Mobile Farmers Market Wins the 6th Annual Pitch George Elevator Competition

by Alex Nowakowski

On Saturday the 6^th Annual Pitch George Elevator Competition took place in Duques Hall. Fifty teams, composed of both undergraduate and graduate students, competed to win prizes of up to $2,000 and the opportunity to advance to the semi-final round of the GW Business Plan Competition.

John W. Rollins, director of the GW Business Plan Competition, said this year’s competition was the “best so far” and that he was “blown away” by the quality of the projects presented.

The six finalists for the undergraduate competition were the following: Mobile Farmers Market, JiYeon’s Tea Thermos, CARLOS dos, CarrierPigeon, Studentstart.it, and CarneAsada.  First place went to Mobile Farmers Market, 2^nd place went to CarneAsada and 3^rd place went to Studentstart.it. Tea Thermos won the fan favorite award.

Mobile Farmers Market, led by Lulu Ma, Felicity Xie and Lisetta Garcia, is a portable wireless app that allows entrepreneurs to sell their products where they please without being constrained by a central EBT system. Ma, Xie and Garcia came up with the idea due to the lack of mobility and flexibility for farmers to sell their products through electronic payments.

Cecilia Ramirez came in second place with her Carne Asada project—a proposal to establish the first Paraguayan restaurant in Washington, D.C. Mrs. Ramirez, a native Paraguayan, wanted to find a way to share her culture with the area and decided to create a “fast and casual” restaurant similar to that of Chipotle.

Studentstart.it founders Michael Rickert and Christina Nanfeldt came in third place. The two developed an idea to tap into the creative and entrepreneurial potential of the campus, seeking to provide students a way to get their projects off the ground. At the moment, the website is in development and the two are contemplating creating a mobile app.

Ji Yeon Jung won the fan favorite award for Tea Thermos, a prototype transparent thermos that allows for easy cleaning and is two layered to retain temperature better than the average thermos. Her next step is to find a possible manufacturer.

Dr. George Solomon of the Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence, said that the competition’s goals are to encourage research and entrepreneurship, reach out to the community, and develop research programs both within the school and outside. Solomon also noted that many of the students this year focused their business plans around apps and believes that it will be important to see if the trend continues. Above all, he said, it was important for students to develop projects they were passionate about. 

“Money follows passion, passion doesn’t follow money,” Solomon said.

The competition was set up by GW’s School of Business, School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Office of Entrepreneurship, and the Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence.

Taiwanese Ambassador Discusses US-Taiwanese Relations at Elliott School

By Alex Nowakowski

Last Friday, October 8^th, Ambassador Pu-Tsung King of the Republic of China (Taiwan) discussed the future and past of American-Taiwanese relations. The event was hosted by the Elliott School’s Sigur Center for Asian Studies.

Ambassador Pu-Tsung King began his discussion by touching on the shared history between the United States and Taiwan. He pointed out that the two nations have been strong allies and that Taiwan shares the same values of “freedom, democracy, rule of law, economic liberty.” But the ambassador pointed out that this relationship has been shaky in moments in the past.

He alluded to the United States severing of relations with Taiwan on Janurary 1, 1979 as a moment that shows that the “[US-Taiwanese] partnership can not be taken for granted.”

To further strengthen this partnership, Ambassador King outlined 5 key areas that should be addressed in the following years: augment political ties between Taiwan and the US, further coordinate responses when facing eminent global crises, such as global warming, economic ties, reinforce the two nations’ security partnership, and reduce tension in the East China Sea

The ambassador also discussed Taiwan’s future role in Asia as the United States shifts its foreign policy focus to the Pacific. He noted that the United States is not pushing for a containment policy in the region, but rather has supported the relaxing of tensions between Taiwan and China. Ambassador King said that the Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou has made relaxation of tensions with the People’s Republic of China a priority of his administration.

“Taiwan’s relationship with China has been the most peaceful and trustful in over 60 years,” said King.

When asked if Taiwanese leaders would meet with the Chinese government any time in the future, Ambassador King said that if the nation requires it, the people support it, and the two parties are recognized with equal status it may happen.

He also touched on the continued American support of Taiwan by discussing America’s help in expanding Taiwanese involvement in the international community and American military aid to Taiwan. Even though he pointed out the ties between the two nations, he also noted that the greatest danger to the relationship between Taiwan and the United States is complacency, and that the relationship demands constant attention.

“The future of the US-Taiwan relations has never looked brighter, but now is not the time to rest on our values.”

GW Medical School and Washington Center for Psychoanalysis Formalize Affiliation

By ALEX NOWAKOWSKI

On October 17th the School of Medicine and Health Services (SMHS) and the Washington Center for Psychoanalysis (WCP) announced a formal educational and research affiliation, affirming the long-standing partnership between the two programs.

For many years the WCP has supervised and taught SMHS residents and several GW students have trained at the WCP following their residency.  A formal affiliation between the two groups has failed several times, but more recent changes made the affiliation possible. David Cooper, president of the WCP, said that the affiliation would create new possibilities for both parties involved.

“The formalization of our affiliation will expand opportunities for WCP members to participate in training and research activities in the SMHS and, hopefully, in the university at large”, said Cooper. “There is the opportunity for psychoanalysis to be represented in interdisciplinary dialogues throughout the GW community.”

James Griffith, the chair of GW’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, discussed the teaching offered by WCP professionals and the implications to the department of psychiatry’s future.

“They work with students to help them learn how to listen empathically to their medically ill patients and to be curious and interested in each patient’s unique experience of illnesses” Griffith said. “Most of all, the presence of the WCP helps establish a national identity for our Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences as a center for excellence in psychotherapy practice, training, and research.”

The affiliation between the two organizations also has important consequences on a larger scale.  

“This will not only affect the local scene for training in DC but may well have national implications, as the nature of our affiliation, in which a free-standing Psychoanalytic Center retains its autonomy within a university setting, is unique and may well serve as blueprint for other such pairings in the future,” Cooper said.

Elliott School Professor Releases New Book

BY ALEX NOWAKOWSKI

On Monday, Professor Henry R. Nau held a discussion at the Elliott School regarding his recently published book Conservative Internationalism: Armed Diplomacy under Jefferson, Polk, Truman, and Reagan.

Nau, a respected professor of political science and international affairs at the Elliot School, said that the purpose of his book was to end “the cycle of overreach and withdrawal” in American foreign policy. Nau argued that the solution is for the United States to enact a policy of “conservative internationalism” to end this cycle.

“I have a dire prediction that we are making a mistake that will cost us in treasure in blood”, Nau said regarding the recent American withdrawal from international intervention.

Nau continued the discussion of his book by discussing the presidents referenced in his title and outlining what Conservative Internationalism’s strategy might be. He argued that the United States should focus its policy on nations that are near established democracies. The nations on the border of democracy, Nau said, will be more willing to have a change in government and can be more easily reinforced if democracy takes place.

He finished the discussion of his book with the warning that “despots step up when we leave the world.”

Government Shutdown has Created Problems for GW Community

By Alex Nowakowski

The federal government shutdown that began on October 1^st, sending all nonessential federal employees home indefinitely and putting government funding hold, has shown some but not huge effects on the University. But if Congress fails to end the shutdown, there could be negative consequences for GW students and professors.

The Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service has estimated that 50 students have had trouble receiving federal aid, as they have been prevented from working at their federal work study programs. GW Spokesman Kurtis Hiatt said that the Law School, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and School of Public Health and Health Services reported that students have faced challenges regarding their credit-bearing internships with federal agencies.

“The schools are seeking solutions that that will allow students to make additional progress toward their credit requirements after the shutdown ends,” Hiatt said.

GW’s rowing teams has been affected as well due to the current closing of the Thompson Boat Center, a National Park Service facility. The teams are currently using space at the Anacostia Community Boathouse, which was offered by Gonzaga College High School.

Faculty research has for the most part not been affected by the shutdown, but some grants have been stalled. The Health Resources and Services Administration issued a stop-work order on health policy Professor Marsha Regenstein’s $2.3 million grant to study the effectiveness of community-based teaching hospitals.

When WRGW News contacted Regenstein, she had no further comment.

The National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation are still providing grant funding, but have advised institutions, including GW, not to submit new grant requests.

 “The real problem comes with new research projects. No one is reviewing the proposals our faculty have already submitted, and there is no one to accept new submissions,” Chemistry Department Operations Manager Shanna Roth said. 

A failure to raise the debt ceiling, which reaches its capacity at midnight, creates the possibility of delayed Medicare and student-aid payments. According to Forbes Magazine, if these student aid payments are delayed, it will be colleges that would have to make-up the difference for the lack of money from the Department of Education, not students or parents.

Those most likely to be hurt by a continued shutdown or a failure to raise the debt ceiling would be Veterans. The approximate 1,000 students receiving benefits from the Department of Veteran Affairs are unable to access technical assistance. The Department of Veterans Affairs has informed GW that it may be unable to pay benefits, including housing stipends, if the shutdown continues.

Meanwhile, the Department of Defense has suspended issuance of new tuition assistance awards to active duty students. If the shutdown continues to the start of next semester, active duty military students will not receive aid for those classes.

Andrew Desiderio contributed to this report.