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+ + + The Observer The Student Voice of Fordham College at Lincoln Center :: February 28, 2002

Hilarie Burton FCLC '04, a co-host for MTV's show Total Request Live (TRL), recently went to Salt Lake City, Utah as MTV's correspondent for the Winter Olympics. Burton, who has been a co-host for a year and a half, was able to meet key athletes on the United States' Olympic team during her stay in Utah from January 24 to January 27 and again from February 6 to February 13.

"I covered the US men's bobsled team, the men's speed skating team, and Jeremy Bloom (who is the US mogul skier). I covered Ross Powers, the US snow boarding team half pipe champ. I also covered all of the USA team members that swept the snow boarding half pipe competition," said Burton. In addition to interviewing the athletes, Burton had the opportunity to participate in some of the sports and learn hands on what types of skills they required.

"We hung out with the Russian women's curling team. They tried to teach me how to curl and I was awful!" she said. "I was a really big fan of the bobsled. People could pay $200 and go down in the bobsled with a random coach, but for TRL, we got to go down in the US men's bobsled with the US team, and that was such a big deal," she continued.

A typical day for Burton in Salt Lake City was about twelve hours long, during which she would try to interview busy athletes. "The day would usually begin around 7:30am and end around 8:00pm," she said. Interviewing the athletes was a challenge, as the crew had to work with the athletes' schedules, which were packed with practice, other interviews and the actual Olympic competitions. "You kind of had to wait around and whenever they were available, pick them up because they were either training or doing the Olympics. You had to take them when you could get them. It was just busy, busy, busy the whole time I was there," she said.

When she did have free time, Burton was able to take in the sights of Utah. "Everything is really pretty out there. Utah is absolutely beautiful. There were a lot of exhibits set up and there was this Navajo Nation exhibit. I hung out there for a long time and it was just really, really neat," she commented. The weather is the only thing that Burton did not find enjoyable during her stay. "It was freezing out there! We think New York is cold, and it's not. It was negative two degrees out there!" she said.

Of all of the athletes she met, Burton really liked Derek Parra, the silver medalist in short track speed skating. "He was really funny. I was surprised because he looked so big on television, and when I met him, he only came up to my chest. I liked hanging out with all of the athletes. Everyone out there was so humble," she said.

Burton's career at MTV began when she won a contest to host the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000. Since then, she has been the traveling co-host of TRL, usually covering assignments outside of the TRL studio in Times Square. "They send me on all of the 'sports things', " she said. Last year, Burton was sent to cover the 2001 Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida.

"It was really neat to be at the Olympics in the United States, especially after what just happened (September 11) because there was so much patriotism and the whole time it was very global, very universal. It was so much fun," she stated. "I have a feeling that I would like the Summer Olympics so much more, though, because it would be the same feel and not two degrees," she said.

"We met so many great people who've accomplished so much and it was neat. Pop stars don't freak me out, but with these Olympians, I was like 'Oh my gosh, you are the coolest!'" she said. "All of the Olympians are our age, they're our peers, and a lot of people don't know that. They don't know that these people competing for Olympic medals are 19 or 20 years old," she commented.

Burton's Olympic segments have been aired since the start of the Olympics on February 8. They will air continuously on MTV throughout the Olympics.