Brogan Honey King: A Different Outlook

Usually, a Venetian glass necklace is hanging from her neck, but today this piece of jewelry is missing.
Sitting comfortable on the oversize lounge chair in the Tech Center at Temple University she picks a loose string of the fabric. Along with her tie-dye shirt, unbuttoned oversized maroon cardigan, and blue jeans, her light brown hair is tied back in a loose pony-tail.
Last Thursday night, on March 19, while walking down Washington Avenue near 13th street in Philadelphia, Brogan Honey King was robbed. She was put it a headlock and thrown on the ground before two men covered her face with her own scarf and ripped her purse off her arm.
King was stripped of personal belongings both replaceable and irreplaceable and the two men were never found. Yet, only a few days after the incident there is no evidence of anger or frustration as she tells the story of what happened. Instead, there is only a sense understanding and sympathy for the criminals.
As a college student she believes most student victims of crime are targeted. She says residents of the urban ghetto thrive off of naïve college students because, “they don’t have any money, don’t have a job, and there is no other way”. She believes the items stolen, which she assumes will be sold for money, will help them in their financial struggles and she feels that they deserve a break. This outlook isn’t of a typical college student who falls victim to crime.
This open-mindedness has allowed King to adjust from life in the small town of Milford, Delaware, and be successful by jumping on every new and exciting opportunity that has come her way in the city of Philadelphia while helping others along the way.
As an out-of-state student, she pays for most of the expenses on her own, she said. In addition to the costly tuition, she has to pay rent each month at her house on the corner of Spring Garden and Mt. Vernon. Because of high living and college expenses she must juggle two part time jobs.
King is a server, but she is not the average server. King works on the Spirit of Philadelphia, a ship that cruises over the Delaware River. Wearing a Polo t-shirt and a Hawaiian lay, she serves her customers alcohol with a smile while trying to keep her balance and not spill the colorful drinks on the swaying ship. The typical serving atmosphere is not present on the Spirit of Philadelphia.
King mentioned there isn’t a turnover like at traditional restaurants, “once you get on the boat those are your guest for three hours,” she said. Therefore, she had to learn to deal with every customer and get comfortable around many different types of people.
Kings uses these skills in her everyday life.
One late night after her shift on the Spirit of Philadelphia, she was on her way home when she saw a man lying on the side of the road near the river. She was concerned about his well-being and asked him if he needed help. He appeared to be drunk and when he stood up she noticed there was blood coming from slits on his wrists. She didn’t panic or run away from the situation, she simply called the police and did not leave his side until they arrived.
She puts herself in danger for the well-being of others. When asked if she was frightened, she replied, “I was scared but more scared for him.”
King also does promotions for Philly weekly. She worked with Philly Weekly at the Beer Fest from March 6 to March 15. During this time she did promotions for the newspapers by giving away free merchandise such as beer openers and movie tickets. Her job is to promote the paper by getting to know people, something King loves to do.
Brogan Honey King, 20 is a small town girl who loves the big city. She lived in South Jersey for 5 years until she moved to Delaware with her family. Her father is a Mercedes Benz mechanic and her mother is a school teacher. She is the middle child and very close to her family.
She was raised on art and music and is in love with concerts and the Grateful Dead. During her years in high school she volunteered at summer camps as a craft shop director. She also made her prom dress out of duck tape.
She began Temple as an advertising major but switched to Communications. She wants to have a career involving art.
She loves being around people. She spends a lot of her time with her boyfriend Collin O’Brien or hanging out with her lady friends. She loves living close to the Philadelphia Art Museum and can be seen riding her bike back and forth to and from classes.
King is an open-minded, warm-hearted individual. She is a diamond in the rough. Her boyfriend exclaimed, “She is not like other girls, she is actually nice, and my parents love her”. He is thankful for having her in his life and added, “She’s so sweet, she buys me cookies.” His favorite thing about King is the “southern twang” in her voice.
Nothing can be taken away from Brogan Honey King that will change her positive outlook on life. Even the Venetian glass necklace that meant so much to her did not dwindle her spirits when it was taken out of her possession. With a smile on her face she is always waiting to wave and say hello. Her boyfriend says, “She’s just real, you know.” He believes one cannot find another female like Brogan Honey King.

Class project for Writing for Journalism Freshman Year