Short Olympic break causes conflicts for vendors, students

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    By Rebecca Ryser

    While the Olympics takes its big debut in Utah this February, BYU students will be sitting in class for one week of the Olympics.

    Students still trying to get involved in the Games may be at a disadvantage because of this.

    When the Salt Lake Organizing Committee was on campus Sept. 12 recruiting for the Games, they brought their vendors for the Games with them.

    One vendor representative, Matt Bijur, was recruiting for Jet Set Sports.

    This company is looking for people to host corporate clients during the Games.

    While students were “super outgoing, really friendly, exactly the kind of people we are looking for,” he said he was disappointed in BYU for holding class during the Games.

    “I am frankly disappointed that BYU didn”t realize that this is only going to happen once in all these students lives, so give them the time of the Games totally off,” he said.

    Ben Jenkins, 22, from Texas majoring in graphics design, is also surprised that BYU is having classes during the Games.

    “It”s an education to be able to go and be part of that. Some people are just going to go home and party, but I think a lot of people would want to do that and they have to sacrifice missing their classes and grades to go do it,” he said.

    Bijur said BYU students are less likely to get involved in the Games because of their class schedule.

    “It already puts students at a disadvantage when they know that they don”t have the time off.”

    Still many students are excited to participate.

    Jared Bunker, 22, from Las Vegas, Nevada, majoring in business management, applied for a Games-time position at the fair on Sept. 12.

    “I think it would be fun to be around the Olympics,” he said. “You get to see everything, and everybody, and just be around the whole thing and get paid for it.”

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