For Natalia Anzaldúa, trouble has been a constant companion.
Speaking on Sunday before the more than 8,000 graduates on the National Mall, the occupational therapy doctoral graduate recalled spending long stretches in the principal’s office as a child, questioning why things had to be done “one way and not the other.” Anzaldúa said GW was the first place that didn’t just tolerate her questions but helped shape her “trouble making tendencies” into advocacy.
“At GW, I was always encouraged to keep asking
Anzaldúa said she learned how to “tone it down” over time for her “mother’s sanity,” but she had the “gut feeling” that something was “off” whenever she did. She said she encourages the Class of 2025 to keep asking “why?” and, when they hold positions of power, to lead by keeping “the door open for others.”
Anzaldúa drew on John Lewis, a civil rights activist, to tell students to “get in good trouble.” She told graduates that getting in “good” and “necessary” trouble can “redeem the soul of America.”
“Let’s continue to do things the GW way, changing the world one revolutionary idea at a time,” Anzaldúa said.
Commencement arrives as students conclude an academ-
ic year marked by continued protests over the University’s response to the war in Gaza, with demonstrators renewing calls for divestment from Israel, more than a year after local police dismantled the proPalestinian encampment in University Yard. Toward the end of the ceremony, about 40 students stood in the center aisle and unfurled banners at the beginning of University President Ellen Granberg’s charge to the Class of 2025, protesting the University’s handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus.
The demonstration also comes one day after student speaker Cecilia Culver condemned the University’s refusal to divest from Israel and disciplinary actions against pro-Palestinian protesters in her speech during the Co -
lumbian College of Arts & Sciences first graduation ceremony on Saturday. University spokesperson Kathy Fackelmann said on Saturday that Culver’s speech was “materially different” from her approved remarks and officials are investigating whether Culver violated the University’s event protocol or Student Code of Conduct. During her charge, Granberg pushed graduates to “go boldly” and “raise high” as they enter a world in need of what she called “revolutionary” leadership. She said her two-year tenure as president has taught her three important lessons about GW, which include the importance of respectful dialogue and active listening.
GW investigating speaker’s call for divestment from Israel at CCAS graduation
TYLER IGLESIAS SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
A student speaker condemned the University’s refusal to divest from Israel and disciplinary actions against pro-Palestinian protesters during Saturday’s Columbian College of Arts & Sciences graduation ceremony — an act officials are investigating for policy violations.
Cecilia Culver, an economics and statistics graduate, used her speech to criticize the University for suppressing proPalestinian activism related to the war in Gaza and urge graduates to withhold donations from GW until officials disclose all financial investments and divest from companies tied to Israel. University Spokesperson Kathy Fackelmann said Culver’s remarks were “materially different” than the speech she submitted ahead of the ceremony, and officials are investigating whether Culver violated the University’s events protocol or Student Code of Conduct.
“I am ashamed to know my tuition is being used to fund this genocide,” Culver said during her speech to nearly 750 graduates at the first of two CCAS undergraduate ceremonies in the Smith Center.
Culver said the University has “repressed” community members who had the “courage” to point out the “blood” on officials’ hands, rather than engaging in negotiations with students to divest from Israel.
“I hope, in time, I will be proven wrong, that those in power will shed their selfinterest and finally commit to a University free of ties to genocide,” Culver said. Culver said she cannot celebrate her graduation without a “heavy heart,” knowing that students in Palestine have been forced to abandon their studies, displaced from their homes or killed amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
“The horrors unfolding halfway across the world may be easy to ignore, for those lacking a moral backbone,” Culver said. “For the rest of us, these atrocities cause us to take stock in our own complacency in the imperialist system.”
Culver’s speech was met with cheers from the crowd and other graduates. CCAS administrators, faculty and other guests on the dais behind her either clapped in response to her comments, began whispering to each other or did not react.
yet to fully regain.
Pro-Palestinian activists held a rally near the Washington Monument and marched toward the U.S. Capitol on Sunday, commemorating the 77th anniversary of the “Nakba” — when around 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled by Israeli forces during the Arab-Israeli war.
About 200 protesters gathered near the Washington Monument at 3 p.m., standing on a patch of grass adjacent to 15th Street with over 10 Palestinian flags and a flurry of posters calling for an end to the war in Gaza. Members of the DMV chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party
and a recent GW graduate spoke about the history of Palestine and called for an end to the war in Gaza and the liberation of the Palestinian people.
The University’s endowment held at $2.7 billion between January and April, trustees shared at their triannual public meeting on Friday.
Outgoing Board of Trustees Secretary Ave Tucker said the University’s endowment, a pool of funds and investments gifted to the University by donors and managed by Strategic Investment Group, “remains high” at $2.7 billion as of March 31. The University’s endowment has grown by nearly $1 billion since fiscal year 2020, despite fluctuations — including a $200 million drop in fall 2024 from its $2.8 billion peak to $2.6 billion, a level GW has
The University’s endowment is invested in several areas, including hedge funds, private equity and real estate. Its continued growth is driven by investment returns and philanthropic contributions from alumni, faculty, staff, students and other supporters.
GW’s endowment ranked 60th nationally in FY2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics’ most recent data. Among its peer institutions, seven — including Georgetown and Boston universities — held higher endowments than GW, while five had lower-ranked endowments, per the data.
University President Ellen Granberg said in her report that the University has “not yet” experienced federal disruptions on the same scale other institutions of higher education have despite the National Institutes of Health’s cancellation of some federal research grants. She said officials continue to take proactive steps to “store” the University’s resources and monitor federal developments.
Provost Chris Bracey, Chief Financial Officer Bruno Fernandes and Chief of Staff Scott Mory said in an email late last month that GW will cut its FY2026 total expense budget by 3 percent to address a “structural deficit” after the University’s expenses surpassed their current revenues in recent years.
ARWEN CLEMANS | SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Graduates stand for the national anthem on the National Mall Sunday during University Commencement.
See GRADUATES Page 5
GW reverts to staggered summer sessions for new student orientation
RYAN SAENZ ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
New Student Orientation leaders said incoming first-year and transfer students will attend orientation in small groups throughout June, ending the model they introduced in 2019 that brought the entire class together in mid-August.
The University will shift back to summer orientation for the Class of 2029, marking the first time since 2018 that new students will attend orientation in small groups over the summer rather than arriving all at once ahead of the fall semester, according to the orientation website. Orientation leaders said they welcome the change as an opportunity to better connect with the incoming class, while new students, excited to arrive, expressed indifference or a slight preference for the old model that would’ve allowed them to meet the entire class of 2029 at once.
The new orientation process requires incoming first-year and transfer students to select one of the five two-day in-person training sessions throughout the summer, according to the orientation website. The University will hold four two-day sessions throughout June and a fifth in late August, which is required for transfer and international students. First-year students who are attending one of the four June orientation sessions can choose which one they attend.
Since 2019, New Student Orientation has taken place a week before the start of fall semester in August, with officials conducting orientation events across four days.
Students last participated in orientation over the summer in 2018, when the University held its “Colonial Inauguration” before announcing a shift to New Student Orientation, which officials held
in August.
A University spokesperson did not return a request for comment on why officials made the change.
Marc Battista, a rising junior and orientation leader for a second year, said having orientation programming over the summer will allow orientation leaders to answer questions about class registration and first-year housing while students are still navigating the process..
Battista also said the orientation process will be more “interactive” for students because orientation leaders will introduce students to the dining halls and how they operate, along with personalized group sessions for students who may need extra support as they adjust to life as a college student.
Dhruv Gupta, an incoming first-year student who plans on majoring in international affairs, said he doesn’t anticipate the staggered orientation sessions preventing him or new students from making friends and connecting with the new first-year class during the process because the number of people at orientation will not change how “sociable” a person is.
“I’m not sure how big of a difference that’s going to make in causing some people to have some difficulty making friends,” Gupta said. “I think, you know, you can make orientation as big and try to have people meeting as many people as possible, but in the end, really, it’s up to the person right to be as sociable as they can.”
Off Campus 5/12/25 – Multiple instances Open Case Case open.
THEFT II/FROM BUILDING, CREDIT CARD FRAUD
University Student Center 5/13/25 – 1:17 p.m.
Open Case Case open.
THEFT II/FROM BUILDING
District House
5/14/25 – 9:21 p.m.
Closed Case Referred to Division of Conflict Education and Student Accountability.
—Compiled by Bryson Kloesel
TRAiLS alleges officials withheld over $80,000 of group’s revenue since 2022
RORY QUEALY MANAGING DIRECTOR
Current and former members of an outdoor adventure student organization claim GW has misallocated their revenue over the past three years, shortchanging the group by more than $80,000 in funds.
Three GW TRAiLS leaders said they’ve had a yearslong back-andforth with the University’s Office of Campus Recreation over a “coding error” in the organization’s management software that, since 2022, has placed $80,717 of participant fees from TRAiLS trips in a GW-operated account instead of TRAiLS’s, blocking the group’s access to the funds. Former TRAiLS President Thomas Broyles, who held the role during the 2024-25 academic year, said the funding loss will force the organization to lower its spending by tens of thousands of dollars next academic year, hampering its ability to host adventure trips, purchase outdoor gear and train guides.
Broyles said officials told him the trip fees from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years — amounting to about $56,000 — are permanently lost, as each academic year’s funds become unrecoverable after the fiscal year closes the follow-
ing June, when the University’s accounting system resets revenue and expense accounts. Roughly $24,000 of the nearly
$30,000 in funds that TRAiLS made from trip participant fees during the 2024-25 academic year are in limbo, Broyles said. He said
Campus Recreation staff told him they’re working with the Student Accounts Office to get the money to
to begin depositing the funds into TRAiLS’s account. TRAiLS leaders said the University transferred $6,305 to their account last week, only accounting for trips in March and April 2025.
A University spokesperson did not return a request for comment.
The funding hitch came as GW transitioned TRAiLS’s point of contact with the University from the Office of Student Life to the Office of Campus Recreation in spring 2022. TRAiLS leaders said subsequently, the University in spring 2023 overhauled how the group collects fees from students participating in their semester trips — on average $15 for day trips and $35 for overnights — from using management software ACTIVENet to SportEasy.
After discovering the discrepancy, Broyles said he and other TRAiLS leaders in May 2024 met with Erik Strouse, the associate director of health and wellness programs who served as TRAiLS’s acting advisor at the time, to raise the issue. Strouse told them that they couldn’t recover the 2022-23 revenue because the end of the fiscal year had passed but promised that the problem wouldn’t recur with the 2023-24 funds, Broyles said.
“It’s a really sad and unfortunate situation,” Broyles said.
Local restaurants prepare in wake of DC immigration enforcement surge
BRYSON KLOESEL
Foggy Bottom restaurants are coordinating staff training sessions to prepare for potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids after officers issued 187 inspection notices at D.C. businesses and arrested 189 alleged undocumented individuals earlier this month. Immigration officers visited 187 D.C.-area businesses with I-9 inspection notices, which ask managers to provide proof of employees’ eligibility to work in the United States, and arrested 189 undocumented immigrants with alleged history of criminal conviction and gang affiliation during an “enhanced targeted” operation from May 6 to 9. Foggy Bottom restaurant managers said they are briefing their staff on how to respond if immigration officers arrive,
though they said this hasn’t yet happened at any Foggy Bottom eateries. President Donald Trump signed the “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful” executive order on March 28, which directed federal, state and local law enforcement to conduct “maximum enforcement” of federal immigration law in D.C. Iridian Solano, the man-
of
TRAiLS and pledged in January
ARWEN CLEMANS | SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
ager
Bullfrog Bagels in Western Market, said the news of ICE raiding other local restaurants in D.C. was “very scary” and has made her staff, many of whom are immigrants, “uncomfort-
COLLAGE BY ARWEN CLEMANS
The fronts of Tonic, Arepa Zone, Alitiko and Bullfrog Bagels.
COURTESY OF THOMAS BROYLES
TRAiLS poses
in Shenandoah National Park.
GSEHD dean reflects on fostering global programs, managing resources
As the son of immigrants, outgoing Graduate School of Education and Human Development Dean Michael Feuer said he’s always valued the role international connections can play in advancing education.
As Feuer gears up to end his 15year tenure as dean July 1 and join the school’s faculty to focus on running a project that integrates civic education into teacher preparation programs, he is proud of the role he played in shaping the school’s international education programs that have provided “quality” education to “disadvantaged youth” worldwide. Feuer said also said he’s pleased with the work he’s done to raise the school’s reputation as a place committed to using research to advance education, which he’s done by cultivating a “strong” group of faculty and increasing the school’s global presence.
“I think GSEHD has changed by reinforcing and burnishing its image as a place where people can get the best advantage of researchbased scholarly inquiry applied to the improvement of education,” Feuer said.
Feuer said one of his biggest accomplishments as dean was helping to launch international programs, like a partnership with Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University. He said these programs have provided pathways for “less advantaged” students, while also giving GSEHD faculty the chance to connect with students and professionals across the globe and learn new ways to teach.
The University currently offers a dual master’s degree program with ASPU, which started in 2020. The program is open to students who place in the top 100 of Azer-
baijan’s state admission test and is taught in person by faculty members of GSEHD at ASPU in Baku, Azerbaijan.
“At the same time, as I think we have contributed to their success, they have made our work here incredibly interesting, and we have learned a great deal from them about what it means to develop and implement programs to expand educational opportunities,” Feuer said.
Feuer said during his time as dean, the University’s limited resources and funding to GSEHD have led to “choppy waters” for the school, which has infringed on their ability to increase financial
aid for students and potentially relocate the school to a better facility.
“In general, our philosophy has been that we can do a great deal even with limited resources,” Feuer said. “But at the same time, we don’t want to convey the message that limited resources is the new normal and that that’s what we should always be relying on.”
Feuer said worked with Provost Chris Bracey on the provost office’s salary equity review process, a statistical model that assesses salary inequity among faculty, to increase compensation for GSEHD faculty.
Four GSEHD professors had salaries that were outliers, with six faculty members having their salaries
Elliott Commencement speaker urges graduates to lead amid polarization
KHANH DANG
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
The former U.S. ambassador to the European Union encouraged graduates to be leaders in foreign policy at the Elliott School of International Affairs commencement ceremony Friday.
Student speaker Samhita Dulam, guest speaker and former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Kristen Silverberg and the Elliott School Dean Alyssa Ayres congratulated over 550 graduates as they prepare to enter the field of international affairs amid a time of increasing global tension. The speakers told students to leverage their education at the Elliott School to become future leaders who find solutions to complex geopolitical challenges.
Silverberg, who served as U.S. ambassador to the European Union under former President George W. Bush’s administration, said graduates are ready to carry forward the Elliott School’s “tradition of leadership.” She encouraged graduates to think about what kind of leaders they will become as they enter the field of politics and diplomacy.
“In my experience, the best jobs, the ones worth going after and keeping, are those that put you in the company of people you like and admire, men and women with a good spirit and a sense of purpose,” Silverberg said.
Silverberg shared stories about her time working under the Bush administration in a “polarized” political environment where people can get “carried away” with their political loyalties.
“But throughout my time in Washington, I’ve
known many people I like and respect who hold opinions very different from my own,” Silverberg said. Silverberg said her abilities to work with both Republicans and Democrats helped her secure the support she needed in the Senate to be confirmed as the ambassador to the European Union. She encouraged graduates entering the job force to reach across the political aisle and work with people who might disagree with them and find common ground.
Dean Ayres said graduates are entering the workforce during a period of “tumult and disruption” in foreign policy with intensified U.S. relations with China and President Donald Trump’s administration’s moves to reduce foreign aid assistance.
“We have other moments in our history that parallel today with a desire to refocus attention away from the world and towards the homeland,” Ayres said. “And I know that may make some of you wonder about the relevance of our field of international affairs.”
Ayres said the Elliott
School has “sustained” throughout “different emphases” on how to engage with the world, and graduates are equipped with the skills to navigate a changing world.
“I have absolutely no doubt that we will meet today and will certainly meet in the years to come,” Ayres said. “Your knowledge, expertise and skills to carry us forward to address the new international problems that we know will continually arise.”
Dulam asked graduates to lead “with knowledge” and continue to keep questioning and learning as they enter their career at embassies, think tanks and on Capitol Hill. She said the Elliott School prepares graduates to “embrace” complex global crises and find solutions to these challenges.
“The world beyond Foggy Bottom is calling for each of us,” Dulam said. “We step into uncertainty and shifting alliances and global crises. The weight of history is on our shoulders, and the responsibility for the future is in our hands, and yet, we are ready.”
adjusted, according to the 2024 report.
GSEHD’s assistant professors have ranked as the lowest paid faculty members at the University on average for the past four consecutive years. GSEHD professors were the lowest paid at the University for the past three years, according to the University’s annual core indicator reports. Feuer said the school has made “substantial progress” to fix salary inequity within GSEHD but did not specify how. He also said low compensation in the school is caused more by the national “underfunding” of education in the United States.
“I totally sympathize with our faculty, as I do with anybody involved in the world of education, where there is a chronic dysfunctionality in the economic system that so under-rewards people involved in an activity that is demonstrably the most significant in advancing the quality of life for all Americans,” Feuer said.
Feuer said he plans to focus on starting his program, the Forum on Democracy and Education, which will integrate civics into education, following his deanship.
“It was because we got that very generous grant that I thought this would be the right moment to, after 15 years, to essentially return to the faculty and to be able to devote more of my mental and physical energy to implementing the ideas behind that Forum on Democracy and Education,” Feuer said.
GSEHD faculty said Feuer has been a “collaborative” leader and an “optimist” who has helped to grow the school through hiring and building connections with faculty.
James Williams, a professor of international education and international affairs, said Feuer has been supportive of his field of international education and that partnerships with countries like Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan have expanded research opportunities by exposing more colleagues to work in the international education space.
Williams said Feuer's positive energy has helped motivate faculty during the “ups and downs” of the school’s varying budgets during his time as dean.
“Dean Feuer has provided a very, very good, inspiring leadership during somewhat difficult times, and I hope that he’s helped us weather it in ways we can see and not see,” Williams said.
Speakers encourage GWSB graduates to live in the moment
Speakers told members of the School of Business class of 2025 to “stay humble” and “keep an open mind” at the school’s commencement ceremony in the Smith Center on Thursday.
Keynote speaker Jared Golub, student speaker Jalinette Reyes and GWSB interim Dean Vanessa Perry congratulated the school’s 434 undergraduates as they prepare to enter the workforce as the next generation of business professionals. The speakers told students that they should “show up” for pivotal moments, engage in difficult conversations and be willing to challenge their own assumptions.
Golub, a 2000 GWSB graduate with a bachelor’s of business administration in finance degree and a
founding member of Marblegate Asset Management, a company that specializes in distressed credit investing, told graduates that hard work should be the foundation of their lives even during uncertainty, like the COVID-19 pandemic and times of heightened political polarization. He said it is easy to be motivated when things go well, but “true character” is built by persevering during tough times.
“Remember every effort you make, no matter how small it feels, contributes to rebuilding, moving forward and creating something better,” Golub said.
Reyes, an international business major and firstgeneration college student, said students need to carve out their own role in the world instead of waiting for an “imperfect world” to become perfect. She said graduates should lead with
“conviction” and envision their futures while staying grounded in the present.
“I implore you, keep listening, keep learning, keep resisting, keep leading and above all else, show up,” Reyes said. Perry, who will finish her time as interim dean on August 1, said graduates’ futures will be shaped by the changing technology landscape, especially the spread of artificial intelligence. She said AI will influence how people interact and influence nearly every sector and industry, but the full impact technology will have on the future workforce is an “open question.”
“Your values can be the constant variable amid uncertainty, no matter where trends in business and technology may take us, including in moments of tension, geopolitical and domestic,” Perry said.
Indian, Pakistani students fear countries' tension will spur campus divide
RYAN SAENZ ASSISTANT
KHANH DANG ASSISTANT
Indian and Pakistani students voiced concern that lingering tensions from the countries’ worst military confrontation in decades that came to a halt earlier this month could spill onto GW’s campus this fall.
India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire on May 10 after three days of missile strikes, drone attacks and artillery fire, sparked by an April 22 shooting in Indian-administered Kashmir where gunmen killed 26
people, mostly Hindu men, at a tourist site in the disputed region. As unease between the countries following the violence persists, many Indian and Pakistani students said they’ve seen a new divide between the two student communities at GW that they are concerned could grow, despite the groups being historically close. Violence broke out after India accused Pakistan of being behind the massacre, which occurred in the Himalayan mountains of Palahgam on April 22 and responded with airstrikes on May 7 in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Pakistan’s Punjab region. Pakistan denies any involvement in
the April attack and called India’s response an “act of war,” retaliating with strikes at Indian military positions in northern and western Indian cities.
While both countries agreed to the May 10 ceasefire, each, hours later, accused the other of breaking the agreement.
First-year Dhyana Holla, an Indian student and a member of the South Asian Society, said she has spoken to other Indian students on campus who shared her concerns that tensions between Indian and Pakistani students on campus could rise following the conflict’s escalation. Holla said she has seen Indian and Pakistani students post-
ing and sharing “hateful rhetoric” on social media toward one other, which she said has worried her.
“I worry that there might be a division when I come back to school or just a division in general in the community, between Indian and Pakistani students,” Holla said. “And I definitely worry about that, and I think it could take the shape or form through protests, but I just worry that there’s going to be more division than community.”
An anonymous student from Lahore, Pakistan — who requested anonymity out of fear of visa revocation — said they have experienced divisive comments from a few Indian students as a Pakistani
student on campus since the initial attack, including one student coming up to them and saying India will bomb their country.
The student said they also had a positive interaction with an Indian professor after she turned in her final, who talked with them about the recent escalations, expressing concern for the student’s family living in Lahore. They said this helped them feel there is less of a divide between Indian and Pakistani people on campus.
“My professor and I, we had this conversation, and he said it’s so stupid because the civilians are the ones who always end up getting hurt,” they said.
ARWEN CLEMANS | SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Graduate School of Education and Human Development Dean Michael Feuer poses for a portrait in his office.
ELIJAH EDWARDS CONTRIBUTING NEWS EDITOR
HANNAH MARR | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
School of Business graduates sit during Thursday's ceremony in the Smith Center.
KARSYN MEYERSON | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Kristen Silverberg speaks at the Elliott School of International Affairs graduation Friday.
Student leaders convey mixed views on new SGA budget model
KHANH
Ahead of the Student Government Association’s transition to an event-based budget model for student organizations next fall, some student organization leaders expressed hope about the switch’s potential for funding increases, while others said they foresee logistical and funding challenges.
Last spring, the SGA passed the Financial Transparency Act to restructure the budget by shifting funds from the semiannual general allocations system to an event-based funding model, which will allow student organizations to request funding weekly for events throughout the year. Some student organization leaders said they believe the new budget model will allow them to secure more fundings for events, while others said they are concerned about funding uncertainties and planning large events due to lack of foresight on
how much money the SGA will allocate for them.
The SGA’s previous funding structure included a semiannual general allocations process that covered the majority of student organizations’ costs and a cosponsorship process where student organizations could request money on a weekly basis for additional costs. Student organizations need to apply for event-based funding at least 14 business days in advance of their anticipated event.
The SGA Senate allocated $241,000 to student organizations for the fall 2024 semester last April. Last month, senators allocated $146,690.17 across 215 student organizations for the upcoming fall semester, with the $448,000 in remaining funds reserved for the need-based system under the new system.
Haley Chokshi, president of the Indian Students’ Association, said the transition to the event-based funding model makes her
“nervous” because it creates uncertainty for student organizations who need to make reservations for food and venues ahead of time for large events.
“It’s hard to make reservations for bigger venues or put in orders for food ahead of time because we don’t know how much money we’re getting until maybe three weeks before the event, and it’s a lot of scrambling before,” Chokshi said.
Ragheb Khalidi, the finance director of GlobeMed at GW — a health equity organization on campus — said he is “optimistic” about the transition to the new funding model because GlobeMed often relies on co-sponsorship funds, now dubbed event-based funding, to host their events.
“On the surface, this sounds like a good thing, though, of course, we won’t really know until the fall semester comes, since that’s when we will be submitting the co-sponsorships,” Khalidi said.
Title IX Office selects, trains peer advisers for fall program
KHANH DANG ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
The Title IX Office received applications and conducted trainings this semester for its inaugural peer adviser program, which the office said will begin this fall.
Assistant Provost and Title IX Coordinator Asha Reynolds said the Title IX Office reviewed 35 applications and selected 11 students to serve as peer advisers, who will help students involved in the Title IX process navigate resources and offer emotional support during intake hearings. The Student Government Association passed the Survivors Bill of Rights last fall to consolidate Title IX resources and establish a peer adviser program, with applications for the program opening last November.
Reynolds said the peer adviser program launched its pilot stage, which involved the Title IX Office initially matching students going through the Title IX process to a peer adviser and gathering feedbacks to improve on the program in February and has recently received student requests for matches. The pilot program is currently gathering feedback from peer advisers who participated in the training as well as students who have requested matches through the program.
Reynolds said the Title IX Office has an anonymous feedback form for both student advisees and volunteer advisers, which the office will share with students when they are initially connected with an adviser, with students welcome to share feedback through the form as many times as they would like
while they participate in the program. She said the results from the anonymous feedback form has been “very positive,” with officials hoping to expand in the fall as more students become aware of the program.
Peer advisers are trained to support students involved in the Title IX process by offering emotional support during intake meetings and helping them find on- and off-campus resources.
Reynolds said prospective peer adviser candidates are required to submit a resume and letter of interest and, if selected, will undergo an interview process with Title IX and SGA officials. She said the office selected students with “commitment” to social justice and due process, prior experience researching sexual violence, working on prevention programs or supporting people who have experienced trauma.
Reynolds said the selected students attended a mandatory eighthour retreat in early February on topics including Title IX policy, trauma-informed care and supporting students in distress.
Former Executive Secretary of Graduate Affairs Jennifer Locane, who served on the panel with Title IX staff interviewing peer adviser applicants, said she was “encouraged” by the number of applicants from all genders and how enthusiastic the applicants were.
“It was truly heartwarming for everyone at Title IX and myself to see how passionate these applicants were to help fellow students during what can be a very challenging, painful and emotional process,” Locane said in a message.
Occupational therapy program graduates first cohort amid growth
DYLAN EBS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
The occupational therapy program in the School of Medicine & Health Sciences graduated its inaugural cohort over Commencement weekend.
Joyce Maring, the executive associate dean for health sciences at SMHS, said officials launched the doctorate program for occupational therapy students in 2022 after regional clinical partners expressed a need for qualified occupational therapists. Over the last three years, the program obtained a No. 30 national ranking among occupational therapy programs, enrolled more than 70 students and counts this year’s Commencement student speaker among its 26 graduates.
Occupational therapy is a wide-ranging field that provides support for people, ranging from helping patients recovering from an injury perform daily activities to assisting patients with adaptive equipment, like shower chairs, according to the American Occupational Therapy Association. GW, Howard University and Trinity Washington University are the only universities in the District with occupational therapy programs.
Roger Ideishi, the program’s director, said the program takes a “unique” approach to occupational therapy education by centering the curriculum around health equity and focusing on advocacy, like requiring a systems and advocacy course that prepares students to lobby for occupational therapy on Capitol Hill.
Ideishi said the disabled community faces challenges not always because of their disability but because society isn’t “physically and socially” designed in inclusive ways. A document on the
program’s themes provided to The Hatchet states that students and faculty promote equity by advocating for “an inclusive society.”
“Our mission is to prepare health care practitioners who work to close the equity and disparities gaps and support those who are excluded or do not get opportunities to engage in the community,” Ideishi said.
Ideishi said the program works with GW Hospital and the GW Medical Faculty Associates on upper extremity rehabilitation research, which helps patients restore mobility to their hand, wrist, elbow or shoulder after an injury.
“We are expanding by deepening the relationship we have with our community partners,” he said.
Students take 32 courses with their cohort, totaling 104 credits spread out over eight semesters. The first five semesters focus on instruction in the classroom, which includes courses on neuroscience, human development and leadership and management, with a part-time fieldwork rotation meant to give students an early look into clinic work before their last three semesters, which focus on fulltime clinic fieldwork and a capstone project.
The program operates in a hybrid format that meets on campus every other week, and during virtual weeks, students completed mostly asynchronous work, though they met on Zoom on Thursdays for live classes. Natalie Anzaldúa, a new graduate and Commencement student speaker, said she chose to study at GW over other schools because of the program’s focus on advocacy and acknowledgment of inequities in healthcare.
“People are asking you questions and make you reflect on, ‘Hmm, what do I think about this? What are my biases?’” she said. “Other programs, they don’t really talk about that.”
Students complete a 14week capstone project of their choice after completing all coursework and fieldwork, according to the program website. Recent graduate Emma Tober worked with Spectrum Sailing, a South Carolina organization that teaches sailing to people with autism, for her capstone.
“It was definitely a very strong interest of mine, just to kind of show the impact that we can have in community settings and the importance of inclusion and recreation,” Tober said.
Milken researchers map pollution rates in urban areas, examine public health effects
FARRELL ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
GW researchers used geospatial datasets collected between 2005 and 2019 to track global air pollution levels in urban areas and support efforts to reduce emissions, according to a study published this month.
The study, which the Milken Institute School of Public Health conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Washington University in St. Louis, tracked the concentration of air pollutants across 13,189 urban areas from 2005 to 2019. GW doctoral student and lead author on the study Soo Yeon Kim said the study’s identification of urban air pollution rates on a global scale could help cities develop strategies for reducing toxic emissions based on their individual conditions.
“By offering a comprehensive time series of three major air pollutants (particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ozone) at the city level, our findings can help urban planners and policymakers identify priority pollutants and set reduction targets in their own city/ country,” Kim said in an email.
Globally, 91 percent of the population in urban areas breathes polluted air, with 4.2 million excess deaths attributed to ambient air pollution annually, according to the World Health Organization.
The study followed the levels of common air pollutants, like particulate matter, ozone and nitrogen dioxide, which are linked to breathing problems, like wheezing, and are primarily generated by human industrial activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Kim said continued pollutant rates above WHO guidelines — the study recorded the global mean for ozone parts-per-billion as 51.2, 67 percent higher than the WHO guideline of 30.6 ppb — are “underscoring” a continued risk to public health, with ozone rates increasing by 6 percent, particulate matter remaining consistent and nitrogen dioxide decreasing by 1 percent between 2005 to 2019.
However, countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa had higher levels of pollutant concentration compared to countries in the global north, with India having 66.7 ppb of ozone compared
to the global mean of 51.2 ppb in 2019, according to the study.
“While our current work focused on pollution estimates, we are now analyzing the health burdens attributable to these pollutants to better understand their impacts,” Kim said.
Researchers on the study also developed a website, which is currently down, called Urban Air Quality Explorers, that tracks the concentration of pollutants globally. Kim said he has “hope” policymakers and the public will use the website to make “data-driven” decisions on environmental policy.
“Our high-level summaries can serve as a foundation for future region-specific studies and help advance the field of global environmental health,” Kim said.
Gaige Kerr, an assistant research professor at Milken and a researcher on the study, said the decisions informed by the study could include regulations on industries that produce emissions, like the transportation industry.
“If we find that an air pollutant related to fossil fuel combustion, like nitrogen dioxide, is going up, that might tell us based on our knowledge of where nitrogen dioxide comes from, then we need to have more strict engine standards on our cars and trucks because the transportation industry and the transportation sector is a major source of nitrogen dioxide,” Kerr said.
Kerr said the study was able to use geospatial data, information that describes features on the surface of the earth, to find urban air pollution levels in regions that have historically not received the
necessary technological investment to track air pollution, like the global south. Kerr said this data could enable a better understanding of air pollution globally and particularly how it affects populations in countries that have been overlooked in environmental research because of the scale of the datasets.
“Datasets like the ones we used in this study actually allow us to understand pollution levels and greenhouse gas emissions in areas that are chronically undermonitored and disinvested in one major novelty of the study,” Kerr said.
Researchers used historical datasets collected from GIS, a computer system that contains, analyzes and displays geographical information, to observe the rate of emissions over time. To measure pollutant concentrations, researchers used pollutant datasets captured via satellite remote sensing. Jing Li, an associate professor of geography and the environment at the University of Denver, said using GIS for the study provided an “advantage” compared to other measures of air pollution — like ground-based monitoring stations — which have historically faced high costs and limited reach, because it enabled researchers to better analyze the relationship between environmental hazards and demographics by providing a global perspective to the data.
“GIS can leverage that kind of a spatial principle to make predictions compared to the traditional mathematical way to look at air quality,” Li said.
AIDAN
RAPHAEL KELLNER | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Cars pass by the Milken Institute School of Public Health.
ARWEN CLEMANS | SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR Student Government Association senators during a meeting in March.
KARSYN MEYERSON | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER School of Medicine & Health Sciences graduate Natalia Anzaldúa at University Commencement Sunday.
With District grant, local group to open applications for small business support
ELLA MITCHELL NEWS EDITOR
A Foggy Bottom community group will open applications for local businesses to apply for funds to help reach prepandemic sale metrics next month.
Leaders of the Foggy Bottom-West End Main Street program, which monetarily supports local businesses in a corridor, said the applications for small businesses to apply for grants will open “soon,” with Main Street program leaders aiming for the application to launch June 1 and to begin distributing the funds to businesses in August. The application process for funds from the $175,000 Districtissued grant will begin after Foggy Bottom Association leadership said they received the funds by the end of February. While the FBA said in February they had filed all necessary paperwork the month prior, they were not concerned about waiting to receive the city’s disbursements. Ben Sislen, the executive director of Foggy Bottom’s Main Street program, said they were still waiting for the disbursement of the $175,000 District-issued grant as of Feb. 10. Now, Sislen said, he and the FBA have received the funds and can open up grant applications to Foggy Bottom businesses, setting plans for the corridor into motion.
The Main Street program is an initiative launched by the Department of Small and Local Business Development, which aims to revitalize business corridors in D.C., according to the program’s website. The DSLBD partners with nonprofit organizations, like the FBA, to retain and recruit businesses along the corridor, improve commercial properties and attract customers, the site states.
Sislen said once Foggy Bottom was approved to receive the grant, he began knocking on businesses’ doors, helping them understand how the grant can help them and how to apply for funding support through the Foggy Bottom Main Street program.
“My job is to get as many applicants as possible, help them fill out the application, make sure that all the I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed,” Sislen said.
Sislen said since the District funds were dispersed to the FBA, he is working on outreach with businesses along the corridor, which will help the Foggy Bottom-West End Main Street’s board determine how the grant funding is distributed.
Business owners previous-
ly told The Hatchet they’d use the cash flow from the grant to invest in marketing efforts to promote business in the area, hire front-of-house employees and update store equipment.
“My job is to go in to learn as much about the businesses as possible, understand the pain points and equitably and fairly distribute money that’s going to help struggling businesses succeed,” Sislen said.
D.C. boasts 29 Main Street programs, including corridors in Cleveland Park, Georgetown and on U Street. In the first half of fiscal year 2024, D.C. Main Streets have seen the creation of about 298 jobs, 36 new businesses and about $1.75 million in private investment, according to D.C.’s Main Street site.
FBA President John George said about $40,000 of the Foggy Bottom-West End Main Street’s $175,000 grant can be dispersed directly to businesses — up to $4,000 per business — covering anything from a new cooler for refrigeration, awning repair for their building or fixing shoddy electrical work.
George said the application is meant to be as “straightforward” as possible, modeling itself after the applications from the District’s other 28 Main Street programs. The Barracks Row Main Street application, for example, requests contact information, a description of the project and funds requested and total cost of the project. The application also requires businesses to attach additional documentation, like a copy of their lease, permits for infrastructure installation and proof of payment.
Once the application is completed, a review committee composed of volunteer business owners and neighbors determine which businesses receive monetary support, according to George.
“This grant will help them meet their goal,” George said. “And then that’s what it’s all about. It’s all about making sure that the business is sustainable, that we can help create an environment that people like to frequent.”
George said he expects businesses to be notified of their grant award by August — a timeline that allows for the Main Street and FBA to distribute funds before the DSLBD’s Sept. 30 deadline. George said the FBA must use the money, or it will be returned to the DSLBD after the end of the fiscal year, which marks the Sept. 30 deadline.
The FBA and Main Street Director must use at least $40,000 of the grant for local business support, fewer than $20,000 for events and less than 50 percent of the total
fund for administrative expenses, according to the Main Street Application presentation. The FBA must match at least $15,000 of the funds, per the presentation.
But George said if the FBA doesn’t reach $15,000 in fundraising, there will not be a penalty from DSLBD beyond reevaluating their fundraising tactics.
George said the FBA plans to raise $15,000 by tapping into community connections. The Foggy Bottom Main Street also launched a donor box campaign to raise the funds, which, as of May 18, has raised over $260.
For the program to succeed, George said the community must rally around the program through fundraising and supporting small businesses.
“It’s really meant to join the community together and get buy-in,” George said.
The launch of the Main Street program in Foggy Bottom and West End follows a Foggy Bottom-West End Main Street study conducted in 2023, sponsored by Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto, which recommended implementing the program in the neighborhood to address struggling businesses and high numbers of storefront vacancies.
The study found that Foggy Bottom had a higher vacancy rate than the rest of the locally owned businesses in the study area because many businesses had yet to recover from the changes to foot traffic brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Once the study determined a Main Street was viable, Councilmember Pinto worked to fund the establishment of the Foggy Bottom West End Main Street in the Department of Small and Local Business Development budget,” a spokesperson for Pinto said in an email to The Hatchet.
The neighborhood reported 63 percent of businesses experienced sales below prepandemic levels rate in 2023, with shops in the Watergate complex facing about a 60 percent vacancy rate.
Foggy Bottom restaurant owners previously told The Hatchet in April that foot traffic slowdowns, rising food costs, federal layoffs and higher tipped wages have contributed to lagging business, causing some to cut hours and staff.
“This program represents an exciting opportunity to reenergize our neighborhood, support small businesses, and make Foggy Bottom an even more welcoming place for residents and visitors alike,” said Managing Partner of Founding Farmers David Ferguson in a press release.
Graduates protest Granberg’s Commencement speech
“First, you’ve taught me that voices matter at GW,” Granberg said. “Some people think it’s about shouting the loudest or going viral, but GW’s way is to think deeply, listen generously and speak with understanding and respect.”
The second lesson Granberg said students taught her is that the ability to have difficult conversations is a GW “superpower.” She said countless “tough” debates across campus inspired confidence in students’ ability to confront pressing questions.
“This Class of 2025 has already shown that you have what it takes,” Granberg said.
She said students’ capstone and research project presentations she viewed this year have proved their “high spirit,” where they have shown their ability to ensure tomorrow will be better than today.
“You’ve shown me the incredible possibilities that arise from an electric combination of resourcefulness, talent and a commitment to serve,” Granberg said.
As Granberg spoke, the student protesters chanted “There is only one solution, a student-led revolution” and
held various signs during Granberg’s speech, including ones that read, “Ban MPD & ICE from campus,” “Disclose, divest now” and “Grads withhold donations, we won’t fund this Holocaust.”
Event staff immediately escorted the roughly 40 students from the aisles to the back of the student section, where they stood and chanted for roughly three minutes before U.S. Park Police pushed the protesters to walk toward the right side of the venue toward an exit. They received a standing ovation from some of the seated graduates as the officers escorted the student protesters away from the ceremony.
2024 WNBA Finals MVP and Commencement speaker Jonquel Jones urged graduates to follow their “gut instincts” because doing so led her to GW and allowed her to grow as an athlete and as an individual.
She told graduates to put in work and be open when stumbles in stride occur because their hardship shape people into who they ultimately become.
“Keep trusting yourself, keep putting in the work when no one is watching because your moment will come,” Jones said. “When that door finally opens, I want you to walk through it like you were meant to be there all along.”
Staff Council leader calls on Trustees to ‘act quickly’ to support staff
A senior White House official said late last month Trump’s administration has no “forthcoming” actions against GW despite their federal crackdown on universities nationwide.
“Even in the face of these challenges, though, the University continues to make very good progress along a number of fronts,” Granberg said.
Granberg also said officials have narrowed the search for the next vice president for University advancement to succeed current Vice President Donna Arbide after she announced she intended to step down from the role in January. She said her appointed committee for the replacement search narrowed candidates down to three finalists who will visit campus next week. She said officials will announce the next vice president “shortly,” but didn’t specify a timeline. Granberg said the search committee for the next dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health is continuing its work that began in January and is currently conducting interviews. She said officials hope to name the new Milken dean “before the summer."
considering return-to-work mandates.”
GW Alumni Association President Maxwell GocalaNguyen said the GW Alumni Association is rebranding itself to GW Alumni to reflect a “more cohesive partnership” with alumni relations staff and reinforce the association’s commitment to all GW alumni. He said many alumni in the DMV area have a “strong desire” to engage more with the community but feel that their current engagement with GW is only for the University to solicit donations.
Trustees unanimously passed resolutions to recognize Arbide, Feuer, Goldman, Feldman and interim School of Business Dean Vanessa Perry for their service to the University as they step down from their respective positions.
Trustees also recognized Tucker for his service as the secretary of the Board as his term ends on May 31. Trustee Jeffrey Flaks will replace Tucker as secretary.
Staff Council President Kim Fulmer said during her report that staff continue to “weather a storm” as they face “deferred or eliminated” merit salary increases in July, concerns over return-tooffice mandates and delays in filling vacant positions.
Granberg said Bracey expects to announce an interim dean for the Graduate School of Education and Human Development “relatively soon” to replace current Dean Michael Feuer, who will step down from his position on July 1 after 15 years.
These delays stem from the position review process implemented by officials in February, which requires University leadership to approve all faculty and staff hiring and promotion requests, Fulmer said.
Fernandes said at an April Staff Council meeting that hybrid and remote work policies have not changed but will be reviewed by of-
ficials during the summer in collaboration with the Staff Council and other University groups to decide the best structure going forward. Officials also announced in late April that the position review process will sunset on June 30 as GW undergoes the University-wide budget cuts. Fulmer said officials “must act quickly” to retain their staff members, adding
they need to take steps to reduce burnout that was exasperated by officials’ merit increase halts. She said staff rely on their annual raises to keep up with increasing costs of community, childcare, rent and taxes. “What actions has the University taken to improve the staff experience?” Fulmer asked. “I’ll tell you. They are cutting compensation and
Chair Grace Speights and Vice Chair Mark Chichester’s terms were also supposed to come to an end May 31, but the Board amended their bylaws on last summer and added a clause that allows Board management to serve an additional year in their role, if agreed upon by twothirds of trustees. Officials did not specify why the bylaws were amended or what constitutes as an “extraordinary extension.”
ARWEN CLEMENS | SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest during University Commencement Sunday.
ARWEN CLEMENS | SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Secretary Ave Tucker, University
President Ellen Granberg and Chairperson Grace Speights sit at a Board of Trustee's meeting Friday.
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From Page 1
KARSYN MEYERSON | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Commencement
speaker Jonquel Jones delivers her address during University Commencement Sunday.
OPINIONS
GW’s strategic framework must push past vague aspirations
The University’s strategic framework is intended to guide GW’s direction over the next five to seven years, serving as a road map of priorities and principles to inform decision-making. After officials suspended the previous strategic plan amid the COVID-19 pandemic and backlash over a controversial enrollment proposal, the community has waited five years for a new vision that reflects its evolving priorities. But the draft framework officials released last month offers little more than vague aspirations, lacking the clarity and specificity needed to assure community members that the framework will genuinely address their concerns and goals.
Criticism of former University President Thomas LeBlanc’s strategic planning efforts in 2019 and 2020 revealed a key takeaway: The community needs and wants clear, concrete information about how officials will carry out their goals in order to evaluate them meaningfully. In 2020, faculty senators raised concerns that LeBlanc’s interim reports outlined broad goals without explaining how officials intended to achieve them. The part of the plan that was specific — an embedded proposal to cut undergraduate enrollment by 20 percent while raising the proportion of STEM majors to 30 percent — sparked swift and widespread backlash. The specificity gave the community something tangible to reflect on, question and ultimately push against.
Vague language invites no meaningful critique. Clear proposals do. We need more of the latter to ensure the University’s strategic framework truly reflects the priorities of its community.
Officials unveiled the draft framework in April, centered around three “institutional priori-
OSTAFF EDITORIAL
ties”: generating scholarship with impact, preparing students to be strong and resilient leaders and strengthening the University’s foundation for excellence. The framework stipulates that officials want to position GW as a “premier global convener of thought leaders,” emphasizing values like “intellectual diversity,” school spirit and a “vibrant and welcoming campus environment.” They’ve promised to “make strategic investments in faculty,” develop “impactful, highvisibility programs” and “nurture a lifelong community.”
On paper, the ideas in GW’s strategic framework are appealing. But without clear definitions, measurable outcomes or implementation strategies, they amount to little more than buzzwords.
ABBY TURNER | STAFF CARTOONIST
To be fair, strategic frameworks are not expected to lay out every detail of implementation. They’re meant to be more flexible than traditional strategic plans, like the one pursued under LeBlanc’s leadership. GW’s strategic framework website highlights this distinction in a section titled “GW’s Strategic Framework vs. a Traditional Plan,” which outlines key differences between the two approaches. Unlike a “tactical” plan with a “checklist of items,” the framework is described as a more adaptive model, focused on a “visionary end state.”
Still, flexibility shouldn’t come at the cost of clarity. LeBlanc’s strategic plan wasn’t heavy on specifics either, a point faculty criticized. But if nothing else, his enrollment strategy came with numbers. He said
You don’t have to march to make a difference
ne of GW’s main selling points is its location by the White House and Capitol Hill — and the opportunities that come with it, like internships and protesting on the National Mall. It was one of the main reasons I wanted to attend GW. I remember reading about past protests at GW when I was researching colleges my senior year, and I was glad to have chosen a university with a civically engaged student body. I was excited for it to be my turn to one day protest. But as President Donald Trump cracks down on campus protesters and free speech, protesting has become extremely risky for many international students, immigrants and minority groups. As a Mexican American woman who once looked forward to protesting in D.C., I have now become more cautious under the Trump administration and have begun seeking other ways to contribute.
Andrea Mendoza-Melchor Opinions Editor
I grew up viewing protesting as a form of civic power. In school, I learned how University of California, Berkeley students in 1964 challenged restrictions the university placed on political speech during
the Civil Rights Movement. I remember how excited my eighth-grade history teacher looked as he pointed to the photos in the textbook, and I thought that could be me one day. I still remember the first time I came to D.C. during my junior year of high school for a journalism conference in 2021. A large crowd of protesters had gathered outside the White House, and it was my first time witnessing a demonstration in person. It was striking to see so many people gathered together. There was a rare emotional charge I had never really seen or experienced before, and it was inspiring. Part of me hoped that if I ever felt so strongly about an issue, I would get the chance to protest it. I eventually got to protest in my senior year of high school for my teachers, though I haven’t done so in college yet. In part, this is because protesting has become a challenge under the Trump administration.
A year after I visited D.C., I told my older brother about the protest in front of the White House and that my future dorm, Mitchell Hall, was just blocks away from it. He explained that, as a young Mexican American woman, I wouldn’t have the same privileges others might when protesting. He said that when other people “screw up,” the
consequences for them aren’t as high as they are for people like us. If I ended up in jail because of protesting, he wouldn’t have the money for bail or a lawyer. He also said political figures are more inclined to make an example out of someone who has my background. It made me realize early in college that while protesting may have been something that I looked forward to growing up, it might not always be an option for many, including myself.
Over the past couple of months, Trump has taken action to execute what he called “the largest domestic deportation operation” in U.S. history. Trump has been targeting students, specifically focusing on immigrants or international students who’ve protested or somehow supported the pro-Palestinian movement.
I’m not completely discouraged from protesting by Trump’s actions, but I am more cautious. I don’t jump at protests the same way I did in my senior year of high school. My brother’s warning also stopped my impulsivity with protests in D.C. before Trump’s term. But I also know that when I do protest, it will be for something I feel is so intertwined with who I am, like immigration. It’s scary. But there are alternative ways to sup-
port the causes you believe in.
This semester, I had to take a science course that fulfilled my local and civic engagement requirement. I chose to volunteer at the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights to do my part in helping out undocumented immigrants as Trump started his deportations. I worked in the detention hotline, answering questions and transferring calls. I had the opportunity to actively help those facing immigration issues or deportations. I might not be protesting right now, but I can continue volunteering my time — even if it’s in small ways. GW tries to make volunteering more accessible to students by using GivePulse, a website where you can search for all the volunteering opportunities students have available to them. If you feel passionately about homelessness, then you can volunteer at Miriam’s Kitchen, serving meals to those who need them the most. I don’t deny that protests can be very effective at sparking change. But if you feel like you can’t protest, for one reason or another, know you can still do your part.
—Andrea
MendozaMelchor, a junior majoring in journalism and mass communication, is the opinions editor.
he wanted to “expand our commitment to STEM,” and he laid out how he planned to do it. That level of specificity gave the community something to understand, question and respond to.
Had LeBlanc simply said he hoped to grow STEM at the University without outlining how that goal would impact enrollment or financial planning, the community likely wouldn’t have pushed back so forcefully. Broad goals invite less scrutiny precisely because they reveal so little.
Take GW’s goal to create a “multiyear strategy” to meet the full demonstrated financial need of undergraduate students — arguably the most concrete aim in the entire plan. It sounds great. But how does the University actually plan to
achieve it? One approach could be allocating more institutional funds to supplement tuition for students receiving aid. But given that GW is not a need-blind institution, there’s another option: admitting fewer students who require financial assistance in the first place. Understanding the strategy behind the goal is essential to determining whether the community should support it. Without knowing the means, it’s impossible to judge the ends.
It’s encouraging to see University President Ellen Granberg prioritize community feedback in shaping GW’s strategic plan. Last year, officials held discussions with staff, faculty and students to gather input, culminating in an April 2024 report that highlighted key themes like capitalizing on GW’s location and strengthening alumni engagement. That commitment to dialogue has continued this semester, with officials hosting “community briefings” on the draft framework and accepting feedback through early May — an effort that, at least in theory, suggests community input is helping guide the plan’s direction. Officials said they would review the feedback they collected through the start of May and present an updated draft to the Board of Trustees for review and approval, with plans to launch the final version in fall 2025. While it’s encouraging that they’ve created space for community input, it’s unclear how much meaningful feedback the community could realistically provide. We hope the framework officials release includes more than aspirational language. Specifics create space for engagement, debate and oversight. It needs to say something concrete. Otherwise, there’s little to agree with and little to challenge.
Student speech report reveals chilling trends in censorship
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression reported more than 1,000 efforts to penalize students or student groups for First Amendment-protected speech from 2020 to 2024. While the reasons for universities silencing student protests have shifted over the last four years with the political climate — from the Black Lives Matter movement to the war in Gaza — speech-related incidents often ended the same way, with students facing penalties from peers, administrators or government officials, the foundation found.
Across the country, the rise of anti-free speech sentiments have infiltrated classrooms and campuses of higher education. In this year’s College Free Speech Rankings, all the five bottom schools had a number of controversies related to suppressing free speech. Harvard and Columbia universities came in last, earning the lowest possible score — zero. GW was ranked 161, which FIRE labeled “slightly below average.” It’s time to RaiseHigh — much higher.
Madie Turley Contributing Opinions Editor
FIRE’s report offers a chilling look at the shifting landscape of campus censorship. The focus has shifted dramatically — from students targeting their peers over alleged hate speech, to university administrators disciplining students in the name of safety and now to government officials reacting to national headlines.
We have been here before. Since 2016, the number of students who believe their free speech rights are secure has dropped from 73 percent to 43 percent — and the trends show no sign of growth. While 89 percent of students say they believe in the value of free speech, a contrasting 64 percent consider “hate speech” not protected by the Constitution. In times of political division, the first victim is often free speech. Our campuses have become ground zero in the fight. GW must decide what role it will play during periods of political unrest. The surge in crackdowns on constitutional principles demands a clear, consistent response from students, universities and political leaders alike — one that defends protected speech not by its popularity or political correctness but by safeguarding the freedom of expression. Higher education institutions are driven by the continuous pursuit of a brighter tomorrow. But as long as free speech remains at an impasse, so will creativity and innovation. To express ourselves is to be human — silence it, and what are we left with?
The players and arguments may change, but the impulse to silence dissent remains constant. In moments of crisis, America’s constitutional commitments to free speech are routinely tested. If campuses and the country are to remain stable and free, speech must be judged by principle, not the politics of the moment..
—Madie Turley, a sophomore majoring in English and creative writing, is the contributing opinions editor.
Local businesses, performers prepare for WorldPride festivities
In the two years since D.C. was named host of WorldPride 2025, local LGBTQ+ business owners and performers expressed excitement about the opportunity to celebrate and showcase the community on a global stage.
WorldPride, a series of events organized in conjunction with a city’s Pride month celebration put together by InterPride — an organization that advances awareness of LGBTQ+ rights — has been held nine times so far since 2000 at a different city throughout the world and was last hosted in Sydney, Australia, in 2023. To honor 50 years since the District’s first Gay Pride Day, D.C. is hosting the festivities from May 17–June 8, including a parade and a two-day music festival featuring Troye Sivan and Jennifer Lopez.
In June 1975, the owner of an LGBTQ+ bookstore hosted the District’s very first Pride celebration, a 2,000-person block party commemorating the 1969 Stonewall Riots and local Queer community. 50 years later, local businesses continue to host events celebrating the semi-centennial anniversary of Pride in the District and continue the “fight for equality, visibility and justice” worldwide, according to their website.
InterPride issued a travel advisory about safety concerns for transgender and
nonbinary individuals traveling internationally after Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office, which stated that individuals must select male or female on their passports when entering the U.S. In April, Kennedy Center officials canceled WorldPride events originally scheduled at the venue without providing organizers an explanation. The events were later relocated after former President Trump replaced the Center’s board with
GW community mourns beloved E Street CVS
After a college evening spent enjoying a few libations, alum Peter James Callahan said he remembers losing a friend in the E Street CVS while grabbing some food — only to find him asleep in front of the drink case.
“I woke him up and was like, ‘Dude, you cannot sleep here. My apartment’s a block away,’” he said.
Located next to Riverside Liquors, 500 feet from International House and just a couple blocks from the Elliott School of International Affairs, the E Street CVS has seen its fair share of students, thieves and locals in its tenure — from those looking for snacks to fuel grueling study sessions to customers snagging red solo cups for dorm festivities. After 65 years in operation, the campus locale closed its doors for good on May 6.
As other CVS locations around the District have been closing over the past couple years — including the one on 19th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue — students are left with only the 24-hour 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. store in Western Market. In the wake of the company shifting gears toward health care services and products over retail, hundreds of locations have closed, with others slated to cease operations by the end of this year.
First opened in June 1960 under the now-defunct, regionally owned Peoples Drug, the company was purchased by Melville Corp. in 1990. At the
members of his staff.
Liam Gideon, the founder and CEO of Unscripted by Guided Tours DC said they “preemptively designed” a tour showcasing LGBTQ+ history in the District in preparation for WorldPride. Gideon said tour guides drew from archives at the Washington Blade, the National Archives and the Library of Congress to create a walking tour highlighting LGBTQ+ landmarks.
Gideon said the tour
time, Melville Corp. owned CVS, but the two labels have since merged, becoming CVS Corporation in 1996.
In its longstanding residency, the convenience store became a pillar of student life, like in 2008 when a line of students and locals wrapped around the store to wait for a special edition of the Washington Post in honor of former President Barack Obama’s election. In an Instagram repost by Washingtonian Problems of The Hatchet’s post announcing the location’s closure, GW students and alumni flocked to the comments stating “that cvs got me through college, rip,” and “a gw institution fr.”
“When I was at GW (Thurston > 2109 F St > Letterman House) I obtained 70% of the food I consumed at this CVS. End of an era. Thanks for keeping me alive, E St CVS,” Callahan said in response to the original post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Callahan, a 2008 journalism and mass communications graduate, said he frequented the CVS around “once a day” by the end of his college career. He said he lived at the Letterman House apartment building on F Street during his junior and senior years, and he and his then-girlfriend would utilize the location to fill prescriptions and buy french bread pizza and White Castle sliders.
“It was really convenient,” he said. “It’s a cool building, too. I also went to that liquor store a lot for all of my party needs next door. On that end of campus, there’s not a lot of that kind of thing.”
includes the sites of existing and former gay, transgender and lesbian bars, like the now-closed Mega lounge, JR’s Bar and Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse, the birthplace of the annual Drag Queen High Heel Race, which turned 37 years old in October. He said D.C. hosting WorldPride is “exciting,” as officials have increased the size of events and changed the route of the parade to host Pride on a greater scale.
“Even with all the scary
things going on in the world right now, we look forward to it being a moment of celebration for everybody because Pride is always such a happy time and a happy event for all of us,” Gideon said. “We hope that’s the case this year, just on a higher magnitude.” Elizabeth Mondragon and Carla Rountree, codirectors of the D.C. chapter of Opera on Tap, an international opera company that aims to make the genre more accessible, will be hosting a
WorldPride night on May 22, featuring opera singers from the LGBTQ+ community at the Wonderland Ballroom in Columbia Heights. Rountree said the company is excited to “ramp” up their yearly pride celebration.
Mondragon said in past Pride celebrations, the company has invited members of the LGBTQ+ community to perform songs from different genres, like musical theater. She said since D.C. is hosting WorldPride this year, the company decided to only feature opera music composed or written by LGBTQ+ composers, including Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Samuel Barber.
“With everything that’s going on in terms of silencing marginalized groups and especially the gay and trans community, having it here in D.C. is just extra pointed, so I’m glad we’re a part of that,” Mondragon said.
Rob Heim, the general manager and partner of Shaw’s Tavern on Florida Avenue, said the tavern is opening earlier for brunch goers before the parade, hosting bottomless brunches every day for WorldPride, starting May 17, and is going “above and beyond” in decorating, while creating a space for those who may not want to attend larger events.
“I know a lot of people are maybe not thinking about coming, or they’re scared to come, but I think it’s more important now than ever to say that we’re here, we’re not going anywhere, and celebrate exactly who we are,” Heim said.
Swap chips for chapters at DC’s first literary vending machine
Foggy Bottom readers searching to find a taste of the local literary community lucked out as a Washingtonian installed a brand-new book vending machine in Western Market on Saturday.
Next to Duke’s Grocery now stands a “LitBox,” a tall, tan-colored vending machine featuring the District’s flag, images of Martin Luther King Jr. and various monuments. The machine is not filled with snacks to grab on the go but instead contains 23 books written by DMVbased authors.
District author Lauren Woods, who led the initiative, said she noticed a disconnect between writers in the DMV and the more widely recognized names in the publishing world, adding that during her visits to D.C. bookstores, she rarely saw local authors represented on the shelves. Inspiration struck for Woods about a year ago when she came across a photo of a literary vending machine in a European train station — an innovation already seen in countries like the United Kingdom, France, Romania and Germany.
After a year spent researching, securing licenses and fundraising, Saturday’s launch marked D.C.’s first literary vending machine.
A gold ribbon wrapped the vending machine in preparation for Saturday’s launch event, waiting for eager customers to find their new summer reads, as three featured authors read excerpts from their books. Organizers used social media to advertise the event and friends of authors, encouraging local readers to stop by the event and utilize the machine.
The vending machine features memoirs, flash fiction, poetry and children’s books with prices varying from $12 to $28. On the back patio of Western Market, over 20 attendees listened to authors and eagerly lined up Saturday afternoon to be the first customers of LitBox. Current book options include “The World Doesn’t Require You” by Rion Amilcar Scott and “Crushing It” by Erin Becker, and options will be rotated on a monthly basis, with Woods choosing authors based on recommendations and a literary salon she and her husband, a fellow author, run monthly.
Woods said the literary salons are held in their home, where five to six authors read each other’s work, inspiring the collection of books included.
According to LitBox’s website, Woods held an online fundraiser to raise funds to purchase the machine after realizing through the salon that D.C. has an “enormous supply” of local literary talent that deserve more attention. More than 75 people contributed $5,392 to Wood’s campaign, surpassing her $5,000 goal. The website said Woods worked with local artist Billy Howell to design the machine and license the brand, making LitBox a “D.C. based LLC.” She said she thought Western Market’s location was a “nice intersection” between GW students and people working in Downtown D.C., adding that she timed the machine’s opening to overlap with Commencement weekend in order to “hit some of the student community” before they leave. Other than the Campus Store
and Reiter’s Books on G Street, the vending machine is one of the few booksellers located in Foggy Bottom.
“The GW community was really important to me because I think that people in the college age are especially open to big ideas and read more widely than other people,” Woods said.
Woods said LitBox has a “multiyear” contract with Western Market and hopes to stay as long as it makes a profit. She said she hopes to expand the machine throughout the District “if it does well” and is currently scouting locations near the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station, another area with constant foot traffic due to nearby offices. She said, being a local author, she intentionally put other local authors in the machine to give them a platform to distribute their work. MARLENE ORANTES REPORTER
MARLENE ORANTES | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER The book vending machine in Western Market.
ARWEN CLEMANS | SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Sister Felix Culpa of the DC Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence waves a pride flag during the pride parade last year.
ARWEN CLEMANS | SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR The outside entrance of the E Street CVS.
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Rowing takes home silver at A-10 Championship to conclude season
Rowing claimed second place at the Atlantic 10 Championships Saturday on Cooper River in Pennsauken, N.J., bringing their spring season to a close.
Rhode Island topped the field with 52 points to take home its eleventh A-10 rowing crown, besting the Revolutionaries’ 48 point showing. The Revs placed second in each of the three scored races, finishing behind Massachusetts in the V4 race and Rhode Island in the V8 and 2V8 races.
The Revs picked up on their success from last season, taking home medals early in the season and defending their rivalry titles, but fell just short of winning the conference and earning a chance to compete in the NCAA championship. The Revs won the conference championship in 2023 and placed third overall at last year’s championship behind Rhode Island and UMass.
Saturday, the Revs placed second in the first final of the day, the V4 competition, finishing in 08:02.171.
UMass won the event with a time of 07:45.689, leading from the start and beating the rest of the field by over 15 seconds.
In the 2V8 competition, the Revs took home silver once again with a time of 06:49.073, falling to the eventual tournament champion, Rhode Island, who won the race with a time of 06:46.273. Earlier this season, the Revs’ 2V8 faced off against Rhode Island in the grand final of the Saint Joseph’s Invite in April, finishing almost five seconds slower than the Rams. Going into the final race
Women’s basketball shapes roster with three transfer additions
Three women’s basketball players announced this week they are transferring to GW. Bryant University junior forward Silvia Gonzalez, Loyola Chicago guard and forward Emma Theodorsson and University of Kentucky sophomore guard Tanah Becker will join a program that has been rebuilt this spring from the top down, with the hiring of Head Coach Ganiyat Adeduntan in March and the addition of an entirely new coaching staff in April. The three transfers will join former Georgetown University guard Jadea Wilson and Claflin University guard Nya Morris, who announced their transfers last month, as portal additions to the Revolutionaries team that finished 12th in the Atlantic 10 last year.
In an interview following her introductory event of GW Athletics staff and program supporters in April, Adeduntan said she was looking for players who can fit her fast-paced coaching style and can be weapons from beyond the 3-point line. Last season, GW placed 290th out of 362 Division I teams in pace of play.
“Trying to build a roster that’s going to fit in the way that we’re trying to play,” Adeduntan said in April. “It’s up tempo, disruptive defensively. We need players that can space the floor, so we’re trying to recruit there, and then this new landscape, there’s a lot of kids in the portal, but for us, we’re strategic with how we want to play.”
Last offseason, the team brought in five players through the transfer portal, including graduate student Makayla Andrews, who led the team in scoring with 11.6 points per game in her lone season at GW after joining from Lafayette College.
Here’s a look at the three newest Revs:
Tanah Becker
Becker, a guard from Winnipeg, Canada, appeared in four games for the Wildcats out of their 31 games last season. She averaged 1.8 ppg in 4.2 minutes a night, shooting 75 percent from the field in her limited sample size.
Becker represented Canada in the 2021 U16 FIBA Americas Tournament, where the team took home silver.
Emma Theodorsson
Theodorsson, a guard and forward from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, spent last season at Loyola Chicago, another A-10 school. She averaged 9.4 ppg for the Ramblers in the 2024-25 season, with 4.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists. Theodorsson started 21 of her team’s 30 games. Prior to her season in Chicago, she played two years at Bucknell University.
Silvia Gonzalez Gonzalez, a 6’2” guard from Catalonia, Spain, averaged 4.6 ppg in her two seasons with the Bulldogs. She started six games each in her freshman and sophomore seasons Gonzalez played for the Spanish National Team as a young athlete.
Athletics hires inaugural chief revenue officer — JONQUEL JONES ON 5/18/2025
BEN SPITALNY SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
GW Athletics officials named Markus Jennings as their first chief revenue officer and deputy athletics director, according to a Saturday release.
of the day, UMass, Rhode Island and the Revs all had a chance to win the conference crown with a victory in the last event of the day. In the decisive V8 race, the Minutewomen faltered, falling behind early and finishing in fifth place with a time of 6:52.778.
Rhode Island jumped out to an early boat-length lead — which the Revs failed to cut into — with the Rams crossing the line in 06:40.695 and taking home the conference title. The Revs finished next in 06:43.853, just three seconds shy of a potential A-10 title.
Jennings, who steps into the role June 9, will lead “external operations and strategic initiatives,” including marketing and studentathlete revenue sharing, in addition to having a “significant hand” in fundraising. The addition of Jennings to GW’s athletic department places the University among a growing number of institutions embracing the chief revenue officer role, with power conference programs, like Syracuse University and the University of North Carolina announcing their own hiring of the position in February and March, respectively.
Atlantic 10 foe La Salle also hired a chief revenue officer in October, joining Duquesne’s chief revenue officer — who assumed the position last June — as the only two A-10 schools with the position listed online.
Jennings’ roles were pre-
viously split among several officials, including former Director for External Operations Andy Ruge, who oversaw fan engagement. Ruge is no longer listed on the athletic staff directory as of May, although it’s unclear when or why he left the position.
Jennings joins GW after serving four years at the University of Akron as deputy athletic director and chief operating officer.
Jennings will oversee the athletic department’s external operations and strategic initiatives, including its communications and marketing. He will also have a significant hand in annual, scholarship and capital campaign fundraising, according to the release.
With the introduction of Name, Image and Likeness in 2021, which allows student-athletes to receive compensation off their personal brands and the impending House v. NCAA settlement — which will likely lead to direct revenue sharing with student-athletes — Jennings will join a growing athletics staff tasked with managing financial opportunities. Last summer, officials hired Coo-
per Handelsman as general manager for GW’s basketball programs, charged with advancing NIL programs and “optimizing GW’s resources” for its teams. In his role at Akron, Jennings oversaw daily operations for their athletics department serving as second-in-command under their director of athletics, where he oversaw multiple coach hirings and managed their budget, per the release. Prior to Akron, he served for eight years as associate athletics director for external affairs at Sacramento State University, where he worked on fundraising, marketing and branding. The now-closed LinkedIn posting for the job hiring states the position will involve working with Handelsman as a liaison to NIL collectives, supervising athletics marketing and promotions and overseeing ticket sales for GW’s basketball programs. The listed salary range for the role on LinkedIn sat between $138,128 and $240,315.
season defined by offensive stability, defensive struggles
In a season marked by explosive offense, tough losses and moments of promise, baseball (27-27, 14-16 Atlantic 10) concluded their season Saturday — falling just one game short of qualifying for the conference tournament. While the team showed flashes of dominance — including a 26-7 trouncing of the University of Maine and an 18-4 rout of the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, both in March — the Revolutionaries struggled to maintain momentum against conference opponents. With a
er, showcasing just how thin the margin was between wins and defeats. The team’s offense often kept them competitive, but inconsistency in pitching and defense repeatedly cost them winnable games. Their team ERA of 7.02 — nearly a full run higher than their opponents’ 6.05 — reflected those struggles. Defensive blunders also plagued the team throughout the spring, with 64 total errors across 53 games, averaging just over one per game. Opponents attempted 141 stolen bases against GW this season — the most in the A-10 — showcasing the challenges the team faced in controlling the game. Baseball wraps up
.289 team batting average, good for sixth in the A-10, and 373 runs scored, the team’s offense often delivered but inconsistency on the mound and in the field proved too much to overcome this season. After dropping all three games of the opening series in mid-February to the University of Southern California on the road, the team bounced back in impressive fashion, winning five straight games in late February and early March against Maine, Georgetown University and University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Their 26-7 victory over Maine included 19 hits and 20 RBIs — a performance
that set the tone for the offensive strength the team leaned on throughout the spring. Still, the team wavered throughout the season. While they secured key wins — including a 12-7 victory over Massachusetts in late April and 13-8 away win against Davidson in early May — those moments were offset by lopsided losses, like their 22-10 fall to Dayton in mid-April and their 11-1 stumble against George Mason in late March.
The Revs, in several close games, found themselves just short of a comeback or unable to hold a narrow lead. More than 10 losses came by two runs or few-
ARWEN CLEMANS | SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR The first varsity eight boat races in the GW Invite in April.
ARWEN CLEMANS | SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Graduate pitcher Graham Jeffries walks off the field after pitching during the game against Georgetown.
HANNAH MARR MANAGING EDITOR
COOPER TYKSINSKI | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
The Revolutionaries celebrate at home after a walk off homerun during a game in March.
ARWEN CLEMANS | SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Right-handed pitcher Brayden Kurtz throws a pitch during the game against Georgetown University Monday.
