University of Utah junior Joe Hernandez might not travel to Tokyo, Madrid or Rio de Janeiro, but he would head to Chicago if that city wins the bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. He's part of a student movement in the United States to promote Chicago's candidacy.

Chicago's bid committee has solicited students from nearly 200 colleges and universities nationwide, including the U., to showcase their support for the October selection for host of the 2016 Games, said Cameron Vakilian, the U. student who is organizing student support here. He said the campaign not only brings attention back to the U., which hosted opening and closing ceremonies for the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, as well as other events during the 16-day affair, but "it would be great to have the Olympics back in the United States again."

Hernandez missed out on the 2002 games in Salt Lake City by about two years and said he really would like to have been a part of it.

"If they're in Chicago, maybe I'll get an experience to go and be a part of it all," he said. Hernandez was one of a couple of dozen students who gathered at the U.'s Olympic Plaza Thursday to promote a national campaign of students supporting the Windy City's bid.

"Having the 2002 Olympics here in our city had a huge impact on our school and we know it would do the same for Chicago if they were selected to host the Olympics there," said Vakilian. He volunteered in 2002 and got excited about the Olympics then, but plans to head to Chicago for graduate school at some point, hoping to cross paths with the world's largest sporting event once again. Chicago's bid leaders decided to include students after so many young people got involved in the 2008 campaign to elect a new president, and the idea spread nationwide thanks to "word of mouth and the magic of Facebook," according to organizers. The grass roots way of getting people involved and spreading information has proven very effective, as there are various blog posts, videos and photographs floating all over the World Wide Web.

"When the International Olympic Committee is looking at the different cities, it is important to show that we really want the games," said Amy Rosko, who works in volunteer management for the campaign in Chicago. She said 3,000-plus college students from more than 325 campuses have signed up as potential volunteers for the games if the U.S. wins the bid.

"These are our up-and-coming leaders and it's great for them to be a voice and reach out to so many different aspects of life," Rosko said of the growing student support.

University of Southern Florida student Colleen Redmond is working at the U. housing department on an internship and showed up to support the cause not only because "you grow up knowing (the Olympics) are a big deal," but said the bidding city has recently gotten a bad rap and needs a chance to prove itself.

"Having the Olympics there would clean it up, make it better," she said. "It's exactly what Chicago needs."

Photographs snapped at the U. Thursday will be posted online to further promote interest and support in Chicago's bid. The International Olympic Committee will announce its decision in Copenhagen this October.

"Chicago would do a great job," Vakilian said, adding that the city could learn something from Salt Lake City as a highly successful U.S, host city.

E-MAIL: wleonard@desnews.com