Эссе

Олимпийский конкурс эссе для школьников и студентов

СТРАНА: США

ОРГАНИЗАТОРЫ: Посольство США в России / U.S. Embassy’s Academic Exchanges Office

Посольство США в России объявило конкурс эссе среди учащихся, победитель которого примет участие в международной летней программе при Институте Франклина. В рамках конкурса, приуроченного к Олимпиаде Сочи-2014, школьникам и студентам, в возрасте от 16 до 18 лет, предлагается написать эссе о роли спорта и Олимпийских Игр в развитии взаимопонимания и межкультурных отношений между народами.
Источник: http://www.studytipz.com/home/higher-education-abroad/grants/2014-benjamin-franklin-transatlantic-fellows-summer-institute-essay-contest.html
При использовании материалов сайта ссылка на www.studytipz.com обязательна.

Выполнила:

Гусева Валерия, ученица 10-го класса  МОУ «Киришская сош №2»,

февраль 2014

In February 2014, athletes representing many countries of the world will gather in Sochi for the XXII Winter Olympic Games. How would you evaluate the role of the Olympic Games and sports in promoting international understanding and cross-cultural interaction?

The Olympic Games have a long history. They are first mentioned in ancient chronicles in 776 BC. We can read on Wikipedia about it: “The Olympic Games were held in honor of Zeus, and the Greeks gave them a mythological origin”. The idea of their revival belongs to Pierre de Coubertin, a French educator and historian. However, now we will try to evaluate the role of the Olympics in the modern society.

In my opinion, the Olympic Games are a very important part of promoting international understanding. Even the official Olympic emblem (how we can find in the book “Wherefrom comes the Olympics” by Jacob Vilkin) symbolizes an aspiration to friendship and uniting of all the continents in the Olympic movement. It means that the main aim of the Olympic Games is to promote cross-cultural interaction and peaceful climate in the world. People like this inspiring idea, that is why the Winter Games, the Paralympic Games and Youth Games appeared – to unite winter sports’ lovers, severely challenged people and young sportsmen.

Pierre de Coubertin wrote in his “Ode to Sport”: “You promote happy relations between peoples, bringing them together in their shared devotion to a strength which is controlled, organized and self-disciplined. From you, the young worldwide learn self-respect, and thus the diversity of national qualities becomes the source of a generous and friendly rivalry”. He was absolutely right. They were no wars between ancient Greek city-states during competitions. The Commentary prior to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games (L.A. Times, October 18, 1983) describes it: “All wars were canceled or postponed during the Games”. Moreover, nowadays people try to preserve this tradition and stop all the rifts for a few weeks.

Of course, occasionally any state disturbs the truce or boycotts the Games. The boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games and the military involvement in South Ossetia in 2008 during the Peking Olympic Games are well-known in the whole world. Things of this kind happen because people forget what the real aim of these competitions is. Heads of every state should remember that Olympics may be a good matter to abandon a conflict or even turn the political rivalry to a mutually beneficial collaboration. Michael Payne, a former marketing director at the International Olympic Committee, said in his interview to “Novaya Gazeta” (edition #92, December 4, 2006): ”I hope politicians will understand soon that supporting sport is much more efficient than an immediate interference. The Olympic Games are a way of uniting people, not getting rid of competitors”.

The Olympics also help people to expand the cross-cultural interaction. For example, foreign fans that arrive with their team to the Games learn the host country culture. They hear the native language, talk to inhabitants and perhaps visit sights. However, the most important thing is the unity which people from all over the world feel. “I’m not very hot-tempered fan in my usual life. I don’t watch sport channels often and don’t keep track of championships and tournaments. But when you’re situated among the 80 thousand of fans, you’re beginning to feel an Olympic courage, such a passion! You’re taking it! The most incredible thing is a wave formed by spectators! During the competition we all together have made it almost 5 times non-stop!” – Dmitrii Studentsev, who has visited the London-2012 Olympic Games, shares his feelings in an interview to a news programme (http://trk-sfera.kz/content/view/7470/139/). His words demonstrate a great uniting power of the Olympic Games and sports.

All things considered, the Olympics have a huge effect on an international atmosphere. They help people from the four winds to understand each other, feel united and even know more about our world. We can hope that the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games will bring to all of us only good occurrences, new achievements and happy feelings.