Levin Kololyan
The Republican Party has, for the first time in its 150 year existence, chosen NYC as the site for the 2004 Republican National Convention. As the Republicans continue to set up for the convention inside Madison Square Garden, home to the New York Knicks and Rangers, the native New Yorkers are desperately trying to relocate somewhere outside of the city. On the other side, the Democrats remain poised to protest in large masses throughout the streets of Time Square. The unstoppable large influx of Republican supporters, as well as protestors, has forced the city to take extreme measures, in regard to trafficking, but most importantly terrorism. Not only is lower Manhattan enormously chaotic as a result of the convention, but it is unfortunately surrounded by high profile terrorist target sites, such as the Ritz-Carlton.
Even though there is a lot negativity surrounding New York City as the last week of August comes to a close, it is very hard not to immerse oneself in the excitement surrounding the political convention and NYC. New York City offers many different learning opportunities to anyone who is willing to expose oneself to new things. As a native New Yorker, I really believed that I knew all there was to know about Manhattan, but after we went on a tour of the financial district during our first week, I soon came to realize that there is much more about NYC available to learn.
Posted October 22, 2004
