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15 Extreme Things to Give Up This Lent

Lent is here and you know what that means: the classic forfeit of chocolate, the avoidance of french fries and the (unpromising) theory of exercising more often.

Chalk it up to one word? Boring!

Instead of the old, dull suggestions of the past, why not try some innovative ideas that call for real sacrifice? Here are some of our proposals:

1. Give up peeling bananas.

Sound hard to you? Exactly. How are you going to open it? A friend? A knife? Are you going to avoid bananas the entire Lenten season? Let us know.

2. Give up smiling awkwardly at people you sort-of know when you walk past them.

I know it’s hard, but that’s the point of Lent. Keep a straight face, avoid eye contact or run away! Whatever is easiest, really.

3. Give up opening your mouth when you laugh.

      Chuckle softly, or not at all!

4. Give up wearing socks.

Whether you opt for sandals or challenge yourself with sneakers, this will definitely keep you on your toes. (Get it?!)

5. Give up eye contact altogether. 

      Shyly bat your lashes toward the ground to let people know you’re avoiding eye contact. They should catch on pretty quickly!

6. Give up all candy flavors except for grape. 

    Relish in the incredibly medicine-like taste of grape, a feeling you won’t know you can stand until you are forced to.

7. Give up sleep between the hours of 3:15a.m. and 4:45a.m.

    Set an alarm and keep your body constantly alert to change!

8. Give up contacts, glasses or any other aids to your vision. 

    Whether you’re mildly impaired or actually blind, this is a challenge to not only you but the people around you!

9. Give up the use of your hands. 

      Pick up items with the strength of your toes if you have dropped something. Otherwise, kindly ask an acquaintance to do literally everything for you!

10. Give up Piano Bar. 

      Hmm…too soon?

11. Give up stopping for pedestrians.

      Got a car? Make a point! Though dangerous, this Lenten promise will really challenge you!

12. Give up the letter “E.”

    Paprs, -mails, and prtty much any tchnological communication may b slightly mor difficult, but if you put your mind to it, you can do anything!

13. Give up the temperatures between 70 and 78 degrees. 

    Often the comfortable temperatures for a generally cold person, give up familiarity and either shiver or sweat yourself to sleep!

14. Give up opening doors.

    Trying to get out of your classroom? Let someone else help you out. Trying to get into a car? Just let that Uber driver know you need his assistance. How about a way out of your dorm room? Kick it down like Jack Bauer or loudly cry until a concerned neighbor comes to your aid.

15. Give up turning left. 

Live on the wild side and avoiding turning left at all costs. It’ll hurt your brain and annoy your friends, but it’s sure to keep you occupied during Lent!

Gifs: giphy.com

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7 Things You Should Steal From Leo’s

junk_foodStudents are constantly stealing cutlery, plates, cups and bowls from the Leo’s. It’s so commonplace that staff members at Leo’s basically look the other way if you walk out with a cup of coffee or bowl of ice cream. If you haven’t yet had the chance to say a nice “screw you” to the most absurdly over-priced and under-achieving establishment on campus, think about taking a few of these items.

The popcorn machine
No team movie night is complete without copious amounts of salty, buttery, cardboard-y popcorn. Bonus points if you take the shakers of flavors and the little red and white popcorn boxes.

Big bags of cereal
In the cabinets under the cereal dispensers downstairs are massive bags of your favorite breakfast foods: Captain Crunch, Coco Puffs and Cinnamon Toast Crunch… to name a few. Grabbing a bag = breakfast for your housemates for a week.

The waffle maker
On the off chance that the waffle maker is actually available, grab it and run.

A giant tub of Nutella
Another item that’s only on display occasionally, a tub of this chocolate-y, hazelnut-y goodness can take your toast and fruit to the next level.

A chair
Thank goodness Leo’s replaced those ratty old plastic tables and chairs upstairs with beautiful maple farmhouse tables. The sides of the old tables were so pointy that they once tore a 4E blogger’s down jacket right open. The new chairs are echelons better than the desk chairs supplied in freshman dorms. Take one this week – just in time for finals!

The salad bar
Healthy food is always the answer, whether you’re looking for something to energize you for a fun day or help you recover from a hangover. The upstairs salad bar has wheels so you can easily push it through the front door. When you consume the edible greens and vegetables, the bar can serve as a display for your favorite stuff or a table for alcohol at your next house party.

Even if you don’t feel like eating the food at Leo’s these next few weeks, make your extra swipes worth it by snagging one of these goodies before they’re all gone!

Photos/Gifs: reactiongifs.com, angrytrainerfitness.com, imgur.com

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Lau Really is a Club!

spicy

D.C. has a ton of clubs: Cities, Eden or whatever the newest rage is… you get the point. Clubs and bars are fun to go to, but nothing can take the place of Georgetown’s very own Lauinger Library, the ultimate club.

Confused? Lau is basically the party of the year and by being a Georgetown student you are automatically invited!

Here are six ways a night at Lau is exactly like a night at the club:

1. Boys there ignore me.

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2. It’s hard to tolerate without copious amounts of alcohol.

3. The area next to the (coffee) bar is always the most crowded.

But I just wanted a caramel soy latte!
But I just want a chai tea latte!

4. The bathroom never has soap or paper towels after the weekend.

5. You usually stay well past 2am.

Circa 4am
Circa 4am

6. It’s full of underage college students.

Next time you are feeling bored and restless, save yourself a few bucks, put on your cutest yoga pants and hoodie and head across campus to Lauinger.

Photos/Gifs: tumblr.com; imgur.com; https://thetally.efinancialnews.com/; blog.goodosphere.com/

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Chadwicks Is Closing, and Mr. Smith’s Is Taking Its Place

chadwicks

After Mr. Smith’s announced its closure Monday, the bar today announced plans to move into the Chadwicks space on K Street.

Washington City Paper first reported Mr. Smith’s intentions to close by the end of the month, though the general manager said they were looking for another space in Georgetown. According to Eater DC, now it is Chadwicks that will close on Aug. 31, and Mr. Smith’s that will continue its run in Georgetown.

Luckily, Chadwicks, which has been open since 1967, still has its other location in Alexandria, Va. According to The Georgetown Metropolitan, Mr. Smith’s, which has been around since at least 1962, was forced from its original location on M Street by a rise in the building’s rent.

Obviously we at 4E are upset by this news as it means the end of cheap happy hours and bottomless champagne brunch on the weekends at Chadwicks. But, at the same time, we’re happy to see that a Georgetown institution — Mr. Smith’s — will live on.

Photos: Mr. Smith’s via Washington City Paper, Mikayla Bouchard via The Pursuit of Happy Hour

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Rhino Temporarily Closes

rhinosclosed

Popular M Street spot Rhino Bar and Pumphouse will be closed through the weekend, leaving thirsty Hoyas looking for another place to spend their late nights.

After a February sting in which police officers found two underage girls with fake IDs and an underaged Georgetown student drinking a Bud Light inside the bar, the D.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Board forced the temporary closure. In addition to being shuttered through this Saturday, July 12, the bar will have to pay a fine of $3,000.

In the end, I don’t know what’s more surprising: that they only found two people with fakes at the bar or that they found a Georgetown student drinking something as highfalutin’ as Bud instead of Burnett’s or Natty.

Anyway, I’m sure Rhino says sorry for not serving their delectable hot wings for a few days. And while these next five days might be difficult for some of the more dedicated Rhino-goers among us, we believe in you. To help, we compiled some options for how to cope with your loss:

1. Find another Georgetown bar to call home.

From Old Glory and Rí Rá to El Centro and Gypsy Sally’s, there are plenty of other places close to campus where you can get your drink on. And while they might not have the familiar atmosphere or abundance of Georgetown students, you might be surprised and find a new Georgetown favorite.

2. Use the opportunity to explore bars around D.C.

OK, so your favorite Georgetown bar is out for the count — at least this weekend — but there are hundreds of cool bars around the District. Take the chance to get familiar with a few of these options.

3. Hang out with underage people.

I’m actually pretty OK with Rhino being closed for the next few days because, as an underaged Hoya without a fake (you’re welcome, Mom), it means that more of you will be forced to hang out with me. So take advantage of the closure and do just that.

Together, we can get through the next four days without Rhino. Stay strong, Hoyas.

H/t to The Georgetowner

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Old Memories and New Murals

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It’s no secret that we at The Fourth Edition have a special soft spot in our hearts for The Third Edition. Though as you probably already know, the Georgetown favorite, Thirds, went by the wayside last year. We sadly thought Thirds would be out of our minds and our news stories forever, which is why we were so ecstatic to hear of a recent discovery from within our favorite social spot of the past.

According to the Washington Post, renovation plans were underway for El Centro (a restaurant and bar that is soon to replace what was Thirds) when designers found a surprise hidden in the downstairs interior wall: a mural. The mysterious work of art depicts a historic street scene with mountains and a lighthouse in the background that is also covered in graffiti.

Though the work of art doesn’t exactly fit El Centro’s Mexican theme, the new restaurant’s design team couldn’t resist keeping the quirky piece in the plans. So, Third Edition lovers, it looks like there is still a bit of hope: while Thirds may be gone, a hidden piece of its artwork will live on in El Centro forever.

If any of you are interested in El Centro, the new tacos and tequila joint that will be replacing Thirds, check out their website here. Disclaimer: it’s for their 14th Street location; the Wisconsin Ave. website is on its way. But you should still definitely check it out – I mean, who doesn’t love bottomless brunch, octopus tacos, iron skillet fajitas and secret hidden murals?

Photo: Amy Lee/The Hoya

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Dive In to Tune Inn

4eats tune inn

Tune Inn
As Georgetown students, it’s not highly uncommon to dine next to senators and congressmen. If you want to go to restaurant with a high chance of a political leader sighting, we tune in to Tune Inn, a restaurant 3 blocks from the Capitol. Featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Dine-Ins and Dives”, Tune Inn boasts itself to be a 100% genuine dive.

Started in 1947 by Joe Nardelli, Tune Inn has been described by regulars as “the quintessential Capitol Hill establishment”. Managed by Nardelli’s granddaughter Lisa and head chef Michael Tate, the restaurant continues cooking up dishes that keep customers coming back.

Open Monday – Friday from 8am – 2am and Saturday – Sunday from 8am – 3:30am, you can meet all types of people at the Inn. Customers range from firemen to off-duty cops, from senators to locals, and ultimately, anyone who just wants to have a good time with good food. So if you’re looking for some cheap eats and a real diner-bar experience, head down to the Capitol and sample these amazing dishes:

Jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese, breaded and deep fried (served with marinara)

Tune Inn Fries A large helping of battered fries covered in cheddar cheese, sautéed onions and crumbled bacon (served with salsa ranch dressing)

Tune Inn Nachos Piled with pulled barbecue pork, sautéed onions, cheddar cheese, jalapeños, and side of salsa

Tony’s Beer Battered Burger Burger is grilled, beer battered, dropped in the deep fryer and topped with cheese

Joe’s West Virginia Freshly cooked roast beef piled high, American cheese and signature sauce, grilled on rye

Tune Inn Burger Hamburger topped with signature sauce, American cheese and onion straws

Check out Tune Inn’s complete menu here.

 

Easy Nachos
For your own quick go-to diner staple at home, try these easy-to-make nachos. They’re great for Friday movie night get-togethers!

Heat the oven to 450°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Meanwhile, shred 1 pound of sharp cheddar cheese. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread about half of a 14-ounce bag of tortilla chips on the baking sheet in an even layer. Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly over the chips. Repeat with remaining chips and cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with your choice of toppings. Serve immediately.