One-Stop Shop for Info on Political Careers Launched

The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management launched a new website this month, PoliticsUnder30.org, in an effort to promote the dissemination of information about careers in politics.

A recent press release by the school said that recent polling indicated that "85% of respondents answered yes when asked if having a comprehensive Web site with information about jobs in politics would encourage them to pursue a career in politics." To help satiate this desire for more information, PoliticsUnder30 hopes to provide a central location for "job seeking tips, resume building advice, and a support structure, for young people in politics" said Bryce Cullinane, founder of the website and a graduate student in the School of Political Management.

The website features interviews with such luminaries as Obama Campaign Manager David Plouffe and New York Representative Tim Bishop, along with other behind-the-scenes functionaries from across Washington. So dedicated is the website to obtaining first-hand knowledge from current and former politicos that it has declared the goal of interviewing all 535 members of the 111th Congress by the end of 2010.

Also available are daily political job postings, a calendar dedicated to various political events happening around the city, and a central listing of scholarships categorized by state of origin.

F. Christopher Arterton, dean of the School of Political Management, described the purpose of the website in the press release as "[helping] the young people of today become the political leaders of tomorrow."

P!nk Flies High in "Funhouse" Tour

[caption id="attachment_2771" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="P!nk soared at the Patriot Center as she burst out from under the stage."][/caption]

In a pop music climate that has ditched talent as a prerequisite for super-stardom in exchange for the erotic, the bombastic, and the indulgently spectacular, P!nk’s “Funhouse” tour manages to seamlessly blend fantastical theatrical elements with vocal superiority.

P!nk turned the Patriot Center at GMU into a Funhouse Monday, impressing an enthusiastic audience with exceptional stagecraft, erratic costumes (at one point dressed merely in ribbon and glitter), and killer choreography flanked by several dancers.

English rock duo The Ting Tings were on first to get the party started (pun very much intended) with a host of crowd-pleasers, including such catchy numbers as “Shut Up And Let Me Go,” “Great DJ,” and of course their breakout hit single, notorious for how easily it gets stuck in one’s head, “That’s Not My Name.” Banging on a bass drum and a cowbell while jumping around the stage, lead vocalist Katie White left the audience riled up and ready for the main attraction.

 And P!nk knows how to make an entrance. After a video introduction featuring an intense cover of “Highway to Hell,” the pop icon burst out from under the stage, flying high into the air with a feather dress billowing down below her as she started belting out “Bad Influence,” one of the more upbeat songs from her new album, “Funhouse,” for which the tour was named. And the fun continued from there, with most of her old and new chart-toppers making apperances, including old hits “Just Like a Pill” and “Don’t Let Me Get Me,” and some of her newer singles, such as “Who Knew” and “Please Don’t Leave Me.” “Leave Me Alone (I’m Lonely)” saw P!nk frolicking across

[caption id="attachment_2779" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Even without the flare, P!nk commanded the stage with powerful vocal performances."][/caption]

the stage and bouncing around on a heart-shaped pillow, and during “So What,” a pillow fight erupted onstage between the scantily-clad dancers. Those who saw her performance of “Sober” at the MTV Video Music Awards were delighted to see a repeat performance, this time with one of the dancers flying through the air as she belted out the chorus below. And large, terrifying blow-up clowns towered ominously over the singer as she led the crowd in a hysterical cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

But the high points of the concert weren’t the stunts, the dancing, or the stagecraft. No, the best parts of the show were the ballads, the low-key numbers that were stripped of all the enthusiasm and all the spectacle. Performances like “I Don’t Believe You,” “Family Portrait,” and an acoustic version of “Trouble” had the audience enraptured; without the flare and the fluff, we were given a real treat: seeing P!nk in her element, commandeering the stage not with high dives and twirls, but with vibrato and emotion. When she wasn’t soaring, her vocals were, and those in attendance were ecstatic to find that a singer who sounds so good in the studio, sounds even better in the concert hall.

 

[caption id="attachment_2781" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="P!nk floats along during a dazzling performance of "Glitter in the Air""][/caption]

The encore, a stunning rendition of “Glitter in the Air,” perfectly demonstrated this marriage of voice with visual enhancements, as P!nk drifted gracefully through the air under a human cradle as she belted out one of her most beautiful new songs. At one point, she was dipped into a pool below the stage and came back up bathed in water and glitter to cheers of wonderment and awe from the amazed crowd. As the song finished, the cradle gently glided towards the back of the stage as the words “The End” faded in on the backdrop, written in glitter. A concert that opened with a bang closed with a sparkle.

P!nk knows how to put on a good show. The theatrics are there, but only to enhance the music; and, even better, sometimes she allows the music to speak for itself, which is when her true talent is put on display. P!nk represents something that these days is missing from the pop music scene: a potent combination of vocal ability and showmanship. Britney entertains and Lady Gaga shocks, but an evening with P!nk is an evening you won’t soon forget.

 

Tickets Released on Thursday for Secs. Clinton, Gates

Tickets for the October 5th conversation with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will be distributed Thursday morning at 9am at the Lisner Auditorium box office.

There is a limit of one ticket per person. You will be asked to present your GWorld card.

Those that do not receive a ticket from the Lisner box office are welcome to wait in a stand-by line on Monday, October 5. 

The event will be moderated by GW School of Media and Public Affairs Director Frank Sesno and CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour.

The program will be broadcast domestically and internationally on CNN and air in the United States at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, October 6, as part of a special program for CNN's launch of Amanpour. A one-hour radio special will be produced and distributed by America Abroad Media internationally and to 240 radio stations in the United States.

It's co-hosted by the GW School of Media and Public Affairs, part of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, and the GW Elliott School of International Affairs, and in association with the university's Institute of Public Diplomacy and Global Communication.

The Future of the Newspaper at Monday's Kalb Report

On Monday October 5^th the sixteenth season of The Kalb Report will launch at the National Press Club with “Ink on the Brink: The Future of Print Journalism”.

This session will focus on the future of print journalism in the United States, and the rest of the world. It will be moderated by Marvin Kalb.

Guests include Marcus Brauchili, executive editor of The Washington Post, Cynthia Tucker, columnist of the Atlanta Journal- Constitution, Anne Bagamery, senior editor of the International Herald Tribune, and David Hunke, president and publisher of USA Today. At the end of the interview there will be a Q&A between the audience and the guests.

The Kalb Report is produced by George Washington University, Harvard University, and the National Press Club. It is a four part series and has featured an array of prominent guests including, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Nobel Prize winner Eli Weisel, Christiane Amanpour, and Walter Cronkite. Guests for the next three episodes have yet to be released.

Monday’s program will begin at 8:00 pm. Free tickets are available at GW TicketMaster located on the ground floor of the Marvin Center.

Be sure to stay tuned for a recap of Monday’s Kalb Report on WRGW News.

Michael Moore Speaks at GW, Slams Capitalism, Healthcare System

Filmmaker Michael Moore spoke at GW's Betts theater Tuesday afternoon. Listen to WRGW's feature below:

Michael Moore Speaks at GW

First WRGW News Poll Released

Over the course of the year, WRGW News will be conducting opinion polling to gauge the general opinions and sentiments of the student body. The polls will focus on what GW students think about national issues, campus issues, and will also survey students on their views on the Student Association, including its leaders and potential SA presidential election match ups later in the school year.

View the results of the WRGW News Poll here.

The first WRGW News Poll shows that students overwhelming reject YAF's (Young Americans Foundation) charge that Michelle Obama and the University are politicizing community service stemming from Obama's community service challenge.

The WRGW News Poll also finds that a plurality of non-freshmen feel that Kyle Boyer was unfairly kicked off the ballot by the JEC last year, and an overwhelming majority of students have a very poor opinion of the job performance of former SA president Vishal Aswani from last year.

There are many other questions in the poll, including questions on the swine flu, health care reform, and President Obama's approval rating, so check them out.

MTV: WRGW Among Top 25 Stations in U.S.

WRGW has advanced to the next round of voting for the MTV University Best College Radio Station Woodie Award.

With your help WRGW advanced from a field of 300 stations into the top 50. Your votes put us into the top 25.

The top 5 stations will be announced October 10th. Keep voting at http://radiowoodie.ratemyprofessors.com/?s=wrgw

BREAKING: Suspicious Package Found Near Fulbright and Tompkins Hall

Metropolitan Police, Secret Service agents, and University Police were found outside of Tompkins Hall of Engineering and Fulbright Hall, where a bus has been stopped in the middle of the road outside of Tompkins. Metropolitan Police have closed off the surrounding areas. The issue is reportedly a "suspicious package", but MPD will not discuss specifics. It is not known if the bus has anything to do with the alleged package.
UPDATE: The University has announced that the Foggy Bottom Metro station has now been closed.

UPDATE (3:56 pm): All areas that were previously closed have now been reopened.

Outside Groups Get the Boot From Marvin Center

The Marvin Center is now reserved specifically for university-sponsored events. In a release to campus media, the university said non-student focused activities will not be permitted to rent space in the building during the academic year.

“Student-use and student accessibility of the Marvin Center is a priority for the University,” said Robert Chernak, senior vice president of student and academic support services. “This new model will better meet the needs of students and give them a central spot on campus for study groups, meetings and other gatherings."

Lorraine Voles, vice president for external relations, will now oversee the majority of the major venues on campus, including all outdoor University spaces, 1918 F St., 1957 E St., Marvin Center, Lisner Auditorium and the Jack Morton Auditorium.

University Events and University Conferences will be led by Michael Peller in his newly created position as assistant vice president for events and venues.

Mr. Peller previously served as managing director of the Marvin Center and University Conferences.  “Managing all of our on-campus venues in a single University division will make reserving space more accessible and efficient for students, staff and faculty,” said Ms. Voles. “This new organization will better serve the University community and allow us to maximize our outstanding resources.”

Specific details pertaining to new policies and information will be available on the University’s Web site.

Coming Up on News in Depth...

Dr. Roxanne Cox-Iyamu of the newly opened AIDS Healthcare Foundation Blair Underwood Healthcare Center on K Street will join WRGW's Jared Pliner and Jesse Regis this Sunday to talk about the District's HIV/AIDS epidemic, the clinic's anticipated impact on the community, prevention efforts and the pursuit of a successful vaccine. 

All that and much more...THIS SUNDAY, from 12 to 1 p.m., on GWRadio.