A 19-year-old Scotia native made a splash at the 2008 summer Olympics by interning with NBC sports at the Water Cube, where the Games’ swimming, diving and synchronized swimming competitions were held.
Shannon Archer, who returned from Beijing Wednesday, Aug. 27, will be a junior at Ithaca College, where she is studying Integrated Marketing Communications and Sport Studies.
Archer, who has been a competitive swimmer for 12 years, said she was most surprised by the amount of work that goes into a television broadcast.
I had little idea of how it all worked, and being able to see the most talented producers and directors do what they do best so that everyone back home can also experience the Games first-hand has completely blown me away, Archer said from her post in Beijing. `They are truly very talented people.`
Since applying to the Park School of Communication at Ithaca College in 2006, Archer has been aware of the opportunity to work in Beijing, but the opportunity became reality when she applied and was interviewed by NBC.
She said the dream really came true when she landed in Beijing after taking her first plane ride out of the country.
Throughout her stay at the Media Village, which was built specifically for the Games, Archer said she has noticed the emphasis on respect in the Chinese culture. She said overall the Chinese population has been very welcoming to the more than 180 million visitors in their country.
`The Olympics are such a big deal for this country, and you can definitely tell, the people here are so proud of their country and culture and so excited to host the Games.`
She said other countries seem to hold the highest regard for the Games as well.
`All countries seem to understand that the Games are not only an opportunity to showcase each individual country’s athletic talent, but also an opportunity for all countries to come together and be linked by a common bond,` Archer said.
Archer worked alongside NBC commentators and on-air talent, in addition to the United States Olympic swimmers, to arrange interviews and even drive the Olympians around.
A typical day, even though no day was completely regimented, according to Archer, would begin around 7 a.m., when she would arrive at the Cube to prepare for the live showing of swimming finals, which were aired during prime time in the United States, Archer said.
Preparation included setting up commentator booths and compiling statistics and results for her on-air talent to refer to during the broadcast.
During the broadcast, Archer could be found behind the scenes working with producers and directors in the control room or as right-hand-man to the on-air talent in the booth. Archer said her duties for the swimming finals and diving sessions were similar to those she held during swimming competitions.
`It has been very exciting to be able to have a front row seat at what has proved to be the fastest, most exciting Olympics yet,` Archer said.
While Archer said she is not sure of how NBC’s coverage differed from international coverage of the Games, she said NBC has really taken the lead in coverage through the use of its sister stations and live streaming video on the Internet.
The International Olympic Committee reported that 102 million people watched live broadcasts of the Games on NBC’s Web site, with another 146 million people watching online video on demand or delayed online coverage.
`Watching on TV is one thing, but can you imagine just being there,` said Archer’s mother, Patricia Archer.
One Olympic moment that touched several American hearts via the television screen really stuck with Archer as well.
`It was definitely exciting to see Michael Phelps win the 100 fly,` Archer said. `He touched out Serbia’s Milorad Cavic by 0.01 seconds for his seventh gold medal. … You can’t get any closer or more exciting than that.`
According to a press release from the International Olympic Committee, more than 40 million viewers tuned into NBC’s Olympic coverage to watch Michael Phelps win his eighth gold medal.
Although, Archer had the chance to meet all the entire Olympic swimming team, she said meeting Ryan Lochte and his family was the most memorable of her encounters over her five weeks in Beijing.
`Meeting the Lochte family was great, really nice people and just awesome family so I feel really lucky to have been able to meet them, even though it was only for a brief period of time,` Archer said.
Despite meeting the Lochte family, Archer said one of the biggest challenges she faced in Beijing was being so far from her family and friends.
`Being on the other side of the world is pretty hard,` Archer said.
Patricia said she is proud of her daughter and the work that she has done in Beijing. A testament to Archer’s hard work is the request from an NBC staffer to help cover the Buffalo Bills this fall.
It was nearly 1 p.m. in Beijing when Archer arrived at Albany International Airport just before midnight Wednesday, and although she was tired from the jet lag the memories she had will replay in her dreams as she rests to return to Ithaca next week.
`I will never forget the people I met here, the excitement of seeing world records being broken in the pool, or all the hands on experience I have gained through out my internship this past month.` Archer said.“
