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by Adam Wagner
“I recently spent four days in Raleigh, a city where farms and the outdoors slowly grow into buildings and one way streets. Not having spent much time in Raleigh, I did not know what to expect. I was there for a Teen TV program sponsored by the Museum of Natural Sciences. Everyday I would wake up, drive through the streets of Raleigh, and attend this program where I learned about video production and reporting. Not all cities have the ingenuity to involve youth in the city’s future.
The program included talks by WRAL staff at the Duke Lemur Center, and a trip to the Durham Bulls baseball game, both of which are resources less than an hour away. In the evenings, when the workshop was over for the day, my Raleigh host took me to Umstead Park. In fifteen minutes, we left urban communities and passed N.C. State-owned farms and agricultural centers. Just a few minutes later, I was running on one of the park’s many trails, immersed in nature and its splendor. I ran past horses, other runners, bikers, and walkers, all enjoying the space preserved for them.
Raleigh is not a city of sky scrapers, but neither is it a small quaint town. I enjoyed my time there, and want to thank those who made it worth the trip.”