By David Randall
Whether students plan to spend two weeks this February volunteering in the Olympic Village or escaping Utah for a Caribbean cruise, BYU wants students to document their Olympic experiences.
The Jacobsen Center for Service and Learning, in conjunction with BYU, will be distributing 100 free disposable cameras for students to take pictures of their various Olympic adventures, whether or not their activities relate to the Games.
The film from the cameras will then be developed by the Bookstore. Selected photos will be published in a special section in The Daily Universe.
John Kau, director of the Jacobsen Center, said the idea for the cameras came from the University of Arizona. Each year, the school distributes cameras to record student life.
Rachel Welton, public relations spokeswoman for the center and overseer of the project, said the idea fit well into the mission of the Jacobsen Center. The program encourages students to participate in the learning opportunities around them, Welton said.
'The point of the Jacobsen Center is to get people involved, making their time at BYU more valuable,' she said.
Details on how the project will be funded and what type of cameras will be used are yet to be confirmed. Bookstore employee Kumen Skinner is in charge of trying to get the cameras from distributors free of charge. He could not be reached for comment.
However, Welton said regardless of payment arrangements, cameras will be provided and film developed.
Sarah Sandberg, 23, a senior from Provo, majoring in elementary education, was one of the early applicants for the cameras. She will be volunteering for the Games.
'I feel like we''ve all been waiting so long for the Games to arrive,' Sandberg said. 'Now that they''re here I want to do what I can to help record BYU''s involvement.'
Welton said about 35 applications have been received so far.
Students will be required to sign a release form when they receive the camera, giving BYU the rights to the photos they take. After the film is developed, the negatives will be returned to students.
'What we hope is that people will want their pictures to be part of the insert in the paper, and share their Olympic experience with the campus,' Welton said.
Students who participate will also receive a T-shirt.
Those wishing to be involved in the project should apply through the Jacobsen Center in 2010 WSC or by e-mail at olympiccameras@byu.edu.
Applicants should include their name, phone number and a brief description of what they will be doing during the Olympics.