AWOL - Zine 001

AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE » FALL 2014 » ZINE ISSUE 001

stand back, doors closing:

the Metro issue+ BROOKLAND: THE IVORY TOWER’S FORTRESS

+ EASTERN MARKET: HARRY POTTER CARRIES MY WALLET

+ ANACOSTIA: A GREENER GREEN LINE

+ DEANWOOD: FINDING GOD ON EVERY CORNER

AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE » Fall 2014 » ZINE ISSUE 001

Editor-in-chiEf: Eleanor Greene

managing Editor: Alexa Marie Kelly

art dirEctor: Ellyse Stauffer

editorial:Staff EditorS: Jess Anderson, Allison Butler, Casey

Chiappetta, Jessica Wombles, Laura Saini, Alex Mazzarisi

WritErS: Brendan Agnew, Jess Anderson, Danielle

Bourn, Miranda Cleland, Lydia Crouthamel, Nicole

Gray, Ellie Hartleb, Alexa Marie Kelly, Evie Lacroix, Ean

Marshall, Alex Mazzarisi, Deanna Mudry, Anne Marie

Mulligan, Shelby Ostergaard, Stephanie Rivera, Laura

Saini

art:Photo Editor: Paige Salmon

dESign aSSiStant: Anagha Srikanth

illuStration & PhotograPhy: Mariam

Baksh, Danielle Bourn, Nicole Gray, Alexa Marie Kelly,

Evie Lacroix, Anna Moneymaker, Deanna Mudry,

Anne Marie Mulligan, Stephanie Rivera, Laura Saini

Mission:

AWOL is a progressive magazine run by American

University students in Washington, DC. Founded in the

spring of 2008 with support from Campus Progress, we

are a recognized publication of American University.

We exist to ignite campus discussion of social, cultural

and political issues, and serve as an outpost for stu-

dents to explore solutions to local and global problems.

We hope to build bridges between American University

and the world around it, ultimately making our cam-

pus more inquiring, egalitarian and socially engaged.

AWOL is not affiliated with any political party or ideol-

ogy. Our stories have an angle, which is different from

having an agenda; our reporting is impartial and fair,

but our analysis is critical and argumentative.

06 07

like a storY? hate a storY? Want to join AWOL? Write to us:

[email protected]

Find us online:Blog: www.awolau.org

tWittEr: @awolAU

facEBook: www.facebook.com/awolAU

03 SHADY GROVEby Miranda Cleland

11 TYSONS CORNERby Anne Marie Mulligan

COVER ILLuSTRATION by Ellyse StaufferBACK COVER pHOTO by Anna Moneymaker

SuppORT AWOL is published as a

member of the Voices Network,

which is a part of Generation

Progress, and with support from

AU Student Activities as a part

of the AU Student Media Board.

For more, visit genprogress.org

and austudentmedia.org

12 ROSSLYNby Nicole Gray

04 FRIENDSHIp HEIGHTSby Ellie Hartleb

05 WOODLEY pARKby Alex Mazzarisi

08 JuDICIARY SQuAREby Sam Russell

09 BROOKLANDby Brendan Agnew

10 TAKOMAby Danielle Bourn

13 CApITAL SOuTHby Stephanie Rivera

14 EASTERN MARKETby Alexa Marie Kelly

15 ARLINGTON CEMETERYby Lydia Crouthamel

16 DEANWOODby Jess Anderson

19 ANACOSTIAby Kim Szarmach

20 WATERFRONTby Laura Saini

21 u STREETby Deanna Mudry

17 GALLERY pLACE18 by Evie Lacroix

22 COLuMBIA HEIGHTSby Julia Rapp

DupONTby Shelby Ostergaardby Ean Marshall

AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE MAGAZINE

At first glance, not much seems to differ-entiate Shady Grove from othercommuter stations. Like most end-of-the-line stops, it is a little island in a sea of parked cars. Traveling almost anywhere from the station requires a car or bus.

The platform, framed by a sprawling parking lot and two gargantuan parking garages, is outdoors and provides several sheltered benches to sit on if the weather is particularly grouchy.

“I don’t know of anything that’s even at the Shady Grove stop, so I have no inten-tion of ever going there,” said Jordan Taylor, a sophomore at American University.

Matt Waskiewicz, a junior, echoed Tay-lor’s sentiments.

“I have never actually been to Shady Grove,” he said. “I have no real reasons to do so.” Waskiewicz says he once considered going just to see what was there, but has yet to make the journey.

Montgomery County planners have no-ticed that few recognize Shady Grove as an exciting place to go. In 2006, they developed the “Shady Grove Sector Plan,” available at montgomeryplanning.org, to revitalize the area, attract visitors and increase revenue.

The website states that sector plans usu-ally outline the next 20 years from the adop-tion date, the county has high hopes for Shady Grove. It intends to build a library, a park, retail centers and more than a thou-sand new residential units. More sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways, which will make the area more accessible and pedestrian-friendly, are also in the works.

While Shady Grove may be initially unin-teresting to students, the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) website states that it is vitally important to the nearly 30,000 people that use it daily--some coming from as far away as West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Some day, even students might find reason to make that journey to the end of the red line.

Miranda Cleland is a sophomore studying interna-tional studies and Arabic.

A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE RED LINE

SHADYGROVEBy miranda cleland Illustration by Ellyse Stauffer

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WWW.AWOLAU.ORG » AWOL ZINE » FALL 2014

Rick Gossett and Angela Winter met at a gala for ovarian cancer— an unlikely venue for the conception of a bakery. That night, the two became business partners after discovering Winter was searching for a brick and mortar for her catering com-pany, and Gossett was looking to start a bakery in his recently purchased Friend-ship Heights storefront. Their fateful meet-ing became Sweet Teensy Bakery, which opened its doors just a few months ago.

With jars of colorful sugar sticks lin-ing one wall, chalkboard menus above a counter full of fresh pastries, and bar-style seating at the white marble countertop lin-ing the wall of windows at the storefront, Sweet Teensy Bakery brands itself as the quintessential neighborhood bakery, situ-ated in one of Washington’s most high-end shopping districts. It’s the kind of place where the man behind the counter greets his customers by name and knows their regular order. Its friendly atmosphere ap-peals to business professionals on the run, college students who are tired of studying in Starbucks, and families who just want to relax.

“We want to be what people remember as a neighborhood bakery where people know the bakers almost as family,” said Gossett.

After telling his bakery’s story, Gossett

handed over what he deemed their best cupcake and iced coffee combination— the Classic Chocolate Cupcake, and the Shakeo-rata. The chocolate cupcake with tangy va-nilla frosting was served in brown paper on a sleek white platter, while the coffee was served with shots of espresso, syrup, and sugar, shaken over ice and poured like a mixed drink.

There is still more work to be done at Sweet Teensy Bakery, including the making of an official menu and storefront sign. But it seems the cute and comfortable bake-shop is here to stay, and is just one metro stop away.

Ellie Hartleb is a freshman studying journalism.

LITTLE CAKES, BIG WORLD

FRIENDSHIpHEIGHTSBy Ellie hartleb Illustration by Mithila Samak

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The neighborhood of Adams Morgan is a well-known foodie paradise in Washington, D.C. Aromas of cuisines from around the world waft down the street, enticing people to try food outside of their comfort zone. I sat down with Jonathan Cho, the owner of Sakuramen, an authentic ramen joint, to chat about what makes his restaurant so unique.

aWol: how did you come up with the name “Sakuramen?” Cho: The Japanese word sakura means “cher-ry blossom,” which is an important cultural aspect to DC. And the name just happened to fit really well with ramen! aWol: What inspirations do you draw upon for your dishes? Cho: Ramen noodles are originally from China, but became a staple in Japan and Korea as well. Our chef studied in Japan, so there is Japanese influence in our dishes, but we are Korean. We all grew up eating a lot of the dishes. The dumplings are my mother’s recipe and she and my mother-in-law help make the kimchi, [a traditional Korean dish of pickled vegetables] fresh every week. aWol: how many bowls of ramen do you serve every day? Cho: During the week, I’d say around 300 bowls of ramen and 300 to 400 dumplings. But on the weekends double that!

NOT YOuR ROOMMATE’S RAMEN

WOODLEY pARKWords and photo by alex mazzarisi

aWol: What’s the best part of being a restaurant owner? Cho: Ever since our first night, we have been a success and have never needed to do any kind of advertising or marketing. It’s all word of mouth. So to see people we know return and to bring new people with them because they loved the food so much is great. It’s one thing to get someone to come once, but hav-ing people come visit because they want to visit and seeing them go fed well and satisfy-ing, well, that’s very satisfying to us.

Ramen might be a staple in the college student’s diet, but after trying some authentic ramen, it might be difficult to go back to noodles from a cup! Each bowl sells for about $11-14 each and offers a change of pace for people jaded by TDR and the Tavern. Be warned though, it is addicting!

Sakuramen is located at 2441 18th Street NW.

Alex Mazzarisi is a junior studying public comm.

5


He’d been sitting at his spot at three in the morning, waiting for the drunk guys to come out and buy the drunk girls paintings. Next thing he knew, a woman was shaking him awake, telling him he was covered in blood. He’d been kicked in the head and dragged to just outside the Dupont metro stop. This was July of 2013.

Carlton J. calls himself “the homeless art-ist.” He used to sit in Dupont Circle, the area by Bank of America and CVS. Once, he panhandled there. Then, he started to sell paintings. Carlton got into painting in 2008, the day after Obama was elected. He was sitting in at the feet of a statue, sketching a picture of Obama onto the sidewalk using some charcoal he’d found. An elderly white woman approached him, he said, and asked him where he’d learned to draw. He said he just that liked to. She came back the next day and gave him a big bucket of black paint and a big bucket of white paint.

But she forgot to bring him any brushes. So he went to an alley and ripped up an old foam mat-tress he found. And he painted with that. By the summer of 2013 he had colors and brushes. But he still says that when he paints black and white with sponges, that’s what the people buy. It’s where he started. There are hundreds of shades of gray that make up a painting. The world he

creates starts with white water and ends with black sky, but you can’t be entirely sure how you got there.

But in July of 2013, something happened to him. Someone, no one knows who, beat him up as he sat waiting for customers, and kicked him in the head repeatedly. They dragged him to the metro station. Then they left him there, to be taken to the hospital by someone else. He did get to the hospital, where he had a row of staples put in, starting at the top of his head and ending at his ear.

A few weeks passed after the incident. Carlton kept painting, but there was something wrong. His paintings, once so delicate and detailed, now looked sloppy and unfinished. The colors blobbed together instead of blurring. The tiny men and the leaves on the trees looked like a child painted them. No one was buying.

Carlton is gone now, people who used to see him around don’t know where he went. But when you walk through Dupont Circle, you should know that a homeless artist lived here once. And his work was beautiful.

MISSING THE MAN WHO pAINTED

DupONT CIRCLEby Shelby ostergaard // Photo by Ellyse Stauffer

Shelby Ostergaard is a junior studying CLEG.

6


Though Dupont Circle is a home to muse-ums (the Jewish Military History Museum, the Textile Museum, and the Laogai Museum are the lesser-known ones that join the famed Phillips Collection in the neighborhood), em-bassies, and a variety of ethnic restaurants, it’s really the bookstores that make it great. Three bookstores within walking distance of the Metro station offer great reads to different types of readers.

If you’re interested in finding first-print cop-ies of something, head to Second Story Books. Located on P Street, this bookstore specializes in antique books. Among the rarities are first editions of Ida Tarbell’s work “The History of The Standard Oil Company.” The bookstore also sells old CDs for music lovers. Don’t think

you have to spend a fortune -you’ll find cheap paperbacks and used books too .

If you’re into capes and costumes…Check out Fantom Comics, also located on P Street. Recently moved from Union Station, this comic shop has a large variety of comics both independent and mainstream. Popular characters like the X-Men and Green Lantern are alphabetized in order by character, so its quite easy to pick and choose what books you would like. The staff is very helpful, and are eager to recommend the books that they loved. If you can’t make the trek to Big Planet Comics on U Street, check this place out.

If you enjoy reading with a glass of wine…Check out Kramerbooks & Afterwords Café. Located on Connecticut Avenue, Kramer-books is an indie bookstore that has a wide selection of genres to choose from, including a great biography and history section. Best of all, like Busboys & Poets, there is a café and a bar located in the back of the bookstore, perfect for after work. If you enjoy a mix of expertly curated books and upscale food and drink, check this place out.

Ean Marshall is a senior studying journalism and

literature,

SATISFY YOuR INNER BOOKWORM

DupONTCIRCLEBy Ean marshall Photo by Mariam Baksh

7


Exiting the Metro in DC usually feels like a lot of rattling, loud screeching, muffled voic-es, doors swishing, high heels clicking and swarms of people rushing every which way.

But even at lunchtime on a weekday, the Judiciary Square Metro station was quiet. It falls on the metro map somewhere between Metro Center and Union Station. Why is it so quiet here? The answer is just overhead.

Here, it doesn’t even feel like the city. There were people walking around and some cars driving past, but the environment felt peace-ful. That’s because the metro spits people out right in the middle of the National Law En-forcement Officers Memorial.

The memorial is incorporated into a beau-tifully landscaped circular park. Along the edge of the circle, under the line of tall trees, is a long (304 feet, to be exact) blue-gray mar-ble wall with over 20,000 names of federal, state and local police officers who have died in the line of duty.

At lunchtime, people sat on the wall, tak-ing their lunch breaks or lay out on the grass under the shade of well-groomed trees.

“I work down the street from here and this is my favorite spot to come for my lunch break in the warmer months,” one visitor said. “I have read almost every name on the wall. I find it calming.”

The most striking part about this memo-rial sits at the end of each section of the mar-ble walls. A giant, fierce lion or lioness stands

on one side, protecting their cubs. These fierce statues symbolize the way law enforcement personnel protect the people of their area with courage, valor and honor.

The National Law Enforcement Memorial website reads, “The Memorial’s beauty and tranquility make it a special place for reflec-tion, contemplation or just a quiet moment away from the hustle and bustle of city life.” It’s an accurate description.

This memorial isn’t listed on “Best of DC” lists online, but consider it a hidden gem. Try getting off the red line at Judiciary Square next time, and spend a reflective moment with the National Law Enforcement Memorial.

Sam Russell is a freshman studying international studies.

A SILENT SALuTE

JuDICIARYSQuAREWords and photo by Sam russell

8


Were it not for the warehouse bearing the neighborhood’s name that looms over the metro platform, it would be hard to tell that these two sides of the Brookland/ Catholic University metro station were part of the same neighborhood.

At first glance, it looks like another new chic urban hotspot, virtually indistinguish-able from Columbia Heights or NoMa. A short stroll northeast tells a much differ-ent tale; one of a storied DC working class neighborhood, an “urban renewal” project that the city seems to never have finished. It’s hard to imagine two neighborhoods so disparate in income and history could co-exist a few blocks apart.

To say that they do would not be entirely truthful.

College is for many a “practice-run” for life, a world sealed away from the adult-hood. For people between voting and drink-ing ages, a college campus can provide a sense of comfort and camaraderie. Catho-lic University of America (CUA), it seems has gone to great lengths to make this conceptual divide between worlds into a physical one.

Over their newly constructed student apartments that surround the university’s campus, one can hardly see the neighbor-hood outside. The once-abandoned Monroe street is now lined with shops and apart-ments priced for and filled with students.

One would be hard pressed to find a local Brooklander anywhere near the counter at Starbucks or Potbelly Sandwich Shop.

At 12th street, once Brookland’s central artery, the hip urban luxury comes to an abrupt end. Many of the businesses are boarded up or burned out. The ones that stuck around pull bars down over their storefront windows after closing every night to avoid theft. It couldn’t be a further departure from the enclave CUA has cre-ated for its students.

Brookland station was recently named the most violent metro stop in the WMATA system. The transit authority reported 44 incidents of violent crime at the stop in the first three quarters of 2013. Quite a few of these were against CUA students, who can’t help but stick out in Brookland, being that the student body is 65 percent white and the surrounding neighborhood largely African American.

Whether CUA’s presence in Brookland is a malignant or benign one depends on who you ask or what side of 12th stand on. For students, it serves as the barrier between their college experience and a neighbor-hood that social scientists would politely describe as “transitioning”. For those that call Brookland their home, it seems like an-other expensive wall put up a by a city that does not seem eager to have them.

THE IVORY TOWER’S FORTRESS

BROOKLANDBy Brendan agnew

Brendan Agnew is a senior studying economics.

9


Nestled in Northeast D.C. lies a quaint Metro stop known as Takoma. Even quainter is the community surrounding it. However, Takoma, despite it’s charming architecture, classy coffee shops, and picturesque cou-ples walking with children, has one serious downfall. Its food truck festival.

Takoma’s Food Truck Fridays, which tech-nically takes place in Takoma Park, Mary-land (Takoma and Takoma Park seem to bleed together), was advertised joyfully on-line at the Main Street Takoma community page. The listing conjures up images of ten or twelve food trucks, lots of fabulous peo-ple, some music, and balloons for days. In reality, Takoma’s sad Food Truck Friday was

only home to three food trucks. Some might find it a disapointment.

But for those who venture to Holy Crêpes, it’s not a disappointment — it might even make up for all the nonexistent balloons and music in the world. This little truck, as crazy as this might seem, could possibly even stand as a food truck festival in itself. Holy Crêpes is a little silver truck which bares an uncanny resemblance to a spaceship.

This little charmer was the sweet spot (literally and figuratively) in this sad Food Truck Friday. Their six dollar Peanut Butter/Chocolate/Banana crêpe is the light at the end of the tunnel, the perfect representation of what one could tell their grandchildren the “glory days” of college were all about. Holy Crêpes is the silent force that brings unsuspecting patrons to Takoma, calling them there despite the obscenely long metro ride, not unlike the magical force that kept bringing Harry and Sally together, or the one Darth Vader won’t shut up about.

Danielle Bourn is a freshman studying international studies.

MAY THE CRÊpES BE WITH YOu

TAKOMAWords and photo by danielle Bourn

10


The latest edition to the Metro system brings even more promise to an already de-veloping area in the DMV. Tysons Corner is a microcosm of the expansion happening throughout the McLean area foreshadows more development as the silver line contin-ues to grow. If you’re looking for something new to do this weekend, or for some good retail therapy, go to Tysons Corner. It’s one of the must-see stops on the newly operational silver line and it sure feels like it.

The sparkly platform of the metro leads to the escalators, which are decked out with

lights so you can see your feet, even at night. A bridge with modern glass windows leads out of the station, and over the highway to the consumer paradise of Tyson’s corner.

You will arrive at a beautiful outdoor space boasting an urban pirate ship playground and a tempting Shake Shack. Inside, the mall presents over 100 shops. Attached is an AMC movie theater for shoppers who want to re-lax and sit down in front of a big screen after a full day. A variety of restaurants, such as Tuscany-themed Brio, and other standard mall eateries like Panera Bread and Cali-fornia Pizza Kitchen give shoppers a place to relax and grab a bite. In the center of the mall is Wasabi, a new kind of restaurant that serves sushi and other dishes from a convey-or belt that circles a booth-style dining area.

Tysons Corner Mall will be sure to satisfy shoppers and locals as the area continues to expand economically.

Anne Marie Mulligan is a sophomore studying in-ternational studies.

A SILVER LINING

TYSONS CORNERWords and photo by anne marie mulligan

11


Every day for 18 years, the owner of J’s Cook-ies has worked 15 hour days, from four in the morning to seven in the evening.

Attached to the Rosslyn Metro stop is the Rosslyn Center, an enclosed area with a hand-ful of shops. In Jung owns a small bakery and coffee shop called J’s Cookies. Originally from South Korea, Jung didn’t speak English, but he did know how to bake.

He opened his shop 18 years ago, and he’s been there in Arlington ever since. Reviewers on Yelp call J’s a “mom and pop coffee shop,”

but they’re mistaken. Jung is his business’ sole employee.

He begins his morning baking bagels, cookies and pastries in a step by step pro-cess. An assembly line would be quicker, but he’s the only one here. Jung serves around 200 customers each day and knows that his proximity to the metro benefits his business.

Between baking, running the cash register and preparing foods and drinks, Jung said his days are consumed with his shop. He gets the chance to sit down only on week-ends, when a lack of commuter foot-traffic makes it better for his bottom line to close. But there he’ll be, back every Monday like clockwork.

J’s Cookies is located at 1700 N Moore St., Ar-lington, Va.

Nicole Gray is a freshman studying CLEG.

THE LONE BAKER

ROSSLYNWords and photo by nicole gray

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If your mouth waters for steamy fajitas, thick guacamole or an inside out burrito (yes, that ex-ists), Tortilla Coast is the place for you.

Located across from the Capitol South Metro stop, T-coast (as most call it) is normally a go-to lunch, dinner and happy hour spot for congres-sional staffers. It’s also a venue for many fund-raisers hosted by members of Congress. Bright colors and quirky fish images decorate T-coast for a fun, vibrant atmosphere.

The menu is filled with your typical tex-mex dishes. From enchiladas to taco salads, T-Coast knows how to throw down. Their chips and salsa can also be a meal on their own, because they are super addicting and can get you full before the order arrives.

Some of signature dishes include enchiladas, the sunset burrito and the popular Inside Out burrito. As a favorite Tex Mex haunt for members of the federal government, T-Coast is pricey with $1.50 for small guacamole and $12.95 chimi-changas. But the portions don’t disappoint.

On the weekends, T-Coast offers a killer brunch, which includes huevos rancheros, pan-cakes and breakfast burritos.

Fun fact: former VP hopeful Paul Ryan once served chips and salsa there when he first moved to Washington.

Tortilla Coast located at 400 First Street SE.

Stephanie Rivera is a senior studying public comm.

CONGRESSMEN NEED TACOS TOO

CApITOL SOuTHWords and photos by Stephanie rivera

13


She says her favorite purse is a geometry textbook.

Artist Caitlin Phillips crafts purses, coasters, jewelry and tablet covers out of vintage books. She hoards many of her creations — like the Ge-ometry purse — to herself.

A powder blue Pride and Prejudice hangs in Phillips’ booth at Eastern Market, a space she has managed for 10 years. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” strung through with black beads also catches the eye. Not to mention table coasters lined with pages of classic children’s books, from “Winnie the Pooh” to “Amelia Bede-lia.”

Phillips runs her business, Rebound Designs, out of a new studio and storefront called “Book land” in the Edgewood neighborhood of Wash-ington. She also sells her work on the business’ website and in an Etsy shop, as well as various craft shows.

The altered book artist found inspiration for Rebound Designs through garbage. Or as she saw it, through discarded treasures.

“I used to work at a used bookstore, and we threw a lot of books away,” Phillips said. “I would take these books, these beautiful books no one wanted and think someday i might come up with something to do with them.”

The final spark for Phillips’ business idea? A purse made of Capri Sun pouches. “If you can make a cool looking purse out of total trash, what’s the classiest thing that you could throw away?”

So Phillips recycled her collection of vintage books and transformed them into the type of art she sells today. Three months later, she quit her job.

For purses, Phillips said her most popular products are Jane Austen or Nancy Drew novels.

Of course, each customer has her own taste. Many even bring Phillips their favorite books to have their own custom purses. Tablet covers, or what Phillips calls Biblio Tech Covers, are also popular, according to Phillips.

Rebound Designs prod-ucts range from $65 to $170 and can be found on the website rebound-designs.com

Alexa Marie Kelly is a senior

studying public comm.

HARRY pOTTER CARRIES MY WALLET

EASTERNMARKETWords and photo by alexa marie kelly

14


It was a gloomy Saturday morning, rain-ing steadily on the thousands of graves that spread out seemingly endlessly over the hills of Arlington National Cemetery. Other visitors, like me, had traveled by Metro to ex-plore and pay their respects despite the bad weather, and as the rain fell we silently rec-ognized the lives of the many soldiers who lay just beneath us. As I meandered through the pathways, the quiet, peaceful atmo-sphere gave me the space to honor the lives of those who defended my country.

Of the many solemn sights that I pon-dered throughout my trip, it was terribly dif-ficult for me to walk away from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Perhaps what stopped me in my tracks was the silence, or the white marble, or the stern, solitary guard walking silently back and forth before the tomb.

“Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.” Those sober-ing words are etched into the tomb, where, if I’d had the time, I would have stood and watched the guards pace all night long with unmitigated admiration.

Time passed quickly, and as I reentered the Metro station to head back to campus, I promised myself that I would pay another visit later this fall. Arlington Cemetery was certainly near the top of my list of places to visit upon my arrival to the DC area, but the majesty of this cemetery is unlike any-thing I expected. It is a sight to humble every American.

Lydia Crouthamel is a freshman studying business, language and culture.

HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY

ARLINGTONCEMETERYBy lydia crouthamelPhoto by Evie LaCroix

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Deanwood marks the last DC metro sta-tion on the orange line before the train crosses into Maryland on its way to New Carrolton. The track is lined with decrepit CSX cars, and many of the neighborhood streets feature small houses with barred windows, unkempt lawns, and run-down chain link fencing.

But what the neighborhood lacks in mon-ey, it makes up for in churches.

“In Deanwood alone I would say—my good-ness, there must be 20, 30 churches in a 10 block area,” said Rev. Ronald Miner, Sr., pas-tor of the First Baptist Church of Deanwood.

He believes a lot of the “storefront church-es”—the smaller, “newer” congregations (First Baptist itself is about 112 years old) have popped up in the last few decades as a crime-prevention measure: by providing neighborhood youths with positive things to do, they stay off the street and away from drugs and alcohol.

Just down the road at Pilgrim’s Rest Baptist Church, Pastor Freddie Davis has another theory.

“The reason you have so many churches in such a small geographic area is because people don’t go to the churches in their com-munity, they go where they like the church.”

He says that members of the black com-munity in particular are willing to commute to church the same way people commute to work. In his congregation alone he has people who travel from Baltimore or Fred-

ericksburg, while three percent come from Deanwood itself, he estimates.

Many of the churches also have programs catered toward the elderly or single mothers, providing them with meals, clothing, or just someone to depend on.

“It’s kind of like one team, and the idea is really to just reach out in a Christ-like way,” Miner said.

The high number of places of worship can be a surprise in an area with a reputation like this Northeast suburb. A woman waiting at a bus stop nodded at a parking lot behind her where she said someone had been mur-dered just last year.

But some locals disagree.

“If you was a victim one time, you’re going to think everything’s bad,” said Keith Woods, as he played cards with two other men in the Se-nior Room at the Deanwood Recreation Cen-ter (DRC). “We have a lot of great people from here—Marvin Gaye, Nannie Helen Burroughs.”

The DRC itself, located just across from the metro station, is just four years old and offers a playground, a library, a pool with a tall twisty slide and senior center to resi-dents of the neighborhood.

Even though visitors are required to show photo identification before entering the facil-ity, it’s a sign that Deanwood is moving forward.

Woods remembers when the area was still acreages of farmland and says, “It’s moving in a positive direction, but it’s not moving fast. It’s just moving.”

Jess Anderson is a junior studying journalism.

FINDING GOD ON EVERY CORNER

DEANWOODBy Jess anderson

16


Evie Lacroix is a freshman studying journalism.

To walk out of the Gallery Place Met-ro Station is to be assaulted by bright flashing advertisements reflecting off of office windows. In the evening air, there is a cacophony of street perform-ers harmonizing with construction, car horns and bluetooth babbling. The air is saturated with the sickly sweet smell of overflowing garbage cans.

The Gallery Place Metro stop, locat-ed at 7th and F Streets, is a place where even people who visit frequently are only interested in passing through. In the immediate blocks around the sta-tion there are more offices than apart-ments. There are no parks for kids to play in, no markets or grocery stores.

Eighty years ago this place was a cul-tural melting pot. There were 20 differ-

ent ethnic Chinese populations, and a long history of German immigrants. At its peak, Chinatown stretched from G Street to Massachusetts Ave. But, because of the 1968 Race Riots after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, a large part of the Chinese population moved out to Maryland and Virginia suburbs. This has left the neighbor-hood to transform old buildings into retail and office spaces.

Gallery Place now caters to tour-ists and consumer culture. It’s a hub a museums and shopping, what with the National Portrait Gallery/Smithso-nian American Art museum, the Spy Museum, a corner proclaiming to be Chinatown, several theaters, and lux-ury stores in steps of each other. Most places come adorned with translated Chinese signs, giving quasi-authentic-ity to the Chinatown name.

This is a culture clash of old and new. Gallery Place is home to some of Washington’s oldest buildings and styles of architecture, and some of the newest. New construction is con-stant, sometimes taking up old lots, and others building upon what was already there.

In the midst of all the chaos, there is a bright spot. Looking past the seem-ingly apathetic business attitude of the neighborhood, there aura of friendli-ness between the locals. On street cor-ners and sidewalks it is not hard to find friends meeting up, or strangers ex-changing words.

COMMERCIALIzING CHINATOWN

GALLERYpLACEWords and photos by Evie lacroix

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Store front window of souvenir shop on H Street.

Store signs translated in Eng-lish heading North down 7th Street NW.


Walking from the Anacostia Metro Station to Anacostia Park, there is a stark contradiction between the crumbling, littered concrete side-walks and the serene view of the water and lush greenery ahead. Anacostia may not be thought of for its scenic nature walks, but the peaceful bike path on the river’s edge makes a person wonder if it should be.

A chronic victim of environmental injustice, the Anacostia area may finally be experiencing positive change in the health of its river and the growth of its community.

According to Lee Cain of the Anacostia Watershed Society, deforestation and erosion that occurred during the industrial revolu-tion filled the Anacostia River with soil and made it unsuitable for shipping. Once the river was no longer of economic importance,

the rest of Washington began to neglect the surrounding area.

In the eyes of the city, Cain believes, Ana-costia became the perfect location for power plants and landfills, posing health risks to the economically disadvantaged people who have been moved there by the process of gen-trification.

The Anacostia Watershed society has spent the last 25 years working to make Anacostia a more appreciated region. Through public en-gagement, legislative action, and by improving access to the river, the society has made prog-ress in improving the quality of life in the Ana-costia community.

According to Cain, improving the cleanliness of the river and fostering a happier community in the surrounding area have a direct correlation. A cleaner river will draw more attention to the area, which will in turn inspire the creation of more positive change.

Cain is hopeful about the area’s future.

“I think it’s very quickly being realized that [Anacostia] is a destination to value...not a place to avoid,” Cain said.

Kim Szarmach is a freshman studying journalism.

A GREENER GREEN LINE

ANACOSTIABy kim Szarmach Illustration by Ellyse Stauffer

ANACOSTIA 001

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Nutella croissants, huevos rancheros, Berk-shire sausage, mimosas and Bloody Marys are just some of the options you can get at the bistro across the street from the Waterfront Metro Station. Station 4 specializes in brunch, but also has separate menus for lunch, dinner and dessert.

Although small, Station 4 has a fancy ambi-ence. The ceilings are covered with sparkling chandeliers, intricate mirrors cover the walls, and a huge wine rack is located right in the center of the bistro. Light music plays in the background, and conversations flow both in-side and on the bistro’s outside patio.

The wait staff is very friendly, and the service fairly quick. The friendly waitstaff help cus-tomers choose from the large menu, which had plenty of options for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. The huevos rancheros—an omelet covered with a blend of spices, avocados, moz-zarella and beans— will not disappoint. Ran-

chero sauce and a blend of spices will win over even those who shy away from eggs.

For customers thirsty for mimosas and other brunch drinks, Station 4 offers a broad array, so bring your ID. For the rest of us there are coffees and sodas.

The portions were fairly large, so if you want des-sert, think about bringing some of your main meal home. Dessert options included chocolate ganache, chocolate lava cake, hazelnut semifreddo, and strawberry tart.

For an eating experience with an elegant environ-ment and convenient location, good food and mod-erate pricing, consider brunching at Station 4.

Station 4 is located at 1101 4th Street SW, Washing-ton, DC.

Laura Saini is a sophomore studying journalism.

BRuNCH WITH A SILVER SpOON

WATERFRONTWords and photo by laura Saini

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The most striking aspect of the area just a step outside of the U Street metro stop is the street art. No, not street art meaning random lines of spray paint that neighbors call Public Works about, but real art that shouldn’t be brought down by the word “street” in its description.

But what is someone saying when they refer to something as street art? Most basically art that is on the street, or maybe something sepa-rate from and implicitly beneath art which has been carefully selected and curated. But it’s be-cause the art on U-Street hasn’t been curated that it is so special.

Art on U Street includes beautifully and in-dependently crafted displays of effervescent angel’s wings, the clear image of a small child’s

STREET ART FOR u

u STREETBy deanna mudryPhoto by Anna Moneymaker

eyes, and illustrations of icons that juxtapose the brick alleyways on which they’re painted.

Whether the independently crafted images or commissioned giants like Bill Cosby on the side of Ben’s Chilli Bowl, this art belongs to the peo-ple who live there, and the people who pass by to regard it. It’s the people’s art, and it makes for a vibrant cultural center all along the U Street corridor.

To understand anything as a piece of art, its context must also be understood. The purpose of U Street’s art could be simple artistic expres-sion, politics, or something entirely different. But on U Street, the context and meaning aren’t given on a placard, but rather are left it up to interpretation, allowing the viewer to guess the context and gain a better understanding for the area as a whole.

The integrity of art comes from how much it engages the viewer, whether they glance at a piece quickly or become enthralled, and any visitor to U Street is sure to be engaged by the urban artwork there.

Deanna Mudry is a freshman studying journalism.

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06 Du07


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The Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) DC Metro Chapter gathers monthly outside of DC USA, a shopping mall just down the street from Columbia Heights Metro Station. Its goal is to convince managers of the stores and passersby to boycott SodaStream, a manufacturing com-pany that produces carbonated beverages in a contested region in Israel/Palestine.

The group argues that SodaStream operates in Israeli-occupied Palestinian land which deprives its Palestinian workers of labor benefits. Since DC USA is a mall containing large chain stores that tend to sell SodaStream products, it makes sense that the JVP would demonstrate there.

Iliana Smith, a member of the steering committee for JVP, believes that SodaStream shouldn’t be profiting off of Israeli occupation. Smith said that the main goal of this movement isn’t just to boycott SodaStream but also to edu-cate people about the larger issue of the Israeli occupation in Palestine.

Her passion for this cause is personal. Smith lived in Israel and has family members of Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths. Now she advocates for justice for both Israelis and Palestinians.

“I would like nothing more than to see a reso-lution between the two states,” Smith said.

On a clear Sunday afternoon, members of the JVP demonstrated at their monthly meet-ing place. Usually there are about twenty-five people at these demonstrations but that day co-incided with Adams Morgan Day, so attendance was sparse.

Still, the boycott thrived into the late after-noon as voices in unison shouted “No more money for Israel’s crime!” The chants paralleled the activist’s desires that no more money would be spent on SodaStream, the company that supports Israel’s occupation.

Julia Rapp is a freshman studying journalism.

OCCupY SODASTREAM

COLuMBIAHEIGHTSBy Julia rapp Illustration by Ellyse Stauffer

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introducing: the ZineAWOL has been a part of American Univer-

sity’s student media since 2008, publishing

two to three issues per year. We found that

the magazine’s editorial content is stronger

when we publish only once per semester,

but wanted to give writers a chance to con-

tribute more and give new writers a reason

to explore the city. So we came up with this,

our first edition of the AWOL Zine. We’re

pretty proud of it.

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AWOL - Zine 001