
WHITE HOUSE TOUR PHOTO GALLERY
It was an "Only at GW" kind of morning on Tuesday.
A group of about 100 student-athletes, coaches and staff walked the six blocks from the Charles E. Smith Center
to the most famous address in the world - 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, or the White
House - for a self-guided tour.
"It was a great learning experience for our student-athletes
to see our nation's most storied residence with all of the history and
artifacts," said GW Lifeskills coordinator Ted Costigan, who organized the trip
with the help of the White House's Office of Public Engagement.
"It was a privilege to be able to tour the White House this
morning," said gymnastics head coach Margie Foster-Cunningham. "To be able to
walk there from campus and get a behind-the-scenes look at the most famous
house in the world is such a unique opportunity that can only be afforded to GW
students."
While President Obama did not make an appearance, the group
was able to see a number of rooms in the East Wing of the White House,
including the East Room, which was the site of the President's press conference
following the death of Osama Bin Laden; the Green Room, which once served as
Thomas Jefferson's dining room; the Blue Room, which is often used by the
President to receive guests; the Red Room, where the First Lady hosts small
receptions; and the State Dining Room.
GW women's basketball alumna Jessica Adair was part of one
of the most recent groups to eat in the State Dining Room along with her WNBA
champion Minnesota Lynx teammates on their visit to the White House.
Secret Service agents were stationed in each room to answer
any of the group's questions, and when the tour was over, the student-athletes
found themselves on the White House front steps, usually only seen from the
other side of the black fence along Pennsylvania
Avenue.
"Almost every one of my friends back home in Germany has
heard of the White House, but nobody has ever had a chance to see it from the
inside," said men's swimming senior Phillip Graeter. "I was so honored to have
the opportunity to tour the White House with my fellow student-athletes today.
This experience completes my overall experience as a GW student-athlete in one
of the most exciting cities in the world."
"It was amazing and humbling to have gone to the White House
this morning," said women's soccer senior Molly Bruh. "It was incredible to
walk through the same rooms in which such historically great and influential
people have lived and interacted. This morning, we had practice at 7 a.m., took a
tour of the White House and made it back in time for our first class of the
day. Only at GW!"
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