Finding time to navigate GW’s list of more than 400 student groups can seem overwhelming, and sorting through all the fliers you grabbed at the student organization fair can be even more daunting. Take a look at this guide to some of the University’s most intriguing groups, both old and new, with an option for every interest.
Food
GW Dining Out Club
Whether you’re a freshman looking for an introduction to the District’s restaurant scene or an upperclassman trying to better utilize your kitchen, the GW Dining Out Club offers opportunities for testing culinary adventures beyond Foggy Bottom. Group activities include taste-testing at trendy restaurants across the city and attending food festivals like Truckeroo, while individual members also host cooking lessons.
GW Whiners and Diners
If you’re always the first of your friends to post a review of last night’s dinner on Yelp or have an inexplicable instinct for discovering unknown restaurants, this group is for you. Established last fall, the club reviews both well-known and off-the-beaten-path eateries in the form of blog posts, Twitter updates and photo diaries.
Arts
Quill and Key
Formed in spring 2013, Quill and Key provides a social environment for tepid writers to share their work. To achieve its goal of “socializing” the creative writing process, the organization hosts writing sessions, assigns “writing buddies” to critique each other’s drafts and participates in events like National Novel Writing Month. The club also has a Tumblr page, where members post gifs, short prose and encouraging quotes about writing.
Visiting Artists and Scholars Committee
This group welcomes undergraduate fine arts and art history majors as well as master’s students to help organize on-campus lectures by artists and scholars from across the country. Last year’s lectures delved into topics like indigenous languages, Roman wall painting and Afghan art, with speakers ranging from local professors to sculptors and art scholars. While admission to the student organization is restricted by major, all the lectures that the group plans are free and open to the public.
Community Service
Food Recovery Network
The Food Recovery Network’s GW chapter joins the effort to minimize food waste at colleges nationwide by recovering surplus food from J Street. Every Friday, members make a “recovery run” to the campus dining hall, where they collect extra food to donate to local homeless shelters. Since its first run in April 2013, the chapter has recovered almost 600 pounds of food, and aims to eventually eliminate all food waste from the University.
Serve Your City GWU
As a member of Serve Your City GWU, you’ll tutor at-risk students in subjects such as reading, technology and nutrition, aiming to empower and inspire D.C. youth through education. The group also organizes sports programs, pool parties and even scholarship opportunities for local low-income students. With a wide range of subjects, Serve Your City gives students the opportunity to focus on their own interests while helping the community.
Performance and Dance
GW Spoken Word Collective
Founded in the spring, the GW Spoken Word Collective is comprised of poets who are interested in creating a supportive environment for fellow performers. As the first spoken-word-focused organization at GW, the group hosts campus-wide workshops, open-mic nights and poetry showcases. The group’s leaders have scheduled their first general interest meeting for Sept. 3. Look out also for a spoken-word workshop Sept. 16, co-hosted by Split This Rock, the nonprofit organization that sponsors the D.C. youth slam team.
XOLA: Afro-Caribbean Dance Team
This dance team, established last fall, raises cultural awareness of African and Caribbean dance styles through performance art. Not only does the group perform, but it also teaches audience members about the techniques and costumes that make up the show. Whether you’re an experienced dancer or just a beginner, check out XOLA for a new perspective on dance.
