This Year's V-Day: Grassroots and Proud

Yesterday WRGW News interviewed GW senior Laura Westman about DC V-Day, happening this weekend and comprising not one but in fact three days of performance. V-Day is an international project dedicated to eradicating violence against women. 

For DC V-Day “The Vagina Monologues” will be performed Thursday at 8:00pm, Friday at 7:00pm and Saturday at 9:30pm. Also for the event, a new play will make its campus debut; “A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer,” is showing Friday at 7:00pm and Saturday at 9:30pm. All performances are taking place in the Jack Morton Auditorium. Tickets are $10 per show and $15 for a double feature on Friday and Saturday for students and interns, for others those prices are $15 and $20. 

At the beginning of the interview WRGW News thought that GWU’s Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance was staging V-Day as it has in the past. Laura quickly set the record straight; in fact, due to the graduating of many of its member the FMLA would have been unable to present the event this year and it is an informal group of students who are putting it on. This grassroots movement to keep V-Day a part of GW’s events this year was begun by Megan Foster, who graduated from GW recently, Raina Aronowitz, a current GW grad student. They enlisted their friends in the effort, including Laura Westman.  

The shows are being held not only to raise awareness but also to raise money for the national V-Day organization as well as the local group Sexual Minority Youth Action League (SMYAL). 

A Sunny Day Shines On A Rainy Night

Gails of wind and pouring rain could not stop devoted music fans from packing DC9 for shoegazers A Sunny Day in Glasgow Sunday night. The six piece band from Philadelphia (no, they're not from Scotland) sparkled as they performed songs from their critically
acclaimed 2009 effort "Ashes Grammar."

They played an incredible set, selecting some of the best tracks from the 63 minute album, opening with two of their most popular songs, "The White Witch" and "Failure," moving into "Nitetime Rainbows," also the title track of a seven song EP released earlier this month. The songs sounded even better live than on the album, due largely in part to talented new vocalists Jen Goma and Annie Fredrickson, who replaced former singers Lauren and Robin Daniels.

There was so much going on at any given point onstage it was almost overwhelming, whether it was guitarist Josh Meakim blazing out a solo, Goma and Fredrickson singing intricate harmonies or Ben Daniels playing a number of different instruments, including an electric mandolin on one number.

Fredrickson took time between songs to talk to the audience. "Since we're in DC, I just want to say it's awesome that healthcare passed," she said to a roar of applause. "Well, it could be better, but it's good."

The set wasn't without some surprises. Mixed in with the ethereal, dreamy songs of "Ashes Grammar" were two heavier compositions. Drummer Adam Herndon pounded his crash cymbals and kickdrum while Ryan Newmyer turned his steady bass strumming up in the mix, laying down a menacing rhythmic foundation for Daniels and Meakim to fill out with layers of distorted chords. All the while, Goma and Fredrickson maintained their sweet, melodic vocals with Meakim adding vocoder harmonies. The energy in the room instantly morphed from a euphoric daze to a rock frenzy that was nothing short of spectacular.

A Sunny Day in Glasgow mingled with the ecstatic crowd following the set and thanked fans profusely as they made their way back into the wet DC night craving more.

-Joseph Rabinowitz

President Obama Signs for College Affordability Reform

On Tuesday afternoon, President Obama signed college affordability provisions to his health-care bill, making higher education more affordable for Americans.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan thanked the President for his leadership and courage, as well as Congress for ‘doing the right thing,’ in a press conference after the law was signed. “Because of this legislation we can look a child in the eyes… and say that if they work hard, they can pursue their dreams,” said Duncan.

A news release from the White House Office of Media Affairs said the law will lower health care costs for American families and small businesses, raise the maximum Pell Grant (federal grant program), make loan payments more affordable, and increase investments in community colleges, at no additional cost to taxpayers.

When asked how college students will see a difference, Duncan responded that financial aid forms will be simplified, more programs and resources will be accessible, and there will be lower repayment costs for student loans. Starting in July 2014, students will be allowed to cap their repayments at 10% of their income and after 10 years of work in public service (school, government, nonprofit, etc) all student loan balances will be forgiven.

Coming up on News in Depth...

On this Sunday's "News in Depth," communications director Michael Garber of the GW College Democrats and communications director Rob Noel of the GW College Republicans face off on the week's top headlines: the passage of health care, the state of U.S.-Israeli relations, McCain and Palin back together again, and much more!

You don't want to miss this edition of "News in Depth," with WRGW's Jared Pliner and Jennifer Neuner...Sunday from 12 to 1 p.m., LIVE from Washington, D.C.

A Big Week For Don't Ask, Don't Tell

In just seven days, two major events caused Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the policy that prohibits homosexuals from serving openly in the military, to reappear under the national spotlight.

Last Thursday, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT rights organization, hosted a rally at Freedom Plaza to protest Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Headlining the event, which was attended by hundreds of gay rights supporters, was comedienne Kathy Griffin, an outspoken supporter of gay community.

Griffin, who stars in the Emmy-winning reality series, "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List," read a letter from a closeted homosexual currently serving in Afghanistan, whose name she could not reveal for fear of damaging his career.

“‘The policy continues to make us feel like illegitimate citizens despite our willingness to protect the very government – possibly with our lives – who legitimize this law. We feel it codifies bigotry,’” she read. “As long as this law remains on the books, there is not only the fear of being caught and losing everything, but the shame of living counter to what I know are the military’s core values of living an ethical and honest life.”

Lt. Dan Choi, who came out on "The Rachel Maddow Show" on MSNBC last year and is now facing discharge under Don't Ask, Don't Tell, made an unscheduled appearance at the rally, telling the crowd "I am still standing, I am still fighting, I am still speaking out, I am still serving my country, and I am still gay.”

Choi then led a group of protesters to the White House, where he and Capt. Jim Pietrangelo chained themselves to the fence, resulting in their arrest. They were held in custody overnight and released the next day, pleading "not guilty" to a charge of failuire to obey an officer.

Then this Thursday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates rolled out a series of rules meant to ease enforcement of Don't Ask, Don't Tell while the Pentagon completes its study of how to repeal the law in full. Some of these new rules include:

• The firing of a gay serviceperson must now be done by an officer at a rank at least equivalent to that of a one-star general.
• Information supplied by third parties must now be given under oath, and a third party's testimony should be scrapped if that person is seeking revenge.
• Information given in confidence to lawyers, clergy, psychotherapists, or medical professionals can no longer be used in dismissal cases.

Joe Solmonese, president of The Human Rights Campaign, praised the new rules as "a positive step towards repeal this year," but Choi said on "The Rachel Maddow Show" that "it misses the point entirely." President Barack Obama himself has yet to make a statement on the issue.

Great New Music At DC9

California quartet and recent Sub Pop signees Dum Dum Girls played a show with London lo-fi trio Male Bonding last night at DC9. Dum Dum girls combine classic 60s girl-group harmonies and songwriting with garage punk edge and surf rock guitar, fitting perfectly into the new wave of beach inspired, lo-fi rock music coming out of the indie scene. The group started as a solo recording project by lead singer and songwriter, Dee Dee, in Los Angeles. Later experimentation with different lineups led to the final group of three more female musicians.

The Girls played older material mixed with a few tracks off their new LP “I Will Be” due out March 30. Despite suffering from a bad sore throat, Dee Dee fought through the set, still managing to belt out a short-but -sweet show in her deep, gentle croon. The Girls sounded great, bringing the Phil Spector Wall of Sound-like harmonies of “I Will Be” to life in heels, striped leggings and short, black dresses.

Male Bonding took the stage next, rifling through a furious set of punk-inspired garage rock. “More bass in the space!” yelled one excited fan against the stage. Singer and bassist Kevin Hendrick cranked up his amplifier and yelled back, “More bass in your face London! I mean DC!” Male Bonding will release their debut LP, “Nothing Hurts,” May 11 on Sub Pop. You can also hear them on a newly released Paradise Vendors Inc 12” compilation of lo-fi bands in the UK garage rock scene.

DC9 is the perfect venue for smaller acts. The small upper floor puts fans right up close with the performers for an intimate concert experience. The sound is great and tickets are usually $15 or less, even as low as $7. The nightclub has frequent 18+ shows and features two bars for 21+ guests. It’s located at 1940 9th Street NW, just down the street from the 9:30 Club and only a few blocks from the U Street Metro stop.

For more information about DC9 visit www.dcnine.com

-Joseph Rabinowitz

Meghan McCain Redefines Republicanism with No Labels, No Boxes and No Stereotypes

Meghan McCain walked onto the Jack Morton Auditorium stage wearing a black studded blazer, stilettos that displayed a tattoo on her foot and neon painted nails. McCain began Thursday's speech by addressing that she is a controversial figure in modern-day politics. “I say provocative things because I believe them,” said McCain. “I want to start a dialogue, not a controversy.”

Michael Komo, president of GW's LGBT group Allied in Pride (and one of the evening's sponsors) introduced McCain, calling her "a powerful role model" for young people.

GW Young American’s Foundation was outside protesting the highly-anticipated speech. The organization’s blog described it as “a demonstration against efforts to redefine marriage as well as Meghan McCain’s flawed view of conservatism.” McCain commented on the GWYAF protest during her talk, “... you guys had cake and lemonade at your protest. That’s not bad ass,” joked McCain.

McCain calls herself a "progressive Republican." McCain, who was previously registered as an independent to rebel against her father, explained her view on the political party that she fell in love with during her father’s two-year campaign tour. She believes that the Republican Party needs to eradicate the stereotypes. “Unless we unite as one. We are going to continue losing elections,” said McCain.

The 25-year old columnist and blogger wanted to be the next Betsey Johnson when she graduated from high school, but after attending Columbia University and joining her father on the political circuit she has become very passionate and protective of the Republican Party and now dedicates her time to advocating gay marriage and redefining the Republican Party’s values. “I am not saying let’s abandon all the core values that Republicanism was founded on… but we need to evolve with the times and embrace others with open arms,” said McCain.

McCain also emphasized the importance of civility in politics, insisting that she and women in the political spotlight shouldn’t be criticized for their body, hair or make-up. Conservative radio host Laura Ingraham made negative comments about McCain’s weight during a political discussion. “Too fat to be a Republican, that makes me feel really good,” said McCain. ”I am too fat to be an elephant.”

After the program, Komo called McCain's rapport and quick wit "amazing." "Her energy was second to none," he said.

In her remarks, McCain also managed to touch on the recently passed health care reform law and other critical issues, stating that she is "scared shitless" of the new plan, that the media needs to start asking the tough questions, and that gay marriage isn’t a political issue but a civil rights issue.

“Move over GOP," she said. "Because I’m not going anywhere."

Meghan McCain’s latest book, "Dirty Sexy Politics: A True Story," will be released in August. You can follow her on Twitter and read her columns on The Daily Beast.

She Got Game?

Beginning Selection Sunday on March 14 until the NCAA men's basketball national championship on April 5 sports fans across the country are consumed by March Madness. Some GW students have clear allegiances to their hometown teams, while others love the unpredictability of the tournament. Groans can be heard by those who have had their brackets "busted" due to Georgetown University and Kansas University's unexpected early elimination. What many people tend to forget that as the men fight for the championship title, the women are doing the same. Their championship game happens just one day after the men's, on April 6.

The difference in popularity for the two tournaments is staggering. According to NCAA.com, in the 2008 men's chamionship final Memphis and Kansas was played in front of a sold out crowd of 43,257 this is almost double the 21,655 people who attended the 2008 Women's Final between Tennessee and Stanford. In 2009 the Men's Final was held in an even larger arena in Detroit, where 72,922 fans were in attendance. Although the Women's Final in 2009 between University of Connecticut and Louisville was contested in front of a sold out crowd, it was in a much smaller arena in St. Louis that only sits 20,551. While most of the men's games have been played in sold out crowds in large arenas, the women's NCAA tournament is still advertising ticket sales.

Although TV viewership between the men's and women's college basketball is incomparable, there has been an increase in viewership for women. In 2006 the women's championship recorded a record rating, with 1.32 million household. Last year's men's final had 17.6 million TV viewers, which was down from the year before. Some efforts have been made to increase attendance and viewership for the women's tournament: having the final games in one location and having the women's final after the men's so it can officially end March Madness. However, TV viewership for women's is expected to be lower because ESPN and ESPN2, which airs the women's games reaches a smaller audience than CBS, which airs the men's games.

We see this gap in popularity between men's and women's sports here at GW. The GW women's basketball team has performed better than the men's team, but receives much less support at games. Since the 2006-2007 season, the men's basketball team has made it to the Atlantic-10 tournament two times and once to the NCAA tournament in the 2006-2007 season. The women's team on the other hand has made it to the Atlantic-10 tournament each year since the 2006-2007 season. The women's team made it to the WNIT tournament last season and reached the NCAA tournament the two seasons before that. The women's team was able to reach the semifinals of the NCAA tournament in the 2007-2008. This past season was the first time the GW men's team outperformed the women's team in recent years.

Rebecca Dauer, a sophomore at GW, has always been surrounded by college basketball due to her close proximity to Kentucky University. While she has attended many Kentucky men's basketball games and GW men's basketball games, she has attended less than 5 women's basketball games and none were for GW's team. She believes her lack of interest in women's basketball is due to her upbringing, "older generations really do not associate many sports with women and therefore when my dad took me to a game it was men's because that was what he was used to." Dauer goes on to state that she does not believe the difference in physical abilities between men and women contribute to her lack of attendance of women's basketball games.

This Weekend on the Vern

You don't want to miss what's going on this weekend on GW's Mount Vernon campus.

As the last installment of this year's Vern Cup competition--a series of contests and events to distinguish the "best" residence hall on Mount Vernon--the Anything but Clothes Run will take place on Friday, March 26 from 4:30 to 6:30 pm.

For this challenge, the competing teams, divided by each house proctor, are tasked with making a creative set of clothing that is to be made out of any material except clothes. Then, the teams will walk or run on a set course on the campus. Points will be awarded to the first, second, and third place finishers of the course and to the team that has the most participants wearing "anything but clothes" or attending the event.

Prior to this contest, there were the Iron Chef competition, video game competition, and food-eating contest.

Then, on Saturday, March 27, Vern residents may attend the third annual Mount Vernon Semiformal from 8:30 pm to 1 am in Post Hall. The Semiformal attendees are encouraged to turn off their dorm lights during the world-wide Earth Hour from 8:30 to 9:30 pm while they dance and celebrate Earth Hour together. In the spirit of Earth Hour and the on-going efforts of RecycleMania and Green GW, green living will also be promoted at the event.

Points will also be awarded to the team with the most attendees at the Semiformal.

The team that collects the most points at the end of the weekend will win the Vern Cup, gaining a money prize and bragging rights.

Mount Vernon residents have much to look forward to this weekend. Those who live on Foggy Bottom and still have not made a visit to the Vern this semester may want to hop on the shuttle and check out one of the two or both events.

GW's Plans for Earth Hour and Earth Day Next Month

If you’re wondering what plans GW has for Earth Day which is right around the corner on April 22, get prepared to get involved because GW is playing its role to contribute to a greener earth.

With two green roof projects completed, the University currently writing its Climate Action Plan, and plans for Earth Hour and Earth Day, the GW Office of Sustainability is taking action.

In an email to WRGW News, the Office of Sustainability said the University’s Climate Action Plan will lay a path for the University to become carbon neutral. The office also stated they have been working with student groups on campus and have been arranging symposium events, tree plantings, outdoor fairs and movie screenings for Earth Day. But before next month, Earth Hour is this Saturday on March 27 from 8:30p.m. to 9:30p.m., when millions of people around the world turn off their lights for one hour to call for action on climate change.

The Office of Sustainability is encouraging students on campus to participate in the hour. The Green Living Committee and RACs in residence halls have been planning events for students such as roof raves and glow in the dark parties. There will also be a contest to see which hall has the most percent of lights off and a prize will go to a large and small hall.

Student organizations such as Green GW are also contributing to making a change before Earth Day. Partnering with other area universities, including American University, George Mason University and the University of the District of Columbia, Green GW will be lobbying on Capitol Hill to promote climate action this week March 22-26. Students will be separated in groups based on their home state and meet with Congressional offices to express student support.

To get more involved with greening GW, students can serve on the Green Living Committee, Campaign GW and take sustainability courses ranging from civil and environmental engineering to courses in economics. The School of Media and Public Affairs also offers a Planet Forward class in which students use multimedia to report on living sustainably, reducing carbon footprints and the topic of climate change. Students can upload videos on planetforward.com with or without being enrolled in the class.

For more information and a list of the events taking place during Earth Hour, visit www.sustainability.gwu.edu/earthhour.