Looking for some more places to visit in D.C. that may be more interesting than the normal tourist favorites?

Meridian Hill Park

Called Malcolm X park by locals, Meridian Hill Park houses a memorial to President James Buchanan (1857-1861), as well as statues of Dante and Joan of Arc. The statue of Joan of Arc (left) is remarkable because it is the only statue of a woman and her horse among the 24 or so equestrian statues with men in Washington. My favorite part of my visit to the park was a drum circle of musicians who congregated around this statue around 3 p.m. on the Sunday I attended. Little did I know that this was a tradition that the Washington Post says, "Is said to have officially started the week of the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965."

Cost: Free

Closest Metro Station: U St/African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo on the Yellow or Green line.


Nationals Park


The Washington Nationals are the official baseball team of the District of Columbia. During the baseball season, which starts in April, Nationals Park is a great place to be. From racing presidents (people wearing goofy costumes and racing around the field) to free giveaways, going to see the Nationals play was one of my favorite things from my semester in D.C. Especially when our nosebleed (high-altitude) seats were randomly upgraded to field level!

Cost: Varies depending on seat, I was able to go to games this year for less than $30 with tickets from Stubhub.

Closest Metro Station: Navy Yard-Ballpark on the Green line.



Eastern Market & Capitol Hill Books

Eastern Market is an outdoor market in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Here you can find fresh fruit, handmade jewelry, and vintage advertising for sale. Capitol Hill Books -- a little house (left) crammed full of books -- is also in this neighborhood. Books in the closet, basement, bathroom, and on the sink. Books stacked three and four deep, with witty notes stuck into some by the bookstore owner. It's a book lover's dream.

Cost: Free to look, but there are some neat knickknacks for sale.

Closest Metro Station: Eastern Market on the Silver, Orange or Blue lines.



Acorn Park

I didn't originally go to Silver Spring to find this park (I went because my family instilled a love for classic rock in me), but Acorn Park was an exciting find. Not only is there a giant acorn gazebo, but in this park resides the last part of the estate of Francis Preston Blair. According to Silver Spring Downtown, Blair's estate was the original Silver Spring, named after his 1840 discovery of a nearby mica-speckled -- silver -- spring.

Cost: Free

Closest Metro Station: Silver Spring on the Red line.

Stanton Park

A small park in Capitol Hill, Stanton Park's main feature is a statue of Revolutionary War hero General Nathanael Greene. There is also a play area for children. However, the best part is how beautiful the park and the surrounding Capitol Hill area is. If you are on the Mall and need a break from the amount of people, Stanton Park is just a few blocks away. It's a lovely place to spend a day, whether reading or spending time with your family.

Cost: Free

Closest Metro Station: Union Station on the Red line.





George Washington National Masonic Memorial

On my way to King Street in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia (shopping, great restaurants, riverside events, history), I decided I had to check out this memorial. It's hard to miss this imposing, hilltop tower over Alexandria. It was "conceived, funded, built, and maintained by the Freemasons of the United States as a testimony of their admiration of George Washington," who himself was a Mason, according to their official website. There is also a great view of Alexandria from the space in front of the memorial entrance.

Cost: Free to look at, $15 to enter.

Closest Metro Station: King Street-Old Town on the Yellow or Blue lines.



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In The Student Life, the student newspaper for the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five liberal art colleges and two graduate schools in Claremont, California, student Rochelle Lu writes about readjusting to her Shanghai home after spending a semester in the United States.

Read the full story here.

Cedarville University in the U.S. state of Ohio says it’s got more than 140 international students representing 44 countries.

Here, the school interviews Jonathan Sutton, director of international student services. He talks about his job and the opportunities for international students on campus.

Read the full article here.

Morehouse College, a private, historically Black liberal arts college in the U.S. state of Georgia, offers a guide for international students interested in attending the school.

Among the tips to apply and thrive at Morehouse:

• Take advantage of the school’s orientation program
• Turn to the school’s Center for Academic Success for tutoring, support and more
• Immerse yourself in campus life via clubs and societies

Read the full article here.

WASHINGTON — 

The administration of President Donald Trump said on Monday it will review Columbia University's federal contracts and grants over allegations of antisemitism, which it says the educational institution has shown inaction in tackling.

Rights advocates note rising antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias since U.S. ally Israel's devastating military assault on Gaza began after Palestinian Hamas militants' deadly October 2023 attack.

The Justice Department said a month ago it formed a task force to fight antisemitism. The U.S. Departments of Health and Education and the General Services Administration jointly made the review announcement on Monday.

"The Federal Government's Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is considering Stop Work Orders for $51.4 million in contracts between Columbia University and the Federal Government," the joint statement said.

The agencies said no contracting actions had been taken yet.

"The task force will also conduct a comprehensive review of the more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments to Columbia University."

The agencies did not respond to requests for comment on whether there were similar reviews over allegations of Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias.

Columbia had no immediate comment. It previously said it made efforts to tackle antisemitism.

College protests

Trump has signed an executive order to combat antisemitism and pledged to deport non-citizen college students and others who took part in pro-Palestinian protests.

Columbia was at the center of college protests in which demonstrators demanded an end to U.S. support for Israel due to the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's assault on Gaza. There were allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia in protests and counter-protests.

During last summer's demonstrations around the country, classes were canceled, some university administrators resigned and student protesters were suspended and arrested.

While the intensity of protests has decreased in recent months, there were some demonstrations last week in New York after the expulsion of two students at Columbia University-affiliated Barnard College and after New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered the removal of a Palestinian studies job listing at Hunter College.

A third student at Barnard College has since been expelled, this one related to the occupation of the Hamilton Hall building at Columbia last year.