The World Games kicks off in Birmingham on July 7 and Samford University students and employees will be on site volunteering throughout the 10-day event. From providing health care at first aid stations to assisting with publicity and marketing efforts, students will gain hands on experience applying what they have learned in the classroom.
Thirty undergraduate and graduate students and faculty from Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing will volunteer by staffing first aid stations throughout the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC). The volunteers will be based at competitions for gymnastics, bowling, floorball, powerlifting and korfball. They will also participate in the Closing Ceremony.
Callie Owen, a fourth year Pharm.D. candidate in McWhorter School of Pharmacy, has helped lead efforts to rescue and donate uneaten food. She, along with a handful of incoming Samford students, will distribute the uneaten concessions to Food for Our Journey, a local organization that delivers meals to those in need, and will also donate food to other local ministry partners that support the hungry.
“Our mission for July 7 through July 17 is to rescue all possible food from The World Games events, receptions and any other opportunities. We see this as a ministry opportunity to show the world the love of Jesus in Birmingham,” Owen said. “We will act with kindness, patience and love towards each other, our donors and everyone we may interact with during The World Games.”
Students and faculty from Howard College of Arts and Sciences and Brock School of Business have already been hard at work assisting with marketing and communication efforts. Students from Professor Ignatius Fosu’s Ad Practicum class created a social media campaign for The World Games during the spring semester. Their work, which was presented to the vice president of The World Games, was shared with the organization’s international marketing team, and may be used as a “road map” for future social media campaigns.
Quinn Richey, a rising senior marketing major with a concentration in sports marketing in Brock School of Business, worked with the Athlete Services Department throughout the month of May and has been working on site with the Venue Operations team since June. Richey, who is also on Samford’s men’s basketball team, says this experience has allowed him to apply what he has learned and meet new people.
“I am gaining real world experience in the sports world and making different connections throughout my internship,” Richey said. “I also look forward to learning about different career paths and jobs that people have in The World Games because it is such a unique event!"
Betsy Emmons, associate professor of communication and media in Howard College of Arts and Sciences, has been part of the Public Relations Committee for The World Games and will be working in the media centers at various venues throughout the event. Faculty from Orlean Beeson School of Education are also volunteering on site, including David Finn, Jonathan Davis and Monique Gardner Witherspoon.
While athletic competitions may be the overall focus, the opening and closing ceremonies are two of the highlights of The World Games. Jennifer Whittle, a violin instructor in the School of the Arts, will play in the orchestra for both ceremonies. Lauren Evans, assistant professor of art in the School of the Arts, worked with faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to create an art show to highlight the work of Alabama artists.
