Category Archives: Synthesis

“Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.” Winnie the Pooh really knew what he … Continue reading →

I have kept a journal since the beginning of my time at Richmond, and it has become an essential part of the way I process my experiences and observe my own growth. I had never thought to keep track of … Continue reading →

In order to motivate people to change their behavior, they must first have a sense of community. They must then gain awareness of the problem and appraise the situation. Only then will they be motivated to activism. This is the … Continue reading →

Before enrolling in Geography of the James during the first semester, there was a night where Kenta, Brian Strehlow, and I went to Manchester climbing wall to hang out, meet people, and climb for the day. Towards the end of … Continue reading →

“Cities have long been compared to organisms—Plato talked about the city as a corporeal body—but underneath the street makes the metaphor literal. These are the guts of the city, the metal intestines that allow suburbs to sprawl and skyscrapers to … Continue reading →

A major theme of this class that has resonated in my mind is that the world is interconnected through hydrology.  Every surface on our planet belongs to a watershed, or an area of land where water can drain through and … Continue reading →

I’ve never been a graceful person. Ask anybody and everybody who has spent more than a half hour of time with me. I’m a hot mess. I’m that awkward person who walks into somebody because they can’t decide which side … Continue reading →

Stop.   Don’t skip ahead and answer this…   What’s the nearest river to you? How has it affected you? How does it affect you?   For a long time I didn’t think much about rivers. Of course I enjoyed … Continue reading →

I have been fortunate to take many environmental classes, but Geography of the James has been the most interactive and hands on, by far. Being able to see the things we talk about in class, makes the topics much more … Continue reading →