the economy.
One thing that I felt was lacking in my weekly Olympic columns was a perspective from a UAB student. I knew what I thought about the Olympics-that it was a grand time for China and, hopefully, for the world, and that perhaps, the welcoming spirit of the Olympics would expand into life after the Olympics-but as LeVar Burton would say, “You don’t have to take my word for it.” So I decided to ask Pearl Shin, a student in my interviewing class who is majoring in communications and fulfilling her pre-requisites for optometry. Here’s what transpired:
MJ: What do you think the Beijing Olympics mean to the Chinese?
PS: I think that the Chinese have made a great effort to welcome the world into their country. As a communistic nation, I believe they feel the need to prove themselves to the rest of the world and to show that their type of government is just as effective, if not more. I feel that the greatest testament to this truth is shown in the advanced, architectural structures made specifically for the 2008 Olympics such as the Water Cube and the Bird’s Nest. The buildings themselves were a great spectacle to behold, and many were [blown] away at the architectural genius that went into designing the buildings. I believe that the Chinese wanted exactly that reaction from everyone.
MJ: There are a lot of political problems facing China, for example, doing business with Sudan’s government and their stance on human rights.  Since the world’s eyes are focused on China, could this pressure cause any changes in the Chinese government’s policies?
PS: Honestly, I believe China would not make any change even under such heavy pressure from other countries. The Chinese government has proven this time and time again from their track record.  They are known to be against the grain and do what they want.
MJ: Newscasters on NBC have focused on the potential positives the Olympics might cause China, but are there any negatives? In other words, could such heavy focus on China, their politics, etc., cause China to become more estranged from other countries or vice-versa? Could the Olympics cause bad blood to form between China and other countries?
PS: Negative outcomes of tension growing between China and other countries are something to be expected. However, more than the superficial look of friendly competition, I feel that the Olympics do have underlying issues which are more internal than external. I feel that China, with the elaborate and grandiose structures [they] built, must have suffered some economic strain. The country itself must have suffered while trying to show off its nation’s government.
MJ: Other countries’ views of China are varied, but how does China view the rest of the world? Since there are many dignitaries from other countries visiting China because of the Olympics, do you think the Chinese government would find elements in other countries’ policies that they would adapt?
PS: China has been evolving and does well in adapting. I feel that capitalism is a major aspect of the country that was not inherently their own until it was adopted after the following the steps of others like America.  As for China incorporating elements from other countries, I do not believe that the Olympics will be an eye-opening experience for China; if they have not already learned that the policies of other countries are good additions to their own, then the Olympics are not going make any more of a difference.

MJ: Do you agree with the now cliché statement that the Beijing Olympics are China’s ”coming-out party”?
PS: I have to agree with the statement that it is almost like a “coming-out” party. Since China has been virtually exclusive over such a long period, I feel that this has been the most social “coming-out” that China has made an effort to display. The Chinese are proud of their country and want to reinforce it by showing their ingenuity, prosperity, and superiority through the games.
Shin’s comments made me revisit some themes that made up NBC’s commentary of the Games. Perhaps the NBC commentators were a bit too enamored with the opening ceremony to actually look at the more realistic picture.

Monique Jones
Editor in Chief