Update: this event has been cancelled. Keep your eye out for future events from the Programming Board!
Do you like free food? Do you like games? Do you like hanging out with other Honors students?! Then come to Brunch and Boardgames on Sunday, February 28 from 11-1 in the townhouse! Brunch will be provided by Au Bon Pain and there will be games galore! So take a break from homework and come enjoy a relaxing afternoon filled with good food, good friends, and good fun! We hope to see you there!
Click here to RSVP!
Tag: AY1516
Seniors: Submit Special Honors Verification
Graduating seniors, ensure your DegreeMap is a sea of green checks and blue waves: submit your Special Honors Verification Form to the UHP front office by 5 PM on Friday, March 11. This form is only necessary if you’re filling your Honors Thesis requirement by pursuing Special Honors in your major.
You’ll need to get your form signed by your school advisor (not myself or Catherine), so please don’t wait until the last minute to get started!
Soul Cycle with the UHP!
Come RIDE with the UHP!
We are having a FREE Honors Program group ride at Soul Cycle on Sunday, February 28th at 11:45am. Sign up here. First time riders should arrive at least 15 minutes early.The class and cycling shoes are free, but remember to bring your own water!
Remember that this ride is FREE and cycling shoes will be provided, but you must bring your own water!
See you at 11:45am on Sunday, February 28th at Soul Cycle West End (2301 M St NW, Washington, DC 20037)!
Remembering Lee Okster
Dear University Honors Program students,
I am writing to share some sad news that we in the UHP received a few days ago. Professor Lee Okster, who taught Origins and Evolution of Modern Thought for us several times in recent years, passed away early in the morning on February 14th. As many of you know, Professor Okster was diagnosed several years ago with a devastating form of brain cancer. Despite the formidable obstacles of his treatment, he chose to teach for us and for the Department of Philosophy during this time. He loved teaching and, as he once put it to me, his encounters with students “helped to remind him of why life was worth living.” I will never forget meeting Professor Okster for the first time and learning of his decision made in mid-career to return to the study of philosophy, something he had loved as an undergraduate. We in the Honors Program are grateful that at least some our students had the pleasure and good fortune to study with this man, a wonderful scholar and person.
There will be a memorial service to celebrate Professor Okster’s life on Saturday, March 12th, at 2:00 p.m., held at Trinity United Methodist Church in McLean, VA. Any student who wants to attend this service can. In addition, we will keep a card in the UHP front office in our Foggy Bottom townhouse for students to sign. I will bring it with me to the memorial service.
Maria Frawley
Indoor Rock Climbing with Prof. Ralkowski
Join Professor Ralkowski SATURDAY, 2/27 for indoor rock climbing! The trip is free and open to all UHP freshmen, but spots are (very) limited, so reserve your spot now! The group will be meeting at the Marvin Center at 11 AM before metroing over to Sportrock Climbing Center in Alexandria. You’ll get to flex your climbing muscles at a huge indoor gym with tons of different climbing routes. Compared to the wall in Hel Well, this place will blow you away! You can find out more and reserve your spot here.
Hudson Institute Political Studies Summer Fellowship
Hudson Institute Political Studies offers top undergraduates a Summer Fellowship in that broadens and deepens understanding of public policy and American political principles. The Fellowship combines rigorous study of politics and political thought through week-long seminars led by master teachers, policy workshops featuring think tank experts and experienced government officials, and a distinguished speaker series of exemplary figures from public life. Seminars examine Plato’s Republic, Machiavelli’s The Prince, and Shakespeare’s The Tempest, along with selections from the Bible, Federalist Papers, Lincoln-Douglas Debates, and current scholarship on American foreign policy in the Middle East.
Hosted at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, the 2016 Fellowship begins June 20 and concludes July 29. Students participate free of charge, are given complimentary accommodations, and receive a $3,000 stipend. Find out more and apply here by February 26.
Intern Files: Interning During the School Year
This post was written by Peer Advisor Bridger, a junior in SMPA studying political communication. View his full profile here.
When summer rolls around, thousands of students, attending colleges all across the world, descend upon D.C. to pursue one of the many great internships that are available. In this environment, it can be extremely difficult to get a “dream internship.” But, as GW students we actually have a better chance at landing some of the most sought after and prestigious internships anywhere in the world. The reason: we can work at these places during the school year. Companies, charities, government agencies, etc. still like to have interns year round. Thus, if you’re willing to intern part time during the year, you can turn the supply-demand relationship between employer and prospective employee in your favor.
Since coming to The George Washington University, I have held three internships that have allowed me to pursue interests in legislative politics, 24 hour news, and political campaigns. I pursued two of these three internships during the school year., and I can definitely say that this was a great decision for me personally. It allowed me to balance family, professional experience, and academic studies in a way that allowed for the best of both worlds. I made friends and professional connections, and because I was the only intern, I was able to do a little bit of everything for everyone.
Before you go any further thinking about interning during the year, however, it will be important to take stock of the amount of time you have during a given week. The absolute low end of workable hours for an internship in D.C. is usually somewhere between 10 and 15 hours per week, so seriously consider whether you have the time to spare before you get further into the process. Alright, now that that disclaimer is out of the way, I can provide my pointers on how to intern during the year, while keeping everything else in (relative) order. Here we go!
- Make the decision regarding interning before you make your class schedule
One of the most important aspects of interning during the school year is simply having the time during the week to do so. If at all possible, do your best to schedule at least two days during the week that are mostly dedicated to your internship. Otherwise, many places won’t be able to accommodate your schedule. It seems obvious, however for a lot of people the thing that prevents them from holding a Spring or Fall internship really is 11:10 AM classes Monday through Friday.
- Be honest with your potential employer about how much time you have
Adding 20 hours to your weekly schedule could get overwhelming fast, especially if you don’t have the time to undertake such an arduous time commitment. Whether it’s during the interview, in a cover letter, or after an offer is made, be sure to make clear how long, and when, you’re free to be at the office. These places understand that you’re in school, and they’re generally quite accommodating of your schedule. However, if you’re not up front about how much time you can dedicate to their workload, it could lead to greater problems down the road.
- Try to make a weekly routine, and stick to it!
During the Fall of 2015, I interned on a Sunday morning political talk show that required me to be at the studio by 5:00 AM. This meant waking up around 3:30 AM, and thus, made getting any other work done all of Sunday a near impossibility. However, I was able to weather this situation by getting in the habit of doing more work during the week, and by never letting anything due on Monday linger past Saturday. While your internship may not have such odd hours, it will be important to make weekly habits and to stick to them as best as you can, including your non-academic commitments.
So, there you have it: my three top tips for how to successfully intern during the year. While it may not be the best thing for everyone to do, holding a Spring or Fall internship can be an effective way to take advantage of some of the best opportunities available in the district. I hope this mini-guide to undertaking such a commitment has helped you in some way, and that whether it is during the Fall, Spring, or Summer, you’re able to pursue your professional interests during your time at GW.
Run for Student Government!
Hey UHPers!
Ever thought of running for the SA, Class Council, or Program Board? Now’s the time!
Registration for the 2016 GW Student Body Elections begins on Tuesday, February 16th.
Any registered student wishing to be a candidate for office may complete the required forms located on the Joint Election Committee’s website at http://gwjec2016.wordpress.com/. You may petition for signatures starting now.
All completed forms must be given to the Joint Elections Committee during office hours in Marvin Center G16 no later than 9:00pm on February 22nd. If there are any questions, please contact the JEC at election@gwu.edu.
Best of luck!
#HonorsProblems: Knowing When to Quit
The following post was written by Peer Advisor Prakriti, a sophomore in CCAS studying economics and political science.
Making the Most of Student Organizations At GW: Knowing When to Quit
Student organizations are an important part of college; they are where you meet many of your friends, explore passions outside the academic realm, and become involved with your community. As a result, students often struggle with knowing if and when it is the right time to quit a student organization. In fact, it is probably one of the hardest things to consider about a student organization, especially for those of us who tend to overcommit and are highly motivated to be involved.
Quitting tends to come with a negative connotation. But ‘quitting’ is not always bad. There sometimes comes a point when being in an organization is not worth it anymore and quitting becomes the best action to take. It does not make you less smart or motivated or involved. Sometimes doing the right thing for yourself is leaving one organization so you can pursue something else more beneficial.
As a quick disclaimer, this post is not trying to promote quitting student organizations or not getting involved. I am not advising to drop every single organization that takes up some of your time or gives you one negative experience. At that rate, you wouldn’t be involved with anything. However, this post is to prompt students to consider the environment they are in and ask if they are getting the experiences that they want. If you aren’t happy in the organizations you are in, then you should at least reconsider your involvement.
If you are confused about leaving an organization, here are some factors to consider that will hopefully make your choice a little easier:
- Time. Consider how much time your organization is taking up and pay attention to whether you find yourself skipping classes, ignoring homework, or avoiding sleep on a regular basis. You may need to tone down your individual involvement or, if hours are not flexible, consider leaving the organization.
- Benefits and Opportunities. Consider the opportunities that the organization gives you. Sometimes an organization looks great on paper or social media, but it may not actually be what you hoped for, and it isn’t worth being in an organization just so you can list it on a resume; if you cannot genuinely speak to the ways in which it helped you grow, then it probably is not worth your time.
- The Opportunity Cost. Being heavily involved in an organization takes away from other things you could be doing. Keep your options open and know that it is okay at times to leave something when a better opportunity comes your way. You cannot do everything and need to pick and chose your commitments carefully with your personal goals and the future in mind.
- Socializing. Joining a student organization does not necessarily guarantee that you will make friends or more often times, that you will make the friends that you want. If you find yourself questioning the character of people you spend your time with or realize that you are not having fun, then you might want to consider leaving that organization for another one.
- Losing Friends. You might find that a student organization is not worth it for you personally, but you do not want to lose the great friends that you have made. Keep in mind that if these people are actually your friends, then it won’t matter that you quit.
- Time Investment. A major reason I didn’t want to quit an organization in the past was that I felt I had already invested so much time into it. I know it might be hard to negate the time you’ve already spent, but a lot of times, it is just cognitive dissonance and not a valid reason to stay in an organization.
- Quitting is “Bad”. Students feel like by quitting, they are admitting that they couldn’t handle the pressure or that they failed. However, quitting is not always a bad thing. Make sure that you are quitting for the right reasons and are following the path that you want.
Deciding to leave a student organization can be daunting and there are a lot of factors to consider. At the end of the day, however, there is really only one fundamental question to consider – Are you happy in the organization that you are in? If you don’t know the answer, then you should rethink your involvement. While I would not advocate making a rash decision, I would suggest reconsidering the pros and cons with your involvement. You might decide to reduce your involvement, rethink your approach to an organization, or quit altogether. Trust your instincts – you know what is good for you better than you may realize.
Go to Greece this Summer with Prof. Ralkowski!
Looking to see the world a little bit this summer? We’ve got you covered. Professor Ralkowski will be teaching an incredible short-term study abroad course that will take you on the adventure of a lifetime. “Ancient Greece and the Origins of Western Thought” presents the opportunity to study ancient Greek philosophy in Athens and the Peloponnese. The trip includes visits to the Oracle at Delphi that pronounced Socrates the wisest human being as well as to the jail cell where the Athenians forced him to drink hemlock. This exciting program will introduce you to ancient Greek philosophy and take you to some of the places where the history of philosophy began!
And, lucky for you, it’s an Honors course. “Ancient Greece and the Origins of Western Thought” will be taught under the course number HONR 2054W, so you’ll be able to knock out a requirement or two while you enjoy this rich experience.
Interested? Good. Come to the Townhouse this Friday, March 4th at 4:00 pm for refreshments and additional information about the class.
Check out the flyer for more info, and feel free to e-mail Dr. Ralkowski at mralkow@gwu.edu with any questions!
