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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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Saturday, March 31, 2012 5:24 p.m.

CGI U rolls on with advice for perseverance

by The GW Hatchet
Clinton Global Initiative University

Chelsea Clinton addresses the Lisner Auditorium audience Saturday during the second day of the Clinton Global Initiative University. Marie McGrory | Hatchet Staff Photographer

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Kelly Quinn.

Chelsea Clinton and Twitter co-founder Biz Stone participated in two separate discussions Saturday on day two of the Clinton Global Initiative University, both oriented toward giving students inspirational advice for recognizing and reacting to problems.

Students huddled into a packed Lisner Auditorium for a forum called “The Wisdom of Failure,” which included a panel of entrepreneurs like Stone and Zipcar founder Robin Chase who discussed how to learn from missteps.

“Failure looks great on a resume,” Stone said to moderator Kathryn Schulz, a book critic for The New York Times Magazine.

Chase spoke about her struggle to keep the startup company from collapsing. She recalled the low point when she turned off the lights and retreated to her bedroom when Zipcar only earned 50 percent of the funds needed for it to continue. She said the company has only become a success through perseverance and tough choices.

In another panel discussion in Lisner Auditorium in the afternoon, dubbed “Futurenomics,” Clinton led a panel of social and political entrepreneurs in a discussion on how to harness great ideas to help poverty and financial instability.

Clinton began the discussion by asking the question: “How do we build the next generation of social and political entrepreneurship?” She noted the importance youth have played in the past year in creating great social and economic shifts, specifically in Occupy Wall Street and the Arab Spring.

“The best investment this nation can make is in the future of its people,” said Tamara Draut, a panelist and vice president of policy and programs for the national company Demos.

Between forums, students broke up and tried to meet with experts in fields like health, environment and education that pertained to their specific commitment. The 1,200 students at the conference – who came from seven different countries and all 50 states – each made a commitment to action to help a global issue when they applied in January.

Banaa, a group of sophomores Kelsey Lax, Eric Schlabs, Brian Browne, Jamie Fisher-Hertz and Ryan Brenner attended a working session titled “Preventing Future Genocides and Mass Atrocities.” The students, whose project is to provide scholarships for Sudanese students, said they found the session particularly helpful and applicable to their goals.

Schlabs said the networking opportunities and motivation the conference provided added a spark to their project.

“I think there are some intangibles here,” he said, adding that he was struck by the “good vibes” and “good energy” of the conference.

“It motivates you and inspires you to see all these other people around you showing how they make an impact on the world,” Browne added.

University President Steven Knapp reaffirmed the opportunities for students at the conference, and said, “All they really need to get going is a little bit of guidance, advice and some resources at this kind of gathering.”

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Wednesday, March 28, 2012 12:03 p.m.

Campus prepares for Clinton Global Initiative University

by Cory Weinberg

Comedian Jon Stewart will speak Saturday to 1,200 students from around the world at the Clinton Global Initiative University conference in Foggy Bottom in March. Photo courtesy of Comedy Central

The Foggy Bottom Campus will face heavier security and limited parking as GW plays hosts to politicians, entrepreneurs and entertainers this weekend at the Clinton Global Initiative University.

A Friday night roundtable discussion on the importance of public service featuring former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and musician Usher will be held in the Smith Center, restricting parking on the blocks that line G and F streets next to the arena.

Besides the students participating in the conference, the University notified Tuesday about 1,000 students from the general student population that they nabbed tickets to the event.

Clinton Global Initiative University would not disclose specifics about what security would be on hand to handle visitors and high-profile speakers. University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard said there will be “a variety of security will be on campus throughout the weekend.”

Parking will also be restricted Thursday on the south side of the Smith Center, which will serve production trucks and media, Sherrard said.

When Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, comedian Jon Stewart and Clinton speak Saturday at Lisner Auditorium, parking will also be limited around the building.

Students worldwide earned seats at the conference after pitching ideas in January to address global or community-based problems. Projects from students at GW range from sustainable bicycles made of bamboo to homeless food delivery.

All other events, which will also feature Chelsea Clinton and a slate of entrepreneurs and writers, are closed to the public.

The third and fourth floors of the Lerner Health and Wellness Center will be closed all day Friday and Saturday because of panel discussions there.

The University also advised students to keep GWorlds on them throughout the weekend.

 

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Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012 8:53 a.m.

Former New York Yankees manager recounts career

by The GW Hatchet

Joe Torre goes over what it was like managing a major league baseball team Wednesday evening at a discussion sponsored by the Smithsonian Associates at Lisner Auditorium. Joining Torre for the conversation were (left to right) Mike Wise of the Washington Post, Johnny Holliday from Nats Xtraand Phil Wood of the Washington Examiner. Shannon Brown | Hatchet Photographer

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Spencer Fogel.

For two hours Wednesday night, former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre was back in pinstripes.

Instead of adorning the Yankees’ iconic home uniforms, the pinstripes patterned Torre’s suit as he reminisced at Lisner Auditorium about his career leading the team to six American League pennants and four World Series championships.

The success, Torre said, was bolstered by the team’s late owner George Steinbrenner’s deep pockets, as the team’s high payroll ensured that Torre “couldn’t make any excuses” for not managing a winning team.

Torre also told the crowd of 1,500 attendees that after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks – which he called “the scariest moment of my life” – the Yankees took on a different mindset. He said the players realized that they then represented all of New York City – not just Yankees fans – as the team played in the postseason that year.

“The ‘NY’ on our caps represented more than the Yankees,” Torre, who managed the team from 1996 to 2007, said.

Torre recounted that emotions ran high when players and relatives of 9/11 victims came together off the field. He joined shortstop Derek Jeter and outfielder Bernie Williams at the New York City Armory to comfort families and said he was moved when Williams walked up to a woman and said, “I don’t know what to say, but you look like you need a hug.”

The former Yankees skipper also discussed on-the-field strategy. When asked what situation he would “redo” if given the chance, Torre pointed to a controversial moment in the 2007 American League Division Series. Torre said he would have asked the umpires to stop the game as insects swarmed Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain, who threw two wild pitches because of the bizarre obstacle that cost the team the game.

After managing the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2008 to 2010, Torre stepped from an executive position in the Major League Baseball commissioner’s office to pursue a bid to buy the Dodgers.

Torre fielded no questions about his potential involvement in a plan to be co-owner the team.

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Monday, Sept. 26, 2011 11:54 p.m.

Kennedy daughter shares memories from White House years

by Sarah Ferris

Caroline Kennedy signs copies of her book "Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy", co-authored by historian Michael Beschloss, following an event in Lisner Auditorium Monday night. Jordan Emont | Assistant Photo Editor

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Emily Cirillo.

Fifty years after revolutionizing the role of first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis remains an American icon of both sophistication and boldness, her daughter Caroline Kennedy told a crowd at Lisner Auditorium on Monday night.

“My mother was bored with U.S. history because there were not enough women,” Kennedy said. “She changed that.”

The first lady made headlines during her husband’s short tenure and continues this tradition even years after her death. Caroline Kennedy released seven and a half hours of conversations between her mother and historian Arthur Schlesinger this month, where the first lady frankly discusses the Cuban Missie Crisis and Lyndon Johnson.

The tapes, which were previewed at the event, revealed raw and tender recordings of Kennedy Onassis just months after her husband was killed.

“My mother knew that future generations would benefit from the truth and how she saw it,” Kennedy said.

During one conversation, Kennedy Onassis, who graduated from the University in 1951, recalled her husband’s obsessive reading habit, bringing books in the bathtub, his dressing room and even on walks around the White House.

Kennedy said her mother always fought for what she wanted, from massive White House renovations to the preservation of foreign art and the kindling of diplomatic ties across the world.

With her fervent and relentless pursuits, she intimidated her husband’s administration, Kennedy recalled.

“She wanted to make history come alive and give us a human glimpse of people working in the White House,” said Kennedy.“I wanted people to see what my mother really thought. What is unsaid is almost as interesting as what was said.”

Michael Beschloss, co-author of Kennedy’s new book about her mother, joined president of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Michael Kaiser, to share memories of the Kennedy family legacy.

“Mrs. Kennedy knew that arts were at the core of our human condition, that they provided powerful links to a common humanity,” Kaiser said.

 

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Friday, July 22, 2011 10:39 a.m.

GW to honor Toni Morrison, literary group will donate memorial bench

by Priya Anand

The Toni Morrison Society will place a memorial bench dedicated to the Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author in front of Lisner Auditorium during her Sept. 21 visit to GW.

Morrison is slated to speak at Lisner that evening. The memorial is a facet of the society’s broader Bench by the Road Project, aimed at marking significant sites in African American history – the auditorium is one of the first District venues to integrate in 1947.

University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard said further information about Morrison’s visit will be released in the fall.

The bench project’s name is derived from Morrison herself. In 1989, she told World Magazine her book titled “Beloved” would serve as a symbol to remember those who were enslaved, rather than having a physical marker.

“There is no suitable memorial, or plaque, or wreath, or wall, or park, or skyscraper lobby,” Morrison said. “There’s no 300-foot tower, there’s no small bench by the road.”

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Friday, Jan. 14, 2011 6:53 p.m.

Panelists discuss America’s future on ‘Tavis Smiley’

by The GW Hatchet

This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Amanda D’Ambra

Prominent figures in today’s media, business and politics convened in Lisner Auditorium Thursday night to discuss the future of American politics for a live broadcast of PBS’s “The Tavis Smiley Show.”

The three-hour program focused on the changing face of American politics and the panelists agreed that the deeply divided political environment is causing a great deal of problems for the entire population.

The eight-member panel included Huffington Post editor in chief Arianna Huffington; former speechwriter for President George W. Bush and conservative blogger David Frum; Princeton University professor Dr. Cornel West; Washington Post chief political columnist Dana Milbank; John S. Chen, chairman of the Committee of 100, which works to further U.S.-China relations; CNBC “Closing Bell” anchor Maria Bartiromo; David Brody, chief political correspondent for the Christian Broadcasting Network; and Maria Teresa Kumar, executive director of Voto Latino.

“There is this short-term mentality of ‘I want it yesterday.’ Decisions are based on ‘will I get elected in two years, will I get re-elected in four years?’” Bartiromo. “That is at the crux of our problems.”

Weighing in on issues facing the country today the panelists expressed generally pessimistic views.

“A hundred million Americans are worse off than their parents were…how do you move forward if one half of a country’s people say the best days of the nation are behind us?” Huffington asked.

Education, they agreed, was key for moving the country forward politically and socially.

“We need to give people the opportunity to get educated, work hard, and move up the ladder,” said Baritromo.

Frum said “bad attitudes” across society are the culprit for students falling short.

“We spend so much money educating children, but we are not getting the results we want…it is all in our attitudes,” Frum said.

Economic issues were also a big focus of the panel’s discussion. In the immediate aftermath of the financial crisis, the panelists spoke of the many economic pressures still facing Americans. High unemployment rates and widening social class gaps remain pressing concerns, they said.

“We are seeing a realignment that we saw during the Great Depression. We learned to take care of our own people then,” Kumar said. “A lot of legislation came out of this Great Recession that tried to do this…but we did just an okay job.”

She emphasized that focusing on education would allow America to restore its economic stability.

The last hour of the program focused on the how to move away from the country’s current problems. Smiley asked the panelists whether they thought Republicans were going to change the rules of government with the increased power of the party in Congress.

“The Republicans know that the president is vulnerable. He misstepped the center-right nation when he passed partisan legislation,” Brody said.

Huffington immediately disputed Brody’s “center-right nation” term, arguing instead that Americans need to come together from all sides, regardless of political persuasion.

“We’re on a journey towards a more perfect union,” she said.

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Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2010 12:51 a.m.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to speak at Lisner

by Priya Anand

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will discuss life before and after becoming a member of the nation’s highest judicial body at Lisner Auditorium this February.

Ginsburg – who has been serving as an associate justice since she was nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1993 – will speak with National Public Radio’s Nina Totenberg on Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. during an event sponsored by the Smithsonian Resident Associates Program. Totenberg works as a legal correspondent and Inside Washington panelist for NPR.

Tickets to attend the program hosting the second female to be appointed to the Supreme Court range from $23 to $35 and can be purchased online.

Ginsburg visited campus in October 2005 to reflect on the legacy of former Chief Justice William Rehnquist a few weeks after his death.

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Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010 5:03 p.m.

Small fire breaks out on Lisner stage

by Madeleine Morgenstern

D.C. Firefighters respond to a fire in Lisner Auditorium Thursday | Jordan Emont | Hatchet Staff Photographer

A small fire broke out in Lisner Auditorium Thursday afternoon due to an overheated light fixture, D.C. Fire spokesman Pete Piringer said.

“There was no major fire, nothing to be alarmed about,” Piringer said, adding that the auditorium had no damage.

A stage technician, who declined to give his name, said he was on the main stage when the fire started.

“We saw the fire, we put it out with a fire extinguisher, we followed the protocol,” he said.

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Wednesday, July 28, 2010 11:39 a.m.

President Jimmy Carter to speak at Lisner Auditorium

by Kara Dunford

Former President Jimmy Carter will reflect on his years in the White House and sign copies of his new book, “White House Diary,” on Sept. 29 at Lisner Auditorium.

The program, presented by the Smithsonian Residents Associates, is open to the public. Tickets are $35 and may be purchased online, by phone or at the Smithsonian ticket window.

During his presidency, Carter wrote daily diary entries, offering an inside look at his four years in the Oval Office, complete with assessments of his colleagues and details of secret negotiations. The diary entries have been compiled into a book that will be released on Sept. 20, according to Amazon.

President Carter joins a list of high-profile political speakers at GW in the past year, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, first lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, former Vice President Al Gore and former first lady Laura Bush.

In 2007, Carter spoke at GW as part of a tour of colleges, and students here were the first group able to ask unscreened questions of the former president.

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