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Wednesday, May 16, 2012 10:50 p.m.

University celebrates groundbreaking for new public health building

by Matthew Kwiecinski

University President Steven Knapp, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration Margaret Hamburg and Mayor Vincent Gray hold shovels to mark the groundbreaking for the new School of Public Health and Health Services building at an event Wednesday in University Yard. Ashley Lucas | Contributing Photo Editor

Government officials, administrators, faculty and students gathered at a ceremony Wednesday in University Yard, marking the groundbreaking for the new School of Public Health and Health Services building.

University President Steven Knapp said the $75 million building at 24th Street and New Hampshire Avenue, SPHHS’s first standalone home, would be a “spectacular addition” to the Washington Circle area.

“It is the fastest growing research arm of the University,” Knapp said. “I think it is inherently a disciplinary school because it touches on so many areas that the University has strengths in, in law, in policy, in medical sciences, health sciences, in mathematics and statistics, and everything comes together in a field of public health.”

Projected for completion in spring 2014, the structure will centralize the school’s seven departments under one roof for the first time, Dean Lynn Goldman said.

Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration Margaret Hamburg praised Goldman for her leadership on the project, saying she is the “right person in the right place at the right time.”

“Public health must be our enterprise and I know that it is the vision of dean Goldman and everyone at the University,” Hamburg said. “Public health matters to each and every one of us, to the communities that we live in, and to the well being of our globe.”

The University held a symbolic demolition March 2 at the Warwick Memorial Building – which previously housed the GW Hospital’s radiation oncology unit ­– a week before construction began to make way for the new structure.

Mayor Vincent Gray said at Wednesday’s ceremony that the school would provide an “enormous contribution” to the University and the District.

“We expect public health to increasingly dominate the landscape in this nation,” Gray said.

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Tuesday, May 15, 2012 5:55 p.m.

GW Museum receives approval from zoning commission

by Matthew Kwiecinski

A digital rendering of the four-story GW Museum that will be located at 21st and G streets. Courtesy of the GW Office of Community Relations

Correction appended

The University received a green light Monday to go forward with plans to build the GW Museum.

The D.C. Zoning Commission voted unanimously to support construction of the GW Museum in a 5-0 vote, Jennifer Jenkins, public information officer for the commission, said.

Construction on the $22 million project transforming the Woodhull House into a home for the Textile Museum and D.C. artifacts will begin this summer, following the University Police Department’s move to the Academic Center.

Alicia Knight, senior associate vice president for operations, said the University was “pleased” with the vote in favor of the museum.

“With the positive input received from DC agencies and GW’s neighbors, this process was inclusive and collaborative and will provide a terrific resource for the GW community, the Foggy Bottom and West End neighborhoods and DC as a whole to study and appreciate the art, history and culture the GW Museum will offer,” Knight said in an email.

The project must still earn the go-ahead from the National Capital Planning Commission. GW first made its case for the museum to the zoning commission on April 5, but the body held off on a decision citing traffic concerns surrounding the site.

The new building – constructed out of limestone similar to Lisner Auditorium and the Hall of Government – will offer a main entrance on 21st Street and a second entry on G Street. It will also feature a gift shop.

This post was updated May 16, 2012 to reflect the following:

The Hatchet incorrectly reported that the GW Museum will be constructed out of a limestone similar to that of Lisner Hall. In fact, the limestone will be similar to the material used for Lisner Auditorium.

 

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Monday, May 14, 2012 11:03 p.m.

SA president runner-up to take on cabinet role

by The GW Hatchet

Former Student Association senator John Bennett was picked to be the finance representative in SA President Ashwin Narla's cabinet, pending fall approval by the Senate. Hatchet File Photo

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Kaya Yurieff

John Bennett, who came in second in this year’s Student Association presidential election, was tapped by his former contender for a cabinet spot Sunday, after being passed over in the first round of appointments.

Bennett, the former chair of the SA Finance Committee, will take on the role of vice president for financial affairs after the SA Senate voted down Narla’s first nominee and roommate, junior Alex Akel, on April 23.

“[Bennett] was more qualified than every candidate. He has the credentials and the experience,” Narla said about his pick.

Bennett said he sees Narla as “the captain of a team on which I have an important role to play.”

“I think I have the kind of expertise and skill set that can help him manage his team and accomplish his objectives in the best way possible,” he said.

Bennett will get official approval to take on the post at the SA Senate’s first meeting this fall.

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Monday, May 14, 2012 8:39 p.m.

Class of 2011 graduate to front Obama campaign’s religious outreach

by Cory Weinberg
President Barack Obama 2010

President Barack Obama speaks at GW last year in the Marvin Center where he encouraged young voters to mobilize before the midterm elections. File photo

A 23-year-old alumnus who walked the graduation stage last year will lead religious outreach for President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign starting next week.

Michael Wear, who earned his bachelor’s degree in political science last year, was named Faith Vote director and will join the Obama campaign in Chicago, Religion News Service reported Monday.

An assistant in the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, he started out as an intern for Obama’s 2008 election efforts.

In his new role, the Buffalo, N.Y. native will try to rally religious voters to support a president who riled many with his announcement last week in support of gay marriage. The New York Times reported Monday that some of the religious leaders that Obama calls on for guidance may not support the president because of his pro-gay marriage stance.

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Sunday, May 13, 2012 7:53 p.m.

Newman Center priest sparks outcry with anti-gay marriage blog

by Chloe Sorvino

Father Greg Shaffer leads worshippers in prayer in the Marvin Center's Grand Ballroom. Shaffer posted a blog Friday about his anti-gay marriage stance that has come under attack by student leaders. Hatchet File Photo

The GW Catholics priest has come under fire for a blog post blasting same-sex marriage, drawing harsh criticism from student LGBT leaders.

Father Greg Shaffer, chaplain of the on-campus Newman Center, wrote a post on his blog Friday lambasting President Barack Obama’s May 9 announcement supporting gay marriage.

“Every single rational person knows that sexual relationships between persons of the same sex are unnatural and immoral. They know it in their hearts,” Shaffer wrote. “And, yet, they go against what their hearts tell them when they try to argue for same-sex relationships and ‘gay marriage.’”

“Neither [President Obama] nor anyone else has the authority to redefine marriage. God is the author of marriage; He has the sole authority to define marriage. No human being can redefine marriage, especially a politician in an election year,” Shaffer wrote.

Blake Bergen, former president of Allied in Pride, jumpstarted a conversation on Facebook by sharing the link to Shaffer’s blog post and soliciting comments from students.

Bergen said in an email that he was disgusted by the “flagrant homophobia in which Mr. Shaffer’s rhetoric has been steeped and saturated.”

“Mr. Shaffer’s blog post has direct psychological implications on students here at GW. To be told that something they know to be perfectly acceptable is ‘unnatural and immoral,’ takes a toll,” Bergen said.

Shaffer denied accusations of creating a homophobic environment at the Newman Center, adding he has given members of the LGBT community “nothing but respect and kindness.”

“I understand that my defense of the Church’s teaching on marriage causes some in our community to infer a personal attack,” Shaffer said in an email. “I don’t apologize for the Church’s teachings, but if my presentation of the teachings caused anyone to be personally hurt, I am truly sorry.”

President of Allied in Pride Nick Gumas called on Shaffer, who he described as a public figure on campus, to resign immediately.

“The University promotes an inclusive environment but the comments he made do not follow along with this. The post he made divides society,” Gumas said.

University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard declined to comment on the University’s reaction to Shaffer’s blog post.

“He is not an employee of the University. The Archdiocese of Washington assigned him to the Newman Center, which is run independently from the University,” Sherrard added.

Bergen said Shaffer’s positive work at the Newman Center that “has been overshadowed by what feels like a disregard for my humanity, and the humanity of those in my community.”

Another LGBT student leader, Damian Legacy, said he was also offended by the blog post. Earlier this year, Legacy co-founded a Catholic student organization welcoming LGBT students after he said he felt shunned by the Newman Center.

“We are here for anyone who may have been ostracized or otherwise hurt by Mr. Shaffer’s comments or the general homophobic and anti-gay atmosphere of the Newman Center,” Legacy said.

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Friday, May 11, 2012 1:27 p.m.

Columbian College dean to resign, move to faculty

by Sarah Ferris

Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Dean Peg Barratt speaks at the groundbreaking of the Science and Engineering Hall. Barratt announced Friday that she will resign from her post next summer and assume a faculty position in the department of psychology. Hatchet File Photo

Updated: May 11, 2012, 5 p.m.

The dean of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences announced Friday that she will step down from her post starting next summer to assume a faculty position.

Peg Barratt, who received harsh feedback from faculty last month in a staff evaluation, will begin teaching in the department of psychology starting June 30, 2013, according to a memo obtained by The Hatchet sent to Columbian College department heads.

A nationwide search for her successor will begin in fall 2012, according to the memo. Barratt said she looks forward to taking a sabbatical and returning to teaching.

“After five years as dean of this great college, it was time to step down and prepare the way for my successor,” Barratt said. ” I’m pleased by what has been accomplished during my tenure in the way of curricular reform, student and faculty scholarship and support, community partnership, alumni engagement, and donor philanthropy .”

More than two-thirds of the school’s 465 full-time professors showed dissatisfaction with Barratt’s vision for the school and ability to understand discipline-specific issues in their survey responses last month.

Discontent with her leadership was critical – and widespread. Senior faculty were more likely to say she is unable to articulate a clear vision for the college and a majority who took the survey said she does not anticipate problems or seek input before establishing policies.

“Teamwork was not characterized as one of the dean’s stronger attributes,” the evaluation summary said, pointing to failure to work with faculty to develop plans, policies and an “atmosphere of trust.”

In a comments section of the evaluation, faculty zoned in on three areas of discontent: Barratt’s proposal last year to move the philosophy department to the Mount Vernon Campus, the Science and Engineering Hall and the 2010 revisions of the general education requirements, according to results from the survey obtained by The Hatchet.

“Peg Barratt has worked with great skill and dedication to build her school’s capacities, engage its alumni, develop its partnerships, and recruit ever stronger faculty and students,” University President Steven Knapp said in a release. “She has been a tireless and eloquent advocate for the school that is not only our largest and most complex school but bears the university’s original name: Columbian College.”

Barratt, an alumna, was hired away from her role as the deputy director of clinical research policy analysis and coordination at the National Institutes of Health in 2007 – the last year of former University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg’s tenure.

Next year, she will continue to work on plans for the Science and Engineering Hall and the George Washington University Museum in addition to strengthening ties with city art institutes, including the Duke Ellington High School of the Arts, the Phillips Collection and the Textile Museum, according to the memo.

This post was clarified on May 11, 2012 to reflect the following:

In a previous version of this article, The Hatchet reported that Peg Barratt would resign next spring on June 30, 2013. Barratt will resign in the summer on June 30, 2013.

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Wednesday, May 9, 2012 11:42 p.m.

Holder, Lauper stand up for troubled teens

by The GW Hatchet

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Joy Finneran.

The U.S. attorney general and a Grammy Award-winning singer spoke up for youths battling mental trauma Wednesday at Lisner Auditorium during a tribute sponsored by a branch of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Eric Holder, who heads the U.S. Department of Justice, called on individuals to mentor at-risk teenagers during the event called “Heroes of Hope,” held as a celebration for National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius honored vocalist Cyndi Lauper for her foundation that helps lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth who are homeless.

“As the attorney general and the father of three teenage kids, protecting the safety and the potential of our nation’s young people is a personal and professional priority of mine,” Holder said. “It demands innovative, aggressive and collaborative solutions.”

Lauper, honorary chair of the event, spoke in support of adolescents struggling with their sexuality, or who face bullying from friends and family because there are gay.

Her organization, the True Colors Fund, works to engage communities to advance LGBT equality and to reach out to LGBT adolescents in need. Lauper received the honor from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an arm of the department of health.

“No kid should be lost, because they’re our future. I’ve come here to shine a light on that and on my organization The True Colors Fund,” Lauper said.

The tribute also featured tales from youths who have found help from friends and family members acting as mentors.

Aneja Raiteri, a teenager from Tennessee who has faced challenges such as homelessness, family issues and illness, was one of five youth performers.  She stressed the importance of support for adolescents struggling with mental health issues, and their need for people around them to lend a hand.

“At one point I lived in an abandoned house with no water, no electricity, no heat. I cried a lot,” Raiteri said, adding that a mentor helped her find hope.

Jeremiah Welch, a student at University of Tennessee-Knoxville, spoke about his difficulties coming out as gay when he was in high school.

“I would get spit at, or people would throw things at me,” Welch said. “I just couldn’t take all of the torture.”

His high school teachers, he said, made the difference.

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Tuesday, May 8, 2012 9:46 p.m.

Administrators show strategic planning progress at town hall

by Cory Weinberg

Provost Steve Lerman discussed the vision, approach and major themes used by the University to develop its strategic plan at a town hall Tuesday in the Marvin Center. Ashley Lucas | Contributing Photo Editor

Ideas like creating a GW think tank and merging the University’s schools into one undergraduate college are getting serious attention from the groups laying out this fall’s strategic plan, administrators said at a town hall Tuesday.

More than 200 people – few of them students – attended the event in the Marvin Center, as Provost Steven Lerman and the leaders of the strategic plan’s four working groups presented plans to prepare GW for transformations in the world and in higher education.

The groups have met up more than 30 times since March to discuss the plan’s four themes of globalization, policy and governance, innovation through interdisciplinary collaboration, and citizenship. Each includes about 15 faculty and staff members and two students.

The group focusing on interdisciplinary work has jumped at the idea to create one undergraduate college for students, following the models of Harvard University and the University of Chicago. Uniting undergraduate programs under one college would help students tackle more fields of study instead of staying in one discipline, said the group’s leader, Brian Richmond.

“We need to change the way we think about education,” Richmond, who is also chair of the anthropology department, said. “This would remove barriers that do exist.”

The University could also look toward restructuring undergraduate curriculum to focus on issues like poverty and obesity, or creating more specific minors in subjects like sustainability.

The strategic plan, a signature piece of University President Steven Knapp’s agenda, will look to define GW’s next 10 years. Lerman said the working groups hope to prepare the strategic plan for October’s Faculty Assembly and Board of Trustees meeting.

Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Planning Forrest Maltzman, who presented plans for the group on policy and governance, said a GW think tank could help expand the University’s research footprint.

He said hiring more tenure-track faculty in policy areas like race relations and sustainability would help strengthen ties between students and policy makers. These relationships would lead to better internships for students, which he said “are not always very meaningful opportunities” because they require mail sorting instead of practical experiences.

“When we turn on the news, we see GW professors and commenting on it but we don’t necessarily see us as the people making it. We want to be seen as the ones making it,” Maltzman said.

GW School of Business Dean Doug Guthrie pitched the University’s international plans, which include broad goals like building “deep relationships” in China, India, Brazil and sub-Saharan Africa.

He said the group discussed doubling the number of international students at GW and continued talks about creating an undergraduate degree program that could span three continents, which Guthrie and Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Dean Peg Barratt will try to launch by fall 2013.

Terri Reed, vice provost for diversity and inclusion, also discussed her groups’ efforts to spearhead changes to how the University develops “model citizens.”

She said creating a first-year undergraduate course on leadership and generating opportunities for a gap semester or year for students to participate in service projects were all on the table for the strategic plan.

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Tuesday, May 8, 2012 7:13 p.m.

Latino leaders urge GW to sever ties with Mexican billionaire

by Kierran Petersen

Andres Ramirez, a leader of Two Countries One Voice, speaks out Tuesday against the University's affiliation with Carlos Slim, who is scheduled to attend graduation on May 20 and receive and honorary degree. Samuel Klein | Hatchet Staff Photographer

A coalition of Latino organizers and leaders is giving the University two days to dissociate from the world’s richest man, Carlos Slim, who is slated to receive an honorary degree at Commencement later this month.

The American organization, Two Countries One Voice, sent a letter to University President Steven Knapp on Tuesday demanding that he sever ties with Slim because GW “should not continue to honor a man that has amassed his fortune on the backs of the People of Mexico and Latin America.”

The organization claims Slim’s two companies, based out of Mexico City, are exploiting customers by overcharging for poor quality phone and Internet service, disproportionately affecting people in rural communities.

“For an institution as prominent as George Washington University to be bestowing an honor on such a corrupt man gives the wrong impression to others that this guy is okay,” Andres Ramirez, one of the leaders of Two Countries One Voice, said at a press conference Tuesday.

Slim, the world’s wealthiest man, controls 80 percent of the Mexican telecommunications market according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The business magnate received the GW President’s Medal in 2009 for his work in business and community development in Mexico and Latin America. The Board of Trustees approved Slim’s honorary degree in October, which he will receive at the University-wide Commencement ceremony this spring.

Sam Nelson, a member of the Progressive Student Union, is one of several students petitioning for Knapp to revoke his invitation to Slim.

“I do not want to know that the degree that I am working so hard to get is associated with the degree of a man who has caused so much harm in Mexico and Latin America,” Nelson, who could not attend the press conference, said in a statement.

If the University does not disinvite Slim within the 48-hour window, the coalition plans to hold more events on campus to promote awareness, Ramirez said.

In response to the letter, Candace Smith, executive director of media relations, said in an e-mail, “The university is looking forward Mr. Slim’s participation in commencement.”

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Tuesday, May 8, 2012 11:29 a.m.

Housekeeping employee, gang member arrested in Prince George’s County

by Matthew Kwiecinski

Prince George’s County Police officers arrested a GW housekeeping employee Friday for possession of ammunition and more than 23 pounds of marijuana, citing him as a “known gang member.”

Leon Flythe, 28, was arrested for felony possession with intent to distribute large amounts of marijuana at his apartment in the 3500 block of Parkway Terrace Drive, according to the Prince George’s County Police Department information website. Officers also found $4,000 in cash.

“Mr. Flythe has been placed on an unpaid leave pending the disposition of his recent arrest,” University spokeswoman Candace Smith said. She did not return a request for comment on which campus buildings Flythe had access to or the background check process for housekeeping employees.

His Maryland court record showed eight offenses prior to Friday’s bust, including three criminal cases and one domestic violence case, according to the state’s judiciary website.

University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard declined to comment on how long Flythe has been employed by the University.

The Prince George’s County Department of Corrections held Flythe on a $60,000 bond until his Saturday release, a receptionist for the county’s third police district, which oversees Flythe’s Suitland, Md. apartment, said. She declined to provide her name or comment on what gang Flythe is associated with.

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