A collection of insights and inspiration from the 2019 University of Oregon Advertising New York Creative Week trip

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IN MEMORIAM.I didn’t think visiting the 9/11 memorial would affect me this much. As I trailed my fingers over the engraved names of the many lives cut short, I couldn’t help but recall where I was at that moment. I was six years old when the attacks...

IN MEMORIAM.

I didn’t think visiting the 9/11 memorial would affect me this much. As I trailed my fingers over the engraved names of the many lives cut short, I couldn’t help but recall where I was at that moment. I was six years old when the attacks happened. I remember sitting at the kitchen table with my mom when the phone started to ring. At the time, I was too young to comprehend the magnitude of the events, but I understood from the immediacy of my mom’s tears that something terrible had happened. That much I knew. From the tone of her cries, in that moment I thought, “Dad must be dead.” What else could cause her this much distress? I remember her running to turn on the television, only to view in horror as the second plane hurtled towards the towers. I couldn’t grasp it at the time, but in looking back I recognize that it was in this moment that my innocence was lost. Call me naive, (I was; erm, am), but before that day I had truly believed that ALL people strove to be a source of light and love in the darkness of the world. I had never seen something so… horrible. In that moment, my young eyes were opened to the savagery of mankind. In that moment of terror, the world changed. And I changed too.

Aiden Long

5.12.17

SMILE.

People don’t smile in New York.

That’s the first thing I noticed as I rode the subway fresh off the plane. As I took in the scene, I saw the expressions of those around me were resigned in the face of the daily commute. I took this as a personal challenge. I made it my mission to smile at my co-passengers, and not stop until I got a smile back. And I did.

And I felt better.

Aiden Long

5.8.17

Fear.

I’m here. I guess this is really happening. Cold feet don’t do justice to the apprehension I felt the night of my departure. Filling my iPhone with notes telling of my worry did little to alleviate the stress I felt, (big shocker, right?) but upon landing, I felt strangely at peace. I’m prepared. I’m ready for this. And I’m hungry. Not to prove that I know everything, because believe me, I don’t. I’m hungry for the opportunity to engage with brilliant minds that actively play a role in shaping our culture. As I close my eyes, the flicker of anxiety remains. At least tonight, there is no room for self-doubt. I’m here, I’m committed, and I won’t back down now.

Aiden Long

5.6.17

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