Gary Meek Photo. BELOW: Stanley Leary Photo
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BUCKY JOHNSON: Tech's music chairman will lead the Olympic Band during opening-day ceremonies.
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hen John Williams' stirring "Summon the Heroes" fills the Olympic Stadium during the Opening Ceremonies of the Centennial Games, the performance should be "Tech-nically" flawless. That's because the director and co-founder of the 280-member Atlanta Olympic Band is Georgia Tech's own Bucky Johnson. In 1992, Johnson, chairman of the Institute's music
Cremins Coaches Olympic Hoops
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hen Team USA tips off against the world's best in basketball, Yellow Jackets head coach Bobby Cremins will be in a familiar place—on the sidelines. Atlanta Hawks head coach Lenny Wilkens, picked to skipper the 1996 U.S. men's Olympic basketball team, chose the 15-year Tech coach as one of three assistants.
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department, founded the Olympic Band, which is part of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games' Cultural Olympiad. Johnson shares his Olympic duties with Andrea Strauss, associate director of the Tech music department, and Chris Moore, assistant director. Additionally, a strong contingent of Georgia Tech band members are also in the Olympic Band. The
Reckettes, a Georgia Tech dance line, and Stingerettes, Georgia Tech baton twirlers, will also perform in the opening and closing ceremonies. In addition to performing for the Olympics, the band will be featured in a number of Olympic-related productions, including performances at Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park for its opening on July 18 and again on July 22.
"We looked at guys who had done stuff for USA Basketball, and Bobby's been very active," Wilkens says. "Plus he's local, and I like the way he works. I want guys who will roll up their sleeves." Cremins has coached junior and select squads, and he coached for the World University Games a decade ago. He was expected to be a top candidate for the assistant spot during the 1992 Olympics, but those hopes ended
when Olympics officials decided to allow professionals on the team. "This caught me off guard," Cremins says. "I was just thrilled. I have great respect for Lenny. The experience of representing your country, being around Lenny and the greatest players in the world, is a tremendous opportunity." Cremins' selection to the coaching squad tops a banner year for the coach and the Jackets. Tech fin-
eorgia Tech will hold a condensed 1996 summer session on campus after the Summer Olympic Games conclude, and start its fall quarter in October. The 1996 summer session will consist of seven weeks of classes: Aug. 12 through Sept. 27, with final exams scheduled from Sept. 28 through Oct. 2. The late summer session will delay the opening of fall quarter until Oct. 9. The fall quarter will end Dec. 13, with exams scheduled Dec. 14-19. The summer session of seven weeks of classes is seven-tenths of a regular summer session. Classes, which usually meet for 50 minutes, will be extended to 75 minutes.