WRGW NEWS: Alida Wuenscher

For the first time since 1992, GW’s Varsity Men’s Soccer team will play in the Atlantic-Ten Conference Championship. Last Sunday saw the team continue its undefeated home record, securing a 1-0 victory over Duquesne. The finals of the A-10 Conference, to be held this weekend, will be the last shot for Coach George Lidster, who is retiring after 24 years the University, to win a championship.

Senior Yoni Berhanu scored Sunday’s crucial goal, a 25-yard free kick in the 72^nd minute that earned Coach Lidster his 200^th win. Yoni has scored 3 out of 4 goals in GW’s last few matches, adding to his impressive record within the A-10 [10 goals and 23 points] and his overall career record [19 goals and 52 points] that places him just outside the programs overall top-10.

Berhanu and Coach Lidster have both received recognition within the Atlantic-10 Conference, securing both the 2011 Atlantic-10 Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year and Midfielder of the Week award this season. This is the third-such award for Berhanu, who in 2008, was named the conference’s Rookie of the Year.

The defeat against Duquesne marked a considerable turnaround for GW men’s soccer; the team began the soccer pre-season ranked 13 out of 14, but is now ranked the number two seed at this weekend’s championship. Seniors Berhanu, Mike Burke, Brice Carr and Jake Davis had a similar experience their freshman year, having to win one of the last games in order to qualify for the A-10s and hope to bring home the championship title in their final year.

A link to a free live video streaming of Friday's match can be found at GWsports.com. Weather permitting all five matches will also be streamed through the A-10's online home.

--Alida Wuenscher

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Controversial Kuwaiti Filmmaker Talks Middle East and More

An event titled “Turning Motion Picture into Emotion”, sponsored by GWU’s Institute for Middle Eastern Studies, saw award-winning Kuwaiti filmmaker, Walid Al-Awadi, discuss his documentaries on 9/11, Iraq and Afghanistan Wednesday. Walid’s 1995 chronicle of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait earned him the "Best International Film" award at the Houston Film Festival and his latest film, "Tora Bora," recently premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

Initially trained as engineer, one of the two jobs deemed acceptable by his parents, Walid found his true inspiration through filmmaking. Inspiration, he argued, is the most important thing in life and despite facing a “red” bank account on more than one occasion, he remained committed to the trade.

Walid spoke about his determination to cover the events of September 11th despite voiced concerns that, as a Kuwaiti national, such an undertaking would be too controversial. Despite the success of his initial project, PR reps told Walid to expect 100 people for his screening of ‘Dreams Without Sleep’ at the Lincoln Center in New York City. However, Walid played the film to a packed audience.

Well-received in the West, Walid nevertheless faced some criticism back in Kuwait for a perceived ‘pro-American’ approach.

For Walid filmmaking is about the characters. "Dreams Without Sleep" told the stories of five people’s different experiences during the events of 9/11. Walid’s recent film ‘Tora Bora’ followed the story of two parents searching for their son who fled to Afghanistan to join a terrorist network.

More information on Walid’s latest project, ‘Tora Bora, can be found here.