GDub: Likes and Dislikes

My turn to answer the email! :)

As for my favorite part about GW, it would probably be the classes I've taken and the professors I've gotten to know.  I've had the chance to take some great classes here the past four years I know I wouldn't have anywhere else. Some stand-outs have been:

American Studies 125: 20th-Century U.S. Immigration 

This class really delved into the issue of immigration, from the beginning of the 1900s with Ellis Island, to Cuban refugees today and its supporters and opponents over the years as well.  Obviously the topic has a lot of correlation to issues today, but my favorite part was discussing how it was viewed and why in the beginning, and how supporters became opponents and vice versa, depending on the immigrant group in question.

Immigrant family on Ellis Island.

Sociology 184: Violence and the Family

I know what you're thinking, a class on domestic violence? While some of the topics were sensitive and sometimes depressing to think about, it was a very interesting class that had great discussions as to the "why's" of familial violence, led by a former NYPD officer as our professor.

L

Law & Order: SVU

Forensic Science 103 & 104: Intro to the Forensic Sciences

Love CSI? NCIS? Any criminal procedural? Well, this class is for you. With a professor who was the head of a lab in NY, you get a firsthand account of how those tv shows get it wrong, as well as a great foundation in how science interacts with the law and law enforcement. If you're squeamish, be forewarned there are LOTS of photos of dead bodies and blood... my advice? Eat lunch beforehand.. kinda seemingly counterproductive, but it worked for me.. no nausea unless I had an empty stomach haha. 

Psychology 154: Psychology of Crime and Violence

Heard of criminal psychological profiling? The tv shows Profiler or (my fav) Criminal Minds? Basically, those shows in the form of a class, taught by a professor who also teaches the same course to police academies in the area. Awesome, awesome class. Looked forward to waking up and going to it, even though it was at 9:35am.... very high praise from someone whose brain doesn't generally function til 11am or about 3 cups of coffee, whichever come first!

History 101: History of US Counter-Intelligence

Basically early morning storytime with a career FBI agent who wrote the book, literally, on FBI counterintelligence, from its beginnings in WW2 to its future following the end of the Cold War. Intrigued by real-life spies? Definitely the class for you!

Sociology 189: Sociology of Terrorism

Again, another class taught by a former FBI special agent. We have discussed everything from origins of terrorism, the how's, why's, who's, etc. to different strategies to combat it. Very fun class- our big project was to research a domestic or international terrorist group and present to the class how, if we were them, we would carry out an attack, showing our strategy, what we would use, where we would get the funding, etc. 

As you can see, I'm kinda into the whole "criminal justice" thing... and also classes that correlate to tv shows I watch.. never noticed that before... huh. 

However, going hand-in-hand with my favorite thing about GW is also my least favorite... namely, how difficult it can be to get into certain classes you want and need. Many of the classes listed above I tried to get into once or twice before I actually was able to take them. Basically, the cool classes tend to fill up before underclassmen can register, which sometimes doesn't matter since the cool ones also tend to have prerequisites that you won't have til you are an upperclassmen.... so I guess it works out. 

Or, in the case of the History 101 I mention above, not all classes are offered each semester, depending on the department and professor.  A couple of times I have just gone to the respective professor and expressed my interest in their class and have gotten signed in, but, due to available seats and such, that didn't always work. There's probably now only one or two classes I would've wanted to take that I never got a chance to, either due to the class being full when I was an underclassmen or because that now when I could get in, I took a smaller class-load to make time for a paid part-time job and an unpaid internship and could only pick a few to take.

Hope this helps!

~Vickie

My Email Response Blog!

As you may see in Kim's post, we bloggers received an email from a prospective student yesterday, and we're all taking it upon ourselves to answer (if possible, it is finals after all!) in our own ways, to help out with her position as much as we can.  

Here was the question: 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?

To answer your last question first, I would most definitely choose GW again if I could do it over again.  In fact, now that I've been here and seen how much I love it, I would be even swifter in my response.  Truthfully, I was skeptical about coming to DC.  I was afraid of the distance from home, about city living, and about the school in general.

Least favorite thing about going to GW: People saying "Oh--the rich kid's school?" or something of that nature when I tell them where I go.  It just isn't true, and there are petty and off-putting stereotypes that go along with those connotations.  Personally, I wouldn't have been able to come here if not for financial aid--and I'm one of MANY here!

Favorite thing about going to GW: This is too hard.  I am really and truly happy here.  I love the people, the atmosphere, and of course, the city.  So maybe that's it--the campus?  That can't be right.  OH!  The opportunities.  That covers a bunch of bases.  That's a good one, I'll stick to it.  (Forgive my verbal flotsam, I don't feel like editing that now, I just wrote a paper that kicked my *expletive*)

And there we go, hope that answered your question to your liking!  We all love emails, if you want to get in touch with me, I'm always checking ShireenS@gwmail.gwu.edu

~~~ Shireen 

A Question

A question was recently sent out to all of us bloggers from an email to the general account.  I decided to answer it, but called to the rest of my fellow bloggers to also answer the questions in a post.  So here is the exact email from the reader and my response.  Enjoy!


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?


Favorite: The numerous things there are to do!  Whether it be student organization events, DC events, University outings, or just going out with friends, there is always something to do.  There is never a dull moment at GW.  There are new things to try, more people to meet and new places to visit everyday.

Least Favorite: I would have to say is the forms and red tape.  I know this is evident at almost every university, and I understand the necessity or having forms, but GW has a lot of them.  It is important to allot more time that you would expect to go through processes like study abroad, organization reimbursements, or internship for credit.  These barriers have not stopped me from doing anything, but they have slowed down the process a bit.

Of course I would come to GW if I had another chance.  I love this city, campus and everything about it.  I have the option of being a political junkie, an art junkie, a science junkie, or any other type of junkie I can think of without traveling too far.  GW has opened me up to so many opportunities that I had no idea existed, and I would re-do my years here if I could.


As you can see I love it here!  


I hope everyone is doing alright with making their admissions decisions.  If you have any questions it is never too late to ask.  If you email me I will be sure to send you a response before May 1.


Keep watch for other blogger's responses to their favorite/least favorite aspects of GW!


Kim

Background Check

I recently got an email similar to the one Shireen got an email someone asking me to talk more about myself...well...if you insist...here's the exact question:


Can you please tell me more about your background?


This is a pretty complex question, I kept thinking, 'How do I organize my background down into a blog?' Never fear...I'm going to do my best to try.

I'm from Los Angeles, as you may already know, but my heritage is African, both my parents and most of my siblings (other than me and my little brother) were born and raised there to a certain extent. I come from a very close-knit family. I have 3 brothers and a sister, and don't even get me started on my extended family. My dad had 12 brothers and sisters and my mom had 5 siblings (and everyone before them had a lot of kids too) so I have an endless supply of cousins, aunts, uncles, children (this is a cultural thing, don't actually have kiddies), and grandparents. We're a family of immigrants, sort of immigrants, and entitled Americans (yay me!). I have family all over the world...Uganda, Egypt, Austrailia, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, England. My parents are both Reverends, so I grew up in the church and I am a Christian (I'd like to clarify that to me, growing up in the church and being a Christian aren't necessarily the same thing).


My parents didn't have a lot of money (and by a lot I mean any money) to spend on college so coming to GW was a BIG decision. I got into a few schools, and many of them were in California, and many of them gave me more money than GW, but something about this school struck me as special (my mind hasn't changed about that either). Being in D.C., having the chance to be independent has really changed the way I approach the world and I would have paid any amount of money to make myself a better person. At the time my parents weren't sure how to make it work, but four years later it has, and it continues to work. A big thing that influences my decisions is the fact that my dad always says money should not be an issue. Not because he has money to throw around or because he's reckless, but because he believes every person deserves access to what their heart desires and they can get it if they use the tools given to them, regardless of their social/financial background. He didn't own a pair of shoes until he was 12 years old, and yet all my siblings went to (or are in) college. The key is recognizing and using the tools for what they are.

In terms of cultural identification I'd consider myself to be a hybrid. Maybe that's a cope out, and a few people I've met have actually asked me to choose, but I couldn't really identify myself as Black or African, aspects of both cultures have influenced me and being an American on top of everything makes the mix even more interesting. 


I went to public school most of my life and moved to a private school in 10th grade, a choice that I fought against bitterly, but ended up loving it and it has given me a lot options in terms of my education...for example, I don't think I ever would have left California and come 3,000 miles away to GW if I hadn't been pushed by the very attentive college counselors at Campbell Hall (Shout-out to all my Vikings).


I've always been a big reading/writing buff, which came early on in my life. Something about someone being able to go in and tie loose ends up entirely through fiction really appeals to me. In 3rd grade I wrote an essay about why smoking is bad for you and I won an award (cute right?), I wrote a poem about the Columbine shooting which my teacher made me read in front of the whole school, when Aaliyah died I cried and I wrote a poem about her and her music, and since then I haven't really stopped (not crying, I mean writing). I'm a English major/Creative Writing minor, and its given me the opportunity to develop my writing and discover what it is about writing that moves me.

I can't really remember when I started singing. What I do remember is riding in the car one day and singing "Killing Me Softly," (oh goodness. who even remembers 1996...am I right? Hahaha). Anyway even before that I would listen to song and feel I like "Does nobody get how amazing what he/she is doing?" So I copied those people, over and over again, in my room w/ my cassette player and then CD player and I got to the point where I didn't have to any more because I felt like I could make up my own runs and riffs. I joined a bunch of choirs, shows (yes, yes I was a singing tree in "Into the Woods"), and I knew I could sing when I auditioned for a part in Annie and no one could sing the part of the " excited girl from New York City" and I got up there and I just sang it. And everyone in the room was blown away...and I was like "Really? I was just trying to sing it correctly." Since then that has kind of always been my feeling when people tell me I sing well. Music also a big part of why I became perfectionist.


Now that I've written you an essay, I can stop procrastinating and get back to studying.


Til Next Time


Ekiria

Some GW Volleyball Video...

Hey there!

Finished my first final exam today... three to go!

Here is some video from the GW Volleyball Spring Tournament that I finally got uploaded and some pictures that I promised.

Christie sets up middle hitter Mackenzie.

Christie and Katie go up for the block.

Waiting for Navy to return the ball.

Playing in the Smith Center.

As for my series on residence halls, Thurston and Somers (Mount Vernon Campus) are coming soon!

~Vickie

Oxford University

This past weekend I visited several friends who are studying abroad at Oxford University. It's about an hour train ride out from central London and thankfully we had wonderful weather! According to trusty Wikipedia, Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. Unlike most universities, Oxford is composed of 38 different colleges, each with its own professors, studies, logo, etc. My friends attend St. Anns, which is where the majority of abroad students attend. While they enjoy Oxford, they're not a fan of grouping all the American students on campus as they have less British culture interactions. I visited a lot of sites in Oxford such as, Christ Church (where Harry Potter was filmed), the First Coffee Shop in the UK, the original Oxfam, the Sheldonian Theatre (where graduations are held), and the Radcliffe Camera (first round shaped library). A day and a half was the ideal amount of time to spend in Oxford.

Oxford Main Street

Pub where Tolkien and CS Lewis wrote 

Harry Potter Great Hall

Christ Church Courtyard with Friends

We went punting! 

Now that Chicago is Done...

So Chicago is finally done and I am Mama Morton no more. But let me tell you a little bit about the experience:

The picture above is a picture of the set for the show. Student Theatre groups get to use Lisner Downstage to put on their productions. It is the only space on campus which student theatre groups have control over...which is nice, but it is a small space so it can be limiting. Chicago was arguably the biggest show a student theatre company has ever done. It was put on by Generic Theatre Company, one of 3 student theatre companies at GW, which you can find on the student org website: http://studentorgs.gwu.edu/merlin-cgi/p/so_printRegisteredOrgDetail/d/533. The link provides information about Generic Theatre Company and a link to Generic's personal website. Over 100 people auditioned for a 22-person cast, the cast was phenomenol and every night we performed this weekend we had to turn away people (for a few of the shows we had to turn away people who lined up an hour and a half before the show sometimes 100 or more people...which was really exciting but had me thinking...are we in an alternate reality?).

Me as Mama Morton

Being a singer, I get ready for performances a little differently than actors. While actors have to learn to tap into a character immediately, I'm used to a more gradual improvement over the course of several months. Being in a show taught me that if you try to be at your best from day one, you have a lot more room to grow and develop the character, and the performance becomes second nature. Personally, its the spontaneity of performing that most attracts me to it, but it you're doing a show, you have to get over that and find spotaneity in other places.

My cast members and the director were really supportive and I think we all came a very long way, especially considering the time-frame we had to finish everything in. This is my first full show at GW btw, but there are also opportunities to perform on both larger and smaller scales through Mainstage productions, which take place twice a year in the Betts Theatre, and smaller shows like Forbidden Planet Productions Cabaret which showcases scenes from different musicals, each with a different director and cast (which mean its much less of a time commitment).

                                     

Til Next Time,

Ekiria

Lemme know if you have questions: magalae@gmail.com

New Smithsonian Exhibit

While I'm not in Washington, the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History recently debuted its newest exhibit on to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Apollo Theatre. It's entited "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment," and celebrates the impact of the Theatre on American culture and how African American culture shaped the country. The exhibit has a number of films, images, costumes, music scores, playbills, instruments, etc. Some of the items on display include, Sammy Davis, Jr.'s childhood tap shoes; dresses worn by Ella Fitzgerald and The Supremes; Elvis Costello's spectacles; Michael Jackson's fedora. The exhibit will be displayed for a limited time until 8/29/10...right before the new semester begins! Check it out if you have the time, I hear it's definietly worth seeing!

Climate Rally

Yesterday was the annual celebration for Earth Day on the National Mall.  There were organizations, stars, singers, hippies, and animals galore!  It was a great study break to head down to the mall with a few friends and enjoy the once sunny sky.  However, by the time the last act was on stage (which was Sting by the way, no big deal) I was freezing in my shorts and t-shirt.  This is Andrew and I dancing to the melodious voice of John Legend...ahhhhhh.

Despite the drastic change in temperature, we had a lot of fun.  In between acts my friends (who are graduating) and I were talking about all of the things they want to do before leaving DC.  So we started to make a bucket list for grad week.  (Different from my original bucket list).  Right now the list is not too long, but we are definitely going add to it this week.

After finals I hope to take advantage of the numerous free opportunities this city has to offer.  For example:

• A trip to the top of the Washington Monument
• Smithsonian's
• Jazz in the Sculpture Garden
• The Millennium at the Kennedy Center
• Picnics in Dupont Circle
• and many many more.

As you can see I am all about making lists....

Got questions?? Email me at kwollner@gwu.edu!

Kim

Straddling Two Hemispheres

So this past weekend I made a trip to the Prime Meridian at the Greenwich Prime Observatory in southeast London.The Prime Meridian is the location where the longitude is defined as 0° that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. There has been much dispute as to where the meridian would be because the longitude lines are rather arbitrary, according to Wiki since I'm clearly not a geography buff! The Prime Meridian was established in 1851 by Sir George Airy. During this time each major country had established its own 0° longitude, but it was not until the International Meridian Conference was Greenwich, London selected as the official meridian for its popularity.