Hear Me Out

Joe Biden

will be officially announced as Barack Obama's running mate tomorrow afternoon...in case anyone was interested.

Drudge, CNN, Politico

Capture the Flag

So last night from 10pm-midnight, we played capture the flag on the main quad. It was incredible! Plus, they gave us red and yellow glow sticks to wear around our necks so we knew who was on what team, and who was playing.

There were so many freshmen hanging out there, too. Some didn't want to play, but most of them jumped right in! Plus, I ran into people I had met at orientation fairs or other Gathering welcome week events, which was fun.

AU is great, because since we actually have a campus (a beautiful one at that - even with all the construction), there's always something fun going on! Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos of the action last night - but you probably couldn't see anything in them anyway since it was so dark.

But my team (green, in case you were wondering) won 2 out of 3 games! Instead of playing offense, I tried defense this time. It was great to catch people trying to sneak around to the flag and chase them through the bushes, haha. It's all in good fun - and believe me, it's a blast!

Monuments

Wow, Welcome Week has been nuts! I haven't had time to eat, sleep, and even breathe most of the time, haha. But it's been worth it...I think. Just kidding, the freshmen class this year is awesome! Kind of liberal overall, in my opinion - but other than that they're really great down-to-earth people. Way better than my class and the current sophomores and juniors.

But anyway, since I've lived in DC for more than three years now, sometimes I forget just how awesome an evening monument experience can be. A bunch of people from The Gathering walked around Capitol Hill on Wednesday night just as the sun was setting. It was amazing. There are some photos below.

Oh, and of course - we went to Kraemer's Afterwards Cafe on the way back. Seriously, they have the best desserts in the city. I got this fruit crumble with CINNAMON ice cream. I scarfed it all down. Overall, great sights + friends, fun and great food = an incredible night!

Most Politically Active

Guess what!? AU has (once again) been named the "most politically active" school in the country, according to the 2009 Princeton Review Guide of "The Best 368 Colleges" in America.

I typically don't get excited over these Princeton Review ratings, but it is nice to be recognized for something we're good at. As any AU student knows, the school is brimming with politics. Even in my Spanish classes, we used to have Friday debate days where we'd tackle controversial issues like stem cell research, gay marriage, or taxes - in Spanish, of course.

Anyway, according to the survey, we're also ranked:

• #5 for Great College Town,
• #13 for Best Quality of Life, and
• #18 for Best Career/Job Placement Service (Go Career Center!)

That doesn't seem too shabby, if I do say so myself. Of course, we were also ranked #15 in the "This is a Library?" category. I honestly don't know why everyone hates on our library so much, though. I've never been unable to find something I needed there before. I think it's just because it's old and looks crummy on the outside. I guess AU students are pretty vain when it comes to academic buildings on campus.

If you're curious, the rankings are based on a survey of 120,000 students - about 325 per campus on average - who attend the 368 "best" colleges found in Princeton Review's book.

Here's AU's press release on it (which of course doesn't mention our bad library ranking).

And here is a link to the Princeton Review rankings. You have to sign up with your email to see 'em, though.

Olympics!

So I've decided that I love the Olympics. I was watching Michael Phelps win his heat in the individual medley today while I worked out. It was very inspiring! Although, I'm not sure how I feel about hosting the Olympics in China.

Actually, I'm pretty sure I don't like it. I don't mean to sound all crazy political, but I truly have a problem with quasi-condoning China's egregious human rights abuses, not to mention allowing Sudan participate. Don’t even get me started. Oh, and wasn't it quaint that Russia invaded Georgia the day of the open ceremonies?

But I guess that's why the Olympics are so unique. They give over 200 countries a chance to ignore overcome their differences and come together. Plus, I was really proud that the flag bearer for the US was a Sudanese refugee.

Nevertheless, I have to say that the Chinese do know how to put on a show. I watched the some of the opening ceremonies with my parents, and was amazed! The Chinese government must have invested millions into just that night alone. My favorite part was the Taekwondo. I don't know how all of those people were able to maintain the circular shape without markings on the ground! It's like marching band on steroids, haha.

Either way, I still hope we kick butt. The commentators were talking about us losing the medal race to the Chinese. I don't like the sound of that. Go US!

Here's an article on Phelps.

And here's the updated medal count.

Fall

I can barely believe that classes start in just 2 weeks! I feel like the summer flew by – but when I actually look back at all I've learned, I can see how it's been 4 months. It's still crazy, though.

I'm just about prepared for the fall to start. I moved into my new apartment in the Berks – right across the street from AU. And I've already gotten an email from one of my professors about class. Apparently he wants to hit the ground running from the first class. I don't really mind, though. To be honest, this summer has been awesome, but I miss the excitement of the school year. And I even miss going to class a little bit. Although, that'll probably change in the next few weeks, haha.

Well, I've got about a week to relax until things get crazy. And I'm enjoying it so far. Sometimes it's nice to sit back and reflect before life becomes hectic. Hanging out by yourself with a cup of coffee or cinnamon hot cocoa is time worth spending before the busyness of fall breaks loose.

Hypermiling

So I've discovered that having a car in DC can be really convenient. I mean, the metro is one of the best in the country, but still - nothing beats having your own set of wheels around. However, there's no getting around the ridiculous price of gas these days. At least that's what I though until I learned about hypermiling.

Hypermiling is a set of techniques a driver can utilize to maximize gas miliage. I used to drive really aggressively, but now I do everything I can to stay off my brakes. I leave more room between me and the car in front of me, and I don't drive quite as fast.

These techniques are really simple and safe! And guess what? It's increased my gas milage up to 10 miles/gallon! I can get my V6 Chevy Malibu to go over 30 miles/gallon if I practice hypermiling!

Here's a CNN article on it from a few years ago if you're interested.