AY1415 – Page 22 – University Honors Program Blog

A New Adventure Awaits [Sherpa]

August 20, 2014Uncategorized

A student writes:

Dear Sherpa,
Thinking about how intense CI was, I feel overwhelmed and unsure about coming back to DC. Especially for more than just three days! I’m scared to leave the steady stream of fully planned and free meals that I have right now! I’m excited, but frankly I’m having second thoughts about being able to keep up with the pace of life in DC and GWU!
In tears,
Hesitantly DC Bound

Dear Hes,
Your concerns are valid and widely held; but don’t get yourself in hysterics over some highly energetic first impressions. CI is one crazy adventure, but it’s different from what your GW experience will most likely be. Which reminds me of my first GW experience…
An old associate of mine shared with me a story of hidden treasure, cryptic clues, and a quickly fading trail left by the founding fathers. The hunt brought me to George Washington University, (George being the only founding father with a research institution, I knew that I had to come here to research and track down the treasure.) One evening, I entrusted my plans to my best friend, Nicholas, and asked him to join me on my quest.
Early the next morning as I prepared to face my fears and set off in the political jungle that is DC, to my dismay, I realized Nicholas had stolen all of my maps and abandoned me. He left a note:

“I’m sorry to betray you, but I couldn’t resist. I am not a demon. I am a lizard, a shark, a heat-seeking panther. I want to be Bob Denver on acid playing the accordion. I’m going to use the treasure to take over the United States of America!”

Long story short, I single handedly climbed the Washington Monument, solved the puzzle to reveal a gap in the peak stones, found billions worth of treasure, and overcame my fear that my GW experience would be a perpetual Colonial Inauguration. DC is a city where your adventure can be whatever you make it. And while I beat Nicholas to the treasure, he beat me to the rights to our story (and made his own fortune telling his own highly adulterated version of it.)
The moral is: GW will be what you make it! It’s okay to feel anxious and uncertain. But your adventure awaits you here, and it will be whatever you make of it. Even if there are unforeseen obstacles, you can still find a way. Luckily for you, you’ll have the support of the entire University behind you, including your advisor in the University Honors Program.
Good luck, and welcome to the jungle,
The Capital Saving Sherpa
———————
The Sherpa writes regular columns in response to student questions. Have a question for the Sherpa? Email uhp@gwu.edu with the subject “Sherpa Question.” All of Sherpa’s posts are archived and available to read.

Marketing Strategy and Social Media Campaign Intern

August 19, 2014Job/Internship Opportunity

Are you obsessed with the idea of being one of the lucky few that works for an IT start-up that makes it big? Do you like shopping around for local products sold by retailers, restaurants and online businesses and sharing what you find with friends? Do you live on social media?
YOPP is a mobile application that is going to change the way that you shop. Instead of spending hours online searching for sales, events and promotions, driving all over the place looking for amazing products and always walking away wondering whether you found the best price, shoppers can join YOPP. YOPP is a shopping social network that helps you find exactly what you’re looking for, wherever you are, with help from other shoppers and local businesses, saving everyone time and money and making everyone’s shopping trips more fun and rewarding. YOPP, shoppers can see where other people are shopping, post images of awesome stuff they spot at local businesses, ask other shoppers to help them find what they are looking for and receive special invitations to sales events and promotions based on their preferences and location.
YOPP is seeking a talented self-starter intern who craves learning new skills and isn’t afraid to tackle big projects in a fast-paced, ever changing work environment. As a Marketing Strategy and Social Media Campaign Intern, you will work directly with the Founder and other interns on a variety of marketing projects that will help YOPP grow. Specific tasks will include: implementing a strategy to increase the number of YOPP’s followers, managing YOPP’s current social media accounts, creating social media advertising campaigns and social media contests and tying these campaigns into other promotional campaigns and events being run by YOPP, creating imaginative videos to promote and advertise YOPP, posting videos to social media sites to generate buzz, managing YOPP’s blog including interviewing local business owners and potential YOPP shoppers to be featured on the blog, taking pictures of the shoppers being interviewed and managing the professional photographer that YOPP has hired to take pictures of the business owners. Our ideal candidate is someone that walks into a room of people and always leaves with a new friend, is creative, imaginative, likes to work hard and is enamored with marketing and social media.
What You Will Learn:

How to implement a marketing strategy and social media plan
How to gain more social media followers for a business
How to create social media advertising campaigns and contests
How to create videos that capture peoples’ attention
How to create compelling social media content including blog posts that will be shared by influencers
How to generate buzz about an app
How to create a media campaign to build YOPP’s user base

The Marketing Strategy and Social Media Campaign Intern will work with other interns on daily task. She/he will also be invited to attend start-up tech events with the Founder.
What We Require:

Background in marketing, communication, social media, video production, public relations or other related disciplines
Obsession with social media
Experience with blogging is a plus
Strong communications skills
Creative and flexible
Self-starter
Able to work independently and as part of a team
Organized with an ability to prioritize time-sensitive assignments in a fast-paced environment
Familiar with social networking sites

To Apply:

Email info@yoppapp.com for application instructions.

Freshmen: Honors Community Welcome [Event]

August 19, 2014Events, General News

Honors Program freshmen: don’t miss the Honors Community Welcome on Sunday, August 24th starting at 11am in Ames B101 at the Mt. Vernon Campus!
This is the premier kickoff event exclusively for Honors freshmen — meet each other, your faculty, the Student Peer Advisors, and also get some cool Honors swag. We’ll also dish on some of the program requirements so you’ll know where to get all the info you need to be successful.
Sign-in starts at 11am and we’ll wrap up by 3pm. (We’ll provide lunch, too!)

Prof. Cheryl Vann Works Summer Workshops Into Honors Courses

August 18, 2014General News

Students aren’t the only ones who put their summers to productive use, or even study abroad!
University Honors Program professor Cheryl Vann was one of 20 college faculty from around the country selected to participate in the Japan Studies Association’s Creating Kyoto Workshop this past summer in Kyoto, Japan.
The workshop includes lectures on The Tale of Genji and The Tale of the Heike and noh plays deriving from these works, as well as Japanese Buddhism and Shinto and Japanese women and the arts from medieval times to the 21st century.
In addition to visiting numerous temples and shrines, Professor Vann attended a noh theater performance and a workshop led by Kanze school actor Kawamura Haruhisa. She finished the workshop with a two-day stay at Mt. Koya, the Shingon Buddhist complex founded by Kukai in the 9th century. Professor Vann will share what she learns immediately by incorporating some of this material into the Japan portion of her fall course “Swords, Scimitars, and Six-shooters: Japan, India, and the US in Film and Story.”

Mark Nakamoto Says Goodbye

August 8, 2014General News

–This post is written by Honors Program Officer Mark Nakamoto.

“Man walks down the street in a hat like that, you know he’s not afraid of anything…”

(I have no idea how to tie in that quote, but if this post will be living in the interwebs forever, it just had to be there.)
I have really enjoyed getting to know many of you, having a chance to re-live some of my own undergraduate honors experiences, and helping to create some operational changes here at the UHP. However, a great professional opportunity recently came my way, so I am sad to say that I will be leaving GW to take advantage of it.
Ultimately (and fortunately) for you, things at the UHP will go on pretty much the same as they always have—which is to say: pretty darn fantastic. Your classmates will still both challenge and support you; upperclassmen (especially SPA and UHP student staffers) will offer guidance and advice; Eydie will ensure every detail, from the big (keeping the ship afloat budget-wise) to the small (taking those few extra minutes to think of the best selection of toppings for your ice cream social), is attended to; Jared will keep your NewsFlashes and blog posts pleasantly snarky and refreshingly brief; Catherine will remember all your feeling-est moments, goals, and accomplishments; and your Honors professors will still be more than happy to meet with you outside of class (and on the town) and think of new ways to keep you engaged and informed in the classroom. Just what a good collegiate honors experience should be.
I’ll still be in DC, so you’ll probably see me around—at museums, parks, and Nerd Nites—so you should definitely say “hello.” I hope you continue to appreciate this program and have a shiny, well-rounded GW/DC experience. Thank you for letting me share in a part of it.
Mark’s last day is today, Friday, August 8, 2014.
#firefly #shiny #UHPlove #cantstopthesignal

[SPA 2014-2015] Michaela Stanch

July 26, 2014Student Peer Advisors

Hey guys! I’m Michaela, from the lovely town of Friendswood, Texas, a little piece of Quaker heaven outside of Houston. I am majoring in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Environmental Engineering, as well as minoring in International Affairs. This givese a great knowledge of both engineering and IA, so if anyone needs help with those requirements or time management, hit me up friends. The greatest thing about the Honors program to me is Catherine Chandler. She’s basically a superhero, but she doesn’t need a secret identity. Apart from being Catherine’s personal dragon I enjoy knitting and crocheting ALL the things, climbing monuments and fountains, being a nerdfighter, and watching Doctor Who, Cosmos, and Say Yes to the Dress.
SPAcialties: Engineering, minoring across schools, time management, scheduling.

[SPA 2014-2015] Alex Jeffery

July 17, 2014Student Peer Advisors

Hi guys! My name is Alex Jeffery, and I’m a sophomore (but graduating a year early, so a junmore?) in the UHP, majoring in International Affairs with a concentration in International Politics. I am from Westfield, New Jersey which is in the Northern section! At school I’m a member of the fraternity ZBT, and enjoy doing community service work (I’ll be serving as a CBC guide this year, which is a super fun pre-college program focused on community service!). I’m a huge politics junky, and love having political discussions and debates. The honors program is one of the best parts of my college experience. I really loved my Origins classes, particularly first semester with Professor Christov. I love the laid back atmosphere, and the way that we are able to interact with advisors and professors on a more personal level!

SPAcialties: Scheduling (particularly if you’re trying to graduate early), living on the Vern (not in honors housing, but still), and trying to adjust to the college life.

[SPA 2014-2015] Wes Waterhouse

July 17, 2014Student Peer Advisors

Hello! I’m Wes, and I hail from the metropolis of North Reading Massachusetts! It’s secret, so you probably haven’t heard of it. Anyway, I’m currently a sophomore working towards a Biology degree with a pre-med track. (yes, I know, ANOTHER aspiring doctor) outside of class, I participate in the club ultimate team here at GDub, the Hippos. I’m also an EMT with EMeRG, and I expect I’ll be working in the Townhouse this fall.

SPAcialties: Being a raging cynic (but a friendly one), Pre-Med things, study buddies and general advice

[SPA 2014-2015] Brooke Staveland

July 17, 2014Student Peer Advisors

Hello! My name is Brooke Staveland and I am from Santa Cruz California! I am majoring in Math with a minor in Mind/Brain studies, and am happy to nerd out with anyone on brain/neuroscience/what is reality/math stuff. As a sophomore next year, I will have already worked in two different research labs (its really easy to do at GW)! One was about studying the nature of fly sperm (really odd but really fun) and the lab I am currently in is a particle physics lab (yay for being out of my league!). The Honors Program is honestly one of the best things about GW; yay for small classes, smart communities, and the best advisors ever! I also love to swim and my favorite club on campus is NAMI, which strives to end the stigma around mental illness. Other than that I will be hunting for decent coffee shops (not Starbucks!) or having movie and cooking nights with friends!

SPAcialties: Undergrad research, Math/Mind and Brain studies stuff, and not knowing your major your first year

[SPA 2014-2015] Erin McDevitt

July 17, 2014Student Peer Advisors

Hey, my name is Erin McDevitt and I am a Junior (Senior by credits) from Marietta, GA. I am studying International Affairs with a concentration in International Economics. With the Honors Program, I have a three way tie with my favorite professors but my favorite class this past year was Professor Dodge’s “Social Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.” One thing I’ve learned about the professors in UHP is that their diverse backgrounds contribute to a unique experience within the classroom, and they are always more than willing to help with just about anything! Besides the Honors Program, I am also a member of GW Club Tennis, work part time as a sales associate, and volunteer at a local animal shelter in my hometown. Outside school, I enjoy art history and love going to the museums on the Mall – favorite is the National Gallery of Art. You’ll find me on the Mall on most weekends.
I am very excited to study abroad at the National University of Singapore for this Fall semester, where I will fulfill my life’s dream of actually being in close proximity to tigers at their tiger sanctuaries (in Thailand, not Singapore). I hope to have a ton of stories about my adventures when I return to GW for the Spring semester!

SPAcialties: Scheduling for any and all possible academic paths, applying for study abroad, and internships/resumes