President Knapp Holds Office Hours

On Tuesday, October 19^th, President Steven Knapp held a second session of office hours this year at his office in Rice Hall. Several students arranged a ten-minute appointment with the Office of the Dean of Students in order to address general, as well as personal, concerns from a student or group of students.

President Knapp has several objectives to holding the office hours.

“[Office hours] offer an opportunity to talk to students one-on-one in ways that are very different from a setting where I’m meeting with a large group or at a reception,” Knapp said. Knapp called the office hours a “two-way streak,” saying they give him “feedback and guidance” on the university’s operations and additionally allow a student’s specific questions or concerns to be resolved quickly. Since taking the position of president of the university, Knapp has increased the number of office hours he has held during the academic year by holding office hours during the summer season.

Students offered suggestions and concerns about 4-Ride, EMeRG, the undergraduate law review and a student-run Haiti project. Knapp recalls hearing concerns about student art programs during office hours in his early years at the university, which later evolved into an entire arts center in West Hall. Knapp also hears about concerns through the Student Association (SA) by meeting with SA President Jason Lifton and SA Vice President Rob Maxim on a “regular basis.”

“Office hours have been a real resource [to my office], and expanding the number of office hours was a good decision,” Knapp said.

President Knapp will be holding office hours Wednesday, November 10^th from 3:30pm to 4:30pm and Wednesday, December 8^th from 10:00am to 11:00am. Students can sign up at the Office of the Dean of Students in Rice Hall, Suite 401. For more information, call the Office of the Dean of Students at (202) 994-6710.

SA Passes Student Org. Allocations Bill

GW’s Student Association unanimously approved its allocations bill for Academic Year 2010/2011 Tuesday night.

The bill, with a total cost of $501,995 out of the $930,456 allotted to SA, is the primary source of funding for organizations at the university.

President Jason Lifton described the bill in his opening remarks as “all encompassing.”

Big winners included the Student Bar Association, which received $92,985, the Panhellenic Association, which received $30,000, and the College Democrats and College Republicans, each receiving $15,000.

WRGW News’ parent organization, WRGW, received $3,000.

Students Push for SmarTrip on GWorld

Recently, GW began handing out new GWorld cards, which featured a larger GW logo, a spiffy hologram, and a new tap-and-enter system as opposed to the previously-used swipecard system.  This tap-and-enter approach is also used by DC metro's SmarTrip cards, leading some students to advocate putting SmarTrip access on the new GWorld cards.

"It would make it so much more convenient for GW students who have to ride the metro frequently," said Leire Ariz who, along with Tsubasa Suruga, created a Facebook group titled "We Want SmarTrip on Our GWorld Cards!" which Ariz says has amassed over 300 members within three weeks.

"It's clear that a lot of students want this," she said.  "It would just make getting around DC that much easier."

Suruga pointed out that American University has already unveiled a new student ID card that includes SmarTrip access.  The Eagle reports that 300 of these new AU ID-SmarTrip hybrid cards have been passed out already, with AU Student Government President Andy MacCracken saying that the program has "so far had a 100 percent success rate."

While no one from the GWorld Card Office could be reached for comment by press time, incoming Student Association President Jason Lifton mentioned in the WRGW-SA Debate that he had previously spoken with members of the GW administration about the possibility of putting SmarTrip on GWorld, but it did not seem possible at the time.

Incoming SA President Lifton Previews Presidency

In an email interview with WRGW News, incoming SA President Jason Lifton described his priorities for the coming year and gave his opinion on a wide range of issues concerning GW students.

“We plan on working on a number of different student life and academic issues next year,” he said. “We want to focus on fixing the student organization financial process. We are going to work with Student Judicial Services to ensure that students are being properly treated when they are in violation of the student code of conduct. We also want to work on making the SA more of a resource for organizations, helping them save money and pool resources.”

Lifton said that Gelman Library needs a “technological facelift,” citing a dearth of outlets, projectors, and multimedia study rooms in the school’s largest library.

“The library needs help. I don’t anticipate this being a one-year solution, but my goal is to set the library up to be better sponsored,” he said. “They have great plans for modernization, but without the funding to do it, it will never happen.”

Get Gelman Going, a Facebook group created by students concerned with the slow pace of Gelman’s much-needed improvements, has already accumulated over 1,200 members.

Another issue on students’ minds is J Street. From limited dining options to expensive weighing stations, many students have expressed disappointment with the current state of the closest thing GW has to a dining hall.

Lifton said contracts with Sodexo make it difficult to work on J Street, but he has looked at George Mason University’s dining hall, also run by Sodexo, as a model for the ideal J Street.

“George Mason has an interesting setup that they use for dining where they have different small venues with different options. It’s not like our food court setup; it’s more of different smaller stations,” he said. “I hope that we can use that as an example to improve how J Street Works.”

Lifton also discussed methods for improving campus security, addressing inefficiencies in 4-Ride and general safety concerns around campus.

“I think that the simple solution for long wait time is more 4-Ride vans,” Lifton said in response to many students who have reported waiting upwards of 45 minutes for a 4-Ride van to pick them up. “That said, I’m not sure about the feasibility of that immediately.”

“There are a lot of things that can be done to protect students, from security in residence halls to officers on the streets,” he said. “I think that we need to make sure that UD is doing everything to educate our students about safety on campus and doing everything to protect those students.”

Lifton cautioned students not to expect big changes immediately.

“There are many smaller things that we can work on, such as the financial process and improving SA resources, but something like the library or new dining options aren’t things that we can fix in one year,” he said. “I want to finish my term as president having advocated for the issues that are big ticket items that will drastically change students’ experience at GW.”

Jason Lifton, Logan Dobson Video Interviews

Jason Lifton Elected SA President, Dobson, Maxim Head to Run-off

Jason Lifton defeated Xochitl Sanchez by a shockingly close 51.5% to 48.5% margin.

Logan Dobson and Rob Maxim head into a run-off for the EVP contest.  Dobson finished in first, Maxin in second, Jon Binetti in third and Josh Goldstein came in fourth.  Dobson recieved 28% of the votes, and Maxim had 26% of the vote.

The JEC announced that there were a significant amount of violations, hinting that many winners could be disqualified.

We'll post a full election recap, results, and in-depth analysis tomorrow.

WRGW News Poll: Presidential Race - Lifton Leads

A WRGW News Poll of 369 undergraduate GW students conducted February 21-24, shows that presidential candidate Jason Lifton has a solid lead over his opponent Xochitl Sanchez.

Taking into account only likely voters, Lifton captures 43.5%, while Sanchez has 29.4%, with 27.0% of respondents still undecided.  

There is a stark difference between male and female respondents.

Lifton leads Sanchez among men, 44% to 24%, while his lead among women shrinks to 41% to 33%.  

As previously mentioned in the EVP post, it's important to note this poll isn't scientific; it's just a general survey of GW undergraduate students and their potential SA candidate preferences.  Grad students are not included in the survey.

Here are the complete results of the WRGW News President/EVP poll:

President

Jason Lifton  43.5%

Xochitl Sanchez  29.4%

Undecided  27.0%

EVP

Logan Dobson  21.9%

Rob Maxim  20.6%

Jon Binetti  11.7%

Josh Goldstein  10.7%

Undecided  35.1%

Voter Likelihood 

Very Likely  26%

Likely  32%

Unlikely  29%

Will Not Vote  13%

Male  46.6%

Female  53.4% 

Non-Greek  71.8%

Greek  28.2%

Based on 369 Respondents.  For candidate preferences, only likely and very likely voters were used in the calculations.    

Special thanks to: Alex Laska, Alexa Vogel, Roxanne Martin, Jenn Neuner, Clara Pak, Jared Pliner, Ryan Waye, and Joey Rabinowitz.   

Jason Lifton for SA President: Tested, Proven, Qualified to Lead - An Endorsement

Jason Lifton has served as SA Executive Vice President for nearly a year. And although he admits he hasn't always been the sharpest on parliamentary procedures of the SA Senate, he has certainly been a forceful advocate on behalf of the student body. Simply put, he grasps - and knows how to address - the major issues facing GW.

Lifton is extremely polished and articulate, and would continue to serve as an excellent liaison between the student body and University administrators. In fact, last Friday, GW officials announced they would double the number of Columbian College academic advisers, due in large part to Jason's forceful advocacy on the matter as EVP.

It is important to mention, however, that Lifton is still realistic about a handful of issues that other candidates (in a variety of SA races) have exploited for the sake of campaign strategy and political expediency. He understands the stringent limitations pertaining to J Street dining reform (mainly contractual and union matters), and recognizes the critical need to increase study hours and study locations, while continuing to push for enhanced campus safety and security.

In stark contrast to Xochitl Sanchez,  Jason will be able to hit the ground running on these policy matters from day one, ever more facilitated by his firmly established working relationships with university administrators.  Although Sanchez is an eloquent speaker, highly likable, "take-no-prisoners" tough, and knowledgeable about an admirable cross-section of GW life and bureaucracy, Lifton is a step ahead, having demonstrated that he can also put these qualities into action.

Furthermore, Lifton has recognized - and taken responsibility for - the shortfalls of the Bindelglass administration, namely in the realm of communication.  He emphasizes the importance of keeping close tabs on vice presidents within the executive cabinet, the utter lack of which contributed to disorder and inaction this past year, as it has in previous years. 

For the reasons above, the staff of WRGW News feels confident that Executive Vice President Jason Lifton will make an outstanding SA president come fall, and we strongly endorse his candidacy.

Jason Lifton - A Presidential Candidate Profile

Jason Lifton

Major

Political Science and Business Administration

Clubs, Activities, Internships, Jobs, Experience

I am currently the house manager for Sigma Chi, an active member of GW Hillel and a somewhat active member of the GW Sailing team. Additionally, last semester I worked for Senator Chuck Schumer as a legislative intern.

Why are you running for President?

After 2 and a half years at GW and a successful year as EVP I feel that I have a great knowledge of how GW runs and what sort of issues students face. I believe that I can effectively advocate for students on the issues that are most important. I have seen the ways that the Student Association is effective and the things that can be improved and I will work to make sure that this organization runs as smoothly as possible, working as hard as possible for all GW students.

What is the number one most pressing issue that the President should deal with?

The number one issue that the SA president should be addressing is the Gelman Library. At an academic institution the library should the be focal point of an education and Gelman is totally inadequate to fit that need. The university should be dedicating more resources to Gelman so that the library can implement the improvements that they have  been discussing for years.

In the past year, who do you think has been the most effective member of the SA (besides yourself) Why?

This past year, no one in the Student Association has worked harder that Erik Ashida (myself included). Erik is the student body’s strongest advocate when it comes to issues with the Gelman Library. He is constantly meeting with the librarians, the library advisory boards and high level administrators all in an effort to improve the quality of the library. Erik is quite and soft spoken, but does not stand down when he faces adverse opinions in an administrator’s office, but most notable about Erik is that most of his work is totally unnoticed by everyone, yet he does not need recognition. If the SA had more people like Erik, the organization would be a lot more effective when it comes to advocating and fighting for students.

What would you do differently compared to your predecessor, Julie Bindelglass?

Julie’s biggest flaw was her lack of communication with the student body. The SA president should be a visible figure who’s around campus and I think that Julie often lacked that presence. It is essential that people know who the president is and recognize that he or she is a person to approach if they need help with something. As president I will ensure that I am visible on campus and that I keep an open line of communication between me and the student body.

What will you be doing next year if you don’t win your election?

Sleeping later! Also, if I’m not elected I would love to get more involved with GW Trails. Also, I will take a more active role in the GW sailing team.

Any additional things you would like to say to say about yourself?

As someone who has the experience working with administrators and navigating the GW bureaucracy I will be able to hit the ground running as president.

WRGW-SA Debate Report Card for the Presidential Candidates

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views of WRGW News.

Overall, both candidates did very well and came off as polished, confident, and potentially good advocates.  Xochitl may be the overwhelming underdog in this race, but she more than held her own.

Jason Lifton - Lifton gave a laundry list of his extra-curriculars, and talked about the necessity of communication in an SA presidential administration, a point he hammered throughout the debate.  It was a decent opening.  

Jason was assisted with an infomail sent out the day of the debate announcing the doubling of the number of CCAS advisors, a huge victory on his part, and a point he effectively used during the debate. 

He handled every question very well, and came off as highly informed and deeply connected, although at times he sounded a little pretentious in comparison to his opponent.  

He surprisingly criticized Julie Bindelglass for her failure to effectively communicate her agenda, and he called cabinet meetings "ineffective" when asked why Bindelglass has held only 3 all year.  

Lifton also took a shot at Xochitl's lack of experience, which she sharply countered.

His closing statement was a summary of his advocacy as EVP, which was helpful.

Overall, Lifton had a very, very strong performance.  It's hard to pinpoint any missteps since the message he was trying to drive home (communication, advocacy, experience) were consistently present in each of his answers throughout the debate.  

Grades:

Opening Statement: B

Closing Statement: B

Style: A-

Substance: A-

Final Grade: A-

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Xochitl Sanchez - With absolutely no idea of what to expect, Xochitl's performance can be considered a resounding success.

Her opening statement framed her candidacy as an SA outsider tired of the SA.  Nothing too ground-breaking, and it was a little predictable.  

Xochitl came across as down to earth, articulate, and informed on many of the issues that were discussed.  She probably did enough to quell the concerns of some students who thought she had no connections with the GW administration or wouldn't be a good voice for the student body.  She came off as highly likable and seemed like the "average student" rather than a member of the SA.  I'm sure that was her intention, and she succeeded.  

Xochitl also very wisely called herself a tool at one point in an effort to be seen as a credible candidate.  She cited her personal relationships with GW administrators, and her experience with student organizations to build up the legitimacy of her experience and knowledge.  

Her only true weak point came when defending the vagueness in her platform, which she answered with even more vagueness, responding that it represented "the needs and wants of students and student organizations."  

Sanchez's closing statement was a reiteration of her outsider status, and saying she wanted to leave a legacy at GW.  

Grades:

Opening Statement: B

Closing Statement: B+

Style: A

Substance: B

Final Grade: B+

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Photos from the WRGW News-Student Association Debate

Candidates for the Student Association Presidency and Executive Vice Presidency met in the Marvin Center Ampitheater Friday evening for the first ever WRGW News-Student Association Debate.  Discussion topics ranged from campus dining to sustainability to alcohol amnesty to gender-neutral housing. Below are photos from the debate.  You will soon be able to see many more photos from the debate on our Flickr account.

Photos by Tylar Greene

EVP candidates Rob Maxim, Logan Dobson, Josh Goldstein and Jon Binetti

BREAKING: Jason Lifton Running for SA President

Current SA Executive Vice President Jason Lifton has announced via a Facebook message that he will be running for SA President.

Due to JEC regulations, candidates are not allowed to invite followers to Facebook groups, but you can view Lifton's page by clicking here.

Lifton was elected EVP last year with 58% of the vote. His closest competitor, Louis Laverone had 30%.

Logan Dobson Running for EVP

Current CCAS undergraduate SA Senator Logan Dobson is running for SA executive vice president according to a blog post on Inside the SA.

Dobson will likely face fellow CCAS Senator Josh Goldstein in a competitive election.

As for the latest election rumors this morning, Michael Komo is unlikely to run for either SA president or EVP, although nothing is out of question at this point. If Komo decides not to run, Lifton will be a virtual shoo-in due to his high name recognition, unless challenged by another high profile SA insider.

WRGWnews.com will be comprehensively covering this month's election, so stay tuned.