To our readers,

As you peruse the following pages of this week’s issue of The Statement, you may notice things look a little different. We’d like to offer an explanation for the sudden change to ease any anxiety you may experience with the varied content and design.

To honor the start of the XXI Olympic winter games on Friday, The Statement has teamed up with the Daily’s sports staff to bring you our first ever “Olympic Issue.” Everyone loves the Olympics — they give us the opportunity to root unabashedly for Team America, as well as an undeniable excuse to stay glued to the television for two weeks straight. Whether you prefer skiing, bobsleigh or curling, the games provide something for everyone.

As proud Wolverines, we’re ecstatic about the University’s solid contingent of participants heading to Vancouver to compete. With the help of our more athletic-minded peers, we’ve compiled a group of what we humbly believe to be some pretty compelling stories of athleticism, perseverance and straight up awesomeness — as they relate to the maize and blue, obviously.

With this special Olympic issue, we bring you the names and faces of Olympians past and present who, when they weren’t training for international competition, were attending class, writing papers and rocking Michigan t-shirts all over Ann Arbor.

In the 112 years since the start of the modern Olympics, the University has seen 205 of its students and coaches compete in the games, winning a total of 133 medals. Hoping to add to that number are two pairs of ice dancers — Meryl Davis and Charlie White, and Evan Bates and Emily Samuelson. Along with former Michigan hockey player, Jack Johnson, these once and current Wolverines hope to do their school proud.

So read on, and don't forget to look out for the amazing athletes on the following pages, whether on the ice, the podium or next to you in class.

Enjoy,

Trevor Calero and Allie White
Magazine Editor and Deputy Magazine Editor