SA Votes to Raise Fees

by Justin Lee

In a meeting last night, the Student Association voted to pass a referendum to the SA constitution that will raise their fees. The referendum passed with the necessary 51% vote and will now move on to a general assembly vote, followed by a school-wide vote sometime in November.

The referendum was introduced to generate more revenue for the SA, to be used to fund student organizations. Under the current policy, the SA is only able to generate roughly 1/4th of the funds requested by various organizations. The fee increase will also allow the SA to bring back the collegiate readership program and defray university fees for student orgs.

Fees will not increase for students currently enrolled at GW. Instead, the program will take a few years to go into effect; once in place, the SA will proceed with a 25 cent increase each year for six years.

Although the referendum passed, many senators continue to oppose it. One criticized the referendum for raising revenue without putting in place a more efficient fund allocation system. Another questioned how the fee increases will hold up to inflation.

Proponents of the policy change argued that the point of the referendum was to lay the groundwork for the multi-year increase and said that specific details could be altered in the future. They also stated that future SA members will be able to stop the policy at any time.

GW Goes Green…Again

by Chris Evans

Forget about the recycling bins, the Student Association (SA) is offering an even more useful way to recycle. Yesterday the SA sent an email to the entire student body requesting students submit syllabi and tests to be catalogued for future student use. 

The SA indicated it is accepting all past and current syllabi and tests that are in, "good and readable condition." The goal of the project, according to SA Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, Senator Alicia Rose, is to, "provide students with an invaluable study tool, the opportunity to look at tests for a course from previous years." 

Senator Rose indicated it is merely an expansion of the SA's current system in which students can request tests. 

Beyond being green and offering study materials, the drive will also offer a catalogue of syllabi. These syllabi can be accessed by students prior to registering for classes. Senator Rose states the goal of the syllabi collection is to, "help students make crucial decisions over which courses to take." 

The SA stated that with this expansive resource, students could make more informed decisions during registration. 

The SA is encouraging students to participate by offering entry into a drawing for 15 dollar Starbucks gift cards upon submission of their used materials. According to Senator Rose, "three students will be randomly selected to receive the gift cards." 

Even those who don't win the drawing will still receive a cleaner room and a feel-good conscious for recycling their materials. 

Materials can be emailed to gwacfs@gmail.com or dropped off in the SA office, Marvin 427, during business hours. The deadline for submissions is Sunday, the 21st of October and students are welcome to access the test and syllabi database immediately. 

SA Runoff Election Interviews

Ashwin Narla Interview

GW SA Election Runoff Ashwin Narla Interview by Wrgw_News on Mixcloud

John Bennett Interview

GW SA Election Runoff John Bennett Interview by Wrgw_News on Mixcloud

Audio of the Announcement of the Presidential Winner and Reaction from the Crowd

GW SA Election Runoff Crowd Reaction to Ashwin's Win by Wrgw_News on Mixcloud

Interview with Markus Batchelor

GW SA Election Runoff Markus Batchelor Interview by Wrgw_News on Mixcloud

Bergren Next EVP, President To Be Decided By Runoff

Hundreds gathered in SMPA basement lecture hall tonight to hear the results of the 2012 Student Association Election. With 45 percent of the vote, junior Abby Bergren will be the next executive vice president. The next president will be decided by a runoff vote between juniors Ashwin Narla and John Bennett.

Joint Elections Committee Chair Phil Gardner took the podium at 9:50 p.m. to announce the winners of the general election. After a few moments of thank yous to all those who participated, Gardner announced the winners to the impatient crowd (full list below).

Executive Vice President-elect Bergren's camp met her with hugs and kisses after her victory was announced. Bergren said she's looking forward to starting the job tomorrow in a post-victory interview with WRGW News.

Only 130 votes separated presidential candidates Bennett (1748) and Narla (1618). The two have a long week ahead of them which will culminate in a runoff election scheduled for Feb. 29 to March 1.

JEC Chair Gardner announced that the 2012 election had the highest voter turnout in recent history with 4,806 students casting ballots. Gardner also announced that a new initiative, which bans smoking within 25 feet of building entrances, passed with 67% supporting the plan.

This year's results venue--a small, tucked away lecture hall in the basement of the SMPA building--was the object of scrutiny by those who attended the event. The poorly ventilated room heated up as hundreds of warm bodies packed together. The subterranean "dead zone"proved to be a texter's, tweeter's and radio broadcaster's worst nightmare.

Stay tuned for audio including reactions from Executive Vice President-Elect Bergren, Narla, and Bennett. WRGW also interviewed Student Association President John Richardson regarding the next steps he will take in order to ensure a smooth transition into the next administration.

Full winners list:

Marvin Center Governing Board Graduate Governor: Gary Wong

Marvin Center Governing Board Undergraduate Governors: John Richardson, Jordan Hill, Ian Ceccarelli, Galen Petruso

SEAS Undergraduate Senator: Neil Forquer

School of Business Graduate Senators: Greg Viola, Shashwat Gautam

School of Business Undergraduate Senators: Evan Kline and Ryan Counihan

Elliott School Graduate Senator: Jonathan Kirk

Elliott School Undergraduate Senators: Alicia Rose, Michael Morgan, Ross Rattanasena

CCAS Undergraduate Senators: Markus Batchelor, Daniel Egel-Weiss, Ian Shetron, Omeed Firouzi, Nick Gumas, Anthony Bucci III

Undergraduate Senators at Large: Elizabeth Kennedy, Hugo Scheckter

SA Results Coverage

2012 Student Media SA Debate

Miss last night's SA EVP and President debate? Replay the WRGW live stream below:

2012 Student Association - Student Media Debate by Wrgw_News on Mixcloud

You can find out more about the candidates here.

And vote for your favorite here on Wednesday or Thursday.

SA MEDIA DEBATE

WRGW Show Lets Students Speak With Administrators

WRGW District Radio's “Ask the Administrator” series provides an opportunity for dialogue among a variety of GW's administrators. In an effort to engage with the student population, GW students are encouraged to call or tweet in their questions or concerns for the guests.


Our first episode includes a conversation with the GW Dean of Students and “Ask the Administrator” co-host, Peter Konwerski, and Jorge Gadala-Maria, WRGW District Radio General Manager. Topics include an introduction about Konwerski's time at the school, an analysis regarding GW's US News & World Report rating and visible changes to the university throughout the summer. 


Associate Dean of Students Tim Miller and Student Association President John Richardson joined Gadala-Maria and Konwerski for the second episode to discuss housing issues and student org allocations and collaboration.


Both episodes covered an overarching theme of student outreach. In addressing the noise issue of the parking garage demolition at the future site of the Science and Engineering complex, Konwerski mentioned a little-known fact about the university.


“Every morning this week, there was a crew of staff and students out on the worksite monitoring the work that was happening, not only listening to what was the noise level, but advocating for 'think if this was happening and it was too loud, we're going to intercede,'” he said.


Moreover, Tim Miller continued to reassure students of the “power of their voices.” He went on to tell them that they “really do have the ability to make change not just here, but in the world...use that voice.”


This is a live and interactive talk show that will air every other Wednesday from 3:30pm-4:30pm (10/12, 10/26, 11/9, 11/30) . The easiest way to listen is at www.gwradio.com, and click the “Listen Live” icon for a pop-up player for your browser. Moreover, WRGW District Radio is also available in the iTunes Radio Directory under the “College” tab.


Click below to download the first two episodes:


Ask the Administrator - September 14th, 2011:
http://www.mediafire.com/?1agjompm3mrl36p


Ask the Administrator - September 21th, 2011
http://www.mediafire.com/?4iokawisfv9axi2


Some Twitter personalities for you to follow:
Hosts:
@porquejorge – Jorge Gadala-Maria & @GWPeterK – Peter Konwerski


Guests (so far):
@JRforGW – John Richardson, @GWTimMiller – Tim Miller




-- Jorge Gadala-Maria

Laughter and Thereafter: The Audience Response to the Hatchet-SA Debate

As the crowd slowly filtered in into the Jack Morton Auditorium on Monday night, the tone was one of anticipation and support; an eagerness to find out more about the issues and support for friends running for the SA.

Though many students came in with little to no background information, and were at the debates to be informed about the issues and candidates, the majority of students already knew exactly what they wanted to happen in the upcoming year. Doug Arbiter, a GW student, argued that “it’s ridiculous you have to pay an initial psychiatric fee” and endorsed Jason Kaplan, whose platform concentrates on the issue. Many students supported this in addition to a range of issues from excessive stress on diversity to continuing effort in fixing Gelman.

However, much of the audience was not there about issues but rather in support of friends. Whole rows were filled with individuals seeking to endorse and cheer on a specific candidate. In addition to the large portion of the audience taken up reporters from the Hatchet and other news sources, it seemed like the general student body was poorly represented in the audience. Freshmen Ryan Huttman later said about the SA that “I have no idea what that thing is”. Many freshmen that were interviewed outside of the debate expressed similar views, having little to no recognition of what the SA is and what it does.

Live Blog of SA Meeting October 5

Incoming SA President Lifton Previews Presidency

In an email interview with WRGW News, incoming SA President Jason Lifton described his priorities for the coming year and gave his opinion on a wide range of issues concerning GW students.

“We plan on working on a number of different student life and academic issues next year,” he said. “We want to focus on fixing the student organization financial process. We are going to work with Student Judicial Services to ensure that students are being properly treated when they are in violation of the student code of conduct. We also want to work on making the SA more of a resource for organizations, helping them save money and pool resources.”

Lifton said that Gelman Library needs a “technological facelift,” citing a dearth of outlets, projectors, and multimedia study rooms in the school’s largest library.

“The library needs help. I don’t anticipate this being a one-year solution, but my goal is to set the library up to be better sponsored,” he said. “They have great plans for modernization, but without the funding to do it, it will never happen.”

Get Gelman Going, a Facebook group created by students concerned with the slow pace of Gelman’s much-needed improvements, has already accumulated over 1,200 members.

Another issue on students’ minds is J Street. From limited dining options to expensive weighing stations, many students have expressed disappointment with the current state of the closest thing GW has to a dining hall.

Lifton said contracts with Sodexo make it difficult to work on J Street, but he has looked at George Mason University’s dining hall, also run by Sodexo, as a model for the ideal J Street.

“George Mason has an interesting setup that they use for dining where they have different small venues with different options. It’s not like our food court setup; it’s more of different smaller stations,” he said. “I hope that we can use that as an example to improve how J Street Works.”

Lifton also discussed methods for improving campus security, addressing inefficiencies in 4-Ride and general safety concerns around campus.

“I think that the simple solution for long wait time is more 4-Ride vans,” Lifton said in response to many students who have reported waiting upwards of 45 minutes for a 4-Ride van to pick them up. “That said, I’m not sure about the feasibility of that immediately.”

“There are a lot of things that can be done to protect students, from security in residence halls to officers on the streets,” he said. “I think that we need to make sure that UD is doing everything to educate our students about safety on campus and doing everything to protect those students.”

Lifton cautioned students not to expect big changes immediately.

“There are many smaller things that we can work on, such as the financial process and improving SA resources, but something like the library or new dining options aren’t things that we can fix in one year,” he said. “I want to finish my term as president having advocated for the issues that are big ticket items that will drastically change students’ experience at GW.”

Meghan McCain Redefines Republicanism with No Labels, No Boxes and No Stereotypes

Meghan McCain walked onto the Jack Morton Auditorium stage wearing a black studded blazer, stilettos that displayed a tattoo on her foot and neon painted nails. McCain began Thursday's speech by addressing that she is a controversial figure in modern-day politics. “I say provocative things because I believe them,” said McCain. “I want to start a dialogue, not a controversy.”

Michael Komo, president of GW's LGBT group Allied in Pride (and one of the evening's sponsors) introduced McCain, calling her "a powerful role model" for young people.

GW Young American’s Foundation was outside protesting the highly-anticipated speech. The organization’s blog described it as “a demonstration against efforts to redefine marriage as well as Meghan McCain’s flawed view of conservatism.” McCain commented on the GWYAF protest during her talk, “... you guys had cake and lemonade at your protest. That’s not bad ass,” joked McCain.

McCain calls herself a "progressive Republican." McCain, who was previously registered as an independent to rebel against her father, explained her view on the political party that she fell in love with during her father’s two-year campaign tour. She believes that the Republican Party needs to eradicate the stereotypes. “Unless we unite as one. We are going to continue losing elections,” said McCain.

The 25-year old columnist and blogger wanted to be the next Betsey Johnson when she graduated from high school, but after attending Columbia University and joining her father on the political circuit she has become very passionate and protective of the Republican Party and now dedicates her time to advocating gay marriage and redefining the Republican Party’s values. “I am not saying let’s abandon all the core values that Republicanism was founded on… but we need to evolve with the times and embrace others with open arms,” said McCain.

McCain also emphasized the importance of civility in politics, insisting that she and women in the political spotlight shouldn’t be criticized for their body, hair or make-up. Conservative radio host Laura Ingraham made negative comments about McCain’s weight during a political discussion. “Too fat to be a Republican, that makes me feel really good,” said McCain. ”I am too fat to be an elephant.”

After the program, Komo called McCain's rapport and quick wit "amazing." "Her energy was second to none," he said.

In her remarks, McCain also managed to touch on the recently passed health care reform law and other critical issues, stating that she is "scared shitless" of the new plan, that the media needs to start asking the tough questions, and that gay marriage isn’t a political issue but a civil rights issue.

“Move over GOP," she said. "Because I’m not going anywhere."

Meghan McCain’s latest book, "Dirty Sexy Politics: A True Story," will be released in August. You can follow her on Twitter and read her columns on The Daily Beast.

Coming up on News in Depth...

We recap Friday's 2010 WRGW News - Student Association Debate! 

Tabisa Walwema, former SA vice president of public affairs, joins WRGW News' Jared Pliner and guest co-anchor Alexa Vogel with in-depth analysis of the candidates' platforms and performances. 

Then, Kelly Zentgraf joins Pliner and Vogel by phone with a deeply personal and resonant perspective on the upcoming National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. 

And finally, an update on the 21st Winter Olympic Games LIVE from Vancouver!

You don't want to miss this edition of News in Depth, from 12 to 1 p.m., on GWRadio.com and campus cable channel 22!

Come to the 1st Annual WRGW News - SA Debate!

THIS FRIDAY, February 19th from 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. in the Marvin Center Amphitheater (3rd floor). Doors open at 6:45 p.m.

The evening will be moderated by WRGW News Director Jared Pliner and Assistant News Directors Dan Keylin and Alex Laska.

Submit candidate questions via the e-form located on this page!

You can also listen to the debate LIVE via www.gwradio.com/listenlive!

SA Constitution reform bill fails in Senate

A bill designed to overhaul the Constitution and redefine a number of aspects within the Student Association failed to pass the Senate at a special meeting of the body on Tuesday night in the Marvin Center. In a thirty-minute meeting the Senate decided to table the bill, which effectively killed the legislation. Senate rules prohibit pending legislation from carrying over into the next administration.

A dark cloud hung over the meeting in response to swirling controversy surrounding the formulation of the bill. GW Law School Senators claim the bill was hastily written, poorly conceived and without proper public input. Senator and President-Elect Julie Bindleglass began the process intending to abstain, then supported the bill, and within the last two days decided to oppose the proposal for a new Constitution on the grounds that it can wait until next semester when she is President. The motive behind the shift remains unclear.

Bindleglass did not speak at the meeting.

Adding to the drama is the input of Tim Miler, the Executive Director of the Student Activities Center, who distributed an e-mail to the Senate prior to the meeting. The e-mail was critical of the bill calling it a “grave mistake.” Miller writes, “It appears that this is a last minute, rushed, clandestine and exclusive process to get something through without proper debate and discussion prior to the end of the year.”

President Vishal Aswani often alluded to actions by "the administration" that made running the student organization difficult. 

Miller was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.

In an exclusive interview after what was likely the last SA meeting of his Presidency, Mr. Aswani vented his frustration against a body he called “apathetic” and “disgraceful.”

“You have people here who generally are not interested in the Constitution. People here are just extremely immature. Timing and lame duck status is irrelevant. If you don’t want to be in office, get out of here. The student’s don’t need students who check out in March,” Aswani said, “The lack of interest by this year’s Senate, minus the Student Life committee, to do something as fundamental as their job shows exactly why reform is needed.”

While he concedes that the timing around exams is "unfortunate," Mr. Aswani maintains that the Senate was properly notified and that he followed the proper by-laws in calling the meeting.

Had the measure passed the resolution would have gone before the student body in September. Students would have voted on whether or not to implement the new constitution.

Senator Julie Bindleglass takes office April 30. It is unclear if she will pursue changes to the Constitution.

For more background on the bill in question click here: "A Constitutional Controversy"

- Jesse Regis

Bindleglass vs. Polk?

J.E.C. removes Boyer from ballot. Pending possible student court appeal

President's race may come down to #2 and #3 finishers.

Just two votes separated Kyle Boyer from the Student Association Presidency. Now there is a high probability that he may not become President after the Joint Election Committee removed the front runner from the ballot after failing to properly disclose campaign expenses. The J.E.C. then found Boyer in violation of campaign finance rules by spending more than the $1,000 limit for Presidential candidates.

Julie Bindleglass who came in second place with 942 votes (23.1%) was slated to face Boyer in a run off election March 11 and 12. Boyer who garnered 1630 votes (39.9%) was confident he would win the run off, going so far as to claim a mandate from students.

If the decision stands Bindleglass will face Sophomore Nick Polk in a run off election set for March 25-26. Polk who garnered 16.7% of the vote tells WRGW he is, "Saddened by the circumstances but I look forward to continuing to share my ideas with the student body."

A special meeting of the student association on March 10 saw the postponement of the election. A student unaffiliated with either campaign had filed allegations of campaign violations with the J.E.C. and enough probable cause was found for the S.A. to delay the election. Had Boyer been removed from the ballot within 24 hours before election postponement Bindleglass would have ascended to the Presidency by default despite coming in a distant second in the initial election.

The winner of the March 25 - 26 election will join Executive Vice President Jason Lifton who won a decisive victory with 2251 or 58% of the vote. Students may vote online at http://www.gwelection.com

- Jesse Regis

photo credits: Jenn Neuner, WRGW

SA Runoff Postponed

Unresolved financial disclosure allegations results in the postponement of the Presidential run off election. This according to a statement just released by the Joint Elections Committee.

The election, slated to run from March 11 - 12 will now be held from March 25 - 26.

Kyle Boyer, who came just two votes shy of ending this year's election cycle, will be the subject of hearings which will determine the merits of the allegations against him

SA Senate Candidate Soham Gupte on WRGW News at 6

Elliot School of International Affairs Senate Candidate Soham Gupte sat with WRGW's Shawn Wills and Jesse Regis to discuss his platform. Click the link below to hear the conversation.

Soham Gupte on WRGW News at 6

News in Depth: Exclusive Interview with SA Presidential Candidate Nick Polk

Jared Pliner and Jesse Regis sat down for an exclusive with Student Association Senator and Presidential hopeful Nick Polk this afternoon to discuss issues facing the student body and the upcoming 2-day long SA election February 25th and 26th.

Polk discussed J-Street mandatory spending, the proposed library fee, the rising cost of tuition, a proposed amendment to the SA constitution, and much more. Click the link below to hear the conversation.

Nick Polk on WRGW News in Depth

SA Update

Last night, the SA approved four members for four vacant positions, two of them in President Aswani’s cabinet and two for the Student Court.

 

Sophomore Christ Franzetti became Dining Services Chair and Mattie Crealson joined the Joint Committee of Faculty and Students.  Former EVP Brand Kroegar and former contender for SA President Kevin Kozlowski became the two new judges in the Student Court.

 

EVP Kyle Boyer said in a telephone interview that he was satisfied with the events of the night.  “Everything went smoothly.  There was some confusion at one point about who was a senator, but that got resolved at the end.”

 

A big theme of last night’s meeting was finances, with Student Org allocation paperwork due by the end of next week.

 

- Sam Collins