A Perfect "Reading Day"

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to describe to you how great reading days are. After classes end, GW usually has one or two reading days that provide time for students to relax, recuperate, and get ready to attack our final exams. I had one exam in my last class this past Monday, and two take home exams, so I only have 2 in-class finals to go. While these exams will both be hard, this semester will be much more manageable in terms of finals solely because I have 3 out of the way!

But back to Reading Days... GW really pulls out the bells and whistles to make sure people are relaxed, well fed, and getting outside! Even though I had a study room reservation in the library from 12 PM to 6 PM yesterday (students can reserve library rooms together- each student can reserve a 2 hour block), I still managed to take advantage of great things going on around campus:

- The Love Is Louder Block party is a movement that was started to remind us that 1 in 4 people have a mental illness, and to remind them that they are not alone in struggling with disease. It was started by Brittany Snow and MTV after several students around the country committed suicide in September 2010. The Block Party had cupcakes, a place to throw paint at canvas, lots of booths to help students talk about these issues, and pizza.

- My economics professor hosted a large office hours session where he went over students' problems as a group. I benefited from this experience and went to listen to more review for our exam.

- The GW Gelman Library is being renovated starting this summer to have an amazing entryway and new study space. Cafe Gelman is hosted every month with free snacks for students, and they amped it up during our reading day yesterday to allow us to have some expresso drinks prepared by local baristas, great snacks like chips, bananas, and granola bars, as well as some free travel mugs that are really nice. I'm glad I stopped by!

Hope everyone is enjoying the sun/the heat.. I for one am not wanting it to get any more humid! Why did I decide to stay in DC this summer?! :)
- Marisa

Curious George + Engineering = So much FUN (:

Happy Friday Readers (: 

I’d like to comment on the ridiculously GORGEOUS weather we are having today in Foggy Bottom. The environment on campus is definitely thriving today. I got out of class today and the Panhellenic Conference Council got an ice cream truck to give free ice cream to everyone on campus (free ice cream + gorgeous weather = happy Alyse). The Panhellenic Conference is the umbrella organization under which the social greek sororities on campus fall under if they are not under the Multicultural Greek Council umbrella organization or are a Professional Fraternity.  Social fraternities that are not professional and that do not fall under the Multicultural Greek Council are apart the umbrella organization called the Inter Fraternity Council.    

Wait... but my Friday gets even better-- the engineering org Engineers Without Borders was having a BBQ with footballs and nerf guns and a kiddie pool in Kogan Plaza (should have snapped a photo-- it was very dope sorry!). Although the food wasn’t entirely free, my gworld balance is definitely looking rough and I will take a $2 meal any day. Yep, today’s a good day.

Now back to the point of my post: so this past Wednesday, the engineering school (SEAS) hosted about 300 three to five year olds for a big Curious George event. With the help of a lovable student dressed up in a Curious George concert, we taught the kids about the various engineering disciplines through hands on activities in the Smith Center and then we ate lunch with them. It was an all around really fun event and fun day and everybody involved had an awesome time. I was on the planning committee since the event was run through the office I work at (Undergraduate Advising Office in SEAS) so I definitely had an awesome time because (a) I LOVE children and (b) I LOVE planning events. So it was a win win situation. I was looking for pictures to post for the event but everyone in the office is gone for the day and cameras have gone M.I.A. but once I find them, I will definitely post them up (: 

Until next time: if you have any questions, comments or just want to chat-- always remember I am only an email away! anstone@gwmail.gwu.edu

Stay Classy Colonials,

Alyse

Lesson #003: Give the Vibes, the Troubadours, & campus’ various vocal leviathans a listen

Ryan Thorton, a member of the GW Vibes, as featured in The Hatchet last month.

Lesson #003: Give the Vibes, the Troubadours, & campus’ various vocal leviathans a listen!

Good afternoon, buff and blue Colonials!

This past weekend has been absolutely insane and has got me stuck on the idea of writing about probably a half dozen different things, including a huge Greek life event and GW Program Board's (@GWPB on Twitter) Spring Fling. Instead, I’ll take it one step at a time and begin with one of the more low-key parts of the weekend.

The GW Vibes in the Smith Center at Spring Fling

On Sunday, I attended Spring Fling’s cornerstone event, a concert featuring none other than Childish Gambino. His opening act, you ask? The Vibes.

No, the Vibes (@GWVibes on Twitter) are not an old all women’s group from the 70’s, in case you were wondering. They are a co-ed a capella group that always manages to astound me with their vocal arrangements and acumen. Here is actually a very short video of them performing one song, though my personal favorite is their cover of “Shark in the Water” by V.V. Brown.

(Definitely look up The Vibes on Youtube to get a better idea of their vocal talents. The sound quality wasn't the best, simply because of the large crowd of students in attendance.)

They aren’t the only group I have seen and recorded (for you guys!) recently. Just a few weeks ago, following a meeting for the GW STAR (Student Admissions Representative, for those not quite up on the campus lingo) program in Marvin Center, I walked with friends out of the doors and exited out onto H Street, into the tender Spring night’s twilight. As they were heading back to the Mount Vernon Campus and as I was headed back to my own residence hall, we walked past Kogan Plaza, where a sizeable crowd was gathered. It was before long that our curiosity got the best of us and we crossed the street to join the crowd, which formed a semi-circle around a group of a dozen guys and girls. This group was the GW Troubadours (@GWTroubadours on Twitter).

When we joined the crowd buzzing with anticipation, I thought that maybe we’d missed their performance. Little did I know that they were really just getting started! The GW Troubadours, one of the premiere a cappella groups on campus, busted out into their rendition of Jason Mraz’s “Geek in the Pink”, with sophomore Max Dinsmore on lead vocals.

GW Troubadours in front of Kogan Plaza a few weeks ago.

The group performed a number of songs, including “I Want You Back”, made famous by the Jackson 5-- effortlessly belted out by sophomore Rachel Weinstein.

A cappella groups can be found left and right between our two campuses and, if anything, they are competitive and passionate. These groups include Emocapella, the emo and punk rock performance group; the Pitches and the Sirens, both stunning all-female groups; and the Sons of Pitch, an all-male group who performed at the White House this past December. In fact, if you search GW a cappella on Youtube, hundreds of videos come up, showcasing the sheer popularity of an art form which has taken on a life of its own.

With just as much zeal in their voices and animation in their eyes as any other a cappella group, the Vibes and the Troubs did what essentially all of the campus a cappella groups do: leave fellow Colonials swaying and swooning over their sick synchronicity and heart-shattering harmonies (from the Smith Center to Kogan Plaza to the White House)!!!

Stay spirited, Class of 2016 and Future Colonials.

Sincerely,

Matt

PS: Any questions or comments? Feel free to email me at mtscott@gwu.edu!