Tuesday February 16, 2021 I Vol. 117 Iss. 21 INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER • SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904 WWW.GWHATCHET.COM What’s inside Opinions Culture Sports The editorial board Read our rundown Men’s and women’s breaks down how about the best meal swimming and diving GW should spend its prep delivery services find their sea legs as COVID-19 relief. to meet your needs. competition returns. Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Hill becomes first candidate to begin campaign SA Senate approves for SA president Catherine Morris as MAKENA ROBERTS CONTRIBUTING NEWS EDITOR executive vice president MAKENA ROBERTS SAMANTHA SERAFIN of this organization. This CONTRIBUTING NEWS EDITOR STAFF WRITER is our time to lead, to be truthful and to be trans- The Student Association The current Student As- parent. I believe we can do Senate confirmed Cath- sociation president became it together.” erine Morris, the senate’s the first to announce his Hill, the SA president, chief policy adviser, as ex- campaign for the SA’s top said Morris has been a ecutive vice president in spot for the next term Tues- “lifesaver on the senate a special senate meeting day. staff” as a senior policy Sunday. SA President Brandon advisor this year and had SA President Brandon Hill – a junior who previ- an “instrumental role” in Hill presented SA Sen. Kate ously served as executive facilitating the GW’s com- Carpenter, U-at-Large and a vice president and as- munity’s access to The Wall Hatchet photographer, last sumed the presidency last Street Journal, The Wash- week as his pick for execu- month – is running on a ington Post and The New tive vice president after he platform to improve course York Times. He said Mor- ascended to the presidency affordability, student in- ris’ values like integrity, and left the EVP spot open, clusivity in governance honesty and professional- but the senate rejected his and internal operations in ism are of “dire” need to nomination. Morris said the SA. Hill said he will the SA and the University. she learned “what is possi- work with members of the “As a friend, a colleague COURTESY OF BRANDON HILL ble in the SA,” like advising SA Senate and officials to and a fellow [School of Hill touted achievements related to student refunds for dropped courses and Pass/No Pass policies as part on legislation and facilitat- Media and Public Affairs] help students regain stabil- of his record of listening to student voices. ing meetings with admin- ity following the COVID-19 student, I have full faith in istrators, while working Morris’ abilities to serve pandemic and expand cul- half for candidates to run Hill said in his three students,” Hill said. “And under the “phenomenal over a divided body of stu- tural resources on campus this year. years in the SA, he served they all start with students leadership” of Hill and for- dents,” Hill said. “Morris outside of the Multicultural Hill said the relation- on the student engage- expressing concern or stu- mer SA EVP Amy Martin, knows that we get nowhere Students Services Center. ships he has built with of- ment committee where dents raising their voices.” who held the position in from wishing each other “I think I am someone ficials throughout his time he collected “anecdotal Hill said he hopes to the 2019-20 school year. the worst and making who doesn’t take myself too in the SA will give him data” from students on the work with administrators “They push me to be a backdoor deals.” seriously and still takes the an advantage if elected Mount Vernon Campus to to ensure financial support better advocate and a better Hill said at last week’s work I do seriously,” Hill as president because he gauge interest in providing policies implemented due student leader,” she said. senate meeting that he was said. “And that’s how you “won’t have to start from lockers for those students to the pandemic will re- “I’m excited to have the op- “disgusted” by the “back- add personability to the the ground up.” on Foggy Bottom. He said main in effect in the future. portunity to follow in their door deals” some senators work that we do and allow He said he has built a as a Columbian College of He said officials should footsteps of leadership.” had been making in an at- students to feel comfortable “super collaborative” rela- Arts and Science senator, he continue to allow students Morris previously tempt to deny Carpenter, bringing issues to you and tionship with Mark Diaz, established the Black Sena- to register for classes with served as an undergradu- his previous pick, the posi- believing that you’ll actu- the executive vice president tors Caucus, which he said an outstanding tuition bal- ate Columbian College of tion. ally act upon them, rather and chief financial officer. has sparked the creation of ance of up to $2,500 instead Arts and Sciences senator, Senators also unani- than them shouting into an He said they have worked other caucuses in the body. of reverting back to a previ- a finance committee aid mously approved a piece of empty hole.” together to advocate for fi- He said as the executive ous threshold of $1,000. and as the vice chair of legislation endorsing a fac- Hill is required to gath- nancial policies for students vice president, he worked “The University has the finance committee. She ulty petition that calls on er at least 250 signatures in the past, like extending with officials to increase been doing some really said she is looking forward the University to “commit during the candidate regis- the timeline for when stu- the amount of refunds a positive things to impact to continue advocating for itself” to diversity, equity tration period from Feb. 24 dents can receive a refund student can receive if they the student experience,” students during the re- and inclusion through hir- to March 3 and be approved after dropping a course. drop a course and imple- Hill said. “They’ve been mainder of the term, “in a ing “a cluster” of faculty of by the Joint Elections Com- “Having those power- ment an optional Pass/No deemed as temporary, so I time when students need it color. An informal group mission to qualify as a ful and strong relationships Pass policy for students want to make sure that the the most.” of faculty is circulating a candidate. The senate ap- with administrators just during virtual instruction. University doesn’t rubber “This is a time we re- petition to administrators proved legislation in No- makes it more of a collab- “I think these are all is- band back in terms of the commit to student advo- to hire 18 minority faculty vember that cut the number orative effort rather than a sues that have been driven financial policies that were cacy,” Morris said. “This is members, primarily in of required signatures in fight,” Hill said. by the students and for the implemented this year.” when we decide the future CCAS. Experts say GW diversity audit must focus on strengths and weaknesses CARLY NEILSON mented similar diversity as- of development based on the STAFF WRITER sessments using third-party negative responses, with three audits to improve campus cli- committees to tackle the 12 ar- EVA CHILLURA mate. eas. REPORTER Officials said in late Janu- She said the assessment ary they would complete the also allowed NYU officials to Experts said the Univer- audit by late spring and will localize the negative responses sity-wide external diversity use the “coming weeks” to to specific departments and audit officials announced late find an external party to con- “borrow” successful practices last month could lead to cam- duct the audit. from some departments and pus-wide improvements in Lisa Coleman, the chief apply them to others lacking in diversity and inclusion if it can diversity officer at NYU, said mentorship or innovation. Of- effectively reveal both GW’s administrators implemented ficials were able to identify ex- strengths and weaknesses. an assessment called “Being@ clusionary conduct, problems Administrators said they NYU” in 2017 to assess diver- with program recruitment and will use the findings to cre- sity, inclusion, equity and be- retention discrepancies in the GRACE HROMIN | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR ate an action plan to improve longing by surveying students, climate assessment, she said. GW’s medical enterprise has administered 8,600 vaccines to D.C. residents over the age of 65 GW’s financial aid policies, the faculty and staff across all of Faculty members have re- and to health care personnel. GW Police Department’s inter- NYU’s campuses globally. cently been calling for officials actions with staff and students She said officials hired to hire more diverse faculty at and diversity in the Univer- three external firms – Rankin GW. An informal group of de- Students to be eligible for sity’s hiring practices. Experts and Associates, Helios Educa- partment chairs and program in diversity in higher educa- tion Foundation and the Cen- directors began circulating a tion said a diversity audit can ter for Diversity Education and petition earlier this month call- vaccine in D.C. Inclusion at the University of ing for officials to implement a provide data about GW’s po- ISHA TRIVEDI tential shortcomings to help of- Maryland – to conduct the sur- “cluster hire” of underrepre- are “actively develop- President Thomas LeB- ficials choose where they need vey and report the findings to sented faculty members. ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR ing” events to support lanc’s leadership.