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By Lauren Katz > Sophomore > Journalism and Mass Communication > The George Washington University

You know those few restaurants that it seems like everyone from your school goes to on the weekends? The ones where everyone has Facebook pictures with the same colorful background holding the same glass of Sangria or doing the same Saki bomb? I’m sure you’ve had your fair share of these restaurants by now; I know I have. That’s why there is something very satisfying about finding a new go-to restaurant in college, which is why I’m beyond relieved to have found Raku.

One of my biggest – and only – culinary complaints about Washington D.C. is I have never managed to find good quality, fresh sushi…until now. Raku serves up an array of exotic sushi rolls and drinks that easily compete with (and maybe even surpass) the quality of other well known sushi joints in D.C. Raku is literally a hidden gem- it is located on a back corner of Dupont Circle, behind one of D.C.’s most acclaimed non-political landmarks- Kramerbooks. So why would you ever stumble upon Raku, when any pedestrian would happily make their way into Kramer’s? The key to finding any hidden gem is talking with locals. In this case, the “local” happened to be my friend, Sara, who has spent the last three  school years and two summers studying, exploring and, most importantly, dining in D.C. Sara insisted that she take me to Raku to experience “the city’s best sushi,” and boy, was she right.

To start off, we walked to and sat outside at Raku… in March. It was one of the first nice, springlike nights and there is nothing I like better than to sit outside and enjoy a tasteful dinner. We were greeted by two smiling, well dressed hostesses. Their trendy outfits mirrored the decor and ambiance of the restaurant, thus giving me hope for an equally fashionable meal. As we pondered over the dinner and drink menu, I realized my decision would be harder to make than I thought -  everything sounded so good and so unique compared to the average California roll. Sushi rolls filled with everything from Maryland crab, to Maine lobster, to potato crisps, and an extended menu of mixed drinks to wash it all down. Between the three of us, we ended up getting six different rolls to share, each one just as freshly flavorful as the next, and one drink each. The drinks were in soda-sized glasses, filled to the brim with colorful, mouthwatering concoctions and topped with a cherry. When the bill came, we were pleasantly surprised to see that it, including the tip, was under $100. How can you beat that in Washington?!

After experiencing Raku, I take back what I said about D.C. not having any good sushi bars. I am now open to experiencing new takes on my favorite cuisines. There are hidden gems all over the city just waiting to be found by college students looking for a great meal at a reasonable price. I’m sure you’re thinking about how you would really like a change in your group’s go-to dinner scene, and now you know, it can be done! With the right mindset and motivation, you too, can find your own Raku.

By Lauren Katz > Sophomore > Journalism and Mass Communication > The George Washington University

Many a music guru may consider P. Diddy to be arrogant, egocentric and indecisive (he’s changed his name, what, four times?). But for the sake of Ke$ha and this blog post, I would like you to consider P. Diddy to be superstar-powerful, confident, fresh and energetic.

After a long night of partying, most people dread waking up with a headache or the spins, or worse. But what if you really could wake up in the morning feeling like Ke$ha’s idealized P. Diddy? I’ve discovered some tips and tricks to try pre-passing out in order to wake up healthy, happy and hangover free.

First, before you even start drinking, make sure to eat a nutritious, filling dinner. I know many people say eating greasy food helps even more but the effect is minimal. As long as there is enough food with a sufficient amount of carbohydrates in your body, you should be able to avoid feeling too sick. Your stomach needs to absorb real food first before it can absorb the alcohol in a timely, safe manner.

Next, keep an eye on what you drink. I’m sure you know the myth, “beer before liquor never been sicker; liquor before beer and you’re in the clear.” I have heard of very few cases where this myth is factual. While it is true that taking shots (a high alcohol content in a short amount of time) before drinking a beer (a lower alcohol content in a longer amount of time), can help you avoid feeling sick better than the opposite, most people’s biggest hangover casualties are the result of consuming too many varieties of alcohol. I know many Saturday nights start off with wine at dinner, then cheap vodka at a pregame and commence with a mixed drink or two at a club. Try to avoid this. Different types of alcohol do not get along with each other in your stomach, especially wine and dark liquors. Dark alcohols have more chemicals in them, which contribute to many of the symptoms you experience during a hangover. So even if it means drinking a vodka tonic, followed by vodka shots, finished with a vodka and cranberry, your body will thank your taste buds in the morning for suffering the previous night.

If the weather and the distance permit, try to walk home at the end of the night. I make this suggestion for three reasons. First, getting out of a sweaty club and getting a breath of fresh air will definitely make you feel less faint or tired. Being in a stuffy cab will prevent you from getting oxygen at a time when you definitely need to make up for lost air from the previous few hours. Second, walking home (if you are stable enough to walk) will prevent any risk of getting car sick. I know this may sound crazy, but being on a bumpy ride can intensify the effects of feeling drunk or sick, and you definitely do not want to be stuck paying extra money to taxi drivers for leaving behind an unpleasant reminder of what you drank that night. On that note, walking home will save you money! No need to worry about having enough cash; no need to worry about tipping the driver an absurd amount of money because you are too inebriated to make a good financial decision.

Finally, when you are safely home, try to drink a full glass of water and keep another glass by your bed. One of the biggest causes of being hungover is dehydration, which is also one of the most avoidable issues! Once you begin to drink water you will immediately begin to feel better. If possible, try and have a piece of toast or some crackers, too. This sounds so cliché, I know, but it really does make you feel better by helping to absorb any of the lingering alcohol.

So I know you probably won’t keep a conscious check list of what you should do to prevent feeling hungover when you’re out, but hopefully these easy steps will find a way into your night life. If all else fails, you can always take Ke$ha’s advice and brush your teeth with a bottle of Jack before you leave… just kidding.

By Lauren Katz

February in D.C. is by far one of the most unpredictable times of the year. On Monday it can be snowing and by Wednesday it’s up to 50 degrees and sunny. It seems as though everyone is already catching spring fever, as they walk around campus in shorts and sandals, and even their mood is lighter and more relaxed. But for the rest of the east coast, it’s still only February, and still winter.

While many of you were enjoying the spring weather in and around D.C. this past weekend, I was freezing my face off in Boston. It was windy, rainy, snowy and just flat out cold. I tried as hard as I could to not let the weather ruin my fun-filled weekend though, and surprisingly I managed to survive (I know you were worried).

The tricky part about going out in the winter is dressing appropriately. On one hand, you don’t want to be running around the streets miserably freezing because “I have no jacket that matches with these shoes.” But on the other hand, you know you shouldn’t bundle up because ”there is no coat check at the club and I’m going to be hot,” or worse, “this frat is notorious for people losing their stuff.” So how do you decide what to wear? Let’s evaluate, shall we?

Going out at night is all about timing. For instance, if you are going to dinner and then a club, you need to take into consideration what time you will have between the two. While in Boston, I was at dinner by 7:30, leaving enough time to go back to my friend’s apartment afterwards and change. I was given the luxury of wearing a heavy coat for at least half the night by strategically making timely reservations and plans. Later in the night though, we went to a house party- the Dean’s List house party, to be exact. It’s The Dean’s List has become one of my favorite bands. They are still rather unfamiliar to the general music listening population but they have already been compared to Chiddy Bang and other similar artists. Obviously I didn’t want to show up to their house in a long coat and hat, scarf, gloves, etc. looking like a living snowman, and I figured a leather jacket would suffice since I would only be getting out of a cab and walking into a house. This plan would have been successful had we not had to stand outside their house for a good ten minutes waiting for them to get home from a club. As I huddled together with my friends outside the house shivering, I wondered to myself, how do I possibly do this every single weekend waiting in line for bars or clubs in D.C.? Then I realized, I don’t.

In all honestly, I have probably been to three house parties since enrolling at GW. While one may wait in line outside a bar or a club in D.C., it tends to move rather quickly, and since it is a line and not just a group of people waiting outside a house, the body heat index seems a lot higher. Now, I know from experience that if I were to stay on campus, not to show up to a house where I was unsure if the hosts were home yet. When it comes to night life, showing up late is always better than being too early. The other significant factor is the “alcohol jacket,” or lack thereof. There’s nothing like a good pregame to help provide warmth on a snowy Saturday night!

From outside experience I have also learned to never set your things down in a frat house. No matter how great of a reputation the brothers might have, you don’t know who is going in and out of the house. Think of it like setting a drink down; once its out of your sight- even for just a second- there is no way you are going to pick it up again. You can never be too safe at a frat party, and fighting the cold for a few minutes is worth it if it means you will not be losing anything valuable that night.

In the end, I realized its more about the ensemble in which you surround yourself than your clothing ensemble. When you have only one weekend to experience an entire city, make sure you do it the right way- happily, comfortably, and in good company. Or just wait until spring