Journalists Discuss Covering "Drug War" at SMPA Event

By Jessy Morner-Ritt

On Tuesday  The School of Media and Public Affairs partnered with the Pulitzer Center to present "Covering the Drug Wars: Getting the Story and Staying Alive" in the Jack Morton auditorium.  Executive director of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting Jon Sawyer introduced the organization and panelists.  The center primarily focuses on extending the reach of international journalism by partnering with universities and engaging audiences through its lecture topics.  

The panelists for the event were award-winning documentary photographer Louie Palu, whose photos of the border between the United States and Mexico have been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Newsweek and The Atlantic; The Commercial Appeal reporter Daniel Connolly who wrote a series connecting Memphis to the Mexican drug violence and Washington Post correspondent  Nick Miroff who covers Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.  SMPA professor and New York Times journalist Steve Roberts moderated a panel discussion and then fielded audience questions after each journalist individually spoke about their work.

Palu began his presentation with five of his photos that he shot within 10 feet of his subjects, as he does not utilize long lenses when he is out on the ground.  These photos acted as his testament to a drug war's inability to be "killed" out, such as other wars.  In order to solve the drug war, Palu said governments must begin with the social infrastructure of society.  He also discussed the forgotten victims of drug wars, such as the people who are still alive after their family is brutally killed off in gang and drug related violence.  When discussing physical safety, Palu stressed the danger and importance that accompanies his "fixer," the person who acts as his tour guide, translator and confidante during his trips.  Relationships to these fixers become both a source of great information and anxiety for the journalist.

 

"The most important thing when I go out to work is not my safety, my fixer is the first person I worry about," Palu said.

Both Palu and Connolly commented on the mental health effects journalists face upon returning home.  Journalists who cover these drug wars oftentimes face syndromes associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Connolly himself has stopped reporting on drug and gang related events after turning into a violent sleepwalker who tore a hole in his bedroom wall while asleep.   Connolly mentioned that he had not told the newspaper he worked for of these mental consequences.  Roberts asked the panel directly about the mental side of covering such stories and whether newspaper editors were being supportive enough of the journalists.  Palu made clear that one of the greatest dangers of this line of work is that one will never know how he or she will react in these situations.  While editors do understand the type of brutality journalists are witnessing, journalists who cover situations such as drug wars should be required to check-in with a therapist when they arrive home.  Miroff also commented that while this line of work is not for everyone,  journalists who do decide to take on this work have the responsibility to deal with the fear and emotions that accompany drug war coverage. 

One critical issue that Connolly took away from his learnings is that there is no way for people in America to buy illegal drugs on the black market without funding the killers behind the current drug war.  Palu cited the "fishbowl mentality in America" as reasons that Americans do not actively seek out information on the prevalence and danger of drug wars, as well as why people continue to unknowingly support this drug war.  Students concluded the lecture with a discussion regarding the line of when journalists should, "put down the camera and/or notebook" to actively aide the situation they are in.

WRGW News at 6: Wednesday, February 27th, 2013

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WRGW News at 6: Monday, February 25th, 2013

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Freshman Looks to Stand Out as Candidate for SA President

by Sam Michel 


Tywan Wade is looking to stand out in the crowded field of candidates running to be Student Association President. That shouldn’t be too difficult since he’s the youngest person running. But Wade, currently pursuing a degree in business administration, believes being a freshman allows him to bring a fresh perspective to GW’s student government   

In a statement to WRGW News, Wade countered the notion that a freshman shouldn’t run for SA President. 

“In being the youngest person to ever run, I think that it’s necessary to redefine what normal in society [is]," he said. "I think that sometimes we get brainwashed into a certain type of understanding or belief that diminishes our individualism. I can assure doubters that my running is not all for flash, but [for] substance.” 

Wade’s campaign platform features broad proposals sure to generate attention and perhaps some controversy. The platform, which can be found at https://www.facebook.com/TywanWadeforSAPresident , features proposals to bring a farmer’s market to campus, providing a shuttle for students to Virginia Beach during the spring, and having the Vern Express provide a nightly detour through the shops of Georgetown. For campus dining, Wade’s platform includes providing a new dining plan for individuals and graduates in off-campus housing as well as creating a Franchise Funding Board to attract new restaurants and dining options to the GW community. 

But despite his ambitious agenda, Wade understands the challenges he would face implementing his agenda in the SA. 

“I know that the things that I want to implement at George Washington University are going to take time," he said.  "In speaking with former members of the Student Association, I have a realistic vision of how the group operates.” 

Wade wouldn’t comment on the current SA administration or detail what organizations he’s involved with on-campus. 

Rather, he hopes that, “individuals are able to see my vision as clear as day and believe that I can revolutionize GW with a dynamic but collaborative approach.”

Wade is running against three other candidates in the March 20^th-21^st election.  

Obama 2012 Campaign Manager Speaks to GW College Democrats

By Sam Michel

Jim Messina, the campaign manager for President Barack Obama’s successful 2012 re-election campaign, spoke Wednesday night to the GW College Democrats on the lessons he learned from the grueling two-year job overseeing a massive $1 billion operation and revolutionizing the modern political campaign through technological advancements. In addition, he spoke about his work in the White House during President Obama’s first term, working on domestic legislation.

Before taking the podium, Messina was introduced by GW College Democrats President Spencer Dixon, who listed Messina’s impressive résumé, which included stints as Chief of Staff to both Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) and Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), who Messina called his mentor. However, his time with Baucus was cut short when he received a call from then-Senator Barack Obama in June 2008 requesting Messina to move to Chicago the following day to become Chief of Staff to the Obama 2008 campaign. In that role, Messina was responsible for overseeing a budget of $700 million. Following Obama’s win over Senator John McCain, Messina was asked to become Deputy Chief of Staff. For the next two years he oversaw the passage of President Obama’s health care bill and the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. However, it was in December 2010 when the President approached Messina and asked him to manage his re-election campaign; thus fulfilling Messina’s childhood dream of running a presidential campaign. 

In planning the President’s re-election effort in Chicago, Messina described his desire to create a completely different campaign from the one in 2008. 

“If we ran a campaign based on moving the country forward, we knew we would win,” Messina said. 

Whereas the 2008 campaign largely relied on television ads and didn’t incorporate social media extensively, the 2012 campaign was played out almost entirely on Twitter and Facebook. Messina also spoke of the campaign’s desire to reach voters on a more local level through over 140 million door knocks and using supporters to talk to their neighbors and friends. This localized effort helped the campaign identify millions of undecided voters and work with these voters to complete early voting ballots. 

In reflecting on the campaign, Messina spoke highly of the technology department, which developed new apps for smart phones that helped the campaign track how many voters volunteers had reached out to. Messina also stressed the importance of not overly relying on polling data, which oversampled older and typically more conservative voters, thereby showing a much closer race than what the Obama campaign was seeing in its models. 

Moving forward, Messina said he is looking forward to getting involved with Organizing for Action, a new advocacy group that will help mobilize supporters to urge Congress to pass President Obama’s second term legislative agenda.  Messina concluded with a piece of advice he learned from his mentor, Senator Baucus. 

“In your life you should have gin and have tonic. You should have fun but also be serious when it’s needed.”

GW Welcomes Former CIA Director to Discuss Hacking, Cyber Warfare, and Drones

by Evan Ritscher


GW welcomed former CIA and NSA director General Michael Hayden for a conversation with Director of the School of Media and Public Affairs Frank Sesno on the role cyber attacks have in espionage and warfare. The conversation touched on topics ranging from cyber attacks and hacking to the use of drones in the War on Terror. The event, which was held Tuesday night, comes just weeks after the New York Times published an article outlining an attack against it’s own computer system from Chinese hackers and the same day as another Times article claiming that a great deal of major cyber attacks against U.S. companies and organizations come from a Chinese military unit working from outside Shanghai.

Hayden said that espionage against the United States is by no means surprising but what is troubling about this type of hacking from the Chinese is that they aren’t stealing secrets; they are stealing control. When asked if he knew what the Chinese want to do with America’s cyber network, Hayden, in the fashion of a true intelligence office, said he did not know nor, could he speculate. But, he did say that “bureaucracies do what bureaucracies do” adding that every nation-state has a contingency plan, and that these examples of hacking may simply be the most rational plan for a Chinese contingency plan.

While Hayden insisted that China is not an enemy of the United States he maintained that Chinese espionage remains disturbing and that it “should not stand.” He went on to say that there are some things we can do to further protect ourselves and reduce the Chinese cyber threat. 
 “We can be more robust in defending our networks,” Hayden said.   

Hayden also asserted that the U.S. can make Chinese cyber behavior a part of the U.S.-China relationship, economically, diplomatically, or otherwise. Essentially, using the American consumer market as a bargaining chip to stop the Chinese from hacking American computer networks.

In one of the most interesting points in the discussion, Hayden argued that before the United States can substantively move forward with regards to cyber security, the American people have to make a decision about what they believe the proper role of the government is in protecting America's cyber network. What we permit and prohibit the intelligence community will be key in deciding what an American cyber security apparatus will look like.  

“Because we haven’t worked that out, your network is less protected," he added.

Stressing the importance of sharing information from private companies and citizens to effectively protect American organizations as well as critical pieces of American infrastructure,  Hayden asked if we wanted the government’s defense of American computer networks to resemble the military, the police, the fire department, or the Centers for Disease Control. While admitting that he “did not have a good answer” to his question, Hayden said that he believed that private businesses should be the supported group, while the government should play a supporting role.

The challenges of modern espionage in the Internet age are compounded further Hayden says because he questioned the level of espionage needed to combat global threats is possible in a society that is increasingly demanding more transparency at every aspect of national life. Answering his own question, Hayden couldn’t say what the result would be but did say that it certainly doesn’t help U.S. security. 

“The implication is we will be marginally or significantly less safe,” he said. 

Espionage is still important and necessary, he argued but much more difficult simply because there is so much more information that needs to be stolen.

"Cyber warfare has the whiff of August 1945" he said, referencing the way the dropping of the atom bomb changes warfare in the 20th century and compounding the importance of cyber security and espionage. 

The discussion also touched on the controversial use of drones. The General said he supported the use of drones even to kill American citizens without traditional judicial process because the United States is unequivocally at war and appropriate steps must be taken. While the legality of such drone strikes was defended by Hayden, he did concede that it was a narrow legality and unsustainable in the long term without further changes.

 "Keep it in your tool kit," he said, referencing drones. The implications of such actions were not lost on the General, however, who called for a commission of sorts comprised of both the legislative and executive branches to become involved in the use of drones. 

In offering advice for students interested in working for the CIA, Hayden said that applicants should learn a second language. 

"The more exotic the better" he said. "If they teach it in your high school, it's probably the wrong one.”

WRGW News at 6: Wednesday, February 20th, 2013

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Student Leader Against Sexual Assault Runs for SA Vice President

By Myles Goldman

A student leader against sexual assault on campus announced last week he will run for The Student Association Executive Vice President Position.  Kostantinos "Kostas" Skordalos has announced he will run for the SA’s number two job.  Skordalos is a Junior from Baltimore majoring in Women’s Studies.  He is a member of the Men’s Rugby team, Students Against Sexual Assault, and Co-President of GW’s Men of Strength organization.  

Skordalos says his candidacy will focus on student space, better communication between students and administrators, and raising awareness of sexual assault on campus. 

"I'm running because there are issues that need to be resolved on this campus: a lack of student space geared toward hang out time and community enhancement, weak communication between the administration and the student body, and, among other things, low levels of awareness surrounding issues such as sexual assault," Skordalos told WRGW News.

Skordalos believes his experience in Students Against Sexual Assualt and Men of Strength give him the advocacy skills to work successfully with students and administrators.  

"My time at SASA (Students Against Sexual Assault) has also allowed me to work alongside my peers and certain members of the GW administration, like Tara Pereira, as we pushed for the review and reform of the university's Sexual Assault Policy," Skordalos said.

Skordalos will run against Will Ellingson and Michael Adam for the VP slot.

The election is March 20th and 21st.     

Summit Looking to Empower Women Comes to GW

By Michele Ko

On Thursday the E3 Initiative’s Global Summit on Issues Affecting Women and Girls Worldwide took place in the Marvin Center. E3 stands for “Educate, Engage and Empower,” and the event was held in conjunction with Valentine’s Day: One Billion Rising campaign, whose goal is to end violence worldwide against women and girls. 

Three women – Zainab Hawa Bangura, Sabrina Hersi Issa, and Imani Walker – spoke about their personal experiences and work in the field of human rights and policy advocacy.

Bangura is the United Nations Special Representative to the Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. She has spent the last 20 years implementing policy, diplomatic and practical change for women worldwide. 

At the summit she spoke about rape as a tactic and byproduct of war.   

“[It is] the legal and moral obligation of government to hold perpetrators accountable,” she said.

She explained her 16-point policy to address sexual violence around the world; one of the points argued that rape should be seen as a war crime. 

Bangura also emphasized how if society does not value women during peacetime and treats them as second-class citizens, then they will not be protected during war. 

Issa, the digital director of Be Bold Media and the co-founder of EndFamine.com, presented “Women Warriors: Lessons from the Frontline of Battling Poverty and Hunger.” She focused on the power of storytelling in shaping policy and creating a community of women who “own their agency.” 

“When we own our stories we own our power,” Issa said.

Walker, co-founder and executive director of The Rebecca Project for Human Rights, shared her personal experience as a victim of sexual violence and her work as a legal and policy advocate. 

Walker spoke about her 11-year long marriage that began at age 18.  She had three children during the marriage and she was sexually abused.  She even recounted being dragged on the floor with her toddler watching. Walker found the strength to leave when her mother passed away. 

“Her death allowed me to face my own morality,” she said. 

Walker then began a self-medicating process, which included marijuana and cocaine addiction. This lasted several years. When she sought help for her drug addiction she found that the therapy sessions, which consisted of support groups with men along with women, did not help her address the underlying issue- the sexual violence she experienced. 

Her addiction continued with her second husband and birth of her fourth child, who tested positive for drugs at birth. For Walker the most beneficial therapy was when she discovered gender responsive services, which provided all women group sessions and family therapy, both of which allowed her to address the deep seeded issues she had to deal with for so many years. 

Walker explained how in our society the self-medicating process leads to problems with the child welfare and criminal justice system. She argued that the focus should be on providing services for mothers and their children to face their experiences. 

“No woman should say they lost their child because of addiction,” she said. “There is a stigma against self-medicating mothers that leads to silence.”

Walker’s son is now 14 years old and she proudly reported he received all A’s at his school.  She herself has been clean from drugs for years. At age 50, she has dedicated her life’s work to combating sexual violence.  Walker spoke specifically about The Rebecca Project’s fight against commercial exploitation of women with campaigns like getting the Adult section of Craigslist removed. 

Walker explained that women must empower themselves and others. 

“We need to begin the process of reclaiming not only our bodies, but our voice, agency, authority, power, and sacredness as human beings,” she said. 

Supreme Court Justice Visits GW

by Melissa Lee

On Tuesday night Lisner Auditorium hosted Associate Justice Antonin Scalia for an informal interview with NPR correspondent Nina Totenberg, who has earned widespread recognition for her coverage of the Supreme Court. Prior to taking the stage, Scalia was introduced as certainly “one of the most outspoken conservative voices” on the Supreme Court, setting the stage for an interview that addressed Scalia’s legal views but also his personal experiences.

As the interview occurred on the same night as the State of the Union Address, Totenberg opened the interview by asking Scalia about his attendance record for the State of the Union, noting that Scalia hadn’t attended one in several years. Scalia explained that he felt the State of the Union had turned into “something of a circus,” describing what he felt was the comical standing-and-clapping of both sides of the room to demonstrate support for what the president was saying at the time. 

The interview progressed to address Scalia’s core beliefs on issues such as constitutional interpretation, where Scalia affirmed his stance as an “originalist” or “textualist,” meaning he believes the Constitution should be defined by what “it was taken to mean at the time it was written.” Scalia explained that he dislikes referring to the Constitution as a “living” document and sometimes calls it “dead” as somewhat of a joke to express his views that the words of the Constitution are fixed in meaning. Scalia said that at the time the Constitution was written, there was no controversy about issues such as gay marriage, the death penalty, and women voting.  He explained that the public of the time had already come to conclusions about these issues and had thus conveyed that meaning into the text of the Constitution. Scalia emphasized that this does not mean he doesn’t feel the Constitution can’t be amended—only that the words that already exist have a set definition.

Totenberg introduced other issues such as Super-PACs, where Scalia favors the disclosure of donors, and gun control, discussing Scalia’s District of Columbia vs. Heller decision against the ban of handguns. She also asked Scalia about his work experience.  For example, how he wrote majority opinions and dissents. When asked about this, Scalia stressed the importance of dissent writing. Writing dissents, in Scalia’s opinion, helped to “keep justices honest,” so that the public clearly knew their viewpoints instead of seeing an anonymous vote. Scalia also explained how dissents could be gratifying if not now, sometime in the future.  He cited a single justice’s dissent in the case of Korematsu vs. United States, the case that ruled Japanese American internment constitutional during World War II.

Although the interview addressed in-depth legal issues, it also included more personal and occasionally amusing questions about Scalia. Totenberg introduced a range of subjects that included Scalia’s black, fez-like hat at the presidential inauguration, his friendships and travels with fellow justices, especially riding on elephants with Ruth Bader Ginsberg in India and going game hunting with Elena Kagan, and even his high school extra-curricular activities. 

In high school, Scalia broadcasted on a radio program entitled “Mind Your Manners,” where he and other hosts talked about proper etiquette to help students be more polite when attending dates and other social events.

Student Elections Candidates Announced

On Friday night the Joint Elections Committee announced that the following candidates have qualified to be on the ballot for student elections which will take place March 20th and March 21st.

Follow the student election campaign season by continuing to check our website and by listening to The WRGW News at 6  Monday-Friday from 6:00-6:30pm at www.gwradio.com.

SA President:
Kwasi Agyeman
Mike Morgan
Hugo Scheckter
Julia Susuni
Tywan Wade

SA Vice President
Michael Adam
Will Ellingson
Kostas Skordalos

Undergraduate At-Large Senator
Daniel Egel-Weiss
Omeed Firouzi

Graduate At-Large Senator
Andrew Hickman
Cengiz Kara

CCAS Undergraduate Senator
Mollie Bowman
Shreya Chaturvedi
Marshall Cohen
Taylor Cole
Justyna Felusiak
Atticus Francken
Patrick Furbush
Nicholas Gumas
Jevin Hodge
Justin Hyde
Brandon Kumar
John Menges
Ahrim Nam
Benjamin Pryde
Casey Syron
John Weiss

GW School of Business Undergraduate Senator
Ryan Counihan
Fatma El-Taguri

GW School of Business Graduate Senator
Tapan Bhargava
Harimandir Garcha

Elliot School Undergraduate Senator
Christian Allard
Paul Asercion
Joy Dhar
John Kelley
Spencer Newland
Simarmeet Singh
Chris Stillwell
Varsha Sundararaman

School of Engineering Undergraduate Senator
Neil Forquer
Edwin Musibira
Karan Singh

School of Engineering Graduate Senator
Hatem Elbidweihy
William Rone

School of Public Health & Health Services Undergraduate Senator
Kimberly Levitt

School of Public Health & Health Services Graduate Senator
Nora Albert

School of Medicine & Health Sciences Graduate Senator
Abhimanyu Aggarwal
Kusha Davar
Jordan Werner

Law School Senator
Peter Glaser
Paul Waters

Marvin Center Governing Board Undergraduate
Ian Ceccarelli
Shelby Goodfriend
Elizabeth Kennedy
Usama Khan
John Paul Koenigs
Paul Organ
Graham Rabinowitsch
Glenn Richardson
Alberto Zayas Montilla

Programming Board Chair 
Jon Carfagno

Programming Board Vice Chair
Kolton Gustafson

WRGW News at 6: Friday, February 15th, 2013

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SA Cabinet Member Running for SA President

By Myles Goldman

The race for Student Association President is on as a second candidate announced Thursday she is running for the SA's top position.  Julia Susuni announced Thursday with the launch of her website: www.juliaforgw.com.  

Susuni, a Junior, is currently a member of SA President Ashwin Narla's Cabinet, serving as the Vice President for Public Affairs.  In addition, Susuni serves as the Vice President for Corporate Relations for GW Women in Business and is a sister in Alpha Delta Pi.  

Susuni's platform ranges from moving student health services to a location on campus, to continuing to advocate for the Student Association's student space plan that centers around renovating the Marvin Center Third Floor terrace.  Additionally, Susuni will look to add Trader Joe's to the GWorld card system and work with the Career Center to improve connections between alums and current students.  

"I am running on a platform of always putting students first, and as President I will focus on increasing the resources and opportunities available to students throughout the community," Susuni told WRGW news.  

Susuni becomes the second candidate to announce for Student Association President after current Elliot School Senator Michael Morgan announced he was running last week.  

Susuni is majoring in International Affairs with a concentration in Europe and Eurasia and minoring in Russian.

The election is March 20th and 21st.

WRGW News at 6: Wednesday, February 13th, 2013

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SA Senate Plans Ways to Move Forward on Student Space

By Emma Thomson

The Student Association Senate discussed ways to move forward on its student space proposal at its meeting Monday night.  The Senate held the meeting on the Mount Vernon Campus in West Hall.

President Ashwin Narla responded to a letter in GWToday from Provost Steven Lerman and Treasurer Lou Katz regarding the student body’s attempt to petition the administration for more student space.  Narla expressed frustration at the administration’s previously unexpressed philosophy of decentralizing student space. 

Narla cited a “difference in philosophies” between the student body and administration in the issue of student space. He noted that GW does not have a student union unlike most of the market basket schools, a drawback that inhibits community and school spirit. The GW administration, Lerman and Katz said in their letter plans to develop individual areas of student space as it builds new infrastructure. 

Narla also vowed to continue collaboration on addressing student space with the Board of Trustees and administration for the remainder of his term as President, which ends in May.  Narla said he wants to make decisions about moving forward not based in frustration, but strategic thinking. In addition, he said there are plans to thank the student body for their support on the student space petition. Narla also encouraged Senators to increase their use of the term “Raise High” throughout campus to help foster school spirit.    

In other business, the Student Life committee reported plans to commemorate the late Senator Daniel Inouye, a GW alum, by naming a building after him; improving biking conditions throughout campus, and creating an easier website for campus philanthropy and service. The Academic Affairs committee celebrated the institution of longer hours at Eckles Library. 

Later on and after much debate, the Senate approved a bill to develop a solar charging table in Kogan Plaza. 

The Senate's next meeting is February 25th at 9pm in Marvin Center room 309. 

SA Senator Announces Candidacy for SA President

By Myles Goldman

Let the SA election season begin.  Student Association Senator Michael Morgan launched his candidacy for SA President Monday with the launch of his campaign website:  www.morganforpresident.com

Morgan, a sophomore in the Elliot School of International Affairs, is the first candidate to announce a run for SA President to succeed current President Ashwin Narla, who will be graduating in May.

Morgan serves as an SA Senator on the Finance Committee and is also the chair of The Student Dining Board, on the Executive Board of the College Republicans, a member of the International Affairs Society, and a brother in Beta Theta Pi fraternity.

Morgan says his candidacy will be about student space, student security, and University sustainability among other issues.

"We are at a crucial point in time here at GW," Morgan told WRGW News.   "If I did not think I had the leadership experience, if I didn’t think I had the proven results working with the University, if I didn’t think I had the ideas or the know-how to make positive changes for the university with regards to these matters, I wouldn’t do it, because that would be an SA presidency wasted."

Candidates for any Student Association office, Marvin Center Governing Board, Programming Board, or Class Council will be required to register their candidacy with the Joint Elections Committee (JEC), which oversees the election process.  Candidates will have to turn in between February 13th-15th a petition with student signatures approving their candidacy.

The date of the election will be Wednesday March 20th and Thursday March 21st.