Students show spirit of Centennial Games Calister Ubah, proudly wearing herNigeria apparel, sprints during her personal training time at Harding's track after the regular track season is over. Representing her country in the Olympics gave Ubah the unforgettable treasure of pride in a job well done and the realization of a lifelong dream. Photo by Aaron Gillihan. Last summer, as the entire world turned its eyes on Atlanta for the Centennial Olympic Games , five Harding students were living out their own 0 lympie dreams. Calister Ubah, a freshman kinesiology major from Benin City, Edu State, Nigeria, was a member of the Nigerian women's track team. Ubah ran the 200-meter and qualified for the semi-finals. "My favorite part of the Olympics was the opening ceremony," she said. "I made a lot offriends and had a lot of fun." For those who did not compete in the games themselves, the preliminary activities offered a taste of the Olympic dream. In the torch relay, the Olympic flame was passed from runner to runner for 15,000 miles from Los Angeles to Atlanta. Harding students Cindy Cheatham, Miriam Adams, Seth Rubio and David Ellis ran in the torch relay. Cheatham, aseniornursingmajor, was chosen to carry the torch in her home town ofMontgomery, Ala. "It is so hard to put the whole experience into words ," she said. "Along with having the opportunity to carry the torch, I was given the chance to attend some of the Olympic games, and it was so exciting to see the flame burning in the Olympic cauldron and to know that I played one small part in getting it there." Adams, a freshman from Searcy, was originally slated to be a torch bearer escort in the Coca-Cola high school Olympic program, but when she arrived at her scheduled time, she was told that in less than an hour she would be running the torch in Little Rock because the torchbearer was sick. Everything happened so quickly that her parents arrived to watch only moments before she passed by. "I remember that it didn't seem real, like it wasn't really happening. They handed me a torch-bearer outfit and took me to the site, but I really didn't comprehend it all until the torch came around the corner," she said. Rubio, a freshman from Memphis, Tenn., was also chosen as an escort and found out the day of the event that he would actually be carrying the torch. Ellis, a freshman from Milton, Fla., escorted seven torch bearers in Panama City, Florida. "I feel that my experience was unique because I ran at 10:30 at night," Ellis said. "The torch was extremelyvisible and there seemed to be a sense ofreverence among the crowds cheering us on." Though each experienced the Olympic dream in a different way, all were honored to represent their communities and countries in an event that spanned oceans and united nations. - Allison Rector Kelly Denny - Bentonville, Ark. Elementary Education . Shantih. Campaigns (Australia , Little Rock), Univerity Chorus. Kelley Derrick - Memphis, Tenn. Accounting. Ko Jo Kai. Accounting Society, Homecoming Royalty, Impact. Ryan Derrick - Dexter, N.M. Biology/Pre-Optometry . Seminoles. Devita, HARM, Intercollegiate Athletics (Football). James Diehl - Miami, Fla. Kinesiology. Chi Sigma Alpha. Dean's List , lntramurals, Phi Eta Sigma. Ben Diles - Searcy, Ark. Social Science. Theta Tau Delta. Alpha Chi, Am. Studies , Barristers , College Republicans, Honors Association, HUF, Phi Alpha Theta, Who's Who. Johanna Dominguez - Caracas, Venezuela. Speech Pathology. Campaigns (Australia), Dean's List, SSHA, University Singers . Leoncio Dominguez - Mexico City, Mexico. Marketing IMissions. Knights. Alpha Chi, Campaigns (Venezuela , Argentina), Campus Ministry , Dean's List , French Club, Intramurals , Intercollegiate Athletics (Tennis), Spanish Club, Who's Who. Sarah Doran - Searcy, Ark . English/Vocational Ministry. GATA. Am. Studies , Campaigns (England ), Dean's List, Honors Association , HUF, Sigma Tau Delta, Who's Who . Doug Doughty - Stephens City, Va. Political Science. Lisa Downie - Smithsburg, Md. Kinesiology. Tri Kappa. Alpha Chi, Club Queen, Dean's List, Intramurals , Kappa Delta Pi. Sandy Downs - Ava, Mo . Elementary Education. Travis Downs - Belington , W.Va. Bible /Religion . Alpha Chi Malachi , Band, Campaigns (Russia , Chicago, Houston), Dean's List, Film Studies, lntramurals , SA Comm., Spanish Club , Students for Life, Timothy Club, University Singers . Seniors 51
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