Professors give safety seminar for Games

With the World Equestrian Games coming soon, many people in and near Lexington are preparing for the crowds to come. An estimated 600,000 tickets are to be sold for the event, and visitors from many different countries will be in attendance. How will these 600,000-plus people overcome cultural differences and enjoy the Games in a fun, safe environment?This was the main issue brought forth in a seminar hosted by Eastern on Wednesday, Jan. 20. Almost 50 individuals from local security departments attended the seminar. The event was given by two Eastern professors of the Department of Criminal Justice and Police Studies, Carole Garrison and Gary Potter.

Garrison and Potter said they put together various PowerPoint presentations and a notebook of materials for each individual about how to prepare future training modules for security at international events, such as the Games, as well as information concerning proper etiquette and customs from other countries.

"Friends and business deals can be made or broken at the Games," Garrison said.

A representative from the U.S. State Department also came and talked about how to host an international event, covering topics such as how to interact with individuals with political immunity or political asylum.

"Police are ambassadors on the ground," Garrison said. "They have to recognize what it means to be a stranger."

Potter said he and Garrison were chosen to give the seminar after the chief training officer at the Lexington Police Department approached Eastern's CRJ department chair with the idea. The two began compiling research in November of last year.

Potter said the event was less like a seminar than an idea exchange about what various departments could do to prepare for the Games.

"We talked about general problems of communication between folks from different places," he said.

Potter said that the topic itself presented the biggest challenge in preparing for the seminar.

"No one likes to be told that there might be communication problems," he said. "No one likes for their normal practice to be critiqued."

Potter said this topic of miscommunication would be the biggest issue at the Games, rather than the security. He said the organization of the events would be easy to monitor, but the possibility of a misunderstanding was more difficult."We want to avoid any unfortunate incidents because people can't communicate," he said.

Nevertheless, Garrison and Potter said the Games will have good consequences for Kentucky and its residents.

"We are no longer an isolated part of the world," he said. "If we don't interact more, we will suffer more seriously in terms of economy."

"It's a chance for all of us to have a multicultural experience," Garrison said.

During the seminar, Garrison said she used a metaphor of an iceberg to demonstrate a point about cultural diversity. She said most people see the tip of the iceberg that is above the water: slanted eyes, a woman wearing a hijab and other cultural cues. However, 90 percent of the iceberg is under the surface, but what people don't see is what really defines an individual.

"We want to get people to go beyond the tip of the iceberg," she said. The World Equestrian Games will take place Sept. 25 through Oct. 10. For more information, visit the event Web site at www.alltechfeigames.com.