Movie Review: Ben Affleck's "Argo"

by Kyle Menyhert

Directed by Ben Affleck, Argo is a re-telling of the events that are now known as the “Canadian Caper”. In case you don’t know the background, here’s a bit of a fill-in.

In 1953, the American government ousted Iran’s secular, democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq and installed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. In 1979, Iranians rose up by the thousands to protest the brutal dictatorship of their Shah and drove him from power in favor of Ayatollah Khomeini’s Islamic Republic. When the Shah was ousted, Iranians vented their anger against the United States and stormed the embassy in Tehran. Most of the Americans taken became hostages in what is now known as the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Six diplomats, however, escaped through a back door and were taken in at the Canadian Ambassador’s residence. Unknown to the public, the CIA and the Government of Canada worked together to pass these six diplomats off as a Canadian film crew, researching a filming location. They safely returned to the United States, and the event became a bright spot in the midst of the sobering Iranian Hostage Crisis. 

Argo is a GW student’s type of movie. It’s a suspense thriller based off American-Iranian relations. This historical thriller is packed with suspense and retains its relevance in today’s political climate, and it is a very involving film. The cast is excellent-Affleck plays Tony Mendez, the CIA worker who travels to Iran and helps escort the diplomats out of Iran, and while the relationship he had with his family could have been explored more, his performance was still an excellent one.

Argo stands out in that it doesn’t matter how much you know about the Canadian Caper. I first learned about the event from a six-minute movie shown on NBC right before the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Winter Olympics. I knew Canada had helped rescue U.S. diplomats, but I did not know much about the process of the actual operation. What makes Argo special, however, is that you don’t need to know about the operation to fully appreciate the movie. 

Argo’s script may not have been on the level of finesse Quentin Tarantino is known for, but it reminded me of the first Back to the Future film, which was almost perfect in length. The movie didn’t drag, nor did it forget to fully explain important historical background. (The movie starts with a chilling recount of events leading up to the 1979 Revolution.) In perhaps a directorial self pat on the back, Affleck shows in the credits the painstaking detail of his recreation of the beginning scenes. But in a way, Affleck deserves it; he definitely cared about the accuracy in portraying revolutionary Iran. 

I expected Argo to be a very serious, cold, reality-sucks type of film, with very little other sentiment. That was certainly true in the beginning of the movie, but the script is such that the movie knows where it can be very emotionally involving and even darkly funny at times. Alan Arkin and John Goodman do excellent work in supporting roles as the Hollywood producers who make the diplomats’ fake film a reality. 

The events that Argo portrays happened thirty years ago, but with Iran still smarting from a failed uprising three years ago, a nearly worthless currency, and nuclear ambitions, this movie is still very much relevant to what is happening in today’s world. While the role of the Canadian government wasn’t stressed much, this was very much a joint operation between the CIA and Canada. It reminds the audience that the United States has allies who will help it in extraordinary ways if need be.  

Community Rises Up Against Proposed School Closures

by John Perrino

The community has shown its support for Francis-Stevens Education Campus and Garrison Elementary School with signs like the one above.  

WASHINGTON  – A proposal by DC Public Schools to close 20 schools across the district is meeting the opposition of parents and community members from two of the schools set to close in Ward 2. 

Organizers are fighting the proposed closings of Francis-Stevens Education Campus and Garrison Elementary School with signs, petitions, letters, and meetings to advocate for the schools to remain open.

Parents cite a growing need for Francis-Stevens that houses grades kindergarten through eighth grade and was forced to turn away a classroom of about 40 students in the early childhood program last year after DCPS would not staff the room.

“There’s a baby boom in Ward 2,” said local Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner-elect Jackson Carnes. Children under the age of five account for 43 percent of all children who live in Ward 2, Carnes added. 

The school also houses a unique low vision special education program for over a dozen visually impaired students. This would be the third time in three years the children in the program have had to move schools said parent Vincent Kargatis, a parent of two children in the program.

“They're simply shuffled as a bureaucratic peg to a school performing, on average, a full 14 percentage points lower than Francis-Stevens in the DC-CAS - without any consultation of the expert educators involved in the program,” he said.

The proposal would consolidate Garrison Elementary into Seaton Elementary, also in Ward 2, according to DCPS.

Francis-Stevens would consolidate lower grades into Marie Reed Elementary School, in Ward 1, and higher grades into Hardy Middle School, in Ward 2, according to DCPS.

“It would be like breaking up a family,” said Francis-Stevens PTA treasurer Erin Michener.

Parents choose the downtown school in order to be close to their children, allowing them to be an “active participant in (their) child’s education,” said Michener.

The schools proposed for the consolidation of Francis-Stevens are not accessible by public transportation and are both over a mile away from Francis-Stevens.

DC State Board of Education President, Theodore Trabue, says the consolidation is, at its most basic level, a matter of economics. Closing under-enrolled schools will help reduce overhead helping to “put money back in the classroom,” he said.

The consolidation will open up more money to be spent per student and on teachers, staff, supplies, and modernized schools said Trabue.

Right now, both schools are only using about 60 percent of the building space and enroll about 225 students in each of the schools, according to DCPS.

“The Chancellor really is basing her decision solely… around enrollment and a modernized building,” said Michener. 

It is important to “understand the bigger picture,” she said, adding that modernization and enrollment should not be the only reason to close a school that is performing well.

Test scores at Francis-Stevens are in the top 30 percent of D.C. Public Schools, according to an ANC Resolution on the matter of the proposed closure.

Scores at Garrison Elementary are higher than those of Seaton Elementary in both reading and math, according to DCPS.

Making a Stand

Parents have come together in support of both schools along with community members and local representatives from Ward 2.

A petition on Change.org calling for D.C. officials to keep Francis-Stevens open has received the signatures of over 600 people as of December 12th. Another for Garrison Elementary has collected well over 500 signatures.

“The one good thing that has come out of this is that it has brought us even closer together through this process…there is a lot of parent involvement,” said Francis-Stevens parent Michener.

The Francis-Stevens PTA has held family dinners and school meetings to discuss the proposed closure of the school. Parents have also attended city council hearings and community dialogue sessions hosted by DCPS on the school closings.

About 150 people were in attendance for one PTA event at Francis-Stevens where elected officials, community members, parents, kids and vision-impaired activists gathered to speak out against the proposed closing of their school, according to those in attendance.

The Francis-Stevens PTA was set to meet with Kaya Henderson, Chancellor of DCPS, again last Wednesday after requesting a meeting to express their concerns to the Chancellor.

For Garrison Elementary, community involvement has been tremendous with signs reading “We Love Garrison” and “Save our School” popping up around the neighborhood.

Numerous community associations, neighborhood churches, and local businesses have come forward in opposition of the proposal to close Garrison Elementary School, according to a press release by the Garrison Elementary PTA.

"The bottom line is that we have to make the right decisions for our children," said Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans at a community meeting hosted by DCPS. “Both of these schools have waiting lists for their pre-school programs, and we need to listen to what that means."

Student Association Passes Student Life Resolution

By Myles Goldman

At the final meeting of the semester on Monday night, The Student Association Senate again took up the issue of Square 75A, the area on Pennsylvania Avenue the University is currently in the process of requesting approval to develop.  Currently, restaurants like Mayran and Froggy Bottom Pub reside at the location and will be forced to close once the University begins the project.  

After rejecting a similar resolution by a vote of 8 in favor 9 against and 10 abstaining, the Student Association passed a “Resolution Regarding the The George Washington University’s Current Proposed Development for Square 75A.”  The resolution passed 22-4, and says that the Student Association wants Square 75A to include affordable, local restaurant establishments in the developed property.  

According to Executive Vice President of Community Affairs, Patrick Kennedy, who worked with Senators to write the bill, the difference between the bill the Senate rejected three weeks ago and the one they approved was a small but important one. 

"We are more proactively [than in the previous version] encouraging a component of this project," Kennedy said.


There was much debate about the amendment, though.  Proponents such as the bill’s author Elizabeth Kennedy (Undergrad-At-Large) said that students had come to her and said how much they would miss the restaurants that would be going out.  She believed the bill was focused on student life. Kennedy said this was the bill she was most passionate about in her three years as a Senator. 

"This is what our jobs are about," Kennedy said. "We are here to represent the student body."

The bill was also supported by SA President Ashwin Narla.

"We really need to have something for the student experience," Narla said. "This is us as students advocating for something we've heard from the student body. We hope that a decision to find a new retailer is student friendly," he commented during his President's Report.

Opponents of the bill were concerned about the loss of revenue to the University and the tone of the resolution.  Ryan Counihan (Undergrad-SOB) was one of the Senators who voted against the bill. Counihan was concerned about the amount of money the University might lose that it could spend on areas like academics renting the newly developed property to a local, low-cost restaurant versus renting out the building to the highest-bidder.

"If we're talking millions of dollars [the University could lose], I don't think we should be trying to force the University to give that up," Counihan argued.

Elizabeth Kennedy tried to address concerns about the tone of the bill. At the prior meeting, Alicia Knight Senior Associate Vice President for the Division of Operations, had expressed her surprise that the Student Association had proposed the resolution addressing square 75A. Kennedy said on Monday night that she and the bills co-sponsors had spent three months preparing the bill.

"This was something she [Knight] knew was coming," Kennedy said. "She might have been initially taken aback by our interest in Square 75A since the SA has not proactively taken a role on projects like this in the past, but this bill itself wasn't a surprise to them [the administration]," she commented.

John Ralls, the Senior Associate Vice President for Operations Administration, representing the Division of Operations, was sitting in the audience and could be seen shaking his head when Kennedy made her comments. Senator Michael Amesquita (Grad-GSEHD) attempted to motion to give Ralls an opportunity to respond but Vice President Abby Bergren ruled the motion out of order since a Senator can only give-up their speaking time to other Senators or members of the SA President's Cabinet. Ralls could not later be reached for comment.

At the meeting the Senate also passed unanimously "A Resolution to Urge The George Washington University to Adopt the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau Shopping Sheet." The resolution calls on the University to use the college "shopping sheet" the Federal Government has created as part of the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau. The sheet includes info about cost, graduation rates, and loans and allows students to compare these statistics among different colleges according to the bill's author Omeed Firouzi (Undergrad-CCAS).

Narla also announced at the meeting the creation of an ad-hoc council that will look at the SA's student organization financial allocation process. The 12-member council will meet starting next semester and will consist of 6 SA Senators and Presidential cabinet members and 6 members made-up from the student body at-large. The council will then make recommendations on how the process can be improved to the SA Senate. The SA is now accepting applications from students who are interested in being part of the council.

News at 6: Wednesday December 5, 2012

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WRGW News at 6: Tuesday, December 4, 2012

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Students Discuss and Question GW's Strategic Plan at SA Town Hall Meeting

by Emma Thomson 

GW Provost Steven Lerman and the Student Association held a town hall meeting Thursday to discuss the new strategic plan the University has drafted and is in the process of approving. About twenty students gathered in Funger Hall to discuss the new plan, which currently is in its first draft. 

Provost Lerman opened his presentation by explaining the four themes of the strategic plan.  It is comprised of “broad brushstrokes” of actions to elevate the education experience at GW. The first objective is to unify the university and make it stronger as a whole by encouraging cross-disciplinary study. Provost Lerman stressed the importance of creating an environment where students and faculty work together.  

Next, the strategic plan serves to create more globalization prospects, acknowledging that the world is getting, “smaller and flatter” for students and faculty. For example, Provost Lerman pointed out the need for more discussion of intersecting fields such as religion and politics to create a more holistic education for students. In addition, the strategic plan will increase leadership and citizenship initiatives at the University. Not only does it focus on creating constructive student leaders and citizens but also develops the University’s own identity in the city, country, and global community. 

Finally, the strategic plan aims to expand GW’s Policy and Government programs to make them the best in the field. The goal to improve already-strong programs will allow the university to become more accomplished and respected across the globe. 

GW will implement the strategic plan through creating more affinity housing to foster leadership and communication skills, expanding the study abroad and Faculty in Residence programs, striving to keep the university affordable while maintaining quality, and updating the admissions process to allow more unification. 

Some of the discussion focused on GW’s schools with smaller capacities such as The Elliot School of International Affairs, The School of Media and Public Affairs, and The School of Public Health. Students expressed concern over the new idea to admit students to the university without regard to school or major, constraining the already-full majors. Provost Lerman said that the University would follow the SMPA admissions model, which allows students to “pre-major” in their applications. Prospective students will first be admitted to GW before admission to the specific program in such unique situations.  

Provost Lerman also addressed questions from students who attended the meeting, many of whom were wary of certain aspects of the plan including student life and financial decisions. The questions included adjunct teacher salaries, more affordable housing options, better fundraising opportunities through alumni, student involvement in Board of Trustee decisions, and the ever-present tuition and school spirit debates. 

Now in its editing stages, the strategic plan will be finalized by the end of the year and presented to the Board of Trustees at its February meeting. 

GW Student Organizations Raise HIV and AIDS Awareness

by Justin Lee


Have you ever played Drag Queen bingo?  GW students did at the GW Multicultural Center Wednesday night. Participants entered and played bingo, hosted by the drag queen, to raise money for the Whitman Walker Health foundation: an LGBT health service provider that focuses on AIDS and HIV awareness. 

The event was organized by the GW Student Global AIDS campaign, Allied in Pride and Grassroot Colonials as part of GW’s World AIDS Week. Free food and drinks were provided and the participants were asked to make monetary donations to the foundation while playing Bingo for a chance to win a free t-shirt. 

Each day this week there is an event to raise awareness of AIDS and HIV. 

On Thursday  Kandies and Kondoms took place outside of the Marvin Center and on Friday a screening of the movie “How To Survive a Plague” was shown.  

The very last event for the week will be held on Saturday to coincide with International World Aids Day.  A vigil will be held for those who have lost their lives in their struggle against HIV and AIDS. The event will take place at 7pm in Kogan Plaza and Eleanor Holmes Norton, DC’s Congresswoman, will be one of the guest speakers. 

Students Celebrate the Power of Words and Faith at Interfaith Dinner

by Justin Lee


Students celebrated diversity and the power of words at the 11th annual interfaith dinner held in the Marvin Center on Tuesday night. The theme of the two- hour dinner was words, and how they can be used to build and destroy relationships. Each guest was asked to take a slip of paper at the door with a positive action words can create. The guests were then asked to sit with people who were given the same word as them in order for guests to mingle and share their faiths and creeds with those around them. 

Through out the dinner different religious organizations spoke about how their faith includes the themes of words and communication. Sticking with the theme of communication, faith based singing groups The Voice Gospel Choir and Shir Madness, expressed their faith through song.  George Washington University president, Dr. Steven Knapp, also spoke about the importance of open communication between religions and the power of words. 

The Muslim Student Association and the Jewish Student Association started the Interfaith Dinner 11 years ago in order to open peaceful dialogue between the two groups.  At the original dinners, the two organizations ate both Kosher and Halal food in a show of mutual respect and tolerance. This tradition was extended to all student religious organizations in the name of multiculturalism.  This year a variety of food from different cultures was served.  

WRGW News at 6: Tuesday, November 27, 2012

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News at 6: Monday November 26, 2012

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Unranked and Embarrassed: GW Administrators Look to Move Forward

By Chris Evans 

Nearly a week after US News and World Report's unranking of  George Washington University (GW) from their annual college rankings, President Steven Knapp and his administration sat down to answer the school's questions. 

Monday night's event, hosted by the Student Association (SA), marks the first time administrators publicly addressed students since it was announced that GW admissions had been inaccurately calculating and reporting admission statistics to US News and World. 

US News and World Report Leaves GW Unranked 

Since responding to the inaccurate ranking reports by stripping GW of its' ranking, US News and World has stated it will keep GW unmarked for the year and reassess the university's ranking for the next publication of their report on colleges and universities--often used by parents and students when considering prospective colleges. 

President Steven Knapp was joined on the panel by Provost Steven Lerman, Dean of Students Peter Konwerski, VP of External Relations Lorraine Voles, and Senior Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and Planning, Forest Maltzman. 

Introduced by SA President Ashwin Narla and Vice President Abby Bergren, President Knapp made it clear that, "We're embarrassed by this mistake." Knapp explained that the university alerted US News and World immediately upon finding the discrepancy and that even though the University is now unranked by the report, "We remain the same institution as we were a week ago." 

Maltzman Breaks Down What Happened

Maltzman divulged the timeline of what occurred.  He explained that over the summer when the Provost's office was reorganized, the admissions policy was reviewed. "One variable did not pass the sniff test," said Maltzman. While SAT scores from the incoming class stayed relatively flat compared to past years, class rank statistics went noticeably up. Upon review it was determined the procedure for estimating class rank was inaccurate. 

Determining students' class ranks is not as easy as viewing their SAT scores.  According to Maltzman, "High schools report class rank in different ways, some don't report." 

The admissions office would simply estimate where a student might be in their class rank by looking at their SAT/ACT score, GPA, and course load.   The estimation procedure that has been used for around twenty years was off and as Maltzman put it, "We were all sort of surprised."

Provost Lerman Explains How University Plans to Move Forward

Lerman explained the university's action plan to move forward telling students and community members at the town hall meeting that, "We report what happened and we make sure it does not happen again." 

Lerman said, "those responsible are no longer responsible for the data." 

He went onto explain that the statistics found and reported will also now be audited by an outside auditor to ensure only numbers available are used in the report--no more of the estimating that Knapp stated, "should never have been done."

 Lerman's second part of the plan indicated the University's calculation of statistics will no longer be done by admission workers but rather separate and independent people. 

Finally, the Administration made it clear they agreed with GW students' call for change. Lerman said, "we are recruiting a new manger of enrollment to look over data and admissions reporting who will act solely as a point person." 

Vice President for External Relations Lorraine Voles reached out to students.   

She said, "We'll answer every question we can." 

Voles, who is in charge of GW's new image and outreach for prospective students, told those in attendance that the University is charging forward in clarifying that being stripped of the ranking is not a reflection of the education and opportunities available to GW students and those looking at possibly making GW their home. 

Provost Lerman agreed, telling town hall participants that, "this University is not defined by its' rankings." 

Potential Effects of US News and World Ranking 

Students and community members voiced concern about GW's integrity in the eyes of prospective students as well as prospective employers. The administrative panel eased student's concerns reiterating that the US News and World Report is only one set of numbers and that GW will be ranked once again next year--likely very near its former position of 51. 

Knapp commented, "these rankings are problematic for an institution of our nature." 

While trying to make a neutral way to rank universities, the report does not take into consideration unique opportunities offered by individual universities. In fact, Knapp took students by surprise when he told them, "GW looses credit in the ranking system for having part time faculty teach [such as Supreme Court Justices teaching law classes, government officials lecturing a course, or other Washington residents that offer time teaching a class or two at GW]."

Other than causing the University to revisit it's strategy for calculating and reporting statistics of incoming students and putting more pressure on the administration, there is no defined effect of GW being unranked.  

While embarrassed and surprised by being stripped of its ranking, the GW administrators are moving forward, following Provost Lerman's call to, "decide our own destiny."

Sexual Assault Policies at GW, Georgetown, and American University

By Michele Ko and Olivia Martinez

Editor's Note: This is part one of a several part series examining sexual assault policies, occurrences, and prevention at GW, American, and Georgetown.  

Nationally, one in four women will be sexually assaulted by the time they graduate college, according to the book I Never Called it Rape by Robin Warsaw.  This includes specifically the 3 percent of college students who will become victims of completed or attempted rape in a given 9-month academic year.

According to the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, approximately 90 percent of all reported campus rapes occur under the influence of alcohol.  Nearly half of all victims do not label the incident as "rape," according to the U.S. Department of Justice, The National Institute of Justice, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  A vast majority of victims know their perpetrator (between 80 and 90 percent), further decreasing the likelihood the rape will be reported.

At GW 18 percent of women have personally experienced forced attempts of kissing or fondling without consent, according to the Campus Tolerance Foundation.  The 2010 study also found GW to be the second most unsafe school for women out of the ten surveyed, including Harvard University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Texas A&M, and UCLA.  Georgetown University meets the national average, reporting that one-in-four women report having been sexually assaulted by the time they graduate.  American University shows lower numbers, with 6.8 percent of students, around 400 a year, incidences of forced fondling, according to their Office of Campus Life.

GW conducted a study of sexual assault in 2010 which surveyed 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students on their knowledge of sexual assault on campus, how to report sexual assault on campus, and the resources available to the victims of sexual assault.

The study concluded that "there needs to be more sexual education and prevention efforts at GW.  61 percent of respondents believe sexual assault is a problem on campus, while 15 percent stated they know someone who has experienced a rape, leading us to believe that sexual assault at GWU is an underreported and silent problem."  The study also reported that 265 female undergraduates experienced sexual assault in 2009.

The study also identified several reasons why underreporting might be a problem: students may not recognize sexual assault as a violation of campus policy or as a crime, students may fear the stigma attached to reporting rape, or they lack confidence in GW's reporting system.

The report was produced through a partnership between the leadership of The Sexual Violence Awareness Group at The George Washington University School of Medicine and The Younger Women's Task Force (YWTF).

A close examination of the official sexual assault and harassment of Georgetown, American, and GW reveal several differences in policy between the three schools.

How Does Each Policy Define Sexual Misconduct, Harassment, and/or Assault?

Generally, the three schools share similar definitions of actions that would be deemed sexual misconduct or assault.  They outline that actual or attempted rape, sexual battery, molestation, unwanted touching, unwanted sexual advances, physical contact, sexual gestures, noises, remarks, jokes, aggression, and pressure to engage in sexual activity are all against their policies.  The importance of consent was also emphasized in all three policies.

However, Georgetown University is the only school out of the three to define consent.  It is, "an understandable exchange of affirmative words or actions that indicate a willingness to participate in mutually agreed upon sexually explicit touching or penetration."  The policy lists multiple situations in which consent does or does not apply.

Georgetown is also the only school to distinguish sexual assault from misconduct.  It defines misconduct as engaging in, or attempting to engage in, sexual or offensive acts with or directed at another person without obtaining his or her consent. They define assault as sexual penetration without the consent of the person, especially when a person is mentally or physically incapable of giving consent.  Georgetown was also  unique in specifically including a clause about all forms of communication, even electronic, such as sending inappropriate pictures or sexting.

American University is the only school to state that sexual assault is personal, and thus the definition is subjective because everyone perceives sexual assault differently.

GW's policy is unique of emphasizing instances of sexual assault involving people of authority. The policy specifically outlined sexual misconduct in exchange for professional or academic benefits.

 According to the Policies, How Do You Report Sexual Assault? 

GW's policy allows members of the university community who believe they have been sexually harassed, also known as, "complainants," to seek consultation, administrative review, or a formal hearing.  American's policy provides three options for reporting and assistance: information and referral,  an informal complaint, or a formal complaint.  Georgetown's policy allows complainants to file an anonymous report, a criminal report, or a complaint to the Office of Affirmative Action program.

According to GW's policy, if a complainant seeks consultation, they first meet with the Sexual Harassment Response Coordinator, who decides whether to forego further action or begin administrative review.  The complainant is also offered counseling.

In American University's information and referral stage, similar to GW's consultation process, a person may meet confidentially with any member of the Sexual Harassment Project Team, a group created to assist in preventing and addressing sexual harassment campus-wide.

Georgetown's policy likewise devotes a section to "Supports and Services," which lists various resources for victims of sexual assault.  Some services include access to The Sexual Assault and Health Issues Coordinator, Student Primary Care Clinic, and counseling and psychiatric services.

The next stage in GW's policy is the administrative review process, where a person may file a complaint against the person believed to have engaged in harassing behavior.  During the investigation the University may take "interim action in response to the complaint, if appropriate."

American similarly allows for a complainant who does not want to make a formal charge of sexual assault to file an "informal complaint" against the person engaging in inappropriate behavior.

Georgetown's policy also gives complainants who do not wish to enter the judicial system and initiate disciplinary proceedings similar opportunities.  He or she can file an anonymous incident report with the Sexual Assault and Health Issues Coordinator, any other University official or The Department of Public Safety.  Another option is the student can contact the Metropolitan Police Department and file a criminal report.

One of the key distinctions between GW's policy and Georgetown and American's policies is GW's recently added time restriction to begin this stage of administrative review.  Announced at the start of this academic year, the addition indicates that a person who wishes to file a complaint of sexual harassment and begin administrative review must do so within 180 days of when the harassment occurred (although this time period will be extended if a person wishes to seek assistance through consultation only).  GW is the only one of the three schools with this time restriction.

GW's final stage is a formal hearing to determine whether the Code of Conduct has been violated.  Similarly, American allows for a formal complaint option, where a person makes a formal charge of sexual harassment.  Georgetown likewise allows a complainant to file a complaint of sexual harassment with The Office of Affirmative Action Program.  

A major difference between GW's policy and American and Georgetown's policies is the distinction between the stages of action.  While at American and Georgetown a student can skip the consultation process to go straight to the administrative review, at GW they must go through consultation and administrative review, in that order, before a formal hearing.  Policies at American and Georgetown suggest complainants may access any mode of assistance in no particular order.

Another important factor in GW's policy is confidentiality.  A recent addition to the policy this year indicates that complainants may request to keep their name confidential during consultation and administrative review as well as during the formal hearing stage if he or she is a student.

GW's policy is also the only one of the three schools that continually addresses sexual assault by faculty members, while the other policies primarily address students.

The length and format of GW's policy is vastly different and noteworthy in comparison to American's and Georgetown's.  The 21-page document outlines the legal process and references many individuals involved in creating the policy, while American's 2-page document covers the basic procedures and Georgetown's policy lies within their Student Code of Conduct.

If any student has questions, ideas, or concerns about the GW policy, they should contact Tara Pereria at: taraw@gwu.edu or 202-994-2657 as well as Terri Harris Reed, The Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Title IX Coordinator at: treed@gwu.edu or 202-994-7297.

The next segment of this investigative series will include perspectives from student health administrators and sexual assault awareness organizations on GW, American, and Georgetown's campuses.

WRGW News at 6: Friday November 16, 2012

Featuring a special report on sexual assault at GW, AU, and Georgetown.

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WRGW News at 6: Thursday, November 15, 2012

With a special report on Sexual Assault at GW, AU, and Georgetown's campuses.

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U.S. News and World Report "Unranks" University

By Evan Ritscher

U.S. News and World Report has changed the George Washington University’s national ranking in light of erroneous data the school provided to the news organization over the course of the past decade.

Earlier, U.S. News ranked the school as the nation’s 51^st-best university. However, in a statement released Wednesday, the news organization announced they will remove GW from that list and will classify the university as an “unranked" school.  U.S. News will not re-examine the university until next fall for the 2014 rankings, if the school can prove the accuracy of its new data submission.

The move comes as GW announced on November 8^th that for close to 10 years, it had been incorrectly calculating important information about students who decided to attend the university. As a result, the university had been giving flawed data on its admissions process and students to organizations like U.S. News and similar institutions that use the data in their ranking of colleges and universities.

Among the most important data GW incorrectly reported to the ranking organization was statistics on the portion of students who ranked in the top 10 percent of their class. In some cases the actual data was 20 percent lower than what the school reported.

For example, for the class of 2015, the university claimed 78 percent of students were in ranked in the top 10 percent of their high schools. In actuality, the number was 58 percent. Such flawed data, which U.S. News and World Report claims makes up 6 percent of its methodology in determining school rankings, lead to the organization’s decision to “unrank” the university.  

U.S. News classifies schools as "unranked" if they fall into the second tier of national universities, if they are liberal arts colleges, regional colleges, or regional universities, or if they fail to pass U.S. News’ own cutoff level. However, it is unclear what specific criteria U.S. News used in its decision to remove GW from its rankings.

President Steven Knapp released a statement Wednesday, saying the university was surprised and disappointed by U.S. News' decision to remove GW's ranking rather than adjust it.  Knapp also stated the university plans to improve safeguards meant to prevent these errors from occurring again.

Other schools had similar issues with misreporting data recently. Both Emory University in Georgia and Claremont McKenna University in California disclosed that they reported incorrect data earlier this year. But U.S. News did not remove either of those schools from its rankings.

News at 6: Tuesday, November 13, 2012

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Election Night 2012 Coverage

Live coverage of Election Night 2012, featuring raw polling data, analysis, interviews, coverage from around campus and the White House, and much more.

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Construction for New Science and Engineering Hall Sparks Mixed Reviews

By Evan Ritscher

Beginning at 8 a.m. every Monday through Saturday, many GW students are awoken by a sound that can be heard across half of campus. The noise emanates from a construction site on H Street N.W., between 22nd and 23rd streets, one of many sites across campus. 

The construction site will be the home of the university’s new science and engineering hall, but right now it looks like anything but an academic building.

The area, which encompasses almost an entire square block, is currently just a deep hole in the ground containing construction equipment including about 10 bulldozers, excavators, large jackhammers, and a large crane. The giant machines that currently occupy the city street represent the dirty part of the process of change and improvement the university is currently undergoing. 

GW’s Board of Trustees approved the project in 2010 after a year of planning and design. Construction began in the summer of 2011 and is scheduled for completion by January 2015. 

Along with the construction of the science and engineering hall, GW is renovating Gelman Library and Ross Hall; constructing a new School of Health and Health Services building; reconstructing GW-owned properties along Pennsylvania Avenue; and constructing a new GW Museum, garage, and program space for the law school.

For university administrators, the construction, particularly that of the science and engineering hall, will further advance the school’s image as a leader in research and will also bring leaders in science to the university.

“The science and engineering hall will be that anchor that brings people into our community,” Steven Lerman, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, said in a video discussing the project. “GW can be a convening place; it will bring people from all over the world into our community.”

Peg Barratt, dean of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, also said GW “will be the hub for what is a world science center around the greater D.C. area.”

Still, the work is far from over and the school is currently in the middle of the noisy, dirty and disruptive stage of its improvement plans. 

“I don’t think a day has gone by without the noise in someway disrupting me, either while I’m asleep or when I’m trying to work,” Luke Austing, a Fulbright Hall resident, said.

Brian Shear, another Fulbright resident, said he understands the work is ultimately good for the university, but wishes the school would do more to minimize impacts on current students. 

In late August, GW Housing sent out an email to the residents of Fulbright, JBKO, Madison, and Munson halls saying the university was working to reduce “exceptionally noisy” activities in the early morning. The email also said the university provides free earplugs and loans white noise machines to students affected by the noise. 

Regardless of the noise, the university believes the construction furthers the university’s goal of transforming GW into a hub for academic research and discussion, and the construction will continue as the university moves towards expansion. 

For current students, the noise seems to be something they will just have to live with.

GW Classes and Activities to Resume Wednesday, October 31st

GW announced Tuesday morning that classes and activities on all three of its campuses will resume Wednesday, October 31st after two days of canceled classes and activities due to Hurricane Sandy.

Additionally, at 8:30 this morning the University resumed its Vern Express Shuttle Bus service, which will be departing every 15 minutes from both the Mount Vernon and Foggy Bottom campuses for the rest of the day.  Last night at 6:45pm the University had suspended the service due to weather conditions.

So far, there have been no reports of any major damage to campus buildings from the storm.

BREAKING: University Cancels Classes/Activities for Tuesday, October 30th

Monday, October 29th: 5:25pm

GW announced at 5:15 Monday that all classes and activities taking place on Tuesday during the day and evening are canceled due to weather conditions from Hurricane Sandy.

Like on Monday when classes and activities were canceled, dining halls will remain open during normal business hours and Facilities Staff is required to report Tuesday for their scheduled shifts.

The University advises students to stay indoors during the storm and stay away from windows.

The University also announced at 4:45 Monday afternoon that it will be suspending the Vern Express Shuttle Bus service until further notice at 6:45pm this evening due to weather conditions. The last shuttle buses departing for both the Foggy Bottom Campus and the Mount Vernon Campus will depart at 6:45pm.

At approximately 2:00pm this afternoon the Mount Vernon campus lost power and is now running on emergency generators.

For the latest University announcements regarding the storm go to the Campus Advisories website: campusadvisories.gwu.edu

We will also update www.wrgwnews.com as the University makes announcements regarding the storm.

BREAKING: GW Storm Update

Monday, October 29th- 5:00pm:

The University will be suspending the Vern Express Shuttle Bus at 6:45pm this evening due to weather conditions according to University Spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard.  Sherrard said the last shuttle buses departing for both the Foggy Bottom Campus and the Mount Vernon Campus will depart at 6:45pm.  

At approximately 2:00pm this afternoon the Mount Vernon campus lost power and is now running on emergency generators.

For the latest University announcements regarding the storm go to the Campus Advisories website: campusadvisories.gwu.edu

 We will also update www.wrgwnews.com as the University makes announcements regarding the storm.

GW Cancels Classes and Activities For Monday, October 29th

The George Washington University announced at 6:00pm Sunday that due to the approach of Hurricane Sandy the University will not hold classes or activities on any of its three campuses on Monday, October 29th. The University has said in its official statement that Facilities Services staff are required to report to work but that any other GW employees are not required to report.

Additionally, the University said that Dining services will remain open Monday and work under a normal schedule.

The University's decision comes after the Federal Government announced Sunday afternoon that its non-essential offices would be closed on Monday.  The District of Columbia announced  that its non-essential offices would be closed and that DC Public Schools would be closed Monday as well.

NBC Washington is reporting Sunday night that Metro Bus and Rail service is canceled for Monday.  

The University advises students to stay inside during the storm and to stay away from windows.

The latest information from the University regarding its operations can be found at the Campus Advisories website: http://CampusAdvisories.gwu.edu.

News at 6: Tuesday, October 23, 2012

WRGW News at 6 for Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012 by Wrgw_News on Mixcloud

SA Votes to Raise Fees

by Justin Lee

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

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

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

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

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