Issue 16 Autumn 2012 - Brunel University

Torch Relay brings crowds to campus
The olympic Torch made its way through Brunel on Tuesday 24
July, carried by DJ and producer Mark Ronson and singer Katy B.
Students and staff and their family members enjoyed the sunshine and
live music on the Quad, alongside visitors from the local community
and local schools who lined the concourse and the surrounding
streets. The Torch’s arrival also coincided with day two of this year’s
Graduation week, creating a truly celebratory atmosphere on campus.
The relay finished at the Olympic Stadium at the Opening
Ceremony on Friday 27 July, where it lit the spectacular
cauldron that burnt throughout the Games.
FeATUre :: LATesT NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe
5
Brunel volunteers
and performers
take centre stage
Staff and students from across the
University were selected as volunteers
to help make the Games happen.
More than sixty Brunel students were
selected as specialist Games Makers, and
a number of talented staff and students
auditioned for the Opening and Closing
Ceremonies as performers or marshals.
Express talked to Emma Winchester,
Brunel’s Active University Co-Ordinator,
who took part in both ceremonies.
How did you get involved?
I applied after seeing an open advert.
After the first audition I got a call back
for a role on drums, and it was then a
long wait until January 2012 to find out
if I had been selected. Luckily I was!
What were the rehearsals like?
Rehearsals started in May, and it was
a massive commitment. At the first
rehearsal I found out that I’d be part of
the ‘pandemonium’ drumming during
the Industrial Revolution segment
of the Opening Ceremony, and then
acting as a marshal during the athletes’
parade. Danny Boyle presented his
vision for the Ceremony to the group,
and explained how we would fit in.
We practiced on up-turned buckets,
sometimes in the pouring rain.
How did you feel on the
night of the Ceremony?
It was really hard to take everything in.
We’d been practicing for so long, and
to think that billions of people were
watching us was hard to comprehend.
What was your highlight?
I had a great view of the cauldron
being lit as I was marshalling the
parade, and it was great to meet so
many of the athletes. It is something
I will never forget and I feel very
lucky that I was a part of history.