DNC Chairman Howard Dean was on campus last week. He helped commemorate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month at an event co-hosted by the College Democrats, Indian Students Association and the Racially and Ethnically Mixed Students Association (REMIX). "The overwhelming majority of AAPI elected officials are Democrats, and we intend to keep it that way," Dean said. "Democrats have long championed the values we share with the AAPI community, including a strong work ethic, a commitment to education, and respect for families."
- Commencement was held Sunday on the National Mall with over 25,000 guests, despite a rain-filled forecast. The rain didn't start until former president Stephen Joel Trachtenburg spoke to students. As thousands of umbrellas opened, he made light of the situation by saying, "We've been soaking you for 20 years, so what's a little drizzle now?" He added, "I've been saving that line for a long time." Controversial keynote speaker Julian Bond, the current head of the NAACP and a civil rights leader, told graduates to "do well and do good." He reminded them that while they have the potential to achieve great things with the knowledge they've gained at GW, they should also focus on social issues.
- Kim Beck was drafted by the Seattle Storm last month and scored her first WNBA points last night against the Indiana Fever. She'll be coming to DC on July 20th to take on the Washington Mystics. Also in Women's Basketball news, Sarah-Jo Lawrence will be sticking around GW next year as one of the eight Presidential Administrative Fellows. She was one of 72 applicants for the 8 spots. PAF's receive full tuition and housing stipends to pursue GW master's degrees, while working with the university in various capacities.
- Major changes to J Street will occur for the fourth year in a row. The university announced that the J Street Cafe will feature more and gluten-free choices as well as greater variety for vegetarian diets. Additionally, a kosher deli will replace the current 5th Avenue Bagels. Freshmen and sophomores with unused Sodexho dining dollars will be able to roll over up to half of these funds to the following year, giving freshmen up to $700 and sophomores up to $250 in rollover dollars. Also, they announced that Campus Support Services is working with Sodexho to offer better and cheaper student catering options for student organizations.
- Also interesting to note, beginning in August, 47 graduates will teach in 19 different regions across the United States, making Teach For America the top employer for GW seniors. The university's acceptance rate in the program is 32 percent -- more than double the national average of 14.5 percent. "Public Service is an integral part of the GW experience and is embraced by our students, faculty, staff, and alumni," said GW President Steven Knapp. "We are proud that so many of this year's graduates have chosen to make this exceptional commitment."
-Mallory Thompson
