Ben Schumin

22 photos

On January 30, 2010, the Maryland State Police-sponsored Polar Bear Plunge event took place at Sandy Point State Park near Annapolis, Maryland. The event, where participants ran into the Chesapeake Bay in winter, raised money for the Special Olympics. The weather for this event was fitting, if also unfortunate, as the event took place as a snowstorm was dropping several inches of snow over the mid-Atlantic region. Event organizers made sure to make a day out of the event, because along with the main event, there was food, games, and live entertainment, both inside the tents and out on a stage overlooking the beach.

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37 photos

"Snowmageddon", a pair of two large winter storms that blanketed the east coast of the United States with several feet of snow only a few days apart. Photographed mostly from my home in Aspen Hill, Maryland.

17 photos

Funk the War 9 was an anti-war demonstration held in Washington DC on March 19, 2010, the seventh anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq. The demonstration was organized by the DC chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). Like all "Funk the War" style demonstrations, this demonstration took the form of a radical street party. Sound equipment was carried on a cart, and participants, mostly college-aged, demonstrated in opposition to the war and in support of public education.

More at The Schumin Web:
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7 photos

Anti-war march in downtown Washington, DC on March 20, 2010.

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11 photos

A visit by anti-war activists to Cindy Sheehan's "Camp Out Now" demonstration on the National Mall in Washington DC, and then participation in the pro-immigration March for America, held on the National Mall on March 21, 2010.

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28 photos

James Madison University (JMU) is a public comprehensive university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. I attended JMU from 1999 to 2003, and graduated in December 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration. On Monday, April 5, 2010, I returned to JMU for a visit, on a beautiful day in early spring, with the campus in full bloom. While on campus, I got to say hello to a few of my old professors, had lunch at D-Hall, and explored around a bit. In exploring around campus, I found that a lot of things had changed in seven years’ time. However, other things looked exactly the same as they did the day I finished. Some buildings on campus were new since I had graduated. Some buildings looked different inside and out since my college days. Some buildings, particularly across South Main Street, weren’t there anymore, having been demolished to make way for new buildings.

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4 photos

Interstate 81 northbound, photographed April 6, 2010.

67 photos

A railfan outing on the Orange Line of the Washington DC Metro system, photographed May 1, 2010.

32 photos

A visit to Boston, Massachusetts, May 29-31, 2010. Events included demonstrations against the Church of Scientology, a zombie walk, and tours of the city.

More at The Schumin Web:
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38 photos

Visit to Chicago, Illinois, July 18-24, 2010.

34 photos

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a tribute to those who served in the United States Armed Forces in the Vietnam War, located on the National Mall in Washington DC. While opinion is divided about whether we should have even gone to fight in Vietnam at all, the conflict had a human toll in lives that were cut short by war. The memorial was designed by Maya Lin in 1981, and dedicated on November 13, 1982. The memorial’s design consists of two gabbro walls embedded in the ground, with one wall pointing towards the Washington Monument, and the other pointing towards the Lincoln Memorial. Etched in the wall are the names of servicemembers who either died in the war or were missing in action.

More at The Schumin Web:
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31 photos

The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear was a quasi-political rally held on October 30, 2010 in Washington DC featuring comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, and sponsored by Comedy Central. With both comedians’ shows being distinctly political, having a rally in Washington DC seemed a logical extension of the concept. The rally was initially announced as two (intentionally) competing events – the Rally to Restore Sanity with Jon Stewart, and the Rally to Keep Fear Alive with Stephen Colbert. Ultimately, these two events were combined into one single event on the National Mall, about four blocks west of the Capitol.

More at The Schumin Web:
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18 photos

Photos taken at Arlington National Cemetery, December 29, 2010.