Happy August!

If you've ever been in DC during the month of August, you know how slow things can be.  Congress leaves town which means the city practically comes to a standstill. Not to mention, it's unbearably hot and muggy and you're forced to fight tourists right and left. So, in honor of the first day of the worst month for Washingtonians, some important (and not so important) campus updates.

• In case you missed it, WRGW is going to the Democratic National Convention in Denver. We'll be going on August 24th and returning on August 29th, so be sure to check back for event coverage during that week!

• President Knapp should be living on campus by the time the fall semester begins. According to University spokesperson Tracy Shario, Knapp's house will be ready by mid-August. If you haven't seen it lately, the old Alumni house has been extended and a large new bay window has been installed. An open house is scheduled for October.

• Restaurant week is almost here! What's that, you ask? Twice a year, DC restaurants, that on a student's budget you probably couldn't afford, offer three course meals for $20.08 for lunch and $35.08 for dinner. Make your reservations now, because the more popular restaurants book-up quickly.

• Cmail is a thing of the past. Welcome GWmail! To switch your email address to the new google-based GWmail, log on to my.gwu.edu and click on the mail option on the left side of your screen. Make sure to update all of your listings because email addresses now end with an @gwmail.gwu.edu. Cmail will forward your email for 6 months, but after that, messages with your old address will be bounced back. Now you can enjoy GChatting with the entire GW community.

• In honor of the summer Olympics, the Vern is sponsoring a sports themed summer film festival. On the Mount Vernon Quad (Eckles Library is the rain location) Remember the Titans will be shown on Wednesday, August 6, at 8:30pm and A Leauge of Their Own will be shown on August 13 at 8pm. On Wednesday, August 20, come to the Mount Vernon pool to cool off with Cool Runnings at 8:30pm.

• August also means that it's almost college football season! Now I know we don't get riled up about these things at GW (especially since we don't have a team), but for those of you who follow it, DC might be turning into a football town. According to a Washington Post article, DC will host the 9th ranked ACC team against Navy at Nationals Park. The inaugural Congressional Bowl will be held on December 20th. There's only one catch - there has to be nine eligible teams in the ACC. Last season, only eight of the twelve teams qualified. Regulations state that teams must win at least six games to be eligible for a bowl game. Fingers crossed!

• If you're stuck in DC this month, there is at least some good news! The District will offer buyers an exemption from the 5.75 percent sales tax for school supplies, clothing, shoes, and accessory items costing $100 or less. The Sales Tax holiday will begin on Saturday, August 2, through Sunday, August 10. A second tax holiday will be in November, beginning the weekend following Thanksgiving.

• UPD is celebrating "National Night Out" with food, music, and the opportunity for community members to speak with police officials from the university and MPD. The 25th annual "National Night Out" is a drug and crime prevention event designed to heighten awareness and strengthen neighborhood spirit. The event will be held on Tuesday, August 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. on the corner of 22nd and F Streets.

• The Princeton Review's annual survey was released this week and GW made four separate lists. As you might recall, GW had the distinction of being the "most politically active" school last year, but American University took over the top slot this year. GW was bumped to second place. As for the other lists, GW placed third in "great college towns," sixth in "dorms like palaces" (although students living in Thurston might disagree!), and 20th in "happiest students."

• Starting today, a local community college is banning tobacco anywhere on campus -- inside or outside. Montgomery College is one of more than 130 campuses nationwide that have gone smoke-free, according to the Washington Post. These schools are most commonly medical schools and community colleges. Montgomery College is the first college in the area to ban tobacco on campus. Most local universities, like GW, do not allow smoking in buildings, including dorms, and require smokers to stand a certain distance from entrances. In 2006, law professor John Banzhaf attempted to eliminate outdoor smoking at GW, but the school just enacted stricter outdoor smoking rules. Banzhaf told the Washington Post that he believes, "Almost certainly within five years, virtually all college campuses will be smoke-free."

- Mallory Thompson