Rivers faces endless day

21-year-old Larry O. Rivers bustles about in preparation for the next day, usually at 3 a.m. “There is nothing worse than the feeling of having wasted time,” said Rivers.

He’s writing speeches, reviewing class notes, ironing clothes.

He said his father always told him to “stay ready to keep from getting ready,”

And after midnight is when Rivers he prepares.

“That boy is real busy,” said his father Larry Rivers who is currently the interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Ever since he was a child [Rivers] has stayed busy with various projects.”

Today Rivers is the deputy chief of staff to the Student Government Association president, an author, a member of the NAACP, a member of the Beta Nu chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, a community activist, and a recently an elected city official.

On Jan. 7, he was sworn in as the youngest member of the Ochlocknee River Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors. In this position he and fellow board members make suggestions about the bodies of water in Leon County.

Sounds like a machine, but at 5’8” and 155 pounds, he is a man, one who likes to seize every minute of every day.

His typical day begins at 10 a.m. He starts with a shower, breakfast and the online editions of the St. Petersburg Times and the Tallahassee Democrat.

Then he comes to campus, where his first stop is the SGA office to check messages and learn what tasks he will complete for the day.

Andre Hammel, SGA president said Rivers, “serves in an advisement capacity.”

“His role is an integral one,” Hammel said.

Hammel described Rivers as the senior cabinet member who has done wonders for his cabinet and the one he sends to represent him at the president’s council.

However, his goals exceed politics and school performance. He has already written a book on the history of the FAMU law school, as well as other historical papers.

In the future he said he wants to be a historian author, teacher, producer of film documentaries and feature films and follow the political process wherever it leads him.

“If he sits still too long,” said his father, “that’s when I get worried. He’s just filled with energy.”

Chaundra Perkins

chaundrap@yahoo.com