Students volunteer at Super Bowl events

As Super Bowl Sunday approaches, these students lend a hand in downtown Indy events.

Rachel Koch suits up in a blue and white NFL hat, scarf, shirt and fleece jacket along with her father, Fred, and mother, Denise.

They aren't just spectators — they're ready to gear into action. They are one of the 13,000 volunteers working the Super Bowl this week.

The senior English and Spanish major and her family will be part of the NFL Experience, a pro football interactive theme park that offers games, displays, entertainment, attractions, autograph sessions and a colossal football memorabilia show, all spanning 500,000 square feet.

"Every volunteer who signed up got to pick from low, medium, to high intensity. My family picked high intensity, which means we get to spend the most time with the visitors and get to do more activities," Rachel Koch said, mentioning that high intensity fits well with her personality.

"I want to be more than a spectator, I want to do as much as I can and be in the thick of things and have as many experiences as possible."

Koch said her mother signed up the family in November.

"[I wanted our family to be involved] because it's a once and a life time opportunity and we like sports," Denise Koch said.

Since then, the family went through an FBI background check, five online training sessions, an orientation and a customer care presentation given by professional customer service employees from Disney, said Rachel Koch.

"I think they're trying to make this Super Bowl better than the one last year," Rachel Koch said. "Houston had a lot of hiccups, with the events and stadium being so far apart as well as other issues. They are really going for it this year. We get to really shine in Indianapolis this Super Bowl."

Super Bowl volunteers received free hats, earmuffs, fleece jackets, shirts and hand-knitted scarves made throughout the state by Hoosiers supporting the Super Bowl. Plus, Rachel Koch and her family received free NFL Experience tickets and discounts throughout the Super Bowl Village. She may also get the chance to see some celebrities.

"As volunteers, we aren't supposed to be celeb happy, but it would be pretty cool to work with an NFL player or a coach, even if I can't ask for a picture or autograph," she said.

Senior public relations major Danni Shanahan will be volunteering this weekend, too. On Saturday, Shanahan will be checking coats at a celebrity tailgating party for A+ Staffing, an event planning company.

"We aren't allowed to ask for autographs or anything, but I would be happy just to see any celebrity," Shanahan said. "I'm just very thankful to be a part of this."

Shanahan has worked with Dairy Management, a client of A+ Staffing, at the Indianapolis Convention Center last weekend. There she gave out chocolate milk and worked the green screen photo shoot for the booth that focused on health and nutrition.

"Working in Indianapolis for the Super Bowl has been everything I expected it to be," Shanahan said. "When I worked Saturday, there were 15,000 people in the Convention Center. When I was riding through town on the shuttle, you could see the streets were crowded. People are in town, that's for sure."

Shanahan said she can feel the awe leading up to this Sunday.

"So far, I've gotten to see the Lombardi Trophy being brought in, and I got to see the Super Bowl ring in its case — and it's huge," Shanahan said. "I also saw Reggie Wayne from across the street. I could tell from the excitement going around that everyone has been really looking forward to this."

Junior hospitality and food management major Megan Johnston is also working for an event planning company called Accent on Indianapolis. Johnston said the company focuses on individual clients to companies ranging from a few people to almost 200. These tasks can range from renting entire restaurants for their clients to guiding them through different attractions.

Johnston has worked with the downtown Indianapolis company over the past summer and has witnessed all of the planning and construction that has gone into it.

"We've been planning for the Super Bowl ever since July, and I've been excited since then for this week," Johnston said. "I'm a big football fan, so just to say I'm down here during the Super Bowl is awesome."

With her office a block from Super Bowl Village, she has watched with anticipation the giant Roman numerals being constructed and the NFL-themed Indy race cars strategically placed. This may be the first time her company's clients step foot on Indianapolis soil, so it is important they impress.

"It's exciting to see how much the whole city has changed," she said. "When people found out the Super Bowl was going to be in Indianapolis, they were turned off and was like, ‘Really? It's cold, and it's in the Midwest.'

"We may not have a beach and warm weather, but this is an awesome city, and here we can really show off the Hoosier hospitality we are known for." 


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