Guide WELCOME BACK

Hurricane Irene may dampen move-in neWS • PaGe a2 An unexpected homecoming Former Colonial Jessica Thievery Corporation CULTURE Adair is back in the WNBA energizes waterfront PaGe B9 There is no place like home for the D.C. music pioneers SPORTS • PaGe a10 An independent student newspaper • Serving the GW community since 1904 Thursday The GW August 25, 2011 WWW.GWHATCHET.COM Vol. 108 • Iss. 4 HatchetWELCOME BACK Gelman Library Extensive renovation 2011 blueprints unveiled by katherIne rodrIGuez on the library’s first level, in hopes Guide Hatchet Reporter to facilitate social learning. Design of the space will con- Long-awaited upgrades to the tinue throughout the spring, and first floor of Gelman Library are construction, which will begin in Finding inching closer to becoming a reality the summer of 2012, will occur in with the release of detailed design several phases over the next three renderings for the renovations. years. Marking another step toward Numerous technological up- quelling student complaints about grades to existing study areas are your the outdated facility, the newly included in the designs, such as drafted designs, created by architec- laptop bars with outlets, wireless ture firm Cox Graae + Spack Archi- networks and printing capabilities. tects, show more group study spac- GW es rather than individual cubicles See GELMAN: Page B6 stride University seeks to rebrand visual image by PrIya anand his role, the University's communica- Metro News Editor tions arm has become more prominent, and managing messages across GW is a The University has hired two lead- large part of how the University relates to ing public relations firms to fine tune its community. and unify its visual message across the Christopher Nurko, an alumnus Pages B1 to B5 institution. and the global chairman of FutureBrand Part of the branding campaign will – one of the firms hired – said he will review GW’s logo, last revamped in 2002, oversee the review of GW’s brand with as well as how all University materials, an international perspective. The firm is including brochures, websites, mobile also handling the branding for London’s communications and videos, should use 2012 Olympic Games. that image, Vice President for External “What we do is we spend a lot of Relations Lorraine Voles said. time making sure that companies under- “Our goal for this project is to pro- stand what’s true about them,” Nurko duce a framework that will provide said, adding that his group will also con- clear guidance on how the University’s centrate on identifying what points influ- creative assets should be used and best ence peoples’ perceptions of GW. practiced in communicating about The The second firm, 160over90, has a George Washington University,” Voles history of helping universities refine said. and foster cohesive messages, execu- The project falls in line with Univer- tive creative director Jim Walls said. The sity President Steven Knapp's focus on public relations. Since Knapp assumed See BRANDING: Page B6 MIchelle rattInGer | SenIor Photo edItor Summer withdraw numbers down by Matt rISt able $800 deposit in May but ulti- of 2,270 students, although in May Senior Staff Writer mately choose not to attend GW, re- she told The Hatchet there were mained at approximately 4 percent 2,320 incoming freshmen. She did Fewer than 90 freshmen who for a second-consecutive year. not return requests for clarification submitted enrollment deposits in Just 89 students pulled out of of the 50-student discrepancy. the spring gave up their places in the incoming class this year, fewer Napper attributed the steady the Class of 2015, signaling a slightly than last year’s reported 100-stu- melt numbers to the University’s higher retention rate among the dent summer melt. increased selectivity. This year’s University’s incoming students. Executive Dean for Undergrad- acceptance rate for incoming Summer melt, the number of uate Admissions Kathryn Napper freshmen who made a nonrefund- said the Class of 2015 is comprised See MELT: Page B6 FIle Photo Girl Talk, who will headline this year’s '80s-themed Fall Fest, plays the 9:30 Club at a Student Association show last February. The popular artist made three appearances in D.C. in the last year. Finance Mash-up artist Girl talk to headline Fall Fest by SaMantha Stone only days before the show because of Hatchet Staff Writer contract disagreements. Committee to Tim Miller, then-executive director Popular artist Girl Talk will be the of the Student Activities Center, said featured performer at this year’s '80s- at the time that the University backed audit student themed Fall Fest. out of negotiations over the $15,000 Girl Talk, whose real name is contract with Girl Talk largely due Gregg Gillis, is known for mixing to the artist’s request that barricades organizations various song samples in his music would not be used to prevent audience and has released five albums in the members from joining him on stage. by Sarah FerrIS last nine years. In the past, he gained “Girl Talk’s management has Assistant News Editor notoriety for his on-stage antics, as done an excellent job ensuring the well as his habit of sampling songs safety and security of our students,” The Student Association Fi- without artists’ permission. now-Center for Student Engagement nance Committee is calling for The annual concert and event will associate dean Miller said. “We have greater transparency in student or- FrancIS rIVera | assistant Photo edItor begin at 4 p.m. on Sept. 4 in Univer- worked together to meet both of our ganizations’ spending by requiring Student Association Finance Committee Chair John Bennett hopes monthly sity Yard. needs for the event.” monthly reviews of all groups' bud- check-ins on student organizations' budgets will keep a tab on SA funding. Girl Talk is a District favorite, play- He said GW's common security gets starting this fall. ing two shows at the 9:30 Club this year measures, which include crowd bar- Finance chair and University-at- give student groups greater discre- during initial allocations. The finance and joining up with numerous artists at riers, will be part of this year's Fall large Senator John Bennett said fre- tion over their individual budgets. committee would then distribute the May 1 Sweetlife Festival. Fest. quent check-ups on organizations’ Under the new system, the SA will the rest of the money through co- Opening for Girl Talk will be Miller and Program Board Execu- spending will prevent misuse of SA dole out 85 percent of its funds to sponsorships while groups planned OCD: Moosh & Twist, a Philadelphia- tive Chair Connor Currier declined to funds as the student government pi- student organizations at the be- additional events. based band that dropped its first al- disclose the expected cost of the event lots a new strategy for funding stu- ginning of the year. This money is Bennett initially opposed last bum “The Welcome Mat” earlier this or the artists’ contracts costs. dent groups. intended to cover each groups' ex- year’s overhaul of financial allo- year. The "Back to the '80s” Fall Fest In their last meeting of the penses for the entire year. cations, concerned by the greater Girl Talk was scheduled to head- will feature three-lane Bungee runs, spring, the SA voted to overhaul In the past, the SA only gave line the annual event in 2008, but the gladiator jousting, free food and give- their funding allocation process to slightly more than half of its funds See SA FINANCE: Page B8 University made a last-minute switch aways. u Priya Anand | Metro News Editor | [email protected] Chelsea Radler | Campus News Editor | [email protected] August 25, 2011 Andrea Vittorio | Campus News Editor | [email protected] Sarah Ferris | Assistant News Editor | [email protected] H News SnapShot IN BRIEF Natural, man-made forces threaten move-in weekend Fall move-in will be tested this year by threats of Hurricane Irene spiraling toward the East Coast and the University’s lack of a main parking hub as students and their families arrive on campus. Residence halls will open for move- in Friday at 10 a.m., a day earlier than planned, in response to previous reports that Irene might hit the D.C.-area. More recent forecasts show the storm possibly heading farther east. Possible District weather scenarios include a partly sunny Saturday with sporadic showers and moderate Potomac flooding, with heavy rainshowers going into Sunday followed by potential flash floods, according to The Washington Post. The Post also reported that there is still a chance the storm could swerve west and strike the D.C. area. “In that scenario, flooding rain and damaging winds would probably occur over the metro region late Saturday into Sunday, with storm surge flooding along the Tidal Potomac,” The Post reported. The National Park Service and orga- nizers of the dedication ceremony for the new Martin Luther King Jr. memorial are also tracking the storm, but the Associated Press reported that plans for the event re- main unchanged by weather warnings. MICHELLE RAttingER | SEnioR PHoto EditoR Families driving down to move their National Go Topless Day participants Ayako Ikuno, left, and Upendra Singh, right, pose confidently as a D.C. police officer checks students to campus will be forced to park city ordinances that make it legal for women to go topless in D.C. Ikuno traveled from Japan for the fourth annual topless day on Sunday. in a smaller garage on campus while bull- dozers continue to tear down the Univer- sity Parking Garage. University spokeswoman Michelle ON THE WEB www.gwhatchet.com Sherrard declined to comment on potential traffic jams and parking woes.

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