Old Bowling Alley Museum Project News Report

Anchor Tag: It has long been closed but its legacy will live forever. The old Orangeburg bowling alley on Russell Street played a key role in what would become the tragic Orangeburg Massacre in 1968. The bloody incident left three young men dead and scores of others injured when state highway patrolmen opened fire on 200 protestors on S-C State’s campus. An ambitious project has been launched to restore and reopen the bowling alley, turning into a museum and working bowling alley. (Jamie Gilmore) tells us more in this report. 

REPORTER SCRIPT (Open: Nat Sound: Strike) 

Strike for a Strike, the once segregated establishment is rewriting history to bring the community together. The All Star Bowling Ally is being reopened for educational and entertainment purposes. 

Now under the leadership of Ellen Zisholtz, she hopes to display unity and unveil the distasteful truth of racism in South Carolina. 

SOT: Ellen Zisholtz: 26 secs 

In: I think that generally  

Out: went on there 

Zisholtz main goal is to show what went wrong and how the following generations can learn from it and use their skill to aid the problems of the future.

SOT: Ellen Zisholtz: 26 seconds  

In: I think that People 

Out: make a difference  

 

This project is to honor those who made a difference and to those who want to help make a difference it’s not too late. 

SOT: Ellen Zisholtz: 17 seconds 

In: Im Open to ideas 

Out: put another building 

Ideas are meaningless if not implemented, join Ellen Zisholtz and the Center for Creative Partnerships as they rebrand and re establish a new path for the Orangeburg Community and Race Relations. 

ANCHOR TAG : 

There is no set date for anything just yet , but Zisholtz and partners see the all star bowling ally having a striking grand opening in the near future.

Click this link to listen to the Full Story 

The Spotlight is on Arnel Hammond

 I had the pleasure of interviewing the wholesome and humble, Arnel Hammond. A graduating Broadcasting Communications student from Bowman, SC. I've seen Arnel on campus on a few occasions however this is our first in depth conversation. I believe I learned a lot about him and I think he will teach many more. 

Learn from Arnel today and listen to his spotlight interview 

You may find Arnel Services on his personal instagram @arneljhammond and his business instagram @thenellyvisions 

Arnel Hammond (Taken from Instagram @arneljhammond)

One Year Anniversary and I still have on a mask.

I never expected to have an anniversary before I graduated college, and I never expected one to be so dreadful. The pandemic has been real, raw, and lethal, no one and no where on earth was safe. Many fatalities, loss businesses, and media headlines submerged during this year and it has truly been a disaster.

The year anniversary is merely a time stamp because the effects of the pandemic are steadily catching up...

Life is not the same and it may never be; who wants to look on the bright side when this year has brought so much darkness. I haven't lost much but the collective body of humans has lost a whole lot. However maybe this experience magnified the skin that earth needed to shed, maybe the jobs lost needed to free certain people, maybe the people who died has a greater mission beyond the physical realm, maybe the health industry needed to be tested to prepare for something more dangerous in the future; but who knows. 

I felt it was my duty to think of the collective first... 

Putting societies wellbeing first, was the most responsible decision I made in my life thus far. All Hero's don't wear capes: sometimes its simply a mask and hand sanitizer. It felt good to be on the caring side of humanity during a time where everything needed intense care. If I can survive a pandemic, I think I'm prepared for anything. 

One day I’ll pull the cloth with two straps from my collection...

From Tik Tok challenges, to mask mandates, to a detailed quarantine, anyone from the new generation who I happen to encounter is in for an interesting conversation. Hopefully they'll have enough time because I remember every day during the pandemic verbatim and I'm here to share my story. A year later and its still not over but I'm confident I will make it to see a day I never have to wear a mask again and then I can freely share my story and facial expressions like before. 

Click here to listen to my reflection on this Pandemic 

Bites of Sound from Ellen Zisholtz

Ellen Zisholtz in 2010 at the viewing Cochran Collection (Attained from The Times and Democrat) 

SOT: Ellen Zisholtz: 26 secs

In: I think that generally 

Out: went on there

Transcribed Soundbite: "I think that generally people. People care about it, care about what happened. But all the issues, first of all are not resolved. And one of the things that we will be doing is a truth and reconciliation with the community, to try to get the community to understand the truth of what went on there."

Click Here to listen to this soundbite

Inside the All Star Bowling Alley (Attained from  The Post and Courier) 

SOT: Ellen Zisholtz: 26 seconds 

In: I think that People 

Out: make a difference 

Transcribed Soundbite: "I think that people people risked their lives and stood up for what was right. And I think they should be recognized. And I think it's also an inspiration for the future. I think our young people can then say, you know, look what they did; I can make a difference, And I think we all have to make a difference."

Click here to listen to this soundbite

SOT: Ellen Zisholtz: 17 seconds

In: Im Open to ideas 

Out: put another building

Transcribed Soundbite: "i'm open to ideas because we're just at the beginning of this. We do also have the space next to it, which is very large, and doesn't have a building on it now and in the future. We could do something out there, we might be able to put another building"

Click here to listen to this soundbite

First Day on Earth !

I remember it like yesterday, a nurse curiously yelled "time of birth?" and Dr.Sonek replied "9:54 am" (I don't think he knew the exact seconds; don't look at my blog like that ... of course it matters). My mother holding my vernix caseosa covered body with zeal: literally (figuratively), her happy tears almost drowned me. Who needs a first bath when you have an emotional mother. While she sweated profusely from her eyeballs, I was screaming to the top of my lungs: it was too early and everything was different from the uterus. 

Listen to unheard audio of me crying as a Newborn (or not) 

Just as I was getting comfortable in the embryonic fluid, my 9-month tenure was up, and on May 22, 2000, I was born Jamie Eltron Gilmore Jr. Each day I wake up thankful to be alive, yet without 5/22/2000 I wouldn't be able to be grateful for this very life. Although my mom told me check-out was on May 23rd, I am filled with distinct honor that my first and last time early was my birth.

When assigned this blog, I was unsatisfied with the dates I initially suggested. None seemed as memorable despite me being more conscious then rather than on the day I was born. As you can tell, I chose. Officially no date can top the start of it all. Unlike my high school graduation, college move-in, or my first pageant: May 22nd is more than an Aha moment when I check the calendar. It's an anticipated day every year, not only for me but for both of my parents as they experienced the birth of their first child. 

May 22, 2004 my first birthday party on a Saturday (always a cool day to have a birthday on ... no school or work)

 For my mother, the night started frightening: her water broke, and with her being a first-time mom to a gigantic headed boy, her nerves were all over the place. May 22nd was monumental for my dad as he offered me his unconditional love and his full name with a bonus suffix.

A year later my mom was six months pregnant with my brother J'von and the anniversary of the day that frightened her motivated her to finish her third trimester in high spirits. 3 years later my cousin Latoya was five months pregnant (my now favorite cousin Faith) and my mom inspired her with the detailed stories from my delivery, assuring her everything would be perfectly fine.

It's going on 21 years this year and this day is still very important to me as it initiated my first day on

earth which allowed me to start this journey called life. In a world of 7 Billion, I was someone's first. On day one I was already considered the eldest of my siblings. The other 365 days (2000 was a leap year) are nice however May 22nd, 2000, is a big day remembered, indefinitely.

A montage of myself as I celebrated two decades of life. (A rare birthday where I took no pictures) 

BYE 2020, HELLO 2021

 Pandemic, Panoramic, Ponder ... whatever you want to call it! We were stuck in the house for ten months (well at least I was) and  the death toll is constantly rising but I am still alive so I can't complain. However, I'm so deeply displeased with the negative effect of the coronavirus, I can't find anything positive about it. Most people are thankful they were able to spend time with their family, work from home, or have more time to work on their goals but all those reasons hit different for homes that were broken due to death, jobs that were lost, and inspiration that was drowned by all the wrong in the world.

The racial injustice served as red icing on our chocolate cake ... After being forced into quarantine and to only hear the disproportionate numbers of Black Americans murdered by police rise (and covid 19), millions of MASKED protesters needed to fight for all of the black lives that were lost and not just the three (1) Ahmad Arbery (2) George Floyd (3) Breonna Taylor the media highlighted. Way before the hashtag BLACK LIVES MATTERED, maybe not to everyone but for Black Americans life is different and we know and live it 365 days a year (with an additional dreadful day in 2020) but it's a matter of getting others to wake up and hear us. I don't always like to fight but when I do you better believe it's for justice.  

My Cousin Aiden Stinson on Juneteenth 2020

I always knew the internet and robots would take over but never in this way and not this early. My overindulgence with social media has tripled during quarantine (my iPhone does not ding when it displays my screen time it screams in agony). The World Wide Web began to feel more connected than the www in the URL: with the help of tik tok billion's around the globe began sharing their culture and comical genius as if we were all in a high school lunchroom on diversity day.

My average screen time for the last week of 2020.

We Did it America, the Election is finally over! After an exhausting two years, we can finally be done with the harassment of everyone telling us to VOTE. But who knew the election everyone waited for would continue for so long even after the results announcement (and that itself took an additional four days to announce that). Nevertheless, 2020 showed us there is strength in numbers (with the implementation of social distancing). No systematic oppression or panoramic (PANDEMIC if you want to be technical) can stop sweet democracy. 

My Aunt Marie Anderson (57) voting for the first time in her life

2020 is over and I'm over discussing the tragic year which left many down and out. I learned to tackle the year one day; if we keep discussing 2020 and all the bad it caused the good in 2021 won't get the recognition it deserves. 

New Year New Me

When in doubt, manifest it out! 2021 is the year of redemption after everything the world faced in year you know know what. Don't overwhelm yourself by reflecting on the past year and trying to figure out a way to overcome the chaos, if you're reading this in 2021 you already overcame it you just have to take it one step at a time. Last year can't stop my positivity or flow for this year because I'm mentally prepared for any and everything, Including another quarantine, Classified Alien information, and a super strand of Covid-19. 

I'm optimistic before anything and you should be too here's why:

(1) In 2000 George Bush was elected president which upset the general population (2) September 11, 2001, the most gruesome attack on American soil killed nearly 3,000 citizens (3) In 2004 President Bush was reelected which upset the general population again (4) In 2015 the Emmanuel 9 Massacre was yet another mass shooting occurred. 

The one thing all these events have in common was that time waited for no one to recuperate, many people rolled with the punches and the days went on which forced many to move on as well. It is not the tragedy itself that defines a person or group it's the way they recover and learn from the situation. 

Move over, Joe you're blocking Ma'dam Vice President Kamala Harris shot! Since 2016 I've been waiting for a new president, not to dismiss Donald Trump and all his accomplishments (cues jeopardy music) but to experiment with a new administration to see for myself -as a first-time voter and young adult in the free world- if change can happen with new (and old) faces.

I am hopeful that the Biden-Harris administration completes the long list of promises in their 4-year term. However, we still don't have the promised wall; I understand the farfetched ideas including free college and the cancellation of student loans won't happen overnight but I would like to see legislation be passed to create the foundation for the next administration to pick up on.

2021 is here and I am in it for the long run with goals that reflect the person I want to become! I want to open my mind to new ideas and philosophies to diversify my thoughts. Another goal of mine is to begin creating the plots for my scripted series that is set to premiere in 2025. Lastly, I would like to advocate for people with ADHD, LGBTQ+, and African American communities.  

Three Chakra Balancing incense Yellow (Solar Plexus) Purple (Crown) and Green (Heart) on New Years Eve

That's all for now on 2021, we shall meet one another back at Club Confabulate on December 31st to reflect on the year and reset for 2022! I wish everyone a prosperous 2021 and remember every day is a new year you don't have to wait to January to enact change, start today and stick to it.