DC Music Scene

Music lovers may be familiar with the large crowds that are drawn to the Verizon Center for concerts in Washington, DC, but the city has many lesser known indoor venues that provide the fan everything they desire from a performance at a lower cost. Check out some of the places below to find your favorite artist at a place near you, and keep an eye out for DC Music Fest in mid-May.

Blues Alley Club: Known as the original DC jazz club, this restaurant and lounge offers live jazz and blues music every week for less than $40 a ticket.  A place that Dizzy Gillespie once frequented, the Blues Alley Club is one of the few Jazz Supper Clubs left in the DC area, and a great place to catch some mellow live music.  Check out www.bluesalley.com  for a list of upcoming performers.

The 9:30 Club: A small venue by the U Street Metro, the 9:30 Club offers an eclectic mix of rap, hip-hop, pop, and house music with concerts nearly every night of the week.  It’s low-cost tickets offer the fan an inexpensive way to see their favorite artist, however due to its size tickets sell out early.  Keep an eye out for your favorite artists and be sure to get your tickets early and directly from www.930.com to save money.

Rock and Roll Hotel: This elegant site boasts its multi-floor venue to people of all ages.  While mainly a location to see your favorite rock artists, the Rock and Roll Hotel also offers Rock and Roll trivia nights and karaoke to anyone interested. With tickets ranging from $10-$20 on average, this is a low-cost and easy entertainment option for a weekend in the city. Visit www.rockandrollhoteldc.com for details.

U Street Music Hall: With live shows running from 7pm to 10pm almost every night, and DJs that normally follow, there is always something going on at U Street Music Hall.  Not far from the 9:30 Club, this location offers a similar mix of artists and music styles to its audience.  A great place to catch lesser-known artists before they’re famous, check www.ustreetmusichall.com to see a calendar of upcoming shows.

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Welcome Capital Semester Spring Students!



On January 12, TFAS welcomed the Capital Semester class of Spring 2011 to Washington, DC. The students have had a busy week, visiting many DC institutions for briefings and tours including the State Department, the Library of Congress, the Capitol Building and the World Bank. The students also enjoyed a fun-filled evening ice-skating at the Sculpture Gardens on the National Mall.

 

Students were welcomed to Capital Semester by alumna Julie Tegho. While participating in the Fall 2008 program, she interned with the Potomac Institute. Julie is currently a project associate at TerraBuilt International. She offered the CS students a few words of advice on how to make the most of their experience in Washington. Below is an excerpt from her remarks:

 

“You are going to learn so much about yourself and about what this city has to offer. Remember that Capital Semester is not only about classes and the internship. Let DC be your classroom. Go to Dupont Circle. Visit the Library of Congress, Iwo Jima or Arlington Cemetery. Have a cupcake at Georgetown Cupcake. Go watch a Caps or Wizards game. Network, don’t be shy. Take advantage of these 4 months. Have the time of your life at your own pace.

 

Capital Semester will help you think about your next step: whether it is a summer internship, graduate school, the Peace Corps, an MBA, a law degree, work on the Hill – the possibilities are endless, just don’t be afraid. Embrace the challenge. We are all here to help you see better where you are going. That’s the magic of TFAS.”

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Internship Site Spotlight: The Institute on Political Journalism

When it comes to internships in Washington, DC, TFAS has been able to provide our students with some amazing opportunities over the years. Between our Capital Semester programs in the fall and spring and our four summer institutes, we place over 500 undergraduate students in a wide variety of internships throughout out the DC metro area every year. In today’s post, we turn our attention to a couple of the fantastic opportunities available through the Institute on Political Journalism.

NBC Nightly News: The folks at the DC bureau of NBC Nightly News’ Investigative Unit have opened their doors to TFAS students over the past two years. Interns have had the opportunity to do a wide variety of things including real investigative work.

From fact checking, field shoots, web editing, and good old fashion reporting, our students have done some impressive stuff. One of our alumnae was actually hired there last year!

WTOP/WFED Radio: The only 24 hour AM & FM news radio station in the nation’s capital, WTOP and sister station WFED have been a reliable partner with TFAS for many years. Interns have the chance to write, edit, report, produce online content, and shadow some of the best producers and reporters in the business.

Last year a TFAS intern worked with award winning national security correspondent J.J. Green. Interns at WFED focus on what’s happening in the federal work force and at various federal agencies.

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Online Social Networking Etiquette

When preparing to apply for an internship it is vitally important to seriously evaluate your online presence. Employers are tapping into social media sites as a way to learn more about job applicants and will be using their findings to weed out resumes. Once you’ve secured an internship, it is important to maintain a professional presence online and to be mindful of how you use social media to connect with co-workers and contacts. There are a number of social networking sites that offer ways to connect with peers and professionals. Outlined below are tips for some of these sites. These rules can be applied to most of the sites commonly used today.

Facebook: When Facebook was first launched in 2004, the site was limited strictly to those with an educational email address, meaning that only college students and faculty/staff could create a profile on the site. In just seven years, this social networking site has become well known to not only college students, but professionals of all ages. Please take note of these tips when using your Facebook account or other social networking site.

* Know and utilize your privacy settings. Facebook allows for numerous privacy settings, which gives you control over who has access to your information, photographs, etc. Test out your settings by searching for yourself.

* Friend with caution. Don’t feel as though you must friend everyone you meet you may want to wait until after your time in D.C. to friend your boss, coworkers, or others you meet in a professional setting.

* Be wary of inappropriate photos and status updates. Jokes and photos often don’t translate as well on the internet as they do in person. Be careful of posting things that may seem inappropriate or strange to others.

NOTE: If you are underage, never post a picture of you while drinking.

* When in doubt, don’t post. While it can be very tempting to post pictures of parties, drinking and other college pastimes, the reality is that potential employers may be able to see your page. Play it safe by keeping your Facebook page professional!

Blogging: Remember the internet can be seen by anyone. If you choose to blog, you are accepting that those beyond your intended audience may read your entries. Many organizations have Google alerts set up for their company name and other key words. This means that an entry with a mention of your organization could quickly fall into your supervisor’s hands.

* Don’t blog about confidential matters. This could not only get your organization in a bind, it could also get you fired.

* Coworkers and meetings are off limits. We all need to vent once in awhile, but here’s a tip: don’t do it in a blog! Often the person you are discussing will find out about it, and this could permanently damage your professional relationship.

LinkedIn: What is LinkedIn? Regularly used in D.C., this site is different in that it is used as a professional, not social, networking site. The purpose of LinkedIn is to help you stay informed about your contacts and industry and to assist you in finding the people and knowledge you need to achieve your goals.

* Personalize your invitation. When adding a professional contact on LinkedIn, you will be prompted to “send a message” to a person you are asking to connect with. This is especially important if you have only met this person briefly. Take time to state who you are, why you are contacting them and what mutual organizations you may be a part of.

* Keep it strictly professional. Unlike Facebook, Myspace or other social networking sites, LinkedIn is meant to be a professional site. People connecting with you on this site will most likely be professionals in your field, so it is crucial to make an appropriate impression.

Twitter: Twitter is a microblogging and networking site that allows you to share 140 characters of information with others. Tweeting is popular in D.C. and used by many in a variety of industries.

* Give your Tweets a Voice. Twitter is used by many professionals to share their message and create a buzz about their organization or cause. Successful Tweeters keep their followers engaged by also sharing humor¬ous and personal tweets but there is a fine line that you should not cross.

* Keep it professional or keep it private. As with all social networking, you shouldn’t share information on the internet that you wouldn’t want anyone and everyone to see. If you don’t want to Tweet profes¬sionally, keep your tweets private and limit your fol¬lowers. Regardless of your privacy settings, don’t put anything in writing about your company or projects that is private or confidential.

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DC Restaurant Week: Round Two

DC Restaurant week is back again for its winter installment, providing those of us living on a tighter budget an opportunity to experience delicious meals at gourmet restaurants throughout the District.

DC Restaurant Week includes multiple course meals for lunch and dinner at well below their usual costs.  Lunch runs at $20.11 for a three course meal, and dinner is $35.11 for the same.  For those who love fantastic food but can’t always afford it, this is the week for you!

Restaurant Week runs from January 17^th to the 23^rd.  Reservations are needed for all participating restaurants and can be made at http://www.opentable.com/. The more well-known restaurants are usually booked up to a month ahead of Restaurant Week, but hurry and you can still reserve a table at one of the over 100 participating restaurants.

When deciding on your restaurant, be sure to check online menus to make sure that the options are things you’re willing to try. Most participating restaurants have fixed menus with one or two choices, so if you’re a vegetarian or a vegan, you should be sure one of the offerings is up your alley before reserving a table.

Keep an eye out for newer restaurants that have not yet participated in restaurant week, they may have more spots open and you can be one of the first to learn about a fantastic restaurant before it becomes trendy and crowded.

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