Seismograph registering 5.3
History in school was elementary, the teen having been grounded in history all of his exogenous years, his Mother deep-seating him in the charting of the past with the introduction of historical novels, both fiction and nonfiction at a very young age. Gary having discovered the reading of history in novel-form lead to an inquisition of passages’ and an audit of written events providing a never-ending journey of exploration. School instruction of historical accounts were never in-depth, but did present an overview of the timeline. The teen enjoying American History, especially three years prior in Miss Bonham’s eighth grade junior high class presentation of California history, finding the abbreviated historical deliberation of the founding and settlement of the City of Oakland interesting.
Margaret Lamping – Biology and American History Teacher
Miss. Lampings’ first semester eleventh grade American History I Class paralleled past learning sessions, beginning with the founding of the nation and culminating with the civil war. The class participation having fought and won the battle of the revolutionary war and elected George Washington as the first president of the new constitutional republic of the United States of America. Subsequently in the class timeline Thomas Jefferson is now the current president, having just purchasing over 800,000 square miles of land from the French, rightfully designated as the Louisiana purchase. The class instructed to submit a paper or oral report on a historical person or event thus far experienced in this historical travel thru time. Gary was considering the two options, long ago having made a grade enhancing homework discovery, the insertion of illustrations tended to contribute to a better grade. His other alternative was more demanding, but could attain a higher resolve if properly structured, it was an oral report, a standup presentation before the class. Gary having recently attended the Charleston Heston movie, “The Far Horizon”, the story of the Lewis & Clark expedition and with Miss Lampings history class timeline coinciding with the theatrical presentations release, its impression still abiding the decision was made, an oral report.
Scene from the movie The Far Horizon’s
Lewis and Clark Expedition
Gary making ready, having prepared a large map outlining the path of the expedition to be hung on the blackboard, using color map marker pins to highlight different locations of interest, with formable information about each. With his mounted display and notes in hand, standing before the class ready to transport his classmates on this exploratory campaign with Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The journey From St. Charles Missouri commenced, the expedition continuing until the winter weather set in, enabling the constructing of Fort Mandan in North Dakota. The oral report was progressing when Mother Nature intervened.
It started with a very familiar sound, the rumbling having only one meaning, issuing a warning of what would follow. Gary discerning the movement of the room, its contents in fluctuation, time seeming to come to a standstill, the building and surroundings giving a deepening moaning cry as if suddenly awakened from inactivity, sounding an objection to the disturbance. The classroom inheriting a rhythmic motion that intensified, Gary, noticing the alarmed look on Miss Lampings face, her eyes widened, sensing she wanted to react, but stood frozen as if waiting for instructions. Looking across the room, many of the students attempting to huddle beneath their desk, other rising with a confused hesitant look questioning whether to remain or exit. The earth’s ascension continuing for what seemed like a an endless duration before coming to a halt, for a brief moment an eerie silence prevailed, followed by the clamor of nervous voices. Gary resuming and upon completion notification came, classes would be suspended for the remainder of the school day to make an assessment of earthquake damage to the building. Gary concluding, his oral report was earth-shaking.
Inquisitive Quest 
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