GCB Digest GCB Digest Fall 2017 (Text Version)
The GCB DIGEST
A publication of the Georgia Council of the Blind
An affiliate of the American Council of the Blind
An organization promoting a hand up and not a hand out
Fall 2017
GCB officers:
GCB President: Keith Morris 770-799-5225, keithmorris53@icloud.com
GCB First Vice-President: Philip Jones, 770-713-3306, brilman1952@bellsouth.net
GCB Second Vice-President and Chaplin: Fred McDade, 706-278-4084
GCB Secretary: Betsy Grenevitch, 770-464-0450, blindangel@joimail.com
GCB Treasurer: Marsha Farrow, 706-859-2624, marshafarrow@windstram.net
GCB Member at Large Representative, Alice Ritchhart, 912-996-4213, alice.ritchhart@comcast.net
GCB Digest Editor: Amanda Wilson, 770-547-4700, moonrocks@bellsouth.net
GCB Assistant Editor: Misty Ingram, 706-766-9732, carefreemm@aol.com
Table of Contents:
From your Editor
GCB Presidential Message
GCB Board Meeting Minutes
GCB Chapter News
Georgia Guide Dog Users, GDD News
GCB In Memory of
GCB LOS ANGELES -- Blind long-snapper Jake Olson is officially a letter winner at USC
From Your Editor, by Amanda Wilson
Hello, GCB Family. We thank each one who has submitted articles in this issue of our magazine. If you have any change of address, telephone number, email address, or desired change of format, please inform our GCB treasurer, Marsha Farrow at 706-859-2624, or via email at marshafarrow@windstream.net. Thanks to everyone who makes our GCB Digest such a big success. I particularly want to thank Misty Ingram, assistant editor, for the many hours she has spent editing the GCB Digest. I want to thank our president Keith Morris, for his presidential message with information about important events, legislation, and projects. I also appreciate the contributions from each member who sent articles, who made suggestion
GCB Presidential Message, by Keith Morris
Dear GCB family,
As I sit here writing this message, the winds of Irma are still blowing, but at a much lower rate and the rain has just about stopped. We experienced a few hours without power, but it was soon restored. I am thankful we did not have any other problems. I know everyone was not as blessed as we were. I just want you to know you are in our thoughts and prayers during your recovery. We appreciate the Centerville Lions Club allowing us to use their facility for our board meeting in July. They also prepared lunch for us that everyone enjoyed. It seems to be a central location for everyone, so we will have the October board meeting there on Saturday, October 21, 2017. The Centerville Lions clubhouse is located at 612 North Houston Lake Boulevard, in Centerville, Georgia. The meeting will start at 10:30 am. If you cannot come to the meeting in person you can call in and listen to the board meeting by calling 1-218-339-0420, and the access code is 155648#. Remember board members, we all have homework assigned to us by Alice Ritchhart. We are to all contact our state representatives and get to know them and for them to know us. Then when we need to ask them for support, they know who we are. All board members were given lists that included your current representatives. If you don’t know yours, contact your board representative.
The convention committee is starting to plan our conference for next year. I am looking forward to a great time for everyone. They did a great job last year and I know they will do great for this one. So, go ahead and make plans to attend the conference in 2018. You will not be disappointed.
If anyone has any desire to hold an office in GCB, please contact the nominating committee. The chair is Debra Lovell, president of the Augusta Chapter. I am looking forward to seeing all of you soon. If you have any further questions for our GCB president please contact him at 706-799-5225, or via email at keithmorris53@icloud.com.
Georgia Council of the Blind Board Meeting Minutes, Betsy Grenevitch
Georgia council of the Blind Special Board Meeting Telephone Conference Call
December 15, 2016
Roll Call:
President, Keith Morris; 1st Vice-President, Phil Jones; Secretary, Betsy Grenevitch; Treasurer, Marsha Farrow; Augusta, Deborah Lovell; Athens, Jerrie Toney; Columbus, Clifford Jones; East Georgia, Cecily Nipper; Greater Hall, Judy Presley; Greater Hall, Diane Roberts; Northwest, Ron Burgess; Rome, Amanda Wilson; Savannah, Marj Schneider; South Metro, Lisa Jones; At-large representative, Alice Ritchhart; Webmaster, Steve Longmire
President Morris called the meeting to order at 7:20 PM. The topic was to vote on a change in convention date for 2017, with the conference and convention to be held in Gainesville.
The options for dates are April 21-22, April 28-29, or May 5-6, 2017. The location would be at the Holiday Inn in Gainesville. Dianne Roberts made the motion to hold the convention the last weekend in April. The motion was seconded by Alice Ritchhart. President Morris asked for a discussion. After comments about advantages and disadvantages to the proposed dates the motion passed unanimously. Cecily Nipper made a motion that the alternate date is May 5-6, 2017, and Judy seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Alice Ritchhart asked President Morris to form a convention committee. He asked Judy Presley and Dianne Roberts to co-chair this committee.
Adjourn: Ron Burgess moved to adjourn and it was seconded by Judy Presley. The meeting was adjourned at 7:58 pm.
Respectfully submitted by Betsy Grenevitch, GCB Secretary
Georgia council of the Blind Special Conference Call Board Meeting
March 23, 2017
Roll Call:
President, Keith Morris; First Vice-President, Phil Jones; Treasurer, Marsha Farrow; Secretary, Betsy Grenevitch; Member at Large representative, Alice Ritchhart; Augusta chapter, Deborah Lovell;
East Georgia chapter, Cecily Nipper; Hall County chapter, Dianne Roberts; Hall County chapter, Judy Presley; Northwest chapter, Ron Burgess; Rome/Floyd county Chapter, Amanda Wilson; Savannah Chapter, Marj Schneider; South Metro chapter, Lisa Jones; Georgia Guide dog Users, Rita Harris; and Roderick Parker, parliamentarian.
President Keith Morris called the meeting to order around 8:10 PM. Alice Ritchhart asked for the current schedule of events for the upcoming GCB conference/convention on Saturday April 29. Dianne Roberts read the following schedule.
6:00-8:45 AM--Breakfast
8:00-8:45 AM--Day registration
9:00 AM--Beginning of the conference
9:00-10:30 AM--Panel with representatives from Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation with Paul Raymond, Denine Woodson, and Kay McGill
10:30-12:00 PM--Business meeting
12:00-1:30 PM--Luncheon
1:30-4:30 PM---Tandem Bike Riding
2:00-4:00 PM simultaneous breakout sessions with a retired registered nurse, Audrey Demmitt and a local businessman/entrepreneur, Mike Wofford
4:30-5:30 PM--Board meeting
The exhibitors will be from 8:00-5:00 PM. Alice Ritchhart made a motion that this schedule, which was just read, be the schedule that we follow and that goes to the membership. Cecily seconded the motion. Dianne Roberts explained that our conference would be held in one large conference room and our exhibit hall would be in a separate large room. Our luncheon will be set up in our conference room where we will be meeting, so we will need to allow setup time after our morning meeting. Later on in the discussion Dianne amended the motion to allow the panel discussion to go from 9:00-10:15 and the business meeting from 10:15-12:00 PM. Amanda seconded this amendment. Betsy pointed out that this panel was originally scheduled for an hour and a half because we had four speakers, but now there will only be three. She also mentioned that she will be requesting all committees to submit their reports in advance, so the reports could go more quickly during the business meeting. Roderick said that we could make it a permanent rule that in the future reports are submitted in advance of every conference and convention in this manner. The motion made by Alice Ritchhart and the amendment to it made by Diane Roberts both passed unanimously. Dianne reviewed the schedule for Friday, April 28, 2017. It was decided that Roderick will moderate the Saturday morning GVRA panel. Phil Jones moved to adjourn the meeting and it was seconded by Deborah Lovell.
Adjourned:
We adjourned at 8:50 PM.
Respectfully submitted by Betsy Grenevitch, GCB Secretary
Georgia Council of the Blind Board Meeting
The Ramada Inn Lanier Center, Gainesville, GA, April 29, 2017
Call to Order:
The meeting was called to order by President Keith Morris at 4:30 PM.
Invocation:
We were led in prayer by our Second Vice-President and chaplain, Fred McDade.
Roll Call:
Keith Morris, President; Phil Jones, First Vice-President; Fred McDade, Second Vice-President; Marsha Farrow, Treasurer; Betsy Grenevitch, Secretary; Alice Ritchhart, Member at Large Representative; Jerrie Toney, Athens chapter; Deborah Lovell, Augusta chapter; Cecily Nipper, East Georgia chapter; Dianne Roberts, Hall County chapter; Ron Burgess, Northwest chapter—via the phone; Amanda Wilson, Rome/Floyd County chapter; Marj Schneider, Savannah chapter; Rita Harris, Georgia Guide Dog Users.
Secretary’s Report:
Betsy Grenevitch: Betsy Grenevitch made a motion that the minutes be accepted as sent out previously. Deborah Lovell seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Treasurer’s Report:
No report was given as Marsha Farrow had given a complete report that morning at the Annual Business meeting.
Old Business:
Alice Ritchhart gave an update about the goalball social that we had discussed at our annual business meeting in the morning. She had spoken with Hal Simpson and he told her that most of the teams who would be attending the goalball event would not be from Georgia, so they would not be interested in hearing about the Georgia Council of the Blind. Hal Simpson did tell her that if we did a $250 sponsorship, that would get our banner on the logo and get us on their website. People would see that we support the youth. Hal Simpson would need a copy of our logo to go on the banner and the website. He is planning on joining the Georgia Council of the Blind. Alice made a motion to remove from the table the motion to create a separate social for the goalball team. Marsha Farrow seconded the motion. The motion carried. Jerrie and Marsha will determine which account to take the money from for the sponsorship of the goalball team.
Next Board Meeting:
Our next board meeting will take place at the Lions Clubhouse in Centerville, Georgia on July 29, 2017 at 10:30 AM. Betsy Grenevitch will talk to JC Coefield about the Lions preparing a meal for us and Georgia Council of the blind paying for it. Marj Schneider will help with planning the menu. We will make sure there is food for diabetics.
Publix and Prescriptions:
Alice Ritchhart: Alice Ritchhart told us about the American Council of the Blind working with Publix to get talking labels on prescriptions. They will deliver your talking labels the following day if you request them by 11 AM the previous day. She charged us to go to Publix pharmacy and tell them you want talking prescription labels. If you are denied this request please let Alice Ritchhart know. If they say it is going to take more than a day, let Alice know.
National endowment for the Arts:
Judy Presley: Judy Presley told us that there is talk about making cuts to funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, which would affect our Talking Book program, Book Share, and the Pines program. We need to write a letter to Georgia Senator David Purdue and let him know that we are opposed to these cuts because our state cannot fund these programs. This vote will take place in October.
Convention committee:
Keith Morris thanked the Conference and convention committee, hotel, volunteers, and everyone that helped with the conference and convention. He asked the current committee members to serve on the committee again next year.
Nominating Committee:
Keith Morris told us that he will be putting together a nominating committee for elections in 2018.
Adjourn:
Deborah Lovell moved and Amanda Wilson seconded that we adjourn. The meeting adjourned at 4:59 PM.
Respectfully submitted by Betsy Grenevitch, GCB Secretary
GCB Chapter News
The Athens chapter will be having a Botanical walk on Saturday September 30th at 10:30 AM at Georgia Botanical Garden. We plan to have a guided tour by a person trained in sighted guide for visually impaired people. The Athens chapter officers are Jerrie Toney, President; Jamaica Miller, First Vice-president; Earnest Dean Second vice-president; Evan Bradford, Secretary; Robin Oliver, Treasurer. Meetings are held at MULTIPLE Choices at 145 Barrington Drive in Athens, Georgia on the fourth Saturday at 10:30 AM. For more information about the Athens chapter please contact Jerrie Toney at 706-461-1013, or via email at jerriemt2@gmail.com
The Augusta chapter reported that they hard at work planning our Stay In Touch seminar scheduled for Saturday, September 30, 2017 at 8:30AM. This seminar focuses on Voiceover with the Apple iOS devices such as the iPhone and iPad. For more information on this exciting educational opportunity send an email to stayintouchaugusta@gmail.com. The Augusta chapter meetings are held at the Friedman Branch Library which is located at 1447 Jackson Road, in Augusta, Georgia, on the second Saturday at 1:00. The Augusta chapter officers are Deborah Lovell, President; Stanley Lopez Vice-president; Ron Worley, Secretary and Kathy Morris, Treasurer. For more information about the Augusta chapter, please contact Deborah Lovell at 706-726-4054, or via email at lovell.d2000@gmail.com.
The East Georgia Chapter reports that Cecily Nipper is doing very well. Her tenacity and resilience is awesome. Your support, encouragement and prayers are sincerely appreciated. The campaign for 2018 Board seats is in full swing. This is an exciting time for our chapter and we will keep you posted on the election results. Stay tuned in. Patricia Cox Ganger is working on The IVATA Project. Patricia has been in The East Georgia Chapter since early Childhood. She is now a Vision and Mobility Instructor. Patricia was selected to commence participation in IVATA in August, 2017.
IDATA Undergraduate Mentors
What is IVATA? A new, three-year, National Science Foundation (NSF) project, IDATA, Innovators Developing Accessible Tools for Astronomy, is the next leap from Scholars in astronomy accessibility. While Skynet Junior Scholars allows diverse students (including those with sensory impairments) to use the Skynet telescope network to take astronomical images, IDATA goes a step further by recognizing that astronomical images begin as numbers on a spreadsheet. IDATA participants will explore non-visual ways to interact with and analyze astronomy data. Teams of undergraduate and graduate students, all within seventy-five miles of Yerkes Observatory, will work with national leaders to design and test online data processing software that can be used by anyone, regardless of visual ability. We hope to keep abreast of how Patricia and her students’ progress in the IVATA project. Carle Cox Wahyudi, a member of their chapter is a teacher who travels extensively. She addressed our August Meeting, Highlighting her 2017 summer travels in Japan, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. Carle informed us that accessibility for blind people was outstanding in Japan, followed by Costa Rica, and poor in Nicaragua. Rita Harris is featured in an interview with journalist Empish Thomas on Eye on Blindness. She is the President of The Georgia Guide Dog Users Group. The program will be aired on Georgia Radio Reading Service, Garrs at 2 p.m. on the 4th Wednesday of this month. Rita was interviewed on television concerning the significance of Guide Dog Relief areas at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. Congratulations to Sean Atkinson, who recently graduated from the Warm Springs Vending Stand Program. He is employed in The Richard Russell Building located in Atlanta. At their September meeting, Jason Starr and Sarah Maddox demonstrated how blind people play Connect Four. Sarah was declared winner.
Dawn Wells, CEO of Dawn Wells Fitness located at 5278 Georgia Highway 20 South, Covington, Ga. instructed us on chair exercises with accompanying music. She has taught blind people different exercise protocols 4 years at the Fulton County Library at 1 Margaret Mitchell Way, in Atlanta. The classes take place on 1st Saturdays from 10:30-12:30. Dawn will be offering free exercise classes to the Blind every 3rd Saturday free of charge at her studio in Covington. She is obtaining a grant to pay for participant’s transportation. You may learn yoga, belly dancing, etc. The Visually Impaired/ Blind website is www.angeleyesfitnessand nutrition.org. It was definitely a full body workout. We had a lot of fun and excitement with Dawn Wells. The East Georgia chapter officers are Cecily Nipper, President; Ann Wheeler, First vice-president; Phil Jones, Second vice-president; Linda Williams, Secretary; Linda Cox, Treasurer. For more information about the East Georgia chapter, please contact Cecily Nipper at 770-786-1551, or
The Greater Hall County chapter reports that they did not meet during the summer. Jeremy Adams attended Evan Barnard’s Braille Trail Event for the special CNN report. Tommy Woodyard traveled to Oxford, England to participate in a UGA at Oxford special study program. Judy Presley went to Atlanta to help dedicate the Guide Dog Relief Area in the International Terminal of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Judy also attended the recent Tennessee Council of the Blind Convention. Bob McGarry spent two weeks traveling by bus and auto. He visited Raleigh, North Caroline, Savannah, Georgia and Tampa, Florida. The Georgia Council of the Blind 2018 Conference and Convention will be back in Gainesville, Georgia. The Greater Hall County chapter members are hard at work searching for interesting events and activities for all to enjoy next year. At their September meeting, Chuck Poteet, who is a Hall County Sheriff’s Deputy, spoke to us about the timely topics of personal safety and security. Certificates of Appreciation were presented to Mary and Tommy Woodyard, for their outstanding leadership and contributions to the 2017, GCB Conference and convention. Don Linnartz read a Thank You letter from one of the Gainesville students whom we sponsored to the Lions Summer Kids camp. At their October meeting, speakers will be Bob McGarry and Judy Presley. They will share their experiences during recent travels. Jeremy Adams is scheduled to share some exciting new technology with them. The greater Hall County chapter will participate in the Belk Charity Day Sale on Saturday, November 4, 2017. They are planning on partnering with the Gainesville Lions during the Christmas season to collect and donate toys to a local Secret Santa ministry. The Greater Hall County chapter officers are Diane Roberts, President; Judy Presley, Vice-president; Sue Heskett, Secretary; Roy Carder Treasurer; Don Linnartz, Harvey Roberts, and Bob McGarry, board members. Their meetings are held at the Smokey Springs Retirement Residence at 940 South Enota Drive in Gainesville, Georgia, on the second Saturday at 10:00. For more information about the Greater Hall County chapter, please contact Diane Roberts at 770-932-1112, or via email at harveyroberts2@att.net.
The Northwest chapter officers are Ron Burgess, president; Fred McDade, vice-president; Charles Stubblefield as secretary and treasurer. Their meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every other month at the Bank of Lafayette Community room, which is located at 104 North Main Street in Lafayette, Georgia at 2:00 pm. For more information about the Northwest chapter please contact Ron Burgess at 706-638-1132.
The ROME Floyd County chapter reported that since the library is full of small children participating in the summer reading program, they decided to hold their July meeting at the Fuddruckers Restaurant in Rome, Georgia. At their August meeting, they traveled to the Northwest Georgia Center for Independent Living where Tonia Clayton and Vincent Olsziewski told them about all of the services that the Northwest Georgia Center for Independent Living provides to all individuals with disabilities. At their September meeting, they took time to talk to Marcus and Nick who are students with visual impairments who attend Rome City Schools in Rome, Georgia. They are planning to hold a community event that will involve Georgia Council of the Blind members and students with visual impairments from the Rome City and Floyd County schools. This event will include a picnic and a walk on the Big Pine Braille Trail which is located on horse leg Road, in the Marshall Forest, in Rome, Georgia. This event will be held on Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 11:00 am. The Rome Floyd County chapter officers are Marsha Farrow, president; Carolyn Dillard, vice-president; Amanda Wilson, secretary; Suzanne Jackson, treasurer; Martha Craig, Chaplin; and Bronwyn Rumery, Terrecia Standridge, and Mark Kinsley board members. Their meetings are held at the Rome Floyd County Library at 205 Riverside Parkway, in Rome, Georgia, on the third Tuesday, at 11:00 am. For further information about the Rome Floyd County Chapter, please contact Marsha Farrow at 706-859-2624, or via email at marshafarrow@windstream.net.
The Savannah Chapter reported that they were unable to hold their regular chapter meeting on September 7. In anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Irma the governor had called for a mandatory evacuation of Chatham County, along with other coastal areas. Their members were busy making plans and arrangements and the storm approached and a meeting was the last thing on their minds. Over the next few days their members left for Augusta, Atlanta, and the State of Alabama and even as far away as Durham, North Carolina. Irma continued to take a westerly path. Marj, her husband decided that they would weather the storm at their house and take their chances that its impact wouldn't be as severe as was predicted earlier in the week. Since Monday, when Irma blew through Georgia, the evacuees have headed back home again, and as far as Marj knows at this time all are safe and none of their homes were damaged. They know there are still power outages, not only in the Savannah area, but in other parts of Georgia as well. Being without electricity for any length of time is no picnic and makes so many everyday tasks quite difficult. They sure hope those outages don't last past this weekend and that life will return to normal soon. Many activities are still being affected by the storm and there's considerable cleanup to be done here and all along the Georgia coast. Their thoughts and prayers are with people in Florida, who were so much more impacted by this tremendous storm than we were here in Georgia. In the weeks and months ahead, Marj hopes all our GCB chapters will find ways to reach out and provide help to their brothers and sisters in the blind community in Florida. The Savannah Chapter officers are Marj Schneider, president; Bob Walls, vice-president; Jon Bairnsfather, treasurer. Their meetings are held at the conference room at J. C. Lewis Ford, which is located on 9505 Abercorn Street in Savannah, Georgia. They are still meeting on the first Thursday of every month at 6:00 pm. For more information about the Savannah chapter, please contact Marj Schneider at 912-352-1415, or via email at marjschneider@bellsouth.net.
Ann Sims from the South Atlanta chapter reported that she had an appointment with her doctor, Dr. Spann, to discuss the CT scan and the next step for her on this journey. The doctor said that she had responded well to the chemo, and after examining her again, he could not find any evidence of tumors. He wants Ann to have a complete hysterectomy. He is going to open her so that he can find everything, rather than taking a chance on the laparoscopic kind of surgery where he might not be able to remove it all. The downside is that Ann will have four to six weeks of recovery. The surgery is scheduled for Friday, September 15, 2017, at 2:00 pm. Ann will continue to appreciate all the prayers, and she knows she has a mighty God who is healing her. God has also given Ann a wonderful doctor, and she has confidence that he is following the Lord's will in all of this. After the appointment, John and Ann met with 20 of their friends at a restaurant in Tucker, called Folks, to celebrate her birthday. They had a lot of fun, and it was just what she needed after this serious day. Ann wishes to thank you all for all of the prayers, and please know that you all have ours for each of you. Ann Simms stated that her surgery was successful. However, she does have more cancer in her body that will have to be dealt with through chemo when I am able.
The South Atlanta chapter officers are Lisa Jones, president; Brent Reynolds, vice-President; Chris Baldridge secretary; Steve Longmire, treasurer. The South Atlanta chapter meetings are held at the Piccadilly Cafeteria, which is located at 1715 Howell Mill Road in Atlanta, Georgia on the second Thursday from 4:00 until 6:00 pm. For more information about the South Atlanta chapter, please contact Lisa Jones at 404-556-8987.
Georgia Guide Dogs Users, GGDU News, Rita Harris
GGDU Attends Press Release Conference
Several members of GGDU had the pleasure of attending the Final Press Release Conference on August 24, 2017 at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport.
The Press Release presented the completion of S.A.R.A. (Secured Animal Relief Area). This project had been a priority for Atlanta's airport for several years.
The completed project consists of a total of 7 animal relief areas on domestic and international terminals.
Hartsfield Jackson International Airport is known to be the busiest airport in the United States, now hold the title for having the most relief areas inside the security of the airport. Rita Harris, President of GGDU was asked to make a statement. She thanked Steve Mayers the Airport Director, Customer Experience and ADA Coordinator for reaching out to GGDU on giving their input on the implementation of the relief areas.
She also stated that with GGDU being involved with the project, GGDU is living up to their mission statement by advocating for Guide Dog Handlers.
Several GGDU members (Dottie Langham, Betsy Grenevitch, Judy Presley, Marsha Farrow and Rita Harris were interviewed by Atlanta Airport officials and news cast from Fox 5 and channel 2. GGDU was extremely elated to have had the opportunity to participate in this historical event. For more information about the Georgia guide Dog Users group please contact Rita Harris at 706-474-0404, or via email at rita@livinglifeteam.net. Please visit their web site by going to www.georgiaguidedogusers.org.
LOS ANGELES -- Blind long-snapper Jake Olson is officially a letter winner at USC.
Following a Trojans touchdown that put Saturday's game against Western Michigan out of reach late in the fourth quarter, Olson came on and snapped for a successful extra point. Western Michigan was aware that Olson was entering the game and did not rush the kick. USC won 49-31.
"I loved being out there," Olson said. "It was an awesome feeling, something that I'll remember forever, getting to snap at USC as a football player."
Olson was born with retinoblastoma, a form of eye cancer, and he lost his left eye when he was 10 months old. In 2009, at age 12, he learned he needed surgery to remove his right eye, which would completely cost him his vision. Olson developed a close relationship with the USC program at the time and spent the night before his surgery watching USC practice.
USC coach Clay Helton was complimentary of Western Michigan coach Tim Lester for signing off on Olson's debut. "Very special moment for us with a very special guy at the end of the game," Helton said. "I commend and I thank Coach Lester and the entire Western Michigan family for the honor of getting what I think is a very special person in Jake Olson in." Olson knew going into the game that if the opportunity presented itself, he might get a chance to snap. The game remained close, however, which made his chances seem unlikely. That changed when Marvell Tell III returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown with 3:13 left in the fourth quarter, making the score 48-31. Helton asked Olson if he was ready, and he was. "I tried to suppress my emotions as much as I could because I have a job to do, and I wanted to make sure I got that done," Olson said. "Then tonight I can look at videos and get all emotional over it. It was very special, hearing my name being called over the P.A. system."
In the stands, his parents, Brian and Cindy, watched with a mix of nervousness and excitement.
"I didn't want him to be put in when it was really close," Cindy said. "I was like, 'Don't give him that pressure.' I would be scared, even though he isn't. He went in there like a pro, and it was a great snap." Olson officially joined the team in 2015, thanks to a scholarship with the Swim with Mike program, and he has snapped in the past two spring games. He told ESPN last year that his goal was to eventually win the starting job for the Trojans. "I just have to continue to take steps forward until everyone is on board and some of those doubts that I know some coaches have are gone," he said in the spring of 2016. "I'm waiting to have more opportunities to show the coaches that I have the talent to go out there and snap." Olson spent two years as the starting varsity long-snapper on field goals and extra points at Orange Lutheran High in Southern California. Helton said there probably will be more opportunities for Olson to play in the future.