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Category: Healthy Living

Topics in this category can include: recipes, mental health, medical and health awareness topics, and Healthy Living @ Himmelfarb topics.

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Healthy Living @ Himmelfarb

GW July 2024 Study Break Guide with graphic image of the US Capitol, stars and fireworks

Washington DC, Fourth of July Celebrations
National Independence Day Parade
Location: Constitution Avenue NW between 7th Street and 17th Street, 11:45 AM to 2:00 PM
Cost: FREE!

Celebrate Independence Day in this patriotic, flag-waving, red, white, and blue celebration of America's birthday! There will be marching bands, fife and drum corps, floats, military units, giant balloons, equestrians, drill teams, and more. Learn more here.

Sylvan Theater Family Activity Area
Location: Southeast grounds of the Washington Monument, 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Cost: FREE!

Visit the Sylvan Theater Family Activity Area on the southeast grounds of the monument for activities and a scavenger hunt about the monuments and memorials on the National Mall. You can also complete your Independence Day Junior Ranger booklet full of family-friendly, fun activities.

A Capitol Fourth Concert
Location: West Lawn of the United States Capitol, 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Cost: FREE!

This star-studded salute to Independence Day is broadcast live from the West Lawn of the United States Capitol and is free and open to the public. Gates open at 3:00 PM. More information here.

Fireworks on the National Mall
Time: 9:09 PM to 9:27 PM

The National Park Service will once again host the annual Independence Day fireworks celebration on the National Mall, the nation’s most important civic space and home to more than a dozen memorials that commemorate great Americans and significant events in our nation’s history. Fireworks will be launched from both sides of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

July 4th at the National Archives
Time: July 4, 2024, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: National Archives Museum, 701 Constitution Ave. NW
Cost: FREE!

Join the National Archives on Constitution Avenue in celebration of July 4th! They will celebrate America’s birthday on the steps of the National Archives with re-enactors, family fun, and the iconic Declaration of Independence reading ceremony. There will be a full day of patriotic activities including, presentation of colors, singing of the National Anthem, Declaration of Independence readings, live performances, family activities, and more. While here, explore the historic museum.

Gold's Gym Georgetown Park 2024 Workout Series
Date: Every Saturday in July thru August 3, 2024. 9:00 AM
Location: Georgetown Park, 3223 Grace Street, NW.
Cost: FREE!

Gold's Gym DC Metro is proud to partner with Georgetown Park for this outdoor fitness series! Get up and get moving with elite coaches and trainers for weekend fitness and fun with classes like Zumba/Cardio Dance, HIIT Training, and more! Classes are held right outside of Pinstripes in Georgetown Park! FREE 2-hour parking is available at the parking garage located at 1080 Wisconsin Ave, NW.

Singalong Saturdays at The Wharf
Date: July 6 & August 3, 2024, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Transit Pier, 970 Wharf Street, SW
Cost: FREE!

Go to the Wharf for Singalong Saturdays, free karaoke, on the first Saturday of July and August from 7:00 PM-9:00 PM. Take karaoke night to the next level by performing your favorite song with live music from the 24K Event Band on the Transit Pier floating stage. No advanced sign-up is required – just show up, choose a song, and channel your inner rockstar! First come, first serve.

Summer Reps 2024
“Romeo and Juliet” and “The Rover or The Banish’d Cavaliers”
Date: Wednesday, July 17, 2024, 6:00 PM. (+ 8 Dates with varying times)
Location: Klein Theatre, 450 7th Street, NW
Cost: $10 for GW faculty, staff, and students. Promo-code (GEORGE1). $20 for General Public.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company Academy is a Master of Fine Arts program that trains actors to work with classical language and embody mythic storytelling. After completing a one-year intensive program of coursework spanning classical text study, stage combat, and more, the class of 2024 performs two plays in repertory as the culmination of their training.

Romeo and Juliet - Directed by Alec Wild. By William Shakespeare.
What makes a tale timeless? It’s the sense that even over centuries, human beings grapple with the same big problems, again and again. Romeo and Juliet deals with two lovers at odds with the expectations and biases of their families, and shows us the tragic consequences of failing to see our loved ones with clear eyes and full hearts. A story of love, loyalty, and the desperate measures we take when we’re ruled by our passions, Romeo and Juliet stand the test of time as a true classic.

The Rover or The Banish’d Cavaliers -Directed by Eleanor Holdridge. By Aphra Behn.
Virginia Woolf wrote of Aphra Behn, “All women together ought to let flowers fall on the tomb of Aphra Behn, for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds.” The first English woman to earn her living openly as a writer, Behn wrote The Rover in 1655, and won great acclaim for its bawdiness, fun, and daring. Taking place during Carnival in Spain, The Rover deals with sexual intrigue, mistaken identities, and uncontrollable desire as the characters struggle to find love and societal acceptance. The story reminds us that even in the seventeenth century, women were fighting for agency, freedom, and equality.

Home Rule Music Festival @ Alethia Tanner Park
Date: Saturday, July 20, 2024. 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Alethia Tanner Park. 227 Harry Thomas Way, NE
Cost: FREE!

Engaging the community through rhythmic jazz and go-go, the Home Rule Music Festival is a celebration of DC’s rich and vibrant music and culture. The festival is a special day of FREE, family-friendly music that includes an outdoor record fair, great food trucks, craft drinks, more local vendors, and a full afternoon of live music from living legends and rising stars. In partnership with the NoMa Business Improvement District (BID) and the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment, this collaboration reflects not only the festival's growth in the audience but also a commitment to providing a platform for diverse artistic expression and community engagement.

SAAM Arcade 2024 – Adventure Awaits
Date: Saturday, July 27, 2024. 11:30 AM -7:00 PM
Location: Kogod Courtyard - Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th Street, NW & G Street, NW
Cost: FREE!

Come see the world with SAAM Arcade 2024! This year, SAAM Arcade showcases games that allow us to travel to and explore new places. As many of us seek new and exciting experiences, video games provide us with the opportunity to see both real and imagined places from new perspectives. The theme of travel and exploration focuses on the ways games make travel an exciting possibility and engage us with new experiences—all through the work of coding and design. SAAM Arcade will feature classic arcade games and a selection of games from independent developers that provide us an escape from everyday life, allow us to travel to new and possibly uncharted worlds, and give us the experience of a lifetime, all from a comfortable chair.

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Most of us have been there: we’re supposed to be sleeping – we have an early morning commitment – but instead we’re on social media, rafting down an infinite scroll. We're reflexively checking our phones, not even sure what we’re looking for, stuck in a “hyper-stimulated loop” and pulled out of every moment. We attend social events, but everyone is staring at their palms. 

People looking at smartphones.
Photo by camilo jimenez on Unsplash

By now smartphones – and particularly social media, which chomp up a lion's share of users’ attention – have been fodder for literal dystopias (like Black Mirror) or disturbing documentaries (like The Social Dilemma), and yet, it’s still quite easy to scroll. 

Common sense and research, in a rare and satisfying union, tell us that, yes, smartphone usage can be actually deleterious, mentally speaking, and yet, even while nodding along, it's still quite easy to scroll. 

Smartphones, of course, are astounding tools, integrating into most corners of human life and radically enhancing many of them: they’re magic that we take for granted. But as fairy tales have taught us, magic always comes with a price. In this case, the price is attention and focus; smartphones bestow god-like powers [to paraphrase Yuval Noah Harari in Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, if Zeus had Twitter, Hermes would be out of a job], but overuse can make us less healthy, less productive, and more stressed. Feeling this and changing are two different things, of course, since phones are designed to capture as much attention as possible (and in the case of media, monetize it). There’s a casino in our pockets, with casino-boss odds. 

Fortunately though, for those of us who want to step back (a lot or a little), we have plenty of room to experiment: both with what we want from smartphones and how they actually are affecting us, person to person, and how we can modify our use to best match our goals. 

Test Run an Unplug: 

If you notice phones getting in the way of interpersonal relationships, try going to a social engagement - coffee, dinner, a party - and experiment with not using your phone at all. Note how present (or distant) you feel, whether people are engaged, and whether you feel an urge to disengage. 

You can do this as frequently or infrequently as it benefits you. 

Go for a Nature Walk: 

The DMV has some great trails!  And while there are few things as centering as being in nature, you don’t need to go hiking to seek a mental reset. Local parks do the trick - or even just green space around the city helps. 

As an exercise in being present, consider finding a safe environment and take a walk without the phone. Or if you’re on a hike with friends, choose a dedicated phone user (for GPS/emergency calls), and leave your phone in the car. 

A tree by a body of water.
picture taken by author in Kassel, Germany,

Journal About It 

Ask yourself what you actually want from your phone - and if you expect to get it through texts, mentions, or anything on a newsfeed. Be deliberate in thinking when reflexive phone use kicks in. See how you feel with and without the phone - and what demands for your time are really worth your time. 

Meditation:

Meditation options abound around GWU and DC, but these may not be convenient; mediation apps can be accessed wherever you are. "Waking Up" is a fine example, because it provides daily guided meditations, and will give out free accounts to anyone who asks for one.

Which of course, demonstrates the irony: at the swirling storm-eye of notifications, smartphones can be tools to enhance your focus (if used well!).

Quality of Life Options: 

Turn off notifications for non-essential apps, or take time (a day, a week, a month) to deactivate social media. Many people online have experimented with turning their phones to grayscale, making the phone significantly less visually stimulating, and theoretically less addictive. [This writer has tried it and, anecdotally speaking, it helps!].

Rekindle a Hobby (or take up a new one): 

Cutting back smartphone usage will free up time, invariably. This is an amazing chance to practice a skill or develop an art. 

Of course, it’s important to note that not all smartphone use is the same, nutritionally speaking: considering that use can range from reading to calling loved ones to accessing literally anything on the internet. But it’s the compulsive use – from things not sought out and not benefited from – that’s worth trimming down this summer, even just to see how being present feels.

References:

Harari, Yuval Noah. (2017). Homo Deus. Harper.

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a bowl of gazpacho

Summer is right around the corner! Whether you grow your own, have a produce share, or visit a farmer’s market, it is time to lean into tomatoes, which are more local, plentiful, and far more flavorful in season.

While the jury is still out on whether tomatoes contain more nutrients when processed as opposed to eaten fresh, one thing is for sure: they are delicious and full of nutrients.

One great way to beat the summer heat is to make gazpacho, the chilled tomato soup of Spanish origin. There are many different interpretations of this classic dish, some of which are quite elaborate. Here’s a great basic recipe to start you out, adapted from the 1963 Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, Meals with a Foreign Flair:

Gazpacho (Serves 6)

1 c peeled, chopped medium tomato (immerse whole tomato in boiling water for ease in peeling)

1/2 c each minced green pepper, celery, cucumber

1/4 c finely diced onion

2 t chopped parsley

1 t chives, snipped

1 small minced garlic clove

2-3 T tarragon wine vinegar (available in stores, or just infuse a bottle of white wine vinegar with sprigs of fresh tarragon)

2 T olive oil

1 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

1/2 t Worcestershire sauce

2 c tomato juice

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for at least four hours. A note on texture: that’s up to you! If you like it crunchy, dig right in. If you like it smooth, blend away.

To learn much, much more about tomatoes of all types, visit the World Tomato Society. Their site includes a database of over 6500(!) tomato varieties, as well as recipes. If you’d like to make your own tomato juice for the gazpacho, they even provide instructions for doing so.

Did you know? GW’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences sponsors a Culinary Medicine program, as a partner medical school of the American College of Culinary Medicine. Check out recipes from the program here.

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Featured Image for the article - Photo by Kate Stone Matheson

Sleep issues are a common problem. Have you ever lied awake at night staring at the clock as the minutes ticked away, tossing and turning, or fluffing your pillow trying to sleep? With all the stressors of daily life, it can be difficult to wind down from the day and relax enough to sleep.

This is where sleep hygiene can be beneficial.

Sleep hygiene refers to the habits, behaviors, and environmental factors that help you get a good night's sleep. It is about creating habits and an environment conducive to getting a good night’s sleep. Not getting enough sleep can lead to unproductive habits like sleeping at inappropriate times, irritability, and lack of concentration. Paying attention to your sleep hygiene is the best way of getting a good night’s sleep.

Here are some helpful tips for creating effective sleep hygiene:

  • Create a relaxing nighttime routine and sleep schedule. Start your routine about 30-60 minutes before bedtime.
    • Take a nice shower or bath
    • Listen to soothing music while focusing on breathing exercises
    • Do some low-impact stretching to relieve stress and relax your muscles
    • Read a book
  • Make it a habit to refrain from using electronic devices in the 30-60 minutes leading up to bedtime
  • Try to limit the number of caffeinated beverages you drink throughout the day
  • Set up a sleep environment that works for you
    • Invest in a supportive mattress and comfortable pillows
    • Lightly scented candles
    • Optimal room temperature
    • White noise machine

By paying attention to sleep hygiene and implementing these strategies, you can greatly improve your chances of getting a restful night's sleep and waking up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

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Healthy Living @ Himmelfarb

June 2024 study break guide with image of pride heart, field with a picnic basket, lounge chair and musical notes in the sky

Millennium Stage Films: Extraordinary Cinema
Location: REACH Video Wall, Kennedy Center
Dates: Every Friday thru August 30, 2024. Film starts at sundown or 8:30 PM
Cost: FREE!

June Screenings:
June 7: Dreamgirls
June 14: 10,000 Dreams: A Festival of Asian Choreography
June 21: Elemental
June 28: Ratatouille

Enjoy outdoor movie screenings this summer on the Kennedy Center REACH Video Wall. No tickets are required but registration is encouraged so you can get the most up-to-date status of the films. If not registered, check the website day of the film screening for cancelation or location changes. You’re welcome to bring blankets and chairs. Bring a picnic to their outdoor spaces during non-event times. Coolers must be limited to 16 quarts or smaller. Personal chairs must be limited to 36" high or smaller.

Capital Pride 17th Street Block Party
Date: Saturday, June 8, 2024. 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Location: 17th Street NW, Dupont Neighborhood
Cost: FREE!

The historic Dupont neighborhood party will feature local food, beverages, and various activities in celebration of Pride. Dine indoors or outside along 17th Street at over a dozen iconic restaurants and eateries in this historic neighborhood. The DC Water Quench buggy will be there so bring your reusable water bottles and hydrate throughout the day! Get totally radical and have a dance-off in the street! Enjoy a live DJ from 12:00 pm-10:00 pm. Bring your little ones to Stead Park between 10:00 am-3:00 pm for free kid’s activities, games, and story hour.

Rock the Dock at The Wharf - Special Juneteenth Concert
Date: Wednesday, June 19, 2024. The Juneteenth Extended Concert is from 3:00 PM-9:00 PM. All other summer concerts start at 7:00 PM.
Location: DC Wharf. 760 Maine Ave., SW
Cost: FREE!

Summer never sounded better! Head to the DC Wharf for free concerts on the Transit Pier every Wednesday. With R&B, Americana, Motown, Jazz, Reggae, and your favorite pop covers, there is something for everyone. The Juneteenth extended concert will feature performances by:
3:00pm-4:30pm: JWX: The Jarreau Williams Experience
5:00pm-6:30pm: Jogo Project
7:00pm-9:00pm: Be’la Dona (R&B/Soul/Go-Go)

32nd Annual Giant BBQ Battle
Date: Saturday, June 22 – 11:00 AM-9:00 PM /Sunday, June 23: 11:00 AM-7:00 PM
Location: Pennsylvania Ave. (between 3rd & 7th Streets)
Cost: One day pass: $20+fees (good for Saturday, June 22 OR Sunday, June 23)

Get ready for the BBQ Summer Games XXXII. Foodies, families, and friends can taste the triumph at this legendary two-day festival of flavors and fun. Don’t sit on the sidelines! Grab your tickets and be a part of history. Pass includes event admission, over 100 free food and beverage samples (while supplies last), live music on 3 Stages, expert cooking demonstrations, interactive exhibits, children's activities, sports action for the Washington Wizards, Mystics, Capital and Cap City Go-Go, and BBQ from across the country. Plus witness BBQ's best in the National BBQ Championship Contest.

Science Solstice Saturday
Date: Saturday, June 22, 2024. 10:00 AM-4:00 PM
Location: National Zoo
Cost: FREE! Entry passes will be made available one month before the event date.

The Smithsonian marks the first Saturday of summer, Solstice Saturday, by hosting programs and performances throughout the day and night. Get ready for a free, fun-filled immersive scientific experience at the Zoo! On Solstice Saturday, visitors can engage with scientists, researchers, and animal experts to learn how science is shaping the future of wildlife conservation.

2024 Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Date: June 26–July 1, 2024. Hours: 11:00 AM-5:30 PM. Evening concerts Friday- Sunday 5:30 PM-7:00 PM
Location: National Mall (between 3rd & 7th Streets)
Cost: FREE!

In 2024, the festival highlights, “Indigenous Voices of the Americas: Celebrating the National Museum of the American Indian”. Four primary themes will include, Relevance, Resistance, Representation, and Reclamation. Join the celebration with stories, songs, and dance. Experience ancestral foods like the Three Sisters (beans, corn, and squash) and inventive, sustainable cuisines. Learn stories that underlie Indigenous sports and games. Hear how Indigenous youth are reclaiming their languages through spoken word and hip-hop. Explore traditional arts that flourish in their connections to place and environmental knowledge.

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An image from NAMI (the national alliance on mental illness) that says "small steps can lead to big progress in mental health"

When we talk about illnesses, one of the many things that might first come to mind is symptoms. A friend complains about a sore throat, a fever and white patches on the tonsils? We might advise them to go see a doctor about a strep test. A child complains of a headache and starts sporting a rash made of tiny red dots? It wouldn’t be outrageous to consider chicken pox the culprit. Of course, disease presentation can vary and many illnesses share symptoms, but at the end of the day, many illnesses provide a visible clue that something is wrong. 

Mental illness is far less visible to the naked eye. There is no rash that accompanies depression, nor is there a wheezing cough that comes with anxiety. The symptoms of mental illness, as the name implies, are often found in thought patterns and behaviors of those who have them. And while these thought patterns and behaviors can be observed, it often far more than a passing glance to properly diagnose someone. The average delay in treatment after a person starts showing symptoms of a mental illness is 11 years (1). 

Just because the symptoms of mental illness might not be as clear as other illnesses, they are just as debilitating. 

While mental illness may be hard to spot, that doesn’t mean it isn’t common. While one in five adults in the United States experience mental illness, only half of them receive treatment (1). The statistics for children are even more dire: nearly 70% don’t receive treatment (2).  

Treatment in itself is often difficult to access, with long wait lists to see a provider and spotty insurance coverage among other issues. 

To help raise awareness about mental illness, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is celebrating with the campaign “Take the Moment” which aims to highlight programs NAMI provides for patients and their loved ones dealing with mental illness, as well as working to erase stigma around mental health. Here at GW, our Resiliency and Well-Being Center has its own list of topics it will be discussing both this month and the month of June.

  1. Mindfulness and Stress Management (May 8-21)
  2. Healthy Eating (May 22 - June 4)
  3. Restorative Sleep (June 5-18)
  4. Physical Activity: Improving Movement  and Exercise (June 19 - July 2)

The center will also be offering classes about practicing mindfulness both online and in person. 

Here are some ways you can decrease stigma around mental illness: 

  • Language really matters. Terms like “bipolar” and “OCD” can be thrown around as slang for being “moody” or “neat” respectively, despite being terms for serious mental conditions. Don’t perpetuate stigma and stereotypes about these conditions: use different words rather than conditions to describe what you mean. 
  • Reach out to others: It’s okay to need help. If you haven’t been feeling well, you can find help. The school’s Resiliency and Well-Being Center provides resources to support those who are coping. There are also plenty of national resources one can use: NAMI offers a variety of resources in-house and also curates outside resources for those who either need help or want to help someone else.
  • Know mental health is for everyone: stigma about mental health implies that those who have mental illness are simply “not trying hard enough” or “seeking attention.” This couldn’t be further from the truth: mental health conditions are caused by a variety of factors including genetics and environment.  

1. Mental Health Awareness Month. NAMI. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.nami.org/get-involved/awareness-events/mental-health-awareness-month/

2. House TW. A Proclamation on National Mental Health Awareness Month, 2024. The White House. Published April 30, 2024. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/04/30/a-proclamation-on-national-mental-health-awareness-month-2024/

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Watergate in Bloom by Nicole Gunawansa
Watergate in Bloom, by Nicole Gunawansa, Winner of 2024 Spring Flowers and Blossoms Photo Contest

Himmelfarb Library would like to congratulate Nicole Gunawansa, MPH, the 2024 Spring Flowers & Blossoms Photo Contest winner! Himmelfarb's Healthy Living Committee had their work cut out for them by judging the many excellent entries to this year's contest. With so many fantastic submissions, it was extremely challenging to select a winning photo. Nicole, a graduating fourth year medical student, stopped by Himmelfarb last week to receive congratulations from members of Himmelfarb's Healthy Living Committee, and to pick up her prize -- a coffee mug showcasing her winning photo.

Members of Healthy Living Committee with photo contest winner Nicole Gunawansa

Left to right, Laura Abate, Valerie Bowles, Nicole Gunawansa, Deborah Wassertzug.

Let's get to know Nicole!

Can you share your journey to GW? What led you to pursue an MPH in addition to an MD?

It has actually been a while since my journey at GW started. I graduated from Washington and Lee University in 2014, moved to Japan for a fellowship program where I did research in Sendai (the area affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami) for about 1.5 years, then came back to the States to work for a bit as a medical scribe because I wanted to make sure that applying to medical school was the right fit for me. Overall, I took 4 years off before coming into medical school in 2018. Actually, I was recommended to apply to GW by a professor from college, because of the focus on public health and advocacy! I had done work with AmeriCorps and had also worked with a 501c3 non-profit in college that focused on addressing food deserts, so going to a medical school that focused on public health was a good match for me.

Honestly, I was on the fence about the MPH at the start of medical school, because it is already such a long journey and because I had taken so much time off before school. However, being a part of the class of 3rd years who got thrown into the hospital/clinic right as COVID was starting in 2020 was what made me ultimately decide to take time off after clerkships to pursue the MPH. Doing rotations during the height of the pandemic made the gaps in our healthcare system glaringly apparent and kind of made me doubt if you can truly be a good doctor within a broken system.

In the end, I did the MPH because I wanted to explore the world of public health and its interaction with medicine, and also because I really needed some time to do some soul searching about what I saw myself doing in the future within the medical field. I am so happy and grateful that I did end up doing the MPH and taking a little extra time off in medical school to figure out what I wanted, because it ultimately led me to the decision to pursue family medicine, and I have found an amazing community of passionate doctors with similar goals about mitigating health disparities within this space. 

How long have you been taking photographs, and what are your favorite subjects?

I have always enjoyed photography, especially of natural landscapes. I remember getting my first camera in high school, before I went on a school trip to Italy and Greece. I don't think I am a pro at all though; very much an amateur photographer who has never taken a photography class but has always wanted to. My favorite subjects are flowers (nature) and animals! I have been told I take pretty good pet photos.

How did you hear about the Spring Flowers & Blossoms Photo Contest?

I found out about it through an email that was sent out to the student body, and thought it would be fun to enter given that I already take so many pictures of flowers and greenery. 

You'll be graduating and heading off for residency soon! Where are you headed and what is your specialty?

I am going to be going back home to the Tidewater area of Virginia. Specifically, to Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, VA for Family Medicine Residency! Thinking about FMOB or possibly a palliative medicine fellowship in the future.

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Healthy Living @ Himmelfarb

May 2024 Study Break Guide with a photo of a cute chihuahua

International City Food Festival
Date: Fri, May 3, 2024. 4:00 PM–9:00 PM. / Sat, May 4, 2024. 10:00 AM-9:00 PM
Location: The Square. 1850 K St, NW.
Cost: FREE!

Join Events DC for a weekend filled with celebrations built on food that brings us together. Featuring international performances, food, and crafts presented by vendors from around the world, the International City Food Festival offers an opportunity to journey across the globe and celebrate diverse cultures within the heart of DC.

Running of the Chihuahuas
Date: Saturday, May 4, 2024. 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: District Pier. 760 Maine Ave, SW.
Cost: FREE! No registration required

It’s time for Little Dogs, Big Fun! This free event features the iconic Chihuahua races, an adoptable pet parade, all-breed dog costume contest, and more! The highlight of the afternoon features over 150 Chihuahuas racing in groups of eight on a sixty-foot racetrack. All the action is captured on a huge video screen and the winners take home pet-friendly gifts, prizes, and more! All race proceeds benefit Rural Dog Rescue – a non-profit organization dedicated to pulling dogs from high-kill rural shelters.

Market SW + Farmers Market SW
Date: Alternate Fridays starting May 10, 2024. 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Location: Southwest Lot, corner of 4th & M St, SW.
Cost: FREE!

Southwest DC's eclectic Friday night market returns with a diverse mix of art, crafts, handmade jewelry, accessories, bath and beauty goods, and vintage and antique furnishings. On stage, local musicians and DJs will curate a mix of live music for your fun and enjoyment. Specialty food businesses and select food trucks add to the programming mix. Don’t miss the Farmers Market every Saturday from 9:00 AM-1:00 PM throughout the 2024 market season for healthy fresh produce and foods from local farmers and producers.

EU Open House
Date: Saturday, May 11, 2024. 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: 23 Embassies throughout DC (see Special Google Map)
Cost: FREE! No registration, tickets, or passport required!

The European Union and its embassies will open their doors to the public for a day of culture, food, music, and more so that Americans can catch a glimpse of the European cultures that make up the European Union. This event falls every year on the first Saturday after Europe Day on May 9. This date marks the signing of the Schuman Declaration on May 9, 1950, which established the European Coal and Steel Community, a multinational entity that would eventually become the European Union. Normally you have to cross the Atlantic to visit the EU, but at Open House, you just have to cross the street!

National Memorial Day Parade
Monday, May 27, 2024. 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Constitution Ave, NW, between 7th & 17th Streets
Cost: FREE!

Join the Memorial Day celebration to honor the service and sacrifice of generations of American veterans. Attend the DC parade in person or watch on television. The event is a magnificent salute to America's Veterans and in honor of those who died in defense of our country.

Jazz in the Garden (Summer concert series)
Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas
Date: Friday, May 31, 2024. 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Location: Sculpture Garden. 7th St & Constitution Ave, NW.
Cost: FREE! Registration required through a lottery. Opens May 20, 2024 at 10:00 AM-Friday May 24, 2024 at Noon.

DC’s favorite summer concert series returns from May 31 - August 9 (except July 5) with a variety of musical performances including jazz, Latin fusion, zydeco, and more. On May 31, get ready for the fast and furious accordion-driven dance music of 2023 Grammy nominees Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas. Zydeco flows in the veins of these South Louisiana musicians with deep roots in Creole tradition, shown in their trademark rubboard percussion, electric guitars, and R&B soul.

Attendance will be through a lottery. All entrants whether or not they were selected will be notified the Monday before each concert. Those who are selected can register for up to four passes.

Image source: Pexels

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Himmelfarb’s 36th annual art show is in full swing, bringing an exciting range of photography, acrylics, water colors, knitting, and mixed media to Himmelfarb’s first floor. If you haven’t already, come take a study break and peruse the work of your fellow students, staff, and faculty. 

In the meantime, enjoy this sampling of work and the artists in their own words. 

And if you’d like to drop a few lines about your art or creative process, email them to randy.plym@gwu.edu. Every piece has a story, and we love to hear them. 

Frederick Jacobsen's "Giverny Lilies" [Photograph]

Photograph of water lilies on a pond with a reflection of sky in the water.

As a photographer and clinical researcher into the effects of light on the brain and behavior I am very attuned to the continually shifting perspectives of light and color in my environment. Visiting Monet's Giverny pond and gardens provided me the opportunity to view and feel how this exquisite environment facilitated his remarkable Nymphéas paintings while suffering progressive visual loss (due to bilateral cataracts). "Giverny Lilies" is an homage to Monet’s work and vision through a 21st century lens.

Frederick M. Jacobsen, Faculty, SMHS

Brittany Smith's "VA Mountains" [Watercolor on Paper]

Watercolor painting of the Blue Ridge mountains.

I believe 'VA Mountains' is one of my earliest watercolor paintings. It is inspired by a photo I took many years ago during my time at UVA when some friends and I drove along Blue Ridge Parkway. That day was one of my favorite days when I was an undergraduate student and the painting serves as a reminder of that mini-road trip. 

In terms of process, I have a simple painting style since I'm trying to figure out watercolor as a medium. This was painting in a beginner's class and my instructor actually helped with the texture of the stone railing along the road. I haven't painted anything new in a few years, but I want to return to watercolor soon and fill a sketchbook with watercolor experiments to build my confidence as a painter.

Brittany Smith, Staff, Himmelfarb

Rebecca Kyser's "Quackery" [Ink and Colored Pencil on Paper]

Comic about medical quackery.
Part 2 of a comic about medical quackery.

I'm a big believer in the power of comics to make scientific and historical topics more accessible to the public. So when I heard about the art show, it seemed the best opportunity to put that belief into practice.

Rebecca Kyser, Staff, Himmelfarb

Mehrshad Fahim Devin's "Post-Op" [Photograph]

Photograph of a person wearing a medical gown running towards the ocean waves on a beach.

Post-op was inspired by the conversation's I've had with patients as a medical student. I've had the opportunity to speak with some patients both before and after a surgical operation. I found that pre-op patients held a lot of uncertainty and fear for the future; but after the surgery, amidst the pain and recovery, their eyes almost always glimmered with relief. The piece is meant to represent this relief. 

Mehrshad Fahim Devin, Student, SMHS

Basil Considine's "The Faerie Queene of New Prague: the Court" [Digital Photo Painting and Composite]

Image of Faerie Queen with two women playing wooden instruments on either side.

You probably haven't heard of New Prague, Minnesota (population: 8,000), but hundreds of schoolchildren in Madagascar can find it on a map. Why? The city – and its mischievous Faerie Queen, who wants everything done properly and turns pirates into frogs – were front and center in a series of storytelling performances that I delivered as a Fulbrighter. Each time I visited their school, the children begged to hear more stories about cold, snowy Minnesota (Brr!) and the beautiful Faerie Queen. And then, one day, a teacher asked me if there was a picture of her...

How can you compete with a child's imagination? That's a challenge for any artist, but I had a good set of raw materials: a photo shoot with the model for the Faerie Queen (Lisa Bark, an actor from New Prague, MN), a flair for theatrical makeup, and a lifetime of adoring complex Renaissance tableaus and Pre-Raphaelite paintings. Throw in a set of original fairy tales that I'd crafted for the children, a set of digital painting brushes in Photoshop, and I started to sketch a set of storybook scenes and fill them with extra details – to reward staring at the picture again and again.  

Some people say that digital painting is faster. You don't have to wait for paint to dry, but after more than 400 layers and more than 10,000 brush strokes...not for me!

Basil Considine, Student, SMHS

Published on
Picture of a hand holding the globe with a starry background.
Image by Artapixel from Pixabay

Today is Earth Day, a day that serves as “a reminder of the importance of environmental conservation and sustainability, encouraging us to come together and take action for a healthier planet and a brighter future” (Earthday.org, 2024). Earth Day is about protecting the environment and improving global environmental health. Environmental health has direct and dramatic impacts on our physical and mental health. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 24% of all estimated global deaths are linked to environmental factors, and the cost of environmental direct damage to health by 2030 is estimated to be between $2 to $4 billion yearly (WHO, 2024). Climate change directly impacts clean air, safe drinking water, a nutritious food supply, safe shelter (WHO, 2024), and environmental emergencies that lead to humanitarian crises such as heatwaves, wildfires, floods, drought, tropical storms, and hurricanes (WHO, 2023). 

The links between environmental health and public health are strong. “Environmental quality has a profound effect on health and the burden of disease” (Koehler, et al., 2018). The United States has the highest environmental burden of disease, “an estimate of the proportion of the global burden of disease that could be prevented by changes to the environment,” among high-income countries (Koehler, et al., 2018). Risk factors for many chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of mortality in the US, are directly impacted by environmental factors. For example, exposure to air pollution and “built environmental factors” such as car-centered development that discourages physical activity like walking and biking are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. 

Koehler et al. propose a public health approach to addressing environmental health problems, including incorporating health into the built environment. Urban planning development “ranging from increasing opportunities for walking and cycling, to provide access to healthy food, to building recreational facilities”, is one way of incorporating health into the built environment (Koehler et al., 2018). Other methods include providing access to green and blue spaces such as parks and waterfront areas, reducing air pollution emissions by promoting public transportation, walking, and bicycling by making these options safe and convenient, promoting renewable energy, and improving housing options and conditions (Koehler et al., 2018). 

While these are great ways to improve environmental health, and thus improve public health as a result, these are also issues that must be dealt with on a societal and large-scale level. But there are things you can do as an individual that positively impact the environment. Here are some practical things you can do that can make a difference:

Reduce, Reuse, Repair, and Recycle

Following the “Four R’s” can have a big impact. A recent Standford Report article explains that “people should try to focus more on reducing and reusing, rather than recycling” (Kubota, 2024). While many people tend to focus on recycling, reducing the amount of products you buy that will eventually end up in the recycling bin will have a larger impact. A practical way to do this is by being mindful of the amount of packaging included in the things that you buy. If there is an option that comes with less packaging, buy that product instead if you can. 

For some things, you can’t avoid buying the packaging. Take jelly for example. You can’t buy jelly without a jar. But you can choose to reuse the jar when you are finished with the jelly. Not only will reusing the jar keep the jar out of the recycle bin, or even worse, out of the landfill, but reusing it will help you save money on storage containers. 

In today’s society, it’s easy and convenient to replace items when they get worn out or break. But these items end up in the recycle bin, or the landfill when we replace them with a new version. Rather than just replacing items, try to repair or repurpose them! Not only will this help the environment, but it will also save you some money.

And of course, recycle the things you can! 

Eat More Plants

Meat production has a much higher carbon footprint than plant food production. Simple things like replacing one red meat-based meal per week with a plant-based protein option, eating smaller portions of meat, and eating more beans and nuts can reduce your diet’s carbon footprint all while improving your cardiovascular health (Kubota, 2024). 

Reduce Food Waste

While we’re on the subject of food, reducing the amount of food that ends up in the trash is another way to make a big difference. Roughly 40% of edible food in the US is wasted, accounting for 37% of US greenhouse emissions (Kubota, 2024). When you eat out at restaurants, try bringing your own reusable containers for your leftovers - and don’t forget to eat those leftovers once you have them in your fridge (Kubota, 2024)! Do you get tired of eating leftovers? Try finding recipes to turn leftovers into something completely different for a future meal. 

Composting your food scraps is also a great option! But what if you don’t have the space to compost? Apartment living can make it difficult to compost. GW Compost makes it easy to compost! Just drop off your compost at Kogan Plaza during designated drop-off hours. 

Interested in learning more about how you can help diminish your environmental impact? Check out Sustainable GW to learn more about campus initiatives and how you can participate!

References:

Earthday.org. (2024). Earth Day 2024. https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2024/

Koehler, K., Latshaw, M., Matte, T., Kass, D., Frumkin, H., Fox, M., Hobbs, B. F., Wills-Karp, M., & Burke, T. A. (2018). Building healthy community environments: A public health approach. Public health reports, 133(1_suppl), 35S–43S. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033354918798809

Kubota, T. (January 22, 2024). Eight simple but meaningful things you can do for the environment. Stanford Report. https://news.stanford.edu/report/2024/01/22/eight-simple-meaningful-eco-friendly-actions-can-incorporate-life/

World Health Organization (WHO). (October 12, 2023). Climate Change. WHO Fact Sheets, Climate Change. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health

World Health Organization (WHO). (2024). Public health and environment. The Global Health Observatory. https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/public-health-and-environment

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