Written by DCist Contributor Sarah Stonesifer The Diamondback – University of Maryland: >> Hartwick Towers, an off-campus apartment building, was the scene of a fire on Friday, Oct. 12. The fire has come under scrutiny by both students and city officials, as the building is not equipped with sprinklers and fire alarms did not function during the fire. Students were left on their own to find alternative housing until they were let back into their…

Written by DCist Contributor Fredo Alvarez Campus Pride, the nation’s largest non-profit student LGBT organization, this week launched its Campus Climate Index, an online report card that allows LGBT students from colleges across the country to rate their schools on their inclusiveness and support of LGBT students, employees and their allies. Schools are rated on a scale from one to five stars based on a voluntary survey. Of 80 public and private institutions that…

By DCist Contributor Sarah Stonesifer The Eagle – American: >> At American University, officials decided that an official record will be kept along with possible judicial action after students receive their “second medical transport due to alcohol consumption.” So remember kids, the first case of alcohol poisoning is free. >> There was an attempted robbery in an American University dorm last Saturday, but the suspect was quickly apprehended and identified. The Hoya – Georgetown: >>…

FRIDAY: >> Starting tonight, George Mason Stadium plays host to the region’s annual D.C . College Cup. The soccer teams of George Washington, American, Howard, and George Mason will square off in two rounds of games. Though the tournament is conspicuously missing national powerhouses UMD and UVA, the event will still showcase some of the best young talent around. GW and AU kick off tonight’s slate (5:00 p.m.), with Howard and GMU rounding the night…

What makes a champion? Is it commitment, the ability to spend the long hours necessary honing a skill to a razor’s edge, forgoing the simple pleasures of idle laziness the rest of us take for granted? Is it drive, that fire in the belly that pushes a winner on, past discouragement, past early failures, past the point when lesser beings throw in the towel? Maybe it’s simply birthright, taking advantage of those innate abilities that…

Nestled between cherry blossom season and the influx of D.C.’s summer intern and tourist season is a hopeful time, when students turn away from keggers and exams to graduate into the real world — at least in theory. For Washington’s thousands of college seniors, this means job hunting, leaving the friendly confines of campus and the prospect of moving into your parents’ basement. It also means a litany of platitudes, advice and well-wishes from commencement…

This past weekend’s concerts from the National Symphony Orchestra provided the second opportunity in the last month or so to hear Yundi Li play Liszt’s first piano concerto. The first time was with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra at George Mason (reviewed last month), and the coincidence demands a comparison. On both occasions, Li has played the work with impressive accuracy and grace, with renditions remarkably similar to his recent recording. There were a few negligible…

Good morning, Washington. We’ve been hearing some excellent reports from the frontlines of the celebrations in Georgetown last night, after the Hoyas came back from a 10 point deficit to beat the Tar Heels 96-84. Thousands of students filled M Street in their exuberance, chanting “Hoya Saxa” at the top of their lungs. A smaller group apparently ran all the way to the White House, where the Secret Service asked them to keep it down….

So, it seems like George Mason may have used up much of the region’s supply of NCAA tourney magic in last year’s dramatic run. Of the seven regional teams in this year’s tournament, only Georgetown survived the first weekend to make the Sweet 16 – stay tuned to DCist for more hoops coverage as the city unites behind the Hoyas. And before you ask: no, I’m not the least bit bitter about having a bracket…

It starts at 12:20 p.m. this afternoon. Tip-off. For some, the pinnacle of sports fandom rests in these next few days. They are epic: 12 hour days that capture some of the very reasons why we watch sports. The NCAA Tournament has the most exhaustive field in major U.S. sports, giving 65 teams a shot at glory in the national spotlight. Year after year, the Big Dance provides buzzer beaters, star turns, Cinderella stories and…