Pre-Convention Briefs

We're less than a week until convention time!  Jesse Regis and myself will be in Denver from August 24th until 29th covering the Democratic Convention and going behind the scenes.  We'll have interviews from delegates, volunteers and of course, a few surprises along the way!

But for now, a few headlines from GW and the metro area over the past two weeks:

• We're mid-Olympics and that means it's time for an Olympic Update of sorts.  Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably know that Olympian Micheal Phelps lives in nearby Baltimore County.  Phelps's history making eight gold medals call for celebration and Baltimore has plans in the works.  The "Phelpstival" could be held over the Labor Day weekend, but no official date has been set.  Marjorie Hampson with the county communications office says they originally envisioned a parade around the county seat that could end at Towson University's more than 11,000-seat Johnny Unitas Stadium, just a few miles from where Phelps grew up in Rodgers Forge. But now she says they're not sure that venue is big enough to contain the crowds who will want to come out to see Phelps.  If you're looking for something to do when you get back on campus, a trip to the Phelpstival might be a good idea.


• Former GW women's basketball players Elisa Aguilar '00 and Anna Montaňana '05 have been representing Spain in the Beijing Olympics. They have helped the team advance to the elimination stage of the 2008 Olympic Games after finishing preliminary round play with a 3-2 record.  According to a GWsports.com press release, Montañana leads Spain and ranks in the top 7 among all players in the Olympics in scoring (14.8 ppg), field goal percentage (51.7 FG%) and steals (2.6 spg) through the five-game preliminary round. She scored 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting in a 74-55 victory over Czech Republic on Aug. 13, and had 13 points, nine rebounds, six steals and four assists in a 79-47 triumph over Mali Sunday.  Aguilar has averaged 5.4 points and 25.8 minutes in five games. She scored eight points in victories against Czech Republic and Mali and in a 67-64 loss to host China on Aug. 9.  Spain plays Russia in a quarterfinal matchup today, with the winner likely to face the United States in the semifinals Thursday, Aug. 21.  The medal games take place Saturday, Aug. 23.


• One more Olympic note - 28 GW graduate students are in attendance at the 2008 games along with their professor, Lisa Delpy Neirotti.  As an associate professor of tourism and sports management, Deply Neirotti has attended 14 consecutive Olympics and this will be the ninth time she has included students to learn about the latest sports marketing and business ideas.  The students will collect survey from spectaors on their spending habits and feelings on customer service.  Delpy Neirotti has attended 14 consecutive Olympics, and this will be the ninth time she has included students.  "The Olympics is a testing ground for new ways of marketing. Students also have the opportunity to meet a lot of key people for future jobs, and it's a great chance for both education and networking," she says.


• If you're living off campus next year, DC's Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs has lots of advice for you.  Their new Collegiate Off-Campus Housing Initiative has a great new blog:  http://thisshouldbeillegal.com  It will help college students in DC know if they're being rented to legally.


• According to the Hatchet, the EMeRG ambulance is finally certified!  GW started the certification process in 1999 and after much red tape, the process is complete.  The ambulance was purchased in 2006 for $7,000 and remained parked on the Virgina campus and next to the Marvin Center.  University Police Chief Deloris Stafford said that the service will be provided free of charge.  This could save hospitalized students anywhere from $500 to $800 if the ride wasn't already covered by their insurance compay.  Also in EMeRG news - their new headquarters will be located in the top floor of the former home of DJ's Fastbreak.


• The AP reported on the Amethyst Initiative, a movement to lower the legal drinking age from 21 to 18.  Over 100 college presidents have joined the movement, saying that a higher drinking age creates a dangerous climate of secretive binge drinking.  Knapp's name isn't on the list, but two local college are represented.  C.D. Mote, Jr., the president of the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University president William Brody have both signed on as a supporters.


• Construction at the CVS is 2000 Penn is scheduled to start soon, depsite the business not opening until February, according to the Hatchet.  The new CVS will be the fifth CVS within a three block radius of campus. 

-Mallory Thompson