Beyond the Books

Your Guide to student life

Friday, May 3, 2013 2:43 p.m.

Weekend Outlook

by Olivia Kantor

With finals starting next week, it’s next to impossible to find a spot in Gelman. So accept the inveitable, ditch the books and check out these awesome weekend events.

Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Photo used under Creative Commons License.

 – Visit 40 countries in a day at The Around the World Embassy Tour – after all, embassies are technically foreign soil. Yes, we mean there are opportunities for alcohol. Explore the mansions on Embassy Row and enjoy free food, music and cultural entertainment. Saturday 10. a.m to 4p.m.

– Skip Chipotle this weekend and try one of these Mexican eateries offering deals and discounts in honor of Cinco de Mayo. But as you chow down on that chimichanga, just keep in mind that Cinco de Mayo isn’t actually Mexican Independence Day.

– For your annual fix of mint juleps, flashy hats, and horses with weird names, head to Penn Social’s 5th Annual Kentucky Derby Party. The charity event will help raise money for the Perry Center Young Leadership Council. Saturday  from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.. Get your tickets here.

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Friday, May 3, 2013 7:22 a.m.

Comedian, songwriter Bo Burnham to hit Lisner Auditorium stage

by Brianna Gurciullo

Singer-songwriter Bo Burnham, known for his punchy humor and fast-paced lyrics, will perform at Lisner Auditorium on May 15. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

YouTube’s favorite hungry, hungry hypocrite is coming to Lisner Auditorium this month.

Comedian and songwriter Bo Burnham, whose videos have logged more than 50 million views, will perform May 15. The tickets cost $38, according to the event’s Ticketmaster account, for the 8 p.m. show.

Burnham, a home-grown singer-songwriter, kicked off his YouTube career in 2006 when he was still in high school in Massachusetts. The 22-year-old Internet celebrity has gone on to self-record more than a dozen fast-talking, off-color songs.

Some of his best-known videos mock Helen Keller, a crack-addicted Easter bunny and a heavyset girlfriend – using just a web cam and a guitar.

Burnham released a self-titled album in 2009, and now performs live shows internationally. He premiered his own MTV show Thursday, and also recently signed a deal to write a film for Judd Apatow, the director of “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.”

The event in Lisner Auditorium is part of Burnham’s “what.” tour, which runs through July.

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Friday, May 3, 2013 6:57 a.m.

A peek inside the new Froggy Bottom, which opens Friday in new K Street space

by Sarah Ferris

Patrons will see a more upscale Froggy Bottom Pub at its K Street location. Samuel Klein | Photo Editor

Foggy Bottom’s famed pub will open its new K Street space Friday, less than a week after clearing out of its long-time spot on Pennsylvania Avenue.

The soft opening of Froggy Bottom comes ahead of its grand opening at 2021 K Street next week, when owner Hien Bui will officially reveal the updated space and menu.

Samuel Klein | Photo Editor

The K Street Froggy boasts a much larger outdoor patio, more stools at the bar, an expanded 12 draft selection and new Vietnamese menu items, the blog PoPville reported.

See the drink and food menus here and here.

The campus staple has been closed since April 29 preparing for the move. Bui held an auction earlier this month, selling old glasses, signs from around the restaurant and beer tap handles to clear way for a more upscale look and raise money to support local veterans.

But Bui, known for taming booths of rowdy students especially on half-price pitcher and pizza Monday, maintains that the restaurant would not lose character.

“This is still Froggy,” Bui said then. “The food is still the same, the menu is still the same. Nothing changed. I’m still here and I’m still yelling, so you cannot miss that.”

This article was updated May 6, 2013 to reflect the following:

A previous version of this article included a headline that should have used the word “peek,” not “peak.”

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Tuesday, April 30, 2013 8:41 p.m.

Rihanna rocks the Verizon Center

by dwalsh

Best-selling hip-hop artist Rihanna played at the Verizon Center to an audience of thousands. The 25-year-old singer, who has won seven Grammys, gave an edgy performance Sunday.

Desiree Halpern | Hatchet Photographer

Desiree Halpern | Hatchet Photographer

Desiree Halpern | Hatchet Photographer

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Tuesday, April 30, 2013 2:24 p.m.

Chef José Andrés prepares giant paella in Kogan Plaza

by dmarinaccio

Renowned chef José Andrés closed out his time as a GW professor by cooking an eight-foot paella Monday in Kogan Plaza. His course, which enrolled dozens of students, was called ”The World on a Plate.”

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Monday, April 29, 2013 12:59 p.m.

It’s Monday

by Olivia Kantor

Reading week is finally here. Engage in a little procrastination and check out news from around the District. 

President Barack Obama at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Photo courtesy of the White House

– Release your end-of-the-semester stress at yoga studios in the D.C. area for free this week during the 8th annual D.C. Yoga Week. More than 40 studios are offering free classes, some of which will take place on the National Mall.

– Check out this year’s star-studded and hilarious highlights from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Nerd Prom, Washington’s Worst Night of the Year or whatever you want to call it.

– D.C.’s 9:30 Club was named the top big-room venue in the country by Rolling Stone. It even beat out Radio City Music Hall and the House of Blues. See what all the fuss is about here.

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Monday, April 29, 2013 10:21 a.m.

What We’re Watching: “Room 237″

by The GW Hatchet

This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Margaret Kahn.

“Room 237” (2013)

Did you watch”The Shining” and immediately realize that it was actually about the Holocaust?

Or did you instead see it as an allegory about European mistreatment of the Native Americans? Maybe you saw it as an admission of guilt to the U.S. government’s faking of the moon landing.

These are all theories of the superfans interviewed in “Room 237,” a documentary examining cult obsession.

“Room 237,” directed by Rodney Ascher, explores the underground world of American fanboy culture. The film was released last year, but the West End Cinema is offering D.C. residents their first opportunity to see it on the big screen. Ascher interviews five men and women, each with their own theory on the true meaning behind Stanley Kubrick’s classic adaptation of a Stephen King novel, “The Shining.”

Ascher combines their commentary with meticulously-chosen archival footage from Kubrick’s other films. As one conspiracy theorist describes the first time he saw the film, we watch Tom Cruise walk by a movie theater in a scene from Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut.”

The movie is an entertaining display of every tenet of an art history course. The movie, just like many arts classes, posits art as not just a collection of pretty images to please the eye; the artist places everything on the canvas to convey a meaning, down to the angle and shading. Kubrick was an artist as well, and the movie reminds viewers that nothing he did was by accident. The man was a film-making genius, and whether or not you agree with the theories of “Room 237,” you realize that Kubrick did everything intentionally.

Director: Rodney Ascher
Genre: Documentary
Cast: Bill Blakemore, Geoffrey Cocks, Juli Kearns, John Fell Ryan
Release Date: Varies in select cities. D.C.: April 15

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Sunday, April 28, 2013 12:07 p.m.

Students stay silent for Syria at White House protest

by dmarinaccio

Students gathered Friday at the White House to participate in a silent protest to raise awareness about the conflict in Syria. The event was organized by the Muslim Students Association.

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Friday, April 26, 2013 7:27 p.m.

Capital Funk showcase celebrates hip hop, rap, spoken word

by Zach Montellaro

Weeks of practice for the hip-hop dance crew Capital Funk will come down to its performance Saturday.

The sixth annual Capital Funk Showcase will draw in acts from along the East Coast, including spoken word artists, rappers and beatboxers. GW’s dance group will compete alongside competitors from New York and Maryland.

The dancers will take the stage Saturday, April 27 in Lisner Auditorium. The show will start at 7 p.m.

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Friday, April 26, 2013 1:17 p.m.

Weekend Outlook

by Olivia Kantor

Staring at that final study guide for too long isn’t healthy. Give your brain a break and check out these events around D.C. 

Photo courtesy of Kingman Island Bluegrass Festival

– Grab your shopping bag and head to the Dupont Market Fair. Stalls filled with handmade jewelry, accessories and fresh local produce will line the streets. The outdoor market opens Saturday on 14th and P streets near Whole Foods.

– Dust off your cowboy boots and channel your inner country soul at Kingman Island Bluegrass Festival. Even if banjos aren’t quite your thing, check out the festival’s many food trucks, barbecue and brewery lineup. Music starts at 1 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are available here.

– Journey back to Middle Earth at the Lord of the Rings Movie Festival at the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse. A super marathon of the three films kicks off at noon, followed by a Gollum impersonation contest. Donning a costume might mess with your street cred but it will get you a free movie pass for the future. Tickets available online.

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