City to Change Mall Area CCAS Advising Changes
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FALL FEST PAGE A3 HOOTERS MIXTAPE PAGE B7 Event moved inside due to hurricane Resturant waitresses share top jams THURSDAY The GW September 4, 2008 ALWAYS ONLINE: WWW.GWHATCHET.COM Vol. 105 • Iss. 6 Hatchet AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER - SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904 CCAS advising Staff donations to Obama rise GW employees give one changes stalled donation to McCain since May by Sarah Scire the same advisers throughout by Bryan Han Cain in 2008 and about $15,000 Campus News Editor their fi rst year. However, Duff Senior Staff Writer during the entire cycle. said many of the most signifi cant “Most universities have a After spending more than a problems identifi ed in the report University employees do- generally liberal democratic year identifying a range of prob- were unfi xable. nated overwhelmingly to Ba- tendency,” said Steven Billet, lems in the Columbian College “We can never solve that rack Obama’s presidential cam- director of legislative affairs at of Arts and Sciences advising problem,” Duff said, referring to paign this year, with the Illinois the Graduate School of Politi- system, administrators said they the discrepancies between facul- senator receiving more than 68 cal Management. “So when it remain unprepared to make any ty advisors. “Some faculty aren’t percent of all GW contributions, comes to presidential elections, signifi cant changes this fall. going to be good advisers.” a Hatchet analysis of campaign it’s somewhat common for uni- The school created a commit- Duff highlighted several oth- fi lings found. versity campuses to be more tee last year to investigate advis- er serious problems brought to Faculty and administrators Democratic and, in our current ing in response to student and light by the committee’s report who listed GW as their employ- environment, Obama support- Key: parent complaints and presented – including not enough advis- er in federal election documents ers.” the fi ndings to CCAS Dean Peg ers in large departments and the donated $41,795 to Obama in Altogether, University Barratt this May. The group lack of a comprehensive way to 2008 – about twice the amount employees donated $115,052 Barack Obama | $41,795 | 68% found that students were most advise undeclared sophomores – he received last year. During to presidential campaigns concerned about impersonal ad- but said the University had not the entire election cycle, GW throughout the election cycle, Hillary Clinton | $11,462 | 19% vising from faculty advisers and yet begun to test other options. staffers sent the candidate more with only 13 percent going to receiving inconsistent informa- “That’s not going to change,” than $60,000. Republican candidates. Only John McCain | $7,900 | 13% tion, said Paul Duff, associate Duff said of the lack of faculty Former presidential candi- donations of $200 or more are dean for undergraduate studies advisers in large departments date Sen. Hillary Clinton (D- reported to the FEC. in CCAS. like political science and psy- N.Y.), the next-largest recipient, Contributions to Clinton Mitt Romney | $300 | .4% He noted several small im- chology. “There’s no easy way to received $11,462 in 2008. stopped after May 7, a month provements this semester, in- solve that.” University employees do- before she offi cially closed her Alex Abnos/Hatchet staff cluding additional content on the Other GW schools such as nated $7,900 to Republican Above: GW staff donations in 2008. Employees donated CCAS Web site and an initiative $115,052 to candidates during the entire election cycle. See ADVISING, p. B3 presidential candidate John Mc- See DONATIONS, p. B3 designed to keep freshmen with Book prices hit Congress Former to soften the blow of rocketing “Publishers should become Students face prices. Chad Rector, assistant more aware of student price professor professor of political science sensitivity and, when pos- and international affairs, said sible, modify their materials to unprecedented that teachers understand their be more cost effi cient,” Ewert students’ textbook troubles. wrote in an e-mail. textbook costs “Professors are generally He added that the GW becomes quite sensitive to students’ con- Bookstore should not have to by Husna Kazmir cerns and make an effort to use buy the bundle packages asso- Hatchet Staff Writer ciated with certain textbooks, which package multimedia and diplomat Many students who wanted "Publishers should workbooks with the required an escape from unprecedented become more aware of textbook. by Nathan Grossman increases in textbook prices “Neither bookstores nor Campus News Editor shopped at online retailers and student price sensitiv- students should be required to secondhand bookstores to save purchase bundles, some com- Former School of Media and money this semester, but they ity and, when possible, ponents of which may serve a might soon fi nd relief from the Public Affairs professor Robert modify their materials to limited academic purpose,” he Callahan recently transitioned to federal government. wrote. “We support the con- A report from the Govern- his new role as the U.S. ambas- be more cost effi cient." cept that each component in the sador to Nicaragua and said his ment Accountability Offi ce bundle should be available sep- found that the cost of textbooks time at GW helped him prepare arately and at a reasonable cost, for the diplomatic post. nearly tripled from 1986 to 2004 CLIFF EWERT including access to required and prices are still rising at an VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC Callahan worked as a Public electronic components.” Diplomacy Fellow at SMPA be- average of 6 percent per year. AND CAMPUS RELATIONS AT Sophomore Kristen Suver These fi gures, coupled with FOLLETT fore receiving his ambassadorial decided to forego the campus appointment on July 24. He said high tuition costs, prompted store altogether this semester Congress and 34 states to intro- his time conducting research and and use Amazon.com in an ef- teaching a class on foreign policy duce legislation to curb prices textbooks effi ciently – if at all,” fort to save some money, but she for students already feeling the and public diplomacy allowed Rector said. said she still spent hundreds for him to refi ne his knowledge of pinch of an economic down- Cliff Ewert, vice president of her books. turn. diplomacy. public and campus relations at “My total bill ended up be- Before coming to GW in 2005, Josh Wolf/Hatchet photographer While students wait for the Follett, blamed publishers and ing about $600 for fi ve classes,” Freshman John Lesser opts to shop at the GW Bookstore this legislature to weigh in on the Callahan spent 25 years in U.S. not the GW Bookstore, which is she said. Foreign Service – a career that in- year despite the rising cost of textbooks at the store. legislation, some GW professors operated by Follett, for the exor- are making conscious efforts See TEXTBOOKS, p. B3 cluded stints in Costa Rica, Hon- bitant cost of books. duras, Greece and Italy. In 2004, he was the U.S. embassy spokes- man in Iraq, before returning to Washington and working for NATIONALSPOILER Director of National Intelligence City to change Mall area John Negroponte. “(At GW) I was able to appre- ciate and study diplomacy from a distance with an objectivity Plan will link Kennedy Center with monuments that the daily demands of work abroad never allow,” Callahan said. “When in an embassy, dip- by Ian Jannetta down the E Street and the water- lomats usually respond to events, Senior Staff Writer Proposed plans for front areas. many of them unforeseen, and Northwest D.C. The plan notes that the area rarely take a step back to under- An expansive and ambi- around Foggy Bottom has a lot stand the larger context. My time tious new city plan could lead • Connect the Kennedy of open space but suffers from at GW provided that broader to drastic changes in the areas center to the White “the intrusion of disruptive context.” surrounding GW, including in- House with parks down highways, the absence of street He said he especially enjoyed creased green space and many E Street life and the lack of a clear unify- interacting with colleagues, ad- more pedestrian walkways. ing vision to knit the fragmented ministrators and students. The National Framework • Decking over the Poto- parcels together into a coherent “I found the ambience to be Plan, released this July by the mac Freeway creating ensemble.” conducive to an easy exchange National Capital Planning Com- new riverfront space Miller said improvements of ideas and opinions and, at the mission, focuses on improve- to parks along E Street would same time, intellectually stimulat- ments to areas on and around • Link the Kennedy Center create an attractive space for ing,” he said, adding that he was the National Mall in order to to the Lincoln Memorial studying and recreation along always “genuinely impressed” increase pedestrian access to cul- • Opening new areas for the edge of campus. She added by the maturity and dedication of his students. tural attractions and minimize parks, offi ces, shops that pedestrian-friendly parks congestion in overused areas. connecting the E Street corridor Michael Posada, a senior in Elizabeth Miller, project man- and residential use to the Kennedy Center, George- SMPA, took Callahan’s class this ager for the plan, said their key town and the Lincoln Memorial spring and said he enjoyed when goal is to change the perception would also be a bonus for stu- the professor related his past ex- of the National Mall from the monuments and public spaces dents living in Foggy Bottom. periences to the topic of the lec- “edge of the city” to the “heart of benefi t residents and visitors Implementation of the plan ture.