WDCSA Newsletter – August 2010

FACE AIDS – Ride Against AIDS Presentation
Saturday, August 7 6-7:30 pm
Stanford in Washington
2661 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC

Join your fellow alumni to hear seven students discuss their inspiring efforts to
raise AIDS awareness across the country. The FACE AIDS Ride Against AIDS
2010 team consists of five Stanford Students – Jason Lupatkin, Sanford Roberts,
Shane Hegde, Zane Silver, and Claire Fisher – as well as two other students who
are members of FACE AIDS chapters at their respective universities. The
team will be stopping by Stanford in Washington during their summer-long bike
ride in the Ride Against AIDS from Stanford to Boston to present their roles as
students in the fight against AIDS. FACE AIDS, a student group founded at
Stanford in 2005, is committed to inspiring and mobilizing students in the fight
against AIDS in Africa. As the group rides across the country, they will stop at
local high schools, Rotary clubs, churches, and other organizations to present
on AIDS in Africa and the role of students. Their hope is that by showing others
that young people today can make a difference, we all can inspire the next
generation of leaders to shape the world they want to live in.
Questions? E-mail Kevin Coyne at kevin.coyne@stanfordalumni.org.

Book Club Discussion
Sunday, August 8 5-8 pm
Bethesda, MD

The book group will meet at the home of Kathie Krumm in Bethesda to
discuss the novel The Thief and the Dog by the Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz.
The September book is Gilgamesh, trans. by Stephen Mitchell. For information,
e-mail alisoncolew@hotmail.com. To join the book group’s website for
automatic notices, become a member at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
wdcsabooks
.

Stanford Day at the Ball Park: Washington Nationals vs. Florida
Marlins
Sunday, September 12 1:35 pm
Washington, DC

Save the Date!
Enjoy an afternoon at the ballpark as we watch the Washington Nationals take
on the Florida Marlins at Nationals Park. Cheer on the Nats and former
Stanford Baseball player Drew Storen. Storen was the 10th overall draft pick in
the 2009 baseball draft and has quickly made it to the major leagues, already
proving to be one of the nation’s top rookie relievers.

Details are being finalized for a potential meet &
greet with Storen. Stay tuned for registration
information in the September newsletter.
Tickets are $24 for WDCSA members and $29 for
non-WDCSA members.
Contact Jackie Crespo if you have any questions at jcrespo@stanfordalumni.org.

MEMBER PROFILE: JOHN SMITHSON

John SmithsonJohn Smithson


Upon graduation, John Smithson, BS ’05, moved to DC to work for the State Department as a Mechanical
Engineer. Since that time, John has traveled to over 30 countries throughout the world to design, renovate,
and upgrade US embassy and consulate mechanical systems in locations such as Singapore, Ukraine,
Colombia, and Barbados. As a Program Manager, he is responsible for over 50 projects per year and a multimillion
dollar budget, and has received numerous awards for his hard work and dedication. In his spare time,
John plays on several sports teams including the Stanford flag football team and the Stanford softball team,
which he co-coaches with fellow WDCSA members, Jill Pepper and Kevin Coyne. John has been the WDCSA
President since 2008 and has thoroughly enjoyed welcoming new WDCSA members and socializing with
current members at many alumni events held throughout the year.

Boom to Bust Patio Party
Thursday, September 16 6 – 8 pm
DoubleTree Hotel
1515 Rhode Island Ave. NW
Washington, DC

Were you in college during the double digit inflation
or the end of the cold war? Have you ever made a
collect call – on a rotary phone? If you were an
undergraduate around the mid 1970s to mid 1990s,
the University of Chicago Club of Washington, DC
has started a new group just for you. Those too old

for the young alumni and too young for the seniors
will feel at home.
Please come to enjoy a relaxing start of fall in a
surprising gem: a quiet patio in a nationwide hotel
chain in the middle of the city. Chat with people
who are old enough to know where they were when
the Challenger blew up, but young enough that they
cannot do the same for when JFK was shot. In case
of rain, we will be indoors and watch the drops fall
on the patio.

To RSVP, please send your name, university,
graduation year, email address, and check for $30 per
person made out to The University of Chicago Club
of DC to Sander and Suzanne Davidson, 6332
Windermere Circle, Rockville, MD 20862.
Prepayment must be received by Monday, September
13th. Email reservations (to
sdavidson@karpfrosh.com) and walk-ins are $40. If
you cannot attend the event but would like to be
added to the email list send the above information to
dprigal@aol.com.
The DoubleTree is on the northeast corner of Scott
Circle. Exit the Dupont Circle Metro stop and walk
4 blocks east, or McPherson Square Metro and walk
6 blocks north or take 14th or 16th street buses.
Hotel has parking. Dress code: anything goes.
Boomers to Busters is targeted for undergraduate
and graduate alumni of the University of Chicago and
similar schools who were undergraduates from the
mid 1970s to mid 1990s, and their spouses and
partners; others may also attend.

KayakingEVENT SPOTLIGHT:
KAYAKING BREWERY TOUR

WDCSA has just discovered an excellent way to spend a Saturday that involves boating and brewing!!!
An enthusiastic handful of adventurous alumni recently traveled to the Monacacy River, roughly an hour
north of DC. River & Trail Outfitters’ senior guide Mike Dudash met us at the ‘take out’ or endpoint
location, where we boarded a van that hauled our kayaks, a canoe, paddles and life jackets to the ‘put-in.’
After listening to Mike’s introductory advice and explanation of what to expect on the river, we spent a
few hours paddling (there may have been a few sore upper back muscles the next day!), watching a Great
Blue Heron lead the way and discovering a nest that belongs to one of the bald eagle families who have
only recently returned to the area. While the river was running at a low rate of flow, the water and air
temperatures were perfectly refreshing. Once off the river, we drove to a nearby brewpub, Barley &
Hops, to taste an array of their offerings and generous appetizers. We were entertained with a treatise on
beer brewing by the owner Gary Clark, who topped off our trip with a tour of his brewery.
River & Trail Outfitters also conducts boating and winery tour trips: let us know if you’d be interested in
joining us next time, for there definitely will be one!

Stanford at the Opera
Fall 2010
Kennedy Center

Un Ballo en Mascara – Verdi
Wednesday, September 22nd at 7:30 pm
“Ballo” is opera at its grandest, with soaring arias,
gorgeous ensembles, fabulous costumes, and lavish
sets. Salvatore Licitra and Irene Theorin star.
Deadline for ordering is August 20th. Tickets will be
mailed the week of August 30th.

Salome – Strauss
Wednesday, October 20th at 7:30 pm
Deborah Voight – leading Salome of her generation
and one of the greatest sopranos of the 21st century
makes her Washington National Opera (WNO)
debut. Washington’s beloved Heinz Fricke conducts.
Deadline for ordering is September 20th. Tickets will
be mailed the week of September 27th.

Prime Orchestra $156.50; 2nd Tier $ 81.50.
For tickets – send a check payable to WDCSA to
Betty Byrne, 1822 Ingleside Terrace NW,
Washington, DC 20010. Contact Betty at bettybyrne@stanfordalumni.org or 202.483.4048.
All performances are by the WNO and are at the
Kennedy Center.

Stanford vs. Notre Dame Game Watch
Saturday, September 25 6:30 pm
The Exchange
1719 G Street, NW
Washington, DC

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME STANFORD
FOOTBALL???
The 2010 Stanford football season will soon get
underway and we have arranged two early-season
WDCSA game watches at our official sponsor bar,
The Exchange, (202)393-4690. Put on your Stanford
garb and come to the X to cheer for the Cardinal as
we battle Notre Dame.
Food and drink specials will be available. Questions?
Contact Chris Shinkman P ’97 at
c.shinkman@verizon.net, 301-229-4427.

Stanford vs. USC Game Watch
Saturday, October 9 8 pm
The Exchange
1719 G Street, NW
Washington, DC

We will be back at the X to watch the Cardinal add
further humiliation to the USC Trojans.
Come out and show your support for the Cardinal
men’s basketball team during the game watch party.
All Stanford fans are invited!

Stanford In the News

• “The best hope for saving Arctic sea ice is cutting
soot emissions”, says Mark Jacobson, Director of
Stanford’s Atmosphere/Energy Program.
• The move to the new Engineering Center will
mean 70,000 fewer books on the library shelf…an
electronic library.

Get Involved!

• Athletes wanted! Men and women, all ability
levels!
Ever dream of being the hero of Big Game? Then
join the Stanford team in the CAN flag football
league this fall. Along with DC’s own "Little Big
Game" against Cal, we will play a schedule of games
on Saturdays and Sundays for ten weeks, with a
season-ending tournament in December. If you’re
interested, contact Steven Kelts at kelts@gwu.edu.
Do it soon, because we will begin organizing the
team in late August (including one or two practices)
and Stanford’s first game is in early September.

Housing Postings

• Housing Available
Looking for roommate to fill master bedroom with
large walk-in closet and attached private bathroom.
Two bedroom, two bathroom apartment is large and
well-lit. Building is rent-controlled, well run, and
ideally located, 5 minute walk downtown, 10 to
Chinatown, U St, Logan, Dupont, etc.
About myself: I’m a laid back, 24-year old
professional who works downtown. Have lived in this
apartment for close to 1 year and love it. Looking for
a responsible, courteous, similarly laid back
roommate. Tell me a little about yourself and I’d be
happy to provide more info about myself or the
apartment.
September 1st move in date (some flexibility), $1200
rent includes utilities
Please contact Mrinal Menon
at mmenon86@gmail.com for more information.

This month’s newsletter is available for download in PDF format.