We Are... More
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Politics and Activism

We Are... More

Behind the Series and Creator

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We Are... More
Marshall University School of Physical Therapy

To provide a feel for the structure of this series, I am going to answer some of my own questions, discuss my inspiration, and flesh out my vision. I love learning more about what is behind the creation and creator for things I love and I figured it would do well to put some context on this passion project. I hope you enjoy and are intrigued to read future interviews!

About Me

My name is Abigail, and I have lived in Huntington since I was four years old. I am a freshman double majoring in International Affairs and Classics, and I chose to attend Marshall University because I have known for a long time that I was meant to live overseas long-term so I wanted to use this time to enjoy and make a difference in my hometown before I moved out of the United States, and because Marshall is the only university in this area with a Classics program.

What Do You Think It Means To Be a West Virginian?

Being a West Virginian to me means to be different (maybe even a little strange), loving, resilient, and inclusive. I have traveled up North, out West, and into the deep South, as well as a little overseas, and I have never met anyone quite like my beloved West Virginians. West Virginians do not talk like anyone else I have ever met, we have funny words for things and I love carrying my accent and phrases with me wherever I go. We also run on a different time than anyone else, a little slower and more intentional. Because we are so different than people in other places and we know what it is to be left out, I have hardly met anyone more loving and inclusive. Huntington is a place for the ones everyone else calls "misfits" because we are called "misfits" ourselves, and we will welcome and love anyone who needs somewhere to go. I like to say that people may go somewhere big or famous to become somebody, but all they need to do is come here to be somebody. Because of everything the West Virginian has been through, they know how to be resilient in the face of adversity and still love people.

How Do You Think People See Huntington?

I think Huntington is known as the city people want to escape. It is small and there are not really any tourist hot-spots here, so we are easily kept at a distance and stereotypes about who we are easily perpetuated. Because people do not choose West Virginia first in a list places to travel or experience first-hand, all people tend to know of Huntington is what they hear about it, which is that it is a pitiful town with a drug problem.

What Do You Wish People Knew?

I wish people knew that West Virginia loves creating meaningful art that openly expresses who it is and brings people together. Huntington is full of bands of creators who line the streets downtown who make wonderful coffee, created a movement that encourages love and inclusivity, and support organic and fair trade products that provide jobs here and overseas, and if that is not who we are, I do not know what is.

What Is a Problem You Want to Fix In the World?

I want to be a part of American foreign relations through the State Department to inspire empathy and understanding within my own country and other countries to bring us together so we can enact holistic change to stop the results of blaming people out of ignorance and refusing to work together, which are war and distancing ourselves from other peoples and cultures.

How Do You Want to Help Huntington?

Learning the stories of the people in my university and my community, and passing a mic for their voices to be heard is my way of helping Huntington right now because civic pride begins with realizing your own worth. Huntington will not get better, it will not become safer, cleaner, and better cared for until its residents believe that they are worthy of living in a place that is safe, clean, and cared for that they can be proud of. Using this platform given me by the position of content creator is this best way for me help Huntington be reached and encouraged in a personal way that inspires genuine change.

What Has Been the Hardest, Most Rewarding Thing You Have Been Through to Get Where You Are Now?

I have had to realize that my perfectionism is destructive to me and the people around me the hard way. I have learned that authenticity is far more valuable than perfection, and it is far more impactful. I have learned how to welcome bumps in the record because the endearing sound of a grainy vinyl is what warms your heart, not the the clear resolution of Apple Music. We as a society (and I myself, assuredly) pursue and pay extra for homemade, sentimental trinkets that tug at our heart-strings and makes us understand what "bittersweet" means, yet we (again, myself included) stray from imperfection we may find in ourselves. This was the most difficult because it is a deep-set issue within myself that has taken years to correct and learn from as opposed to hiding away. It is the most rewarding because I can use the grace I am learning to have for myself on others because this whole experience in the long-run has taught me to value, "I tried my best", more than, "A+".

What Is a Fond Memory You Have of West Virginia and/or Huntington?

I have fond memories of working and playing at Heritage Farm as a child. I remember one Way Back Wednesday in the summer after doing the activities of the day, some of the older kids and I were allowed to sneak off and hike into the woods. We found a creek and a wild blackberry bush which was like finding hidden treasure. We ate the berries which were the sweetest I have ever eaten, and we found frogs and crawdads, and we got dirty and splashed each other. That day reminds me of all the unassuming, hidden wonders of my state and the people here that I want to tell the world about.

My Inspiration

I was inspired to create this series by my long-held love and admiration for two journalism outlets: National Geographic and the BBC. Reading their magazines and articles, and watching their programmes made me realize that I love raw encounters and stories, and I want the ones that get left out to be heard. I desire to pass a mic to the people who are spoken over so they can tell their stories and they will be preserved, and there is a growing urgency to show the people of Huntington that I love them and that what they have to say matters because of it. West Virginia as a whole has suffered in recent years, and I have witnessed part of it firsthand through living in Huntington in the height of our drug epidemic, and I want to let people know that there is hope.

If you would be open to being interviewed, or know someone at Marshall or who has graduated/worked there at any time who would, you can email me at we.are.more37@gmail.com!

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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