College Basketball

**Knicks playoff 🏀 is back so that can only mean one thing … DC Knicks Watch parties 🎊 . Why watch home alone when you can be in a room for 75-80 die hard Knicks fans!** **Join DC Knicks as we bring the energy and rep NY in full force!** **RSVP is required—space is limited and first come, first served.** **What to expect:** **⚡️ MSG-like atmosphere** **⚡️Free knicks giveaway if you RSVP!** **⚡️ Multiple flat screens with full sound** **⚡️ Happy Hour food & drink specials (for RSVP’d guests)** **⚡️ Steps from Clarendon Metro** **⚡️ Free street parking** **⚡️ Indoor/outdoor patio vibes** **⚡️ NY-inspired playlist all day** **RSVP now and spread the word to fellow Knicks fans.** **Let’s pack the place and bring that NY energy!** **LET’S GO KNICKS! 🟠🟠🔵🔵**

Join us for a fun afternoon of pickleball and Rita's Ice Cream! 🍧 We’ll play friendly pickleball games—perfect for all skill levels—then head to Rita’s Ice to cool off and hang out. 📅 April 18 📍 College Park, MD 8000 Rhode Island Ave, College Park, MD 20740 ⏰ 2pm Bring a paddle (if you have one), water, and good vibes! Please park at the Lakeland Community Center and walk over to the pickleball courts (pass the soccer field and next to the playground).

Let's get together to play some competitive coed doubles volleyball. **COST**: FREE **Court Type**: Outdoor grass **Minimum Skill Requirements**: Solid BB (click [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PojSi4qdlRsv1msCHhvpQ43iDc4FfzQwpWCc3kafVMY/mobilebasic) for details) Attention: 1. This event is **not always on a first come, first served basis**. [Good doubles partner](https://docs.google.com/document/d/14weEw-P52XKx0P8K2l-ZOFtYU61wmfdkSkopbG5avro/) and those who can bring a net and ball, may get priority over others on the waitlist. 2. Since skill levels are **self-reported**, some attendees may not meet the expected level in reality, so we encourage you to choose a partner you can enjoy the game with, and since this is a **competitive** event, it is okay if you make a strong team and win all the games. 3. Since people arrive at different times, each group of 4 players will **set up and claim a net** as they arrive, and may continue playing without rotating until all nets are set. **Smiley Social documents:** 1. [Group Rules](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HrG35p_0M08leRvCp8XWG3CMkr_GL928XFabl5T6Dvg) 2. [Smiley Social Volleyball Levels](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PojSi4qdlRsv1msCHhvpQ43iDc4FfzQwpWCc3kafVMY/edit) 3. [Good doubles partner](https://docs.google.com/document/d/14weEw-P52XKx0P8K2l-ZOFtYU61wmfdkSkopbG5avro/) 4. [Liability Waiver](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W2mq-7m99lmvd7gdWYaSUFtvVg4UGnzV6koafAbHmco)

Standard rally scoring to 15. Skill level should BB and up. See you out there! Only 1 court 135 Crescent Rd greenbelt Md Use St. Hughes Churches parking lot Bring a ball if you have one and water to stay hydrated.

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Goddess of Spring and the Underworld,”** an introduction to the Greek goddess Persephone in her many incarnations, with Brittany Warman, former instructor at Ohio State University and co-founder of the Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-persephone](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-persephone) .] Join Brittany Warman, who has earned a huge following among Profs and Pints fans by delivering fantastic talks on folklore, myths, legends, and fantasy, for the perfect event for the season: a look at the spring goddess Persephone and the many ways in which she has inspired the human imagination. The story of Hades and Persephone is one of the most famous—and most retold—episodes in Greek mythology. Persephone’s abduction, her interlude in the Underworld, and her partial return to the world above have inspired statues and webcomics, ancient cults and contemporary poetry. Thousands of years after her tale was first told, we’re still fascinated by this goddess. Brittany will discuss how Persephone’s appeal lies in her liminality in being caught between two very different worlds and lives. She represents spring, renewal, and rebirth because Earth blooms with her return, but she’s also the Queen of the Underworld. From a 21st-century perspective, she’s basically a goth girl adorned with a flower crown. We’ll also look at Persephone’s mythic roots, including their connections to the Eleusinian Mysteries. And then we’ll dive into some of the ways that Persephone has been revised and retold in recent years, from the Tony award-winning musical *Hadestown* to the webcomic *Lore Olympus* to memes and fairy tales and fashion. After all, why be just one thing when you can be the queen of both spring and darkness? (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: From “Proserpine” (Persephone) painted by Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 1882. (Birmingham Museums Trust / Wikimedia Commons.)

# Today's meetup is limited to 12 BB and above only players and 2x2, 3x3 or 4x4 play only. Please help us keep this day limited and enjoy the open play on the other days if you or your friend are not BB or above. People make plans and travel to show up on limited days for limited play because it is limited to experienced players. Please do not show up if you are on the waitlist without checking first, or try to play 5's or 6's, with your friend that is learning how to play, or because it is not full with 12 players if you or your friend are not BB or above. We’d rather play with 9 experienced players on these limited days than open it up to beginners, friends that are learning, etc. There are other open days for that, and they are fun too.

Be there or get chubby. You decide. https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/b/7/2/600_364811122.jpeg RSVPs are required. The reason is that it should increase your own enjoyment. You see, the ideal number of players for a pickup soccer game is perhaps 6x6 - 8x8; some players won't attend if they think the turnout will be low, and others will just assume the game will be cancelled even though we always play. (As a practical matter, smaller games are less fun since the comics won't have the audience they need, but, they do have two hidden benefits: shorter, more intense games/workouts and fewer face kicks/yellow cards. So we play no matter how small or large.) So non-RSVPers are a little short sighted, since they don't seem to want to maximize their own enjoyment in the long run. Rational and sane players who have a good chance of attending RSVP a week early both here and at https://meetup.com/dcsoccer , the parent soccer group.

**Cost:** Free (If you enjoy the free class and would like to donate to the coach, you can do so here via **Venmo,** **@mpineyro26)** **What to bring:** Please bring a ball with your name on it and drinking water. Please be ready to learn and to have fun with people in the area. Are you new to sports, want to learn a new sport, or want to improve in volleyball? Here is your chance! Volleyball is a growing sport here in the DMV. The host will teach you basic volleyball skills that will allow you to get better at or learn a new sport. The host will take you through a 6-week program that will make you feel better about how you play and your volleyball confidence. **\*New Group Chat:** Because of the amount of crypto scammers out there, only people who ask to be added in front of me will be added. [https://chat.whatsapp.com/FhLXZY2kvjRBC8mSsXW8Ms](https://chat.whatsapp.com/FhLXZY2kvjRBC8mSsXW8Ms) **\*Our YouTube Channel:** [https://www.youtube.com/@mp02626](https://www.youtube.com/@mp02626) **Game Plan:** Week 1: Underhand Serve, Basics, Rules, and Defensive Positions Week 2: Platform, Receive/Passing (1), Receive/Com (6) Week 3: Serving overhand, Set, Set, Set **Week 4: Spiking/Blocking/Testing Day!** Week 5: Beginners Tournament Week 6: Trip to VA Beach to play Beach Volleyball * The plan is to do *drills for 60 minutes* and *60 minutes of playing* to apply what we've learned. * *If you missed week 1*, let the host know so he can give you a quick tutorial on the basic rules. **Important Videos:** Week 1 [101 Basics](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33sWyhjhacM) [Volleyball Rules:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzO7EvB7mDE) [Base Defence (positions)](https://youtu.be/IGfj8k9QjwI) *** Week 2 [Receive/Pass](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOgfoEGUDCA) *** Week 3 [Overhand Serve](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au3QYrvsy9k) [Setting](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5mpBCRK_yk) [Setting](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH0LiQH5D5U) [Spin Set](https://youtu.be/04CgNspFFxQ?si=KqilChLYjy5LA_WQ&t=24) *** Week 4 [3 Step Approach](https://youtu.be/4hTPaeJQzEs?si=9gC3ae-jIVuvsH-I&t=35) [Spiking](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIdN4eYCc2A) [Blocking](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CSQARq6JC8) Tests Week 5 Beginners Vball Tournament 6 Teams [Last Tournament](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDRQRedCHWE) Week 6 Virginia Beach Getaway [Beach Trip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKFe3-xnGts) **FAQ:** I missed the first week, can I still attend week x? *Yes, any week is a good week to learn and practice.* I am taking another beginner's volleyball class; can I attend this one? *Yes* I am more advanced than a beginner; can I attend week x? *Yes, come and practice in whatever you are weak in.* Can I bring a friend? *Yes* Can I come even if I don't have a ball? *Yes, but we recommend a ball so you can use it while you are here, and you can practice with your ball.* Do you have a ball pump? *I do*

**\*\* NOTE--We are meeting 1 hour earlier than usual because of room availability. We will start at noon instead of 1 pm. \*\*** **Life** Charles Louis de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu, was born in 1689 near Bordeaux, France to a noble and wealthy family. He trained as a lawyer at the University of Bordeaux. Through marriage and inheritance of a position in the Parlement of Bordeaux, he was financially secure before 30 and had time to read and write, in addition to his duties at Parlement. His first successful book was *Persian Letters*, an epistolary novel published anonymously in 1721 that satirizes French society from the point of view of two wealthy Persians. He then sought to turn his literary success into social success at court, salons, and the French Academy. In 1728, he took the grand tour; over the course of several years, he visited Vienna, Hungary, Venice, Florence, Rome, and England, where he became a fellow of the Royal Society. His next major work, published in 1734, was *Considerations on the Causes of Romans’ Greatness and Decline*. In 1748, he published his most famous work, one that he claims took him twenty years and that was to greatly influence the American Founders: the *Spirit of the Laws*. He died in 1755. **Themes** The influence of the *Spirit of the Laws* on the Founding generation that crafted the U.S. Constitution has secured for Montesquieu enduring relevance for those who want to understand the Founding Era and the Constitution. In this sprawling work, Montesquieu divides the types of government into republics, monarchies, and despotisms, each of which has its animating principle (virtue, honor, and fear). This contrasts with Aristotle’s categorization of polity, aristocracy, and monarchy, each of which has a corrupted form, democracy, oligarchy, and tyranny, respectively. Montesquieu argued that liberty can be best protected by the separation of the legislative, executive, and judicial powers, which finds expression in the three branches of the U.S. government. Among many other notable ideas in this work, he argued that laws should be crafted to accord with a people’s religion, climate, habits, wealth, and other social and economic factors. Against earlier natural law theorists, such as Grotius and Pufendorf, he argued that war did not justify slavery. In the prior century, Pascal had made a name for himself in taking on the Jesuits in his *Provincial Letters*. Several decades later in *Persian Letters*, Montesquieu used a similar rhetorical setup to satirize Parisan and French life, including religion, social practices, and the monarchy of Louis XIV from the perspective of two Persian travelers, Uzbek and Rica. The Letters show Montesquieu’s willingness to at least somewhat relativize European practices, if only to make points consistent with his own social and political class. In the *Considerations*, Montesquieu takes up a theme that would later make Edward Gibbon famous. One of his arguments in this work is that the maxims that made Rome an empire out of a republic were inadequate to keep the empire. He also argued that chance doesn’t rule events; there are underlying causes that can be discovered. **Reading** Our reading for this month is *[Montesquieu: Selected Political Writings](https://www.amazon.com/Montesquieu-Selected-Political-Writings-Classics/dp/0872200906/)*, about 242 pages. The book includes short selections from the *Letters* (the stories of the Troglodytes and Uzbek’s management of his seraglio) and *Considerations* and substantial selections from the *Spirit of the Laws* touching on principles of the three governments, political liberty, the relationship between laws and climate, slavery, and other topics. Please also read the introduction. **Optional** * [Baron de Montesquieu, Charles-Louis de Secondat](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/montesquieu/) in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy * [Montesquieu](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Montesquieu), Britannica * [Montesquieu and the Separation of Powers](https://oll.libertyfund.org/pages/montesquieu-and-the-separation-of-powers), the Online Library of Liberty

This month's prompt concerns the idea of the “warrior philosopher” (seemed appropriate in these times)--that is someone whose understanding of violence, power, and justice is forged through direct experience of war. We are looking at Major General Smedley D. Butler, a highly decorated U.S. Marine raised in a Quaker (pacifist) tradition who later became a prominent critic of American militarism (there is a wonderful biography of Gen. Butler called "Gangsters of Capitalism") Butler's argument in *War Is a Racket* (1935): that many U.S. interventions were driven less by national defense than by corporate and financial interests, with Butler portraying himself as an enforcer for business and Wall Street. We can consider the moral ambiguity of his insider critique—whether complicity strengthens or undermines credibility and also consider some of the concrete reforms he proposed (e.g., “conscript” capital before soldiers, restrict the military to coastal defense, and have only those who fight decide on war). Butler’s life arc clearly changed from pacifist upbringing to warrior to antiwar crusader—and asks whether true understanding of peace requires firsthand knowledge of war, and what that implies about the cost of suffering. So do we need to suffer to understand suffering? Do we have to experience war to appreciate peace? As one more question: in the movie "A Few Good Men" Jack Nicholson's character says that "you have the luxury of not knowing what I know" so do most of us go through life oblivious to real violence and suffering? See you at Drunken Philosophy!

AI is changing how art is made. But when does it stop being your work and start being the machine’s? This month we're going to be doing a panel with with digital image, music, and written word artists, talking about at what point, while using AI in the creation process, does the work become not the artist creation? We encourage audience participation during this event that will be moderated by Chris Slee. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services) Sign up also accessible via [Transform Labs Luma](https://luma.com/55umjqta)