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Thursday, March 1, 2012 12:00 p.m.

Brian Williams selected as Commencement speaker

by Lauren French

Brian Williams, who hails from New Jersey like many of his Colonial cohorts, will headline the University Commencement Ceremony in May. Photo by David Shankbone and used under Creative Commons.

The University will announce Thursday that a longtime NBC anchor and one of the world’s most-watched journalists will headline the University Commencement Ceremony May 20.

Brian Williams, the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the University, more than 30 years after he originally left college degree-less to work for President Jimmy Carter.

His coverage of Hurricane Katrina and the storm’s aftermath earned his high-praise, including an accolade from Vanity Fair which called him ” Murrow-worthy,” after the legendary broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow.

“We are thrilled to welcome Brian Williams back to George Washington. As an accomplished journalist, a student of history and participant in global activities, Brian Williams is an inspiration to our students,” Vice President of External Relations Lorraine Voles said. “Commencement at GW is like no other in the country and we look forward to a memorable event for all involved.”

The former White House correspondent said that leaving college – he briefly attended Brookdale Community College, Catholic University and GW – was one of his “great regrets.”

During his 31-year career, Williams has earned 11 Edward R. Murrow Awards, 12 Emmy Awards, the duPont-Columbia University Award, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism and the George Foster Peabody Award.

In 2010, Williams spoke at the University of Notre Dame’s Commencement where he called on the graduating class to step up and solve national crises like poverty, obesity and education.

Williams marks a break from a recent tradition of tapping politicians to speak to the estimated 20,000 graduates and families at Commencement. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg sent off the graduating class of 2011 with jokes last year, first lady Michelle Obama headlined the event in 2010 and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel asked for students to put “all-hands-on-deck” for America in his 2009 speech.

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Wednesday, June 15, 2011 1:54 p.m.

Catholic University to mandate single-sex housing

by Priya Anand

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Ariel Feldman.

The Catholic University of America will begin phasing in a single-sex housing system this fall.

CUA President John Garvey penned an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal Monday, saying freshmen will first be assigned to single-sex residence halls.

The change at Catholic will come in stages, beginning with first-year students before affecting sophomores and eventually juniors and seniors, Garvey said. The decision aims to curb “binge drinking and hooking up,” which Garvey described as “the two most serious ethical challenges college students face.”

“Students who engage in binge drinking (about two in five) are 25 times more likely to do things like miss class, fall behind in school work, engage in unplanned sexual activity, and get in trouble with the law,” Garvey wrote. “They also cause trouble for other students, who are subjected to physical and sexual assault, suffer property damage and interrupted sleep, and end up babysitting problem drinkers.”

The neighboring university’s decision comes on the heels of GW’s move to introduce a gender-neutral option in almost every residence hall, with about 150-students slated to live in mixed-sex housing. GW’s decision to allow mixed-sex dorming came after Allied in Pride and the Student Association championed the issue last year. Students must opt into the system by both checking off a preference to live in gender-neutral housing and mutually requesting specific roommates.

Rising CUA junior Bruce Hoefer said he agrees with his university’s shift toward single-sex housing and supports Garvey’s decision.

“I think most of the students will want to go to CUA for the Catholic aspect and I think that it’s to return to [a sense of] morality and a structure, and that goes hand in hand with intellectual formation,” Hoefer said.“I’m glad that he’s doing it.”

Garvey also wrote that though the transformation to single-sex housing will place limits on CUA’s admissions decisions – constraining the school to admit similar gender ratios year-to-year – “our students will be better off.”

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Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010 7:21 p.m.

Metro construction creates significant travel delays

by The GW Hatchet

A Metro employee directs travelers to shuttle buses Saturday evening outside of the Foggy Bottom Station. Construction on the Blue and Orange lines halted Metrorail travel between Foggy Bottom and Federal Triangle over Columbus Day Weekend, causing the need for shuttle buses to take the place of Metro trains. Francis Rivera | Hatchet Staff Photographer

This post was written by Hatchet Staff Writers Justin Kits and Emily Cahn

Construction on the Blue and Orange lines this weekend turned the area outside the Foggy Bottom Metro to a de facto bus stop, as Metrobuses were serving as shuttles between the Foggy Bottom and Federal Triangle Metro stops.

The rail work shut down Blue and Orange line service at the Farragut West, McPherson Square and Metro Center stations from 10 p.m. Friday night until the morning of Oct. 12, causing significant travel delays for Metrorail travelers.

Some riders said the delays were frustrating as they boarded the Metro shuttle buses that lined 23rd Street outside of GW Hospital.

“I’m thinking its going to make me late for the game, so I’m kind of pissed,” said Cliff Emerson of Manassas, Va. who was traveling into D.C. to attend the Capitals game at the Verizon Center.

Commuters could take Metrorail from Foggy Bottom into Virginia, but travel was halted between Foggy Bottom and Federal Triangle from Friday evening until the morning of Oct. 12. Francis Rivera | Hatchet Staff Photographer

“I won’t know until I get there,” Emerson said with a laugh of the delays added onto his trip time.

Alex Babin, who was traveling on the Blue and Orange lines, said the closures impacted his travel “very unpleasantly” today, saying that the construction added about an hour to his commute.

Others, however, said they had come to terms with the delays, and said they were not too much of a nuisance.

Maddie Heanue, a student at Catholic University located in Northeast D.C., said the delays added about 15 minutes to her trip.
“It’s not that big of a deal, you just have to roll with it,” Heanue said, in response to how much delay and inconvenience the outages had caused.

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