Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections The Vice President's House By Cody Sung Volume 1 Issue 4 January 20, 2021 Image provided by Wikipedia Have you ever wondered where the vice president of the United States lives during his/her time in office? Personally, I always believed that the vice president lived with the president back in the White House. But that is not the case. Instead, the Vice President resides in Northwestern Washington D.C., at the address of Number One Observatory Circle. First, we need a little bit of context. The house in question was built in 1893 on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory, a government organization which provides information on positioning, navigation, and timing for the United States Navy and Department of Defense. The organization also performs research operations, and much more. Originally, the house was built for the superintendent of the organization. However, in 1923, the chief of naval operations removed the superintendent due to his fondness for the house. He then moved in himself. Prior to 1974, vice presidents and their families lived in their own private homes, but since the cost of securing those homes steadily increased, Congress agreed to tidy up the house and make it the vice president’s residence in 1974. Interestingly enough, no vice president lived there for three years. Gerald Ford was president before he used the home, and Nelson Rockefeller (Ford’s Vice President) used it for entertainment purposes only. Walter Mondale, Jimmy Carter’s vice president, was the first to use the home in 1977. Since then, George H.W. Bush, Dan Quayle, Al Gore, Dick Cheney, and Joe Biden have all lived in the home. Currently, Mike and Karen Pence reside in the house. So, what is it like in this home? The rooms, besides what you would normally see in a home, include a reception hall, garden room, a master suite, a study, and a sitting room. There are also new additions to the home with each vice president. For example, George H.W. Bush installed a horseshoe pit on the house grounds when he was vice president. Dan Quayle also made additions, such as a swimming pool and an exercise room. Karen Pence has added beehives to the grounds. Overall, at least at first sight, the house is fancy, but not as fancy as the famed White House. Unfortunately, there are no tours offered of the house, as it’s hidden from the street. Although not as famed as the White house, the vice president’s quarters has its fair share of events. The vice president usually uses the house to host important figures, such as politicians and world leaders. For example, Joe Biden hosted Enda Kenny, Ireland’s former prime minister for St. Patrick’s Day. Number One Observatory Circle also gets decorated for Christmas, including a Christmas tree and general Christmas decorations. The Pence family have also decorated for Halloween and have greeted trick-or-treaters. There are also general events and parties, such as the Pence family hosting an annual pool party for veterans. Number One Observatory Circle is quite the house, constantly shaped by new residents moving in every 4-8 years. Just 2.5 miles from the White House, Jill Biden has said that the house provides a contrast from the nature of Washington life. Just like lots of other homes in America, decorations pop up there for Christmas, and events and parties are regularly held. So, the next time you ever wonder where the vice president resides, just think of the quiet home on the site of a government observatory. With that said, let’s welcome Kamala Harris and her husband, the second gentleman, Doug Emhoff to Number One Observatory Circle. Harris will be the first female Vice President, as well as the first African American and South Asian. As for her husband, Emhoff will be the first second gentleman in the history of the United States. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Prism Back to Sections A Narrative to the Compliments of Color By Gilana Etame November 24, 2020 Volume 1 Issue 2

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections The First Black Congresswoman By Shinedip Kundlas Volume 2 Issue 5 March 28, 2022 Image provided by Associated Press During her seven terms in the House of Representatives, Shirley Anita Chisholm, the first African American woman to serve in Congress and the first African American to seek a presidential nomination in the United States, has been outspoken in her advocacy for women and minorities. Born and raised in New York, Shirley Chisholm was born the oldest of four daughters to immigrant parents from Guyana and Barbados. While her parents worked to settle their family in Bedford-Stuyvesant during the Great Depression, Chisolm spent part of her childhood living on her maternal grandparents' farm in Barbados. She received a British education during this time. However, Chisholm returned to the states to finish high school and graduated top of her class. On a scholarship, she attended Brooklyn College and graduated with a Bachelor of sociology in 1946. Before starting her political career, Chisholm worked as a nursery school teacher from 1946 to 1953. At Columbia University, Shirley Chisholm obtained an M.A. in early childhood education three years later. From 1959 to 1964, she served for New York City's Division of Day Care as an educational consultant. Chisholm became involved in several campus and community groups throughout her training to become a teacher. Politics became her interest and her skills of organizing and fundraising developed from there. Her deep resentment towards the treatment of women originated from the role women played in local politics at that time, which consisted mainly of staying in the background and serving as an afterthought to their male counterparts. Chisholm found a way to express her opinions about economic and social structures in a rapidly changing nation through campus politics and her membership in the NAACP, an organization fighting for equal rights for African Americans since 1909. A second African American woman was elected to Albany's legislature in 1964 when Shirley Anita Chisholm was elected to the New York state assembly. Chisholm continued her service in the state assembly until 1968, when she ran for the U.S. Congress. She was elected and began serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1969 to 1982. In 1972, Chisholm ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, claiming the other candidates did not represent the concerns of black and minority voters and the poor. The campaign for Chisholm's Democratic Party presidential nomination in 1972 was marked by discrimination. After pursuing legal action, she was allowed to make just one speech after being barred from participating in televised primary debates. Across the nation, women, minorities, and students flocked to the "Chisholm Trail." Despite severe under-funding and disagreements with the primarily male Congressional Black Caucus, she won 12 primaries and 152 delegates' votes. However, she did not win the Democratic nomination, yet the nation still admired Chisholm. In January 1983, Chisholm left Congress and co-founded the National Political Congress of Black Women. She campaigned for Jesse Jackson's presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988. Shirley Anita Chisholm made history as America's first black presidential candidate and first black congresswoman. Upon leaving Washington, Shirley Chisholm said she did not want to be remembered as "the nation's first black congresswoman" or, as she put it, "the first black congresswoman." Instead, she stated, "I'd like them to say that Shirley Chisholm had guts". Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm will continue to inspire generations of women of color to run for office, and her legacy will never be forgotten. "I want history to remember me not just as the first black woman to be elected to Congress, not as the first black woman to have made a bid for the presidency of the United States, but as a black woman who lived in the 20th century and dared to be herself. " - Shirley Chisholm BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Portrait Back to Sections Unconventional Portrait By Marissa Nardone January 20, 2021 Photography Volume 1 Issue 4

Back to Artwork The Memory Project Back to Sections Rejoice- Amna Faisal Amna Faisal February 24, 2023 Volume 3 Issue 3

Back to Artwork Line Back to Sections Kimberly Shrestha - What is Line By Kimberly Shresta November 1, 2020 Marker Volume 1 Issue 1

Back to Artwork Nostalgic Musings Back to Sections Frame within Frame By Shehar Bano February 10, 2022 Photography Volume 2 Issue 4

Back to Articles Fiction Back to Sections Finding Himself By Alain Deen Volume 1 Issue 1 November 1, 2020 Image provided by Buxr The bell's clang shook him. An announcement traveled through the school: "We are on lockdown due to the rapid spread of Covid-19". He heard the news and stormed to his locker. As he rapidly packed, the sight of students running struck him. He realized this virus wasn't something to joke about, but rather a serious matter that wrecked the lives of so many. He began to grasp the baffling concept: he is living through a piece of history. Almost as if the survivors of other tragic occurrences were passing the torch. The other students were either filled with excitement or drowning in misery. As for him…he did not know how to feel. He simply put all his stress and worries behind him, which subsequently lead to even more. It wasn't about being admitted into the school's "Junior Honor Society" anymore, or receiving a 90 or higher on Friday's science exam. It was more about…old fashioned survival. The mysterious virus seemed to strike the most unsuspecting, innocent people. It didn't come with a warning label, as pleasant as that would have been. Its freshness sparked the most issues, since there were (and still are) no methods to combat the illness. He felt unsure and afraid of whatever came next. Hundreds of questions pounded his brain at the same time. Is this the end? Do we have to wear masks for the rest of our lives? What did we do to deserve this? The unnecessary guilt began to weigh on him. Why did it attack others? That question only fate could decide. His mother felt more worried than he did. She didn’t allow him out of the house for nearly two months. He expressed great understanding, but his patience slowly weakened. He started getting into his own head, a feeling most people hate with a burning passion. He began questioning his purpose. He pitied himself for not knowing his career path, whereas everyone else he knew seemed to have their entire lives planned out. The only idea he had crossed his mind every month or so. He enjoyed the process of cutting up and putting together footage, which resulted in a medley of contrasting sound and visual elements. An "editing sandwich". He seemed to have a knack at this…uncommon interest. His eyes moved across the screen as swift as lightning, cutting the clips together seamlessly. However, editing didn't fulfill that pit he felt. With quarantine and the feeling of being overshadowed by his peers, he felt stuck. His shame got the best of him, and he couldn’t help but scour the internet for new hobbies and interests. After days of searching, his eyebags weighed more than his mother's purse. His mind as jumbled as a tedious crossword. Despite days of hopelessness, an unusual but surprising occurrence took place. He came full circle. He stumbled upon filmmaking classes that taught the basics of editing, acting, and visual media. His eyes bulged. He began to notice this reoccurrence. Almost as if this was his destiny, accompanied with a few more mediums. Subsequently, he begged his mother to let him take these classes. The pit inside of him remained but took on a new form. The pit suffused with excitement. He literally could not wait and started writing a short film before any instruction. His preparation took days, and when the first day of class arrived, it was almost if he knew the exact direction she was headed. Over the three weeks, he hastily storyboarded and shot the film using whatever materials he could find. These items seemed to have fell of the face of the Earth. He vigorously checked every corner of his house and still could not recover anything. However, a vague memory bounced around in his mind. He received a tri-pod and microphone for his past birthday. A wave of relief soared through his body. After finding this equipment, there was no looking back. He sent the script to two of his closest friends to participate in the film, over Zoom, of course. Weeks of constant shooting, editing, and acting resulted in the same process he's always excelled in: creating a medley of contrasting sound and visual elements. His film served as a public service announcement for teens to stay home during the lockdown. Due to its theme, message, and visual elements, he received an A++. The highest grade in the class. His heart pumped faster than the speed of light. His eyes enlarged to the size of a hot air balloon. He felt not a wave, but a tsunami of excitement. After this experience, he started taking his skills in acting an editing to the popular social media platform "TikTok". There, he struck the eye of a bigger creator, and started writing scripts for her. He began mentorship under this popular creator and took multiple classes with her. The birth of an interesting yet exciting friendship took place. He continued perfecting this craft, and now stands at almost 10,000 TikTok followers. He rebuilt himself from a lost, meek boy to a confident, influential young man. He is me. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Goodbye Covid, the End is Near By Manal Layachi Volume 1 Issue 7 April 22, 2021 Original photo by Manal Layachi Masks and social distancing. Loss of loved ones, others are convalescing. Days full of sorrow and sadness. Loss of real interaction left me with virtual madness. Boredom is eating me up, as everything is on zoom. It fills me up with gloom. While quarantine can be dark, I found light in it. More free time for a hermit. More family time and freedom. Hello happiness, goodbye darkness, and boredom. Spring brings hope and cheerful faces. Soon there will be no masks in all places. Families and friends will be closer together as in the past. The sun and rainbow will take over the gloomy sky at last. Everyone will live in peace and harmony. Everyone will get through this as one of many. We will come out stronger than before. We will overcome this nightmare and live our dream even more. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Prism Back to Sections Kaitlin Barry - Prism By Kaitlin Barry November 24, 2020 Volume 1 Issue 2