"Justice or Just Us" media contest: The Rumi Forum Way back in October, a friend of mine suggested that she, I, and another friend of ours should make a short film and submit it to this competition being held by Rumi Forum, an organization that focuses on bringing people of all backgrounds together. The theme was “Justice or Just Us”. My friend had written a beautiful poem called “To Our Future” that fit extremely well with the theme of social and environmental justice. We planned out the video, rented some fancy and expensive film equipment from UVA, and got to it. We asked one of our neighbors to star as the little girl in the film and pretty much just filmed her running around the trails behind our neighborhoods. We got some really beautiful shots with the camera. After filming, we edited the videos together and my friend read her poem as a voice over. Our original ideas were a lot more elaborate than our final project, but we were all super proud of it when it was all edited and put together. We submitted it to the contest, and to be perfectly honest, I kind of forgot about it. A lot of time passed, and I had other things to focus on. School had started picking up along with the fall play and spring musical. Then one day in February, I got a text saying we’d won first place. I don’t want to say I was surprised, I mean our film was great and exactly what we’d wanted it to be, but I was! We all got an invitation to attend a semi-formal dinner and awards ceremony. The ceremony was last night, and it was amazing. I walked into the room, and there were tables set up with place settings, salads, and assigned seats. The room was so diverse and I met so many new and awesome people. Letters from senators were read, Heather Heyer’s mother spoke about her foundation and what its goal was. People from Rumi got up to speak about their idea for the contest and how the young people who participated were our future. It was extremely inspirational and touching. There was an art contest for middle schoolers and the video contest was for high schoolers. They showed each of our videos, and I was impressed. The 3rd place winner was a great video about healthcare and 2nd place went to a video about Hijab and what it means to people. We all got pictures together and it was just a really great experience that I am very glad I got to take a part in. The news was there and the newscaster asked to interview our group about our ideas for the film, so we were on tv that night! I’m so happy I got to participate in an event for such an amazing cause and I look forward to making other small differences in the future. Read more about it here: http://rumiforum.org/peace-and-dialogue-art-and-video-contest-award-ceremony-dinner/ and see the next post for the poem and video. Peyton Beaumont Western Albemarle High School Library Communications and Outreach Intern
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It’s rare that you get to go on a field trip to your place of work, but when you work somewhere as cool as the CVille Escape Room, it’s totally plausible.
I’m taking creative writing this year, and at the beginning of the year, I let it slip that I work at the Escape Room downtown. Well, all the creative people in the class and Ms. Burnette, the wonderful creative teacher thought it would be a great idea to go down, do the rooms, and maybe draw some inspiration from the experience. I talked to my boss and she agreed that it would be really fun. We went on a Friday and it worked out well because Creative Writing is my last class on Fridays, so I could just stay downtown and keep working after everyone else left. We got there and I ran up the stairs, disappearing into the employees-only section while my classmates funneled into the briefing room. When they next saw me, I was no longer the quirky high schooler in the corner of the room that they all knew, but a black-lab-coat-wearing, mature employee who had that look of “I-know-something-you-don’t” glinting in my eyes. I locked them in their respective rooms (Half did the Archaeologist’s Adventure and half did the Mad Scientist’s Laboratory) and ran behind the desk to watch their progress. Reading back over that sentence, I realize it’s not normal to lock your classmates in a themed room and watch as they solve puzzle, trying to get out. For the benefit of anyone who doesn’t know, and so the cops aren’t called, an escape room is basically a decorated room with a bunch of locked boxes and puzzles to solve. You unlock the boxes to get more puzzles and use the acquired information to solve the mystery. We give a quick briefing before putting people in the rooms, to put them in the right mindset for immersive puzzle solving. It’s a wonderfully engaging way to spend an hour, and we don’t actually lock you in, so there’s nothing to worry about. I had so much fun watching people I knew solving the puzzles I know by heart. I ran in whenever they had a question and rooted for them when they were so close to the right solution. I felt weirdly omnipotent in a way. They all escaped and I’m happy to announce that my creative writing classmates not only had a whole lot of fun, but also got some inspiration for a couple of stories. Peyton Beaumont Western Albemarle High School Library Communications and Outreach Intern So, last spring, I applied for a summer internship at the UVA library. It sounded exactly like the kind of thing I would love. Surrounded by books all day, learning about how to be a librarian, that kind of thing. Pure heaven for a book lover.
I read the application and it specifically said they were looking for more diverse and preferably male citizens. I am a white female, but I applied anyway because it sounded like a great opportunity. Flash forward a few months, and I got in! To be perfectly honest, I kind of forgot about the UVA library internship, so I was thrilled to find out that I’d been accepted. The first day, I met the other interns and was assigned to the Small Special Collections library. The four other interns were all wonderful and we bonded quickly, all having a mutual interest in libraries and books. UVA has many different libraries around campus, including Alderman, Clemons, Brown, and the Small Special Collections library. I was assigned to Special Collections, and after getting lost a couple of times, I found it. The building’s mostly underground because they need room for all of the documents and books being held there, but they didn’t want to take up too much space above ground. (see below for more information from Penny White, Special Collections reference librarian) I honestly had no idea what to expect when I walked in. I knew that Special Collections was UVA’s collection of rare books and things, but that was the extent of my knowledge. I was greeted with open arms and a team of enthusiastic underground librarians who all loved their job. The things I saw while interning there were amazing, and I constantly had an open-mouthed expression on my face. I saw documents written by, signed, and held by Thomas Jefferson himself, including his will, the first copy of Frankenstein, books that are so small they need to be kept in walnut shells, and the original manuscript for the Grapes of Wrath. I learned all about William Faulkner. They had an exhibit on him at the time, and was I was convinced I was assigned to the best section of the library. The funny thing was, when we all came to eat lunch together on the first day, we all raved about our respective assignments. Each intern had an amazing and unique experience with the UVA Library Internship. I would totally apply for it again next year, but I also want to give others the opportunity to experience interning at the UVA Libraries. (Aside: spread the word about this well-paid short term summer opportunity, especially if you know any 10th grade and up high school students from diverse backgrounds. Contact Phylissa Mitchell, Director of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity University of Virginia Libraries [email protected]) And in answer to the question, “why is the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections building mostly underground?”, UVA Reference Librarian Penny White explained: That's a great question! According to our University Archivist, Archives & Special Collections was built partially underground to "fit" the available space. The Library wanted the building in central grounds, and to keep the it the same scale as the other buildings around it, the decision was made to build it partially underground. Without the underground stacks, the building would have had to have been significantly taller. Take a look at their blog, Notes from Under Grounds Peyton Beaumont Western Albemarle High School Library Communications and Outreach Intern Running can be… fun?
The other day when I got home, I was planning on taking a nap. Miraculously, I had actually managed my time and didn’t have any homework due the next day. I flopped down on my couch and shut my eyes. I started thinking about my schedule and it came to my attention that I did not have PE this year. With my PE requirement behind me, I had turned my new free block into a study hall. I would get no physical activity (other than walking to and from class) all year. I don’t play a sport and don’t have the initiative to use my free time to exercise. The thought that I would not be active at all scared me a little bit. I’m not the most athletic person, but I do (albeit grudgingly) realize that it is good for one’s health. I got off the couch and decided I had to do something. I downloaded an app that I’d heard about called “Zombies, Run!” It is a running app that basically tells you, “Oh no, there’s a group of zombies behind you! Run now.” After a while, a Siri-like voice would tell you you had outrun them, so you could walk. I realized after the first couple of minutes that it is so much more. I turned on the app and started walking toward a trail through the woods, deciding to fully immerse myself in the idea that I was in a zombie apocalypse. I was surprised to hear someone talking to me through what sounded like a radio headset. The idea is you’re the main character and your helicopter has crash-landed in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. These radio people see that you’re alive and are trying to get you back to their base-camp, while keeping you mostly away from zombies. The voices didn’t sound scripted, they sounded like actual people who wanted to get me home safely. Every once in awhile, I would hear static and the voice come across again saying something like, “There’s no easy way to say this, but there are zombies following you.” That was my signal to run. Often the characters would share a bit of their backstories, which hit me right in the heart-strings. At one point, the Township’s doctor came across saying, “So we really need some medical supplies and I’m so sorry, but you’re so close to it… Could you please run through the hospital and pick up a few supplies? I know it’s swarming with the undead, but you have to earn your keep here.” I got completely immersed in the story and after a while it didn’t even feel like I was exercising. The idea is that there are episodes and a bunch of seasons, like a tv show. It’s a story and I felt a part of it, running for my life from the un-dead. I realized I was actually having fun. I’m sure if I was really running away from zombies, I wouldn’t use “fun” as the word to describe it! But the logical side of my brain (the left side - thank you, Ms. Hoza) was telling me that I was safe, while the right side was imagining a hoard of zombies on my heels. I felt like the main character of some post-apocalyptic book, movie, or tv series, only I wasn’t watching it or reading about it, I was living it. I ran for a good forty minutes, until the episode was over. When I got home, I was in the best mood. I was invested in the story and characters and wanted to do it again the next day. Unfortunately, because I don’t often exercise, I was so sore the next day I could barely walk without saying “Ow.” And the next day and the next. It has now been three days since I’ve run from zombies, and I’m waiting restlessly to do it again once my legs stop being sore. This app is perfect for people who aren’t the most athletic, but do love a good story. You also get to listen to your music while the radio voices aren’t talking. I would definitely recommend this app to anyone. People who love to run, people who hate it, even people who have a dog they need to walk, just to listen to the story. It’s so fun! Peyton Beaumont Western Albemarle High School Library Communications and Outreach Intern A few years ago, the Teen Advisory Board at the Crozet Library held a Yule Ball. I was in eighth grade at the time. I didn't help run it, but I did attend the event and I remember thinking it was amazing. The decorations were stunning, the activities and events were all super fun, and all of the Harry Potter vibes were bringing me back to my childhood. At the first TAB meeting afterwards, I wanted to tell all of the leaders of the Yule Ball what a wonderful job they had done and that I couldn't wait to do it next year. However, that was not how the leaders saw it. They simply said that they were never doing that again. What I had not seen from the sidelines was all of the hard work and stress that was put into the event, the late nights, the constant questions and deadlines. Also, glitter got everywhere, which was a nightmare to get out of the carpets.
I was super bummed. I had had a great time, but our presidents were adamant: The Yule Ball was a one time thing. Now, a few years later, our beloved presidents have graduated and I have taken on their responsibilities. Over the summer, we had run a Camp Half-Blood event for all of the Percy Jackson fans in the area. It went swimmingly (Percy Jackson pun not intended) and had a great turnout. At our next meeting, we were ready to run another Yule Ball. We had new leaders. Those who had Yule Ball PTSD had graduated. It was time to throw another one. I was put in charge of this giant undertaking. I was so happy that we were getting a chance to learn from the first Yule Ball and make the second one even better. We got a committee together and planned, starting in August. We laid a few ground rules from the beginning, to try and fix some of the issues from the first Ball. First, we weren't letting anyone younger than a sixth-grader come. Attendees had to have an invitation to validate the fact that they signed up for the event. And, lastly, but most importantly: No Glitter! We kept many events we all remembered from the first Yule Ball to keep the heart in the event. After months and months of planning, mishaps, and road bumps, the big day finally came. We went down to the very last minute before everyone arrived to set up all of the decorations, finalize events, and get everything in order. We unlocked the doors (which looked like Platform 9 ¾) and waited to be bombarded with young kids and glitter. But, much to our appreciation, we weren't! All of the attendees were so fun, polite, and fair. They followed the rules, didn't make a mess (for the most part) and everyone really seemed to enjoy it. No one complained when they weren't chosen to participate in events and everyone encouraged their team-mates. The food was great, the music was amazing, and the overall atmosphere was nostalgic. When it came to the end of the event, I was exhausted. We had a lot of cleaning up to do and I understood why the prospect of another Yule Ball was so daunting to our past presidents. However, I had a blast and I would totally be willing to do it again next year! |