George Washington University

Saul L (Senior 2009)

George Washington University is a school split between two worlds.

We started at the University’s Mount Vernon campus, slightly northwest of Georgetown in the District. It’s very suburban, but also in a very nice part of town. The dormitories and buildings are reminiscent of a classic college campus, complete with a grassy quad. The library on this campus was not too impressive, but the students didn’t seem to have a hard time getting what they needed out of it. According to the students, the college stacks the Eckles Library (the one on the Mount Vernon campus) with books mainly for the lower classman, seeing as most students that age live near it. The “hang out” areas on this campus weren’t too crowded and the students didn’t seem too active, especially on such a nice day. Overall, the campus was not very lively or exciting.

Next stop on the school’s “Vern Express” shuttle was the Foggy Bottom campus. The short trip was a complete scene change. Foggy Bottom is a very urban area, this time southeast of Georgetown. This campus was crawling with people, but once again the students didn’t seem too energetic. It was hard to talk to find people to talk to, and everyone seemed to have a place to go. The facilities are spread out all over Foggy Bottom, which creates a great neighborhood feeling. Unfortunately, most of the buildings in the area are owned by GWU, which means there is not a lot of “fun” stuff to do. There are a few Starbuck’s sprinkled around the neighborhood, with just a restaurant or two (that accept GWU’s currency!) around the dormitories. Of course, Foggy Bottom is not at all far from some very cool parts of D.C. and it sounded like the students there definitely take advantage of that treat. In the end, this crowded campus was still too unfriendly for my taste.

George Washington University is a school split between two worlds. The urban & the suburban, crowded & apathetic, GWU offers a community that looks great, but doesn’t feel quite right.