Interesting drive through the morning rush traffic to Georgetown. Even without the GPS you know you're entering the neighborhood on Avenue M, the main commercial street...nice quaint storefronts with hanging baskets of flowers. We found Georgetown and parked a couple of blocks away, then walked past some row houses that dated back to the mid-19th century. The neighborshood is full of them.
Immediatey on finding the main gate the view is dominated by Healy Hall, the main classroom building on campus and one of the main symbols of Georgetown. The security car is parked there 24 hours a day.
On our way to the Admissions office we passed a class being taught outside under a tree, exactly as it should be on a gorgeous day like this. Once again the weather held for us.
White-Gravenor Hall is the other trademark building of Georgetown, named after the two Jesuits who founded the precursor to Georgetown in nearby St. Mary's in 1634. If this date was used, Georgetown would be the oldest college in the United States, predating William & Mary and Harvard, but the University uses 1789 as its founding date, when Archbishop John Carroll received the title to the land upon which the current site is built.
Although Georgetown no longer carries an official religious affiliation, everywhere you look the history is present...and the curriculum requirements still call for two semesters of theology of some type. Two of the most popular classes are Introduction to Biblical Literature and The Problem of God. The Jesuits still maintain a small presence here, but there are clergy from nearly every religion, and even a Hillel society. Btw, that's Jake, our tour guide, from Dunellen, New Jersey. And a preview of Josh's bald spot.
There isn't much grass in the interior of campus, which is built on hills, but there are some nice quads ringed by classroom and dorm buildings. No question this is urban space, but it's quality urban space.
Old North has been around since the Civil War, when it was pressed into service as a hospital. The Jesuits at the time refrained from voting during the war, and after it was over adopted blue and gray as the official school colors to promote the healing of the nation. Thirteen US Presidents have spoken at Georgetown, from George Washington to Bill Clinton [an alum], many from the steps of Old North.
No one knows for sure what a Hoya is, not even the people who go to Georgetown. But they do love their teams, especially basketball. This is from the deck in front of a suite of one of the dorms; look out the other side and there's the Potomac River...look east, and see the Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials and the Kennedy Center.
Just to show that Jesuits have a sense of humor, this paved quad in front of the Intercultural Center is called Red Square.
Here's Josh making friends with St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus. So okay, the question may not be so much can we get in, but if we do get in? Can we stay in.
And how could we forget that much of the Exorcist was filmed here. They still show it every Halloween, and the students cheer when the University shows up in the film. Here are the famous Exorcist Steps three blocks from the main gate.
After leaving Georgetown we crossed the Potomac at Key Bridge [one of Deep Throat's meeting sites] and drove past the Pentagon, then spent a good hour sitting in northern Virgina traffic. It eased off once we passed Fredericksburg. For a while every exit sign seemed to lead to another major Civil War battle; it was a shame to pass them by, but we had to boogie down to North Carolina and were already losing time. Made it to Durham, finally, in about five and a half hours...checked in, rested a bit, dinner, blog...and we hope, a little early to bed tonight. Duke tomorrow morning, UNC in the afternoon.
And oh yeah...since we crossed into the South, the soundtrack has been the Allman Brothers. Baby turn your lamp down low.
