The GW Hatchet News August 27, 2009| Page A3 Group Robberies Increase Near Campus Fobogro Owners Aim for Nov
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An independent student newspaper • Serving the GW community since 1904 • Always online at GWHATCHET.COM The GW Thursday • August 27, 2009 Volume 106 • Issue 4 HATCHET GW ENDOWMENT DROPS 18 PERCENT The average loss for univer- Fund still above sity endowments was 23 percent, according to a report released by the National Association of Col- national average, lege and University Business Of- ficers in January. The endowment, which dipped below $1 billion administrators say this summer, stood at $1.008 bil- by EMILY CAHN lion on June 30, when the fiscal Campus News Editor year ended, Executive Vice Presi- dent and Treasurer Lou Katz said GW’s endowment lost nearly last week. $250 million over the last fiscal “We think it was a very good year, an 18 percent drop, but Uni- performance,” Katz said of the Uni- versity administrators maintain versity’s endowment. “Obviously that GW is one of the lucky ones in higher education. See LOSS: Page A8 Total GW Endowment, Fiscal Years 2005-2009 $1.256 Billion VIKTORS DINDZANS | PHOTO EDITOR The School Without Walls, located at 2130 G St., opened for its first day of class on Monday. The building has gone under a $39 million $1.147 Billion renovation project, which, after two years of work, concluded this summer. SEE GWHATCHET.COM FOR MORE PHOTOS School Without Walls reopens $963 Million $1.008 Billion Renovated school welcomes students after two-year closure $823 Million by GABRIELLE BLUESTONE means students will be able to Metro News Editor “I’m just happy to be back, communicate online with schools in Ghana and Nigeria, where 20 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 When students in Carlton Ack- really. And being a senior School Without Walls students -ALEXANDER ABNOS erman’s AP geography class were will be heading next week as part asked what their favorite part and being in the new of a $370,000 grant from the State of the new School Without Walls Department for a Reading Across building was, one female student building, it just feels really Continents exchange program. was quick to answer: Bathrooms. Univ. touts quantity, “The new facility allows us A minor aspect of a two-year, nice. And it feels like com- to really be international in our $39 million renovation that culmi- scope and produce citizens not nated in an August ribbon-cutting ing home.” only of D.C. and the United States, ceremony with D.C. Mayor Adrian MALIKA MORRIS but of the world,” principal Rich- quality in new class Fenty, D.C. Public School Chancel- ard Trogisch said. “It allows them lor Michelle Rhee, and University School Without Walls senior to have a much better understand- Student and Academic Support President Steven Knapp, the new ing, to be able to compete and un- Class of 2013 has Services Robert Chernak said an restrooms are a welcome addition derstand the global economy. And increase in the median SAT score for students who remember hav- “I’m just happy to be back, really. get along with people.” and class rank for the incoming ing to take the stairs to the base- And being a senior and being in But returning to the Foggy Bot- better SAT scores, class signals that GW is faring ment to the only bathrooms in the the new building, it just feels re- tom building also affords students well, despite being one of the most school. ally nice. And it feels like coming scholastic opportunities unavail- expensive schools in the country Many of the students and home.” able at the Logan School building class ranks in an economic downturn. teachers are grateful for even the The renovations have also near Union Station, where they “We saw an increase in num- most minor of the renovations. brought new opportunities to stu- by Matt RIST were relocated in 2007 to accom- Hatchet Staff Writer bers and improvement of quality, That the ceiling no longer falls dents. Promethium boards, which modate the renovations. Students and when those two things are down on students in class. That are interactive whiteboards that can now study full-time at GW This year's incoming class has in alignment it’s very healthy,” the heat and air conditioning now allow teachers to store notes elec- and graduate high school with an Chernak said. “I think our admis- work. That the basement doesn’t tronically, hang in the classrooms. more students, higher SAT scores associate degree from the Univer- and better class ranks, adminis- sions office did a really good job flood anymore when it rains. New science labs mean that not sity, take GW classes for college in some very challenging times.” “I used to be in Spanish class only can students complete lab trators said this week, calling the credit before and after the school improvements indicative of the Chernak also attributed the in- and some of the windows were work without having to leave the day, and use GW facilities for as- crease in yield rate – the number of broken, so we had to wear our building, but the school now of- University’s growing appeal to semblies, graduation and open high school students. accepted students who enroll at the coats inside because it was so fers AP biology in addition to AP See SWW: Page A10 cold,” senior Malika Morris said. physics. An advanced media room Senior Vice President for See ADMISSIONS: Page A10 Head Officials prepare for potential H1N1 outbreak fundraiser Sick students encouraged not to resigns attend class by SARAH SCIRE by EMILY CAHN Senior News Editor Campus News Editor The University’s head With the start of classes less fundraiser resigned from her than a week away, University of- position Wednesday, leaving ficials are creating strategies to GW with an interim head of prevent and handle a potential its Development and Alumni outbreak of swine flu this fall. Relations departments as it Over the summer, University ramps up efforts to fund sev- President Steven Knapp asked a eral expensive projects. University-comprised task force of University President Ste- doctors, public health experts, and ven Knapp, who said fund- University administrators to cre- raising and alumni relations ate a plan to prevent an outbreak were some of his top priori- of the flu – and establish a protocol ties when he took office in if there were to be a large number 2007, announced Vice Presi- of students infected at one time. dent for Development and Five GW students were infected Alumni Relations Laurel with the virus last May when the Price Jones’ resignation in illness first made headlines, and an Infomail sent to the Uni- health officials across the country versity community Wednes- are currently bracing for another day evening. Price Jones had outbreak when schools reopen in stayed with the University the fall. through the summer after “If we are all sick at the same her contract expired to help time, and our staff are all sick at the same time... we never had this PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANNE WERNIKOFF | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR The University created a task force this summer to help plan for a potential outbreak of swine flu. In May, five GW students contracted the See RESIGN: Page A8 See H1N1: Page A13 virus, and health experts around the U.S. are bracing for another wave of the illness. ARTS LIFE Women's Soccer SPORTS NEWS Dress Up For Fall: College Rankings: Starts Strong: Check out the season's hottest new trends from University officials respond to GW's No. 53 rank- The Hatchet's resident fashionista • Page B1 Senior Brittany Eger notches two ing from U.S. News & World Report • Page A9 Life in Bokamoso: goals in a season- Talking Dirty: Money and Cocaine: A GW professor and three opening 2-1 win GW's sexperts dish on how to have a succesful A GW chemist checks dollar bills for cocaine students bring art therapy to a • Page A11 town in Africa. • Page A7 new semester • Page B9 residue • Page A12 Sarah Scire | Senior News Editor | [email protected] Emily Cahn | Campus News Editor | [email protected] Gabrielle Bluestone | Metro News Editor | [email protected] Lauren Hoenemeyer | Asst. News Editor | [email protected] Amanda Dick | Campus News Editor | [email protected] Lauren French | Contributing News Editor | [email protected] H 2.0 Amy D’Onofrio | Contributing News Editor | [email protected] News SnapShot IN BRIEF: Hundreds of outlets added to Gelman More than 480 new outlets were in- stalled on the fourth and fifth floors of the Gelman Library this summer, Univer- sity Librarian Jack Siggins said Monday. The outlets were installed along the rows of study carrels on the two floors, said Ann Brown, a librarian in Gelman. The demand for outlets has risen quickly with many students needing power for their laptops in the library. “We have known this has been a grow- ing problem over the last year or so, as students use computers more and more,” Siggins said. “In a building this old, no- body had planned on having a need for so many outlets when this building was built 30 or 35 years ago.” Siggins said Executive Vice President and Treasurer Lou Katz was responsive to the need for more outlets. “He listened to the students, he lis- tened to me, and he has tried to do the best he could, and he made it happen,” Siggins said. MICHELLE RATTINGER | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Also instrumental to the addition of Community Building Community program leaders, dressed by freshman participants, compete in a decorate-your-guide game in Columbian Square on outlets was sophomore Erik Ashida, Sig- Wednesday night.