Monday, December 23Hampton Roads Weekly
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A Lens On Black  History

A Lens On Black History

Art & Culture
A Tribute to Black History Month By Geoph Beard Black History Month has a very rich tradition.  It is celebrated in America, the United Kingdom, Canada, and unofficially in Ireland.  But here in the United States we have a unique tradition that stands out from other nations.  In order to properly understand the true value of purposefully taking the time to celebrate, and how the “why” has evolved over the century, it’s important to first look at its roots.  Black History month was created in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, an American Historian, author and journalist. February was chosen, not because it’s the shortest month of the year, but because both Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglas were born in February.  These two men were widely credited with leadi...
Classroom of the Future

Classroom of the Future

Technology
Classroom of the Future is here at ECPI University ECPI Introduces Most Advanced Virtual Reality Teaching Tools Available The future is now! Most certainly, it’s an old cliché, but it takes on fresh meaning when viewed through the eyes of students at ECPI University. Always seeking to embrace the latest in teaching technology, ECPI is once again proving that it’s a leader in higher education. Earlier this year, ECPI University began phasing in new technologies which are part of its initiative, Classroom of the Future. Within its Colleges of Nursing and Health Science, it introduced the Anatomage Table, the world’s first virtual dissection table, the most technologically advanced 3D anatomy visualization systems for anatomy and physiology education. The Anatomage Table is the on...
Why Do We Love To Hate?

Why Do We Love To Hate?

Community
by Caleb Knox If you were to ask what people believe is the greatest threat facing our nation right now, you could expect a wide variety of answers. Among concerns of Coronavirus, gun violence or immigration, there would likely be mention of our national divides. Incoming research from political scientists is showing us that Americans no longer hold a shared sense of national identity. More than ever Republicans and Democrats view the other as being motivated by hate, while their party is motivated by love. This development, simply put, is not stable.   So what is pushing us toward hating each other? Although it can be tempting to see our current state of polarization as a more recent threat to our nation’s well being, the Founders were well aware of the dangers of rigid group i...
St. Matthews and the Catholic Schools System Making Their Mark in Hampton Roads

St. Matthews and the Catholic Schools System Making Their Mark in Hampton Roads

Art & Culture
By Krissy Weinhardt The Catholic Schools system here in Hampton Roads is quite unified in their mission, to “empower leaders one faith-filled day at a time”.  Since 1963 schools like St. Matthews' in Virginia Beach have provided a rigorous academic curriculum for its students in addition to discipline, tradition and strong Christian values to prepare children for their academic future and as citizens in our community.  Their philosophy is based on the belief that the purpose of their schools is to provide a Christ-centered environment, in unison with both family and community.  They believe this encourages a life-long pursuit of learning through spiritual, academic, and physical education.   No one better embodies these philosophies as does Development Directo...
A War With No Ammo…Amerishield PPE

A War With No Ammo…Amerishield PPE

Headlines
For two decades now, America has joined the world in being dangerously dependent on China for their medical supplies. And for two decades now policy wonks have been warning of what this could mean for America’s national security and economic stability. We never took stock of their concerns because there was never a need to do so. But like everything in the last year, Coronavirus changed that. China’s ruling political party, the CCP, has been on a not-so-secret campaign to drastically subsidize and impose wild-west type “regulations” on medical manufacturing, making their products uber cheap. This has pushed much of the global competition out of the way, leaving China as the primary manufacturer of key medical equipment. During a global pandemic, this means massive shortages in person...
Catholic Schools: Boldly Putting Kids First

Catholic Schools: Boldly Putting Kids First

Community
By Kerry Dougherty Any parent of a kid with disabilities will tell you, more than anything else in the world, their child just wants to fit in. Not easy when you’re a little different. My son doesn’t mind if I tell you he has severe learning disabilities. He’s worked hard his whole life to overcome them. But I still remember his look of surprise and relief on the morning of his first day of 1st grade at St. Gregory the Great in Virginia Beach. We held hands as we walked from the parking lot to the line for his class. He was taking deep breaths and squeezing my hand.  Then he caught sight of his classmates and his first-day nervousness evaporated . “We’re all wearing the same thing!” he exclaimed. The 26 or so children in his class were all dressed as he was, in kh...
Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality

Technology
Virtual Reality (VR) is a buzzword that is everywhere today, whether in the gaming and movie worlds of entertainment or in the practical would of industry. Still, this is a term that we have heard since the first 3D movies from the 1950’s, and it has come in and out of vogue since then. Recently, however, VR has made a resurgence and is positioned to truly change the way we perceive our information and the world itself. But, what is virtual reality, and where did it come from? Here is how it works. We have two eyes that see what is in front of us from two slightly different points of view. This small difference is what gives us depth perception. Our brains take these two images, run them through an algorithm, and then allow us to perceive depth, or 3 dimensions. Wh...
Tarnished Truth: Enjoyed Locally…  Celebrated Nationally

Tarnished Truth: Enjoyed Locally… Celebrated Nationally

Business
Congress finally did something right! Congress finally did something we can appreciate and enjoy! Granted it happened back on May 4th, 1964 when they declared bourbon a distinct product of the United States.  Thank goodness for this, otherwise we wouldn’t have such an illustrious local gem as Tarnished Truth Distilling Company.  Enjoyed locally, awarded nationally, Tarnished Truth produces many different types of spirits, but what they are most proud of is their bourbon.  Tarnished Truth, founded just a short time ago in 2017, has certainly made its mark in this area when it reclaimed the Hunt Room downstairs in the historic Cavalier Hotel.  Most of us wonder where the “Tarnished Truth” moniker comes from.  The distillery’s name stems from the legend that ha...
35th Annual Westminster-Canterbury Flotsa

35th Annual Westminster-Canterbury Flotsa

Community
Treasure hunters will stake out their places to vie for the best finds at the highly anticipated 35th Annual Westminster-Canterbury Flotsam and Jetsam Super Summer Sale. The sale is back after a two-year hiatus. The benefit event offers thousands of high-end, vintage, and distinctive items at bargain prices, The Super Summer Sale takes place at All Saints Episcopal Church, 1969 Woodside Lane, Virginia Beach, Va. from August 12-14. Visit www.wcbay.com/upcoming-events for sale times and more details.
My Favorite Thing About Covid

My Favorite Thing About Covid

Uncategorized
There are many things that I have not enjoyed about this COVID-19 season. As a matter of fact, I've often described the last few months as navigating a boat regularly capsizing. Once again I’m flipping the boat back over, bailing out the water, and rowing furiously to continue forward. This year has worn on us all in many ways, but the innovative thinkers have been able to assess the new climate and pivot appropriately in order not to fail. What a beautiful representation of the ingenuity of our great people. And while I lament the loss of a simpler time, my heart bursts with pride at the beautiful community which now emerges. Remember when business was dog-eat-dog? When people didn’t have time to sit and eat a meal with their families? Remember when everyone around you was usually out ...