Like many kids, 12-year-old Gordon Crawford is a big fan of the Internet. Gordon, a seventh grader at Baton Rouge International School, used his love of the Internet to learn about vexillology, or the study of flags and their history, symbolism and use.
Gordon’s mom, Rachel Crawford, says his interest in flags began with the online comic strip Polandball, in which world countries are drawn as balls like their flags. “He gets interested in something, and he just deep dives into it and gets really passionate about it,” she says. “He wants to learn everything there is to learn about it, and so he does.”
Once Gordon knew the cardinal rules of flag design, he started evaluating different flags, including the Ascension Parish flag, which breaks some rules. He then spent nearly two months researching parish history and designing new options. Gordon and his dad, Keith Crawford, drove around the parish looking for symbols to use, including a jambalaya pot, sun, and a chemical plant.
Gordon contacted the parish president and council chairman and was invited to present at a council meeting where he received a standing ovation. The parish posted a survey on its website to allow citizen input, and Gordon will continue working with a council member to try and enact an official change to the flag.
A member of his school’s technology team, Gordon also loves history, gaming, and has started to get interested in cooking. With his research skills and impressive initiative, Gordon is one amazing kid.
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