My Summer Plans

Sorry it has been so long since my last post.

As you can see from other bloggers, Commencement was wonderful.  My roommates and I were able to complete almost all of our bucket list so we wrote off the week as a SUCCESS!

Now it is time for Summer!!!!  Right now I am home for about 2 weeks before I fly back to DC for the rest of the summer.  I will be working in Fairfax, Virginia on Congressman Connolly's re-election as a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Fellow.  This is a great opportunity for me to see if campaigns are the right direction for me. I am curious to see what my responsibilities will be and how much I will enjoy working on the campaign.

I am also excited to be in the DC area for the summer.  This is my first summer out there and I expect it to be a lot of fun.  I will be able to celebrate my birthday with my GW friends, be in the nation's capital for the 4th of July, and attempt to bear the heat/humidity of the city.

I will try to check in as often as I can throughout the summer.  And trust me, I will be keeping track of exciting GW news the whole time and be sure to post anything interesting.

I hope everyone has great/relaxing summer plans!  Remember to email me if you have any questions! Despite it being summer, I am still happy to answer any questions!

Kim

COMMENCEMENT 2010

I told myself I'd do this on Monday or so, but doing nothing got in the way!  It's pretty nice being home.  Actually, I definitely have NOT been doing nothing.  Packing has taken everything out of me!  But I'll elaborate on that later--in a separate post, most likely.  I've got a lot of material for this one!

So, as you may or may not know/remember, I worked at GW's Graduation and Commencement ceremonies this past weekend.  (Though it really seems like ages and ages ago!)  I was up at 4 to be bussed to the National Mall at 5:15 on Sunday.  It was beautiful, and my friends and I joked that we would NEVER be out there at that time otherwise, so why not enjoy the view?  Here's the best shot I could get, but it looked a lot prettier:

So we had a quick breakfast and got right to work setting up (though most had been done the day before), and reporting to our stations to get ready for people to show up.  And they sure did!  Parents and friends and family members began showing up at 7:00 for the 10:00 ceremony!  By 10:30, a crowd of about 25,000 assembled on the Mall to witness the commencement of our grads, and to see the First Lady speak!

This is the best view of Michelle Obama that I could get from my post:

                       

The White House Blog did a better job:

                      

                       

The First Lady's speech was eloquent, poignant, and funny at times, highlighting the importance of service, and The Challenge that GW students, faculty, and staff rose to meet and conquered!  That's right, friends: 100,000 hours!  I think we deserved the lauds of Michelle Obama after that feat!  Since I really can't do justice in describing her address or the honor of having the current First Lady of the United States speak at my school's Commencement, here's what she actually said:

Full Text of Michelle's Address

Video of the Ceremony (go to 54:54 for Michelle's Address)

Hope you liked this post!  Email me to ease the boredom of being home: shireens@gwmail.gwu.edu

~~~Shireen

Working Commencement 2010!

Yesterday, I worked at the Elliott School of International Affairs Commencement Ceremony.  I worked the box office mostly, handing out programs to the parents and family of graduates, and collecting tickets.  I also did my share of directing people to restrooms and seating.  I think I'm a pretty OK usher!

But I digress, It's making me realize the finality of this place--GW is only a temporary home!  It's probably because I'm going home now and my friends mostly left and things are winding down for the summer, but gosh darn if I'm not feeling like I'M the one graduating!  (And I most certainly am not!)

All these thoughts and feelings are making me plan WAY in advance.  I officially declared my major and double-minor this week, even though people really don't do that until the end of Sophomore year, usually.  I made and remade and re-remade my four year plan, and then tweaked all the plans I had created.  One option involved graduating a semester early.  While that would be cool, I decided there are more cons than pros.  I want to have the insurance of being able to stay in DC as long as possible!  

My friends and I were also contemplating post-grad apartments.  That's another thing we definitely don't need to look into until Senior year MAYBE end of Junior year, but this irrational sense of our fleeting college lives has caused some desperation in all of us.

Email me if you think I'm crazy!  ShireenS@gwmail.gwu.edu

~~~Shireen

Intern Lunch!

Today, I had lunch with my boss from the internship I had this semester.  We ate at the House Dining Room in the Capitol, which was pretty darn cool.

There were a bunch of big wigs there and I felt pretty important hobnobbing with important Washington people and rubbing elbows with my congresswoman and her colleagues.  Needless to say, this was only one of the AMAZINGLY AWESOME aspects of interning on the Hill.

For lunch, I had the Montana Beef--they regularly change menu items to reflect cuisine from different states.  It was sooooooooo good.  Really, really tasty.  And I never get steak, like--ever.  So the fact that I got this and loved it says something.  Yum.

Then, as a parting gift, the office gave me a sick House of Representatives Mug!  I wish I thought that was cheesey, but I really enjoy mugs.  I have a bit of a collection growing.

Once again, I'm really nostalgic for the place.  I'm really gonna miss it there.  However, I really need to go back to being a student next semester!  Maybe in the Spring I can be an intern again.  I think I'm really cut out for it!

One of these days I'm gonna write a blog about how I got my internship, and tips to those thinking of applying for interning positions in Congress.  I've gotten several emails on the topic, so I'll compile my responses.

Keep emailing!  I love it!  ShireenS@gwmail.gwu.edu
<3 Shireen

All the Freebies are Killing Me

So it senior week, and all my friends are desperately trying to do senior things before GW kicks them out for good. First of all, being a senior means that for some reason GW keeps trying to feed you. And I'm all, "No GW. I don't want any free food. I'm tired of free food. I can't even keep up with all the freebies. Let me spend my own money." Hahaha.

No but seriously, as a college student, you will come to realize that your world will often revolve around freebies. The scenario works like this: student groups are all, "Come hear about how we can bring water to some village in Botswana," and students are like "Mhhh no." Or, a department will be like, "Come hear about this archaelogical dig in an obscure part of Egypt that is really ultimately connected to nothing!" And students are understandibly like "Mhh probably not." But if there are food/drinks involved, students will come listen to just about anything. I've had to go to some pretty awful events in the name of a slice of pizza. The trade-off? Sometimes you end up at events you would never go to and you learn about organizations you might not have had the chance to be exposed to otherwise. The org gets publicity and you get pizza. And when you're in the middle of finals...or broke because you know you shouldn't have gone to Starbucks everyday last week, you NEED free pizza.

So here are some reasons why Ekiria won't be spending any money on food this week:

May 10th
Senior Class BBQ & Movie
6-8 pm • Marvin Center 3rd Floor Terrace- BBQ

Grad Student Night
8-10 pm • Black Finn •1620 I Street, NW


May 11th
Back to Mount Vernon Reunion Reception
2-4pm • Post Hall @ Mount Vernon Campus

Senior Night
6-8pm • McFadden’s, 2401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

May 13th
Zero Year Reunion
8:30-11pm • Nick’s Riverside Grille • 3050 K Street, NW

Since I'm a Senior and I'm not graduating this semester (I'm gonna be a SUPER SENIOR) I kinda of get to take advantage of everything. Here's the list of things the Student Activities Center compiled of last-minute things for seniors to do before they leave:

Top 10 Things To Do in D.C. Before You Graduate!!!
1. Take your binoculars to the National Cathedral and find…Darth Vader? After you view the impressionable stained glass windows and beautiful architecture within the cathedral, make your way outside and search for the infamous villain sculpted into the northwest tower of the Cathedral. It is a must see sight!
2. Take a trip down historic U Street; get your last half-smoke or burger from Ben’s Chili Bowl. (Limited amount of Ben’s Chili Bowl gift cards will be available beginning May 7, 2010 in the SAC office, Marvin Center Room 427, through SASS and the City)
3. Spend a nice evening in Old Town, Alexandria. Catch a local spotlight band on Thursday evenings at the Torpedo Factory (check website for performances) or visit George Washington’s Masonic Memorial. Before you leave, make sure to get a scrumptious sundae or scoop of ice cream from Pop’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream. (Limited amount of vouchers will be available beginning May 7, 2010 in the SAC office, Marvin Center Room 427, through SASS and the City)
4. Need to get out of the concrete jungle? Join GW TRAiLS on May 2nd as they take the last trip of the year paddling down the Potomac River and enjoying the beautiful spring weather. (Sign up in the SAC office, Marvin Center 427, through TRAiLS)
5. Discover a Speakeasy – Have you ever noticed the random unmarked door between Marvin Bistro & Bar and Jin Lounge on U Street? Do you know where the blue light is on King Street? There is good reason for the confusion and secrecy! You’re not supposed to find a speakeasy unless you’re told how to! Wait a second…what IS a speakeasy? Click on the following link to PX Lounge on King Street (http://www.restauranteve.com/eamonns/PX/index.html) or call The Gibson on U Street (202) 232-2156 for more information on how to get in to these exclusive venues.
6. Don’t miss the opportunity to see two of the most desired art exhibits in the country which are currently on display at the Phillips Collection. Georgia O’Keefe’s Abstraction was deemed a top 10 exhibition of 2010 by Time magazine and Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party is widely accepted as one of the most important impressionist works of art. Phillips spices it up a bit on May 6th for “Phillips After 5” where there will be free food, a cash bar, and live music. (http://www.phillipscollection.org/).
7. Let a Ford’s Theatre guide take you through Washington, D.C. on a historic walking tour that revisits and reexamines the sites and clues from the investigation into the Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy or check out Little Shop of Horrors, one of the most popular musicals of all time. For more information (http://www.fordstheatre.org/home/performances-events/history-foot-walking-tours)
8. If you haven’t seen the monuments at night, take advantage of the great weather and check out some of those “hidden” monuments like the FDR Memorial or the Korean War Veterans Memorial, which the Washingtonian says seems “to come to life at night.”
9. The Hotel Tabbard Inn can make your Sunday special with one of the most popular brunches in the District. Some menu items include fresh fried donuts, house-smoked salmon, and toasted pecan waffles. Can’t wake up in time to make it to brunch? No worries! You can wait until later and enjoy a wonderful evening of live jazz and cocktails. (http://www.tabardinn.com/)
10. Salsa dancing is the in thing. Lima Restaurant + Lounge is a great Monday night venue that hosts free salsa lessons from 9 PM-11 PM. The DJ shows up and helps you finish the night strong with a hot Latin-flavored mix. (http://www.limarestaurant.com/site.html)

And SAC provides giftcards for seniors to do all these things. I've done most of them, but who wouldn't do them twice, especially for free?

'Til Next Time

Ekiria

Another Squirrel Post!

In case you read my previous post on the baby squirrel rescue: I swear I'm not weirdly obsessed with squirrels.  That being said, I have another really cute squirrel story.  It involves a little squirrel from Lafayette Park that my friend and I named "Alan Thomas."  It just seemed fitting.

So we were sitting at the park minding our own business when this adorable little guy approached us.  He was rather close, so my friend Hannah said, "Aw, I wish I had something to feed him!"  It was then that I realized that I had trail mix in my purse!  I pulled out the snack and we dug out some nuts to fee him.  At first, we tossed them to him, but then we decided it was time to hand-feed him--and he accepted!  After that, he took so many almonds, peanuts, and walnuts from our hands, eating some and burying the rest for later.  But he would always come back to us after he buried them!

Here he is taking an almond from my hand:

Tourists were taking pictures of us feeding Alan and one group of schoolkids asked if they could feed him too (we led them to believe he was our pet... oops!) and Alan accepted wholeheartedly!  We eventually had to leave when it started to rain, but it was such a fun afternoon!

Like my story?  Thanks!  Email me!  ShireenS@gwmail.gwu.edu
~~~ Shireen

DONE-ZO

Today, I finished my last final, so Freshman year is over!  I am technically officially a Sophomore!  The notion is absolutely nuts.

And my, what a year I had.  It's been such a ride.  I'm feeling very sentimental leaving friends for the summer and daydreaming about the awesomeness to come as a Sophomore, but possibly the worst of all is PACKING MY ROOM!!!

It is absolutely surreal to be stowing away a year's worth of living into a bunch of boxes and piling them around the room, all just to uproot and leave the place!  I am having so much trouble with it.  I'm trying to get as much as possible packed up now so that I can just throw it all in the car when my parents come on Sunday, but that is quite an endeavor.

I've got just about everything stacked up on my roommate's side of the room (she left a few days ago), but of course I kept the necessities out so I can use them over the course of this week.  I even laid out my outfits for Monday through Sunday--though I do that anyway some weeks.  I really enjoy planning and organizing.  It's cathartic!

However, I left my posters and wall art up, and they're not coming down 'til maybe Saturday night.  I feel like the place would be too dreary and lonely and depressing if I took the posters down!  And I can't deal with that, I'm already a bit melancholy as a result of the year's end and leaving my friends.

Luckily, I have some friends working at Commencement with me, so at least I won't be lonely the rest of the week!  Also, I found the Biography channel has episodes on Hulu and the nerd inside me is overjoyed at the history findings I'll learn while I'm stuck inside because of the rain!

Hope this post wasn't tooooo exciting for you.  I'm realizing now that it's just a survey of my emotions about leaving.  I know I've probably left you all captivated and wanting more, but I figured dull as the topic may be, move-out and the end of Freshman year is something all prospective GW students and parents and everyone in between should prepare for!

Email to complain at the dreariness of this post!  ShireenS@gwmail.gwu.edu

<3 Shireen

The Bucket List Continues

This weekend was very productive!  I am officially done with my junior year of college and the bucket list is being completed.

Friday we too a trek up to Georgetown to go to a consignment store call Second Time around. Really it was a high end thrift store.  No one bought anything there, but we did make a few stops on our way at Urban Outfitters  and H&M.  It was a great time, until we all got cranky.  No one had really eaten anything, we were all tired, and it was hot.  So we started snapping at each other for no real reason. As soon as we got food we were all happier and able to walk back without fighting.

That same day we went to the Nationals/Marlins game at Nationals Stadium.  There was a group of about 20 of us and we definitely all had a great time cheering on the Nats!

Like Vickie, we also went to the European Union Embassy Open House.  I would say my favorite was Portugal.  Not only was it a much more intimate setting, but every visitor was able to meet the ambassador and hear directly from him how the country was using renewable energy.  It was very interesting.

That's three things checked off!

Tomorrow we are visiting the National Museum of National History.  There is a new exhibit about evolution that we wanted to see.  We are hopefully going to also take a ride on the Mall carousel that same day.

Hopefully we will be able to cross everything off before this weekend!

Email me with questions!

(Pictures were taken by Andrew!!)

Kim

Finals Claustrophobia

Well, as of now I have one final standing between me and graduation on Saturday. The past two weeks have been a flurry of classes, reviews, study sessions with friends, and, of course, taking the exams. Luckily, I've had a few chances to get off campus and break away from my desk and study guides. While I love campus, sometimes, especially during finals, it's nice to remember that there is a world beyond GW and to get away from all the reminders of exams.

On Tuesday, Christie and I had an exam at 5:20pm, which we wrapped up in 40 minutes and then ran to our Zipcar for the night, which would take us to my graduation present... a Great Big Sea concert in Maryland! It was a bit of a trek to get there, all the way over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Easton, MD, a really cute little small town right off the Chesapeake. Here's where we went:

View Larger Map

Easton. Maryland.

Avalon Theatre where we saw Great Big Sea from the 6th row!!!

We made it just as the opening act was finishing up... it was a long two-hour drive battling rush hour to get there but it was definitely worth it! The concert was awesome and I can't wait to see them live again soon!

Here's some video I took at the show:

They did a great cover of Slade's "Run, Run Away"!

After a great Tuesday night came more studying and exams, but yesterday I got to leave campus for one of my favorite annual events, the EU Open House! Basically, once a year in May all the European embassies that are part of the European Union open their doors to the public to showcase their native food, drink, and culture. Free food, drinks, and singing and dancing sound like fun? One caveat though: DO NOT, under ANY circumstances, rely on the free shuttles provided to take you from embassy to embassy. We made that mistake this year and only got to see 2 embassies, despite the fact that we started out at 1pm and it didn't end til 4pm. They were incredibly slow and we spent almost half of the those 3 hours waiting for a shuttle. My advice- take cab money and be able to enjoy the day.

That said, we did make it to the Polish and Lithuanian embassies and saw a couple others.

Polish Embassy.

Inside the Polish Embassy... listening to presentation on Chopin.

Yes, we went to the children's area and did some coloring... celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Solidarity movement in Poland!

Lithuanian Embassy.

Dancing at the Lithuanian Embassy!

Well, time to get back to studying for my last final of college!

~Vickie

Goodbyes Are Tough

Today, two of my best friends left.  And Monday, another leaves.  Now, these are the girls I spent all of my time with.  They were my GW family!  Seeing them leave and helping them carry their stuff out with their parents to the cars was devastating.  Such an odd feeling.  Now, they left the room unlocked so the rest of our beds could hang out in there and reminisce with the bare walls and eerie emptiness.  It just seemed like an appropriate thing to do.

As (I think) I mentioned in a previous blog, I'm working at commencement, so my friend and I are staying here at Gdub until the 17th.  It's really cool cause after my final on Monday, I can just hang out and explore DC without the responsibilities of work or classes or anything!  So we plan on having a blast and making some unique and adventurous excursions.  Touristy stuff too.

And yet, it's so hard seeing people go!  I underestimated how sinking the feeling would be.  Ahhh it's absolutely draining!  I can only imagine what it'll be like when I have to leave.  My parents are coming down from NY to move me out in a mid-sized white sedan--this should be interesting.  I'm planning on storing some stuff at my aunt's house in MD, but we still have to fit everything in the car to get it over to her place.  We'll see how that goes!  But we can cross that bridge when we get to it.  I'll probably write a post on that, and I'll include pictures!

I'm loving the emails, really I am!  ShireenS@gwmail.gwu.edu
Be back soon!
~~~Shireen

They tried to make me go to rehab, but I said... GOOD GOD YES!

As I'm sure you all know, it's finals time.  This has caused my life to take a turn for the worst.  I come to you today to admit that I, Shireen, have a caffeine problem.

I hit rock bottom Sunday night, the night before (what I thought would be) my hardest final.  I had an espresso shot and chased it by chugging down a mug of dark french roast--black, of course.  I just needed to stay up all night to study!  Then, I nursed a second coffee the rest of the night.  I decided to get in some sleep in the weeee early morning, so I took some Benadryl to get me drowsy.  It worked, and I slept for two hours.  However, when I woke up, I was twitching around my right eye area.  Also I was jumpier than usual and felt AWFUL.  The test ended up being WAY easier than I expected, and I realized that I had wasted all that time not sleeping and not studying for the test (which DID end up being really hard).  Awesome.  My friends advised me that maybe I should quit the habit.  I agreed.

And the thing is, I'm not a Starbucks person or anything like that, I make my own coffee in a Cuisinart 12-cup coffee pot.  I don't drink it daily, but almost every day, and days that I don't have coffee I surely have tea.  And days that I do drink coffee, I have 2 cups.  That's not that bad, right?  I never thought I had a problem, but the overdose Sunday night proved me WAY wrong.

So yesterday I went cold turkey.  One of THE WORST decisions I ever could have made.  My withdrawal headache was phenomenal, and no matter how many ibuprofens I took nothing helped, so I had to dose myself with just a bit more coffee.  Now, I've decided cutting myself off completely is dangerous, so I'm drinking tea daily to wean myself off slowly and safely.

I'll keep you updated with my recovery.

Support me through emails!  Shireens@gwmail.gwu.edu

<3 Shireen

Finals....argh

So it is that time of year again. Finals.

I have completed two papers, two exams, a computer project and all I have is one more journalism piece left and I am officially 3/4 done with college. :(

GW is quieted down quite a bit since the start of finals.  Students are using as much space as possible to get their work done.  And this year there is even more than in the past.

Usually students cling to the library, but this year Duques (the Business School), the Marvin Center, as well as the Gelman library are all open for students.  It is a great opportunity to get out of the quiet library and use other student space to get the same work done.

there are also 24-hour computer labs available to students to do computer work.  For example, my computer project involved using a statistics program called, SPSS.  I did not want to buy the software so a friend and I were able to go down to the computer lab in Phillips Hall and bust through our work.

I am sorry I cannot write more.  I am exhausted and have to go to sleep to get up and do more work. argh.

Congrats to everyone that has deposited to be a part of the class of 2014!  We are all looking forward to seeing you in the Fall.

Email me if you have any questions!!

Kim

Rasika: Best Indian Food in D.C.

Because I'm still studying at 2 am (fun times all around) I decided to give myself a little bit of a distraction and tell you about an amazing dinner I had this weekend.

I had what I can arguably say is the best restaurant experience I've ever had in D.C. On Saturday night, my friend Zach invited me out to dinner with his family and we went to the most fantastic place on earth, an Indian restaurant  near the capitol building (633 D St.) called Rasika. I've had a lot of good food in my time here, but this restaurant gave me the opportunity to try an interesting new spin on Indian food in an environment with great service.

Inside the restaurant...classy huh?

We went straight for the tasting menu and the wine-pairing menu, which gave us the opportunity to try all of the restaurant's specialties in 6 courses with a wine paired with every dish. It was a little bit pricey (it's probably a place you should convince your parents to take you out to dinner when they're in town if you want to taste everything)...but if you don't mind being adventurous and trying something on your own, you can also order an entree which cuts down the cost significantly and brings it within the normal range of D.C. restaurant meals (between $10 and $20). In addition the provide you with endless varieties of Naan, a kind of bread, and my personal favorite kind had onions and peppers baked into it. Here are pictures of what I enjoyed most:

The Black Cod

Fried Spinach

Clams!!!!! Who even knew I like clams?

And that's only 3 of the courses!

Til Next Time,

Ekiria...who is planning on surviving finals and coming out the other end with all her limbs attached.

See, finals aren't all bad...they've helped me develop a sense of humor (ha).

If you need my help convincing your parents Rasika is the best place ever, or have any questions at all, you know what to do: 

magalae@gmail.com

Last day of Interning!

So, Friday was my last day on the Hill, and I've got to say, it was bittersweet.  Bitter, of course, because I had an amazing time working in the House of Representatives, learning about policy, and being a part of history (the health care LAW!)  No matter what your politics are, you can't deny that it's a huge step for the country!

And also bitter because the end of work means the beginning of FINALS!  Gahhhhh it's the absolute worst time of the year.  Finals during the fall semester are ok because there's less of a finality about it.  Now, not only do I have to get everything done NOW, but I'm leaving soon and my friends are leaving!  Nooooooo!!!

However, it's sweet because I have my Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays free again!  Sort of. And my office had a sweet little surprise going-away lunch for me.  They got goodies from Noodles in Crystal City.  Rather yummy.

I'm working on VERY little sleep and WAY TOO MUCH coffee, so I'm gonna get back to studying.  I'll update you on my progress throughout finals.  You know, just so y'all know I didn't die through the process.

Email me!  I'll answer even whilst swamped with exams!
~~~ Shireen

Q and A

Hi guys,

Instead of studying for my psychology test, I will also weigh in on the question we received. As a student about to graduate in two weeks (ah!!), it seems like I can only see the good things about the University right now, so I'll start with the things I like.

1. City/Campus/Classroom
GW promotes a learning style that uses the city and other outside resources. I really enjoy using things like the National Zoo, NASA, the National Mall, and Nationals Park as tools for expanding our understanding of concepts to reach outside of text books. This active approach to learning may not be attractive to everyone but I find it very appealing and I think it helps to produce not only quality but also unique scholarly work as well as education.

2. Faculty
To echo Adam's point, GW attracts some of the best and brightest faculty. I can't speak for every department, but I know for the professors I've had in subjects like astronomy and psychology they have been extremely dedicated to their students and knowledgeable in their fields. These professors also happened to work full time as well. One of our biggest strengths lies in our adjunct faculty. They are able to bring real world experience from their professional background into the classroom, and while it may seem hard to understand how they have the time to teach a class as well, these professors love to teach. Our full time faculty is also fantastic. The professors in American Studies are especially great--not only are they always available to talk, but they are all brilliant and amazingly helpful.

3. Extracurriculars.
The amount of student organizations to get involved in can be overwhelming. There are so many to choose from, which makes continuing with an activity easy but picking up new ones is easy too! We have tons of sports at various levels, political organizations, community service organizations, issue groups, and so many more.


I honestly cannot think of more than one thing I really don't like about GW. So here's my least favorite thing:

Sometime it feels like people try to do too many things. Students here are all very involved with various activities, jobs, and school so it can be easy to get overwhelmed. I think there is also sometimes a pressure for people to get all these internships and take advantage of opportunities, which students should absolutely do, but it is easy for people to lose perspective. We are in college and we're here to learn and have fun. If that means not having an internship for a semester and to just focus on school, that's okay. I wish more people would take a step back and realize the value in just being a college student.

Hope this helps!


-Abby

To our dear reader(s?)

I interrupt my regularly scheduled posting to answer a question from one of our readers. I know this has been covered in great and excellent detail by my fellow bloggers already, and I highly recommend reading their posts before delving into this one. (I think the prospective GW student who first asked the question has probably had her fill, but I'll share anyway.) Anyway, here's the point-by-point.

Most Liked:
--Faculty, in every department with which I have interacted, have been outstanding. These are people who have made a difference in the direction of my personal and professional aspirations.

--"Esprit d'G-Dubs" (Reputation, Alumni, and culture): this is something I've discovered since doing research for higher-level courses, but looking back it should have been obvious. One of my instructors for karate (the subject of a future post) is a veteran of the U.S. Navy. When I was first looking at GW, he told me that his longtime Commanding Officer had been a GW grad and that it was a great place for security studies.
I've found this out firsthand the longer I've stayed here--because I'm a Conflict and Security concentration in GW's International Affairs school, many materials I study are written by military officers. In many of these, there are "about the author" sections at the beginning of the monograph, and the number of GW grads is astounding considering the size of the school.
As someone who is considering the military as a career option, I can attest that having Colin Powell adorning the list of alums is heartening. But for many people in many fields that really make a difference around the U.S. and the world, the big G-Dubs has been home. Knowing that is inspiring in and of itself, but it also makes a real difference for us future graduates.

This goes along with what I see as the single most important element of any college decision: how you fit in with the people.

My high school was in an economically advantaged, fairly parochial suburb of New York City. I love the town, love the sense of community, and have nothing but fond wishes for all my high school classmates, but often felt dissociated from life there.  I didn't often get the sense that much of anyone cared about China's naval buildup, or genocide in Darfur, or federal tax policy, etc.
This is not true for GW, where for all the irritating everyday stuff I wrote about in my last post, by and large people care about the world and what happens in it. Furthermore, they make this mental involvement translate into academic and professional action using the unique opportunities we have here. I'll talk about the other schools I considered attending in the future, but among all of them GW really stood out in this regard.

Least Liked:
I do wish financial aid would be more meritocratic. I work hard to keep my GPA up, and wish more aid would be allotted to students who perform well.
At the same time, GW was--after financial aid--about as expensive for me as going to a state school. And if there's one thing I've discovered about financial aid, it's that everybody believes that they're entitled to an extra-big slice of the pie...so I won't complain too much. Despite housing costs, my education here will still fall within the debt window I had pictured when I first started my college search.

The University administration needs to improve advising services for students. This problem is especially acute in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (where anyone not majoring in International Affairs, Engineering, Business or Exercise Science calls home). I'll cover this in a later post, because I have a particular bone to pick with CCAS.

I wouldn't just decide to go here again if given the chance; I'd pull my application from Georgetown.
How's that for the proverbial gauntlet?

Questions? Comments? Seething, unbridled rage or Hosannas you want to vent? Let me know at ash1290@gwmail.gwu.edu.

--Adam

A Question in Common

I am having a really hard time deciding what school to attend this fall and had a few questions.  I was wondering what your favorite and least favorite things are about GW. Also, would you still go to GW if you had a chance to do it over again?


I'm going to take this opportunity to talk about an issue that has caused me a lot of stress at GW, and hopefully teach you a few things about financial aid along the way.

My least favorite thing about GW is the cost...and the bureaucracy surrounding financial aid in general. GW is expensive, most people come here knowing that, but really understanding what that cost means, and figuring out how to make sure you've covered all possible costs is more complicated. Hidden costs included plane tickets to and from home to California, books costing more than I anticipated, any trips I wanted to make abroad for University Singers, and several day-to-day costs that I underestimated. My work-study job alleviated some of that, but it also meant that I couldn't put any of that money towards school (which is generally the trend among the people I know who have work-study jobs). My freshman year of college, I owed the school way more money than my parents could ever contribute. I talked to everyone I possibly could, met with every administrator that I could, applied for every possible loan. I tried literally everything. I had financial aid on speed dial. Nothing happened, nothing moved forward, and half the people I got in touch with told me I should consider transferring. Your expected family contribution is a number set by the FAFSA website to determine how much your family (parents) are expected to contribute based on their income. My financial aid package has almost always been less than my EFC.


The hardest part about this whole process is the fact that my parents are both immigrants, so they aren't eligible for most loans and none of my relatives could cosign because none of them are citizens so they're working on building up their credit in the first place. My dad had to take all of his retirement money out for me to pay for the remainder of the first semester. Eventually, on my 3rd appeal letter to Financial Aid-after they'd told me there wasn't any more money for them to grant me-I got a response from financial aid telling me to check my account. Somehow, I'm still not sure how, they were able to find the money to cover the full cost of my second semester.

 It's important to remember that if you can't pay your student account balance until its within $500, you can't register the next semester, which has been a source of huge stress for me at GW. I wish I could say things have changed, but every semester of every year I've been here, there's been a similar trend of me having to register late or finding sometime in the middle of the semester that I'm not going to get the aid I should be getting. 


             The Financial Aid Monster Ahhhhh!

Sophomore year was a little better due to several national disasters and the beginning of the economic downturn, Financial Assistance was a lot more receptive to the needs of students, which meant that while I still had to fight with them for money, it was a lot better than it was in the past and I got answers to my financial aid questions a lot faster. However this year was pretty much the same concept, I applied for aid, waited, was given a lot less money than my Expected Family Contribution suggested I should give, and when I asked why I did not receive a direct response. The situation is compounded by the fact that my little brother started college and my older brother is taking classes to prepare for med school, all of which costs my parents more money at a time when things are becoming more expensive and they make the same amount. That being said, I made a lot of mistakes in the process and I didn't always know who to get in touch with to fix things. I filed for financial aid all four years on my own and I just did it again for a fifth year. This summer I'm staying with a very generous friend and almost all the money I make from my full-time job will be put towards paying for my Spring 2010 semester at GW. That's fine, but it does mean I'm registering late for my ninth semester at GW, and that I'll have to scramble to find money to pay for next semester. I could literally write a book about navigating Financial Assistance at GW if I needed to...I wish I was kidding. Think long and hard about the emotional, physical, and mental costs of attending GW, especially if you know your parents don't make enough to support you.


Tips for Applying for Financial Assistance at GW
**If you want to know how get through to financial aid, I suggest getting your parents involved as much as possible. Parents are always way scarier and they tend to get people moving, especially at a college level.
**It's important to remember that if you can't pay your student account balance until its within $500, you can't register the next semester, which has been a source of huge stress for me at GW, because I have had to register late almost every semester I've been here.
**Hammer out every possible cost you might have. From plane rides to bus tickets to your meals week after week. Even if you only sometimes buy Gatorade at the grocery store, write it down. It's important how much even little things like that could potentially cost you.
**Make sure every single form is turned in on time (and possibly time/date stamped), by financial aid. Turn your FAFSA in at least 3 weeks before the financial aid deadline. TURN YOUR FORMS IN ON TIME. Even if you're in the hospital. Even if you're abroad. Even if you have to use the bathroom and financial aid is closing in 5 minutes...I'd advise you to go to financial aid first. There's been several times where my file wasn't considered complete because of a lost form or once, because they said they couldn't read my tax forms (you don't really have control over it). One summer I submitted the same form 4 times. Last year I had to figure out how to fill out and fax a lost form...from Uganda. If you submit everything on time, you have a lot more control over the way your aid package is handled.
**If you can help it, avoid calling the general line of the office of financial assistance. It will just frustrate you, unless they are willing to put you through with a counselor. Get in touch with a financial aid counselor and build a relationship with them so you can always come back/call and ask them questions. You're parents can be helpful in this because they are more likely to take a parents questions seriously (and they can't discuss a lot of your parents personal financial information with you once its been submitted)
**Even if you can get someone outside financial aid to fight for you, it can be really helpful. I've heard stories of students getting in touch with the right administrator and having all their financial aid issues handled. It hasn't happened to me, but I don't doubt that it happens from time to time.
**Know how much your parents can actually contribute and get a job if you can to cut down costs (don't cry, you'll have to do it eventually)
**Persistence is key. I don't really believe in the word "no." This philosophy might not always work, but it has gotten me this far.


All in all its taught me a lot about my finances (a definite positive), but its also caused me more stress than students should have to deal with while taking classes and trying to grow into "real people." It's definitely taught me a thing or two about persistence. If you have any questions about this process, please ask. It's confusing and way easier if you have someone who can help you through it, which I'd be more than happy to help anybody do since there wasn't really anyone to help me.


Whewwww


Anyhoo, my favorite thing about GW is the environment-the kinds of people that come to D.C., the food, the culture, the professionalism among the students here, and the accessibility of things. I seriously have met people from all ends of the spectrum at GW, something that has made me question the way I look at things, and strengthened by belief system at the same time. The east coast was a big change for me, the culture is a lot more fast-paced than it is in Southern California...I never realized how slowly people move in California until I had to squeeze between people on the way to class in the morning. D.C. is a big mix of young professionals, older professionals, students, tourists, commuters, visitors turned residents, and of course locals--people who live and work in D.C. In addition there is a big immigrant population in D.C. in part because of all the international organizations here, as well as non-profit organizations that cater to the needs of these many populations. I always say this--D.C. is like New York-lite. It has a lot of the great features at New York, but its not as intimidating. This made it a great transition city for me, especially because I had to make a huge adjustment to living on the east coast. I love the food. you probably know this already. I love all food, there are a million great restaurants here. I went to this amazing place called Rasika last night. I'm just going to write you a list of amazing places and you can go from there.


My fellow GW students have also pushed me towards being a more active member of society. Even more than that, they've taught me to be engrossed in what I study, rather than doing assignments for a grade or because of a direct result. Because we are in the center of where decisions are made for the nation-no one understands better than GW students the importance of innovation and staying up-to-date about the important issues in our fields of interest. Many of the policies our country has adopted or implemented in the government started as ideas or theories in classrooms at GW. That concept really baffles me, but it also has shown me that the divide between an idea and something becoming reality is not that big. It's also shown me that the people who make changes are the people who are willing to go beyond an idea and "do." In addition, I feel like there is a lot of expectation surrounding what GW students will produce. It makes us work harder, look for ways to innovate (this is the million-dollar word at GW) in our fields, and think about how what we do/are doing affects society as a whole. I don't meet people at GW who just want to make money, people look to make things personally profitable, then they look for ways to make it financially profitable. Looking back at my college career-which is not yet over-I'd say there were times where I was stressed out, but the experience--the pain, the stress, the happiness, the growing in general--I'd never take any of it back...but a little more aid would've gone a long way.


Til Next Time,


Ekiria


I'll give you a cookie if you ask me a question! : magalae@gmail.com

Freshmen Residence Halls, Part Two

Going to Fountain Fling last weekend reminded me just how much I loved living on the Vern and sometimes even miss it, so I thought I'd share some pictures of where I lived my freshmen year- Merriweather Hall on the Mount Vernon campus.

First off, contrary to what it sounds like, the Vern is NOT in Virginia or near George Washington's Mount Vernon estate. It is very much in DC, just up the road from Georgetown University in the Foxhall neighborhood, with some pretty cool neighbors... including the German and French Embassies, as well as Senator John Kerry and the woman who introduced John and Jackie Kennedy (I can't remember her name, but she is really nice- friends of mine were trick-or-treating at her house and she told them stories about the DC social scene way back in the '50s and '60s).

View Larger Map

Point A is the Foggy Bottom campus, Point B is the Vern. See? Just a short 10-15 minute shuttle ride apart! Connecting the campuses is the Vern Express, running 24/7, 365. Want more info? Check this out:

Now that you know where the Vern is and how to get there, how bout I show you around? Here's a map so you can get your bearings.

First up, Lloyd Gym. Here is where you find gym space for Vern residents, basketball hoops and volleyball set-up available, cardio equipment, FREE mountain bike rentals, and the Vern pool, open Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Just up the hill is the Mount Vernon Tennis complex, home to our Men's and Women's Division 1 tennis teams, as well as a great place for all students to brush up on their tennis skills. 

In the background is the newly rebuilt Pelham Hall, featuring rooms with four single bedrooms and a common area, a brand-new dining facility, student office space, and a black box theatre for students. Awesome new building, opening this Fall! I haven't personally been inside yet but I've heard its great. 

 Next to the tennis complex is the soccer/field hockey/lacrosse field, home to all of those men's and women's club and Division 1 sports teams. Also a fun place to kick around a soccer ball or throw a football with friends, as well as an excellent place to build snowmen in the winter :)

 Located on the Vern is the Dean of Freshmen, Fred Siegel. There to help with questions about classes or talk about the Redskins game last night, Dean Siegel is a great resource for how to navigate GW and DC.

 Here's the University Police Dept. Gatehouse, headquarters for UPD on the Vern. They patrol campus 24/7, through all the academic buildings as well as residence halls. 

Hand Chapel, classroom space and location for Catholic Mass on Sundays hosted by the GW Newman Center. 

 Merriweather Hall, my home from freshmen year. 

Here are some pictures of my room from freshmen year... please don't notice the extremely messy state of my room...

My side of the room...

Roommate's half.....

Alright, I admit it... I have wayyy too much stuff... But Christie was visiting when I took these, so I blame her for some of the clutter!

Dressers, TV showing Phil of the Future (don't judge), closets in the background...

Bathroom we shared with two girls in double next to us.

Except for the newly built Pelham Hall, most rooming options on the Vern are double suite, set-up with two doubles sharing a bathroom, as mine was. Each building also has a kitchen, laundry, and tv/rec room for residents to use. Here are some pictures from our end-of-the-year BBQ my friends and I threw freshmen year in the tv lounge and the Merriweather patio...

Watching TV and waiting for grill to heat up...

Barbeque! Yay! We rented it from the Mount Vernon Campus Life office for the party.

Great group of friends having a BBQ out on the patio... What could be better? Great way to end freshmen year!

Eckles Library- best place to study during finals on either campus!

Eckles' entrance.

The fountain in the middle of the quad.  Great place to do some reading and/or tanning!

Acheson Science building. Lots o' labs for chemistry, geography, and forensic science classes.

Main academic building on Vern and also home to the Women's Leadership Program and GW's Interior Design program. 

Ames Dining Hall, GDub Java, and administrative offices upstairs. Downstairs, mail and package services for Vern residents and The Pub.

Ames Dining Hall. Great place to eat a meal with friends or grab a snack on the way to/from classes. Options include salad bar, a grill featuring burgers, chicken strips, pizza, etc., sandwiches, and a rotating hot entree stand.

The Pub.

Free foosball! Free air hockey!

Plus plenty of couches and tables or meetings, working on a project, watching tv, studying, or taking a nap.

Softball field. Home to our women's Div. 1 team.

Porch outside the Pub overlooking the softball field. Great place to grill out :)

Well, I hope enjoyed the look at my life from freshmen year! It was nice to take a walk down memory lane... especially since I gradute on Friday! Ahhhh! But I still have one last final to get through tomorrow... Wish me luck!

~ Vickie