Looking for a good museum?

The Newseum

Blog post by Matt Rist

Have you seen all of the Smithsonians? Are you interested in Journalism or the media? The Newseum is a must-see destination for D.C. residents and tourists alike. The 250,000 square foot museum opened its doors in Summer 2008 and is known for its innovative use of technology. At 555 Pennsylvania Avenue, the huge structure is just blocks away from the Capitol Building. The buildings modern design makes it a highlight of the block. One look up at the 74-foot high marble engraving of the First Amendment outside the museum is enough to draw in even the most uninformed tourist.

The museum is a brainchild of the Freedom Forum, which was established by the founder of USA Today in order to promote media history and freedom of press in the U.S. and abroad. For tourists or residents too busy to go into the museum, the view from the street is still magnificent. The first thing you will notice as you walk by or into the Newseum is the glass wall of newspapers that rest outside the museum. Each day, staff members at the Newseum post copies of the front pages of daily newspapers across the country and the world. From crises to human interest pieces, members of the community can take a look at what’s going on in the world.

You might be overwhelmed by the seven floors of exhibits, a film theater, gift shops and a rooftop terrace with hands-down one of the best views in the District. One step out onto the top-level terrace and you have a view of the Capitol on one hand and the Washington monument on the other. It’s picture perfect. If you head over to the theater, you can see the 4-dimensional film including sights, sounds and shaking that’s reminiscent of a Disney adventure.

Many of the galleries house permanent exhibits including a history of the media exhibition, a 9/11 memorial and a large section dedicated to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The 9/11 exhibit is one of the most memorable of the entire museum, featuring a moving documentary, a wall of front pages from the day as well as a piece from the radio tower that was at the top of one of the towers. The exposition on the Berlin Wall features an actual piece of the Wall. It is especially poignant to walk around the wall and notice that one side (the East Side) is without any blemishes while the West Side features graffiti and signs of a more liberalized culture.

And the Newseum is more than just a museum—it’s a fully functional Television studio. The upper level is home to ABC’s “This Week” hosted by Christianne Amanpour. The Newseum offers hourly tours during regular hours of the studio, but unfortunately it’s very difficult to sit in on the live show as tickets are not generally available to the public. 555 Pennsylvania is also home to the Knight Studio, where a number of productions are filmed including a C-Span program.

Turning Hipster

CASE STUDY: Fall Semester 2010

TEST SUBJECT: Nicole Capó, GWU Senior

BACKGROUND: One Urban Dictionary definition of "Hipster" is --

Aged indie kids, hipsters still maintain the air of snobbery, still shop at Salvation Army, and still have a completely astonishing array of knowledge when it comes to obscure music, pop-culture non-sequitors, and political sneers (...) Can be recognized by books like "A Clockwork Orange", "Everything is Illuminated", or obscure philosophy books, by authors akin to Dostoevsky.

Another is --

Someone who listens to bands you've never heard of, wears ironic tee-shirts, and believes they are better than you.

Essentially, hipsters are trendy young folk who know they are trendy young folk. They emanate (originally) from New York and California, they wear flannel, and they caused Polaroid to bring back its instant film. My favorite way to describe what hipsters are like is also one of my favorite jokes:

How many hipsters does it take to change a lightbulb?

It's an obscure number. You probably haven't heard of it.

PROBLEMS BEING ADDRESSED: With a growing amount of hipster friends, I suddenly find myself attending parties where the playlist involves Grizzly Bear and The xx. I've developed a craving for PBR and Miller High Life and am enamored of dive bars, high-waisted skirts, and food items I can't pronounce the names of. Was this just an inevitable development of my adventurous personality, or is being hipster.. addictive?

APPROACH TAKEN: Give in to my hipster cravings. Try obscure beers in shady bars, shop at Urban Outfitters (a place I avoided for most of my college career), spend hours looking for vintage items on eBay, and pray for high-contrast, slightly blurry disposable camera pictures of myself to appear on Facebook.

PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED: Being a hipster is not as cheap as it seems. While hipsters pretend to be über cool (the use of a "ü" just won me about 100 hipster points) by shopping in thrift stores and buying cheap beer and cigarettes, it's all for show. Turning hipster has put a serious dent in my bank account. Urban Outfitters is expensive. Trying strange new beers from weird countries in fancy bars? Expensive. Hipsters like to spend, spend, spend, and I don't have those kinds of funds.

THINGS YOU WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY: Nothing. My hipster friends are great. Granted, it is vastly entertaining to poke fun at their ridiculousness sometimes, but they're also great people with great taste and serious opinions on a wide range of topics. I've expanded my culinary interests with them, finally discovered that I hate hoppy beers and love wheat beers, and even started riding a bicycle (the most exercise I've gotten in years). Being a hipster may not be cheap all of the time, but I've enjoyed it all the same. Even now, I'm sitting in my living room watching this great TV show I never would have watched normally. Want to know what it is?

It's an obscure show. You probably haven't heard of it before.

-Nicole Capó

Everybody's going loco for 4 Loko

By Matt Rist

Eleven percent alcohol content by volume? COOL!

Wanna get drunk faster than all of your friends? COOL!

Wanna drink an alcoholic beverage that sent a GW student into what was potentially cardiac arrest?

umm...

While the combination of energy drinks and alcohol is nothing new--a relatively new beverage on the market "Four Loko" has brought the question of pre-mixed alcoholic drinks to the media light. Nearly all of the mainstream newspapers have reported on the drink as potentially deadly--from the New York Times to the Washington Post. But despite the fact that some states have banned the drink and the FDA recently decided to mandate changes in the Four Loko brew, students are going crazier than ever for the beverage.

The GW Hatchet reported November 18 that stores near campus have seen a dramatic increase in sales of the not-yet-banned in DC drink. It seems that the negative coverage in the media and the changes by the FDA have done little to curb the average Colonial's use of the drink in their alcohol routines. Why are students drinking it so much? Maybe it's because they are so cheap? Who knows, but one thing is for sure..I don't want to be on the wrong side of a Four Loko hangover. Fellow Colonials, I'd stay away from this drink for now. Perhaps you could sell your stock of Four Lokos on Craigslist for a hefty profit?

Blogging

I never thought much of blogging before this class (SMPA 180). I don’t mean that I didn’t think it was good. I mean I didn’t think about it period. I didn’t read many blogs let alone write one. Let’s face it, I’m writing these words simply because I can think of nothing else to write. Who cares what I have to say. Sure family, friends and the professors that HAVE to read what I write will care, but otherwise I don’t think anyone else would read what I write.

I don’t think I have any great insight to share with the world. Come back to me in a decade or so and I may think otherwise, but right now I’m still deciding what I think/believe about most topics one would discuss for a blog. I have opinions. But, none are so radically different from the general population that I feel the need to share them with people outside my family or friends, except when required to do so in classes.

Some people blog about their day to day lives. This is a great idea for people with interesting lives such as my friends studying abroad, an astronaut, a movie star, or anyone else with something interesting to say. I go to work, then I go to school, then I go to bed, repeat. Sure sometimes I do something new, but not on a day to day basis. If someone is great at storytelling they can write about anything and make it sound amazing. I’m not one of those people. So to save everyone from having to read anything else by me on this blog…I’ll stop.

--Briana Giosta

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

The period between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day is my favorite time of the year. Despite having finals during the first few weeks of December, this time of year always makes me happy. I don't understand how people can have Seasonal Affective Disorder when they look around and see bright, sparkling, colorful Christmas lights and hear beautiful, cheery Christmas music on the radio. I am Jewish, but to me, Christmas has come to symbolize an American tradition, in addition to being a religious holiday. A few times a week, I enjoy a Starbucks Gingerbread Latte or Peppermint Hot Chocolate. I listen to the Christmas Pandora radio station almost daily. My friends and I tune into the various Christmas-themed movies that ABC Family plays throughout the month of December. We make gingerbread houses and munch on Trader Joe's peppermint-flavored Oreo's. When I return home for winter break, my mother and I will continue our annual tradition of rating our neighborhood's Christmas decorations. I have always preferred rainbow lights, while my mom prefers white lights. Both of us dislike it when people mix too many different colored lights. My favorite yearly tradition with my mother is our late-night shopping ritual. During this time, the nearby stores and malls are open until midnight and have incredible sales. A few nights a week, my mom and I go on mini shopping sprees, and usually stay out until the stores close. It is not uncommon that by the time we come home, my father is already sleeping, which is a good thing since he can't ask to see our receipts!

To me, the holiday season is a time of joy, a time when Americans and people all over the world take the time to give. Each year, my family and many others in my New Jersey hometown donate toys to Toys for Tots, give money to the Santas from Salvation Army and volunteer to gift-wrap in our local mall for charity. People spend days, weeks and sometimes months putting thought into what they are going to give their friends and families for the holidays. Perhaps, my favorite part of this time of year is all of the quality time I get to spend with my family. It's a time when I finally get to see my relatives from New Hampshire and occasionally, Florida. My cousins come in from New York and we all gather around the table and eat like pigs on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year's Eve and on random days in between. We stuff our faces (sometimes with delicious home-cooked meals, but more often with Chinese or Italian take-out) reminisce and laugh, laugh and laugh.

In addition to the beautiful decorations, fun snow activities and delicious winter food and drinks, I love the holidays because I see it as a time of selflessness; a time when people give back on a personal and global scale.

So why does the holiday spirit have to come to an end? While there are plenty of people who continue to donate to charities throughout the entire year, most of the people I know rarely volunteer their time and money after January 1st comes around. All of the seasonal goodies retire for the next 12 months, as well as the amazing savings on clothes, shoes and jewelry. Not only are my favorite holidays over, but I dread the first week of January because it serves as a reminder that it is no longer acceptable for me to eat as many sweet and savory dishes as I desire. I am a subscriber to People Magazine and each year, the first week of January's issue is all about diets and losing weight as a New Year's Resolution. I suppose the next best holiday to look forward to after New Year's is Valentine's Day, but only if you have a Valentine! While I do enjoy spending time on the Jersey Shore over the summer, I would much rather prefer to be cozy by the fireplace, wearing my Snuggie, sipping hot cocoa and watching Christmas movies with friends, while the snow falls peacefully outside.

-Ricki Maybruch

Nickelodeon TV Shows from Your Childhood

Almost every kid I know watched Nick programming as a kid, from Stick Stickley in the afternoons, to Snick and TEENick at night, or even when you stayed home sick from school and you were forced to watch ‘Face’ and shows like Gullah Gullah Island and Little Bear on Nick Jr. in the morning. As a tribute to the TV network I spent the vast majority of time watching growing up, I give you two top-ten lists of what were in my opinion the best shows, animated and non-animated.
Non-Animated and Gameshow List
1. Legends of the Hidden Temple – bar none the coolest show on TV…how bad did you want to do a Temple Run at the final round and get past the Temple Guards with the artifact?
2. All That! – Nick’s best sketch-comdey show that launched spinoffs such as The Amanda Show and Keenan and Kel
3. Guts – Great competition gameshow similar to American Gladiator. Climbing the Aggro Crag must have been bomb.
4. Double Dare – ranked in the top 30 of TV Guide’s all-time best gameshows, this show asked families trivia questions to build up a bank of money and then competed in often sloppy physical challenges
5. The Adventures of Pete And Pete – a show about the humorous and strange interactions of friends, family and enemies, it features two brothers, both named Pete Wrigley and is narrated by the elder “Big Pete”
6. Figure it Out – Fun game show with Nick celebrities trying to guess the contestant’s special talent. The seductive Summer Sanders as host may have something to do with why this show is ranked so high…
7. Salute Your Shorts – a sarcastic show about teens away at summer camp, Camp Anawanna
8. Kenan and Kel – successful spinoff from All That! Who loves orange soda? Kel loves orange soda
9. Are You Afraid of the Dark? – This show scared the **** out of me and gave me nightmares all through my childhood….definitely deserved the TV-Y7 rating.
10. The Secret World of Alex Mack – an underrated show featuring teenage Alex Mack who was exposed to a strange chemical and could morph into a metallic blob and ‘ooze’ her way out of sticky situations
Honorable Mentions: Ahh! Real Monsters, Kablam!, As Told by Ginger,

Animated List
1. Doug – Nick’s first and best ‘Nicktoon.’ I wish Pattie Mayonaise was a real person
2. Rugrats – the most popular Nicktoon ever with over 170 episodes. Tommy Pickles is a baller
3. Hey Arnold --The show that featured the football-headed Arnold was humorous, emotional and intelligent and taught many life lessons while keeping me thoroughly entertained
4. Spongebob Squarepants – Towards the end of our generation’s childhood, but a genious idea for a show that is still wildly popular today
5. Catdog – for a few years this was my favorite show
6. Rocco’s Modern Life – an early classic, this show made subtle comments about societal problems
7. The Wild Thornberry’s – underrated show full of adventures in remote places all over the world
8. Rocket Power – Otto Rocket was hands down the coolest animated kid on TV…and then there was Squid
9. Ren and Stimpy – I wasn’t allowed to watch this when I was very young due to the very graphic nature of the animation, but my mom eventually caved to my nagging and I’m glad she did
10. The Angry Beavers – had a fleeting year or two of competitive popularity, but the show never made it over that plateau and thus it sits at the bottom of this epic list
Honorable Mentions: Wild and Crazy Kids, the Roundhouse, Land of the Lost, Clarissa Explains it All, What Would You Do? Hey Dude

Black Friday: Discounts You Never Knew You Needed.

It was 6:00 am and finally, after an hour and half of waiting, I had advanced towards the inner layer of Greensboro, North Carolina’s Four Season’s Mall. Unlike on regular days, where the walls to this sacred fortress of consumerism are highly fortified with non-discounted merchandise, today, on November 26th, better known to the masses as Black Friday, the powers that be let down their drawbridge, and in charged the masses of deal-seeking mercenaries. I admit, I was amongst them. Sure the idea of waking up at 4:00 am was vastly unappealing. However, the enticement of knowing that I could buy work apparel for my non-existent future job at 40% off standard retail price enticed me to wake up. As I fought an internal battle about whether to physically get out of bed or not, upon spotting an advertisement on my floor for a one-day-only special at the store Express, I simply realized that I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t purchase their “Studio Stretch Columnist Pant” for it fortuitously addressed my journalistic career goals of working in a television studio, AND writing my own column. Clearly, the gods of capitalism were pulling at my heartstrings, and thus, I decided to embark on a noble shopping crusade.

While waiting to get into the mall I observed a very unique scene. Stationed outside it were at least seven thousand people. From soccer moms, to apathetic teenagers, to grandmothers who were determined to buy the most spirited Christmas sweaters department stores had to offer, the line housed people of every creed and color, all unified by their desire to go in for the shopping kill. Although I respected the initiative my fellow comrades demonstrated simply by being awake at the crack of dawn, I noticed a strange phenomenon: at least a quarter of the people in line were kids, most under the age of three. Dear parents of America, I must ask, since when has it ever been okay to leave little children waiting outside in the frigid cold for hours? Oh wait, I forgot, the rules of good parenting do not apply to profit driven, corporation created days like Black Friday. Even social workers need new iPods right?

In addition to kids, the line also housed tailgaters. Yes, stationed next to me in line were a pair of brothers who besides bringing their own collapsible captain's chairs, decided that 5:00 am was an appropriate time to start grilling hot dogs on their portable barbecue, and sip Bud Light. I am not sure whether the location of this mall in the Southern portion of the United States had anything to do with this phenomenon, but I am fairly certain that I smelled other varieties of grilled meats in the air.

Unlike in Troy where the invasion of soldiers into the heart of the city was done in a stealthy manner, the infiltration of shoppers into the mall was more like a mass stampede. People were running into stores, shoving others out of the way, just so they could get a hold of ten dollar crockpots on sale at Dillard’s. As I was perusing various retailers, and realizing that as fantastic as the discount at Macy’s was green camouflage capris are just never a good look, I noticed people flocking to purchase some very strange items simply because they were on sale. For example, why would a person ever need an industrial theatre-sized popcorn maker, or a giant cotton candy machine? Yes I am aware that starting up a carnival is an interesting business endeavor, but perhaps not the safest of all investments.

As the day progressed, and I made my way to different shopping centers I discovered other interesting sales promotions. The discount store Fred’s was having a 10 cent-off sale on all Fandango Soda (America’s favorite brand!) and Walgreen’s was having a buy one get one free deal on Purex Detergent. Perhaps the best product that I saw all day though, was found at none other than the outerwear store Eddie Bauer. Prominently displayed in front of the cash register was a box of paper cut out coffee cups that had wrapped around them perhaps the most useless invention mankind has ever seen: A down coffee sleeve. Let me ask, since when has my coffee needed goose down insulation? Can it not withstand the chilly fall breeze? I can rationalize dressing one’s pet in a little snow jacket for it keeps them warmer during cold morning walks, but I cannot justify accessorizing my Starbuck skinny vanilla latte. Yes, it provides me with a much-needed jolt of caffeine, but its steep cost of $3.85, and the whole one minute and 22 seconds it takes me to drink it, makes it unworthy of being wrapped up in expensive material like goose feathers. Heck, it’s taken me four years of living in Washington DC, plus the worst blizzard the city has seen in a century, to finally prompt me to buy a down winter coat! Seeing this impractical product was such a turn off to me that I decided to abruptly end my shopping session. As for ever going shopping again so early? I think I’ll pass…That is at least until next year’s Black Friday ads come out…

- Kimberly Wertman