VINCENT GRAY PAGE B6 HATCHET-SA DEBATE PAGE A3 Council chair anticipates D.C. vote Candidates refl ect on problems in SA THURSDAY The GW February 26, 2009 ALWAYS ONLINE: WWW.GWHATCHET.COM Vol. 105 • Iss. 44 Hatchet AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER - SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904 Men's basketball shines in overtime Provost's Despite illness, Hollis comes up clutch in crucial win dual roles by Andrew Alberg Hollis led all players with Sports Editor 25 points and 13 rebounds in 40 minutes of play, despite Three years ago, the GW being visibly sick during the questioned men’s basketball team need- post-game press conference. ed a miracle to beat Char- GW took a five-point lotte in overtime and fi nish lead midway through over- conference play undefeated. time, but left the door open Williams resigns from Wednesday night, the Colo- for a comeback by Charlotte nials needed a similar come- –who beat GW by 18 points corporate board position back to beat Charlotte in just 10 days before – when overtime and preserve their sophomore point guard Tra- by Husna Kazmir small chance of fi nishing 12th vis King missed a shot with Hatchet Staff Writer in the conference and making GW up one and 17 seconds the Atlantic 10 tournament. remaining. University Provost John Williams resigned from The two games may have The 49ers’ opportunity the Board of Directors of the corporation managing the occurred in starkly different did not last long, however, as GW Hospital this month after GW leadership cited his situations, but both ended senior Rob Diggs caught the position at the company – which includes a six-fi gure the same way: with a GW rebound and slammed it in, salary and stock options victory, this time 92-88. giving his team a large enough – as a possible confl ict of With just over a minute cushion to win the game. interest. remaining in regulation of a “Any time you’re able to Williams, who is vice pivotal game for both teams, rebuild a program the first president of health affairs the 49ers looked to be on thing you really have to fo- and the second most se- their way to a hard-fought cus on is teaching your play- nior administrator at the win. Up six, their odds of ers how to compete. The most University, has received stiff-arming GW’s bid to difficult thing when you’re more than $750,000 since catch them in the standings rebuilding your program is 2001 from Universal looked good. teaching your players how Health Services along But, recalling that hal- to win,” GW head coach Karl with valuable stock in the lowed 2005-2006 season, the Hobbs said. Fortune 500 company, ac- Colonials (9-16, 3-10 A-10) Considering how many cording to Securities and forced a series of breaks in a close games the team has Exchange Commission John Williams frantic final minute, culmi- lost this season, Hollis said fi lings. Williams was paid nating with two free throw winning a tight contest $709,005 from GW in 2007. attempts by junior Damian was “bound to happen.” It His dual positions may have posed a confl ict of Hollis with 21 seconds and couldn’t have happened at interest because Williams is tasked with both improv- GW down two. Neither hit See HOLLIS, p. B3 ing the academics of the medical school and keeping anything but net. an eye on UHS’s profi ts. Given his two roles, Williams could theoretically choose to ensure the hospital’s prof- itably by not investing in upgrades and training that Scoreboard would benefi t medical students and faculty. GW’s Board of Trustees, University President Ste- ven Knapp and other University leaders asked VS See WILLIAMS, p. B4 Related: to Alex Ellis/photo editor Washington Post assserts SMHS problems were 92 88 Senior forward Rob Diggs scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to help the downplayed. Page B4 GW men's basketball beat Charlotte 92-88 in overtime Wednesday night. Frank outspoken at CD event Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., chair- ing discrimination and the “Don’t Massachusetts rep. man of the House Financial Services Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the mili- committee, spoke to an enthusiastic, tary. standing-room only crowd and made Frank praised the Congressional criticizes Scalia, blunt pronouncements on the econo- Black Caucus for their support of gay my, partisanship and gay rights. rights issues. “Justice Antonin Scalia is a bigot “The most supportive group for promotes gay rights and an outright homophobe,” Frank gay issues has been the Congressional declared of the conservative Supreme Black Caucus; in fact they have been by Geoffrey Middleberg Court justice. more supportive than some of the gay Hatchet Reporter One of only a few openly gay members of Congress,” he said. members of Congress, Frank said Frank said that while politicians might One of Congress’ most outspoken he feared a conservative-leaning Su- talk about bipartisanship and the dangers representatives did not mince words preme Court would overturn any of polarization, the truth is that parties are went it came to the state of affairs in legislative progress on gay rights. He both necessary and positive institutions. Washington at an event in the Marvin also discussed the importance of le- Center Monday night. galizing same-sex marriage and end- See FRANK, p. B2 Chris Gregory/Hatchet photographer Senior Gabrielle Bass is one of many black GW students who said they feel CANDIDCANDIDATE a lack of understanding on campus about black culture. Bridging the gap Black students discuss isolation at GW by Amanda Lindner GWHATCHET.COM Hatchet Staff Writer H Check out The Hatchet “Where are all the black people?” online for video inter- asked sophomore Sally Nuamah. views on being black at GW. “How does this relate to me?” Nuamah was referring to the sub- Planning – higher than that of Ameri- ject matter of her class on U.S. Diplo- can, Georgetown and New York uni- macy. But it’s a question she and other versities. But black students remain black students ask frequently – some- outnumbered by their white counter- times in class, but often just walking parts at GW by nearly 9 to 1, and many around a campus they say can feel iso- said in interviews that the disparity lating. causes feelings of separation inside and GW multicultural leaders said it is outside the classroom. a perennial struggle to make black stu- “After [Colonial Inauguration], I dents feel more comfortable on cam- was like, ‘I want to transfer,’ ” said ju- pus – a balance between educating the nior, Jordan Chisolm, president of the community about black culture and Black Student Union. “I’m naturally providing a forum for black students an introverted person and the culmi- to come together. And as Black His- nation of seeing nobody else like me tory Month draws to a close, they must made my fi rst year really hard. I went work extra hard to ensure that mission home a lot.” – celebrated during February – is not GW’s black student enrollment Michelle Rattinger/Hatchet photographer forgotten. may be higher than at comparable uni- Student Association executive vice presidential candidate sophomore Jason Lifton hands out a palm card The undergraduate student body versities, but students interviewed said to a passing GW student Wednesday afternoon. Voting for the 2009 SA election ends Thursday. at GW is 7 percent black, according to the offi ce of Institutional Research and See STUDENTS, p. B2 The GW Hatchet | Thursday, February 26, 2009 H WWW.GWHATCHETT.COM Page Web Extra: Multicultural student groups grill SA candidates 2 Alex Byers – Metro News Editor ([email protected]) Web Extra: Students lobby congressmen on Israel issues Emily Cahn – Assistant News Editor ([email protected]) Nathan Grossman – Campus News Editor ([email protected]) Video: Being black at GW >> Sarah Scire – Campus News Editor ([email protected]) CAMPUS Univ. warns of SNAPSHOT Polar Power Applicant SAT CALENDAR three robberies scores rise despite near campus drop in merit aid THURSDAY HIGH 59 | LOW 44 At least three robberies have The SAT scores of high STUDENT ASSOCIATION taken place on or near campus school applicants to GW rose 10 ELECTIONS in the past two weeks, prompt- points this year, despite the fact Vote online for your favorite ing the University to issue crime that less money is being allocat- candidates. alerts. ed to attract “elite” applicants Polls close at 9 p.m. Two weeks ago, a group of with merit scholarships. www.gwelection.com men pushed a woman to the University offi cials said in ground near the GW Hospital October that due to the wors- VOICES OF THE SAFFRON and stole her iPod. Three other ening fi nancial crisis the school REVOLUTION people may have been involved would shift its admissions focus Burmese monks speak of in the robbery, according to the further away from using merit their efforts to end the military alert, and the thieves could have scholarships to draw “elite” stu- regime in Burma in pursuit of been looking for people exiting dents and more toward helping a democratic society. the Foggy Bottom Metro station. students already enrolled. 12 p.m. The crime alert described the sus- “The University’s objective Lindner Family Commons, pect as a black male, between 14 in this economic climate is to 1957 E St. and 16 years old, and about 5 feet stabilize enrollment and qual- 5 inches tall. ity consistent with our Board On Feb. 19, a thief stole a lap- of Trustees-approved goals,” top from the Starbucks in Gelman Chernak wrote in an e-mail.