Official Statement on Eric Fatla's Death

The George Washington University has released the following statement:

"George Washington University law student Eric Fatla died Monday December 27 after a fall Christmas Eve in Chicago. A first-year law student, Eric was a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and had served as a staff member for former Illinois Congressman Jerry Weller (R-IL).

“Eric’s death saddens the entire GW Law community,” said Interim GW Law School Dean Gregory E. Maggs. “When a student with such wonderful potential is taken from us, we all deeply feel the loss. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his family, friends, and classmates during this difficult time.”

Professor Jonathan Turley, who taught Eric in his Torts class and Legal Theory class, expressed condolences on his blog, jonathanturley.org(http://jonathanturley.org/ ):

“I cannot express the profound sadness over the loss of Eric, who was a brilliant young man with an extraordinary background and an even brighter future,” Turley wrote.

“Eric had already accomplished more than most people accomplish in a lifetime. He had gone to China on a research project, gone to Honduras as an election monitor and worked in Congress as a staffer. He was currently with a lobbying and law firm while attending class in the evenings.”

The GW community extends sincere sympathies to Eric Fatla’s family and friends."

GW Law Student Dies After Tragic Fall

Eric Fatla, 26, died Monday at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. According to the AP, and GW Professor Jonathan Turley's blog, the first year law student died after falling down a flight of stairs at the Union Club in Chicago.

Fatla was home visiting his family when the accident happened Christmas Eve. He passed, surrounded by his family.

Fatla worked with a lobbying and law firm while attending class in the evenings. He had gone to China on a research project, Honduras as an election monitor and worked in Congress as a staffer. He was working as director of operations at New World Group LLC. He was also a congressional staffer for former U.S. Congressman Jerry Weller (R-Ill.). He had survived an earlier trauma, a head injury that almost led to a brain hemorrhage, sustained while playing football in High School.

WRGW has contacted The Office of Media Relations for an official statement from the university. Stay tuned for more information.

The WRGW News and Radio team sends its condolences to the family.

Snow Expected Thursday

An alert sent across district by the city's Emergency Management Agency Wednesday evening cautioned residents to expect 1"-2" of snow Thursday between the hours of beginning around 7am and continuable for much of the day.

The alert, sent out at 7:30pm, warned recipients of well below freezing temperatures overnight and forecast that Thursday's high would be a chilly 28 degrees.

The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang blog posted a similar prediction, calling for 1"-3" of snow for DC, with areas south of the city potentially receiving up to 5".

Stay with WRGW for the latest.

Richard Holbrooke Dies at GW Hospital

The veteran American diplomat Richard Holbrooke has died at GW hospital. Holbrooke, who played a major role in every American foreign policy engagement since the Vietnam War, was in hospital due to complications from a collapsed aorta suffered earlier in the week. The diplomat had remained in critical condition after over 20 hours of surgery Saturday, and succumbed to his injuries Sunday evening.

Holbrook, perhaps best known for negotiating the Dayton accords ending the Bosnian conflict in 1995, was in Washington working in his capacity as special envoy to the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. He began to experience medial difficulties during a meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and as quickly rushed to the hospital.

Ambassador Holbrooke was 69 years old.

Semi-Formals in the Midst of Controversy

Last weekend, December 3-5, and this weekend, December 10-12 marks the season of semi-formals for GW's Greek Fraternities and Sororities.

This year, however, the events are happening amidst investigations into 9 different fraternities and sororities on allegations of hazing, underage drinking, and possession of other illegal substances.

When asked how these investigation and controversies were effecting semi-formal events, and if there were any concrete rule changes this fall due to said investigations, the office of Greek life declined to comment.

Sigma Phi Epsilon, better known as Sig Ep, and Pi Kappa Alpha, better known as Pike, are unable to hold semi-formal events in the time being because each has been put on differed suspension by the university and their national organizations. This means that the two fraternities are not allowed to hold any events or meetings whatsoever.

Beyond these controversies, many other fraternities and sororities held very successful and problem free events last weekend. The same is expected of this up coming weekend.

Finals Stress Is Up, Amsterdam's Elevators Are Down

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

Residents of Philip Amsterdam Hall faced a familiar problem this week: elevator outages. It seems to happen once every couple of weeks. One of the three elevators breaks down and remains inactive for the rest of the week.

Now, one elevator is understandable. But as of late, the outages have affected two of the three elevators. With nearly 450 occupants, one elevator just isn’t enough.

Residents of the ninth floor may already feel shafted by shorthanded elevator service. Only two of the elevators service the top floor as it is, but since Thanksgiving break those two elevators have been drifting in and out of commission.

The University constructed the building in 1997. That’s almost 70 years after Thurston. It seems strange that one of GW’s newer dorms, which was officially named "New Hall" until last year, has so many elevator problems.

A representative for Residential Property Management did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the situation.

-Joseph Rabinowitz

Dealing with maintenance issues in your residence hall? Shoot us an email at wrgwnewsdirector@gmail.com.

Tim Geithner to undergo surgery at GWU Hospital

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has joined the legions of political "celebrities" who have visited our very own George Washington University Hospital.
According to Treasury Department spokesman Steve Adamske, Geithner is scheduled to undergo surgery for kidney stones this afternoon after being admitted Thursday night with severe pain. Adamske said that Geithner is expected to return to work Monday.


Here's a look back at some other political celebrities who have been treated at the hospital over the years, in some cases leaving a lasting impression:
- Ronald Reagan: The 40th president was brought to GWU's emergency room on March 30, 1981 after he was shot at in an assassination attempt. His visit there led to the renaming of the emergency room area as the Ronald Reagan Institute of Emergency Medicine.
- Dick Cheney: The former VP has been admitted to the hospital most frequently of those on our lists, having been admitted for heart problems twice this year alone. Cheney has had five heart attacks since 1978. He and his wife Lynne helped to start the Richard B. and Lynne V. Cheney Cardiovascular Institute there in 2006.
- Tom Reed, then Congressman-elect from NY: Reed was hospitalized at GWU hospital in mid-November of this year after blood clots were discovered in his lungs. He was both released from the hospital and sworn into office on November 18th, also his 39th birthday. He is currently in office to complete the term of former Representative Eric Massa, though in January he will begin his own two-year term. Massa stepped down from the position in March amid allegations of sexual misconduct and a recurrence of cancer.
- Laura Bush: W's First Lady was treated at the hospital in 2007 for a pinched nerve, which at the time prevented her from joining the president on a trip to Australia.

Metro Buses Late Over 50% of the Time

One of the biggest complaints levied against WMATA is that it fails to adequately communicate delays and other issues to customers, lessening the reliability and usability of its buses and trains.  In response, the transit agency implemented a realtime look into its its bus schedlues Thursday, adding to its existing live tracking of trains.

This realitme information, however, has found a disturbing yet well-known trend:  70% of all busses are late, and nearly a third of those tardy arrivals are late by over 6 minutes.

These delays serve to amplify each other: if one bus is late to one stop, for example, it will arrive at the next stop later, and the next one later still, and so on. On some routes this may lead to wait times approaching thirty minutes, and also contributes to the common (and infuriating) phenomenon of bus-stacking, in which multiple buses on the same route arrive at the same stop simoltaneously, often after a prolonged delay.

Metro is stepping up its communication efforts with the creation of new mobile phone and iPod applications that allow the user to check bus and train arrival times, delays, and escalator outages. WMATA is also holding a competition for software developers, challenging them to develop the most useful application for providing information to handicapped customers.

Stay tuned to WRGW the coming year for all of your Metro news.

DC News Roundup

With Council Chairman Vincent Gray moving ever closer to his installation as mayor of DC, news abounds about the structure and content of his new administration.  Here is a brief collection of the important items of the last week:

Gray names chief of staff and city administrator, gives others walking papers

In the largest set of personnel moves since the departure of Michelle Rhee, Vincent Gray chose Gerri Hall to serve as his Chief of Staff and Allen Lew to stay on as City Administrator.

Gerri Hall is a former executive at Amtrak and is currently a vice preseident for human resources at Sodexho, a food services provider.  GW students will be familiar with the corporation as the manager of the J-Street and Mount Vernon dining halls.

Allen Lew currently serves as the director of the District's Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization, an office created in the Fenty administration to oversee school reforms.  In his new role of city administrator he will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of city departments.

Despite a petition drive by some DC residents to keep him on, Department of Transportation  director Gabe Klein submitted his resignation Wednesday.  Klein spearheaded the implementation of smart-growth strategies in the city, and was particularly well-liked by cyclists and public transit advocates.  

Elliott School Warning About Wikileaks

The Elliott School’s Graduate Student Career Development office sent out an email on Monday warning students against using Wikileaks information as citations in academic papers. Wikileaks is a site run by Julian Assange that has become well known for its release of classified intelligence information in documents, videos and more. Due to the still classified nature of the information being released by Wikileaks, the school stated that using the information could complicate any attempt to get a job or internship with security clearance.

The email cited Presidential Executive Order 13526 in saying that the documents, though released “shall not be declassified automatically as a result of any unauthorized disclosure."

The office said that it is not trying to “infringe on rights to access information,” but rather to advise students of a potential risk. Columbia University sent out a similar email on December 2nd, saying they received a call from an alumnus at the State Department. However, Columbia did not warn about citing Wikileaks, but rather posting links to the documents on social networking sites. According to Columbia's email, the belief was that such action would “call into question your ability to deal with confidential information." However, this position was later reversed when Dean Coatsworth sent out an email on Monday stating that “students have a right to discuss and debate any information in the public arena."

Wikileaks has been part of a media firestorm in recent weeks, both due to its controversial nature and the purported illegal activities of its founder. Assange, who turned himself in to London police yesterday on a Swedish arrest warrant related to sex crimes, has also been under intense scrutiny for founding the site in the first place.

"Study Zones" for Finals

In an effort to generate more awareness about what spaces are open during exam periods and extended hours in desired study destinations, GW has once again implemented the "Study Zone" initiative for this semester's finals.

Look for signs designating "Study Zones" across campus, including Duques Hall (now open till 2 a.m.), the Marvin Center, the Fishbowl, Eckles Library (now open 24 hours) and Gelman Library.

Also, Sodexo is holding extended dining hours for study zone. A majority of J Street Food Vendors, as well as G-Dub Java in Duques Hall, will be open until 2 a.m. from December 6th to the 10th, and the 14th to the 16th. Meanwhile, Pelham Commons will be open until 1 a.m.

For more information, go to: living.gwu.edu/studyzone

The Smithsonian Video Controversy

Last week the Smithsonian Institution removed David Wojnarowicz's video titled "Fire in My Belly" from a privately funded exhibit entitled Hide/Seek at the National Portrait Gallery. The video can be viewed online at YouTube but is only open to those who have an account they can sign into on the site.

The video begins with a crucifix with the figure of Jesus on it lying on the ground and covered with crawling ants. A beginning that upset the Catholic League, a group which does not receive funding from the Catholic Church. The video also contains other potentially disturbing images such as a representation of a mouth being sewn shut. The image of the ant-covered Christ appears periodically throughout the clip. The video, which was posted to YouTube in 2007, but has recently been receiving many views and comments, was created in 1987 while Mr. Wohnarowicz was dying of AIDS. John Boehner, the incoming House Speaker who is from Ohio, speaking through a representative, requested that the Smithsonian remove the video from the exhbit. The Smithsonian may have felt threatened by a cut to funding if they failed to comply due to his wording which included the phrase "be prepared to face tough scrutiny. The rest of the video will remain up until February 13th, as previously planned.

Kennedy Center Honors lights up D.C.

DC was filled with stars on Sunday night as the Kennedy Center Honors Celebration highlighted the successes of greats Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, Bill T. Jones. Merle Haggard, and Jerry Herman.

The Kennedy Center Honors is held every year honoring five people who have positively influenced the world with their talents and their ability to unify the masses.

In the words of President Barack Obama, the five men and women who were chosen to receive this year's Kennedy Center Honors have "given the nation the extraordinary gift of the arts." Obama, who spoke at the celebration, was grateful to the contributions of the five recipients.

Honoring the contribution of these sensations was Willie Nelson. Also Merle Haggard, and Broadway legends Carol Channing and Angela Lansbury singing old show tunes. In addition to these greats were celebrities Steven Tyler, Norah Jones, Dave Grohl and Gwen Stefani, Paul McCartney and Alec Baldwin. 

Moonlight Cleaning

Kind, Gentle Doris Harris Has Worked the Nightshift at Gelman for 31 Years

Lunchtime for Doris Harris is just like any midday break for a hardworking person: she sits down at her favorite table, eats her chicken salad, and relaxes by playing solitaire, keeping in mind that the second half of her day is fast approaching.

It’s 2:30 a.m. and Harris is at the midway point of her job; she works the night shift at Gelman Library.

“I really don’t eat breakfast,” she stated with a soft hum, referring to the meal most people eat when they wake up. “Since I wake up in the afternoon, by this point, I’m really hungry.”

Born Doris Brooks in 1960, she was raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, the daughter of a welder and a housewife, and the oldest among her two brothers and three sisters.

In 1974 she came to Forestville, Maryland “a few years after graduating high school” to find work.

Soon after, she found a job at a toy factory, Taka Toys, in Landover and in December 1975 married Joseph Harris, an employee for Giant Food.

After Taka Toys shuttered its doors, Harris quickly found work at Gelman Library as a nighttime custodian, or housekeeper, as she prefers to be called. She learned about the opportunity from a man in her apartment building who, at the time, was also employed in the library.

“I started here June 5, 1978 and I’ve been here since,” she said in her soft-spoken voice. “I’ve always done the night shift. I’ve been doing the same thing for 31 years. I dust, vacuum, pull trash, and that’s it. I don’t do no mopping.”

Harris, an ample, dark-skinned woman of medium height and short dark hair, attentively cleans the library from Sunday to Thursday while most of the campus sleeps. Everyday she dresses in her light blue smock, dark blue trousers, and chocolate brown crocs.

Though the shoes are technically out of regulation, “tennis shoes hurt my feet, especially with all the walking I do,” Harris stated.

She starts her shift at 11 p.m. with the seven other custodians, beginning with the seventh floor. She and the others slowly work their way down, each cleaning a particular section.

“Though we’re supposed to stay together, during the school year we divide up,” Harris explained. “I get the right side when exiting the elevators.”

Though the staff is required to move down, cleaning each floor in order, “oftentimes, though, we have to skip the sixth floor because it gets crowded,” she admits. “We just can’t clean with that many people.”

Normally, by the time she finishes cleaning the third floor, another popular area for students, it’s 2:30 a.m. and time for her hour-long “lunch break.”

At 7 a.m. her shift ends, and Harris gets in her car to drive home.

“Some mornings I’m really sleepy,” she said. “But usually I make it home just fine.”

Harris has had 31 years to adjust to her hours, and, as she explained, she’s become nocturnal.

“Lack of sleep bothered me at first, but then I got used to it,” she says.

The hours don’t really bother her anymore. Instead she has a whole new problem: arthritis.

“I feel it in my legs. I feel it in my knees,” she says softly. “I’ve had it for about four years. We just walk around a lot and it hurts.”

“After 31 years I want to retire,” Harris continued. “This is my last year, but don’t tell anyone. I don’t want everybody to know right now; they’d worry me to death. They’d be asking me a lot of questions. I want to leave peacefully. I also want to be able to change my mind.”

Her plans for retirement are simple, she stated.

“Oh lord. I want about a month’s rest. Then I want to travel and retire with my grandkids,” Harris asserts.

Doris Harris expects to move back to North Carolina, returning to her childhood home of Raleigh. She wants to live near her daughter, who is married and has three children.

“It’s a really nice place to live,” she says. “You can get lost now though-they built it up.”

Though Harris divorced her husband in 1991, “we still talk; we’re still friends. He got married again. I didn’t,” she explained.

Did her job strain her marriage?

“No,” Harris replied. “He sometimes had to work nights also.”

As for her remaining nights, Doris Harris remains focused on continuing her routine.

“I get home around 7:30 a.m., have breakfast and coffee, and relax for a couple hours,” she explained. “Between 10 and 11 I go to sleep until five p.m. when I wake up and head to work.”

It fits that she is retiring in June, Harris says, because that’s when the students will leave too.

“I see a lot of different faces, but sometimes the same faces,” she stated, smiling softly. “I enjoy seeing the students and when school is closed it gets lonely.”

Rep. Steven King Speaks to CRs

Iowa Republican Rep. Steven King spoke to the College Republicans Thursday night, answering questions from students and discussing the future of the political party.

As part of the Congressional Dinner Series, the five-term Congressman spoke to the CRs at Meiwah Restaurant, a Chinese restaurant on 21^st and M Street.

“We’ve been in the trenches a long time,” the Rep. stated about the recent minority status of his party. “We did our business. We were pretty responsible.”

Rep. King praised his audience and their benefit to the Republican Party, commending them for their efforts during the recent election cycle.

“You’re new blood and new ideas. So is this class of 2010 that’s come in here,” he asserted.

Rep. King also spent time, however, criticizing his political opponents.

His party suffered massive losses in 2006 and 2008 because, as Rep. King explained, “Democrats beat up on George W. Bush. The Democrats went to the media and beat us up.”

Things have changed now, “Nancy Pelosi is seeing her office get cleaned out,” he added to a round of applause. “It’s because we came together as a nation.”

Rep. King also described President Obama as “a pretty gimpy first term president. He’s a one term Democrat.”

Expounding upon a common criticism, he also claimed that Obama “took his playbook off the socialist website” and explained that the president’s agenda is “an assault on our liberty.”

When asked about the middle class tax cut proposal that passed the House on Thursday, Rep. King stated, “We just needed to vote no.”

Failing to cut taxes for the upper class, King explained, sends the wrong message.

“If you’re going to produce and achieve, we’re going to punish you greater,” he stated.

He sounded a similar note when asked about the estate tax and its effect on millionaire’s inheritance, calling it “outrageous,” and stating that it must end.

Responding to a question about the expiring unemployment benefits, Rep. King stated that he was opposed to extending the measure.

Stating that “99 weeks provides no incentive to get to work,” he was prodded further about what unemployed Americans should do.

“They should start a business or get a job,” Rep. King declared. “I mean, how long do we have to pay these guys?”

National Pinball Museum Opening in Georgetown

The F.A.O. Schwartz in Georgetown may be gone, but something equally fun - and throwback - is replacing it: a pinball arcade.

Describing the new installation as an arcade, however, may be an understatement.  Filling nearly 14,000 square feet of space in the Georgetown Shoppes, owner and curator David Silverman prefers to think of the collection as a museum, and not without merit; Silverman's personal hoard of over 850 pinball machines spans nearly three centuries of gaming.

The National Pinball Museum, though, is not all fun-and-games.  Silverman views the pinball machines both as entertainment and totems of the culture in which they were created; to seem them is to catch a glimpse of American history that is slowly fading away.

The museum's experience is designed to be an interactive one, with 40 of the machines open to the general public for play.  Silverman also intends to offer educational programs at the museum, including classes on pinball electronics, woodworking, and art design.

Admission is $13.50 for adults and children over 9 years old; those younger are free.  The museum's Georgetown opening is December 4th, and is open from 10am to 8pm.  For more information and tickets, visit www.nationalpinballmuseum.org.

DC Music Legend Nominated for Grammy

For anyone with any knowledge about DC pop culture and history, Chuck Brown is an instantly recognizable name. The self-anointed "Godfather of Go-Go" created the DC staple, Go Go music, which has influences from jazz, blues, soul, and African rhythms. After over four decades of creating a unique sound, that major recording artists have sampled over and over again, the 74 year old has finally been nationally recognized.

He has been nominated for a Grammy in the Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocals for the song "Love," a collaboration with Jill Scott and Marcus Miller. He has difficult competition with Chris Brown & Tank for "Take My Time," Ronald Isley & Aretha Franklin for "You've Got A Friend," John Legend & The Roots for "Shine" and Sade for "Soldier Of Love." To celebrate, Mr. Brown was signing autographs in NW DC earlier today.

Tune in to support the DC legend at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will take place Sunday, Feb. 13 next year.

Gender-neutral housing coming to GW

GW announced late Thursday afternoon that gender-neutral housing will be offered for the 2011-2012 academic year. The Equal Housing Opportunity Act (EHOA), a proposal presented by current senior Michael Komo to the GW Student Association Senate last January, was the catalyst for the decision. After the SA voted to approve the motion last year, it was sent on to the GW administration for consideration. Their decision yesterday came after months of debate by students and administration staff alike.

The new program will allow all students to live with one another, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Begininning this fall, all GW students, including freshmen, will be able to opt-in. Students will not be randomly assigned in to the program to live with students of different genders; all students who wish to live in opposite-sex housing must specifically request to live with students they know.

Hundreds Gather for National Menorah Lighting

Hundreds of people gathered on the Ellipse this Wednesday, braving bitter cold winds to celebrate the lighting of National Chanukah Menorah. GW students were given free tickets to the event by Hillel. The ceremony did not go off without a few hitches: it started late and had many last minute schedule changes. Rabbi Shemtor introduced the United States Navy Band and talked about Chanukah around the planet, proclaiming the holiday’s history “not unlike the situation in the world today." After the speeches, Dreidelman came out to lead everyone in singing "Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel.” Mayor-elect Vincent Gray also spoke, reinforcing his desire to forge a better relationship with the various religious communities in the DC area. Upon Gray’s arrival, Rabbi Shemtor also pointed out several members of congress who were in the audience.

The actual lighting of the menorah, typically scheduled for the end of the ceremony, was pushed to the start of the program because the White House's representative Jack Lew, OMB director and highest ranking Jewish member of the Obama administration, was called by the president to return as soon as possible. When Rabbi Shemtor and Jack Lew were lifted high into the air on a cherry picker to light the giant menorah, the strong winds blew the Rabbi’s hat and kippah off. Luckily, the Rabbi had a spare kippah. But the winds persisted, blowing out the menorah’s candles several times. The regular schedule of the show then resumed, with the national menorah essay contest winners reading their thoughts on the importance of the menorah. There was also a special musical performance by violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman and maestro Itche Meir Helfgot. The event ended with free latkes and donuts for the audience.

The Sixth Annual World AIDS Day

Yesterday was World AIDS Day, an event designed to raise awareness about disease and those who suffer from it. Events were held all around the world, including South Africa, New York and right here in Washington D.C. There is even an event being held tonight in Ronald Reagan Building called "HIV Universal Access and Human Rights" it began at 5:30pm and is only open to Global Health Council members.

Of course, work to help those with HIV/AIDS continues throughout the year and during this World AIDS Day the Global Health Council highlighted the importance of fighting tuberculosis as well. Many AIDS patients are contract TB and they are very vulnerable to it. TB is often the disease that kills the patient after AIDS has weakened their immune system. This year's UNAIDS Report on The Global AIDS epidemic included a special section dedicated to documenting the relationship between HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.

'Tis the Season to Celebrate and Give

Students have the opportunity to show their holiday spirit by participating in one of GW's many charitable initiatives this season...

Adopt-A-Family: An annual tradition at GW is to provide families in need with gifts of clothing, household necessities, and toys. Families are identified by the Community Partners, including Academy of Hope, CentroNia and the Transitional Housing Corporation. Sign up online by December 3rd. In addition, you can help the Office of Community Service pick-up and drop-off gifts on Monday, December 6th or Tuesday, December 7th.

Clothing Drive: From now until December 15th, GW is collecting clothing to distribute to families and local charities such as Bread for the City, Miriam's Kitchen, Central Mission, and Nation's Capital Young Marines. You can drop off your gently used clothing at the Academic Center, Rice Hall, Monroe Hall, the Marvin Center, Duques, Ivory Tower, Thurston or Amsterdam Hall.

Toys-for-Tots: GW's Naval Reserve officers are currently holding their annual Toys-for-Tots drive. Midshipmen are collecting donations at the GWU/Foggy Bottom Metro Station until December 3rd.

Blood Drive: On December 9th, there will be an American Red Cross blood drive in the Marvin Center's Continental Ballroom from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more ideas and charitable initiatives, contact the Office of Community Service at ocs@gwu.edu.

BIKES!? 15th STREET!? WHAT IS THIS MADNESS!?

Well really, it isn’t madness at all. The already existing fifteenth street bike lane has been extended from one-lane to two-lanes. One goes north, the other south. The construction has done away with many parking spaces which have been amply replaced on other parts of 15^th Street. In fact, while it is not too terribly pertinent to GW students who rarely drive, there will be, when construction is finished, a net gain of 7.5 parking spaces according to the District Department of Transportation.

District Department of Transportation, has gone on to say that this will lead to a 40% increase of bicycle traffic on 15th Street. The new two-way lane has settled the nerves of bikers, half of whom said they felt unsafe on the previously shared 15th Street bike lane.

Completion of the entire project is dependent on the rather fickle weather in the District, but construction began October 29^th.

Carter Discusses His Term as President

Former President and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jimmy Carter spoke about his new book, White House Diaries, Monday evening at the Lincoln Theatre on U Street. The event, sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution, was originally scheduled to occur on September 29^th at Lisner Auditorium, but Carter fell ill and postponed the trip.

Carter discussed his opinions on domestic and global events including the construction of the Panama Canal, the Iranian hostage crisis, and the Camp David negotiations. Carter stated he does not regret any decisions he made as president. Carter also explained his opinions on Obama’s presidency, the ongoing talks to ratify the START treaty, and the ongoing energy crisis.

Speaking about the current polarization of political parties, Carter said he feels the divide has led to policy gridlock among other policy-halting schemes. Carter expressed that he was fortunate to have a Republican leadership in Congress during his presidency that was willing to work toward bipartisanship. Obama, Carter claims, does not have this luxury.

Following the event, Carter signed copies of his new book. On Tuesday morning, Carter continued his D.C. trip with a book signing event at the bookstore Politics and Prose.

Student Response to Bed Bugs

The GW student body response to the, first rumors and now confirmed cases of bed bugs in the university's dorms has been varied. Despite the recent cases of dorm rooms with bed bug problems GW senior Molly Eames, who lives in South Hall, does not seem particularly concerned. "I don't really have any thoughts on bed bugs," she responded to questions. However, she did go on to say that she had read about the issue in the Hatchet.

Others have expressed more concern, even as far back as three weeks ago, before the October 31st Jon Stewart-lead "Rally to Restore Sanity." One GW student was overheard citing bed bugs being brought in by New Yorkers as one reason he would not be attending the event.

Before declining to say more an American Pest Control representative who was contacted stated that the call about bed bugs is "one that [they] field all the time every day," and that there is an "increased awareness of them [bed bugs] but also more cases."

While there are undoubtedly cases of bed bugs, most students spoken to for this article shared Molly Eames' relative unconcern. Joe Pacheco, a sophomore who lives in Munson said he has heard that bed bugs are not very harmful, just irritating. He did, however, express annoyance with the university for the existence of the bed bugs at dorms here in the first place: "I think they should really do a better job of making sure our dorms are pest free."

"A Chorus Line" debuts in Pelham Theater

It’s a rough life for the chorus and those who dream big. This is the premise of James Kirkwood’s A Chorus Line directed by Future Planet Productions’ Melissa Passarelli.

At first, it was a usual chorus audition, with a group of buzzing actors, dancers and singers hoping and praying that they could have the opportunity to be seen one more time on stage. After an elimination process, the narrative turns into a web of personal stories when the director challenges every person auditioning to “open up” and talk.

The stories range from awkward pre-teen incidents, to heartbreak and broken dreams. In this string of united stories, the dancers find much more than their own reason to perform, but faith in their similar aspirations, beliefs, fears and dreams.

A Chorus Line “is a show that anyone who has ever done anything for love can relate to,” said director Melissa Passarelli. “Everyone who sees it will laugh and cry.”

A Chorus Line is playing in the Pelham Theater on:

Thursday, November 18th at 7:30pm

Friday, November 19th at 7 and 10pm

Saturday, November 20th at 7 and 10pm

Experts Discuss Israeli-Palestinian Solutions, Future Plans

Three senior international experts on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict visited the Elliott School Monday, discussing current issues between the two parties and solutions to resolve the situation.


Former Ambassador John McDonald, discussed his work with Israeli and Palestinian experts in resolving water conflicts, urging leaders to “listen and treat each other as equals.”

“The only way to resolve a conflict is to sit down face-to-face and talk about it,” the former ambassador explained.

Ghaith al-Omari, the advocacy director at the American Task Force on Palestine, urged pro-Palestinian voices to “play by the rules of the game” and “work within the system.”

He stated that both sides need to stop approaching the issue as if it’s a zero-sum game, “where a gain for one side, is the loss for another.”

Chris Tucker, a board member at Friends of the Arc, a development project aimed at enhancing the prospects for a future Palestinian state, emphasized the need for a sustainable state as population continues to grow.

His group plans to construct the infrastructure necessary to support a 21^st century economy in the West Bank and Gaza by erecting new train and bus routes, allowing greater mobility.

“There will be no peace until we lay down the plans for prosperity,” Tucker said.

The plan is estimated to cost approximately $9.4 billion and create 160 thousand jobs each year for the first five years.

Google Docs Coming to Cell Phones, iPad

The increasingly popular application suite Google Docs is continuing its rapid pace of change today, this time expanding outwards onto a new platform: your phone.

The web-based office software, most famous for its ability to allow multiple users to edit documents in real time, will release an improved version of the site in the coming days to allow users on the iPhone, iPad, and Android phones to use the suite on the go.  Google is also looking into expanding access to platforms such as Research in Motion's Blackberry.

While users have been able to access Google Docs on their phones for some time, this new iteration adds full-fledged editing capability, including the ability to collaborate in real time with other users.  Just as on a desktop or laptop, text will magically appear on screen as others type; however, editing will be limited to documents and spreadsheets only.

To try out the new features, simply go to docs.google.com on a supported device.  Following Google custom, the update will not be rolled out to all users at once; those who cannot access the new features should try again in the coming weeks.

Look after the break for a video from Google highlighting the new features.

Megabus to Expand DC Service

Popular discount bus carrier Megabus announced Tuesday that it will designate Washington, DC as its fifth travel hub, increasing by 10 the number of destinations district residents can travel to directly.

Beginning on December 15th, direct tickets to Boston, MA; Charlotte, VA; Hampton, VA; Harrisburg, PA; Knoxville, TN; Pittsburgh, PA; Raleigh/Durham, NC; Richmond, VA; and Toronto, Ontario will be available.  With the newly-added destinations, DC residents will be able to travel directly to 13 cities in the eastern US and Canada.

In a press release, Megabus President Dale Mosler expressed hope that the appeal of low-cost bus service would increase in a down economy.  To celebrate the expansion, the company is also offering 10,000 free tickets to and from the new cities between December 15th and January 15th.

The Washington Post also reports that Megabus will be changing  its DC pickup and drop-off station in the near future. Its current location, the large parking lot off of New York Avenue and Mt. Vernon Square, is slated for redevelopment.  A new site has not yet been selected.

Pierluisi Speaks About PR Statehood

On Monday, the GW Puerto Rico Statehood Student Association (PRSSA) hosted their annual kickoff event with Pedro Pierluisi, a GW Law alumnus. Pierluisi is the nonvoting delegate in the House of Representatives for Puerto Rico. About 100 students and members of the community attended the hour long speaking event.

Speaking about efforts to make Puerto Rico the 51^st state, Pierluisi noted that Puerto Rico would receive increased amounts of aid from the federal government which in turn would raise their standard of living. In turn, the United States would gain land off its coast and would prove its modern effort to embrace culture.

Congressman Pierluisi stated four specific options in order for the United States to take action on its territory. Pierluisi introduced HR 2499, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2010, on May 19, 2009, which presented the four options to the House. The bill has 181 cosponsors.

On DC statehood, Pierluisi said he supports a bill introduced by DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton. To see Pierluisi’s remarks, see below:

A Guide to Spending Thanksgiving in the District

Spending Thanksgiving in Washington? Here are some events going on in the city that you don't want to miss...

MOUNT VERNON BY CANDLELIGHT

Tour the candle-lit home of George Washington and learn about his holiday traditions. Interact with 18th century costume actors, including Mrs. Washington who will hand out her holiday cooking recipes. Sample fresh homemade chocolate prepared over the open fire during the Christmas caroling and the hot apple cider with fresh baked cookies given when you leave. Tours are Friday to Sunday from 5:00-8:30, tickets are $20.

NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART EXHIBITION

Sixty rare color prints and hand-colored variations by the renowned Edvard Munch are on special display at the National Gallery of Art in an exhibit titled "Master Prints." Admission is free.

JOFFREY BALLET: THE NUTCRACKER

A Kennedy Center tradition, this annual performance conceived and directed by Robert Joffrey is set to Tchaikozsky's famous score. Tickets are $29-$150.

The GW Crime Log

From the week of November 9-15:

Nov. 11: Threats -- Health & Wellness Center -- A staff member reported having a verbal altercation with another staff member. The case has been closed and referred to the department.

Nov. 11: Destruction -- GSEHD Building -- A staff member of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development building reported that his office window had been broken by a baseball going through it. The case has been closed, as there are no suspects or witnesses.

Nov. 13: Harassment -- South Hall -- A male student stated that he had received an explicit image on his phone from a student whom he previously had a no contact order against. The case has been closed and referred to SJS.

Nov. 13: DUI [Driving Under the Influence] -- Off Campus -- Officers of the GW Police Department observed an accident involving a GW shuttle bus (i.e. the Vern Express) on Whitehurst Freeway. The driver of the bus stated that the driver of the other vehicle had rear-ended the bus. Upon arrival, the Metropolitan Police Department requested that GWPD administer a breathalyzer for the driver of the other vehicle. The case has been closed and referred to MPD.

Nov. 13: Theft II -- Off Campus -- A female student reported that she had lost her phone at an off-campus club, and that she had been contacted by a male subject, unaffiliated with GW, requesting money in exchange for the phone. GWPD advised the complainant not to meet up with the subject. The case has been closed and referred to MPD.

Nov. 14: Theft II -- Thurston Hall -- A student, who had left her clothes in the washing machine, reported the clothes missing after an extended absence. The case has been closed, as there are no suspects or witnesses.

Nov. 15: Shoplifting [Theft II] - Mitchell Hall 7Eleven -- A subject unaffiliated with GW grabbed some food items and left without paying. The subject was identified by GW Police officers in the surrounding area and arrested. The case was closed upon arrest.

Look for GWPD's Crime Log on WRGWNews.com every week!  

Bob Dylan Plays Smith Center

Folk legend Bob Dylan performed in front of a sold-out Smith Center this Saturday night. The set list included songs from throughout his extensive recording history, including 1965’s Highway 61 Revisited up to Modern Times, the musician’s 2006 effort.

Admirers of all ages filled the crowd. The backstage entrance was packed with fans trying to send the folk icon bouquets and other gifts. One excited fan screamed, “I’ll give anybody here $1,000 cash to get me a handshake with Bob Dylan.”

At 69 years old, Dylan can still put on a show. The veteran performer rifled through 16 songs, including a two song encore, in under two hours, playing harmonica, guitar and keyboard.

His gravelly voice lends itself well to the blues. He sounds like a man with his share of stories, and it adds to the Dylan mystique. Classics like “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” and “Ballad of a Thin Man” received different arrangements, while others such as “Just Like A Woman” remained pretty faithful to the recorded version.

The audience shouted along to the chorus of a rousing rendition of show closer “Like A Rolling Stone.” After his set, Dylan took a few moments to salute the audience, hands pointed in the air, as they gave him a jubilant sendoff.

-Joseph Rabinowitz

Sarah Vowell at Lisner Tomorrow Night

The writer and frequent NPR contributor Sarah Vowell will be performing at GW's Lisner auditorium Saturday night at 8pm. There are still tickets available for her reading, which will include a question and answer period at the end and a book-signing in the lobby after that.

Vowell's work includes the bestselling books The Wordy Shipmates and Assassination Vacation. On NPR she mostly contributes to This American Life, much like author David Sedaris, with whom she shares a comedic and sharp observational style.

Tickets to this and other Lisner auditorium shows have been on sale for months, many since before the beginning of the school year. So far only very big-name draws, such as David Sedaris, have managed to sell out beforehand.

Vowell has a new book coming out in spring of next year that is reportedly titled Unfamiliar Fishes. The Lisner Auditorium website reported at first that she would be reading essays from that work, but have since issued a correction explaining that she does not plan to read from this unpublished material.

Falling Whistles speaks to GW students about child warfare

Falling Whistles, an advocacy group focused on conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, spoke to a group of college students from GW and around the area on Thursday about new initiatives in protecting Congolese citizens from the devastation of conflict resources.

The presentation, keynoted by James Stein, surrounded the story of children who were forced to fight in Congo’s ongoing civil war.

“More people have died in the war over Congo’s resources than any conflict since World War 2,” Stein said.  “When you buy a laptop or iPhone, do you really want that on your conscience?”

He noted that the history of resources in Africa has left hundreds of millions dead and a severely lagging regional economy.

“How is it that one of the most naturally rich countries in the world is being torn apart?” he asked.

With the focus on children, Stein noted that those who are too small to carry a gun are equipped with a whistle and “sent to the front lines to die.”

Thus the name Falling Whistles has taken its name.

“With Falling Whistles, their only choice is to feign death or to face it,” Stein explained.  The group has sold over 25,000 whistles to support its cause with chapters in Los Angeles and Washington DC. The group focuses on small discussion circles and gatherings to spread its word focusing mainly on youth, specifically college students.

To learn more about Falling Whistles and the conflict in Congo, visit http://www.fallingwhistles.com. 

Westboro Baptist Church Comes to GW

Students swarmed on Washington Circle to counter-protest the controversial, gay-bashing Westboro Baptist Church’s picketing of GW early this morning.

The GW Patriot sponsored the event in response to claims made on the church’s website that “parents and teachers, including college professors, are responsible for raising a generation of God-hating heathens.”

The counter-protest received sizable support from the GW student community, with over 1,800 “attending” guests for the Patriot’s Facebook event. Though the initial Hatchet report estimated the actual crowd size at 200 attendees, Patriot writer and creator of the Facebook event, Dan Keylin, claimed there were as many as 350 protesters.

Four members of the Westboro congregation casually paced the outer rim of the George Washington University Hospital side of Washington Circle with their now famous “God Hates Fags” signs, while passionate students took to the Patriot’s designated protesting space, on the Northern half of the of the circle, with signs attacking the church members’ anti-gay sentiments. One protestor wandered the crowd dressed in a Jesus getup and held a “No I Don’t” sign to counter the Westboro slogan.

Despite the occasional cry of “You suck!” or “Go back to Kansas!” the crowd was relatively tame.

Westboro’s picketers smiled while flashing their signs to passing cars and zealous protesters. They even sang a version of pop star Lady Gaga’s single, “Telephone,” replacing the outspoken gay rights advocate’s words with their own lyrics.

The event ran without incident, ending with a raucous send off of "Na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye" as the church members left Washington Circle for their Veteran's Day protest at Arlington National Cemetery.

-Joseph Rabinowitz

National Press Club Hosts Annual Book Fair

On Tuesday evening, the National Press Club hosted its 33rd Annual Book Fair and Author’s Night at the Ballroom of the National Press Club building. Among the participating authors were Captain Chesley “Sully” B. Sullenberger, the ‘Miracle of the Hudson’ Pilot; former Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham; and authors of the New York Times bestseller Game Change, Mark Halperin and John Heilemann.

The event served as a fundraiser for The SEED Foundation, an organization that helps prepare students for a successful college experience at high-performing public schools in D.C. and Maryland. Specifically, the event raised money for books at the school library at SEED’s Maryland campus. Among the primary sponsors of the event were Amtrak and The Hill.

Diane Rehm, a radio talk show host on National Public Radio (NPR), chaired the event. Over ninety writers participated in signing books and speaking to readers during the three hour event. The books at the fundraiser were provided by Barnes and Noble Booksellers.

Cultural Immersion Exhibition Grand Opening in Smith 102

This Tuesday students flocked to Smith 102 to see the grand opening of the Cultural Immersion Exhibition. The exhibit is a part of the deans seminar “The Art of the Exhibition”, though the art put up was brought in from all over the art department, graduate and undergraduate students alike.

As implied by the title, the exhibit seeks to highlight art capturing another culture, thus presenting the blend of cultures in DC as a blend of cultures in the art. The art displayed comes from all over the world, ranging from pictures of Honduras at midnight to the art of middle school students in India. The art form similarly broad, having watercolor, photography, film, wood carving, and more.

As students came into the premier they were given guides to the art, with the artist’s statements of their work and the declaration of purpose of the exhibit. The room quickly filled with curious patrons soon the room stuffed with students looking over the art and eating the complimentary cultural food.

Before students left, they were invited to create a small piece of art for a greater collage, titled “What does culture mean to you”. All the works are put on the wall to illustrate the range of culture at GW. The exhibit is open until November 19th and GW students are invited to go explore it.