Classroom 102

Students who are not a part of the Art Department may not have heard of Classroom 102, but they have surely passed it while on the way to class.

Classroom 102 is the name of the student and faculty-run art gallery located on the first floor of Smith Hall. Every week the committee that runs the gallery sets up a new installation.

The committee, headed up by undergrads Eliana Reyes and Rachel Schechtman and graduate student Katherine Sifers, already has the installations for the rest of the semester planned out, including an upcoming faculty-run show that is currently accepting submissions.

If students are interested in having some of their own work featured in one of the shows, this will be a good opportunity. The theme is Systems, Architectures, Ecologies, and the pieces accepted will fall into one or more of those categories. While these categories are very vague, this is presumably to allow students as much room to be as creative as possible.

Professors Rigg and Bjelajac will be choosing the work for the show from all submissions dropped off February 25 and 26th in the Art Office, located in Smith room A101. All types of media will be accepted, and any student is welcome to submit a piece.

Those who are not artists themselves should stop by Classroom 102 to check out the art their fellow students are making.

Broadcasting Legends Talk Murrow and More With SMPA Students

Former CBS News Chief Diplomatic Correspondent Marvin Kalb and director Robert Vitarelli attended an evening devoted to legendary broadcaster Edward R. Murrow hosted by SMPA professors Mike Freedman and Kerric Harvey in the Jack Morton Auditorium last night. The evening started with a presentation of George Clooney’s “Good Night and Good Luck” and concluded with a discussion with Kalb and Vitarelli on everything from working with Murrow to the future of journalism.

Kalb and Vitarelli discussed the realistic recreation of the 1950s newsroom in Clooney’s Academy Award-nominated film, especially the environment of fear and suspicion at CBS News during McCarthy era America.

The only major inconsistency between film and reality that the distinguished speakers highlighted was the downplay of Clooney’s Fred Friendly character. While their memories of Friendly are of a larger-than-life personality, Kalb and Vitarelli claimed Clooney made a reasonable choice in his more modest acting approach so as to not distract from the Murrow character.

As the last correspondent personally hired by Murrow, Kalb has quite a unique perspective on the renowned newsman. Kalb advised the aspiring journalists in the crowd to use Murrow as an example of reporting at its finest. “There will never be another Murrow,” said Kalb. “Don’t try to be him.”

Kalb lamented the emphasis on speed over quality in the modern news environment, suggesting the journalism students in the audience take their time and craft well written stories rather than turn in hurried or inaccurate copy.

Kalb and Vitarelli ended on an optimistic note, encouraging the students to value producing a good program over simply getting air time. Kalb concluded that the most important lesson from Murrow and “Good Night and Good Luck” is to fight for a story worth telling.

Doing Their Best to Rock Out - Tegan and Sara at the Warner Theater

The Warner Theater provided an extravagant setting for an equally unrestrained concert put on by the female duo Tegan and Sara Wednesday night. The artists, twins, are perhaps best known among the general public for choice songs on hit shows such as Grey’s Anatomy. But to hear the crowd at the Warner last night, you would think them to be rock stars in the vain of the Beatles on Ed Sullivan.

The show began at a low simmer with two opening acts – Steel Train, an all-male quintet from New Jersey with a British rock/Kings of Leon feel; and Holly Miranda, who both sounded like Juno started a band and looked like her, too. With this hour-long wait, the crowd was stirring with pent-up energy that released itself with an excited roar when Tegan and Sara stepped on stage.

They began with a relatively low-key new release, “The Ocean.” This opener and the next few songs didn’t get the crowd from their seats, as the songs were all from their new album Sainthood and were simply less well known. But at Sara’s invitation the crowd stood, and exploded into shouts and applause with the first chords of the classic “Where Does the Good Go.” The band played a good mix of old and new pieces throughout the rest of the set (having warned the audience that this would occur at the beginning of the show). Their characteristic banter kept the audience laughing and cheering all night.

At one point, a man interrupted Sara with the request, “Rock out Sara!”

“Doing my best,” she replied, “Doing my best to rock out.”

The energy the rest of the concert was so high that Tegan and Sara joked PCP and ecstasy were handed out at the door to all of the ticket holders.

“We’ll be talking about this concert for a long time,” Tegan commented.

A highlight for this reviewer was an acoustic version of club favorite “Feel It in My Bones,” a collaboration with hip-hop artist Tiesto. They commented that the real version would probably be heard at a rave, but the combination of their voices and a lone guitar made the acoustic particularly stirring, and quite typical of Tegan and Sara. The duo is known for their adversarial song style, voices competing against each other both in volume and in offsetting harmony. This was amplified last night by the simple fact of rock concert volume, but even more so by their enthusiasm for the music and their overwhelming appreciation for the loving audience. The experience of Tegan and Sara live is of far greater worth than any ticket price.

SMPA Hosts Media Scholars Robert McChesney and John Nichols

Media Scholars Robert McChesney and John Nichols spoke at the Marvin Center this morning about their newly released book, “The Death and Life of American Journalism,” a treatise on the political and historical implications of the decline of traditional news sources.

“The way to understand this debate is to eliminate certain words,” John Nichols began. “Because this is not a debate about journalism, newspapers and media. This is a discussion about democracy.”

In the newly released book, McChesney and Nichols argue that it is the first duty of a democratic state to make sure that a free press actually exists. Rejecting the argument that the internet and new media will provide an alternative to traditional news sources, the authors say the government should subsidize journalism.

"There are two great traditions of the freedom of the press in the United States, but most Americans only know one of them,” McChesney said, referring to the 1st Amendment guarantee of freedom of the press. “The right to a free press is a hollow right – It’s like my right to play in the NBA.”

John Nichols cited a recent PEW study that found that 96% of news today is still produced by traditional sources—newspapers, radio and TV—while only 4% is produced by new media. When over the last two years, 30,000 newspaper employees in the United States have lost their job, it is unclear what will replace the traditional sources.

“This is not a crisis that is unsolvable, but we’re limited by the blindfolds we have on ourselves,” McChesney continued. “We think the only credible solution to the crisis before us is significant public funds for independent journalism.”

Proposals in the book include federal government subsidies as well as a $200 voucher for every American that can be spent on any journalistic enterprise.

“The debate is more important than any particular proposal,” Nichols added. “The American public may well come up with better ideas that we did.”

"Young people are not stupid," McChesney added. "If they were stupid they would be reading those papers."

John Nichols writes about politics for The Nation magazine as its Washington correspondent, and has experience in newspaper, magazine and blog writing. He has reported from 25 countries and interviewed every president since Jimmy Carter. Nichols was joined by Dr. McChesney, host of NPR’s “Media Matters,” professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and author of 16 books translated into 21 languages.

This event was the first in a series this spring about “Transforming Journalism,” hosted by the School of Media and Public Affairs’ Frank Sesno.

BREAKING: List of Student Association Candidates

From the JEC website:

SA President
Jason Lifton
Xochitl Sanchez

SA Executive Vice-President
Jon Binetti
Logan Dobson
Josh Goldstein
Robert Maxim

SA Senator, Undergraduate At Large
Christopher Clark
Ahmad Mustafa
Chas Pressner
Charlie Rybak

SA Senator, Graduate At Large (NO ELECTION)
Nika Pari Novrmohammadi
Matthew Sauvage

SA Senator, CCAS Undergraduate
Ted Costigan
Sloan Dickey
Russell Dinolfo
Broc Exposito
Mitchell Ford
Jon Fenech
Amanda Galonek
Bum Hee Lee
Sam Hoffman
Evan Honor
Jason Kaplan
Madiha Malik
Alexander J. Mizenko
Carolina O’Donnell
Dylan F. Pyne
Brett Rudman
JC Stiassni
Taylor Strosnider
Jacob E. Thayer
Kim Wollner

SA Senator, CCAS Graduate (TWO WRITE-IN SPOTS)
Shwetha Shekar

SA Senator, CPS (NO ELECTION)
Jim Green

SA Senator, ESIA Undergraduate
Douglas Arbetter
John Bennett
Joseph Bishop
Seth Bishop
Andrew Jackson Detsch V
Mateo Forero
Travis Holler
Min Kyu Kim
Geoffrey Louden
Galen Petruso
Bryan Pratt
Benjamin Weinberg
Christopher Wirth

SA Senator, ESIA Graduate (NO ELECTION)
Sean P. Wilson

SA Senator, Law
Farisa Dastvar
Abdullah Masud
Katie Thompson

SA Senator, GSEHD (ONE WRITE-IN SPOT)
Kayla Wright

Come to the 1st Annual WRGW News - SA Debate!

THIS FRIDAY, February 19th from 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. in the Marvin Center Amphitheater (3rd floor). Doors open at 6:45 p.m.

The evening will be moderated by WRGW News Director Jared Pliner and Assistant News Directors Dan Keylin and Alex Laska.

Submit candidate questions via the e-form located on this page!

You can also listen to the debate LIVE via www.gwradio.com/listenlive!

USA Trails Germany by 1 in Medal Count

The United States is currently second in the medal standings with 8 medals. Germany is leading by 1, with 9 medals. USA has earned bronze medals in men's downhill, men's moguls, women's moguls, and the men's 1500m short track speed skating event. American speed skater, Apollo Ohno was able to win a silver medal in the 1500m short track after two South Koreans collided and were unable to cross the finish line. The United States has also won a silver medal in the individual normal hill event. Thus far two Americans have won gold medals: Hannah Kearney in women's moguls and Seth Wescott in men's snowboard cross.

Today, American Lindsey Vonn will attempt to be the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic gold medal in downhill skiing. She is the two-time defending World Cup champ and double world champ. Vonn has had much attention lately due to her recent shin injury. American snowboarder Shaun White will try to defend his Olympic gold medal tonight in the men's halfpipe event. White is the favorite to win. Both events will be broadcasted on NBC.

Be sure to watch George Washington alumna, Elana Meyers, go for the gold in the women's bobsledding event on February 23-24. She is one of the 6-member bobsled team.

Photo from nbcsports.msnbc.com

WRGW News to Host, Moderate 2010 SA Debate

A message from WRGW News Director Jared Pliner:

To the GW community and our devoted listenership,

Today, it is my distinct privilege to announce that WRGW News - a division of WRGW/GWRadio - will host and moderate the 2010 WRGW News - Student Association Debate for the very first time in the station's 81-year history.

The debate is scheduled for this Friday, February 19, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in the Marvin Center Amphitheater.
Starting today, WRGW News will be soliciting questions from various student organizations and the community-at-large. Shortly, you will be able to submit materials via our website at wrgwnews.com. Or, as always, feel free to email me at wrgwnewsdirector@gmail.com.

We are excited for this wonderful opportunity to serve and inform the GW community this election season, and it is my hope that this will become an annual tradition for many years to come.


Sincerely,

Jared Pliner
WRGW News Director

Submit Your Questions for the WRGW News-SA Debate!

More SA Rumors - Senate At-Large, CCAS Candidates

A few more SA election rumors to mention (just before candidate registration closes tomorrow).  

Former Socially Responsible Initiatives (SRI) Chairwoman Kim Wollner is running for one of the six CCAS Senate seats, unofficially announcing Sunday on News In Depth.  

Current CCAS Senator Dylan F. Pyne also announced Sunday he will be running for re-election and not for SA president or EVP as was often rumored.  

Reliable sources have also told WRGW News that Anthony Marenna, currently a CCAS senator will also be running for re-election.

Other reliable sources have told us that Chas Pressner, the former VP of Financial Affairs under Vishal Aswani, and Charlie Rybak, a member of PIKE will be running for the Senate At-Large undergraduate seats.

These 'rumors' will either be confirmed or debunked sometime soon after 5 p.m. on Wednesday.