Jefferson Memorial Dancer's Lawsuit Dismissed

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit involving the arrest of a woman who danced at the Jefferson Memorial in April 2008. The woman filed a lawsuit against the National Park Service in March, alleging that her arrest violated her right of freedom of expression.

However, in a 26-page opinion, U.S. District Judge John Bates decided that the Jefferson Memorial is a not a public forum where its “atmosphere of calm, tranquility, and reverence” may be disturbed by “expressive dancing.”

Around midnight on April 13, 2008, Mary B. Oberwetter and her friends assembled at the memorial to dance while wearing earphones to commemorate Jefferson’s birthday, 265 years after his birth. Soon after, U.S. Park Police Officer Kenneth Hillard found them and told them to stop, but Oberwetter refused. When she began asking why she had to stop dancing, Hillard arrested her on charges of demonstrating without a permit and interfering with agency function. Those charges were eventually dropped.
Oberwetter commented on the outcome of the lawsuit as “disappointing.” Yet, she said, “I still feel like this has been well worth the effort.”

GWU Writing Center Moves to Gelman, Hours Slashed

The GWU Writing Center has reopened for the Spring 2010 semester in a new location, with reduced hours due to budget cuts for the program. The changes have been received with mixed enthusiasm, and a fair amount of complaints, by the writing center staff. Tayler Lofquist, a newly hired tutor at the center, was hoping to work between 12 and 15 hours a week this semester. She was scheduled for 11 hours before she found out just last week that budget restraints would only allow her to be working for 9 hours. Lofquist does not have any other jobs at this time.


“It’s unfortunate because everything you read about writing center work shows that it has a positive impact,” Lofquist says. The new location, the former WID Studio on the first floor of Gelman Library, will provide the Writing Center with much-needed visibility, but it is also significantly smaller than the spacious area previously occupied by the center on the 5th floor of Rome Hall. “Gelman is a central academic location,” says Tayler Lofquist. “People naturally come here anyway when they are doing work, so the Writing Center may become part of their writing routine.” Although Lofquist is excited that the GW Writing Center might now develop a more “robust presence” as a result of the move, she is concerned that the budget cuts will have an adverse impact on this growth potential.


Other tutors expressed similar concerns. Lauren Weidmaier balances her jobs as a tutor at the Writing Center and as a House Scholar in the Dakota residence. She is also worried that the staff cuts have come at a particularly bad time. “Students usually have a relatively difficult time finding one-on-one tutors or other support for their classes.” Weidmaier says. “The Writing Center is one of the best and only constantly-available academic resources on campus. Just when it seems more and more people were starting to use it, this happens.”

Coming Up on News in Depth: CDs/CRs Face Off on State of the Union

Communications directors Michael Garber of the College Democrats and Rob Noel of the College Republicans will join WRGW News' Jared Pliner and guest-anchor Alex Laska THIS SUNDAY on News in Depth from 12 to 12:40 p.m.

Garber and Noel will respond to President Obama's State of the Union message, the very latest happenings on Capitol Hill, and the general direction of the nation.

You don't want to miss this edition of News in Depth...live from Washington D.C.!

Green GW Responds to DC Bag Fee

In an attempt to bring awareness on GW's campus and help students save 5 cents, Green GW held a "Save your Bag" Free Giveaway event in the Marvin Center Wednesday afternoon. The organization distributed over 600 reuseable bags in response to the new DC 5 cent bag fee. Since Jan. 1, businesses in the District selling food or alcohol have to charge patrons 5 cents for every bag they take out of the store, paper or plastic.

In addition to the reusuable bags, Green GW also gave away compact fluorescent lightbulbs, better known as CFL bulbs which use less energy than incandescent lightbulbs. GW Housing paid for the CFL bulbs which were first distributed to freshmen. Executive Director of Green GW, Spencer Olson said GW Housing will save about $30 per lightbulb over the course of four years with the use of these new CFL lightbulbs. Olson said the organization always tries to inform students of what is taking place locally in DC and nationally regarding environmental issues by holding events like the bag giveaway.

He said the CFL lightbulb giveaway was inspired by the eco-challenge that takes place at the university each year. Green GW also pushed Residential Property Management to provide recycling bins in each room in residence halls on campus to encourage recycling efforts. The distribution began in Fall 2009 but not all halls have the recycling bins in every individual room yet.

As far as future plans, Olson said Green GW will attempt to eliminate styrofoam in J street as well as encourage Sodexho to use biodegradeable products.

Green GW participated in the "Funk the Warming" Dance protest at Lafayette Park near the White House this afternoon and some of their members will be hosting Green Corps participants this weekend.

This Week in Sports

As already mentioned in an earlier post, the George Washington Colonials (12-7) defeated the St. Louis Billikens (12-7) 67-62 in overtime on Wednesday night. This ended GW's 4 game losing streak. The Colonials were down 13 points at the half, but were able to rally to force the game into overtime. The team was led by sophomore Tony Taylor who scored 18 points in the game. Freshmen Lasan Kromah and Dwayne Smith each contributed 13 points. On Saturday, GW will travel to Rhode Island to play the University of Rhode Island Rams (16-3). Tip-off is at 1:00 pm. As always, you can listen to the game at gwradio.com.

The Washington Capitals (35-12) were able to extend their winning streak to 8 games on Wednesday night by defeating the Anaheim Ducks (24-23) 5-1. The third period began with the teams tied at 1 but goals by Shaone Morrisonn and Mike Knuble gave the Caps a 3-1 lead. Alexander Semin added two goals in the third to seal the victory. Dan Sexton scored the only Anaheim goal in the second period. This is the second longest winning streak in franchise history. The Capitals will host the Florida Panthers (23-21)Friday night 7:00pm.

The Washington Wizards (14-30) lost to the LA Lakers (35-11) on Wednesday night, 115-103. Antawn Jamison scored 27 points for Washington. The Wizards will play on Friday night against the struggling New York Nets (4-40). Tip-off is at 8:00pm.

On Sunday, January 31st the NFL Pro Bowl game will be played in South Florida. This is the first time in 30 years that the game will not be held in Hawaii. This is also the first time the game will be played the Sunday before Super Bowl in hopes of garnering more viewers. The original quarterbacks for the game, Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts and Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints will not be playing in Sunday's game because they scheduled to meet in the Super Bowl next week. The Colts and Saints will meet on February 7 in South Florida for Super Bowl XLIV.

The Australian Open is coming to a close this weekend. The Women's singles final will be on early Saturday morning. Serena Williams (1) will be playing the recently returned Justine Henin.
The last time the two met was in 2008 at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, which Serena won 6-2, 6-0. Williams leads the head-to-head series 7-6. Roger Federer (1) will fight for a spot in the finals against Andy Murray (5) on early Friday morning against Jo-Wilfred Tsonga (10). The Men's singles final will air live on Sunday at 3:30 am. Murray is in search of his first grand slam singles title.

WMATA to increase fares on MetroRail, MetroBus

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's board of directors approved a 10-cent fare increase Thursday to cover the agency's fiscal deficit.

Peter Benjamin, chairman of WMATA's Board, stated Thursday that "We heard from our customers that they would rather increase fares than reduce service," adding, " Not a single member of this Board wants to increase fares or decrease service, but we need to take this temporary action to balance the budget this year.”

The new fares will go into effect on March 1st, and will stay at their heightened levels through June 30th. The increase applies to all common fare types, including Regular, Reduced, and Senior/Disabled tickets. Those customers utilizing other ticket types, such as Week Passes and SmartStudent Passes, also face increases of varying amounts.

Facing a $40 million budget shortfall, the public transit authority has taken a number of steps to put itself back in the black. The fare increase will provide a $9.6 million revenue boost to the troubled agency. The WMATA's board hopes that the increase, combined with austerity measures across the organization and a possible $10 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will return the system to a more solid fiscal footing.

CDs and CRs React to President Obama's First State of the Union Address

Almost a year after taking the oath of office, President Obama made his first annual State of the Union Address in front of Congress Wednesday night. Amid 10% unemployment, a struggling healthcare bill, two unpopular wars, and a spiraling deficit, the president took the stage.

After discussing the historical significance of his speech and of the times the American people live in, President Obama got down to business addressing the nation’s faltering economy. He stated that he supported the measures passed at the end of the Bush Administration and early in his term, those of the bailout and stimulus plan, keeping true to his campaign pledge to do the unpopular but necessary, while likening the bailout to “ a root canal.”

Spending a considerable amount of time on his jobs bill and the middle class, Obama presented his small business plan to promote growth through tax credits, eliminating the capital gains tax, and using the repaid TARP funds for lending through community banks.

Obama then proceeded by explaining the need for bills addressing energy independence and climate change, in addition to improvements to our nation’s education system, all of which will promote job growth and keep America ahead of an advancing world, citing India, China, and Germany as potential rivals in these fields.

However, though it was the cornerstone of his agenda through his first year, the president only touched on healthcare, explaining its need and asking members of Congress to “take a second look at the bill.”

GW defeats St. Louis in stunning overtime rally

The GW Colonials men's basketball team rallied tonight in overtime against the St. Louis Billikens, with a final score of 67-62.
Click here to visit our Flickr feed for images from the game!

Joshua King and "Polioptics: Packaged Political Persuasion"

“Chicken or Egg?”

This was the question Joshua King asked of his audience Tuesday night in the Marvin Center Amphitheater as he concluded his presentation entitled “Polioptics: Packaged Political Persuasion.” The event, sponsored by the School of Media and Public Affairs, the Graduate School of Political Management, and the GW College Democrats, focused on King’s experience as a former aide to the Clinton administration. He designed the way in which the president was viewed by the public in any and all realms, from public to private. His presentation touched on how recent presidents, i.e. from Reagan to Obama, and their imagery affect culture and vice versa.

Thus the question: Chicken or Egg? Is it an American obsession with marketing that has changed our culture, or has culture changed how we market aspects of society as important as our government officials? King’s career provided him with an insider perspective of this phenomenon, orchestrating how Clinton was presented to the world. His presentation was filled with literal architectural sketches of presidential events, rallies, meetings with foreign dignitaries, and everything in between. These events were all put together with the knowledge that image can make or break a story - and history.

King showed images and recounted tales of gaffes and epic moments in the past 29 years, from Reagan's walk with Nancy through a cemetery in Normandy to Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” sign declaring the end of combat in Iraq. He brought laughter to the room with anecdotes and images of the past and present, including a screen capture of Obama’s purported "evil eye" from the Drudge Report.

Imagery of the president today means something entirely different from King’s tenure, a point he himself admitted. Mostly, he said, technology has changed our ability to get information and images of the President. But our desire for information on any and all aspects of the President’s life has kept the business of political persuasion afloat.

Now, we can view hundreds of photos of the president throughout his day almost immediately after they’re taken via the Internet. Political imagery today is less packaged than King’s time. Today, the best images are lucky images captured with the simple fortune of being in the right place in the right time. It is these images that ultimately define presidential history.

Watch SOTU Address TONIGHT

President Obama will address both houses of Congress tonight at 9pm; be sure to tune in to hear what he has to say, as a president's State of the Union address is often a good indicator of what his agenda will be in the year ahead.

The GW College Democrats will be hosting a watch party at 8:30pm in the South Hall community room.

The GW College Republicans will be having their watch party at 9pm in Marvin Center room 403.

All of the major television networks will be broadcasting the speech live; you can also watch the address online at whitehouse.gov.

And don't forget to join us live this Sunday, January 31, at noon for analysis of President Obama's first official SOTU address.

Josh Goldstein Running for Executive Vice President?

Sophomore SA Senator Josh Goldstein (CCAS) has all but officially announced his campaign to become the next SA Executive Vice President.  Inside the SA (Logan Dobson) posted this letter that Goldstein allegedly sent to various student organizations, a very clear signal he will be running for EVP.

Dear [Name of student organization],

Hello, my name is Josh Goldstein and I am a Student Association Senator representing the Columbian College. I am reaching out to you because I want to learn more about the student organization that you lead, [name of student organization].  More specifically, I would love the opportunity to sit down with you to learn about the organization, its programming, and to discuss ways that the SA can work with you in the upcoming year. 

I think it is crucial that we get to know each other so that we can work together to help you reach the goals that you have set for your organization and utilize the SA's funds and relationship with the GW Administration to provide a better experience for you and your members.  As an SA Senator, I feel that it is my responsibility work both for you and with you to find ways for the SA to help your organization succeed.  Feel free to contact me via email at XXXXX@.com.  

I hope to hear from you soon and am looking forward to meeting with you.

Sincerely,

Josh

Candidates will begin officially announcing in the next several days.  We'll post all the major candidate announcements or any major rumors that come up, so be on the lookout.

BREAKING: SA Senate Passes LGBT Bills

SA Senator and potential Presidential Candidate Michael Komo received two pieces of good news Tuesday night, as the Senate voted to pass the two LGBT bills he had been championing.

The Senate first passed the 2010 Expanding Academic Opportunities Act, which endorses the creation of an LGBT Studies Minor within CCAS, by a roll-call vote of 23-7.

The Senate later passed the 2010 Equal Housing Opportunity Act, which endorses gender-neutral housing, allowing students to apply for housing with students of the opposite gender if they request one another, by a roll-call vote of 19-11.  The bill had been tabled at last week's meeting.

"I am absolutely elated!  We have been working for months on these initiatives," said Komo after final passage of both bills.  "Our hard was rewarded tonight with the passage of both pieces of legislation. I am beyond happy that we have addressed the concerns of students and have offered positive solutions. The point of the Student Association is to help students in need. We have successfully done that this evening. I am very proud. I look forward to addressing more concerns of the student body at future Senate meetings."

Komo had added an amendment to EHOA during a recess to change the endorsement to a less "widespread" version of gender-neutral housing consisting of a one-year pilot program, with the university deciding at the end of the year whether to keep the program.

Senator Erik Ashida told WRGW News before the meeting that he will be retiring from the SA at the end of the year.  During the thirty-minute debate session before the vote, Ashida said that "the concept [of gender-neutral housing] itself is fundamentally sound," calling it "a sound policy we should endorse."

But Senator Giovanni Tomassi, who voiced opposition to both bills, said EHOA was "too broad" and "has too many flaws."

One of the lighter moments of the debate came when Senator Logan Dobson, talking about the potential costs of instituting campus-wide gender-neutral housing, said that "as a member of housing staff I don't charge by the roommate conflict," eliciting applause from some of his fellow Senators.

Click here to read the liveblog of the meeting.

SA Senate Meeting Liveblog - TONIGHT 9pm - 1/26/10

Former GW Student Charged with Federal Crimes

Four men, including a 2006 GW alumnus, have been arrested for attempting to unlawfully gain entry to Senator Mary Landrieu's (D-LA) New Orleans offices, posing as telephone repairmen, according to a copy of an FBI affidavit unsealed today.

Among those arrested was 24-year-old Stan Dai of Naperville, Illinois, a GW political science major who, according to the GW Alumni Directory, was a member of NROTC and the College Republicans. WRGW has also learned that Dai was assistant editor of the GW Patriot (who, incidentally, penned a piece in 2004 cleverly titled "The Penis Monologues").

Also part of the botched operation was James O'Keefe, the young conservative activist who secretly videotaped an ACORN office posing as a pimp in August of 2008. O'Keefe's footage was seminal in ultimately compelling Congress to revoke ACORN's federal funding.

According to the affidavit, two of the men - Joseph Basel and Robert Flanagan - entered Landrieu's offices wearing fluorescent vests, denim pants, blue work shirts, tool belts and hard hats. They then gained access to an electrical closet and attempted to manipulate the phone lines. All four were later apprehended by U.S. Marshals after failing to show proper identification.

The group is charged with entering federal property under false pretenses. They could each face up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, if convicted.

According to reports by Gawker.com, Dai was also head of GW's Conservative Student Union and was quoted in a 2004 article supporting a group of pro-life activists who disrupted a John Kerry campaign rally.

He was the recipient of a scholarship from the conservative Phillips Foundation and is an assistant director at Trinity Washington University's Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence.

WRGW's Simon Hernandez-Arthur contributed to this report. 

DEVELOPING: METRO Workers Struck in Fatal Accident

Two Metro workers were struck and killed by heavy track equipment near the Rockville station early Tuesday morning, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced today.

The Metro employees, both males, were working along a stretch of track in the direction of Shady Grove shortly before 2 a.m. when they were struck and killed by a prime mover (a diesel-powered vehicle used to transport heavy materials).

The deceased will remain unnamed until the families are notified.

Travelers can expect delays along Red Line routes while the investigation continues. Red Line trains will operate between Glenmont and Twinbrook stations. Metro will provide free shuttle service to transport passengers between Shady Grove, Rockville and Twinbrook stations.

D.C. Council proposes legalization of medical marijuana

D.C. City Council member David Catania proposed a bill to legalize medical marijuana in D.C. on Tuesday January 19^th. The bill was co-sponsored by nine out of the thirteen other council members.

The drug will be given only to chronically ill patients or registered caregivers in order to ease the symptoms of serious illness. The proposal allows the Department of Health to regulate how the policy would be implemented; including the conditions for which the drug can be prescribed.

The legislation also declares that medical cannabis would only be available from five dispensaries in Washington, each located at least 1,000 feet away from schools.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in fourteen states. One of the biggest challenges for D.C. is where to grow the drug because it is illegal to ship across Virginia or Maryland’s borders.

WRGW News Poll Released - January 25, 2010

The latest WRGW News poll shows that SA Executive Vice-President Jason Lifton is the favorite in the upcoming SA Presidential election - only if Senator Logan Dobson stays out of the race.  Lifton only leads Dobson 19.5% to 17%, with Senator Michael Komo pulling in 12% of the vote.

However, if Dobson chooses not to run, Lifton beats Komo 27% to 16%.

There is a wide disparity in terms of who males and females support.  With Dobson in the race,  he leads among males while Lifton leads among females.  With Dobson out of the race,  Lifton has a large lead among males, however he has a slimmer lead over Komo among females.

It is important to note that a majority of the 231 undergraduate students who completed the survey either did not recognize the potential candidates or (even more likely) do not intend to vote in the election, helping to explaining the low numbers of support in the horserace matchups, and indicates name recognition is a considerable factor in the results.   Also, all the candidates on the survey - Jason Lifton, Michael Komo, Logan Dobson, and Dylan F. Pyne have not announced any intention of running for SA President as of January 25, 2010.  The horserace matchups were purely speculative.

In terms of the current standing of the SA, President Julie Bindelglass recieved favorable marks from 21% of those surveyed, while 22% gave her negative marks, and the rest were undecided.

When asked "Do you think the Student Association effectively represents the interests of the student body?" only 22% of those surveyed agreed, while 43% responded that the SA did not represent their interests.

Here are the results of the poll:

231 Respondents 
Margin of Error = +/- 5.4%


SA President (with Dobson)
Jason Lifton  19.5%
Logan Dobson  17%
Michael Komo  12%
Dylan F. Pyne  3%

SA President (without Dobson)
Jason Lifton  27%
Michael Komo  16%
Dylan Pyne  4.5%

Bindelglass Job Approval
Disapprove  22%
Approve  21%

Does SA represent the interests of students?
No  43%
Yes  22%

Thomas Friedman Speaks to GW Students

Three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, New York Times columnist and bestselling author Thomas Friedman spoke frankly to GW students last Thursday as a bookend to the class of 2013's summer reading program, a discussion on Friedman's book Hot, Flat, and Crowded.

A mostly-full Lisner Auditorium listened attentively as Friedman expanded upon themes originally introduced in his bestseller, promoting a "green revolution" and using the innovation in green energy to reassert American economic dominance. However, the lecture came with a twist; Friedman noted that the first edition of his book was published a week before the collapse of the investment bank Lehman Brothers, an event that cascaded into the current economic troubles the United States is facing today. He argued that the "Great Recession" is not just an economic event, but a signal that the world was growing in a broadly unsustainable fashion, accusing society of pursuing "situational values, not sustainable values."

In response, Friedman has released a second edition of his book which addresses climate change in the context of the economic crisis. In a similar vein as investment banks being saved by taxpayer money after reaping massive profits, he claims, the US approaches the environment with the same "faulty accounting" that socializes risk and privatizes profit. In order to ensure corporations pay the full cost of their pollution, Friedman called for a price on carbon, through either a carbon tax or the cap-and-trade system currently being considered by Congress.

Welcome to the new WRGW News

If you've never visited our site before, you might have noticed we've made a lot of major changes.  We've spent the past two months working on a brand new site that is intuitive and attractive, and we're excited to share the final result with you.

If you've regularly followed our news blog you're probably shocked to see the dramatic change of appearance (in a good way, hopefully).  The new website gives us a a better medium to share more breaking campus news stories, exclusives, feature stories, and editorials.

We'll give you a little walkthrough that covers the new features and layout of the new site.

1. New Logo - We went for a more modern, iconic logo, with obvious attention paid to the colors of the words in WRGW News.

2. Animated Headlines - On every page, you'll see an animated graphic that shows you the tops stories of the day along with a little blurb about it.  Clicking on the title takes you right to the story.

3. Featured Content - On the right hand side of the site you'll see the"Featured Content" and "Flickr Stream"sections where we'll post all the latest videos, Flickr galleries, sound bites, and pictures that showcase the latest news and stories on the site.  We're making a big push to go beyond simply written content and focus more on visuals and audio for a more unique way to get your news and analysis.

GW Colonials Fall to Richmond Spiders, 62-57

The GW Colonials basketball team fell to the Richmond Spiders in the final minute of a close game this Saturday, January 23rd. Tied at 57 with 30 seconds left, Richmond's Ryan Butler hit a three-pointer. An attempted 2 point rally by Damian Hollis went sour after Hollis fouled Richmond's Kevin Anderson at 4 seconds. Anderson sunk his two free throws, leaving GW fans disappointed with a final score of 62-57.

Click above to see pictures of the game on WRGW News' Flickr stream!

Educate Lanka Foundation Seeks to Raise Funds

The country of Sri Lanka has undergone many changes over the past decade, including a tsunami in 2004 and a thirty-year Civil War that ended last May. The Educate Lanka Foundation (ELF) is hoping to raise money to help students whose lives have been affected by these events.

ELF is a 501 C 3 charity based in the Greater Washington Area. According to Chamari De Silva, the organization "gives scholarships to underprivileged, yet deserving students in Sri Lanka, my home country."

"As time goes on, many people are quick to forget that there are people still struggling and trying to make ends meet," said De Silva.

ELF is made up of about 50 volunteers who spend their nights and weekends dedicating their efforts to the cause, which De Silva said is "near and dear to our hearts."

"Chase Bank is donating $1 million to the charity that gets the most votes on Facebook by this Friday, January 22, at midnight. If we can get in the top 5, then we can get $100,000," said De Silva. "Currently we are number 27 and have a long way to go but we are determined and optimistic!"

WRGW News hosted an interview with ELF on Thursday night's News at Six.

For more information, visit EducateLanka.org.

Allied In Pride President Michael Komo Responds to the Meghan McCain Controversy

It was supposed to have been a Meghan McCain speaking event sponsored by Allied In Pride, College Republicans and the Graduate School of Political Management.  However, controversy was ignited this week as the GW College Republicans have accused Allied In Pride President Michael Komo of misleading them by not mentioning McCain would be speaking in favor of gay marriage.

This ignited a firestorm in which McCain posted on her twitter page that she had been "uninvited" by GW. However, only the CR's pulled their sponsorship of the event, and it is still scheduled for February 9th.

The following is a press release Michael Komo sent WRGW News, who wanted a chance to clarify his version of the events:

This past week the facts about the preparation for the upcoming Meghan McCain event at The George Washington University have been misrepresented.

Three GW organizations, Allied in Pride, The Graduate School of Political Management Student Association, and Program Board, have been planning Ms. McCain's appearance since summer 2009.  All three organizations are non-partisan and are elated for the opportunity to have Ms. McCain speak at GW.

Sports Update

On Saturday GW’s men’s basketball team hosts the Richmond Spiders (14-6). The Colonials will try to snap their 3-game losing streak. On Wednesday, GW fell to Dayton, scoring only 51 points. This is the lowest amount of points scored by the team this season. Freshmen Lasan Kromah led the Colonials with 14 points.Saturday’s game will start at 2:00pm at the Smith Center, and you can always tune to gwradio.com for live coverage of the game.

The Washington Wizards (14-27) will be home for their next two games. On Friday night, Dwayne Wade comes to town as the Wizards take on the Miami Heat (21-20). Tip-off is at7:00pm. Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers (19-22) starts at1:00pm.

On Thursday night, the Washington Capitals (32-12) took on the Pittsburgh Penguins (31-20) at the Mellon Arena. This was the first match-up between the two teams since theplayoffs last year. The Capitals beat the Penguins by the score of 6-3. The Caps have now won 5 games in a row. Alex Ovechkin scored two of the goals Thursday night. Mike Knuble, Eric Fehr, Tomas Fleischmann, and Niklas Backstromeach added a goal. For the Penguins, Sidney Crosby, Nick Johnson, and Kris Letang scored. On Saturday night, the Caps will be back home to play the Phoenix Coyotes (28-17). The puck drops at 7:00pm at the Verizon Center.

College Students Respond to Haiti Earthquake

Yesterday was the one week anniversary of the 7.0 earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince. Since the quake, GW students and college students across the country have expressed concern and become involved in the rescue efforts in a variety of ways, from text messaging to collecting donations.

A few days after the earthquake hit, President Steven Knapp sent a letter to the GW community offering support for Haiti and guidance for those who want to assist the relief effort. Although it has been confirmed that no GWU students or employees were in Haiti at the time, members of the GW community with family in the recovering country are encouraging students to become involved.

“I think that all students should care regardless of if you're Haitian or know Haitians,” says Malaika Benjamin, a sophomore at GWU. “As a human being you should want to give to the people by whatever means necessary. Anyone has the chance to make a difference, especially in this situation.”

The BUZZ: January 20, 2010 - SA EDITION

A couple of important SA news bits:

-WRGW News is conducting a poll that surveys people on their attitudes towards the Student Association and polls hypothetical SA presidential horse races.  So far in the small portion of surveys we've looked at, there are definitely some surprises and trends appearing. Be on the lookout for the polls later this weekend or early next week.

-The SA Senate decided to table the gender neutral housing bill, effectively holding it off until it is reintroduced.  However, the body will meet again next Tuesday to vote on the LGBT minor bill (and most likely the gender neutral housing bill too).  Be sure to check out the liveblog.

-One of the controversies surrounding the gender neutral housing bill was Michael Komo's speech to the RHA general assembly on Monday. One member of the RHA general assembly who spoke during the public comments session of the meeting, freshman Ted Dooley stated that Komo had misled him and the body in the Monday meeting.  I emailed RHA President Jess Yager about this and she responded,

I do not believe that Michael Komo misled RHA in any way. He was present at the meeting because of his knowledge of gender neutral housing gained from researching and preparing for the Senate bill. Michael gave a brief introduction of the topic and then took a seat with the General Body members. The floor was opened for questions and opinions which were addressed by RHA Executive Board members. Michael was fair in his statements and his dealings with RHA.

This may have been a large factor in the vocal opposition to the bill that led to its tabling.  Regardless, it looks like Komo has a lot of work to do to salvage the bills next week.

-Among the visibly upset that the SA decided to vote to table the bill (rather than give it a 'yes' or 'no' vote) were EVP Jason Lifton, and senators Erik Ashida and Michael Komo.  Instead of actually voting on bills this year, the SA has managed to "table" a good number of them, effectively waffling on many important issues that come before them.  One senator said something along the lines of "we have taxis to take and metro rides to make back home" as the meeting reached 11p.m. (after starting at 9 p.m.).  This is a shameful excuse to table bills and create additional meetings, and it's disturbing it has become a popular trend in the Senate.

-At the meeting, several people spoke about the gender neutral housing bill during public comments, with a majority in favor of it.

SA Senate Meeting Liveblogging - TONIGHT 9pm - 1/19/10

Join us tonight for a liveblog of the SA Meeting at 9:00 p.m.  The main agenda for the night will be 2 votes on Michael Komo's LGBT bills that endorse both gender neutral housing and a LGBT studies minor.

Coming Up on News in Depth: Boston Globe Columnist Joan Vennochi

EXCLUSIVE: Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Joan Vennochi of the Boston Globe will join WRGW's Jared Pliner THIS SUNDAY on "News in Depth" with post-election analysis of the contentious Massachusetts Senate race.

Formerly City Hall bureau chief and State House bureau chief, Vennochi writes about local and national politics and covers issues relating to business, law and culture.

Be sure to tune in THIS SUNDAY from 12 p.m. to 12:40 p.m. right here on GW Radio!

Media Tycoon Rupert Murdoch to Appear on "Kalb Report"

Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of News Corporation, will join veteran journalist Marvin Kalb at the National Press Club for a discussion on new media, GW's Global Media Institute announced today.

The program will tape Tuesday, February 9th at 8:00 p.m. and is produced by GW's Global Media Institute, Harvard University's Joan Shorenstein Center and the National Press Club. 

Guests are advised to arrive by 7:30 p.m. and be seated by 7:45 p.m for the start of the program. 

For free tickets, visit www.kalb.gwu.edu/tickets. The Kalb Report is made possibly by a grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.

MLK Day of Service 2010 aids DC, volunteer hours

Today's holiday provided GW students with a day free from classes. With their free time, many students chose to participate in service events across the District. The Office of Community Service provided sign-ups for events as close as New Hampshire Avenue and as far as Falls Church, Virginia. On New Hampshire Avenue, students and other DC residents served food at Martha's Kitchen, a soup kitchen attached to the Western Presbyterian Church. In Falls Church, the Ronald McDonald House Charities sponsored a home makeover and more food service opportunities.

The Office of Community Service had 500 spots available for volunteers, and 488 were filled according the OCS website. GW is well on its way to reaching the 100,000 hour volunteering goal set by First Lady Michelle Obama, who has promised to speak at the 2010 Commencement ceremonies if the students reach that mark.

Above: Volunteers from MLK Day of Service 2009, via a link from the OCS website

DEVELOPING: Some Snow Expected for Tomorrow's MA Senate Election

Mostly cloudy skies with a round of snow showers during the afternoon and evening hours is being forecasted for tomorrow's special election in Massachusetts to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat, according to Boston's NBC affiliate, WHDH. 

Some analysts have suggested that a poor voter turnout tomorrow may lock-in Republican State Senator Scott Brown to replace U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who succumbed to brain cancer in late August. 

1 to 2 inches of snow could fall, with temperatures in the mid 30s expected. This morning, heavy rains lashed southeast Massachusetts and wet snow accumulated north of Boston. Winds gusted up to 60 miles per hour in some locations and delayed arriving flights at Logan Airport. 

 

Brown has been locked in a contentious nail-biter with Democratic Attorney General Martha Coakley. Coakley, who has enjoyed statewide prominence and popularity, had been up by roughly 30 percentage points over Brown when she emerged from the Democratic primary just weeks ago. But her failure to connect with Massachusetts voters face-to-face, coupled with Brown's breakneck campaign style, obliterated what was once a "shoo-in" for the attorney general. 

Now, various polling shows Brown leading by as much as 10 percentage points. Closer estimates have the two candidates in a dead heat entering tomorrow's election. 

Coakley spent the weekend campaigning with former President Bill Clinton on Friday and at a Northeastern University rally with President Barack Obama on Sunday. 

BREAKING: JEC Releases SA Election Dates

The 2010 Student Association general election will take place on February 24th, the GW Joint Elections Commission announced today. 

Below are relevant dates for the upcoming cycle: 

Registration period: Feb. 8th and 9th

Candidate’s meeting: Feb. 12th, time to be determined

Postering day and beginning of campaign period: Feb. 16th, 7 a.m.

General election: Feb. 24th and 25th, 9 a.m.–9 p.m.

Runoff election: March 10th and 11th, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. (if necessary)

The JEC is an independent body charged with overseeing all SA elections. 

University Prepares for Thomas Friedman

In preparation for the much-anticipated lecture and discussion with Thomas L. Friedman (New York Times columnist and author of Hot, Flat, and Crowded), the GW School of Business hosted a panel discussion for first year undergraduate business students.

The panel was moderated by Mark Starik—the Director of the GW Institute for Sustainability Research, Education, & Policy—and featured three professionals that work in the area of sustainability. The book Hot, Flat and Crowded (which was the freshmen recommended summer reading) was discussed in-depth.

Starik suggested other books focused on sustainability for students who want to further their knowledge, including the books Plan B 4.0, Green to Gold and Fostering Sustainable Behavior.

Tickets for the lecture and discussion with Tom Friedman are sold out. The event will take place in Lisner Auditorium on Thursday night at 7:30. WRGW will be in attendance and give our online readers and broadcast listeners the highlights of the night.

The BUZZ: January 16, 2010

-The Student Association will be voting on 2 major bills this Tuesday.  One endorses gender neutral housing and the other endorses a LGBT studies minor.  Both are non-binding and would need University approval to be implemented.  Both have been introduced by SA Senator Michael Komo (UG-CCAS).  We'll liveblog the meeting starting at 9 p.m.

-Speaking of Michael Komo, all signs point to him running for SA President next month.  Expect to hear his name a lot the next several weeks.

-As the world community helps to clean up the disaster in Haiti, please take the time to donate for the disaster relief.  You can donate $10 by texting 'Haiti' to 90999 on your cell phone.

-The Massachusetts Senate race is heating up.  Democratic nominee Martha Coakley just called former Red Sox great Curt Schilling "a Yankees fan."  Ouch.

Dance Groups Represent at Event

On Friday, January 15th, five student dance groups performed at Lisner Auditorium for a chance to be recognized as GW's best dance group. The event, entitled, "Represent," hosted by Class Council, featured the Persian/Arab fusion dance group, Aatash; Indian Raas dance group, GW Raas; Bhangra dance group, GW Bhangra; hip hop dance group, Capital Funk, and classical dance group, GW Balance. The event was opened by a short dance piece by several members of GW's Greek community. Quickly afterward, the dance groups took stage, each performing up to 8 minutes, until the last group had gotten off stage.

BREAKING: Meghan McCain Coming to GW

Meghan McCain, GOP pundit and daughter of Senator John McCain (R-AZ), announced on her Twitter page Thursday that she will be the featured speaker at GW's "Marriage Equality Week" in February.

"Yes, I am the keynote speaker at George Washington University's 'Marriage Equality Week' next month. Can't wait, very honored to be asked," McCain posted earlier today.

McCain drew attention following the 2008 presidential campaign for her often frank analysis on reforming the GOP and a scantily-clad Twitter photo earlier this year.

WRGW's Jill Plevinsky contributed to this breaking report.

Massachusetts Senate Race Tightens: the College Democrats and College Republicans React

The late Ted Kennedy was a symbol of liberalism in the state of Massachusetts.  When Attorney General Martha Coakley handily won the Democratic primary last month, polls showed her leading the Republican nominee, Massachusetts State Senator Scott Brown, by over 30 percentage points, and all analysts predicted she would cruise to a victory on January 19.

Flash forward to the second week of January, and recent polls show the race has dramatically tightened.  It all began with a January 4th Rasmussen Reports poll which showed Brown trailing by only 9 points, which many pundits initially saw a merely an outlier.  However in the past week, one Democratic pollster actually had Brown leading Coakley by 1 point, and Rasmussen Reports now has Coakley leading by only 2 points, 49% to 47%.

In response to recent polls which show a dramatic shift in the race, College Democrats Communications Director Michael Garber stated, "polls and reality are often quite different.  We are confident that Coakley will pull off a strong win on election day and will be the next in line of great senators from Massachusetts."

DEVELOPING: SA Student Life Committee Passes Key LGBT Legislation

On Tuesday night, the Student Association Senate Committee on Student Life, led by Chairman Michael Komo, voted in favor of two LGBT-related bills: the first, the 2010 Equal Housing Opportunity Act (EHOA), allows students to apply for gender-neutral housing, and the second, the 2010 Expanding Academic Opportunities Act (EAOA), calls for the creation of an LGBT Studies Minor in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.

Both bills were passed 7-1.

“I am absolutely elated that the Student Life Committee has passed both pieces of legislation,” said Komo, who is also the President of Allied in Pride, after the vote.  “Various student groups and organizations at GW have been working vigorously on these initiatives all year.  I think the enthusiasm from the student body has carried over to the Student Life Committee.”

The two bills will now go before the full Senate, where they will be voted on this coming Tuesday at 9pm in Marvin Center room 405.

Asked if he thinks the bills will pass the Senate, Komo said he is “anticipating a positive reaction from the Senate as a whole.”

“The Senate has been receiving updates on these initiatives since the beginning of last fall and has been receptive to the ideas,” he said.  “I am optimistic that the Senate will vote in favor of equality and will pass these two pieces of legislation next Tuesday.”

Student Health Services to Offer Free Flu and H1N1 Vaccines

The GW Health Service, as part of National Influenza Vaccination Week, will be offering free seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines from Monday, January 11 through Friday January 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The vaccines will be available in nasal mist and shot forms.  Supplies are limited and will be available to all student, faculty, and staff with a GWorld on a first-come first-serve basis.

SHS is located at 2141 K St, NW, Suite 501.

BREAKING NEWS: GW to Host Obama Campaign Manager David Plouffe

GW's Graduate School of Political Management will host David Plouffe, Barack Obama's campaign manager and chief strategist on Tuesday, January 19, the University announced today.

Moderated by Huffington Post White House correspondent Sam Stein, the discussion will be held at 1957 E Street Room 113 from 7 to 9 p.m. and is co-sponsored by the Progressive Book Club.

Plouffe will discuss his recent book "The Audacity Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory," which features an inside look into the campaign that forever changed American politics.

To attend the event as a guest, visit: www.progressivebookclub.com.  To view the event live on the internet, visit http://www.gspm.org.