PARIS — I woke up at 9 a.m. for a pre-production meeting with my classmates at the dining area of our hostel, the Generator, to begin planning for the Olympic Opening Ceremony.
I’m here with 25 classmates as part of a study abroad program to cover the Paris Olympic Games. Instructors Gayle Brisbane and Bob Young gave us simple instructions to cover the Games: Find interesting stories, get reliable quotes, and record great content.
We split up in teams to cover some of the Opening Ceremony watch parties around the city, and my team was assigned to the Gare du Nord, the busiest train station in Europe.
We grab our camera equipment, and we’re off. As we leave the hotel, we notice the heavy gray clouds that have hung there all day haven’t cleared. Our professors warned us about rain. We thought the likelihood was low.
Boy, were we wrong.
The Grand du Nord is an easy 15-minute walk from the Generator and while the streets weren't quiet, they weren’t overwhelmed by people and vehicles, either. We felt secure. There were police or security officers on every corner.
We arrived at the Grand du Nord and were greeted by more officers. They were not just French police, there were officers from other countries, including the U.S. – the L.A.County Sheriff’s Office.
We scouted around to find a place we could set up that would capture the excitement of fans and found nothing. Of course, it began to rain.
I was frustrated, but after huddling together under shelter, we developed a plan. We picked a party close by and investigated it on Instagram. The crowd there appeared really small, maybe 10 people and nine were children. No good.
We started walking again. I began to worry as time was winding down. I ran out of hope. That was until we crossed the bridge over the train station and I looked up.I spotted a familiar green neon sign with a logo I’ve seen many times in L.A. It’s WingStop! The long line outside the chicken-wing restaurant’s party was like one you’d expect at a nightclub.
I tell my crew, “Follow me.”
They asked if we were on the guest list, and I explained that we are from L.A. covering Opening Ceremony watch parties and we wanted to cover their event. After some calls upstairs, we were introduced to Jordan Clegg, an international brand manager for Wingstop Restaurants, Inc. Clegg makes sure we’re legit, then welcomes us inside.
There, we found hundreds of French influencers wearing top designer brands, a large LED television screen and a basketball court. A DJ was blasting music.
There also was a full-service bar and a stand where someone was handing out all flavors of wings. There was even an area where guests were getting free tattoos and haircuts. And merchandise, of course. To top it all off, the location included a rooftop bar and a club that opened at 10 p.m.
We taped interviews and recorded footage, then stuck around to soak up the atmosphere. Mostly, we soaked up the rain. Much of the crowd hid from it, and many paid no attention to the ceremony on the big screen.
Then singer Celine Dion came on. The rain wasn’t going away, but neither were the French fans, most who came as unprepared for the downpour as we had.
Celine began her performance and it was like putting a cartoon in front of a toddler. Everybody had their eyes locked on her. Some began to sing along with her.
As Celine serenaded them with her final notes, they cheered and applauded; some even danced. I’ll never forget it. These people were proud. They were proud to cheer Celine and proud to host the Olympics, proud to be French.
After the Olympic cauldron was lit, the crowd cheered, and the music began to play again. The French were ready. The world was ready. I was ready.
Let the Paris Games begin.