Anyone can learn to bowl, says Adam Murphy, B.A. ’05, manager of the Hippodrome. He should know—not only does he oversee the Hippodrome’s operations, but he also teaches a popular bowling class.
Located on the fifth floor of the Marvin Center, the Hippodrome is one of only two public bowling alleys in the city. Its 12 lanes are open to GW students, faculty and staff.
Mr. Murphy started bowling in earnest when he took the one-credit class he now teaches as an undergraduate at GW. It’s also how he landed his job at the Hippodrome, starting working part time while a student.
The bowling classes, which are restricted to 24 students each semester, focus on things like grip, stance and even repairing the bowling machines, which sometimes jam during reset. The hardest thing to learn is aim, he says.
“I have loved bowling since I was a little kid, so when I saw that GW offered a class I just had to take it,” says student Joshua Palgon, a junior in the School of Business. “It’s one of my favorite things about GW.”
Mr. Palgon, who says he likes “pretty much everything” about the Hippodrome, calls it a “great place to escape from the everyday pressures of college life.”
Paul Richardson, a junior in the Elliott School of International Affairs, agrees. “I really love bowling class,” he says. “It’s always at 4 p.m. so it’s a very relaxing way to finish the day for me.”
Across from the bowling alley is the Hippodrome’s billiards lounge, which boasts six pool tables, two shuffle boards, air hockey and foosball. Sports or anything sports-related are typically on the Hippodrome’s large-screen TVs. The lounge has a subscription to Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Soccer Plus, which draws a lot of international students, says Mr. Murphy.
Wow Cafe and Wingery, next to the Hippodrome sells appetizers, burgers, wings and beer to the over-21 crowd.
Managing the Hippodrome, which is open until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, requires some late nights but it’s not a job Mr. Murphy would trade. “I love it,” he says. “I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
During the academic year, the Hippodrome is open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 2 a.m. Thursday through Sunday. For GWorld holders, bowling costs $3.50 per person per game, billiards is $6 per hour, foosball is $5 per hour. Reservations are recommended.