Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Operator, Operator: Riding the Metro


Like most MU students, I don't live on campus.  Nor do I live in Woodley Arms nearby.  No, I like the majority of my fellow Saints commute to our fair campus each and every day.  Some students drive, but good luck trying to find parking, especially if you're late.  Some walk or ride their bikes...at least theoretically as I have never seen a bike rack at Marymount.  Others take a bus or ride the train and then hop on the campus shuttle.  I combine some of the above.  Each morning I don my bike helmet and ride 2.5 miles to the Van Dorn Street Metro Station, ride the Blue line to Rosslyn, change to the Orange to Ballston Metro, then walk to MU's Ballston campus where I finally board the express shuttle to campus.  I will never be accused of having too little variety.  But one thing usually stands out during my morning (and evening, in which everything I just mentioned gets done in reverse) commute.  The Metrorail operator.

I have a habit of listening to the voice of the operator and creating an entire character out of it.  When they say "Pentagon City Metro.  Doors on the right.  Pentagon next station," I imagine who they are and what they do for their other job.  In my world, you only operate Metro trains on the side.  Usually in the morning, my operator will be Papa Joe.  He's never said his name, but I imagine Papa Joe to be a grandfatherly man who wears a Polo shirt tucked into his khakis at all times.  He has a white beard and a refined Southern accent that tells the world he is both regal, but friendly.  In my mind he used to work odd jobs, that's where he gets his wisdom, but eventually started a successful restaurant and has semi-retired.  Occasionally I will get Patty.  She is young, maybe only 25 years old, and a full time cheerleader.  She is remarkably energetic at 7 o'clock in the morning, which also makes me think she comes to work straight from her job as a barista at a local coffeehouse.  Her bubbly voice always perks me up, though I prefer the slow wake up of a morning ride with Joe. At night, it's all about Jazz Rick.  I call him Jazz Rick because in between calling out stations he is hosting a syndicated jazz radio show and talking it up with the all time greats.  He is in his early forties, but he knows everything there is to know about jazz.  You can tell by the way he elongates words like "Fraaaaaancoonia Spppparingfiiield."  One night Papa Joe filled in for Jazz Rick on the Blue Line train, and I was struck by how good of a job he did hosting the radio show as well.  Maybe he is Jazz Rick's dad.  Hmmmm...

Well, that's all for this month, folks.  Come ride the Blue Line with me sometime, you will definitely be entertained!

~Ben

Walk to Stop Modern Slavery


Last spring, as part of an assignment for my Child Victimization class with Dr. Lindahl, I saw a documentary entitled, “Sex + Money: A National Search for Human Worth.” This is one of those films that changed the way I think forever. It documents the human trafficking trade in the United States. Yes, there is human trafficking in the United States. I was just as shocked as you! If you get a chance to see the documentary, do it. It is so eye opening.

So, after seeing this film, I’ve been getting more involved in the movement to stop modern slavery. This movement pretty much got its start in DC, so what better place to be? There are so many different organizations in this area that work to change the policy concerning trafficking and helping the victims—Courtney’s House, Polaris Project, and Shared Hope International (just to name a few). All of these different organizations converge on the Washington Monument once a year for DC’s Walk to Stop Modern Slavery. And this year, my friend/roommate Ashley and I attended, and boy were we glad we did! It was such an incredible and inspiring day. We heard from so many survivors of domestic and sex trafficking. Listening to them not only made me thankful I’ve never had to endure that, but it also made me angry that this was happening. As a result, I became motivated to help stop it.
That's me on the right!

Before the walk, there’s a great resource fair so you can go around and talk to all the different organizations and see how you fit in, what talents you can bring, and how you can help stop modern slavery. I learned about so many more fantastic organizations and businesses, like Freeset Global. They have the cutest bags, and they can do custom-made bags and t-shirts for events. But the best part is that the people making these items are women who have gotten out of the sex trade industry in Kolkata. Freeset not only provides them with a fair wage and a better-than-decent working environment, but also with education! There’s also the Nomi Network, who operates similarly to Freeset. They also work toward providing jobs and education for trafficking survivors with their “Buy Her Bag, Not Her Body” campaign. Check both of these out, and buy their stuff!! Christmas is coming up, right??


I could go on and on and on about all the great organizations and people dedicating their lives to the movement to stop modern slavery here in the U.S., and abroad, but that would make this post very, very long. I’ll just finish up with this…when you find something that you’re really passionate about, become a part of the solution to it. A couple of years ago, I would have heard about the walk and thought, “Oh, that’s nice”, and that would have been the end of it. But, not anymore! I’m determined to become a volunteer for someone who’s working to stop modern slavery (when I have more time…school always gets in the way!). So, find your cause, and do something about it. You’ll feel so much better when you do!

Ok. That’s it for now kids…see you on the flip side!
Katelyn

Ok one more thing…since it’s DC, we got some Lao food from a food truck after the Walk…just another reason to get involved!


Feeling corked up in the city?


Then head on out to VA Wine country! 

DC is a great city and it has a lot to offer, but sometimes it is nice to enjoy the openness of the countryside. With all the fall colors coming out take a Sunday afternoon and enjoy some of the great wine that Virginia has to offer! As of today, Virginia has 210 wineries, and a lot of them right in Marymount's backyard! 

There are two wineries in Fairfax County that are about a half-hour from DC. Both are beautiful and a great place to sit back and relax for an afternoon with friends! 


This winery is the closest to Washington DC, and extremely easy to get to. It is open everyday from 11-7 pm and until 8 pm on Fridays. They offer live music Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. With your tasting you get to try all nine of their wines and take your glass home! In addition to great wines, they have a nice snack menu to choose from at an affordable price. You are welcome to bring your own picnic, but no outside alcohol is allowed. The Winery at Bull Run offers seating inside and outside, and has a completely covered patio. 

If you're into the civil war, this is the winery for you! There are artifacts from the vineyard and other areas of VA. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly; however, no dogs are allowed due to the horse farm behind the property. I spend most of my weekends here because I am a Wine Pourer! Come visit and enjoy yourself at Winery at Bull Run! 



I visited this winery on a rainy Sunday with some friends. We brought a lunch and were looking forward to a nice rainy afternoon of wine tasting! The winery is located in a secluded place. To get there it took a little bit of navigation through some windy roads, so drive safely! We pulled in to a beautiful property with a big red barn, which is the tasting room! The inside was nice and open with a partly covered balcony and a fireplace. We did a tasting of nine of their wines. All were great! The girl that did our tasting, Marla, was very nice and knowledgeable! We got a bottle and shared it while we enjoyed our picnic inside. Later in the day, a jazz band set up and played live. A very nice afternoon spent!! 


Find more wineries at: http://www.virginiawine.org/ 

Cheers!
~Daisy
I'm second from the left!

Find Your Cup of Joe


Fall is here!  Classes are in full swing and we are becoming swamped with papers, presentations, and exams.  What better way to make all of these tasks more enjoyable than to work on them in a coffee shop!  What graduate student doesn’t need a dose of caffeine?!  We all know Starbucks is not the ideal coffee shop to do school work- -the constant hustle and bustle is too distracting! 
I want to offer you all a list of coffee shops that hopefully will be more inviting than the mundane Starbucks that can be found on every block. 

1)     Down the street from the Ballston campus is Northside CafĂ©.  It is located in Clarendon and serves bakery items, coffee, and wine!  Here is the full menu.  They also provide free WiFi, comfortable seating- -both indoors and outdoors. 
2)     Peregrine Espresso is a coffeehouse located in the Capitol Hill area.  This coffeehouse is sleek and contemporary.  An added bonus is that both locations serve Buzz Bakery sweet treats!!  Check it out!
3)     For those of you who are coffee snobs, you may want to check out Qualia Coffee.   Qualia specializes in the perfect cup of black coffee- - perfectly timed and flawlessly measured hand-pour method.  If you are also a foodie, you will enjoy their fabulous bakery goods- -sour-cherry lemon muffins, lemon tarragon scones, and maple bacon muffins to name just a few. 

Hope you caffeine addicts have a chance to check out some of these “off-the-beaten” path coffeehouses.  Enjoy!

~Elizabeth