Did you know that just over 50 years ago, Georgetown was a melting pot, a place that large numbers of both African-American and white families called home? And that the U Street Corridor was once a thriving middle-class African-American community? When you walk through Columbia Heights, do its superstores and high-rise apartments mask the fact that until less than a decade ago, it was in ruins?

Wondering why you can never seem to stay awake through that first morning class?

We all love Thanksgiving food – turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, yams, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie and that Jell-O dish that grandma brings even though nobody really likes it. But after Thanksgiving, there’s always a slight problem: How to finish all those leftovers.

My mom always makes this casserole for dinner when the weather gets cold, especially during the winter holidays. She likes that it doesn’t need fancy ingredients and that it doesn’t require much thought to make during the busy and often demanding holiday season. Between finals and end of the semester celebrations, as college students we cherish those extra moments,

From Black Theatre Ensemble’s “Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine” and the Davis Center world premier of “Trees and Ghosts” to the South Asia Society’s super-popular “Rangila,” Georgetown has recently been awash with displays of artistic expression. Not to be overshadowed by these larger productions, Black Movements Dance Theatre’s

Friday, September 14

The annual D.C. Shorts Film Festival is back in action, bringing you short films by both local artists and nationally recognized filmmakers. A dozen different films will be shown at 4 p.m., and another 15 begin at 9 p.m.

The Landmark E Street Theater is located at 555 11th St NW. The festival runs until Thurs., Sept. 20. To buy tickets, which vary in price, go to http://www.dcshorts.com/tickets/. Metro: Metro Center (Red, Orange and Blue lines).

Saturday, September 15

Fri., Sept. 7

Ever wondered what it would be like to have the giant granite slab table or other interesting artifacts from the Watergate Hotel in your living room? From now until Oct. 5, the hotel is being liquidated, and everything in it from chandeliers to drinking glasses, will be for sale on a first-come, first-served basis.

The liquidation sale will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon.-Sat. and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 5. Admission during the first week is $10; after that it’s free. The Watergate Hotel is located at 2560 Virginia Ave. NW. Metro: Foggy Bottom (Orange and Blue lines).

Sat., Sept. 8

Calling all chocoholics!

Head down to the Ritz-Carlton for an indulgent and cooling treat this evening. From 7-10 p.m., the swanky hotel’s pastry chef, Jerome Girardot, will make four different types of chocolate ice cream by hand and then serve them to guests on a cold marble slab. Chocolate-lovers will have an array of ingredients to add to the gourmet ice cream to make their own frozen concoction.

The Ritz-Carlton is located at 1150 22nd St. NW. Entry fee is $25. Metro: Foggy Bottom/GWU (Orange and Blue Lines). For more information, call 1-800-241-3333. Do you dread late nights at Lauinger Library? Tonight will change all that.

This semester, forget about completing that history requirement with plain-Jane World History, and don’t skate through another English class hoping your professor reads only your introductions and conclusions. From Music to Catholic Studies and everything in between, Georgetown has some academic secrets: awesome classes that actually fulfill requirements, with no prerequisites required.

Here’s four courses offered this fall that just might keep you on the edge of your seat. Go ahead, get studying.

HIST-405: Food in World History Professor Jordan Sand