George Washington University - Cherry Tree Yearbook (Washington, DC)

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COMING HOME As August turns into September, college students across the nation start their journey back to the school of their choice. G.W.U. students being no different than the rest, start to arrive in Washington via car, plane, and bus. For some it might be the three hour drive down 1-95 from Philadelphia, for others it’s the fourteen hour bus drive up from Atlanta, yet for others it is the twenty-four hou r train ride from Chicago or maybe the fourty-five minute shuttle in from New York. No matter which form of trans- portation you use the destination is the same — Washington, D.C., G.W.U. The campus which just the week before was empty as a party where the beer has gone dry and the stereo is broken, becomes alive with the sounds and movements of thousands of peo- ple trying to make their way to their respective abodes. The G.W.U. campus has a schizophrenic personality; for 8 months out of the year it is alive with all sorts of people but for the other 4 months it goes into hibernation. But now, it is time for it to awaken again for another year is ready to begin. Things haven’t really changed much from last year — the Academic-Cluster-to-be is still just a hole in the ground, the Quad still doesn’t have any grass and the Uruguayan Embassy next to Thurston is still flying its flag. Some things are different; the white paint on Stuart Hall has been stripped off leaving the red brick which was aesthetically more pleasing (people wan- dered why it was ever painted anyway) there is a new bust of George Washington by the Foggy Bottom Metro Station not to mention the brand new I Street Mall completed during the summer. Over at Thurston Hall a brand new class of fresh- man are lined up waiting to move in. The girls do not go unnoticed by select groups of Upper classmen who have gathered on Thurston beach to witness this event. It is amazing how ' the sidewalks of G.W.U. take on the look of a massive flea market, as people pile up their belongings waiting their chance to get into the buildings. Wide eyed students are seen sit- ting on suitcases next to a stereo system, racks of record albums, and a mini-refrigerator waiting for the rest of their party to come back from parking the car and help carry it up the stairs. Why is one elevator always broken ? Of course, the day is sweltering hot like most Washington summer days. You begin to sweat when you’re just standing outside, let alone when you’re carrying 25 lb. boxes. Finally, after waiting your turn in line for a room key and a good stuff box, then waiting again for the antiquated elevators to take you up to the 4th floor, you eventually get everything into your room. Now, comes the even more enjoyable task of taking everything out of its boxes and suitcases and putting it in its place. This is the time when every student wishes that they were interior decorators. You have a whole blank room to play wi th, but you can’t think of anything to do with it. As you start unpacking you think, “God, I just packed this all up last night!” The whole day’s activities have made you wonder, “What am I doing here- ' ” to

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