Dai Ja’ Norman normandjs@vcu.edu | 757-439-4212 | clippings.me/users/daijanorman

Education

Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications | December 2017 Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA GPA: 3.5 | Dean’s List | Globe

Multimedia Journalism Experience

Radio Experience

Capital News Service, VCU, Richmond, VA– Digital Journalist • Reported from the Virginia State Capital on the General Assembly session convened on January 11, 2017 • Filed seven stories for Capital News Services using multimedia journalism for rural, urban, and suburban news outlets • Wrote stories with graphics on Day of Tears, Dyslexia, and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome that circulated across Virginia

Graphics for Journalism • Used Adobe InDesign and Photoshop to create infographics and visual communications for news • Focused on learning creative typographic and layout design principles and integrated multimedia publishing • Developed skills in graphic creation and digital image for professional publishing used in newspaper and magazine

journalism Broadcast Writing

• Constructed a feature news story on Richmond natural hairstylist • Interviewed stylist and presented feature on YouTube • Published the story on YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZG_HTpfrHQ

Advanced News Gathering • Developed a hard news story on the budget cuts made by the 2016 Virginia General Assembly in programs supporting

people with brain injury • Researched the budget cuts, the reasons behind the budget cuts, and the number of people in Virginia using brain injury

resources from the state • Interviewed the director of the Brain Injury Association and a veteran living with ongoing recovery from a brain injury • Published the news story on YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZJ8EK3kNzg&t=1s

WVCW Student Radio, Richmond, VA – Radio host June – Dec 2016

• Announced musical selections, station breaks, commercials, and public service information • Implemented radio segments that would be broadcasted weekly and operated control consoles. • Researched subject and compiled a list of interview question for the subject

Skills

Adobe Suite- Photoshop, Audition, and Premiere

Work Experience

Community Engagement

Programming Resource Center, VCU Residential Life and Housing, Richmond, VA – Programing Assistant June 2016 – present

• Assist residential life personnel with the creative process through brainstorming bulletin and program ideas • Perform front desk tasks (sign in/ sign out RAs, checkout/ check-in items) • Record and collect inventory into Excel spreadsheets

Tidewater Community College Library, Portsmouth, VA- Tech Support August 2014 – August 2015

• Oversaw the daily performance of computer systems • Answered user inquiries regarding computer software or hardware operation to resolve problems • Assisted students and patrons with technical problems

STAR Program, Quioccasin Middle School, Richmond, VA- Volunteer

Oct 2016 – Present

• Help 2-3 ESL middle school students comprehend and complete their homework in a weekly after school program • Assist students with speaking and reading in English • Provide a fun learning atmosphere

3/30/2017 Despite pain, student excels in class and in life

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‘My illness is not larger than my world’: Despite pain,student excels in class and in lifeDai Já Norman, Capital News ServicePublished: March 30, 2017, 3:12 pm  |  Updated: March 30, 2017, 3:14 pm

RICHMOND – Pictures of family members and friends and a British �ag cover the walls of her dorm

room at Virginia Commonwealth University. Anatomy textbooks, note cards and a Himalayan pink

salt crystal lamp occupy her desk.

On Majesta-Doré Legnini’s nightstand is an assortment of prescription and over-the-counter pill

bottles. She takes six pills every evening and one in the morning, along with three vitamin

supplements. “I am in pain every second of my life,” the 19-year-old sophomore says.

Legnini describes the feeling this way:

3/30/2017 Despite pain, student excels in class and in life

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“Imagine your legs are stuck between a bed frame and a box spring. And they are under the box

spring, and then there’s a mattress, and then there’s an anvil, and then there’s a 500-pound-man

sitting on top of the anvil playing a grand piano. That’s what it feels like.”

Legnini was recently diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos syndrome, a rare disorder that a򦩔icts

connective tissues and joints. But she has been �ghting through the pain as an honors student, a

double major (health science and political science) and a community volunteer, working with

homeless and mentally ill people.

Although EDS tries to slow her down, Legnini (pronounced lay-NEE-nee) lives a fast-paced life.

On campus, she is a member of the VCU Honors College and VCU Globe, a living and learning

program that focuses on global education and international experiences. She helps arrange

campus tours for the Undergraduate Admissions O�ce and leads Their Home RVA

(https://www.theirhomerva.org/), a website and student organization dedicated to improving

community relations – especially between VCU students and the homeless population.

Oꔌ� campus, Legnini is an intern at the Daily Planet (http://www.dailyplanetva.org/), which provides

health care and other services to homeless individuals and other people in need. She also is a

writer for The Mighty (https://themighty.com/), a website for people with disabilities, diseases,

mental illness and other challenges to share their stories.

Susan Sereke, advancement coordinator for the Daily Planet, said Legnini is a testimony to the

power of passion.

Legnini is driven by “her passion about the issues of health care and homelessness, and a desire to

improve the lives of others,” Sereke said.

About Ehlers Danlos syndrome

EDS is genetic. Symptoms can range from mildly loose joints and hyperelastic skin to debilitating

musculoskeletal pain and aortic dissection, a life-threatening heart condition. At least one in 5,000

people have some form of the illness, according to the Ehlers Danlos Society (http://ehlers-

danlos.com/), a support group.

Legnini says she has been wracked by pain from her earliest memories. As a child, she remembers

crying when she went on long walks. She was always prone to injuries when playing sports.

3/30/2017 Despite pain, student excels in class and in life

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Growing up, she sought medical attention numerous times, but doctors dismissed her complaints,

attributing them to growing pains. Last May, Legnini’s condition worsened, and she decided to try

her luck again by seeing another physician.

“Pain became more frequent,” Legnini recalled. “I felt weaker. I was getting exhausted by seemingly

simple activities. It started to become di�cult to concentrate, and most importantly PAIN, PAIN,

PAIN. It got more intense, more frequent, and made my life much more di�cult.”

After almost a year of doctor visits and road trips between Richmond and Manassas, a

rheumatologist diagnosed Legnini as having EDS. Legnini was already familiar with the illness: Her

best friend also has a form of EDS.

In fact, during high school, Legnini did a lot of research about the disease and even helped raise

money for the EDS research center in Maryland (http://www.gbmc.org/ehlers-danlos-syndrome-

eds). While researching the disease, Legnini thought she might have the symptoms but then

rejected that notion as a projection of her friend’s situation.

Many people, even physicians, are unfamiliar with EDS. So Legnini brings a binder explaining the

illness whenever she goes to see a doctor.

There is no cure for EDS; however, patients can take medication to reduce their pain and lower

their blood pressure. (High blood pressure is associated with the disease.)

Living with pain: ‘I see outside of my illness’

3/30/2017 Despite pain, student excels in class and in life

http://wric.com/2017/03/30/my­illness­is­not­larger­than­my­world­despite­pain­student­excels­in­class­and­in­life/ 4/6

Because of the constant pain, Legnini often must gauge whether she is well enough to leave her

bedroom. When the answer is no, she stays in her dorm and tries to get as much homework done

as she can.

Walking, cooking and writing are things that many people take for granted. But for EDS patients,

these tasks are not eꔌ�ortless. However, Legnini has found ways to overcome adversity.

She is enrolled in some online classes. Also, her older brother, Luciano Legnini, lives across the hall

in VCU Globe and can assist her with everyday tasks, such as lifting heavy objects, grabbing items

from a high shelf, cooking and cutting up food.

“She doesn’t want to portray herself as like this dependent,” Luciano Legnini said. “But I am here to

help, and I am always willing to help her.”

Majesta-Doré Legnini begins each day with an elaborate morning routine. It starts with her

cracking every joint in her body – a laborious process that alleviates some of the pain.

“I crack my back �rst, and then I move my knees and ankles so that they crack a little bit,” Legnini

said. “I crack my toes, and then my hands just crack constantly.”

Then she stretches for 10 minutes, showers and wraps her knees, ankles, and shoulders in KT tape

– a tape used for muscle, ligament and tendon pain relief and support. She gets dressed and grabs

breakfast that meets her diet restrictions – gluten free, sugar free and dairy free – before heading

out.

Legnini says it would be easy to play the victim and wallow in self-pity. She refuses to do so.

“I am not able to do some things,” she said. “And I know those things, and I don’t do those things.

But I am able to learn.”

Legnini plans to get a joint degree between VCU and the University of Richmond with a master’s in

health administration and a specialty in civil rights law. After college, she intends to advocate for

inclusive and accessible health care.

Her goal is to ensure that people from all walks of life have access to the health care system. She

won’t let her own disease de�ne her.

3/30/2017 Despite pain, student excels in class and in life

http://wric.com/2017/03/30/my­illness­is­not­larger­than­my­world­despite­pain­student­excels­in­class­and­in­life/ 5/6

8News Investigates: Essure removal troubles(http://wric.com/2017/02/16/8news-investigates-essure-removal-troubles/)

Local families share why they’re participating in Unity Ridefor Sickle Cell (http://wric.com/2017/02/27/local-families-share-why-theyre-participating-unity-ride-for-sickle-cell/)

Some of the youngest opioid victims are curious toddlers(http://wric.com/2017/03/23/some-of-the-youngest-opioid-victims-are-curious-toddlers/)

“I see outside of my illness,” Legnini said. “But my illness is inside of everything I do. And so, the

world is larger than my illness, but my illness is not larger than my world.”

Never miss another Facebook post from 8News (http://wric.com/2016/10/11/never-miss-another-

facebook-post-from-8news/)

Find 8News on Twitter (https://twitter.com/8NEWS), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/8News/),

and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/8news/); send your news tips to iReport8@wric.com

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Dai Já Norman | Emporia Newsemporianews.com/tags/dai-j%C3%A1-norman

Documenting the forgotten contributions of black legislators

By Dai Já Norman, Capital News Service

RICHMOND – At the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1867-1868, James Carter, who represented Chesterfieldand Powhatan counties, introduced a resolution requiring students to attend public school for at least three months ayear.

Also at the convention, James William D. Bland, who represented Appomattox and Prince Edward counties, called

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for guaranteeing the right of “every person to enter any college, seminary, or other public institution of learning, asstudents, upon equal terms with any other, regardless of race, color, or previous condition.”

In the Virginia House of Delegates in 1879, Johnson Collins, who represented Brunswick County, advocatedeliminating the poll tax that prevented many people from voting. He also called for reducing the public debt.

Carter, Bland and Collins were among the first African-American legislators in Virginia. Their biographies are part ofan online database that state officials are compiling to ensure that these political figures and their contributionsaren’t lost to history.

Created by the state’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission, the database currently features onlyReconstruction-era legislators but eventually will include all African-American members of the General Assembly upto the present day.

The database is the brainchild of Brenda Edwards, a staff member for the Division of Legislative Services assignedto the MLK Commission. While doing research years ago, she came across the names of African-American menwho participated in the Underwood Constitutional Convention in 1867-68 and in the House of Delegates and Senateof Virginia during Reconstruction.

“I inadvertently made the discovery when fulfilling a research request” from a legislator who wanted to honor aformer lawmaker, Edwards said. “I brought my discovery to the attention of the member who requested the research,who requested that the chairman of the MLK Commission add the creation of the database to the commission’s workplan for the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education.”

Most Virginians don’t know about the African-Americans who were elected to serve in state government in the yearsshortly after the Civil War. So the MLK Commission decided to take on the task of creating the database. Edwards,former Secretary of Administration Viola Baskerville and the Library of Virginia conducted the research.

According to the commission, Virginia is the only state that has researched and commemorated its early African-American legislators through such a project.

When reading the biographies of black legislators, it is easy to notice that chunks of information are missingcompared with their white counterparts. This was due to the blatant discrimination and prejudice during that era.Black men were sometimes former slaves or descendants of slaves, and it was common for them to lack birthcertificates, marriage licenses or other documentation.

That has made it hard to acquire well-rounded information on the legislators.

“In constructing the database, the primary challenge was the accuracy of and access to information because little ifany information concerning African-American history, culture, achievements, contributions, education, sociopoliticalstatus and biographies was preserved during the slavery and Reconstruction eras, and prior to the civil rightsmovement,” Edwards said.

“It was difficult for pioneering African-American historians to chronicle the history of black people. Due to the cultureduring the periods of the ‘Black Codes’ and Jim Crow, curators of African-American history and culture were basicallynonexistent.”

The MLK Commission started compiling the database in 2004. In 2013, to celebrate the sesquicentennial of theEmancipation Proclamation, the commission launched the website with a roll call of the African-Americans elected tothe Constitutional Convention of 1867-1868 and to the General Assembly during Reconstruction from 1869 to 1890.

Around that time, however, Virginia and other Southern states enacted legislation known as “Black Codes” to thwartthe newfound freedoms of former slaves – for example, by imposing poll taxes, literacy tests and elaborate

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registration systems to keep African-Americans from voting. As a result, from 1890 until the late 1960s, African-Americans were not represented in the Virginia General Assembly.

Finally, in 1967, William Ferguson Reid, a Richmond doctor and civil rights leader, was elected to the Virginia Houseof Delegates.

Edwards is currently researching the African-Americans legislators in the 20th and 21st century so they can beadded to the database in the coming months.

More on the web

To learn more about African-Americans who have served as legislators in Virginia, visithttp://mlkcommission.dls.virginia.gov/lincoln/african_americans.html

Editor's Note: Though not included in the Capitol News Service Article, GreensvilleCounty was represented both at the Constitutional Convention and in the GeneralAssembly by an African American. Peter K. Jones (pictured left)represented Greensville and Sussex counties in the Constitutional Convention of 1867–1868 and then served four terms in the House of Delegates (1869–1877).Born free in Petersburg, he first acquired property in 1857. Soon after the end ofthe American Civil War (1861–1865), he became active in politics and began urgingblacks to become self-sufficient and advocating for black suffrage and unity. He movedto Greensville County about 1867, and that same year he won a seat at the conventionrequired by the Reconstruction Acts to write a new state constitution. A member of theconvention's radical faction, Jones voted in favor of granting the vote to African Americanmen and against segregating public schools. He represented Greensville County for fourconsecutive terms from 1869 to 1877. During his time in office he worked tirelessly toprotect the rights of African Americans. By 1881 Jones had moved to Washington, D.C., and he continued his workin support of African American interests and of the Republican Party. He died in Washington in 1895. You may readmore about Peter K. Jones in the Enclycopedia Virginia.

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Assembly passes bill to help dyslexic students

By Dai Ja Norman, Capital News Service

RICHMOND – Virginia school districts would have to have reading specialists trained in helping students withdyslexia under a bill passed by the General Assembly as its 2017 session drew to a close.

The Senate and House on Friday both voted unanimously in favor of SB 1516, sponsored by Sen. Richard Black, R-Loudoun. The legislation now goes to Gov. Terry McAuliffe for his signature.

The bill requires that if a local school board employs reading specialists, at least one must have expertise inidentifying and teaching students with dyslexia or a related disorder. That expert then would serve as a resource forother teachers in the school district.

Experts say about one in 10 children may have dyslexia – a disorder that makes it difficult to learn to read orinterpret words, letters and other symbols. To a child with dyslexia, for example, the words “Read this” might looklike “Raed tihs.”

Virginia school divisions are not required to employ reading specialists, but most do. Lynn Smith, for example, is areading specialist for the Henrico County Public Schools. She said students who have dyslexia face significant

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challenges.

“Reading really is that foundational skill, and students who struggle to read struggle across all academic subjects,”Smith said.

A misconception about dyslexia is that the students with the disorder lack intelligence. In fact, Smith said, “Oftenthose children are extremely bright.” The problem, she said, is “that they’re really struggling with breaking down thatcode on the page.”

Donice Davenport, director of exceptional education for Henrico schools, said support goes a long way for thesestudents.

“It is important for students with dyslexia to receive targeted instruction directly related to their disability needs,”Davenport said.

“Since dyslexia exists along a continuum of severity and complexity, each student may require a different level ofsupport and service. Many students with dyslexia do well within the general education classroom with only a smalllevel of support. Some students require additional systematic, explicit instruction provided in a multi-sensory way inorder to learn to read and make progress in reading.”

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Support grows for bills to whack bamboo

By Dai Já Norman, Capital News Service

RICHMOND – Bamboo is known as a symbol of good luck, but many Virginia residents aren’t feeling so lucky aboutits showing up in their yards.

Golden bamboo, scientifically known as Phyllostachys aurea, is a weed and a force to be reckoned with, especiallywhen it has invaded state parks and other public land as well as private property.

The state Senate and House of Delegates have taken note and are taking a whack at the plant.

The House Counties, Cities and Towns Committee voted 20-0 Friday to approve a bill declaring golden bamboo anoxious weed and authorizing localities to control it. HB 2154 now goes to the full House for consideration.

The Senate already has passed a similar measure, SB 964, by Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Augusta County.

Bamboo is infamous for wrapping itself around native plants’ roots. Then the rapidly spreading weed quicklydominates the invaded environment, sometimes taking over acres of land.

The vigorous plant is tolerant to drought, and exterminating it is a laborious process. According to experts, to get ridof golden bamboo, you must apply herbicide and dig up the roots, which can extend a foot underground. You can tryto mow the plant to death, but it may take a couple of years before it is fully gone.

SB 964 would authorize “any locality to adopt ordinances requiring proper upkeep of running bamboo and prohibitingthe spread of running bamboo from a landowner’s property, with violations punishable by a civil penalty of $50.”Property owners who ignore the violations could be fined as much as $3,000 over the course of a year.

The bill includes running bamboo in the category of “other foreign growth” that existing law allows localities toregulate and in some cases to cut.

HB 2154, introduced by Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, also targets bamboo. It “designates golden bamboo as a

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House Panel OKs ‘Day of Tears’ Resolution

By Dai Já Norman, Capital News Service

RICHMOND – Opponents of abortion rights won a victory Monday when the House Rules Committee approved aresolution to designate the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision as a “Day of Tears.”

The committee voted 10 to 4, along party lines, to send the resolution, introduced by Republican Dels. BenjaminCline of Amherst and Richard Bell of Staunton, to the full House of Delegates.

Democratic Dels. Kenneth Plum of Reston, David J. Toscano of Charlottesville, Jeion A. Ward of Hampton andBetsy B. Carr voted against the resolution. The chairman of the House Rules Committee, House Speaker William J.Howell of Stafford, did not vote.

The resolution, HR 268, would recognize Jan. 22 as the Day of Tears. It was on Jan. 22, 1973, that the SupremeCourt declared that the U.S. Constitution protects a woman’s right to have an abortion.

The resolution reads: “Since that fateful day, over 58 million unborn children have perished; now, therefore, be itresolved, that January 22 shall be called the Day of Tears in Virginia and that the citizens of the Commonwealth ofVirginia are encouraged to lower their flags to half-staff to mourn the innocents who have lost their lives to abortion.”

Members of an anti- abortion organization with the same name as the bill, A Day of Tears, said lowering the flags tohalf-staff would open a dialogue about abortion.

Diana Shores, the social media director for Day of Tears, said she was pleased with the committee’s action and wasoptimistic for the future of resolution.

“I’ve got a lot of support,” Shores said. “We’ve lobbied almost all of the House of Delegates so it [HR 268] should bedoing well.”

Cline said he was glad to help the organization achieve its goal. However, he said there has been somemisinterpretation of the resolution by a few citizens.

“There are some [people] who misunderstand it and think that is somehow an official date, and that state agencieswould be required to lower their flags or something like that. It’s not,” Cline said.

“It’s a simple expression of the House’s support for the work of a nonprofit – something that we do countless timesthroughout the year.”

However, Tarina Keene, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, said the resolution is detrimental towomen who have exercised their right to make a conscious decision to get an abortion.

“Unfortunately, it’s a shame that Ben Cline feels like he needs to shame women for making a decision that they feelis right for themselves and their family,” Keene said. “Certainly, we [NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia] feel like womenshould be respected and trusted when they have made a decision to terminate a pregnancy. And what this bill doesis basically disgusting.”

The members of the House Rules Committee who voted for the resolution were Republican Dels. Steven Landes ofVerona, Terry Kilgore of Gate City, Lee Ware of Powhatan, Chris Jones of Suffolk, Bobby Orrock of Thornburg, BarryKnight of Virginia Beach, Riley Ingram of Hopewell, Jimmie Massie of Richmond and Gregory Habeeb of Salem, aswell as House Majority Leader M. Kirkland Cox of Colonial Heights.

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Local

Support grows for bills towhack bamboo

By Dai Ja Norman | AP February 8

RICHMOND, Va. — Bamboo is known as a symbol of good luck, but many Virginia residents aren’t feeling so lucky about its

showing up in their yards.

Golden bamboo, scientifically known as Phyllostachys aurea, is a weed and a force to be reckoned with, especially when it

invades state parks and other public land as well as private property.

The state Senate and House of Delegates have taken note and are taking a whack at the plant.

On Tuesday, the House unanimously approved HB 2154, a bill declaring golden bamboo a noxious weed and authorizing

localities to control it. The Senate already has passed a similar measure, SB 964, by Sen. Emmett Hanger, R­Augusta County.

The two chambers still must agree on the exact wording of the legislation before it can be sent to Gov. Terry McAuliffe to be

signed into law.

Bamboo is infamous for wrapping itself around the roots of native plants. Then the rapidly spreading weed quickly dominates

the environment, sometimes taking over acres of land.

Bamboo is tolerant to drought, and exterminating it is a laborious process. According to experts, to get rid of golden bamboo,

you must apply herbicide and dig up the roots, which can extend a foot underground. You can try to mow the plant to death,

but it may take a couple of years before it is fully gone.

SB 964 would authorize “any locality to adopt ordinances requiring proper upkeep of running bamboo and prohibiting the

spread of running bamboo from a landowner’s property, with violations punishable by a civil penalty of $50.” Property owners

who ignore the violations could be fined as much as $3,000 over the course of a year.

The bill includes running bamboo in the category of “other foreign growth” that existing law allows localities to regulate and in

some cases to cut.

HB 2154, introduced by Del. Sam Rasoul, D­Roanoke, also targets bamboo. It “designates golden bamboo as a noxious weed

and authorizes any locality to adopt an ordinance to prevent, control, and abate the growth, importation, or spread of golden

 

bamboo.”

Rasoul, whose bill won a unanimously endorsement from the House Counties, Cities and Towns Committee, said his

constituents have expressed a lot of concern about the weed.

“All of the cases we heard are all across western Virginia,” Rasoul said. “But then there was somebody in the committee that

talked about something in Fairfax.”

Invasive species are a major concern in Virginia. The Senate also has passed a bill targeting the snakehead fish.

SB 906, introduced by Sen. Scott Surovell, D­Fairfax, would prohibit people from introducing a snakehead from any location

into state waters. Current law prohibits the introduction of snakeheads only from outside the commonwealth. Violators would

be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has been sounding the alarm about snakeheads since they were

discovered in the state in 2004. The fish, which resembles a snake and is native to parts of Asia and Africa, is “very abundant in

all of Virginia’s tidal tributaries to the Potomac River,” the DGIF says. Snakeheads also have colonized several creeks in the

Rappahannock River system.

The snakehead is a predator that eats other fish, crustaceans, frogs, insects, small reptiles, birds and mammals and can take

over a body of water, according to a DGIF factsheet. Since 2002, it has been illegal to own a snakehead fish without a permit

from the state agency.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or

redistributed.

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