THIS IS ME.
August 30, 1998- My birth
Obviously, the first important event of my life was the start of it: my birth.
I was born on August 30, 1998 in Saint Mary's hospital, right here in Richmond, in front of my dad, and obviously, my mom. It was a proud day for the three of us: I was the first child.
Obviously, the first important event of my life was the start of it: my birth.
I was born on August 30, 1998 in Saint Mary's hospital, right here in Richmond, in front of my dad, and obviously, my mom. It was a proud day for the three of us: I was the first child.
"3-DAY PROTEST AT PARK NEARS END Author: Mark Holmberg
Times-Dispatch Staff Writer
Times-Dispatch Staff Writer Bill Wasson contributed to this report.
Date: August 31, 1998
Publication: Richmond Times-Dispatch Page: B-1
A three-day camp-in protest in Monroe Park in support of homeless people was scheduled to wrap up today with a march across the Virginia Commonwealth University campus.
One of the protest's leaders, Shawn O'Hern, 22, a dishwasher and member of a group called the General Strike Collective, said last night he hopes for a meeting today with VCU President Eugene Trani to discuss the plight of the homeless.
We want VCU to be more proactive," O'Hern said."
-Richmond Times- Dispatch Archives
Times-Dispatch Staff Writer
Times-Dispatch Staff Writer Bill Wasson contributed to this report.
Date: August 31, 1998
Publication: Richmond Times-Dispatch Page: B-1
A three-day camp-in protest in Monroe Park in support of homeless people was scheduled to wrap up today with a march across the Virginia Commonwealth University campus.
One of the protest's leaders, Shawn O'Hern, 22, a dishwasher and member of a group called the General Strike Collective, said last night he hopes for a meeting today with VCU President Eugene Trani to discuss the plight of the homeless.
We want VCU to be more proactive," O'Hern said."
-Richmond Times- Dispatch Archives
August 29- August 31, 1998- Camp-ins At VCU
On the very same day as my birth, protests were currently being held over at VCU in Monroe Park. The students, as was reported in my birthday's Richmond Times- Dispatch, were protesting homelessness by camping out for 3 days straight in the public area.
It would have been highly unlikely that my parents would identify with such protesters, as, after all, my dad was fresh out of clerkship in DC and was now working for a major law firm downtown, and given he was working 60-hour weeks at the time, it's doubtful that he was able to read the news on the given day. (also, his wife just had a kid...) Yet, given I spent a sizable time at the park later on with my parents (as my dad used to work downtown), It's rather fitting that the very same park would be used for protest on the day of my birth.
On the very same day as my birth, protests were currently being held over at VCU in Monroe Park. The students, as was reported in my birthday's Richmond Times- Dispatch, were protesting homelessness by camping out for 3 days straight in the public area.
It would have been highly unlikely that my parents would identify with such protesters, as, after all, my dad was fresh out of clerkship in DC and was now working for a major law firm downtown, and given he was working 60-hour weeks at the time, it's doubtful that he was able to read the news on the given day. (also, his wife just had a kid...) Yet, given I spent a sizable time at the park later on with my parents (as my dad used to work downtown), It's rather fitting that the very same park would be used for protest on the day of my birth.
August 27, 2004- My 6th birthday
Although my 6th birthday may appear to an outsider as just a random birthday among the tens of others I would experience, my 6th birthday was also the first time I had a party with my friends outside school. Ever. I was never the social one. Also, one may notice that my birthday is the 30th, not the 27th: apparently, we held the party a few days early due to my birthday awkwardly falling on a Monday.
Although my 6th birthday may appear to an outsider as just a random birthday among the tens of others I would experience, my 6th birthday was also the first time I had a party with my friends outside school. Ever. I was never the social one. Also, one may notice that my birthday is the 30th, not the 27th: apparently, we held the party a few days early due to my birthday awkwardly falling on a Monday.
August 30, 2004- Tropical storm Gaston douses Richmond (Image courtesy Wikipedia)
Needless to say, thank goodness we chose to have the birthday party early. On my actual birthday, only 3 days later, 14 inches of rain fell on Richmond, causing then-governor Warner to declare a state of emergency. Property damage totals for the city fall in the millions, and as one may expect, flooding ensues, especially on the James River.
Although this seems more of a coincidence than a causality, I've always loved the water. As one can tell by the pictures from my birthday party, I learned to swim at a very young age (5 and a half), and have swam competitively since. For one of the greatest storms in the history of the city to come down just as I celebrated my 6th birthday was obviously a sign from the gods that I'm destined for Olympic Gold. (ok, perhaps a bit of sarcasm there...)
I do not have any particular memory of this event, as I was 6 years old after all, but the marks of this flood in particular still remain in my basement.
Needless to say, thank goodness we chose to have the birthday party early. On my actual birthday, only 3 days later, 14 inches of rain fell on Richmond, causing then-governor Warner to declare a state of emergency. Property damage totals for the city fall in the millions, and as one may expect, flooding ensues, especially on the James River.
Although this seems more of a coincidence than a causality, I've always loved the water. As one can tell by the pictures from my birthday party, I learned to swim at a very young age (5 and a half), and have swam competitively since. For one of the greatest storms in the history of the city to come down just as I celebrated my 6th birthday was obviously a sign from the gods that I'm destined for Olympic Gold. (ok, perhaps a bit of sarcasm there...)
I do not have any particular memory of this event, as I was 6 years old after all, but the marks of this flood in particular still remain in my basement.
July, specifically the 14th, 2013- First trip west of the Mississippi
This was as much of a learning experience as anything for me. Touching down in Salt Lake city was akin to touching down in a foreign land, and taking the trip really taught me just how expansive the US is. As we went farther west, I encountered a variety of different cultures, including Mexican and Mormon. The reason why I selected the 14th of all dates was because it was the first day of the trip.
This was as much of a learning experience as anything for me. Touching down in Salt Lake city was akin to touching down in a foreign land, and taking the trip really taught me just how expansive the US is. As we went farther west, I encountered a variety of different cultures, including Mexican and Mormon. The reason why I selected the 14th of all dates was because it was the first day of the trip.
July 16, 2013- George Zimmerman found not guilty of murder (Source: BBC News)
Merely 2 days later, the Florida state court chose to not punish Zimmerman after he shot Trayvon Martin in what Zimmerman considered "self-defense." After the case had developed for months and the jury was forced to sit for 16+ hours, Zimmerman was released. This, in turn, sparked riots throughout the country and contributed to pre-existing racial tensions on a similar scale.
Although I was in an area of the country notorious for its lack of diversity (the Utah/ Nevada area), this piece of news certainly made a splash during my vacation. I came oh so close to actually seeing a protest in Salt Lake City, UT. Yet, the most important tie between my personal journey and these events was my ability to see the lives of others across the US. I had pretty much grown up in an 90-95% ethnically Caucasian, upper class neighborhood, I hadn't really gone any farther west than the Appalachians, and the school I was attending at the time was a private, 40-kid per grade Christian school in the woods. Both of these events really opened up my eyes to the broader world, a theme that would continue in the next event.
Merely 2 days later, the Florida state court chose to not punish Zimmerman after he shot Trayvon Martin in what Zimmerman considered "self-defense." After the case had developed for months and the jury was forced to sit for 16+ hours, Zimmerman was released. This, in turn, sparked riots throughout the country and contributed to pre-existing racial tensions on a similar scale.
Although I was in an area of the country notorious for its lack of diversity (the Utah/ Nevada area), this piece of news certainly made a splash during my vacation. I came oh so close to actually seeing a protest in Salt Lake City, UT. Yet, the most important tie between my personal journey and these events was my ability to see the lives of others across the US. I had pretty much grown up in an 90-95% ethnically Caucasian, upper class neighborhood, I hadn't really gone any farther west than the Appalachians, and the school I was attending at the time was a private, 40-kid per grade Christian school in the woods. Both of these events really opened up my eyes to the broader world, a theme that would continue in the next event.
September 16, 2013: First day of high school
Going into Maggie Walker was as much of a turning point in my life as any other. It marked the end of easy straight A's, hours of free time, and private-school, country-club, my-daddy's-richer "friends," and a beginning of hard work and real-world learning. The transition, although difficult at times, was well worth it.
Going into Maggie Walker was as much of a turning point in my life as any other. It marked the end of easy straight A's, hours of free time, and private-school, country-club, my-daddy's-richer "friends," and a beginning of hard work and real-world learning. The transition, although difficult at times, was well worth it.
"Following a deadly chemical weapons attack in Damascus on 21 August 2013, the United States and Russia agreed a plan with Syria to remove and destroy its chemical weapons by mid-2014." (Source: BBC News)
September 16, 2013: UN confirms chemical weapons in Syria
Meanwhile, while I was getting comfortable in FIRC, the news in the background indicated that the nation as a whole was far from comfortable: Should the UN report be accurate, the Syrian rebels would have used mass chemical weapons on children and civilians just outside of Damascus, and surface-to surface rockets were potentially involved as well. Eventually, this would lead to Russia denying the report, and the UN security council members agreeing to intervene should Syria not give up all chemical weapons.
While Syria is quite obviously thousands of miles away from a US. shore, I find it interesting that one of the most pressing foreign events occurred just as I came to a school for government and international studies. Here, at MLWGS, a large part of the education is how to deal with crises like these, at least in theory, and the 2-year global studies curriculum meant that the first area I would learn about was, you guessed it, the middle east. I actually remember going over Syria's use of chemical weapons in global studies 9, and I certainly remember the shock in realizing its propinquity to the present day.
Meanwhile, while I was getting comfortable in FIRC, the news in the background indicated that the nation as a whole was far from comfortable: Should the UN report be accurate, the Syrian rebels would have used mass chemical weapons on children and civilians just outside of Damascus, and surface-to surface rockets were potentially involved as well. Eventually, this would lead to Russia denying the report, and the UN security council members agreeing to intervene should Syria not give up all chemical weapons.
While Syria is quite obviously thousands of miles away from a US. shore, I find it interesting that one of the most pressing foreign events occurred just as I came to a school for government and international studies. Here, at MLWGS, a large part of the education is how to deal with crises like these, at least in theory, and the 2-year global studies curriculum meant that the first area I would learn about was, you guessed it, the middle east. I actually remember going over Syria's use of chemical weapons in global studies 9, and I certainly remember the shock in realizing its propinquity to the present day.