Playing Schedule for Saturday’s GW Spring Volleyball Tournament

As promised, I am here to give you my game times for Saturday’s home volleyball tournament. The entire tournament begins at 9:00am and ends at 3:00pm, with a game starting every hour. Here is my team’s specific play schedule:

9:00am vs. Navy
11:00am vs. George Mason
2:00pm vs. Georgetown

So far this spring season, we have played both Navy and George Mason, beating them both. We have yet to play Georgetown this spring season (we played them last fall and won) and it should be the best and most intense match of the day. The tournament is being held at our varsity athletic facility, the Charles E. Smith Center, which is located at 600 22nd St NW, in case you are in town and want to stop by and support GW athletics! I am almost positive that it is free admission, so don’t worry about having to pay; we just want as many fans as we can get to come!

On Sunday, I will give you an update on the tournament results, so keep an eye out for that post.

Feel free to email me with any questions: cbgraf@gwmail.gwu.edu.

-Christie

Freshman Housing Options

I've gotten a slew of emails recently asking about housing--so I decided to share with you the Freshman Housing profile I wrote a few months ago for your reference (and so I don't have to keep copying and pasting the same links into a zillion emails!!!)  I hope it's helpful!

ON THE MOUNT VERNON CAMPUS:

Living on the Mount Vernon Campus is a drawback for some, but others love it, and most grow to like and appreciate it.  It's a fairly quick shuttle ride from the Vern to Foggy Bottom, and shuttles depart from each campus every 15 minutes.  The Vern offers a perfect living situation for those who like urban life, but also want a space that isn't as overwhelming and a bit greener than the city.  There's a pool, tennis courts, a gorgeous quad with a fountain, and fields for various sports.

West Hall (The dorm formerly known as Pelham):  Pelham is really cool.  Yeah, I still call it Pelham for the most part.  But it really is cool.  It's the newest residence hall on either campus, and it's bright and shiny and has weird amenities that most schools don't have in their housing options.  For example, there's a brand-new fitness center, private study rooms, and recording studios and rehearsal spaces for anyone feeling artsy.  Rooms are singles and doubles, and there are kitchens and laundry facilities per  house, which I think translates to per floor.  There's also a dining  hall right there!  It's top-notch.

Clark Hall:  I was only in Clark once, but it was really nice from what I saw.  The rooms are doubles, with a bathroom shared between 2 rooms.  There's a kitchen and laundry facilities, and rooms are a good size.  It's located right by the main classroom building on the Vern, Post Hall.

Cole Hall:  I've never been inside, so my information is purely coming from the Living @ GW site (linked below), and what I know from the outside.  Cole is right next to The Vern's Eckles Library, so that's pretty convenient.  Like Clark, rooms are double suites with shared bathrooms between 2 neighbor rooms, and there is a community kitchen and laundry facilities.

Hensley Hall:  I've also only been in Hensley once!  It's a cute dorm, housing less than 40 kids, so everyone living there got pretty close over their freshman year.  Living options include singles and doubles with community bathrooms, as well as doubles with a shared bathroom between 2 rooms.  Hensley is also close to Eckles Library.

Somers Hall:  I've been in Somers a few times, and it's really nice.  It was built in '45 but renovated pretty recently, so it looks brand-spankin' new.  There are singles with private bathrooms and double suites with shared bathrooms between 2 rooms.  There are also study rooms per floor, and kitchens and laundry facilities.  It's also pretty centrally located on the Vern, near Ames dining hall and the Quad, near where the Vern Express stops.

Merriweather Hall:  Do not read beyond this point if you're a dude!  Merriweather is the all-girls option on The Vern.  There's a kitchen and laundry facilities, and only 43 students are housed there!  So it's tiny, but communal!

FOGGY BOTTOM CAMPUS

Thurston Hall:  Thurston is the quintessential Freshman residence hall, it houses about half our first-years.  Now you may have heard some crazy rumors about Thurston, but it's not as wild as some people will say it is.  I promise!  You get out of Thurston what you put into it, so you could treat it as just the place you sleep every night, or it could be the center of your Freshman year.  That being said, it's certainly a blessing for the social butterfly.  It's virtually impossible to come out of Thurston without a tight group of friends.  Rooms are pretty big, and they vary in how many occupants they have, from only 2 to as many as 6!  Most rooms are quads, though.  There are laundry facilities per floor, and the basement has a bunch of study spaces and common rooms.  Also, it's like, 3 blocks from the White House.  HUGE PERK.

Potomac House:  This house is largely occupied by ED1 students, it's most students' first choice.  The rooms are a good size but have always felt a bit narrow to me.  Rectangular.  But the building is new and the rooms are doubles, with private bathrooms per room.  Also, Carvings is on the first floor!  That's one of my favorite lunch spots--try the Harvard Wrap.  Centrally located on campus, so it isn't more than a 5-7 minute walk to most classes.

Madison:  I've never been in Madison, but everyone I know who lived there liked it!  There are doubles, triples, and quads, but most rooms are doubles.  There's also private bathrooms per room, and community laundry facilities of course.  Athletes often live here because it's close to the Smith Center athletic facilities, pretty central on campus, 7-10 minute walk to class.

Crawford:  Students live in singles, doubles, and quads.  Doubles aren't the biggest, but there are private bathrooms per room.  Laundry facilities are in the basement, I think.  Also, Crawford is right next to the Marvin Center, so if you want to grab a quick J Street meal, it's very easy.  Classes towards the E Street end of campus will be about a 10-15 minute walk, tops, but if you've got class in Phillips or Rome hall, they're a stone's throw away, so that's rather convenient.  Also, Gelman Library and Kogan Plaza are across the street.

For more information on housing, check out http://living.gwu.edu/, some houses are "themed"--but that didn't exactly shape my experience.  I'd say there was about one event per semester in my Freshman hall that had anything to do with our theme.  So don't worry about that.

Keep emailing, I love it!  ShireenS@gwmail.gwu.edu

<3 Shireen

Alternative Greek Week is About to Begin!

My professional foreign service sorority is usually composed of business and professional events... but when April rolls around, we begin to prepare for Alternative Greek Week. As we are separate from the Panhellenic sororities on campus, who get their own Greek Week, we think we should also have some of our own fun! The non-social, professional Greek-letter organizations on campus get together to improve our relations and have fun, competitive games.

Field Day on the Mall from 2010

This year's events include penny wars, challenges, and attendance points. Each organization hosts an event. Delta Phi Epsilon (DPE), my professional foreign service sorority, is hosting "Top Chef," but we will also be participating in events such as "Quiz Night," "Rock Band," "Field Day on the Mall," and more!

Rock Band from 2010

Tonight is the kickoff in Anniversary Park, next to FoBoGro. The past 3 years that the Alternative Greek Week has existed, Delta Phi Epsilon has brought home the trophy. Let's go DPE!!! :)

As always, email me with questions. I have had lots of great questions lately from some unique applicants and love to hear from you all and answer questions! marisaw@gwmail.gwu.edu

- Marisa

Curbside Cupcakes

Along with well known favorites such as Georgetown Cupcakes, the newly opened Sprinkles Cupcakes, and Baked and Wired, there is also Curbside Cupcakes, which is D.C.'s 1st mobile cupcake company. The company does exactly what their name suggests, their trucks drive around D.C., stopping at places to sell cupcakes. A while ago I signed up on their website to receive emails when one of the trucks will be near GW’s campus and I get one about once per week but until yesterday I had yet to actually go and get one. I was on my way back from class and I happened to be walking in the same direction, so I could not help myself, and I ended up buying 2 cupcakes, 1 red velvet for me and 1 German chocolate for my friend whose birthday is today. Today’s selection included Red Velvet, Almond Joy, Classic Chocolate, Classic Vanilla, Oatmeal Raisin, Carrot Cake, German Chocolate, and Dulce de Leche. As for price, they were comparable to any of the other specialty cupcakes in the area, $3.00.

As you can tell simply by the fact that I am posting this, I love cupcakes. Absolutely love them.

curbside cupcakes truck

delicious german chocolate and red velvet cupcakes

-Christie

Registration!

I have the best schedule next semester.  I'm almost always excited for one or two classes, but I'm finally at the point where I'm departing from the general curriculum requirements (GCR's) and getting to take what I WANT!  So here's my schedule for Fall 2011, I may change out one class for something I wasn't able to register for online, but as of now I'm super super ready to delve into these classes.  (We'll see if I still feel that way the first day of next semester...)

History 3001:  History of Modern Iran 

PoliSci 2478:   International Relations of the Middle East

Religion 1009: Hebrew Scriptures

Religion 3175: Zoroastrianism

Religion 5770: Islamic Civilization and the West

for a Middle Eastern Studies major/religion minor, how AWESOME is that setlist???  Can it get any better?

Keep sending me emails!  I really enjoy 'em, and I ALWAYS respond!  ShireenS@gwmail.gwu.edu

~~~Shireen 

GWSB Leadership Round-up and Etiquette Course

I had an opportunity yesterday to attend a Leadership Round-up and Etiquette Course sponsored by the GW School of Business' Office of Undergraduate Programs. The round-up consisted of a forum with updates on GWSB and Undergraduate Programs; it also gave student leaders an opportunity to interact have fun with each other before the semester ends. As part of the round-up, we were given an interactive lecture by Alexandra Kovach who taught us business etiquette pertaining to dinners, thank you letters, electronic communication, etc. For example, did you know that your bread plate is on your left side and drinks are on the right? Or when you must excuse yourself from the dinner table, you should leave your napkin on the chair; however, when you're permanently leaving the dinner, you leave the napkin on the table? How about when eating bread, you only break off pieces small bites at a time? These are all great tips that everyone should be learn or be aware of, particularly since so much of business is done over lunch or dinner! I also must mention that Undergraduate Programs did a fantastic job with ordering the catered food from Au Bon Pain for the event, we had delicious grilled vegetables, pasta salad, a variety of gourmet sandwiches, and even BAKED AND WIRED cupcakes for dessert! I LOVE the BUSINESS SCHOOL! -Serena

Affinity Housing

Housing announcements were announced today--but guess what?  I've known my housing assignment for next year since about a month ago!  How does that work?  I made a spur of the moment decision about a month and a week ago to join a friend of mine in her Amsterdam Hall quad!  She and another friend of mine decided to join an affinity housing group, so next year the three of us will be living in the affinity group for the Muslim Student Association!

You don't have to be Muslim to live in our affinity group (in fact 2 of us out of the 4 girls in the room aren't!), but there are certain guidelines to follow so that all those living in our hall are comfortable with the living environment.  And we're not the only affinity group who got primo housing for next year, AND knew ahead of time--certain sports teams, LLCs, and other organizations snagged some great spots, too.

Here's the floorplan for my room:

    

... but I'm still not ready for this year to be over just yet.  So I won't say I'm excited for this now (even though I kinda am!)

Email if you'd like!  ShireenS@gwmail.gwu.edu

~~~Shireen

Housing for 2011-2012 School Year

This morning, GW Housing program announced housing assignments for next school year through email. Last year, I was unfortunate enough to be one of the people who did not get what they requested/wanted. Although my housing for this year was not what I planned on, it worked out fantastically. I am rooming with two people who I had never met before and we turned out to be great roommates and I am so glad that I roomed with them this year. For next year, I will be rooming with 3 of my teammates in Ivory Tower (a junior/senior dorm) even though one of them will be only a sophomore (an underclassman can be pulled up into upperclassman housing if they are rooming with an upperclassman). We are very happy that it all worked out and are excited to live together next year. As it turns out, a vast majority of my team will be living in Ivory but on different floors. Here is the floor plan for my room next year in Ivory:

The floor plans and more details about housing options can be found here: GW Housing Website

Feel free to email me with any questions you have at cbgraf@gwmail.gwu.edu .

-Christie

Ann Taylor Fashion Event

About a month ago I attended an event sponsored by the GW Women in Business (GWWIB) where they invited Ann Taylor for business fashion advice. Members of the Ann Taylor staff presented the 2011 Spring Lookbook and offered great advice for students who intern as a "career chic" option. Furthermore, the session had members of the GWSB F. David Fowler Career Center who performed on-site resume reviews and also provided fashion advice that aligned with the thoughts of the Ann Taylor community.
Furthermore, one lucky GW woman will be featured in Ann Taylor Student Lookbook in a few weeks. One of my friends, Minhae was chosen as a contestant; at the end of the survey the winner will be featured in a national campaign...how amazing is that?!
Personally, I enjoy Ann Taylor's fashion line, they provide affordable, yet fashionable clothes that I can easily transform from day-to-night (perhaps for happy hour drinks!). If any of you all are in need of some fantastic business casual pieces, I definitely suggest you to check out Ann Taylor. -Serena

Overdue Spring Break posting!

Hey everyone!

Apologies for my overdue blog post, I can't believe it's been nearly two weeks since Spring Break...it feels like it was only last week that I went to Miami to get away from the cold weather! Aside from my trip last year to Egypt, this was my first Spring Break where I travelled anywhere but home. My friends and I had planned to go to the Dominican Republic (Punta Cana) for break, but no one wanted to invest time into research and it was rather costly for the amount of people who wanted to go. As an alternative, my friend took the initative and researched a few cheap flights to Miami in December and found roundtrip tickets for $85 (inclusive of all fees!). This was clearly a steal and everyone booked their flights from there; it was awesome that we had our travel plans in place in early December (I suggest everyone to do the same for next year). Miami was absolutely amazing, everyday we'd wake up, spend 5 hours at the beach, have dinner, and go out to the various clubs and bars along South Beach and Coconut Grove. One of my friends convinced a bunch of us to buy tickets for a Miami Heat v. San Antonio Spurs game, it was extremely fun and a nice change of pace to our otherwise "mundane" routine! This was such a great break and left me with a memorable senior experience. -Serena

The ladies!

Boys will be boys

Take me back to 85 degree weather

Come to my Wacky Wednesday!!!

Here's some more self-promotion coming your way--sorry!

If you're a current GW student, come to The GLN's Wacky Wednesday tomorrow!  If you're not a GW student (or not yet...!), Wacky Wednesday is a weekly event held on the Mount Vernon campus that allows student orgs to plan their own outreach event to expose newcomers to their organization.  They only take place on Mount Vernon in West Hall, so it's also a way to include Vern kids who may not always care to venture out to Foggy for General Body Meetings throughout the school week.  There's usually fun crafts, food, and various other activities for the group to generate more members.

Keep emailing, I've been getting good ones since I returned from hiatus!  ShireenS@gwmail.gwu.edu

<3 Shireen

My "Please come here!" Post

A friend of mine from high school just found out the other day that she got into GW!  She sent me an email asking me to sell her on the school, so I did my best to pitch GW the best I could with my favorite aspects of my beloved university.  It may seem like shameless pandering, but let it be known that I am 100% sincere in the following--so take it to heart and enjoy! 

~~~"I absolutely love it here, and obviously I'll tout DC til the end.  One of my favorite things about GW is that it's 100% without a doubt THE MOST ingrained university into the city.  It's an urban campus for sure, but you can still tell very easy when you're on campus and when you've ventured off.  And it's so simple to hop on the metro and go anywhere you want!  No shuttles or anything annoying like that--makes interning super easy, as well as actually escaping the school bubble to discover the city in which you live.  People leave Foggy Bottom often, you never feel stuck on campus or confined to a few city blocks.  

Also our dorms are really big and have a lot of commodities most don't have.

Also the student body is really involved and intelligent--there are people who work hard and do little else, people who party hard and work just as hard, and people who party sometimes and work hard, but working hard is ALWAYS in the mix.  I've discussed that with a lot of people and they agree.  You're among a really ambitious, worldly, and educated bunch, and it's easy to find people just as passionate about the things you are.

Also the World Bank is right off campus.

Also the IMF is right off campus. 

Also the State Department is right off campus.

Also THE WHITE HOUSE is 3 blocks from campus.

It's just really cool here."~~~

I had to add that stuff at the end, am I right?  I mean, those are really big selling points!  I hope you keep reading my posts and don't think I'm just trying to fluff up GW and not tell the truth, this is really how I feel about my school.  Everyone should like the college they pick as much as I like it here, so just go out there and make sure you pick what's right for YOU!

Send me emails asking whatever--I love answering!

~~~Shireen

GW Volleyball Tournament at George Mason

Yesterday was GW Women’s Volleyball’s first spring tournament with our brand new coach and overall it went really well. As the title mentions, it was held at George Mason University, which is located just outside of D.C. in Fairfax, Virginia. In total there were only 4 teams—us, George Mason, Loyola Maryland, and Howard. The format was simply a round-robin (each team plays every other team and the team with the best record at the end emerges as the champion) and therefore the entire tournament was not very long at all. We left our campus at 7:45am and arrived back at roughly 4:20pm, which gave me ample time to begin my homework for the weekend since I have a lot (2 exams on Monday, a big paper due Tuesday, and other assignments due Tuesday as well).

As far as what place we took, we were victorious and took 1st! First we beat Loyola Maryland all 3 games, then we beat Howard 2/3, and then we beat George Mason 2/3 to take the championship. The 2 games that we lost all day can be attributed to our tiredness and making unforced errors (such as hitting errors, serve receive errors, and lack of communication). Overall, it was a good day and served as a great starting point with our coach, so that she could see where we need to improve and so that we can get a feel for coaching style during matches. Everyone played well and had fun competing against the other teams.

As for our next spring tournament, it is next Saturday and will be held here at GW in the Smith Center! I will give you an update once I know all of the specific details regarding game times and such because all fans are welcome!

P.S. CONGRATS TO THE CLASS OF 2015! WELCOME TO THE GW FAMILY! Feel free to email me with any questions you have at cbgraf@gwmail.gwu.edu .

-Christie

Class of 2015: Get ready for next fall!

Hello and congratulations to all of you who were accepted to the class of 2015! All of us here on campus are so excited to get to know you through classes, student organizations, and around campus. The first thing you'll experience on campus will be Colonial Inauguration, the welcome period on campus over the summer when you are able to get an introduction to GW and all we do here. A few years ago, Steven Knapp, President of GW, met with some students and gave them advice about coming to GW while they were at CI. See the video below!



See you soon and keep in touch by reading our blog posts about GW life and asking questions! If you have a topic you'd like me to address, email me at marisaw@gwmail.gwu.edu
- Marisa

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2015!!

We are so excited for you to be the next set of Colonials!  Look for your acceptance packet in the mail in the next few days, but in the mean time here are some great resources to check out!

Freshman Website...this is where you can set up a GW NetID (email), set up a visit in April, take the freshman survey, and much more!

The Class of 2015 Facebook Page...Meet friends from all around the world who have been admitted Early Decision and Regular Decision.  If you have questions, ASK!  Admissions Directors and students will be constantly checking the page to give you the best information available.

Colonial Inauguration...Check out GW awesome orientation program and register soon to make sure you get the dates you want! Get excited!

Housing...Look at floor plans, buildings, and special housing programs for your freshman year.  The application will be open soon so be sure to complete that!

We cannot wait to see you on campus and joining us in the Fall!!  Congratulations again!

 

Don't forget to email me or any of my fellow bloggers with any questions you may have!!  KWOLLNER@GWU.EDU

Congratulations!!!

Here's a shout out to all the incoming colonials!

Admissions decisions went out online last night, and everyone will be receiving their acceptance packets soon.  So here's a big congrats from me to you:

Be sure to join the GW Class of 2015 Facebook Page to connect with other members of the 2011-2012 freshman class!

Email me with questions about WHATEVER!  ShireenS@gwmail.gwu.edu

Congrats again!

<3 Shireen

Springtime for G-Dubs

The global warming class I feared was not what I got, thanks to great faculty and my willingness to get over myself.

Well, it's officially Spring here at GW: the cherry trees have flowered (see my fellow blogger's post below for a great take on this iconic DC event!), the Department of State employees walking from the subway station to work have shed their overcoats, and 23rd Street has flooded.

Now that we're back from Spring break, the final stretch of the 2010-2011 Academic Year has officially begun! As hard as it can be to stay afloat during times that are so homework-, midterm- and paper-dense, there are ways to manage stress. Here are some more unorthodox ones I've been trying out this time:

Go With the Flow: To paraphrase the Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu, there are papers which must not be written, homework which must not be done, and tests which must not taken.
I'm not saying don't do the work! (That is a bad idea in just about every way I can think of.)

What I'm suggesting is that, in college--where curricula tend to emphasize more critical thinking and independence than in high school--you can very often turn a boring assignment into an interesting one, or an interesting one into one that's actually fun to write.

In my freshman year, I (like all GW students, regardless of AP Scores or High School English programs) had to take a University Writing Course. These teach the same skills, but each has a topic.

Now, no offense to environmentalists out there, but at first, I didn't feel too comfortable with the class topic I was stuck with--Climate Change.
Luckily, I was able to connect it to my core interest in conflict and security and completed an interesting research assignment that linked global climate issues to those of global security. My professor was great and very knowledgeable--by the end of the semester, I had learned  a lot about the topic and had become a lot more comfortable with it. At GW, we have a very diverse student body--both in terms of background and in terms of interests. By putting your own "spin" on those lengthy term papers, you can get the best of both worlds.

Take Frequent Breaks: We have the whole city (and campus) at our disposal--go to the museums on the weekend, or for a late-night walk around the monuments. (Or, for my fellow New Jersey denizens, one can always go the Gym, tan at GW alumni-owned facilities, or do laundry in the dorms themselves.)

Start Early: Funny, right? I'm trying to do this by beginning papers a month in advance. It probably won't work, but who knows?

--Adam

Questions, comments or concerns about how you'll manage stress around exam time in college, or about GW resources? Let me know at ash1290@gwmail.gwu.edu.

The Pros and Cons of Cherry Blossoms

It is that time of year again! These are all the lessons I have learned throughout my numerous years of experience with Cherry Blossoms and the festival!

Pro: The flowers are BEAUTIFUL!

Whether you are walking from your residence hall to class or down by the tidal basin, all of the blooming pink and white flowers are absolutely magnificent.  And of course, the White House always has the most picturesque flowers blooming on all sides.

Con: Allergies!

I have never had pollen, flower, dust, or seasonal allergies before coming to DC.  However since moving out here every Spring my nose gets stuffed, my sinuses throb, and headaches prevail.  I may suffer a little for the beauty of the season, but it is nothing that a little medicine can't handle.

Pro: The festival!

There is the kite flying, the parade, the markets, and just a general cheerfulness all around!  There are always special performances, concerts, and events going on to celebrate the rare and short-lived beauty of the cheery blossoms! Check out the schedule of events on the festival's official website!

Con: With the blossoms come the people!

The metro is more crowded, the streets are mobbed with people, and the mall is full of tourists.  While I love to see people enjoying this special time of year, sometimes I just want to yell "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"  So for you all who are planning on making a visit to GW/DC anytime in the future please, attempt to follow these rules....1) Stand on the right side of the escalators (all of them) and let people pass on the left...2) Do not stop and wait for the rest of your group at the top of the escalator...3) Don't be afaird to ask for directions.  Most people are able to help you get to where you need to go.

If you are coming out I hope you enjoy yourselves and the beautiful setting Washington has right now!

Don't forget to email me!
until next time
Kim

Declaring My Major

As a second semester sophomore whose major was officially “undecided” until Tuesday, it was about time for me to fill out all the paperwork and finally declare it.

In the Columbian College, you have to have your major declared by the end of your sophomore year, and I decided to wait until now to declare it so that I can thoroughly think through the decision. I was always leaning towards what I ended up deciding, but I wanted to be sure. What did I decide, you might ask? Drum roll please………………….I am majoring in Criminal Justice and minoring in Psychology. The minor in Psychology might be upgraded later to another major (so I would be double majoring) if I can fit in all the required classes within 4 years (I might end up taking a summer class or two in order to make it work). In order to get a degree in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, one must complete 120 academic credits, maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better, complete a CCAS major, and complete all of the general curriculum requirements (GCRs as they are commonly called).

In order to declare my major, I had to do a few things. First, I had to complete the form, which had all the basics: things like name, address, GWid number, and then chosen major and minor. Then, on the back is a chart where I had to list a tentative course schedule for the remainder of my college career (what classes I plan on taking and when). In order to fill out this chart, it is necessary to refer to the bulletin of classes and which classes are required for each major and minor. After completing the form, it was time to get approval signatures from the head of each department. So, I ventured into the Psychology and Sociology (Criminal Justice is within the Sociology department), figured out who I required signatures from and went to their office hours and met with them to discuss my course selections. They also assigned me advisors from their departments for future meetings. The final step is to turn in the fully completed form to the Columbian College office located in Phillips/ Rome Hall where they take the hold off of my account that would prevent me from registering from classes on Friday (athletes get priority registration to accommodate practice and game times).

It feels like a big burden has been lifted off of my shoulders by declaring my major (even though I still have to decide later on if I want to/ can double major in Psychology as well).

-Christie

Playing Catch-Up

I'm not exactly sure why I've been so bad at posting lately, I'm just finding myself busier than ever and unable to think of anything to write about!  I was really busy last semester as well, but things were going on I guess.  I had things to talk about!!!  Now, I'm following just about the same routine and life is rather uneventful...

So I'm gonna give you, my faithful readers, a run-down of the few events that have happened of late:

Well, Spring break happened.  I went home, and while it was pretty monotonous, it was nice and restful.  I walked my dog twice a day, I made dinner for my parents every night, and I went to my little cousin's Sweet Sixteen!  So that was nice--being back is a bit rough, even though I did get some solid work done over my week off!

Since then, nothing monumental, really.  Before break was an absolute hell week, I had so many papers and a few tests AND a French presentation!  (Get excited for college though, really!  It's not all work and toil!)

Sorry if this isn't interesting, I just feel really guilty for not having written in a while!  Now that it's tourist season and the weather's getting nicer, I'm going to allow myself to get out more, and I'll surely update you on my DC goings-on!

Email with any and all questions, please!
~~~Shireen

Transfer Applications Due April 1st!

I recently received an email from an hopeful transfer student which reminded me that the deadline for those applications is quickly coming up on April 1st! GW considers anyone who has completed at least 1 college course as a transfer student. GW wants to see that you have done well academically at your home institution, but that there is an opportunity for you to thrive at our campus!

Check out this Admissions Website page to make sure you have all the requirements in on time! Also, here is the Transfer Applicant Checklist you can print out and work from :)

Hope you can become one of us! :)

Good luck and if you have any specific questions, email me and I can try to find the answer for you or you can post on the GW Undergraduate Admissions facebook page where representatives answer comments all day!!! Of course, you can also just call.. but that's not very hip. Haha just kidding the number is (202) 994-6040.

marisaw@gwmail.gwu.edu
- Marisa

Early Mornings in Gelman

Good morning!

Since I've been sleeping in so much lately, I figured that I could wake up early this morning and get some stuff done that would be necessary to do before class this morning. Basically, if I decided not to wake up, I would arrive today empty-handed :) I got out of bed at 8 AM which is early for me these days now that I only have 9:35 AMs and came to the library to roam the shelves for a literary journal to bring to English class.

My Creative Writing class utilizes the library a lot and it's really cool to see what we have to offer. For example, did you know that we had "The Southern Review: published quarterly at Louisiana State University"? This issue I picked up is entirely about baseball, and though I mostly picked it up because of the nicely printed picture on the cover. But it turns out everything sort of has a tie to baseball without being solely about baseball and that is really neat to me.

Example of current cover

 You can look at all the cool covers here.

I'm headed to class soon but enjoy my Gelman finds and check out the 3rd floor yourself to browse all the literary magazines!
marisaw@gwmail.gwu.edu
- Marisa

My Spring Break

As of last night at 6:30pm, I am back on campus and spring break 2011 is officially over. I wish it was a little longer, but I can take comfort in the fact that there is only approximately a month left of the semester. About 6 weeks until it’s time to pack up all of my crap in my dorm. That makes me feel a lot better since this semester has probably been the hardest semester of my entire education so far.

Anyway, here is a little summary of my spring break. I flew home on Friday, the 11th, to Milwaukee and like I said I returned last night so I was home for 8 full days. I did not do anything exciting, just relaxed at home with my family for most of it and it was a welcome change from classes. On the first Saturday I was home, we went to my younger cousin’s birthday party and it was nice to see a lot of my extended family that I haven’t seen in quite a few months. I also spent time with a few of my friends from high school which was nice. Like I mentioned in my previous post, on St. Patrick’s Day I saw Gaelic Storm in concert at the Pabst Theater in downtown Milwaukee and enjoyed it greatly despite being sick. Within 4 days of being home, my younger sister managed to get me sick with what was most likely strep throat and I also managed to develop an ear infection. Even though I was sick, I still enjoyed spring break and how laid back my schedule was for an entire week.

I brought home an entire backpack worth of homework to do over break but I, of course, barely did any of it, instead opting to lounge around and watch TV and movies with my family. So, as a result, I am busy writing a paper and doing other homework that is due tomorrow. I am also currently popping a strip of bubble wrap to improve my mood while doing all this homework (I am addicted to popping bubble wrap!). Now it’s back to paper writing time.

Did you know: Last night at 7:21pm E.D.T marked the official start of spring. Today is the first full day of spring 2011.

-Christie

George is Dancing..

Thought I'd share a funny youtube video I stumbled across this break... enjoy :) and come to GW basketball games to see it yourself! They're really fun, especially when there is a theme like a "buff out" and everyone wears the yellow color of our school.



Hope you enjoyed a little gettin' down with George (times two).

marisaw@gwmail.gwu.edu
- Marisa

Happy Belated St. Patrick’s Day!

Sorry this is a few days late, but I haven’t been feeling very well the last few days and haven’t been on my computer much. Better late than never! Here is how I spent my St. Patrick's Day:

Even though I am not at all Irish (well maybe like 0.1% if I really looked into it), I love St. Patrick’s Day. Everyone is in a great, celebratory mood while wearing vibrant shades of green—what’s not to love? During the afternoon, I didn’t do anything to exciting, just spent the day relaxing at home with my family. However, the day got more exciting later on. Every year on St. Patrick’s Day, my mom makes wonderful corn beef and cabbage and this year didn’t disappoint. Afterwards, I went with my sister Vickie to the Gaelic Storm concert at the Pabst in Milwaukee. This was my first time seeing them live in concert, but for the last several years they have been performing in Milwaukee both on St. Patrick’s Day and at Irish Fest during the summer. Vickie loves them (as you can tell by her old blog post here: http://gwadmissions.blogspot.com/2009/10/st-paddys-day-5-months-early.html) and tons of people from my high school are just as crazy about them.

It was a lot of fun and the entire place was sold out, filled with people dressed head to toe in green with St. Patrick’s Day themed hats (some were actually thrown on stage and worn by the band at one point) and necklaces, jumping around and dancing the night away. Even though I was sick and feeling under the weather, it was a wonderful way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. If you have never listened to Gaelic Storm, you are missing out and should start immediately (as they are just as enjoyable to listen to every other day of the year).

P.s. A song off of their new album, Cabbage, is the FREE Discovery Download on iTunes from last week. As of right now, it is still free, so go check it out before they start charging for it! The song is ‘Raised on Black and Tans.’

-Christie

Back at GW

Hi everyone,

Finally back on Colonial soil :) I got back to Building JJ last night and have pretty much been sleeping since. My flight was early on Saturday and I've also come down with a pretty bad cold, starting last Tuesday, that has kept me doing low-key activities. I'm glad I was home for most of the sickness but it would be great if it could clear up now so I could get to work without feeling exhausted and drained.

My roommates are slowly making their way back today. The girl I share a room with went on an Alternative Spring Break to Nicaragua with GW Hillel, one roommate went home to Minnesota, and the other went to Bonaire with her dad to go scuba diving! Pretty cool. I felt like the boring one because I went home to a week of rain but oh well.. it was worth it to hang out with my family and relax.

Now, I'm just trying to get a headstart on all the work I have coming up this week. It's crazy how soon this semester will be over! I'm also applying to some internships and reaching out to some cool places in Portland so I'll keep you posted as to what I end up setting up for this summer. I already have a babysitting gig for two nights a week which will be nice, but otherwise I'll need something to do!

Ideas for where I should intern in Portland, Oregon or need ideas of what to do for your summer? Let me know :) marisaw@gwmail.gwu.edu
- Marisa

Soldier's Home

Yesterday was a beautiful day in the District, so my boyfriend and I decided to make our way up to the Soldier's Home.  It is located in the Columbia Heights area and is full of history about one of the most memorable presidents in our nation's history: Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln and his family spent about a quarter of his presidency in this soldier's home including the summers of 1862-1864.  He used the seclusion from the hustle and bustle of the White House to relax and do some of his most important thinking.  He discussed war policies and more with his cabinet members, friends, and soldiers who were housed on the grounds.

It was really exciting to walk through the halls Lincoln did and see what he saw.

If you are coming up here anytime soon I suggest you take a walk through history and head up to Soldier's Home. 

Spring Break is wrapping up!  It was great to see a lot of visitor's come through this week, and I hope you all enjoyed your time at GW!  Remember if you still have questions please feel free to email me at kwollner@gwu.edu!

Until next time!
Kim

Day of GW in Portland

Hi everyone! Today at home in Portland, Oregon, I had a wonderful visit from a friend and her friend who both go to GW. The girl I don't know just moved out to Oregon and so my friend has been spending the week with her in Hood River, which is a beautiful spot along the Columbia River outside of Portland.

Hood River, Oregon

They decided to come into town and I showed them some spots I love. Basically, we ate our way around :)

Voodoo Doughnuts

Stumptown Coffee

Vivace Crepes

Well I hope you've enjoyed some of my Portland favorites. I'm off to babysit and then to see my friend who is also home from school!
marisaw@gwmail.gwu.edu
- Marisa

The Six Days of Spring Break- Day #2

My friend Abby 

On the second day of Spring Break, my G-dub gave to me the afternoon off from giving tours. After giving quite a few tours the last few days, the break was quite nice.

Looking at different rowing
crews on the Potomac

My friend Abby, who is also giving StAR tours over Spring Break, and I had intended to go to the Air and Space Smithsonian to see our friend Paul at work and bike the Rock Creek Park trail as spring springs. After seeing an impressive presentation where Paul, an international affairs major, displayed his knowledge of the forces of weight, drag, lift and thrust, we went to a bike shop in Georgetown we had planned to rent bicycles from. However, the shop was closed Tuesday so after failed attempts to find another bike shop, we decided to walk the trails following the Potomac River and has just as much fun. Here are some pictures of us sitting by the Potomac while we watched rowers pass by and ate our snacks intended for the trail. It was the first time I have been on the trails by the Potomac and it is a resource I will have to take more advantage of this spring.

Looking at the Kennedy
Performing Arts Center

Back to work tomorrow :) I do also have some reading I will have to get done tomorrow for some of my classes so yes, I do have some homework over Spring Break. However, I plan to do some sight seeing again tomorrow and stay tuned to see where day 3 takes me.





If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me and see you tomorrow.

Peace, Love and Hippos,

Brandon
brmoore@gwmail.gwu.edu

P.S.- My mom texted me this picture. Apparently my puppy back in Austin, Bluebonnet, misses not having me around quite a bit this Spring Break. I'll see you soon enough Blue!

The Six Days of Spring Break- Day #1

Howdy y’all! I have officially returned from the dead :) I’ve been a bit crazy with band winding down, midterms on the mind, and finishing papers, I’ve been a bit of an overwhelmed freshman. However, it is Spring Break this week at GW and I am getting fully revived.

The fountain in the center
of Dupont Circle

Despite the fact that most students leave GW to go home or to the coast for Spring Break, I decided to stay on campus and enjoy the coming spring as well as getting PAID to give tours with the StAR program (Student Admissions Represenative). StAR’s work voluntarily and are responsible for giving undergraduate admissions tours throughout the year. We are selected through a competitive process and I hope to see some of y’all as future StAR’s. I enjoy this activity and will continue to do it for the next three years, that’s for sure.

The shops of Dupont Circle

Luckily for me, many of my friends are also staying either a.) giving StAR tours as well or b.) working on campus to make some extra money. After our jobs are done and we get a little bit of pesky homework done, we go out and enjoy the city. It is really awesome, relaxing, and something we don’t always get to do when we are busy with schoolwork. Today’s destination was Dupont Circle and some pictures are below. This is a bustling, residential area just north of campus with many great palaces to shop, eat, and hang out. I had fun reading at Books-a-Million, eating at Chipotle, and relaxing in the circle’s park, but these pictures show the beauty of the area.

Looking at the Dupont Circle

In conclusion, I will continue to post these blogs for the remaining 5 days to show you what a DC/GW spring break looks like. In addition, if you are coming for a tour this week, request me or just send me a note saying you want to be on my tour. I’m giving a tour pretty much every day, at every time. Have a good spring break and hope to see you in DC!!!

Peace, Love and Hippos,

 

Brandon

brmoore@gwmail.gwu.edu

P.S.- Congrats to all my Texans visiting GW over spring break! Your regional director, Arturo Carillo, and I are proud of you. On this afternoon’s tour, there were more of us than there were east coasters. Keep up the good work and represent the Lone Star state!

Spring Break Holdups

Of course, I can never take any type of transportation without a glitch. First it was Megabus from New York back to DC, and yesterday it was Amtrak from Seattle home to Portland. This weekend, once I got home to Portland, I traveled up to Seattle to visit a few friends who go to school at the University of Washington and Bellvue Community College.

It was a great weekend, including Pike Place Market (an infamous stop in Seattle), Whole Foods almond cookies, longboarding (I'm not good at all), Lord of the Rings, getting my ear pierced (very Northwest, I know), and hanging around eating good food!

Pikes Place

My new favorite almond crescent cookies

Now, I am safe and back in Portland but only after torrential downpours in the Northwest that led to mudslides on the railroad tracks. They arranged for buses to take us back to Portland which wasn't too bad except that I couldn't plug my computer in to do some homework. Oh well :)
marisaw@gwmail.gwu.edu
- Marisa

New Head Volleyball Coach!!

I’m not sure if I mentioned this previously, but my head coach, the coach of GW women’s Varsity Volleyball Team, resigned in January and started coaching at another school. Since then, we had been without a head coach and our assistant coaches had been running practices. Well, after a month and a half of being without a head coach and multiple interviews, the athletic department has finally decided on a new coach! I do not know all of the details yet, but my entire team is really excited to meet her. This is big news for my team and the GW volleyball organization as a whole. Here is the press release from GWSports.com:

http://www.gwsports.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/031411aac.html

Happy Pi Day (3.14)!
-Christie

What I was supposed to do Friday Night

SPRING BREAK 2011!!!! Woah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Despite this being my last Spring Break as an Undergraduate, I am spending my time not sitting on a beach but working in the Admissions office to make som $$$$.  (So if you are coming this week stop by and say hello!!)

To commemorate the vacation my friend Nicole and I had made plans to attend the Rocky Horror Picture Show at E Street Cinema.  This movie theater is in the heart of metro center with an Indie feel.  They play movies that aren't the box office blockbusters, but are still great pictures.

They also have a midnight film series that was wrapping up this weekend with Rocky Horror (with a shadow cast!)

Unfortunately, due to some complications with my boyfriends dog, I had to cancel.  Luckily the dog is doing much better and will be fine!

I have some other extensive plans for this week though!  Tonight I am going to Filene's Basement, tomorrow night to El Tamarindo for a birthday celebration, going to Lincoln's cottage this weekend, and of course continuing my never-ending job and apartment search.

I will hopefully be back to blog again before the week is over to update you on my exciting adventures!

Remember, if you have any questions don't hesitate to email kwollner@gwu.edu!!

Kim

Luxury Cooking

I thought I'd tell you all about the fabulous lunch I had today. I know, random, but I had to share it with someone. Safeway has a large selection of frozen goods that aren't the best, but they do have a 'natural foods' section that I have started to really enjoy. Amy's has some great products that are delicious and easy to make. I love having some hot food every once and awhile that isn't so expensive (like eating out) so this is a great option!

This was what was on the menu today:

After 30 seconds in the microwave and 5 minutes in the toaster oven, tada!! It was delicious :)

Beautiful pizza on our one ceramic plate

marisaw@gwmail.gwu.edu
- Marisa

BEST WEEK EVER.

Hello everyone! I am officially having a great week against popular understanding of the fact that it is midterms!! Yes, those did suck, but yesterday made up for all of it. The title of this post was not sarcasm!

Not only did I have a Geography of Latin America midterm, Spanish oral interview for my study abroad application, and a chemistry test (which wasn't so great), but I also had great successes. Among those successes....

1. Waking up early this week and enjoying it
2. Going to yoga a lot and loving Mind and Body Week at the gym (free raffles!)
3. Being productive at studying
4. Working ahead on a paper due during spring break (so unfair)
5. Planning to go to Seattle over spring break
6. Getting ready to go home and see my fam!
7. Not cooking and only eating out.. okay, not the best decision
8. Doing laundry before I ran out of clean underwear
9. Keeping my room relatively clean

AND NOW... drumroll please... my best news of the YEAR!!!!

I AM GOING TO ARICA, CHILE IN THE FALL ON SIT'S PUBLIC HEALTH, TRADITIONAL MEDICINE, AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM!!!

I could not be more excited to finally know and relax :)

marisaw@gwmail.gwu.edu

- Marisa

GW Admissions Student Blog Side Story: Extracurricular Club Activities

Today I thought I'd share the recent workings of the two student organizations I spend most of my time in here. I also encourage readers to look for posts marked "Sports", "Organizations" or "Campus" for more great examples from other bloggers. Of course, the best way of all to learn about what students do is to actually visit and ask in person--something you can set up as a prospective student here.

First, the latest from GW's very own Kendo Club. The weekend before last, we headed up to my home state of New Jersey for an overnight stay near New Brunswick. Five of us GW folks went up; all of us competed in the individuals section of the tournament and three, including me, competed in the team section. One thing that's great about competitions is that you get to see just what you have to do to improve. I certainly did this--I was knocked out in the first round of individual competition. However, I did score a point in the team match, which was pretty heartening--it doesn't sound like much, but in Kendo getting a solid hit as judged by the referees isn't something to be sneezed at. Our team may not be very strong, but we bring a lot of GW spirit to every event we attend.

Next, over at Strategic Crisis Simulations, we're now planning our next simulation. These are "dry runs" of national security crises, written and designed by students. These let us model the kinds of problems the U.S. might face if something goes badly wrong with the world. Participants get experience making decisions in the capacity of high-level government officials. This is different from Model U.N. (another great organization here at GW, the International Affairs Society, does that) in that we focus on substance as much as we do on process. Each time functional topics differ, and each program is expressly designed with an educational aim in mind. We recently did one on the potential for conflict on the Korean peninsula; upcoming is one on the problem of conventional arms control in Central Asia and the Caucasus region.

There are dozens of ways to get involved with campus life at GW and countless student organizations to join. You can get a glimpse of some of their activities at this web page.

Adam
--
Questions, comments or concerns on anything related to admissions or student life here at GW? Send them to me at ash1290@gwmail.gwu.edu.

Seven Things You Need To Know About Colonials Hoops

Best video I've seen advertising GW basketball! Hilarious and a great introduction to our womens and mens sports teams.. with some great music.



marisaw@gwmail.gwu.edu
Marisa

SA Election Season

It is that time of year again, the infamous SA elections.

Posters have been put up, town down, and put up again.  Endorsements hearings have commenced, the SA-Hatchet Debate has ended, and now only time will tell who will win in the end.

This year I am working on my friend's presidential campaign, Caleb Raymond.  He stands for lowering GW fees, increasing funding for student organizations, and increasing student resources.  Check out his website at calebforpres.com.

There are 7 candidates for SA President and 5 candidates for Executive Vice President.  You can check out all of their profiles on the Hatchet exclusive here.

You can also see a slideshow of postering day from the Hatchet here. Unfortunately I was not able to poster this year, the first time in my GW career!!  I was sick in bed shivering with a fever.

Tomorrow marks the opening of the polls, from 9-9 on Wednesday and Thursday every student, undergraduate and graduate are able to vote for President, EVP, Senate, Marvin Center Governing Board and Class Council.

It shall be an interesting campaign season.  I will be sure to keep you updated as to who will be part of the student leadership team next year!

Don't forget to email me at kwollner@gwu.edu if you have any questions!

GW's 1st Atlantic-10 Game

 Tomorrow will be GW's Atlantic 10 Championship 1st round game against the Hawks of St. Joseph's. Everyone's super pumped about the game because it'd be held at our very own Smith Center. So far, GW's Men's Basketball is the 5th seed in the league and I belive St. Joseph's the 9th seed. There's a great tailgate happening at the park across from my dorm where there'll be kegs, hotdogs, hamburgers; the Spirit Team and Colonial Brass will also be having some performances to get everyone going. It's expected that GW will play at the Atlantic 10 Basketball Championship in Atlantic City so the university is providing FREE shuttle service from GW to Atlantic City and then off to some great Northeast Spring Break destinations after the quarterfinal game on Friday. It's really awesome to see GW with so much school spirit and the Men's team to be performing so brilliantly thus far. I can't wait for the game tomorrow!

Check out this link for an awesome GW rendition of Wiz Khalifa's hit "Black and Yellow" -Serena

First Spring Volleyball Tournament (Naval Academy)

On Saturday my volleyball team and I (GW Varsity Volleyball) played in our first tournament of our spring season at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. We played in this tournament last year and did fairly well (plus I played a completely different position than I normally do—I had to play setter because our setter quit a few weeks previously). Unlike last year, however, I did not have my own cheering section (last year my sister Vickie who was a senior here at GW and two of her roommates came to watch and tour around the area). Here is her blog post about last year’s tournament:
http://gwadmissions.blogspot.com/2010/03/weekend-outing-spring-break.html
We departed from GW’s campus at 7am in our team vans and arrived at the Naval Academy at approximately 8am. This was our pool play schedule: play UMBC at 9am, ref Bucknell vs.Navy at 10am, play Bucknell at 11am, ref Navy vs UMBC at 12pm, and play Navy at 1pm. We ended up winning all of our pool play matches in 2 games (tournaments are best 2 out of 3).

Then the playoffs, otherwise known as the championship, started at 3pm, with us playing Delaware. We won the first game, but our exhaustion proved to be too much and we lost the next 2, losing the championship in 3 games. We ended up leaving the Naval Academy at roughly 5pm and arrived back on campus at 6pm. What I love about this tournament is the location. Annapolis/ Naval Academy is gorgeous! The weather was not too great, kind of cold and really windy but the sights were still beautiful.

-Christie