#GWtoDo (Kind of): Virtual Events While Sheltering in Place

As the George Washington University community works through the virtual learning and work-at-home period, surprising opportunities to learn, create and connect still exist online. Below, a few options from GW and around the globe. (All times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time.)
 

Wow of the Week: Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day

The United States marked its first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, when Americans from across the social and political spectrum gathered to march for a healthy environment. Now, with more than 190 countries participating, more tools than ever exist to view and celebrate the planet we all share—in spite of social distancing.

• April 22 at 10 a.m.: New York City’s American Museum of Natural History hosts a daylong online festival that includes live satellite views of the planet’s most beautiful landmarks and a trivia happy hour.
• April 22 at 12:10 p.m. It’s not only the 50th year of Earth Day, but also the 20th since the launch of the International Space Station. In commemoration, astronaut-in-residence Chris Cassidy will answer questions from social media users on NASA TV as part of NASA’s massive Earth Day celebration.
• Daily, anytime: Sustainable GW marks the occasion with #50actionsfor50yearsGW, 50 suggested activities that will help you care for yourself, your community, and the planet.
• Daily, anytime: Many parks, cities and international landmarks offer views of the landscapes and wildlife we can’t currently visit.
  • Katmai National Park’s Bear Cam, Yellowstone National Park’s Old Faithful Livestream, South Africa’s Tembe Elephant Park and the Tropical Reef Habitat at California’s Aquarium of the Pacific are among the hundreds of available options for a virtual nature walk (or swim).
  • Five U.S. National Parks—Hawai’i Volcanoes, Alaska’s Kenai Fjords, New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns, Utah’s Bryce Canyon and Florida’s Dry Tortugas—have teamed up with Google Arts and Culture to create The Hidden World of National Parks, a set of dynamic virtual tours.
  • Some of the world’s manmade wonders are also accessible. Earthcam.tv lists livestreams of cities and landmarks around the world, including Venice’s Rialto Bridge, the Great Wall of China and the Udaipur City Palace in Rajasthan, India.
  • Youvisit.com also hosts multiple user-generated 360-degree virtual tours, including the Kohunlich Mayan Ruins on the Yucatán Peninsula and Machu Picchu in Peru.

Food for Thought of the Week

• April 20 at 5:30 p.m. Join GW student panelists and the Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service at a virtual symposium on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted students’ civic and community identities and how they plan to move forward. Part of the Nashman Center’s Dialogues and Development series.

Regular Food of the Week

• April 20 at 9:30 p.m. Students: Looking for a quick, healthy and inexpensive three-meal option? A veggie frittata could be a good bet. This flexible, vegetarian-friendly cooking class organized by the Division of Student Affairs also includes a make-ahead dessert: ricotta parfait à la Martha Stewart. Get the list of ingredients and supplies and register in advance on Engage. The class is part of the DSA’s ongoing series of virtual events and resources for GW students, which also include movie screenings, conversations about mental and physical health and virtual gatherings for first-generation students.

Workouts of the Week

• Daily at 9 a.m. Stave off cabin fever with strength and conditioning coaches from GW Athletics, who host free workouts on Instagram at 9 a.m. seven days a week. Many use common household objects like backpacks and canned goods instead of special workout equipment.

Museum Tour of the Week

• Daily, anytime: With Opening Day in the rearview mirror and uncertainty about the future of any competitive leagues, sports fans may be in mourning right now. But it may be a perfect time to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, Ohio, which offers 360-degree views of its exhibitions.

Deep Breath of the Week

• Mondays at 8 p.m. and Fridays at noon: Staff from the Milken Institute School of Public Health offer half-hour to 45-minute-long guided meditation sessions open to everyone in the GW community. At class time, join the Zoom call here.

Ongoing from GW

• Daily, anytime: NEXT, the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design’s signature senior showcase, will take a different form this year thanks to COVID-19—and we’ll keep you updated on what that form may be. But until then, viewers can look back at the artistic accomplishments of last year’s seniors with this virtual exhibition tour of NEXT 2019.
• Daily, anytime: The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum may be closed, but more than 6,000 of its treasures are still available to view on GW’s pilot collections website, which also includes pieces from the GW Collection, managed by the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery, and the Corcoran Study Collection.
  • Curator of Education Lori Kartchner also hosts a video tour of the museum’s current exhibition, “Delight in Discovery: The Global Collections of Lloyd Cotsen.” The pieces she discusses range from an Incan recording device to a royal belt from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Coming Up

On April 28, GW will host a virtual rendition of a beloved university tradition: Chalk-In(stagram), which celebrates art and encourages students to de-stress creatively. Participants will be able to engage with their creative side, tune in to live art tutorials by Corcoran School of the Arts and Design faculty and more.