George Washington women's rowing senior Maley
Hunt has been named the GW Department of Sociology Outstanding Undergraduate
Student.
She will accept her award at the Department of Sociology reception following next week's Columbian College of Arts & Sciences Graduation Celebration.
The honor, in its second year of existence, seeks to reward excellence in the sociology major based on grade-point-average, coursework and thesis preparation.
A native of Rocky Hill, Conn., Maley has rowed in
the Varsity 4 and JV 8 during her four-year career. She will graduate next
weekend with a bachelor's degree in sociology and currently boasts a cumulative
grade-point-average of 3.44, with a major-GPA greater than 3.70.
The George Washington volleyball team's "Play for ME/CFS
Tournament " raised over $3,000 for the Open Medicine Institute last month.
GW volleyball senior
Candace Silva-Martin organized the reverse-coed tournament in honor of her Aunt
Lynn, who is battling the disease.
"I
would like to thank all of the volunteers, participants, spectators and
everyone that donated to this cause," said Silva-Martin. "The tournament was a
great success and I am proud to announce that together we raised $3,035, all of
which will be donated directly to the Open Medicine Institute so they can
continue the great work and research they have done in an effort to find a
cure."
Open Medicine Institute is the leading organization in researching and finding a cure for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).
ME/CFS is a neurological
viral immune disorder that can cause dysfunction of the brain,
gastrointestinal, immune, endocrine and cardiac systems. In the U.S. alone,
there are more than one million people who have ME/CFS, and it affects more
than eight million people worldwide.
The George Washington volleyball team was afforded a rare opportunity on Monday when it was given a behind-the-scenes tour of the United States Capitol building and grounds.
Team manager Eric Estroff, a freshman intern in the office of Florida Congressmen Vern Buchanon, guided the tour.
The team gathered at the Charles E. Smith Center around 8:00 a.m., unsure of what awaited them. After head coach Amanda Ault arrived, she informed the group of the morning's plans and the team departed on foot through a light rain to the Foggy Bottom metro station.
After
taking metro to the Capitol South stop on the Orange Line, the Colonials were
greeted by Estroff in the lobby of the Rayburn Office Building. From there, the
team made its way into the office of Congressmen Vern Buchanan where Estroff
previewed the morning's events.
The
group then walked an underground tunnel from the Rayburn Office Building to the
Capitol Visitor Center (built in 2008) as Estroff explained his role as an
intern in Buchanan's office.
The United States Capitol Visitors Center
was constructed from 2000-2008.
The original plaster model cast of the
Statue of Freedom, the 19.5-foot, 15,000-pound statue that stands atop the
Capitol dome.
At
the visitor's center, the team viewed a short video on the history of the
United States Capitol building before embarking on the first stop of the tour,
the crypt.
The entrance to the crypt contains the original cornerstone that George Washington laid down, in the north wing of the building, in 1793.
The United States Capitol Crypt. Tombs
were constructed intended to house the remains of George and Martha Washington,
but a provision in Washington's last will resulted in Mount Vernon as his final
resting place.
Today, the crypt acts as the main entrance to the ground floor of the capitol. At the center, directly underneath the Capitol rotunda, is the geographical center of Washington, D.C., where the four quadrants of the city intersect.
The team then made its way into the old Supreme Court chambers before entering the breathtaking Capitol rotunda.
Coat racks for Supreme Court Justices
John Catron (served 28 years), John McLean (31), Samuel Nelson (27) and John
Archibald Campbell (8). Two Chief Justices, John Marshall and Roger Taney,
presided over the Court in this chamber.
The old Supreme Court Chamber. Monumental
and landmark cases such as McCulloch vs. Maryland, Gibbons vs. Ogden, Dred
Scott vs. Sanford and United States vs. The Amistad were
argued here.
The Capitol rotunda features the "Frieze of American History", 19 scenes from American History carved into wood, along the circumference of the dome. The ceiling features the famous painting "Apotheosis of Washington", which depicts George Washington sitting among the heavens in an exalted manner.
VIDEO: GW Volleyball team enters the Capitol Rotunda.
Just
off of the Rotunda is the entrance to the old House of Representatives chamber.
The room now serves as the National Statuary Hall, where statues of prominent
citizens represent each of the 50 states.
The
next stop on the tour was the old Senate chamber, which was in service until
1859. The room also served as a chamber for the Supreme Court from 1860 until
1935.
After
exiting the old Senate chamber the team made its way to the office of the
Speaker of the House, John Boehner. A staffer who noticed the GW jackets the
team was wearing allowed exclusive access to the Speaker's balcony at the
center of the capitol building facing the National Mall and Washington
monument. It was from just below this location that President Barack Obama was
sworn in as the 44th president of the United States of America in
January.
The team continued its impressive run-in with fans when they encountered GW volleyball and softball alumnae Jackie Yaniga who is now a member of the United States Capitol Police. Yaniga brought the Colonials to the exclusive chambers, office and balcony of the Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid
Yaniga then provided exclusive access to the floor of the House of Representatives. It is from this room that the President of the United States gives his annual State of the Union address, in addition daily sessions when Congress is in session.
Unfortunately, an efficient security checkpoint denied the opportunity to use cameras or other forms of documentation while on the floor.
Estroff provided a rundown of the process of a bill becoming a law and pointed out the voting machines located on the floor.
He also showed the team a bullet hole in a desk on the Republican side of the chamber, a result of the 1954 attack on the 83rd Congress.
Next up was a visit to the offices of the President of the Senate (also known as President Pro-Tempore), Patrick Leahy.
At the conclusion of the tour the team was afforded an opportunity rarely given to civilians, a ride on the United States Capitol subway system, which runs between the Rayburn office building, Russell Senate office building and the Capitol building. The subway allows quick access for Representatives to get from their office buildings to the House floor when a bill needs to be voted on.
The
team returned to Buchanan's offices and left a note for the Congressman,
thanking him for allowing access to his office and for allowing Eric to take
some time off to lead the tour.
Not
bad for a Monday morning. It was truly an "Only at GW Moment", as the classroom
extends beyond the Foggy Bottom campus and into the walls of American history.
George Washington women's cross country senior Heather Stevens is the GW Athletics Community Service Student-Athlete of the Month for April.
The Community Service Athlete of the Month distinction is awarded to a student-athlete who leads by example and who most impacts the GW and Washington community through service.
Heather has been an integral part of GW's Turning the Page/DC Reads Program in addition to various community-service initiatives. In her latest project, she has tutored local elementary school students in an effort to raise literacy while helping the students succeed in the classroom and beyond.
As part of GW's Neighbor's Project, Heather has logged over 100 hours of community service during the 2012-13 academic year. In November, she spearheaded the GW Women's Cross Country team's efforts in collecting donations for Thanksgiving baskets, Adopt-a-Family programs and other holiday food drives.
"Heather is the quintessential GW student-athlete," said GW Athletics' LifeSkills Coordinator Ted Costigan. "She has done an excellent job leading her peers by example and struck a truly admirable balance between athletic training and community service."
A native of Hinsdale, Ill., Heather will be graduating in May with a degree in English. She led the Colonials with a 15th-place finish at the 2012 Atlantic 10 Championships to earn All-Conference honors.
-Hickey posted consecutive season-low rounds of 1-under 71 and 2-under 70 over the final two days.
-Freshman Steve Piela posted five birdies on Sunday to finish the tournament in a tie for 22nd at 3-over 219.
The George Washington squash team continued its
community-service efforts on Monday afternoon by welcoming the youth squash
group SquashWise to the Lerner Health & Wellness Center for an afternoon of
instruction and competition.
SquashWise is a program based in Baltimore, Md., that
combines academics and squash. Abby Markoe, a GW squash alumnae who was a
member of the very first varsity squash team at the university is the founder
of the organization.
"We work primarily with Baltimore middle and high school
kids," said Markoe. "They have never played squash prior to joining the program
and they are expected to stay all the way through 12th grade.
We do tutoring, mentoring, squash, fitness and college prep."
A group of 15 students enjoyed individual instruction from
GW Squash players Jackie Shea, Anna Gabriela Porras, Chris Bell, Maya Nair and Becca
Imrich and coaches Wendy Lawrence and Adam Pistel, before taking to the courts
for a series of scrimmages. The students were all smiles as they competed on
the Matthew J. Grossman Squash Courts, where the Colonials play their home
matches.
"Most of these kids will be first-generation college
students so today's trip is both educational and recreational," Markoe
identified. "We are able to talk about opportunities and what it takes to get
into college."
As a member of GW's first varsity squash team, Markoe has
been following the Colonials' progress from a distance.
"They have gotten much stronger as a team since I first
started," said Makoe. "I remember when we started the team we didn't have
enough players so I asked my roommate, who had never picked up a racquet
before, to join the team. And she did! And she played No. 9 all season! So its
good to see the team doesn't have to resort to that anymore. My dream is to see
one of these kids eventually play for GW."
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- Student-Athlete Summer Blog: Brian Mojica #1
- @GW_Softball Quartet Named Atlantic 10 All-Conference by College Sports Madness
- @GW_WomensRowing's Maley Hunt Earns Academic Award
- @GW_Volleyball's Play for ME/CFS Tournament Raises Over $3,000
- Colonials Athletics Weekend Roundup - May 3-5
- GW Volleyball Tours United States Capitol
- GW Women's Cross Country Harrier Heather Stevens Named April Community Service Student-Athlete of the Month
- Colonials Athletics Weekend Roundup - April 26-28
- Colonials Athletics Weekend Roundup - April 19-21
