By Micah Davis
Experts say this year''s Paralympic Games have received better exposure than other years, leading people to be more educated and informed.
With the closing of the Paralympic Games Saturday, March 16, spectators have left with a new knowledge of what the Games are and a new appreciation for the competitions between Paralympic athletes.
John Dunn, dean of the College of Health at University of Utah, said he is happy with the type of exposure Paralympic athletes have received in contrast to the Summer Games two years earlier.
'Its taken time. In Sydney, the media really struggled with how to report and approach the Games,' Dunn said, emphasizing how the athletes are receiving a greater deal of attention.
Dunn was originally to chair the International Congress on the Paralympic Games last November, which would have discussed issues such as exposure, but due to Sept. 11th the congress was cancelled.
As part of the exposure, the University of Utah Press will be printing an anthology, which will include highlights from the Olympics and the Paralympics.
Larry Gerlach, professor of history at the University of Utah, and the person foremost in putting together the Olympic lecture series to be included in the Olympic anthology, said he believes too often the public tends to mislabel and misunderstand the Paralympics.
'I think it''s important for the public to understand that the Paralympics are not just another version of the Olympics, these are totally new sports,' Gerlach said, 'I think the people can appreciate these sports for what they really are.'
Gerlach also said there needs to be more of an awareness of the differences between the two different games.
While exposure seems to have reached new levels, the Paralympics seem to remain in the shadow of the Olympic Games.
Stacy Machart, an Olympic volunteer from Sandy, said she was sad that people are not as enthusiastic about the Paralympics as they were about the Olympics.
'Everyone was taking about how disappointed they were that the Games were over,' Machart said, emphasizing that people were somewhat oblivious to the Paralympics and the continuation of the events and competition.
Those people who are disappointed are missing out, said Machart.
So, with the media coverage reaching new levels, spectators have a chance to enjoy the Games with a new understanding.
'People are starting to move beyond being intrigued by the fact that a person who has one leg skies, to really valuing the quality of the performance,' Dunn said.