Happy Holidays from WRGW News!

GW Nears Halfway Mark of Michelle Obama's Service Challenge

BREAKING: The George Washington University has obtained 46,008 hours of community service and is 53,992 hours away from securing First Lady Michelle Obama as the 2010 Commencement speaker, according to the GW Office of Community Service. The GW community has maintained a breakneck service pace since September, when the First Lady first challenged students to complete 100,000 hours of community service by the end of the academic year. When classes reconvene in January, the university will commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a service project at Theodore Roosevelt High School in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The Office of Community Service and the Multicultural Student Services Center are sponsoring this event and GW volunteers join and assist teachers and staff of the school by refurbishing parts of the building. Volunteers will paint, clean, landscape and complete other tasks to restore and enhance its environment. Those interested in participating in the service project can go to http://serve.gwu.edu for more information.

Housing to Remain Open Until Monday

GW Housing was slated to close tomorrow, Sunday December 20 at noon when G-World cards would be deactivated.


WRGW News is confirming that housing will now be open until Monday the 21st until 5pm due to the blizzard that may dump upwards of 20 inches on the region.


If you need to stay past then due to weather-related travel issues, email gwhouse@gwu.edu.  Include your name, room number and your new expected departure date and time. 

Battleground Poll Favors Republicans in 2010 Election, Obama Approval at 50%

The latest edition of The George Washington University Battleground Poll finds a majority of voters (56%) believing that the country is on the wrong track. Their top areas of concern are the economy and jobs, health care costs, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the federal budget deficit. "Voters are very anxious about the economy and looking for solutions that will put people back to work," Celinda Lake, President of Lake Research Partners, said. "Democrats can point to a number of successes, yet will ultimately be judged on whether Americans see and feel the recovery in their own communities." First conducted in 1991, this poll claims to have accurately portrayed the political climate through four presidential and three mid-term election cycles. This series of scientific surveys is unique to the industry in that it offers the distinct perspectives of two pollsters from different sides of the aisle. Looking ahead to the 2010 Congressional Elections, the Republican Party now enjoys a two point advantage (42%-40%) on the Congressional generic ballot.

 However, voters are closely divided on their preference for a divided government (41%) or for a unified government (38%). In addition, a majority (68%) of voters disapprove of the job performance of Congress. This is an eleven point increase in Congressional job disapproval since the last Battleground survey was conducted in July. President Obama has a job approval rating at 50%, while his personal approval rating is 67%, and he has a 56% favorable rating on name identification. On other name identification scores, Republicans in Congress (41% favorable/46% unfavorable) trail the Democrats in Congress (43% favorable/49% unfavorable).

 Among other figures tested, Joe Biden is nine points net positive (49% favorable/40% unfavorable) while Sarah Palin is one point net negative (45% favorable/46% unfavorable). A split sample series of questions asked the public to rate how well the Republicans in Congress and President Obama were handling a variety of policy issues. President Obama has an advantage on being honest and trustworthy (+15), promoting energy independence (+9), reforming health care (+8), turning the economy around (+6) and sharing your values (+1). Republicans in Congress enjoy an advantage over President Obama on controlling wasteful spending (+7), promoting a strong national defense (+15) and holding down taxes (+18). Another split sample series of questions asked the public to rate how well the two parties in Congress were handling a variety of policy issues. Republicans in Congress have an advantage on holding down taxes (+27), promoting a strong national defense (+25), controlling wasteful spending (+12) and are tied in sharing your values. Democrats in Congress have an advantage on reforming health care (+14), promoting energy independence (+12), being honest and trustworthy (+7), and turning the economy around (+4). On a series of health care questions, sixty percent (60%) indicate that they currently have private health care insurance, while thirty-one percent (31%) have government health insurance and seven percent (7%) do not have health insurance. Among those who have private insurance, ninety-one percent (91%) indicate that they are “satisfied” with the quality of health care they and their family receive.

"The latest GW-Battleground poll shows that 2010 Congressional Elections are shaping up to be pivotal for Democrats and Republicans.” - Christopher Arterton, Dean of the Graduate School of Political Management

SA Senator Komo Pushes for Gender-Neutral Housing

Michael Komo, President of Allied and Pride and Undergraduate-At-Large Senator in the GW Student Association, is on a mission to bring gender-neutral housing to GW through his new organization, Colonials for Gender-Neutral Housing. “We have two problems with housing,” said Komo, who is Chairman of the SA Senate Student Life Committee, when asked why he supports gender-neutral housing for GW. “First, transgender students do not have proper housing. There are only ‘male’ and ‘female’ boxes on the housing application, and transgender students are not recognized or placed properly in housing. Second, several students would feel more comfortable living with the opposite sex. Our current housing program does not address the needs of students who are not comfortable living with members of the same sex. [Gender-neutral housing] would alleviate those problems and would make our housing as close to perfection as possible.” With gender-neutral housing, male and female students would be able to request living with one another, though Komo said it “would never be random.” “Gender-neutral housing would be a completely voluntary program that would be another option in housing,” said Komo. “Men would not be able to randomly request to live with women. The same is for women. Students would have to specifically request to live with one another. They would be mixed in with the rest of the students on campus. For example, Ivory 201 would be men, Ivory 202 would be women, Ivory 203 would be gender-neutral.”


Komo’s Living and Learning Cohort, “Escaping Gender,” is a test-run for gender-neutral housing on the GW campus; now in its second year, the LLC includes men, women, and transgendered students participating in gender-neutral housing. Komo says the LLC “has been extremely successful. Now, we want to implement gender-neutral housing on a larger basis.” The LLC will be publishing a “comprehensive report detailing what colleges participate in this program and how they did it,” said Komo. “It will also include why GW needs it, and a plan to implement it.” This report is set to be published the week of January 10. The SA is expected to vote on the gender-neutral housing bill the following week.

Colonials Fall to Friars – 110-97

The Providence College Friars narrowly defeated the GW Colonials 110-97 tonight at the Charles E. Smith Center. This game marked the first match-up between the two teams in 10 years.

Footage of Justin Pierre’s WRGW Visit / Kogan Performance Hits Web

Motion City Soundtrack's Justin Pierre alongside WRGW's Jill Plevinsky. Photograph from www.mydinosaurlife.com.

Motion City Soundtrack’s Justin Pierre stopped by WRGW Studios early last month. The footage of his trip, recorded and edited by his crew, was recently posted on his website http://www.mydinosaurlife.com

Check out a part of his interview with WRGW’s Jill Plevinsky and his performance in Kogan Plaza:

Lady Gaga’s “Fame Monster” Leaves Us “Speechless”

A Track-by-Track of Gaga’s Newest Album

Lady Gaga’s new album, “The Fame Monster,” has the pop icon delving into her inner “monsters:” that which she fears the most, and that which she has discovered about herself while travelling across Eastern Europe after the release of her breakout album, “The Fame.” An anemic eight tracks in length, Gaga’s sophomore effort, which has already sold over 350,000 copies since its debut last week, pulls no punches, giving us some creative, catchy, and occasionally creepy tunes. With roots in electronic dance music akin to what you would hear in nightclubs across the pond, “The Fame Monster” gives us a fiery and fascinating blend of tracks that are as vibrant as they are vicious. Let’s dissect this monster:

GW Student Veteran Brian Hawthorne to testify in front of House Committee today

NEWS ALERT: GW Student Veteran Brian Hawthorne to testify in front of House Committee on Veterans Affairs GW Student Veteran Brian Hawthorne will testify in front of House Committee on Veterans Affairs House Committee on Veterans Affairs at the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity’s Education Roundtable at 1pm today, December 3.

The meeting will be at 334 Cannon House Office Building Audio of the hearing will be available live at http://veterans.house.gov/.

A paratrooper in the U.S. Army Reserves, Hawthorne has served two tours of duty in Iraq as a medic, most recently during the Surge in Baghdad where he earned a Bronze Star. He also serves as the legislative director for Student Veterans of America.

Hawthorne was among the guests on a past edition of WRGW's News in Depth. Check out the conversation here: A Veterans Roundtable on Sunday Sept 20ths News in Depth Please be patient as the file loads.

EDITORIAL: Vote “NO” on the new SA Constitution

EDITORIAL: The Student Association has attempted to drastically change the overall structure of the body by proposing a new SA Constitution to be ratified by a majority of the student body. The new changes include making the executive vice president part of the executive branch (to run on a slate with the presidential candidate), creating a new “speaker of the Senate” position to replace the former duties of the EVP, and creating a new “Freshman Caucus” to replace the three non-voting freshman senators appointed by the SA every year. The SA Constitution, as a whole, will become 30% shorter, and aims to be more understandable to the average GW student.


Some of the proposals, like making the bylaw process simpler, abolishing secretive executive sessions, and generally streamlining and hastening many processes in both the SA Senate and the SA Student Court, have the potential to make the SA more transparent and efficient. However, these simply do not go far enough in achieving drastic reforms, and judged as a whole, the proposed new structure of the SA is eerily similar to the current. Also, one of the justifications given for incorporating the EVP into the executive branch was that they can “focus on advocacy.” Every member of the SA should be constantly advocating on behalf of students, whether or not advocating is part of their job description.


This fails to serve the interests of the student body and ignores the plethora of issues current SA members campaigned on last February


Attending any SA meeting this semester, it is apparent the Senate has wasted time by trying to change or clarify parliamentary procedures and creating gigantic lists of unnecessary bylaws for every bill that tries to pass. This fails to serve the interests of the student body and ignores the plethora of issues current SA members campaigned on last February, including, but not limited to: reforming the dining system, reducing prices at the GW Book Store, improving the advising system, and attempting to reduce bureaucratic red tape.


Even more alarming, we believe that if the proposed SA Constitution is ratified, it only serves to mask the inaction and ineffectiveness of both the SA Senate and SA executive branch this semester and gives the SA an undeserving vote of approval.


The SA has no notable advocacy achievements this semester. There is no grand vision and agenda emanating from either the Senate or President Julie Bindelglass. The passing of the Constitution will only give the illusion that the SA is making progress, when in reality the new SA Constitution is a simple reshuffling of positions and titles, with no credible or drastic restructuring taking place which will allow the SA to function differently.


The SA has hosted two disastrous town hall meetings to discuss a new SA Constitution. Not surprisingly, both events were poorly advertised, and not a single student besides members of the campus media attended either meeting. The advertising of the referendum itself has been non-existent, with a majority of students on campus oblivious to the changes the SA is proposing. At the same time we believe that even if the event were advertised so few students would care about the proposed changes enough to appear at a town hall meeting. Instead, the meetings only give SA members the chance to say that the matter was opened up to the GW community. It’s self serving smoke and mirrors.


The most curious decision was to hold the referendum on December 3rd, in the midst of the last full week of classes when most students have a serious academic workload to complete. Holding the referendum following winter break would have been more convenient for the student body, and would have allowed the SA to properly advertise the new changes, as well as allow proper debate of the pro’s and con’s of the new document.


It seems ironic considering the dirt the Senate kicked up at the end of last semester with claims that no one had time to read that version of the proposed new Constitution (which the Senate voted to not vote on), and that the workload was so intense for Senators that they were unable to debate the merits of the bill. Now they assume that the average student has the time to deal with this nonsense? Not to mention the Senate is showing it’s narcissistic tendencies once again, assuming that the average student cares about how their body is structured.


We cannot support the ratification of the proposed Constitution. We believe that, by voting “no” on December 3rd that the SA will be sent a message that they are wasting time in office by making meaningless, trivial changes.


We hope the SA will focus almost entirely on advocacy next semester and avoid turning every SA Senate meeting into an irrelevant debate about Senate protocol and procedure. Instead, make the changes students elected you to make.

Colonials (5-1) Derail Patriots (3-4) in Battle of The Orange Line

The much-hyped “Battle of The Orange Line” turned out to be a huge success for the Colonial basketball team. Led by a career high 25 points by senior Damian Hollis and a fired up Smith Center crowd, the George Washington Colonials beat the George Mason Patriots 66-49 and improved their record to 5 and 1 on the season. Following a disappointing loss to Oregon State on Saturday, the Colonials scored the first 5 points and never lost the lead throughout the night as they clearly dominated George Mason in all facets of the game.

The Patriots were led by freshman Luke Hancock who scored a game high 15 points for the Patriots. The team was devastated by a first half injury to junior point Cam Long, who did not perform well after the injury. In addition, forward Mark Morrison was plagued by foul trouble and played just 17 minutes of the game. The Patriots only managed to shoot 36 percent from the field and were out-rebounded 43 to 30 by the Colonials

The Patriots only trailed 35-27 at the half, but the Colonials opened the half with a 22-4 run and led by as great a margin as 26 throughout the course of the game. The Colonials got a dominating performance by senior forward Damian Hollis, who scored a career high 25 points and pulled down 8 rebounds as well. Also chipping in for GW were Lasan Kromah with 8 points and Joesph Katuka, who scored 7 points in only 8 minutes of play. Senior Hermann Opoku also pulled down 8 rebounds, while Kromah and freshman guard Bryan Bynes grabbed 3 steals a a piece.

On the season, the Colonials improve to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the newly renovated Charles E. Smith Center. George Washington had a clear home court advantage tonight as a fired up crowd led by the Colonial Army provided the team with the energy and support needed to ensure the victory. The Colonials will next take on the Midshipmen of Navy at the Verizon Center in the BB&T Classic this Sunday at 5 p.m. As always, you can hear the game live by tuning into WRGW at www.gwradio.com

GW Women’s Basketball Takes on No. 6/5 Tennessee, Listen to the Action Live

The George Washington women's basketball team wraps up week-long road trip Tuesday in Knoxville where they'll take on the Lady Volunteers. WRGW Sports' Julian Gompertz and Perry Goldman will bring you the game live on gwradio.com.

The pre-game show starts at 6:40pm. Tip-off is at 7:00pm.

Prep yourself for the game, check out the coverage from WRGW Sports.

Highlights From Last Season's Game Against Tennessee

On Friday the Women's team lost 78-47 to No. 25 Michigan State. Freshman Danni Jackson suffered a broken leg in the loss.

Highlights from Michigan State

Coach Bozeman after the Michigan State game on the loss of Danni Jackson

Game recap:

GW (2-4) falls 94-54 to the mighty Lady Vols (6-0) of Tennessee. This marks the team's worst loss since January 13, 1990 when they withstood a 96-52 punishment to the Penn State Nittany Lions. Despite a stellar start to the game, GW could not contain Tennessee's depth as they went on a 29-6 run midway through the first half to establish a comfortable 54-24 lead at the half. Tennessee was led by Alyssia Brewer's 23 points, 15 of which came in the second half. Glory Johnson and Shekinna Stricklen each had double doubles in the first half to take control of the game.

GW's one bright spot throughout the game was the play of Kay-kay Allums who had a career-high 16 points on 5 of 11 shooting with a perfect 5 of 5 coming from the charity stripe. Tiana Myers and Megan Nipe joined Allums in double figures with 11 points each, most of which came late in the second half.

GW's brutal road stretch comes to a close on Saturday against another SEC team, the Auburn Tigers (4-3). The action can be heard right here on WRGW, gwradio.com, starting at 1:40 for a 2 pm tip. Evan Waxman and Ryan Brumley will have the call.

Be sure to catch tomorrow's preview for the men's highly anticipated match-up against George Mason (3-3) where Julian Gompertz and Perry Goldman will once again provide you with all the coverage. WRGW's own Greg Shapiro will be joining Byron Kerr on www.federalnewsradio.com starting at 6:50.

GWorld Down Throughout Campus

UPDATE: GWorld cards are now working.

According to a GW Infomail the GWorld Card Program is experiencing technical difficulties.

GWorld cards can not be used at off campus partners including Starbucks and J-Street, for online purchases, parking or at the GW bookstore.

Confirmed: Obama Will Attend GW Men’s Basketball Game

It’s confirmed. President Barack Obama will attend tomorrow’s Men’s Basketball Game against the Oregon State Beavers.

The confirmation comes from a source who asked to remain anonymous because the individual is not authorized to speak to the media.

Rumors have been flying for weeks that President Obama would attend because his brother-in-law Craig is the head coach for Oregon State (1-3). Tip off is at 2 pm. Expect added security. The band is expected to play “Hail to the Chief.”

Robinson has a 19-21 record in his second season at OSU. He is a career 49-49 in four seasons of coaching, according to GW Athletics. Robinson himself has never faced GW though the Beavers lost to the Colonials 77-70 in December 1994 at the Far West Classic in Portland, OR.

The Colonials are 4-0.

First Family Attends GW Basketball Game, Colonials Fall 64-57

The First Family visited the Smith Center today to watch the Oregon State University Beavers top the GW Colonials 65-57.

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, the Obama children, and Michelle's mother Marian were on hand because Michelle's brother Craig is the head coach for Oregon State, now 2-3.

Despite the enormity of the event the White House and GW Athletics kept the event quiet with many within the Smith Center only told to make preparations in the event the president decided to attend. Obama was not announced during the game, nor did the GW Band play "Hail to the Chief" as initially expected.

Instead, the President is reported by students within the Smith Center to be reserved but eating popcorn, cheering for the teams, and shaking the hands of the students, faculty, and staff who approached him.

First Lady Michelle Obama was seen clapping along with the routine of the First Ladies, GW's aptly named dance team. Following the game the players from both teams shook hands with the President and First Lady. The Oregon State Beavers had met the President at the White House earlier in the week.

WRGW News was the first campus outlet to confirm his visit.

As for the game, Oregon State dominated early after a series of turnovers lead to a 16-0 lead. It took 5 1/2 minutes for the Colonials to sink a basket, a dunk by senior Herman Opoku.

The Colonials rallied to within 10 points going into half time. At the beginning of the second half GW clawed back to within six. OSU responded with a 21-7 run.



Minutes before the game ended, with GW closing the gap, chants of "Yes We Can!" broke out, a throwback to the 2008 presidential campaign. It wasn't enough and the Colonials fell 64-57.

“Oregon State took control from the outset,” GW coach Karl Hobbs said after the game and sent to WRGW News in a press release. “I thought that we had to play catch-up through the entire game. We had a tough time shooting the basketball and we couldn’t make shots from the outside consistently. We played like we never felt we were out of the game.”

Given how we started out, this is a really big win,” OSU's Craig Robinson said in the press release. “Coach Hobbs prepared his team very well. This game was extremely important for us. We hadn’t played well yet. We really needed to have a good start. We got a chance to take our team to the White House but it was really important to win the game to make this trip a treat.”

The win puts Robinson one win over .500 for his coaching career (50-49). He now has a 20-21 record in his second season at OSU.

Game attendance was 2,401 at the 5,000-seat Charles E. Smith Center, according to GW Athletics. It was the second time a sitting President watched a GW Men's Basketball game. Former President Bill Clinton was in attendance February 4, 1995.

GW (4-1) hosts George Mason (3-3) Wednesday, December 2 at 7 p.m. at Smith Center. Students may attend for free by getting their G-World cards validated at the Marvin Center Ticketmaster.

Watch the post-game highlights HERE courtesy of GW Athletics. Please be patient as the video loads.

Theater Review: Of Mice and Men at Church Street Theater

The Keegan Theatre’s “Of Mice and Men” is a touching reenactment of a story many of us first discovered in high school.

A classic staple of American Literature, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men explores a common theme in his work—the lives of migrant workers in the Eastern United States during the Great Depression—by focusing on two ranch workers that travel together, in the hopes of earning enough to buy their own plot of land.

Director Kerry Water Lucas’ version of the story, currently at the Church Street Theater by Dupont Circle, focuses on the theme of friendship. Danny Gavigan, in the role of the friendly yet mentally disabled Lennie, is most convincing in the moments when he expresses his feeling for George, played by Mark A. Rhea.

When the black stable keeper on the ranch questions Lennie about George’s intentions, Gavigan responds with an immediate pain that overwhelms the scene, shadowing the subplot of racial tension at the ranch.

In the final moments of the play, as Lennie kneels and looks out over the river, trusting George completely even as he takes out the pistol by which Lennie meets his end, the agony of the loss of friendship again overwhelms a scene that has powerful socio-political subtext. The lighting and sound in the final scene improves noticeably, complementing the powerful emotions in the scene.

The set design is stark, yet beautiful, dominated by movable wooden partitions that alternatively resemble a fence in shambles or a downtrodden barn.

Some of the supporting cast is less successful in their approximations of the other ranch workers. Lee Matthews, the token woman the play, is tragically misunderstood and tragically theatric. Her performance seems more appropriate for a Broadway production than a small intimate stage.

Matt Bolie plays the wistful farm hand Candy. He has lost his hand on the farm and received $250 of compensation, about half of what George and Lennie need to buy up the plot they have in mind. Bolie’s character undergoes a complete transformation throughout the play, from a cheerful and hopeful accomplice in the plan, to a devastated skeleton of a man when his dog, a pride and joy, is shot and buried.

The play continues to vacillate between hope and destruction: Lennie accidentally kills a mouse by “petting it too hard” and then receives a baby pup—a dog on the farm has just had young; the black farm hand overcomes his loneliness and accepts Lennie’s presence shortly before a striking confrontation at the door with the ranch owner; Lennie and George seem to be well on their way to success when an unfortunate misstep destroys their hopes yet again. It leaves the audience with a deep confusion about optimism and pessimism, as well as the inevitable intervention of luck in life.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Directed by Kerry Waters Lucas. About 2 hours 20 minutes running time, $30 general admission, $25 for students/seniors. Through Nov. 29 at the Church Street Theater. For tickets, call 703-892-0202 or go to http://www.keegantheatre.com

Still Hungry on Friday? Keep Eating!

Stuck on campus this week?

On Friday, November 27, Mount Vernon Campus Life will be hosting the 7th annual Post-Thanksgiving Dinner. The event will take place at 6:00 pm at Ames Pub. The dinner is open to the GW community, including students, staff and faculty.

The dinner will include a large selection of traditional Thanksgiving foods. There will be vegetarian options.

The event is free, but advance reservations are needed. Those wanting to attend should apply by Monday, November 23 by sending an e-mail to mvcl@gwu.edu. The e-mail should include your name, e-mail address, and the total number of people planning to attend the dinner.

Colonials Dominate Maryland-Baltimore Retrievers

Freshman Lasan Kromah lead the GW’s Men’s Basketball team with a 21 point performance today as the Colonials defeat Maryland-Baltimore-County 94-51.

The Colonials were dominant from the start, scoring the game’s first nine points. They went into halftime with a 59-28 lead after an 8-minute 33-15 run.

20 of Kromah’s points came in the first half. Damian Hollis scored 12 points.

The win continues GW’s three game winning streak. Maryland-Baltimore-County is winless after three games.

In Profile: Cliff Wilson of The Vern Express

Cliff Wilson

Hometown: Upper Marlboro, MD

Previous occupations: 1st Lieutenant in DC National Guard, Firefighter/Medic for Prince George’s County (Ret. ‘07), Amtrak – Track Inspector


Cliff Wilson grew up in Upper Marlboro, Maryland with visions of playing college football and eventually the big leagues – the NFL. Upon getting to the University of Maryland - Baltimore County, he discovered that the other guys were simply much bigger than him; after a couple of concussions, he decided that a career in football probably wouldn’t turn out well for him. But his dream has lived on in his three sons, who were all football players in their youth.

Wilson joined the National Guard for a short time, and then decided to become a firefighter for Prince George’s County. At 37 years of age, he was the oldest initated firefighter in his class. A knee injury sidelined Wilson from his work as a firefighter/medic, so he moved on to Amtrak to work as a track inspector. However, it wasn’t a job meant to last forever.

“You kinda get in a rut sometimes, and there’s nothing to challenge you,” Wilson explains.

He retired from Amtrak, and decided to apply for a job with International Limo. He says that with his knee, the job suits him well.

When Wilson isn’t shuttling GW kids to and from the Vern, he stays busy with his 5 grandchildren and his love for the Washington Redskins. This December, he and his wife will celebrate 38 years of marriage.

What, then, is the most rewarding part of Wilson’s job? He says, simply getting to learn some names and having great conversations with some of his regular passengers.

“You get some interesting perspectives,” Wilson muses, recounting the story of a girl from California who hadn’t ever experienced all four seasons. His smile makes clear that for a part-time retirement job, driving the Vern Express is anything but a raw deal.

Sarah Palin Coming to DC Area for Book Tour

Calling all Mavericks: Former Alaska Governor and Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin will be in Fairfax, VA on December 5 to promote her new book, “Going Rogue: An American Life.” Palin will be at BJ’s in the 13053 Fair Lakes Shopping Center from 11am to 2pm. The stop is part of her “Going Rogue” book tour, which includes 32 stops around the nation.

Video: Public Enemy “Bring the Noise” to Campus

Believe the hype. The hip-hop group Public Enemy played a concert at Lisner Auditorium last night but turned heads outside the venue when they arrived on the back of a flat bed truck.

Most known for their hits “Fight the Power,” and “Bring the Noise,” the performers began their open-air performance at 18 & G Streets and winded their way through campus.

The event, “An Evening with Public Enemy: Concert to Fight Youth Homelessness” benefits the Sasha Bruce Youthwork, a D.C. homeless shelter for youth.

Local Hang-out Hosts Skee-Ball League

The H Street Country Club in Northeast DC is hosting an amateur skee-ball league.

Manager Ricardo Vargaro said the club had the idea since they opened as they looked for ways to capitalize on the skee-ball games they had.

“Many of our customers have inquired about skee-ball tournaments and we thought it would be ideal to start the league late in the fall to give people an excuse to socialize after most softball and kickball leagues are over for the season,” Vargaro said in an e-mail to WRGW News. “I think most players are young professionals looking to unwind and socialize during the week.”

Games will be held on Sunday and Tuesday night for the next five weeks.

The league began November 15th and consists of 30 teams, with five players on each. Each team will play two games to determine final rankings and the season will conclude with a one day playoff and championship challenge in January 2010.

A new season is set to begin on January 19th.

Legendary Journalist Helen Thomas Speaks to GW Students

Click the image above to go directly to our Flickr photostream of Helen Thomas at the Elliott School.

Click here to view the liveblog of the event.

WRGW News, GW Television, and the School of Media Public Affairs at the George Washington University played host to one of the legends of journalism Tuesday as White House press corps stalwart Helen Thomas spoke before students in the Elliott School.

Mrs. Thomas was introduced by both SMPA Director Frank Sesno and Professor Mike Freedman, who each spoke highly of her career and accomplishments. Sesno described Thomas as "a beacon of light" in Washington, and as someone who "made her career being utterly fearless." Freedman noted that Thomas began covering the White House during the Kennedy administration, and had been "a pain in the butt to every president ever since."

Thomas quickly showed that even at age 89 she was still capable of making waves.

Mrs. Thomas advised President Obama to exit the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, noting that "Saddam Hussein was ruthless, but women had jobs, children went to schools, people had electricity and clean water".

She also called for the creation of a single-payer healthcare system, accusing congressional opponents of healthcare reform of hypocrisy for denying the general public the same quality of care the taxpayers support for them.

The speech then moved into a brief overview of her opinions on every President she had covered. She said Kennedy was her favorite because he "inspired, grew in office, and learned from his mistakes."

According to Thomas, Johnson supported sound domestic policy but his effectiveness was weakened by the Vietnam war. Reagan, she said, helped to end the Cold War while ignoring social issues.

Harsh criticism was reserved for George W. Bush, who "wanted to be a war president and he was, and his dreams were fulfilled much to our horror."

Of particular concern to Thomas was the supposed human rights abuses, such as alleged torture, committed under the Bush administration.

Thomas offered a mixed review of the current administration. Obama's "heart was in the right place," she said, "but he lacks courage." She advised the President to stand up to his opponents on issues like healthcare, even if it meant facing a filibuster.

The speech was not without its light moments, however. Thomas shared several stories from her years in the White House, most of them humorous, and called for citizens to seek greater transparency in government. Quoting a Holocaust survivor she said, "The only sin is silence."

A question and answer session followed the lecture.

One attendee asked Thomas for her opinion of the recent criticism of Fox News by the Obama administration, to which she was disapproving; the president must "rise above the fray" she said, noting that "the press always gets the last word."

When asked for her prescriptions for the ailing economy, she harkened back to the days of the New Deal, calling for a recreation of the Works Progress Administration to provide jobs to the unemployed, and expressed displeasure at the leniency still being given to banks surviving on government cash.

The program was filmed by GWTV and will air on campus cable channel 6 shortly.

Thomas' new book, which she co-authored with Craig Crawford, Listen Up Mr. President: Everything You Always Wanted Your President to Know and Do, is available in bookstores now.

Helen Thomas - LIVEBLOG

If you can’t make it to the Helen Thomas event tonight or want a recap, follow our witty and insightful liveblog, starting tonight, November 17th at 7:00 pm.

Kalb Report: What Makes 60 Minutes Tick?

Last night at the National Press Club, the latest installment of The Kalb Report series featured 60 Minutes Correspondent Lesley Stahl and Executive Producer Jeffrey Fager in a discussion on “What Makes 60 Minutes Tick?” hosted by Marvin Kalb. 60 Minutes currently holds the record for the longest continuously running program of any genre scheduled during American network prime time television. It has aired at 7 p.m. eastern time every Sunday since December 7, 1975. It has been recognized as the most successful television news program of all time.

According to Fager, there are about 200 total employees that help put 60 Minutes on the air every week. There are about 70 reporters who work both on and off the air. The program currently features 10 main correspondents. Stahl said that every correspondent has a team of reporters and each person is responsible for coming up with story ideas. Surprisingly, there are no group meetings to decide which stories to feature each week. Fager explained that meetings are not necessary because the staff is constantly communicating. Stahl said, “We don’t have meetings and we’re proud of it.”

Kalb asked if there was a secret ingredient in the success of 60 Minutes. Stahl said that unlike most other news outlets, no correspondent or reporter is ever given an assignment to cover. She said, “Really nobody does a story they don’t want to do, and that they don’t push and fight to do. We propose our stories. And I don't know any other news broadcast or news outlet that’s quite like that. All my friends who have worked on shows like this at other networks, and even within CBS, have been assigned their stories and they grumble about it. But everybody who goes out on a story is going out because they’re desperate to cover that.”

60 Minutes has earned a reputation over the years for having an iconic interviewing style where the correspondent is a central part of each story. Stahl said that it is a deliberate technique used to engage the audience. However, not every interview goes as planned. In 2007, French President Nicolas Sarkozy abruptly ended an interview with Stahl after she asked if his wife had left him. Stahl said, “I was warned that no French reporter would ask that question. But I’m not a French reporter.”

When asked about the current state of television news, Fager said he did not believe that real reporting was done at all on other prime time news programs. He claimed that other programs, particularly on cable, feature a lot of shouting but that does very little to inform the public. Stahl voiced concern whether or not financial resources will continue to be available so news programs can continue to travel the world and provide high caliber journalism.

For students hoping to pursue a career in journalism, Fager said that writing and story telling are crucial skills. He supported a strong liberal arts education as the foundation for that and emphasized the value of knowing a foreign language. Stahl recommended that students start their careers at the smallest media outlets that will hire them. She said, “Don’t try to come to60 Minutes, because you know what you’ll do at 60 Minutes? Get me coffee.” She went on to say that working at a small outlet will provide the practical experience every aspiring journalist needs.

Fager said he believed that there will always be a place for quality journalism. Stahl was less enthusiastic, and said that she is very worried for the future.

At the end of the discussion, Kalb said, “In that environment of journalism being in trouble, you both represent an organization, 60 Minutes, that continues to do first-rate reporting. And even if there’s a hiccup along the way, along the way you’re getting the thrust of honest professionals doing the best they can.”

New Website to Tally Community Service Hours for Obama Challenge

On September 11 Michelle Obama promised to speak at the 2010 commencement if the GW community completed 100,000 hours of community service, raising questions of how the university would keep track of the hours. Today, a launch party was held in the Marvin Center Great Hall by the Office of Community Service for a new website called Volunteer Match.

The university has joined forces with Volunteer Match, the popular community service network, to help create a website specifically for GW that allows hours to be reported and tracked.

Every member of the GW community has been assigned a profile and will be able to enter their hours using the website.

“Our partnership with Volunteer Match will not only help the GW community find volunteering opportunities they can be passionate about, it will help us ensure that service hours are tracked accurately for this challenge,” Robert Chernak, GW’s Senior Vice President for Student and Academic Support Services, said in a press release.

“Tracking and reporting hours will be much easier now that GW’s VolunteerMatch system is up and running,” said GW President Steven Knapp in the release. “I am confident that this new system will help us meet the First Lady’s challenge.”

Only activities that directly serve a group or organization will count towards the goal. Volunteer Match offers students with service options from over 2,600 organizations in the DC area.

GW will be hosting a 30-minute Volunteer Match training webinar everyday at 12 pm from Tuesday, November 17th until Friday, November 20th. For more information visit serve.gwu.edu.

Swift Boat Author Says GW Document Ties Ft. Hood Shooter to Obama Transition

It’s been well reported that Nidar Hasan, the Ft. Hood shooter, was on campus January 6, 2009 for an event at GW’s Homeland Security Policy Institute where he heard Sallai Meridor, the Ambassador of Israel to the U.S. speak. Now, Jerome Corsi, co-author of Unfit for Command Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry, has published an article, which some have called misleading, on World Net Daily titled, “Shooter advised Obama transition, Fort Hood triggerman aided team on Homeland Security task force,” that allegedly links Hasan directly to President Obama.

Frank Culluffo, the director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute told the Huffington Post that Hasan had no affiliation with the institute and was only a member of the audience. Cuffulo said the institute publishes the names of those who RSVP as a matter of transparency.

Hasan’s name appeared in the May 19, 2009 report titled “Thinking Anew – Security Priorities for the Next Administration,” with a subtitle, “Proceedings Report of the HSPI Presidential Transition Task Force April 2008 – January 2009.”

Despite writing himself, “There is no indication in the document that the group played any formal role in the official Obama transition,” the headline of Corsi’s piece is being called deceptive and misleading. There is currently no indication that Hasan participated in any way other than being an audience member.

Editor notes at the bottom of the article acknowledge that “Hasan is being reported as a participant in the GWU Homeland Security Policy Institute’s Presidential Transition Task Force, not as a member, noting the group was a university think-tank, not part of the Obama administration official transition team,” and that “The institute’s deputy director is quoted saying he is unable to say if Hasan made any input to the group’s final recommendations.”

Yet, the article is being framed as Hasan having made recommendations to President Obama.

The topic of the discussion was “Israeli counterterrorism efforts against homegrown, regional and international terrorist organizations; progress on the Peace Process; Israel’s response to the recent terror attacks in Mumbai; as well as other relevant regional security issues.” It took place January 6, 2009 from 10:30 am – 12pm at GW Hospital’s Allan B. Weingold Conference Center Suite (6th floor) at 900 23rd St. NW.

Glamorous Beauty Pageant Raises Money For Breast Cancer

It was a night of glitz and glam at the Swedish Embassy this past Saturday. The DC entertainment company—Sinergy—hosted its first annual beauty pageant to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer.

The pageant consisted of judges that held former Miss Universe titles, a live saxophone player, glistening gold trophies and stunning designer gowns.

Over 600 girls tried out for the Miss Sinergy pageant over a six-month selection process. The contestants ranged from 18 to 33 years old and came from across the United States and around the world.

Many of the women were nurses, teachers and students; including GW’s very own Jacqueline Heinrich.

Saturday night was the finals with the top 20 girls competing in swimwear, evening wear and finally the top six competing in an interview with questions such as “What is your favorite quote and why?” and “What can men learn from women?”

Allyn Rose, Miss Sinergy 2010 Photo courtesy of Bryan Lamb.

The winner of the competition was Allyn Rose, a senior at the University of Maryland studying government and politics.

At the young age of sixteen, she lost her mother to breast cancer. In her pageant interview, she said that the experience made her stronger and taught her to live life to the fullest. She saw Miss Sinergy as a continuation of her mother’s legacy.

As Miss Sinergy, Rose will receive a modeling contract, a crown handmade in Prague, a monetary prize and the role of representing Sinergy’s newest fashion line and energy drink.

100% of Saturday night’s proceeds went to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

WRGW News, SMPA to Host Journalist Helen Thomas Nov. 17

Known as the “Dean of the White House Press Corp” and the “First Lady of the Press,” Helen Thomas will join the GW community on November 17th for a lecture and Question & Answer session.

Thomas, who has covered every presidential administration since John F. Kennedy, will discuss how the relationship between White House administrations and the press has changed over the years, and how the current administration is handling the media

The event is brought to you by WRGW News, SMPA, GWTV, and the Student Association.

It all takes place November 17th, 2009 at the Elliot School of International Affairs room 113. The event begins at 7pm. Doors open at 6:30pm.

Free tickets are available in the Marvin Center Ticket Master. One ticket per G-World.

Maroon 5 Wows GW Students

Pop-rock band Maroon 5 came to GW Friday night to wow DC students with old standards and new hits.

Opening for Maroon 5 was Fitz and the Tantrums, who got the Smith Center crowd going with upbeat tunes like “Rich Girls,” which laments that “rich girls will break your heart; poor girls will take your money,” as well as several songs from their recently-released EP, “Songs for a Breakup, Volume One.”

The headlining band came onstage to massive cheers shortly after 10pm, kicking off the set with one of their most famous songs, “Harder to Breathe.” The crowd went wild soon after as lead singer Adam Levine stripped off his jacket. The group performed all of their hits, including “Makes Me Wonder,” an acoustic version of “She Will Be Loved,” “Sunday Morning,” and “This Love.” Levine also led the crowd in a cover of Alicia Keys’ hit “If I Ain’t Got You,” and gave the crowd a sneak peek at a new song that hasn’t yet been released called “Last Chance.”

Throughout the night, Levine kept the audience entertained, asking various students to hold his water bottle for him, and telling them they were the best crowd he’s seen so far on the Back-to-School Tour.

Exclusive Interview with Maroon 5 Guitarist James Valentine

Maroon 5 will play the Smith Center tonight at 8pm as part of their Back to School tour of college campuses. WRGW News’ Jesse Regis talked with guitarist James Valentine about the tour, the band’s upcoming album, and what he would say if he could speak to dolphins.

Read the transcript below, or check out the complete interview here: Maroon 5’s James Valentine on WRGW

I’m Jesse Regis from the fishbowl. We’re joined by James Valentine, the guitarist for Maroon 5. Maroon 5, of course, will be performing live at the Smith Center on Friday night, James so good to be with you.

Where are you calling us from?

I’m on the highway right now. I’m in the back of our tour bus. We’re driving to Connecticut now from New York.

So tell me about the college tour. What’s it all about?

We decided to do some touring this year because we’ve been in the studio all year so it’s kinda been time off for us. We tour a lot but this whole entire year we haven’t done any touring. So we thought a good place to start would be colleges. When we first started touring we spent a lot of time on campuses and we sort of missed it and wanted to come back. We like you college kids, we have the most fun playing for you.

What’s a college age audience like? It must be different than playing arenas or anywhere else.

There’s just an energy there that’s not there in the general admission crowd. We love all our fans, of course, but there’s an energy on the campuses that you can’t match anywhere else.

What type of music are you playing? Are you playing some of your more recent stuff, are you trying out new material?

We hope to play more of our new songs. We’re also treating this as a warm up to get some of these new songs into shape because we have to play these songs live, a lot of times, before they start to really evolve and take shape because the live arrangements of our songs will generally be pretty different from what you’re playing on the record. But we’re not done with our record yet so we don’t even really know what songs are going to go on there so we’re not playing as many new songs as we thought. We’re playing songs off of our first two records.

Yeah, and I wanna talk about the new record because you went to of all places, Switzerland. What are you doing in Switzerland?

The producer that we’re working with, this guy named Mutt Lange lives out there and his studio is out there. We basically had to go out there if we wanted to work with this guy. It’s a huge privilege and an honor to be working with Mutt Lange so we went out there. It was good for us because we usually record in Los Angeles and there’s a lot of distractions for guys like us so he was good to take us out of there. We were just on a bunch of property out there, which was pretty remote. There were no distractions and we could just focus on working on the music.

Could you see a difference in the music you were making in Switzerland versus a studio in Los Angeles?

I think what we do is what we do. I think the main difference is that we just did it for longer hours. We were working harder and longer.

The album’s coming out in 2010. Any specific date yet?

I think it’ll come out late winter, early Spring.

What’s the motivation for the record? What’s the focus? Is it going to a dark record, is it going to be a more mature record, a poppy record?

It’s the next step forward for us. I don’t think the fans will be too mystified by what they hear. It’ll sound like a Maroon 5 record but we’re always pushing forward a little bit.

You do tons of live shows. You must have a few kinks in there at some point, have you ever had a problem, a broken string or something where you can’t go forward.

Oh, yeah, we’ve had all kinds of things go wrong. I fell off stage once - that was fun. There was a curtain that was sorta hiding the fact that the stage ended. I was jumping around and I fell off. Lots of stuff happens you just have to keep going. We’ve played so many shows over the years, we kinda know how to cover things before they go horribly wrong.

You guys still got crazy fans coming up on the stage?

Occasionally fans try to get up there but I think our fans are somewhere in between the Jonas Brothers hysteria, you know they’re not as crazy as those kids, they’re a little older so I think they’re a little more mellow. We played a radio festival with [the Jonas Brothers] once and our fans aren’t quite that crazy. And they’re not as intense as they’d be at a Metallica show. So they’re somewhere in between the Jonas Brothers and Metallica.

Speaking of other artists, do you have any interest in collaborating with other artists in the future? What types of bands do you admire that you’d really like to make a track with?

Since we’re in the DC area how about Fugazi? Maybe we could do something with them. I don’t know if they’d totally be down for that though.

You gonna have any time to sightsee when you’re in the DC area? Or are you guys just kinda running around and won’t have any time for that?

No, we’ll have a little bit of time. We were out there pretty recently. We were out there for the inauguration, actually.

You were out there in the cold?

Yeah, I was out there. I was in front of the White House. I actually saw the inauguration. The rest of the guys in the band actually gave up on getting in because it was crazy on the streets and people who didn’t have tickets were trying to get in and the security machine at our gate broke down, but I struck around and persevered and I finally made it in, which was such an amazing experience. We played the Presidential ball, we played a couple other balls, which was the coolest thing we’ve ever done.

And you went out on the [National] Mall just as a private citizen, just waiting in line with everyone else?

Yeah, yeah, it was awesome.

There’s this rumor out there that I want to talk about from my highly reliable source, Wikipedia that says this might be the last Maroon 5 record for awhile, is there any truth to that?

It says that on Wikipedia? I think that might stem from something Adam said in Rolling Stone awhile ago.

That the band had reached its peak and might be disbanding…

Yeah, and probably not. I think we’ll probably make a couple more records, but you never know. I would say the money is on probably a couple more records, for sure.

We want to have a little bit of fun with you. It’s our speed round. I’m gonna throw some questions at you, you’re going to give me the first thing that comes into your head.

Ok, Yeah this could be dangerous.

Yeah it could ruin your career. I’m just kidding, we’re gonna have some fun with it. If you were a side dish, what would you be?

Mac and Cheese

What’s your favorite type of sock? Tube sock guy, low cut sock guy?

I like Thorlos tennis socks.

Oh, that’s right you’re a big tennis player…

Yeah.

Favorite Muppet?

Animal.

Oh yeah!? But he plays the drums though…

Do you know the name of the guitar playing Muppet because I don’t

I don’t, we’ll look into it. Your favorite breakfast food?

Frosted Flakes.

Are you a fan of MC Hammer?

Yes. I mean, that was everywhere. I memorized all of it. My music hits you so hard, makes me want to say oh my Lord, Thank you for blessing me. With a mind to rhyme and two hyped feet.

Do you own a pair of parachute pants?

I don’t own a pair of parachute pants, unfortunately.

If you could speak to one animal, what would it be?

A dolphin.

What would you say to the dolphin?

I’d be like “what’s up, why you guys so smart?”

What’s your favorite member of the Beatles?

Let’s go with Paul, because nobody ever says Paul.

Do you think Elvis is really dead?

Yes.

Tupac?

Yes.

Twitter of facebook, which do you prefer?

Facebook.

Favorite founding father?

Jefferson.

Oh well, your friends at Thomas Jefferson University will appreciate that.

I was just saying that just to annoy you guys.

Guitar Hero or Rock Band?

How about picking up a real guitar and learning how to play it?

Would you rather be dead…..or alive in a box?

I’ll be alive, I would rather be alive, wherever I am.

We’ll have to leave it there. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow.

I can’t wait either, I’m gonna be intimidated. George Washington, you guys are, like smart, that’s a good school, it’s not that easy to get in there. They just don’t let just anyone in. If it’s going to be a smart audience we’re going to have to play our most high-brow stuff.

The show starts at 8pm tonight and tickets are still available at the Marvin Center Ticketmaster. Tickets are $30 for students and $33 for faculty, staff & alumni.

Complete Footage of First Lady Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden at Lisner Auditorium

Musician Lupe Fiasco Headlines Film Screening on Civil Rights Struggle

Last night, the Jack Morton Auditorium played host to hip-hop artist Lupe Fiasco and producer Chris Moore for a discussion with SMPA director Frank Sesno about a film project entitled The People Speak.

The film, to air December 13th at 8 p.m. on the History Channel, consists of actors, vocal artists, and other celebrities reading and performing the works of the “dissenters” of American history.

The works include letters, journal entries, songs, and more written by people who struggled through some of the nation’s most controversial issues, including civil rights.

Lupe kicked off the event with a reading of boxer Muhammad Ali’s speech in 1966 about his refusal to fight in Vietnam. A short clip of The People Speak was played immediately following which included a reading of Frederick Douglass by Don Cheadle, and John Legend’s performance of a Billie Holiday song “Strange Fruit,” which is about lynching.

SA to Vote on New SA Consititution Tonight

The SA will likely vote on bringing the newly proposed SA Constitution to a student vote. The vote needs 2/3 of the Senate to go to a student body election for ratification. Follow on the live blog tonight at 9:00 pm for complete coverage of the meeting, including the debate and final vote.

Snapshot: Michelle Obama Honors Vets at Lisner

Check back later for the full report by WRGW News’ Jenn Neuner.

First Lady Michelle Obama praised the leadership skills of veterans and their commitment to community service upon returning home at a Veteran's Day speech at GW's Lisner Auditorium, November 11, 2009. GW students, Dr. Jill Biden and Alma Powell, wife of General Colin Powell look on. Jesse Regis / WRGW News

CRIME ALERT: Health and Wellness Center Locker Room Intruder

The following information was released by University Police.

On Nov 9, 2009 at approximately 4:45 pm, a male entered the lower level women’s
locker room in the Health and Wellness Center and looked into two shower areas
(2 females were in the showers at the time of the incident). The male was
subsequently confronted by another female in the locker room and he asked her
the location of the men’s locker room and he quickly left the area.

Subject description: white male, 30-35 years, 6 feet tall, thin build, wearing a
green shirt, blue jeans, and a baseball hat.