GW Volleyball’s Scenic Excursion through Colorado and Wyoming

Over the long Labor Day weekend, my team and I played in the University of Wyoming tournament and then spent the rest of the weekend in Colorado, more specifically Estes Park. On Thursday, we flew into Denver and then drove the 2 hours to Laramie, Wyoming for the tournament. And then on Saturday night, after we were finished playing, we drove another 2.5 hours back into Colorado (Estes Park) where our coaches had rented a gorgeous house in the mountains that sleeps 20 people that also had its own hot tub (which our team utilized quite frequently). To make it even better, the view from the house was absolutely gorgeous.

view from the house

That evening while everyone was settling into the house and deciding where they would be sleeping for the next 2 nights, the team captains went grocery shopping since the team was responsible for cooking all three meals the next day, which actually went really well. Our team is filled with fantastic cooks.

eating our homemade dinner

On Sunday after we cooked breakfast, we got into our rental cars and ventured further up the mountains to the Rocky Mountains National Park where we climbed the Alluvial Fan Falls as well as another trial to the highest peak (it was quite cold up there, but there wasn’t any snow). Another highlight of the day was a trip to the famous Stanley Hotel, which was featured in the Stephen King movie, The Shining.

Alluvial Falls

at the top!

Stanlley Hotel

That evening while we were making dinner, a few of us went on a mini adventure around the area to see if we could spot some wildlife and we did! We got pretty close to some elk that were in the middle of a fight! We got as close as we could, but we were warned beforehand not to get too close for safety reasons. We just sat there for about 20 minutes watching them fight and of course taking in the beautiful view of the mountains behind them. It was quite relaxing.

Unfortunately we had to leave the next morning to travel back to DC, so that was all we had time to do, but we had a lot of fun!

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

-Christie

GW Nike Volleyball Invitational This Upcoming Weekend!

This Friday (9/14 & 9/15) is GW Volleyball’s Nike Invitational Tournament! On Friday we will be playing Princeton Friday night at 7pm and on Saturday, we will be playing New Hampshire at 10am and #21 BYU at 7pm. All games will be held at the Charles E. Smith Center, located near the center of campus. It should be a great tournament and if you are in the DC area, come and experience GW athletics! Remember 7pm on Friday and 10am and 7pm on Saturday!

As for our season so far, we have been busy! We have played in the Purdue, Wyoming, and Maryland tournaments over the last few weekends. Some of the matches have not gone the way we wanted, but we have played numerous top ranked teams in the nation and from each match we are learning valuable lessons and growing as a team. We have also been battling an injury-filled preseason, with at times having 6 people out and not able to play. Every day we have been getting better and we can’t wait for this weekend to play at our home tournament and to continue to prepare for our A10 regular season matches!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful start to their school year!

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

-Christie

The Whirlwind that is Volleyball Preseason

Hello all, it feels like I haven’t blogged in a long time so I figured I would update you on my life for the last 2 weeks, which has consisted of volleyball and class. As I previously mentioned, on August 7, our volleyball preseason began and my life has been even busier than it was during the summer! Every day we have had practice from 9am-12pm, a workout from 12pm-1pm, another practice from 3pm-6pm, and then weights from 6-7pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. And on top of this, I am currently finishing up my last summer class, Principles and Methods of Psychology. For the last 2 weeks if I have not been in class or at volleyball, I have been either eating, sleeping, or doing homework. Once preseason is over, I will be blogging much more frequently.

Preseason has gone really well, despite my team being plagued by injuries. We have been working hard and are excited to compete this weekend at the Purdue University tournament. Next week I will update you on how the tournament goes! In addition to playing volleyball, my team and I have also have had some fun team events, such as a ropes course (pictures to come) a Nationals game last night, and team dinners every single night.

2012 GW Volleyball (photo courtesy of gwsports.com)

We had a little fun on picture day (photo courtesy of @GW_Volleyball)

Wearing lovely GW ponchos since it was completly downpouring on the way to dinner (photo courtesy of @GW_Volleyball)

First day of practice! (photo courtesy of @GW_Volleyball)

Picture with George at the Nationals game!

If you want to follow all of the action of GW volleyball this season, in addition to reading my blog posts you can follow @GW_Volleyball on twitter!

As for my class, I am almost completely done with it. All I have left is to complete my final 10 page paper before I leave for the Purdue tournament this weekend. Wish me luck!

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

-Christie

Nationals Game and a Third Eye Blind Concert?!

Hi everyone,

Last night, I went to my last Nationals game before the end of the season. They played the New York Mets and lost pretty badly, but it was still a great game to see and the fans were louder than usual. Seeing the stadium practically full (when there are around 40,000 seats) is pretty neat... especially because we were up in the nosebleed section 417. We were directly above home plate though so we did have a nice look down to the game.

Me, Annie, and Emma in the nosebleed section

The highlight of the game though was the post-game concert. Every month or so, they host a concert after the game in Nationals Park so you just go down to the closest seats and rock out to some fun music. This post-game concert was amazing mostly because Third Eye Blind was playing... and for those who don't know them... they were a prime-time band back when I was in middle school. Songs like "Never Let You Go" and "Semi-Charmed Life" play in commercials now, they were that popular.

A huge number of people stayed behind for the concert which was amazing and even surprised the band! Here is a video someone took last night and posted to youtube- not the best quality but gives you an idea of the fun :)

Happy Sunday,
Marisa

Summertime in DC

Summer is almost over.. but not quite! I am planning to really take advantage of the last few days of summer before school starts in 2 weeks. Because I have been here over the summer enjoying the heat and the humidity, I’ve tried to get out to see things that I normally can’t get off campus to do.

Some of the highlights:

I have been to several Nationals games this summer that have been really fun- not only are they cheap with your student ID card (the $10 tickets become half off!), but there are plenty of fun things that have also happened near the Nats stadium. I went to a Food Truck Fiesta at the fairgrounds, and this weekend I’m going to a concert after the Nats game Saturday night. It’s easy to get to on metro and a blast! They even sell $5 hats outside so that you can really look like a true Washingtonian.

I have started to explore the culinary streets of DC, starting with Oohs and Ahhs on U Street. This restaurant combines soul food with Southern flair to leave you with a full belly and a happy soul. Along with 5 friends, we managed to try the baked chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens, green beans, fried catfish, grits, sweet tea, and homemade lemonade. Everything was delicious- I recommend asking for half sweet tea half lemonade for a delicious summer drink. I have also been to new restaurants, like Alero and Grillfish, as well as stopping by my favorite joints, Lauriol Plaza for example.

Working right near the Capitol has also allowed me to get out to the museums after work. Jazz in the Sculpture gardens, the Air and Space Museum, and the Botanic Garden for example. The Botanic Garden is my new favorite spot in DC and I recommend it to anyone, even if you are just visiting! As you approach the Capitol from the mall, walk up the right hand side on the block before the Capitol and stop into the Botanic Gardens. You can sit and eat your lunch at the First Lady Fountain, or check out the Hawaii room. They have so many different species of plants it's ridiculous.

And finally being 21, I’ve tried some fun bars. Bier Baron was a stopping point last night for my friend Emma’s birthday, as she is a beer lover who spent her time abroad in Amsterdam. They have over 500 bottled/canned beers, along with around 20 nice options on tap. For $5-$9 beers, I was quite happy to try a new beer and sit around at their cozy wooden tables. They also have a 5-7 PM happy hour special where you can get a draft beer and a burger for $10! They do card right at the entrance because you have to be 21 to go into the tavern, so it’s not an option unless you are of-age.

I’ve also made it my goal to explore more during the school year- hopefully I’ll have the time during my senior year to really take advantage of this city before I begin in the working world.

Happy Wednesday night everyone!

- Marisa

#012: YOU are GW Bound!

#012: YOU are GW Bound! 

 

(One of GW sports' favorite songs, played at every basketball game - "Welcome to DC")

Under 10 days. That’s less than 1.4285 weeks, less than 240 hours, less than 14,400 minutes, and less than 864,000 seconds. THAT means that the countdown to GW Bound (@GWDCBound) has begun! GW Bound is a program presented by the Center for Student Engagement (@GW_CSE) that welcomes incoming students to GW’s campus to allow them to settle in to life at GW. More importantly, these incoming students venture out before other students move in on a mission to get to know the place you’ll be living for the next 4 years and the people you’ll be getting to know over these next 4 years.

Don’t fret, though—GW isn’t throwing you out in the wild—literally (in the case of Adventure Bound!) or figuratively. An eclectic, excellent cast of GW sophomores, juniors, and seniors will serve as the guides for all of the co-curricular programs. As you probably could have guessed, I myself am a guide for D.C. Bound. In fact, I just found out today that I’ll be taking my group to a bunch of places throughout D.C., including the Newseum and other media-related destinations. My guide partners, Sophie and Emma, and I will have a grand ol’ time with incoming students as we travel around the city, representing GW and showing our new friends just some of the sources of our Hippo pride, so to speak.

That's right! Really, who DOESN'T love The Hippster?

After GW Bound, right before classes start, I will definitely post whatever pictures and video I have from the whole process, from the start of training on the 16^th to the final day of it all on the 24^th. Hopefully, whether this year or sometime in the future, I hope you get a chance to experience GW Bound. My own experience was stellar. I still have my “Experience D.C.” t-shirt, along with all of the memories from those first few days before classes.

In closing, I'll let some of the CSE staff sum it up for you! Take it away, Heather, Ellie, and Lyndsey!

Thanks for reading!

Stay spirited (and, as always, feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email with any feedback or questions),

Matt

mtscott@gwu.edu

What I did on my Summer Vacation

Well, in 2 days my summer vacation is technically over.  Why so early you ask? Tuesday begins the 2012 GW Volleyball season! I can’t wait to see all of my teammates and begin our journey to the A10 Championships.  

And while I refer to it as 'summer vacation,' it never truly felt like summer to me. As you may have inferred from my last post, I stayed in DC this entire summer instead of going home to Wisconsin. And from the moment my last final exam ended in May, my summer has been busier then I could have ever imagined. I’ve been interning all summer at ATF and it has been quite a rewarding experience to say the least. I learned a great deal and was exposed to possible careers to pursue after graduation. In addition to interning, I also took multiple classes here at GW, working hard to that I can earn my double major in Psychology and Criminal Justice. So between interning all day, working out, and taking classes at night five days a week, my summer schedule was more than a little full.

Fortunately, despite being so busy, I was able to go home for a few days in between my summer class sessions. It was a welcome, albeit too brief of a break and I was so thankful to see my family and friends for a few days and spend the 4th of July weekend with them. I also was able to continue one of my summer traditions—go to Summerfest, America’s largest musical festival, which is held every summer in Milwaukee on Lake Michigan (aka 10 minutes from my house). Last year, I ended up seeing 17 concerts at Summerfest within the span of 10 days, but since I was only home for a few days this summer, I was only able to see 2—Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker—and both of them were amazing. However, I did go to another concert this summer in nearby Bristow, Virginia. I saw Sugarland, who never fails to put on a fantastic show. Obviously, I love concerts. They are probably my favorite summer activity.

I can’t believe that summer is basically over and I’m about to begin my senior year, but I am excited! And of course I’ll keep you all updated on my life as my senior year unfolds.
Feel free to email me with any questions! cbgraf@gwmail.gwu.edu       

-Christie

Fun Way to Stay Cool in the Summer: GW’s Vern Pool

As you might know, summers in DC can be quite humid and hot, reaching the upper 90s and lows 100s at times. And personally, my perfect temperature is the 70s range, otherwise I get hot. My motto is that if its above 80 degrees and I am outside, I need to be within reach of a pool. Although I do enjoy swimming in cooler temperatures as well (hey, I'm from Wisconsin, I can handle a little cold). My friends often call me crazy because I can comfortably go to the pool and tan when it is only 65 degrees outside (which is what I did over Christmas break in Florida this past December), but that has not been the case this summer in DC. In fact, these last few months, the temperature has rarely dropped below 85 degrees! So, in the beginning of the summer, on the weekends when I had free time (since I intern and have class during the week), I frequently hit up the Mount Vernon campus pool. Unfortunately, since then I haven’t had much free time to go and work on my tan.

The pool is free for GW students and members of the community can pay for a membership. All others must purchase a membership. And let me tell you, every time I've gone, it has been crowded. Everyone has had the same idea as me to escape the summer heat. After all, it is a very nice, quite large pool, supervised by lifeguards, so why wouldn't people al flock towards it? It was a godsend for me since I am used to spending countless summer days around my pool back home.

It was funny, the first time I went this summer, my friends and I all had on our suits, sunglasses, and were carrying our towels and some tourists walking through campus passed us and asked "where's the beach? or even the pool?" Little did they know that all you have to do is take the Vern Shuttle to the other campus and don't forget your towel and sunscreen!

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

-Christie

9 Student Organized Events You Need to Attend

Hey Yall,

People always ask "What does the typical GW student do on the weekend?"

I usually answer that with 10,000 kids it's difficult to summarize all the unique options we have as an school located in downtown Washington, DC. Between the National Mall, the Museums and Zoo, the restaurants and professional sport options it may seem as if students are rarely on campus. And while our lack of a football team is often cited as a lack of school spirit I believe that we more than make up for it through student organized events. 

Below are 9 events you won't want to miss this coming year:

1- Holi
   An Indian festival marked by throwing color pellets at others March
2- Capital Funk Showcase
   G Dub's very own hip hop team brings together other crews to perform April
3- Bake Sales in Ivory Tower
   Sooner or later (probably sooner) you'll walk past a bake sale in Ivory. You should donate. EVERY night.
4- Raas Chaos
    Indian dance group Raas holds an an annual competition of teams from schools in the region November
5- Greek Life Recruitment
    Learn about the sororities and fraternities on campus from the brothers and sisters! Throughout the fall

Oh the People You'll Meet!

Hi Yall,

This past Sunday it was another round of "Guess who's on campus?!?!". This time it was a bit different in that GW hosted the Team USA Men's Basketball team!

Turns out Coach K didn't want to practice in the Verizon Center where they would later play Brazil, so they decided to come over to the Smith Center on campus. One of my roommates and I went with our leftover US flags from our July 4th celebration to the arena to catch a glimpse of the NBA's best.

Out strolled Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love, and Kobe Bryant. It was a pretty impressive crew but do they make it into the top 5 people I've seen on campus or in DC? I've interacted with Olympians, Presidents, Secretary of Sates, Emmy winners, and World Cup winners.

Here is the full list of famous/interesting people I've either met or seen in my first three years:

1. Barack Obama (shook his hand)
2. Michelle Obama (shook her hand)
3. Brazilian National Soccer Team (Neymar, Thiago Silva, Pato, and Hulk signed my shirt)
4. Bill Clinton
5. Jon Stewart
6. Team USA Men's Basketball
7. Usher
8. Madeline Albright
9. Hilary Clinton
10. Robert Gates
11. Stephen Colbert
12. Michael Bloomberg

This isn't a full list of people who have come to campus, it's only my list. When you come to GW, you know it'll be a fun filled four years, but not just for the normal college reasons.

Coming soon will be the 9 Student Organized Events You Should Attend

All the best,

Oscar

@myworthynotes | oscarn@gwmail.gwu.edu