Monday, September 23, 2019 I Vol. 116 Iss. 9 AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER • SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904 WWW.GWHATCHET.COM What’s inside Opinions Culture Sports The editorial board Baked & Wired and What to expect from critiques LeBlanc’s Georgetown Cupcake go women’s soccer as it new pillars guiding head to head in a battle for embarks on its conference strategic plan the best cupcake slate Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Enrollment decrease could boost rankings, decrease revenues: experts ZACH SCHONFELD move will cost the University ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR revenue from tuition. Cordes’ unoffi cial fi nancial estimates Reducing the under- presented at the senate meet- graduate student population ing showed that GW will ex- could increase selectivity and perience about a $9.2 million impact GW’s fi nances, offi - revenue gap in academic year cials and experts said. 2020-21 resulting from the Under University Presi- reduction in enrollment and dent Thomas LeBlanc’s direc- the transition to a fl oating tu- tion, offi cials plan to enroll ition model. 2,110 new undergraduates The gap will grow to $37.5 – a decrease of about 17.3 million by academic year percent – in the Class of 2024 2023-24, according to Cordes’ as part of a multiple-year estimates. plan to reduce enrollment He said the estimates by about 20 percent, accord- could change, especially as ing to a budget presentation offi cials consider proposals to at a Faculty Senate meeting attract a greater share of sci- this month. Offi cials said the ence, technology, engineer- decision comes ahead of an ing and math majors to enroll anticipated nationwide drop through increased fi nancial in college enrollment, but the aid. LeBlanc said at the town change will reduce GW’s rev- hall that administrators plan enues. to increase the share of STEM ALEXANDER WELLING | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR “During my fi rst year students from about 19 per- Former SA Sen. André Gonzales, CCAS-U, and SA President SJ Matthews are spearheading an effort to explore renaming the Colonials moniker. here at GW, I listened to you, cent to about 30 percent of the and together we developed undergraduate body. our aspirations,” LeBlanc “From having fewer un- SA leaders lay groundwork for task force to said at a town hall meeting dergraduates and also to get earlier this month. “We came to the 30 percent target on together in town halls and STEM majors, we might need change Colonials moniker many meetings with faculty, to increase fi nancial aid to staff , students, alumni and attract them,” Cordes said. LIZZIE MINTZ position as the SA’s pro tennial in 2021. “We need to make sure trustees. And I can sum up in “Competition is going to be CONTRIBUTING NEWS EDITOR tempore Sunday to serve as “Right now, we are in that we are, No. 1, honoring three words the feedback that fi erce for that pool of stu- the SA’s director of legacy such a unique and impera- the legacy of this Univer- I heard from all of you: ‘bet- dents.” Student leaders are dou- review, will chair the task tive time where we can sity, but also honoring the ter, not bigger.’” LeBlanc has continually bling down on eff orts to force, Gonzales said. The make this type of change legacy that current students LeBlanc said the reduc- advocated for increasing the change the Colonials nick- vice president for diversity because we are at this bi- want this University to tion will help offi cials off er a proportion of students pur- name. and inclusion, the vice pres- centennial,” he said. “We have,” Gonzales said. better undergraduate experi- suing STEM-related degrees Student Association ident for public aff airs, the are able to say that this is Matthews, the SA presi- ence – one of his four pillars to reach parity with the Uni- President SJ Matthews fi led vice president for student the legacy that we want this dent, said she will present guiding the University’s next versity’s peer institutions. an executive order Sunday activities and the director University to have.” a report to the Board of strategic plan – by prioritiz- “I’m confi dent there are calling for the creation of of student advocacy will Students launched a pe- Trustees in May that will ing quality over quantity. a lot of avenues to allow us the “Colonial Moniker Task also serve on the task force, tition in April 2018 calling outline alternatives for the GW has stretched its resourc- to be a stronger place with a Force,” a fi ve-student com- according to the order. on the University to ditch Colonials moniker that the es with the growing under- smaller student body with mittee that will research The order states that the Colonials moniker. In task force will spend the graduate population, he said. more emphasis on STEM,” monikers to replace the Co- the SA should appoint four February, a panel includ- academic year researching. Full-time, on-campus LeBlanc said in an interview lonial, adding to an ongo- senators to the task force, ing two sociology profes- She said the SA Senate has undergraduate enrollment this month. “We’re not trying ing student push to change one of whom is required to sors and a former ambas- up to the next three meet- grew by about 13.8 percent to be [the California Institute the nickname. Student lead- be a graduate senator. sador to the United States ings to codify the task force. between 2013 and 2018, ac- of Technology], but more ers said they are building About 54 percent of discussed the merits of the Matthews said she cording to institutional data. emphasis on STEM than we off of the momentum from students approved a refer- nickname. wants the task force to cre- GW enrolled its largest fresh- have today.” this spring when just more endum last spring calling Gonzales said he hopes ate a survey or hold com- man class in at least 10 years He added that the cost than half of voting students on the University to swap the task force can continue munity forums to collect in 2018. estimates could “wildly” backed the name change. the Colonials moniker for meeting with students, data on who supports the change as plans are solidi- “I ran for student body a less “off ensive” name, alumni and administrators change and compile the in- Revenue impacts fi e d . president to hear the needs but offi cials have not taken – like offi cials from the Of- formation in a report to the Joseph Cordes, a profes- Jay Halfond, a professor and the wants of the stu- a position on whether they fi ce of Diversity, Equity and board. She added that she sor of economics and the of the practice of continuing dent body, and it is my job support the switch. Community Engagement hopes the board will take Faculty Senate’s fi scal plan- and distance education at to make sure our students Gonzales said the Uni- and the Offi ce of Alumni “strong action” to change ning and budgeting commit- Boston University, said the feel included everywhere versity has the opportunity Relations – throughout the the name after reviewing tee chair, said the enrollment enrollment decrease could on this campus,” Matthews to hold a “unique conver- year. In previous conversa- the task force’s report. drop will improve GW’s col- have a wide range of eff ects, said. “We have a portion of sation” with students, offi - tions, he said offi cials and lege rankings placement and from a decrease in expendi- the student body who are cials and alumni refl ecting alumni have been “hesi- GWHATCHET.COM provide offi cials with room to tures to cuts to student ser- off ended by the moniker. on the school’s history and tant to move forward” be- maneuver the enrollment cap vices like advisers and fi nan- for leaders’ plans We have to change it.” to alleviate students’ “dis- cause the referendum only enshrined in an agreement cial aid staff . André Gonzales, who comfort” with the moniker passed by a slim margin in H to advocate for the between GW and the District. stepped down from his as GW approaches its bicen- the spring. nickname change. But he added that the See ENROLLMENT Page 3 LeBlanc joins three local university presidents in push for D.C. statehood LIA DEGROOT federal research grants. and Jordan expressing their ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR LeBlanc announced at support, because many of a town hall meeting earlier their students and alumni University President this month that research is who still live in the District Thomas LeBlanc joined one of the pillars of his stra- aren’t represented in Con- three D.C. college presidents tegic plan. gress. Wednesday in advocating for “We have long been Each D.C. councilmem- D.C. statehood leading up to crucial partners with the ber – except Ward 3 Coun- the fi rst congressional hear- government in this work,” cilmember Mary Cheh and ing on the issue in 25 years. LeBlanc said in the letter. Ward 2 Councilmember Jack The four presidents wrote “However, our lack of repre- Evans, who is the subject of letters to the House of Rep- sentation at the federal level an ongoing ethics investi- resentatives’ Committee on stifl es this progress and our gations by the Council and Oversight and Reform to ability to contribute solutions the FBI – and Mayor Bowser push for statehood in light to our country’s most diffi - testifi ed at the hearing, The of the committee’s hearing cult challenges.” Washington Post reported Thursday, during which the Del.