Tuesday, June 8, 2010

DC Beckons--and History Day Students Get their Game On

The countdown is on. We're heading to National History Day with more than 130 students, coaches and family members--it's one of our biggest delegations ever. You need to know what to bring, where to go, and how to find us. Read on, Team Washington!

- Don’t forget to pack: a bath towel, fitted sheet, small portable fan, sunscreen, summer clothes (check the forecast here), and everything you need for your project (touch-up kits, tape, glue, etc.—see page 22 of the 2010 Travel Packet for tips).

- Arriving on campus: Complete information can be found in the Travel Packet on pages 13-15. If you’re coming in via Metro, you can catch the UM shuttle bus at the station and take it directly to Stamp Student Union. Shuttle schedules are on page 13 of the Travel Packet. You can view a Metro map here.

- Checking in to campus housing: Do not go directly to the dorms! You won’t know which dorm you’re in, and you have to get your key card first. Go to the Stamp Student Union and head for the Colony Ballroom on the second floor. Housing check-in at Stamp is 2-8PM. After 8PM, go to La Plata Hall for late check-in.

- Team Washington Orientation Meeting: Join us to meet your staff, get your t-shirt and pins, and get an overview of the week on Sunday morning, 7:30-8:15AM on the lawn in front of our dorm – you’ll be able to go to breakfast right afterward. If you miss the meeting, it’s your responsibility to find out what happened, either from your fellow delegates or from staff. If it’s raining, check the team posting by the elevators for location change information.

- Contest Registration and Exhibit Shipment Pick-Up: After you register for housing and settle in, you still have to register for the contest. Contest registration begins 9AM Sunday in the Colony Ballroom.

- Evening bus tour of monuments: We meet at Union Station to board the buses, and are dropped off at the dorms. Plan accordingly! You’ll meet Gwen, Hallie and Tricia in the Main Hall at Union Station at 5:00PM Sunday, and we’ll provide more details at the Orientation Meeting on Sunday morning.

- Dorm door decorating contest: Who will have the most creative, historical, zany, colorful doors? Bring decorating materials with you. Theme doors are always in style. Prizes will be awarded in a variety of categories, and please note: door judges can be swayed (Washington History Man prefers chocolate; you’ll have to find out what Gwen and Hallie like) Judging is Wednesday night at 7:30PM before the multimedia festival.

- Staying home? Follow us online: We post throughout the contest on our blog. You can sign up to get new postings delivered to your email via RSS feeds, or sign on daily and see what’s new. We’ll also post on Facebook, and Twitter, @WaHistoryDay AND @gwenschweitzer. For you early risers, we strongly recommend watching the awards webcast, streamed live on The History Channel on Thursday, June 17, at 5:30AM PST.

- Last call for Bio Book entries! About eight competing students have not responded to the questionnaire for the Team Washington book. And seriously, is it that hard to choose a favorite ice cream flavor? We’re not talking a history test here, people.

- Keep in touch. Lauren 360-951-6988; Mark 360-791-4723; Gwen 206-696-0377. Please keep in mind that these are our personal cell phones, and we’d appreciate you limiting calls and texts to June 11-17. Before and after the contest, reach us at our emails. Thanks.

Questions? Comments? Drop us a line.

1 comment:

  1. My mom watches the awards. One of the many reasons I love her. :)

    ReplyDelete