BREAKING: Michael Bloomberg, NYC Mayor, to be Commencement Speaker

GW Today is reporting today that GW has officially announced that Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City, will be the commencement speaker for the graduating class of 2011.

According to the press release, Mayor Bloomberg will be awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Public Service before an assembled crowd of 25,000 graduates and guests in May.

Mayor Bloomberg earned a Bachelor of Science from Johns Hopkins University and his M.B.A. from Harvard University.


Developing...

WRGW News Midterm Election Polls

On November 2^nd millions of Americans will go to the polls to cast their ballots in the 2010 Midterm Elections. For students here at the George Washington University, however, many have and will be mailing out absentee ballots. Over the course of the week beginning Sunday October 24^th, WRGW News conducted an unscientific poll of students here on campus, tabulating their opinions and how they will be voting in the upcoming election.

The surveys were dispersed among all undergraduate students, 169 in total, and of those students, 51 percent identified themselves as Democrats, 15 percent consider themselves Republicans, while 34 percent are independent, nonaligned, or none-of-the-above.

Much has been made recently about an enthusiasm gap among Democrats and Republicans. Our polling shows that 80 percent of Republicans will be voting, with the Democrats trail five points behind at 75 percent. Interestingly, only 60 percent of Independent voters will be casting ballots.

Party loyalty remains strong; 98 percent of Democrats will be casting a ballot for their party, while 95 percent of Republicans will remain loyal too.

The most telling results, however, comes from the Independent voters. While, Democrats have a modest lead, yielding 35 percent of Independent support to 27 percent for the Republican Party, 38 percent of support will go to a third party candidate.

Polling was conducted October 24-28. Of the 169 students polled, there were 51 freshman, 53 sophomores, 37 juniors, and 28 seniors. This poll was conducted by WRGW News associates Jeff Jacobson and Michael Fische, with assistance from WRGW News associate Ahna Olson, and GW Mitchell Hall resident Erika Grohoski.

Public Transit Advocate Calls for Second Foggy Bottom Metro Entrance

Source: WMATA

Highly influential DC Transit advocate David Alpert, Editor-in-chief of the popular transit blog Greater Greater Washington, has called for a second entrance to the Foggy Bottom Metro station to be built at the corner of 22nd and I Streets.

The construction of GW's new Science and Engineering Complex on the adjacent block provides GWU with an opportunity to begin construction on the potential mezzanine of the new entrance, says Alpert, as plans for the new building already require digging down several stories. In addition, GWU has already agreed to reserve the location of the current women studies building for a second entrance when Square 77 (the block on which Rome, Phillips, and Smith Halls now stand) is eventually redeveloped.

Alpert notes that overcrowding at the Foggy Bottom station is an important issue when considering GWU's continued growth.  The station is the busiest in the system with only a single mezzanine, and plans already exist to add an additional entrance to Rosslyn, the second-busiest in the category.

With a stretched budget and a host of other capital projects on its plate, WMATA is unlikely to find public funding for the additional entrance, a problem that Alpert suggests could be solved by seeking money from the developer, GWU.  Whether or not the university would be open this additional expense, however, has yet to be seen.

More information on WMATA's 2007 study on a second entrance can be found here.

President Knapp Holds Office Hours

On Tuesday, October 19^th, President Steven Knapp held a second session of office hours this year at his office in Rice Hall. Several students arranged a ten-minute appointment with the Office of the Dean of Students in order to address general, as well as personal, concerns from a student or group of students.

President Knapp has several objectives to holding the office hours.

“[Office hours] offer an opportunity to talk to students one-on-one in ways that are very different from a setting where I’m meeting with a large group or at a reception,” Knapp said. Knapp called the office hours a “two-way streak,” saying they give him “feedback and guidance” on the university’s operations and additionally allow a student’s specific questions or concerns to be resolved quickly. Since taking the position of president of the university, Knapp has increased the number of office hours he has held during the academic year by holding office hours during the summer season.

Students offered suggestions and concerns about 4-Ride, EMeRG, the undergraduate law review and a student-run Haiti project. Knapp recalls hearing concerns about student art programs during office hours in his early years at the university, which later evolved into an entire arts center in West Hall. Knapp also hears about concerns through the Student Association (SA) by meeting with SA President Jason Lifton and SA Vice President Rob Maxim on a “regular basis.”

“Office hours have been a real resource [to my office], and expanding the number of office hours was a good decision,” Knapp said.

President Knapp will be holding office hours Wednesday, November 10^th from 3:30pm to 4:30pm and Wednesday, December 8^th from 10:00am to 11:00am. Students can sign up at the Office of the Dean of Students in Rice Hall, Suite 401. For more information, call the Office of the Dean of Students at (202) 994-6710.

BREAKING: Tornado Watch issued for DC

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Washington, D.C. and the surrounding counties in anticipation of severe storms forecast for later tonight.  The alert, issued by the weather service at 8:09pm, was sent out across D.C.'s emergency alert system twenty minutes later.

D.C.'s emergency management agency has said the watch will be in effect from 10pm tonight until 3am tomorrow morning.  This is in addition to the Special Weather Statement issued by the National Weather Service earlier this afternoon which warned of the possibility of storms with potentially damaging winds striking the city as late as 4pm Wednesday.

A tornado watch, unlike a tornado warning, is a bulletin advising the public that the conditions amicable for the appearance of tornadoes exist.  Warnings are issued in the event that a tornado's existence is confirms.

Stay with WRGW for the latest.

GW Residence Halls Implementing Solar Power

On Monday, GW announced its plan to have solar thermal systems implemented in three residence halls this year. The systems work by converting sunlight into thermal energy which is sent to a hot water tank pumped out to be used by residents of the building.

This initiative, part of GW's 2010 Climate Action Plan, will make the university the largest source of on-site solar power in the district.

Skyline, a local solar energy company, is covering the costs and doing the installation after which GW will pay Skyline for the hotwater the systems produce. The system will be installed in Building JJ this semester and Ivory Tower and 1959 E Street this spring.

The systems will reduce approximately 70 tons of carbon annually, which is equal to planting 70 trees every year.

Three Professors Mark The Return of The Jenny 2 Readings

George Washington began its Jenny 2 readings with fantastic start on Wednesday, having three professors read their poetry for a crowd of students. The Jenny 2 readings are a program by the English department intent on sponsoring local writers, including GW part time and full time faculty. It's part of the Jenny McKean Moore Endowment which underwrites a variety of creative writing programing including the upcoming reading by Howard Norman next Thursday.

Daniel Saalfeld,Fulbright Scholar recipient and professor of English 081 Creative Writing, began the readings with poems from his manuscript "Sweet Tooth". His poems switched between modern views of the East Coast and Mid West, one poem describing going to see the local cherry blossoms, and another describing shooting cans behind a barn. One of the most distinctive poems he read was "Snake Meat," which involved the systematic gutting and cooking of pig, using gore and rich imagery to capture the scene. Much of his poetry was highly sexual and personal which contrasted with his solemn reading voice, which in some cases created an ironic tone. Quickly, Saalfeld's twenty minutes drew to close, and he left the podium backed by the polite applause of the audience.

Following Daniel was another professor of English 081, Lara Payne, who came equipped with not just poetry but her baby girl, who started the reading in the room but soon had to leave. Lara read poetry from her own manuscript (the title of which will either be "Honey Crisp" or "Seasoned Lite") including the recently published poem "Six Months of the Museum". Payne's poetry emphasized heartbreak, especially in "Summers Leavings", but her poetry also branched into Greek Mythology with "The One With Violets In Her Lap", discussing Persephone and the coming of spring. Though she was worried that her recent hearing issues (from being sick) may have muted her speaking voice, she delivered all of her poems with steady tone. She ended her reading with "Sweet Bitter Creature", a possible nod at her baby juxtaposing with the cold of winter to the warmth of a home and the cooking inside.

The final reader was Fred Pollack, the writer of two book length poems and professor George Washington's English 104 Poetry Writing class. He began his reading with poems relating to both the recent Glenn Beck Rally, a Russian factory, and college applications. However, how he truly made himself memorable was with his six part poem "These Conditions" which discussed everything from the suicide of a bullied teen to comparing the humanities department to the rust belt. His surprisingly strong and energetic voice captured the audience and held the rooms attention, until he read the final line and marked the close of the night.

Links For Life Luncheon Series

This past Tuesday afternoon, undergraduate students from the Business School put on their best suits to attend a luncheon with alumni. Hosted by the GWSB Alumni office, the Links for Life Luncheon series is an event that takes place once a semester for students to get a taste of the work world, utilizing the skills they have learned in the classroom such as the 30-second "elevator speech," business function etiquette, and networking.

"The luncheon is a great event for our students and alumni to connect over informal conversation," said Leah Kuppersmith, Associate Director of School Alumni Programs for the Business School. "It gives students an opportunity to get insight into a career they might be interested in pursuing and it is an opportunity for alumni to hear about what's happening in the school today."

Many of the students that attended the event had been to a luncheon last year or had heard great things from their classmates. "It is a great opportunity for networking," said Christine Healy, sophomore in the business school. "These sort of events open up my eyes to different concentrations within the business school"

Students must pre-register for the event and indicate their field of interest, students are then seated at a table that is hosted by an alumnus in that field of business. Many students keep in contact with the alumni long after the luncheon is over, keeping in touch through e-mail and other alumni events.

"I really enjoy being a mentor for business students because I know it can be scary being an undergraduate student and not knowing what to expect when you graduate," said Lauren Rurak (BBA '07), account manager at the Borenstein group, a marketing firm that is located in Reston, Va. "I didn't take full advantage of the resources offered when I was here, but the business school had prepared me through out my four years when it came to thinking about the future, resume writing and my job search. I really want to give back to the school that has helped me to get to where I am today."

For more information on working with GW Alumni, go to alumni.gwu.edu or join the LinkedIn alumni group.

Politics with James Reed: Republicans Weigh In on Obama Town Halls and O’Donnell

Disclaimer: Opinions stated herein belong to the individuals, and do not reflect the opinions of WRGW News or WRGW.

On Thursday, I had the pleasure of interviewing Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) at the Fourth Estate Dinner, hosted by the National Press Club. On Saturday morning, I briefly interviewed Ken Buck, the Republican Senatorial nominee for Colorado at a luncheon hosted by the GW College Republicans.

Regarding President Obama's recent town hall held at GW and its effect on the November general election:

“Obviously, it is an effort by the President to energize the youth vote,” Graham said. Graham attributed the youth vote to Obama’s victory in 2008. He also said that the youth have become “disillusioned” by the agenda of the Democratic Party, the “Obama spending machine,” and the expansion of government. As a result, Graham said, the youth are having “second thoughts” on the Democratic agenda pushed by the President.

On the other hand, Buck spoke positively on Obama’s town halls, saying, “Anytime President Obama opens his mouth, Republicans gain votes.” Buck welcomed Obama to Colorado in hopes of lowering his credibility and approval rating.

Fallon Amuses College Students and Parents Alike

Students and parents alike laughed and enjoyed Jimmy Fallon as he headlined the GW Colonials Weekend presentation Saturday night. The comedian and host of “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,” entertained the audience with an array of media, from stand-up to music.

“I am so excited to rock out,” he said before the show. “I’m just psyched, I want to get out there and do it up.”

Before his debut, Wayne Federman, comedian, songwriter and actor on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” amused the crowd with a similar, multifaceted skit. While incorporating his piano skills, he sang songs that poked fun at artists from the modern day back to Beethoven.

When it was Fallon’s turn on stage, no topic was left unchecked: from warning parents about the dangers of Super Soaker water guns; to remixing MC Hammer songs; to convincing Wolf Blitzer, who was in the audience at the time, to sing “balls” on stage.

“I just said balls,” the CNN reporter joked afterward. “They have footballs, basketballs and many kind of balls.”

Along with his GW-tailored content, Fallon also entertained the GW community with some of his famous songs such as Idiot Boyfriend, Cougar Huntin', and Car Wash for Peace. Also on his musical agenda was a list of songs he remixed to “go green” such as Bring Your Bottles Back - a satire of Justin Timberlake’s song Sexy Back.

President Knapp, who helped sign Fallon for the event, was very impressed with the performer. “He was a talented guy and I think he really connected with the audience,” he said.

Schieffer Honored at National Press Club

The National Press Club honored Bob Schieffer at the 38th Annual Forth Estate Award Dinner Friday. Schieffer, host of Face the Nation and former host of the CBS Evening News, has won seven Emmy Awards and has been inducted into the Broadcasting/Cable Hall of Fame. The event featured a reception, dinner, and a roast featuring Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), former Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA), and CBS News President Sean McManus.

Alan Bjerga, President of the North American Agricultural Journalists and President of the National Press Club, emceed the event. Although the event was a black-tie optional, many guests dressed in western attire at the request of Schieffer, given that he was born and raised in Texas. Past Forth Estate Award winners were in attendance, including Helen Thomas, former member of the White House Press Corps, and Christiane Amanpour, anchor of ABC News’s This Week.

Senator Graham spoke highly of Schieffer and his style of reporting. Graham was surprised that out of all the Republican senators, he was chosen. “He could have chosen out of a group of talented individuals but he chose me,” Graham said. He also took a jab at his colleague, former Senator Nunn, saying that since Schieffer chose him “shows the current state of the Democratic Party”. Graham praised Scheffer for his years of broadcasting by reporting the news in a personal perspective.

In a personal interview with Schieffer after the event, he gave a word of advice to aspiring journalists. “[Journalism] is the best way to spend your life. It is fun. It’s good work and you can really make a difference.”

Chairman Gray Talks to Ward 2, Emphasizes Education Reform, Praises Chancellor Rhee

Democratic Party nominee for Mayor, and current Chairman of the City Council, Vincent Gray, spoke at a Ward 2 town hall at the Foundry United Methodist Church Thursday night as part of a series of public meetings his campaign is conducting across the district.

Introduced by Ward 2 Councilman, and chairperson pro tempore of the council, Jack Evans, Mr. Gray focused his remarks on education, emphasizing the progress made by outgoing school’s chancellor Michelle Rhee, and laying out his plan for success in other areas.

“I am as fervently committed to education reform as anyone in the city,” Gray declared, adding that he thought Ms. Rhee would always “do the best things we could.”

He praised the completion of universal pre-kindergarten services four years ahead of schedule, and stated that he believes it’s important to start education at an earlier age, even as young as six months.

Mr. Gray also signaled his support for the charter school program in the city.

“We have the most robust charter school movement in the nation,” he said, explaining that the 57 schools “make the public schools better.”

There are vast problems, however, that Mr. Gray declared he would work toward solving.

Board of Trustees Approves Science and Engineering Complex Construction

The GW Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to construct a new $275 million Science and Engineering complex on the Foggy Bottom campus.  The decision to build the controversial 8-story, 400,000 sq. ft. building brings to a close a 4-year planning process that often raised questions about the identity of the University, which has traditionally been know for its International Relations, Political Science, and International Business programs.

W. Russell Ramsey, Chairman of the Board of trustees, recognized that the construction of the complex is part of a transformation for the university into a primary hub of research in the nation's capital.  University President Steven Knapp also applauded the decision, describing the expansion of the University's science and engineering programs as a "milestone in the step to becoming a world-class research university."

Guide to Colonials Weekend 2010

It's that time of year again: the leaves are changing, midterms are in full swing and parents are coming to campus to visit for the annual GW Colonials Weekend. This year the university has planned more events than ever before, here are just a few of the highlights you don't want to miss:

• Colonials Invasion: On Friday night, the Smith Center will be filled with live music, giveaways, and performances to celebrate the start of the basketball season.
• Acapellapalooza: Come see all of GW's acappella groups perform in this annual charity concert on Friday night at 20th and G.
• Lectures from GW's 'Best' Faculty: Interesting and relevant lectures will be hosted through out the weekend in various locations. A few of the topics for the weekend include "Impending Global Energy Crisis: Fact or Fiction?", "Post Obama America," and President Emeritus Stephen Joel Trachtenberg will be lecturing on his opinion of Higher Education's future.
• Dean Breakfasts: On Saturday morning, every school will be hosting a Dean's breakfast for students' families to meet the Dean and invited faculty.
• Octoberfest: The Mount Vernon Campus will be hosting students, families, and friends for entertainment, games, arts, crafts and tasty fall desserts on Saturday afternoon at the annual Octoberfest event.
• Jimmy Fallon: Comedian Jimmy Fallon will headline the Colonials Weekend with two performances on Saturday evening (7 p.m. and 10 p.m.), tickets are still available through ticketmaster!
• Foggy Bottom/West End Neighborhood Block Party: On Sunday afternoon, FRIENDS, (a local community group to promote positive dialogue between GW and its neighbors) will host its eighth annual free event that includes over 100 booths from local businesses, restaurants, groups and institutions.

For more information and events, go to http://gwired.gwu.edu/parents/ColonialsWeekend/2010ScheduleofEvents/

Indian Ambassador Speaks at Elliott School

Ambassador Meera Shankar, India's Ambassador to the United States, came to GW Tuesday to speak at a presentation held by the Sigur Center for Asian Studies' India Initiative. The event was the first collaboration of the Sigur Center, the Elliott School's Ambassadors Forum and the Distinguished Women in International Affairs series.

The ambassador's talk focused mostly on Indo-U.S. relations, particularly the strategic partnership that the nations have. She discussed everything from cooperation on trade in the context of the recent economic depression to the sharing of higher education. She emphasized the presences of 100,000 Indian students in American universities and the opportunity presented by additional programs opening up in India for Americans to study there.

Much attention was focused on stabilizing Asia, and the ambassador spoke at length about efforts to stabilize Afghanistan. The ambassador noted that Afghanistan represents a major hot zone in the area, but she stated her belief that the nation can be a hub of economic prosperity in the region. She spoke of how India already has given $1.3 billion in the effort to stabilize Afghanistan. Later in the program she elaborated on this idea, expressing that Iran should be allowed to enter the dialogue about Afghanistan. However, Shankar made clear that this does not mean that India supports Iran's nuclear programs.

The speech ended with a discussion about the need for reforming global governance, especially the United Nations Security Council. She expressed her deep hope that President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to India, the first since he came to office, will lay a course for further strategic partnership between the world's two largest democracies.

The Gorillaz come to Washington, D.C.

Gorillaz, everyone's favorite animated band, took the stage at the Patriot Center in Fairfax on Monday night, October 11th. This was the band's first show in the D.C. area ever and it was a huge success.

The show was part of The Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour, named after the band's March 2010 album "Plastic Beach." Songs from all three albums were performed, the crowd favorites were "Dirty Harry," "19-2000," "Superfast Jellyfish," and "Feel-Good Inc."

In addition to a diverse setlist, many special guests collaborated on various songs throughout the show. Mos Def, Bobby Womack, De La Soul, the Syrian National Orchestra for Oriental Arab Music, and Little Drangon were just a few of the collaborators.

Frontman Damon Albarn, originally of Blur, engaged the crowd with his highly energetic stage presence and his intense musical talent. Over the course of the show he performed backing vocals, lead vocals, church bells, guitar, piano, and the melodica.

The band is just starting their world tour after a summer of touring festivals like the UK's Glastonbury, the USA's Coachella, and Denmark's Roskilde Festival. The tour is sweeping North America for the rest of October, Europe in November, and Australia in December.

Obama Stumps for Maryland Candidates

On Thursday, October 7^th, Organizing for America held a rally for Democratic congressional and state candidates at Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland. Organizing for America, a community organizing project of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and founded by after President Obama’s inauguration, had announced the rally one week prior to the event which hundreds attended. The schedule consisted of speeches by several candidates and an appearance by President Barack Obama.

Obama specifically addressed the needs of college students during his speech. Obama stated he was in favor of a permanent $10,000 college tax credit as well as an increase in student aid. The president left room in his speech to attack Republicans, saying they would give more power to insurance companies, credit card companies, and wall street banks while leaving students in the dust if Republicans took back Congress. Obama characterized the Democrats in Congress as hard-working individuals who dug our economy out of a ditch, while Republicans stood around not wanting to help and instead were “sipping on a slurpee”.

Among the attendees were Governor Martin O’Malley, Senator Barbara Mikulski, Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Congresswoman Donna Edwards, and Congressman Chris Van Hollen. Mixing hot weather and a standing-only audience led three dozen individuals to faint during the duration of the event, with several being transported to local hospitals.

"The Last 5 Years" Opens in Lisner Downstage

Generic Theater Company's The Last 5 Years, written by Jason Robert Brown and directed by Ava Taylor, is a modern day love story told by two individuals who find themselves wrapped up together for a brief moment in time. The story, more bitter than sweet, is told from both in the relationship. Jamie Wellerstein, played by Michael Noel, tells the story from beginning to end while Cathy Hyatt, Played by Rachel Johnson, tells the story from ending to beginning. Their stories meet only once in the middle at their wedding day.

In short, this musical fits its marital plot within the timeline of a contemporary marriage cycle. Cathy, who is first seen on stage crying at the end of her marriage, is troubled with balancing her difficult and unsuccessful acting career with her bumpy relationship. Jamie, a Jewish man who begins his story as he is about to meet his “shiksa Goddess,” tries to balance the recent success of his new book with keeping his feet on the ground. It is clear from the beginning that this love story ends unhappily-ever-after as Cathy tries to hold on to her self esteem while her husband’s career takes off.

Ava Taylor and her assistant director Kristy Skarulis have interpreted the beautiful story about an ambitious yet innocent couple who find themselves drifting apart. Half of the story imparts smiles and the other half tears as the jumbled timeline unfolds into the unique circle of their perspectives. The Music, a six-piece orchestra of students directed by Shawn Kelly, is both bold and inspiring as it compliments the sweet and bitter interactions on stage. Overall, this play is a must see for anyone who has felt the warmth or heartbreak of a relationship.

The Last 5 Years is in the Lisner Downstage on Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

Postseason Baseball Begins; Halladay Throws No Hitter

Major League Baseball’s postseason began Wednesday afternoon, as the first round, and best-out-of-five division series’, began.

In the afternoon game the Texas Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-1, as Cliff Lee hurled seven innings of one-run ball, striking out 10 Rays.

Roy Halladay, in his first career postseason start, threw only the second no-hitter in baseball history, the last, and only one, being during the 1956 world series when Don Larson pitched a perfect game for the Yankees, against the Dodgers. The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-0.

In the night game, the New York Yankees overcame a three run deficit to defeat the Minnesota Twins 6-4.

SA Passes Student Org. Allocations Bill

GW’s Student Association unanimously approved its allocations bill for Academic Year 2010/2011 Tuesday night.

The bill, with a total cost of $501,995 out of the $930,456 allotted to SA, is the primary source of funding for organizations at the university.

President Jason Lifton described the bill in his opening remarks as “all encompassing.”

Big winners included the Student Bar Association, which received $92,985, the Panhellenic Association, which received $30,000, and the College Democrats and College Republicans, each receiving $15,000.

WRGW News’ parent organization, WRGW, received $3,000.

DC Council Chairman Vincent Gray to come to GW Campus

Vincent Gray, Chairman of the DC City Council and Democratic nominee for DC mayor will be coming to the School without Walls Thursday, October 14th as part of a series of town hall meetings in  each of the city's wards.

The meeting, one of eight scheduled, is intended to provide a forum for Ward 2 residents to come together and share ideas, according to Gray's campaign website.  The Chairman and presumptive mayor will be joined by each ward's councilmember and neighborhood advisory committee.  

Speaking at the School without Walls holds special significance for Gray; education policy was a central point of contention in his campaign against Adrian Fenty, and the fate of Fenty's prominent Chancellor for Public Schools in a Gray administration remains in doubt.

Ward 2 was not friendly territory for the Democratic nominee during the hotly-contested September primary - Fenty won the area by a 45-point margin, Gray's second worst showing after Ward 3.

Regardless of the possible opposition, Gray plans to speak with members of the community as part of his "One City" campaign mantra.  Gray's spokesman acknowledged in an statement to the Washington Post that the nominee realized he had a lot of work to do to win over his predecessor's supporters.

For anyone who cannot make the 6:30 meeting, WRGW News will be providing wall-to-wall coverage of the event right here at wrgwnews.com, including a liveblog and analysis of the forum.  For those who do wish to attend, the town hall is open to the public and will take place at the School without Walls, which is at 2130 G street across from the GW Delicatessen, and should last from 6:30 to 8:30pm.

End of Fall Rush

Fall rush came to a close on Friday night, October 1, for all students that wanted to go Greek. Fraternity rush lasted a total of 2 weeks, while the sorority recruitment process lasted 4 days ending on Tuesday, October 28^th.

Many freshman this year came away from Rush stressed out not knowing what fraternity or sorority they wanted to join, or even if they wanted to join one. A common stress was where could students really see themselves. Jamie Weiss stated, “It is difficult to decide which fraternity I wanted to join the next four years with in such a short span of time.” Weiss continued to state, “I’ve only been on campus for three weeks. It made it very hard for me.” Andrés Varona agreed with that statement, “I had a hard time balancing rush events and my school work.” Following up on that statement, Varona said, “I tried to stay at rush for as long as possible, however, this made it much harder for me to meet brothers in the fraternities.”

Many girls agreed with the boys comments. Bridget Williams commented that, “Through the recruitment process, I decided I wanted to go Greek through the sisters I met. It was also really stressful because our recruitment, unlike the boys, took up only 4 days and lasted for about 6 hours a day."

Students commented that they dealt with stress in different ways too. Eric Ray said, “I tried to do other things to take rush off of my mind. I tried to get more work done during the day so after rush I could relax with friends.” Mary Kate McCarthy also dealt with stress similarly saying, “I tried to have free time so I could think of other things and not rush.”

Rush is a very stressful process. Everyone deals with it in different ways, but also manages to get through it.

Live Blog of SA Meeting October 5

Politicians, Judges, Professors, and Students Attend The Red Mass at St. Matthew’s

On Sunday, October 3rd, hundreds of people attended the annual Red Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew. This Cathedral is the one in which the funerals of President John F. Kennedy and Chief Justice William Rehnquist were held. A Red Mass is a mass celebrated in the Catholic Church for government officials, judges, attorneys, students, and professors of law. Among the attendees were Vice President Joseph Biden and five Supreme Court Justices: Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia, Stephen Breyer and Clarence Thomas. The service is in its 57th year and is hosted by the John Carroll Society, a spiritual organization that aims to “help Catholic professionals deepen their knowledge of the faith in service to the Archbishop of Washington.”

In recent years, the mass has drawn criticism for its mixing of church and state. For example, a recital of the star-spangled banner accompanied the opening of the mass. A small crowd, standing across the street, protested the event.

The Archbishop of Washington, Donald W. Wuerl, presided over the mass. Among the speakers were Carol G. Bates, Member of the Board of Governors of the John Carroll Society, John Garvey, President of The Catholic University of America, Deacon Michael Paris, Archbishop J. Augustine Di Noia, and William Treanor, Dean of the Georgetown University Law Center.

Over 2,000 Alumni Return for Alumni Weekend

This weekend over 2,000 GW alumni from the undergraduate classes of 2005, 2000, 1995, 1960 and earlier came to visit GW in celebration the university's fourth annual Alumni Weekend. The jam-packed weekend kicked off on Friday with tours of dorms, the fourth annual Ramsey Student Investment Fund Conference, and a much-anticipated Barenaked Ladies concert at University Yard. Events on Saturday included a breakfast with deans from schools across GW, tours of campus and Thurston Hall, and a 3k run around the monuments with the basketball team and the Taste of GW, which showcased food from a dozen restaurants owned and operated by alumni.

Saturday evening, alumnus and Democratic nominee for DC Mayor Vincent Gray was honored in Duques Hall. He is one of three recipients of the IMPACT Award from the GW Black Alumni Association, along with Joseph R. Rogers Jr. and Daniel B. Fagbuyi.

A Sunday morning brunch and discussion featured Eleanor Clift, contributing editor for Newsweek, and Norah O'Donnell, chief Washington correspondent for MSNBC. The panel was moderated by Ellen Malcolm, founder and president of EMILY's List, a national organization dedicated to electing pro-choice Democratic women to office.

Each annual Alumni Weekend invites graduates from alternating graduation years, bringing together a wide range of ages and GW experiences back to campus.

Georgetown Hosts a Music Summit

The Future of Music Policy Summit is currently taking place at Georgetown University. The three-day event started Sunday and goes through Tuesday October 5th. The summit includes presentations from artists and others in the music business, such as Damian Kulash, the front man of OK Go, and Tim Westergren of Pandora.Facebook, Google and YouTube Music will also be sending representatives.

Tonight, there will be all-ages benefit concert at the Black Cat night club on 14th Street. Damian Kulash, Hank Shocklee of Public Enemy, and Jonny 5 of Flobots will perform, among others.

Students may register for the entire conference here: http://futureofmusic.org/events/future-music-policy-summit-2010. The price is 20 dollars. This could be a great opportunity for GW students thinking of trying to make their way in the music market when, or even before, they graduate.

The Washington Redskins win at Philly

Three games into their season and the Washington Redskins have two wins and two losses. They won today against the Philadelphia Eagles.

In other football news, the Green Bay Packers beat the Detroit Lions 28-26, squeaking by in the first game after their loss to the Chicago Bears during which they got called for 23 penalties. The Redskins and Packers will be facing each other next Sunday, October 10 at Fedex Field, the Redskins home turf.

Coming Up on News in Depth: Maestro Christoph Eschenbach

On this Sunday's edition of "News in Depth," WRGW's Jared Pliner sits down with Christoph Eschenbach, the recently inaugurated music director of the National Symphony Orchestra and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, for an exclusive interview.

Maestro Eschenbach discusses his vision for the 2010-2011 season, his mentorship of some of the world's greatest artists -- powerhouse soprano Renee Fleming, among them -- and starting anew in Washington, D.C.

Join us for that, and all of the week's top stories on "News in Depth," with Jared Pliner and Ryan Waye, this SUNDAY from 12 to 1 p.m. on GWRADIO.COM!