Graduates Bid Farewell on National Mall
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More about this year's Commencement weekend online H Everything you missed during graduation www.gwhatchet.com MONDAY Th GW May 18, 2009 ALWAYS ONLINE: WWW.GWHATCHET.COM Vol. 106 • Iss. 2 Hatchet AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER - SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904 Graduates bid farewell on National Mall Anne Wernikoff/assistant photo editor Students cheer as they celebrate their graduation Sunday morning on the National Mall. More than 4,000 graduat- ing seniors attended the University-wide Commencement ceremony. Weather holds for celebration how much the University paid for the Set as your goal that Rain forecasted, broadcasts, though she said webcasting Anne Wernikoff/assistant photo editor the ceremony was something the Uni- you can make the White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel delivers the keynote address at Com- but ceremony goes versity has wanted to do for some time. mencement, held Sunday morning on the National Mall. Columbian College of Arts and Sci- world a better place. ences graduate Eric Struening said that on outdoors the damp atmosphere was the only Because if you can downside. by Gabrielle Bluestone “The speech was Rahmtastic – do that, a remarkable “ Emanuel: All hands Metro News Editor straight and to the point,” Struening said. thing can happen. If “The only thing disappointing about the Thousands of undergraduate, grad- ceremony was the weather.” you try to make the uate and doctoral students celebrated During the Commencement exercis- “ on deck for America their collegiate careers on an overcast, es, University President Steven Knapp world a better place a windy morning in front of the Capitol bestowed honorary degrees on Eman- and an audience of 19,000 friends and uel, Jeanne Narum – the founder and better place, the world by Emily Cahn edge that America has had a tough couple family. director of Project Kaleidoscope, a group can be a better place. Campus News Editor years, but in the long run America will be The two-hour ceremony took place dedicated to building and sustaining un- known not for what’s been done over the on the National Mall between 4th and dergraduate programs in science, tech- And that’s a wonderful White House Chief of Staff Rahm Eman- past few years, but for what we’re about to 7th streets and included speeches from nology, engineering and mathematics – uel urged more than 4,000 GW graduates to do to come back. But that will only be true if University offi cials, students and honor- and John Safer, who is a sculptor, banker thought. serve a cause bigger than themselves, but all of us do our part.” ary degree recipients like keynote speak- and real estate developer. made room for plenty of self-deprecating Emanuel added, "It’s an all-hands-on- er and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Safer told students to pursue their jokes in his keynote address at the Universi- deck moment for America." Emanuel. interests, citing his own multi-faceted ca- JOHN SAFER ty-wide Commencement ceremony Sunday During his address, Emanuel said he An early rain cleared the way for reer, which includes jobs in the Air Force, HONORARY DEGREE morning on the National Mall. hoped graduates would learn from his mis- a dry ceremony, but wind muffl ed the real estate and art. RECIPIENT In a speech that echoed President Barack takes – including what he said included a speaker’s microphones at times and the “Throughout all of that, that was Obama’s message of practical optimism, “reckless past” and lack of humility that morning was gloomily cloudy. As a pre- never my focus in life. My focus was Emanuel, who received an honorary Doc- plagued him throughout parts of his career. caution, the University had 25,000 blue, ous content of popular late-night street always my art and my sculpture and I vendor Manouch’s GW sauce. She em- tor of Pubic Service degree from GW, told “Learn humility and wisdom when you GW embossed ponchos and 25,000 bot- tried to spend at least half my waking the graduates that times are tough, but with stumble, because it will help you when you tles of water on hand for the graduates phasized the importance of taking risks hours on that sculpture,” Safer said. “I in life, explaining that the regrets that hard work and a generation fi lled with new succeed,” he said. “Being forced to come and their families and friends, Univer- tried to create beauty where there previ- ideas, America can emerge better than ever. back from that failure is why I am standing sity spokeswoman Tracy Schario said. “really eat away at you” stem from what ously was none.” people opt not to do. “This is a school in the heart of our na- here today. You will have failures in your life, The Commencement ceremony was Student speaker Naomi Rapp’s ad- tion’s capital where students and the Univer- but it is what you do during those valleys broadcast on the local ABC 7 affi liate and “I triple-dog-dare you to take those dress noted a number of shared GW ex- risks and live without regret,” Rapp said. sity itself make public service a big priority,” that determine the heights of your peaks.” webcast live on the station’s Web site, periences among the graduates, from the Emanuel said. “Anyone would acknowl- Schario said. Schario did not disclose See RAHM, p. 6 annoyance of motorcades to the mysteri- See COMM, p. 6 SEAS alum urges gradsa to follow dreams Trustees outline Academy Award- winning engineer goals for next year by Sarah Scire to establish a permanent committee Senior News Editor dedicated to overseeing develop- delivers address ments at the Virginia campus and by Amanda Lindner Despite news that the Univer- begin a legislative agenda for the Web Editor sity’s endowment dipped below campus that could include “regular $1 billion this year, GW’s Board of meetings” with government lead- Trustees optimistically charted goals ers in Richmond, Va. An Academy Award winner may for next year in their fi nal meeting “We are the largest private Uni- seem like an unusual guest for a crowd of the academic year on Friday. versity in Virginia and there are op- of engineers, but alumnus Bill Westen- The Board enthusiastically dis- portunities for direct support,” he hofer, who addressed the graduating cussed expanding the University’s said. class of the School of Engineering and research opportunities, improving After the general meeting, the Applied Science, was a tangible ex- GW’s Virginia campus and solicit- Board went into executive session ample of the wide variety of careers an ing additional donations for proj- – which is closed to the public. The engineering degree can lead to. ects like the Smith Center and the trustees discussed fi nancial matters, SEAS, which is celebrating its 125th proposed Science and Engineering and an executive fi nancial report anniversary, hosted its graduation cer- Complex at its general meeting in prepared by Executive Vice Presi- emony Saturday night in the Smith the Elliott School building on Fri- dent and Treasurer Lou Katz stated Center. Westenhofer, who graduated day morning. that the University’s endowment the school with a degree in computer “We would like to make the Vir- fell to $995.7 million in March of science in 1995, earned an Academy ginia campus an integral part of the 2009, just shy of the billion-dollar Award for Achievement in Visual Ef- George Washington University,” mark reached in 2007. fects on the fi lm, “The Golden Com- said Trustee Mark Hughes, outlin- The endowment’s return for pass.” ing some of the Board’s goals for the 12 months leading up to March He spoke to the 450 graduates about the part of campus located in Ash- 2009 was about negative 21 percent, his own struggle with “competing Chrisr Gregory/Hatchet photographer burn, Va. Bill Westenhofer, alumnus and Academy Award winner, spoke to the graduating class of the See SEAS, p. 6 Hughes said the trustees hoped See TRUSTEES, p. 6 School of Engineering and Applied Science Saturday night at the Smith Center. The GW Hatchet | Monday, May 18, 2009 H WWW.GWHATCHETT.COM Page 2 Web Extra: Medical school probation to be reviewed Gabrielle Bluestone – Metro News Editor ([email protected]) Slide Show: Commencement weekend 2009 Emily Cahn – Campus News Editor ([email protected]) Amanda Dick – Campus News Editor ([email protected]) Video: Senior send off >> Lauren Hoenemeyer – Assistant News Editor ([email protected]) CAMPUS Obama aide SNAPSHOT Cha-Cha Chernak New Hall CALENDAR tapes NPR show renamed Philip in Lisner Amsterdam Hall May 20 A close advisor to President The Board of Trustees approved Barack Obama joked along with a measure Friday morning to rename HIGH 79 | LOW 57 TOASTMASTERS hosts of the popular radio show New Hall as Philip Amsterdam Hall Bolster your public speak- “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!” at in honor of a prominent GW trustee ing skills with GW Toast- the show’s taping Thursday eve- who passed away last year. masters, an organization ning in Lisner Auditorium. The renaming request was made that focuses on improv- The show, which is produced by Amsterdam’s son and approved ing public speaking and by National Public Radio and by the Board of Trustees Friday at leadership skills. Meet- distributed to stations across the the governing body’s spring meet- ings last for one hour and country, hosted campaign strate- ing. Amsterdam, who died in March participants can learn from gist David Axelrod and raised of 2008, left a $5 million bequest to examples of prepared and money for WAMU, American the Trachtenberg School of Public on-the-spot speeches.