Seneca connects with 2010 Winter Olympics

When you watch the Winter Olympics this month, keep an eye out for the Seneca connections. They can be seen and heard everywhere in Vancouver from the mittens our Canadian athletes will be wearing to the theme song of the Games.

			Vivienne Lu Vivienne, a graduate of Seneca’s Fashion Arts program, is the designer behind the popular red mittens that have been flying off Canadian store shelves. More than three million pairs of the $10 mittens – which feature the Olympic rings, a Maple Leaf and Vancouver 2010 on them – are expected to be sold by the time the Games begin on February 12. Vivienne, who works as a Category Manager at the Hudson’s Bay Company (Hbc), is also the creative force behind the Olympic torch relay uniforms.
			Student Torchbearers The stylish white track suit with green-and-blue markings covering the left arm were worn by Seneca students Natasha Thombs (picture 3), April Bonia and Amekala Kanapathippillai during their individual torch runs. “The inspiration for the torchbearer uniform is our winter landscape, captured in the movement and energy of the northern lights,” Vivienne says. “As the torchbearers journey across the country, their uniforms will convey the excitement and energy of the Games.” This marks Vivienne’s second time designing apparel for the Olympics. In 2008, she designed the Canadian athlete’s uniforms for the Summer Games in Beijing.
			Alan Frew Alan’s contribution to the Winter Games is, literally, noteworthy. The Nursing graduate, best known for being the lead singer of Glass Tiger, penned the lyrics for the CTV theme song for the 2010 Olympics. It’s called I Believe, and is a piano ballad that features vocals by 15-year-old jazz-pop up-and-comer Nikki Yanofsky. The song has aired on countless radio stations and will be heard throughout CTV’s broadcasting of the Games. The video of the song is below.
			SCA Students Twenty students from Seneca’s School of Communication Arts will be working for CTV as part of the company’s online coverage of the Games. For two weeks, they will be working as video and photo editors for ctv.olympics.ca, which is expected to get more than 125 million page views. “To be part of the Olympic Games at home is an opportunity that doesn’t present itself often…I get emotional just thinking about it, ” says Magdalena Gaweda, one of the chosen students. “This is very important to me and I realize that this event will give me countless opportunities to learn, network and advance my career.” The students were selected in December after extensive interviews with CTV executives. Since then, they have taken part in several training exercises to ensure they are prepared for the demands of the Olympic period. “I’ve been blown away with the level of knowledge these students are bringing to the table,” says Michael Shewchenko, CTV Senior Digital Manager, Broadband Production. “Our confidence level went through the roof with what we can put on their shoulders."
			Nursing Professor on call at Olympics Professor Tania Killian will have front row seat for all the Olympic action. The Seneca Nursing Professor and Registered Nurse was selected by the Vancouver Olympic Committee to serve on its medical staff for the duration of the Games. Tania will be stationed at the Pacific Coliseum, which is hosting the figure skating and short track speed skating competitions.
			DMA grad contributes to Olympic design Santiago Diaz was among the first people to see The Richmond Olympic Oval. That's because he was part of the design team that built the $178-million long track speed skating facility. The Digital Media Arts (DMA) graduate works as a modelor for the engineering firm StructureCraft (company website and photos) and his digital renderings were used in the creation of the roof’s stunning soaring arch, which was built using more than a million pine boards. Since the venue opened, it has been honoured with countless architectural awards including the Institution of Structural Engineers 2009 Award for Sports or Leisure Structures. “The Richmond Oval is unique in the world,” says Santiago. “I'm proud to be a part of it.”
			Performing at the Olympics Seneca student Tee Copenace won’t just be watching the 2010 Winter Olympics. She’ll be performing in them as well. Tee, who is in her second-year of Seneca’s Social Service Worker program, was selected to be part of the Vancouver 2010 Indigenous Youth Gathering. The group, which is made up of 300 First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth leaders from across Canada, will showcase their culture and region through a range of activities and performances at Olympic events.