Vol-120-Iss-17

Monday, January 29, 2024 I Vol. 120 Iss. 17

WWW.GWHATCHET.COM

INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER • SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

What’s inside Opinions

The editorial board argues GW should back up its promises on diversity, equity and inclusion.

Page 6

Culture

Students talk public transit habits with their U-Pass Wrapped.

Page 7

FIONA BORK

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

JENNA LEE REPORTER

FIONA RILEY

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

STAFF WRITER

MAX PORTER

CONTRIBUTING NEWS EDITOR

Officials are expected to renovate the area of I Street between 23rd and 24th streets this summer, pending the status of funding requests and permit applications.

University officials plan to conduct “major” landscaping, add lighting and reconfigure seating on I Street Mall, the pedestrian space above the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro station and beside GW Hospital, to address community concerns about public health and safety, according to the project’s website. University spokesperson Julia Metjian said construction will not occur until the summer, assuming funding is approved by the Board of Trustees.

Metjian said officials are proposing the renovation for fiscal year 2025 and that funding and permits have not yet been approved. Officials do not have an update on the cost of the renovation because it is still under review and consideration, she said.

She added that officials will remove rat burrowing areas, install anti-rat trash cans and recycling bins, add lighting and increase sightlines across I Street Mall to address rodent and safety concerns. The renovation will also include adding tables and chairs with umbrellas for shade.

Officials in September pur-

semitic, Granberg condemned the vigil as a “celebration of terrorism” the next day. Following SJP’s projections, Granberg rebuked the students involved in the demonstration and their statements.

“These images included antisemitic phrases that have caused fear and anxiety for many members of our Jewish and broader GW community, and we wholly denounce this type of conduct,” Granberg’s October statement read.

The Elliott School of International Affairs’ annual diversity action plan is four months late as officials work to comply with the outlawing of affirmative action.

Elliott School officials were expected to review and release its annual Inclusive Excellence plan in September — the plan details specific goals and strategies to advance diversity, equity and inclusion at the school. But members of the council helping to develop the plan said they had to rework the contents of the plan after the Supreme Court’s June decision to end affirmative action, delaying the release of their fifth action plan for the 2023-24 academic year.

Lakeisha Harrison, the Elliott School’s assistant dean for student services, diversity, equity and inclusion, said Elliott officials and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are working to draft strategies for the 2023 action plan that comply with the Supreme Court’s decision. She declined to say when the 2023 action plan will be released or what goals will be included.

“We continue our review in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling and look forward to sharing it with the community when it is ready,” Harrison said in an email.

See OFFICIALS Page 4

See ELLIOTT Page 4

TANNER NALLY | PHOTOGRAPHER From left to right, Dean of Students Colette Coleman, GSEHD Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives Dwayne Kwaysee Wright, and Director of Students Rights and Responsibilities Christy Anthony, during Thursday’s discussion.

lighted the University’s difficulties in reaching students as officials attempt to promote free expression while simultaneously limiting campus discord.

One student pointed to Student for Justice in Palestine’s anti-Israel projections on Gelman Library in October as an example of unacceptable free speech.

During the discussion, officials stuck close to University policy and emphasized their inability to express their thoughts on specific events on campus.

“I, in my role as the director, don’t comment on particu-

I Street Mall to undergo renovations this summer, officials say DYLAN EBS

Read about GW’s new center, a lockdown big man.

Page 8

Elliott School delays release of annual diversity action plan

Empty chairs, tight-lipped officials define launch of free speech discussion series following campus discord Officials hosted the first segment of a four-part series to address questions about free speech on campus and conflict resolution Thursday, enticing attendees with free food. Three students showed up.

The students, one professor and a handful of GW administrators scooped pasta, salad and sweets from trays of catered food onto their plates before sitting down in a University Student Center room tucked in the back of the third floor. Among empty chairs, the attendees gathered in a small clump around a Ushaped table in the center of the room that pointed toward aA screen projecting the University’s free speech policy as an awkward silence overcame the table.

Dean of Students Colette Coleman; Christy Anthony, the director of Students Rights and Responsibilities; and Dwayne Kwaysee Wright, the director for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, asked attendees to discuss the balance between the value and harm of free speech on campus. The event — part of a Division for Student Affairs series titled “Dinner & Dialogue” — will offer training about University policy and discourse over a free meal and follows criticism from community members on the University’s handling of free speech policies after continued student demonstrations about the Israel-Hamas war.

The sparse attendance high-

Sports

chased 90 trash cans and 90 recycling bins that enclose waste and prevent rodent contamination, which officials say they will use to replace “nearly all” current outdoor trash cans and recycling bins.

“Assuming funding is approved, and once permits are obtained, work is expected to begin in summer 2024,” Metjian said in an email.

Officials faced pressure to add more lighting in I Street Mall to make it more secure after a 21-year-old student reported that three men attacked and sexually assaulted her in an alleyway in 2015. In 2023, there were three reports of assault, two instances of destruction of property and one report of indecent exposure on I Street between 22nd and 25th streets, according to GW Police Department crime logs.

The Metropolitan Police Department reported 17 instances of theft in the area last year, according to its database.

Metjian said during certain phases of the renovation, there may be “limited” impacts to the operation of FRESHFARM — a Foggy Bottom’s farmers market of more than a dozen vendors located in I Street Mall every Wednesday year round except for late December and early January. She said officials shared the plan with FRESHFARM and that the market is supportive of the additional open space and seating that will come out of the renovation.

See NEIGHBORS Page 5

SAGE RUSSELL | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Officials will renovate the I Street Mall this summer to improve lighting and landscaping in the area.

lar incidents, whether I agree or disagree with how they’re characterized because if I agree with some, disagree with others, it looks like my noncomment is a comment,” Anthony said. “So I’m just going to clarify that my noncomment is a noncomment.”

Despite officials’ hesitance to comment, University President Ellen Granberg routinely commented on campus events throughout the fall semester.

When SJP held a vigil for Palestinians killed by the Israeli military in October, an event some Israeli students viewed as anti-

Prayer room upgrades generate high hopes from religious students BROOKE FORGETTE STAFF WRITER

JENNIFER IGBONOBA CONTRIBUTING NEWS EDITOR

Officials are renovating a prayer room in the University Student Center in collaboration with the Muslim Students’ Association, updates that students say are long overdue and indicate the University’s increased support of religious accessibility at GW. Officials started renovations of the musalla, or place of prayer, on the fourth floor of the student center before winter break, which will include new flooring and ceiling tiles, painted walls and upgraded lighting. Students who use the space said they are glad to see the University modernize the musalla — one of four prayer spaces on the Foggy Bottom Campus after noticing a decline in its quality from years of wear.

University spokesperson Julia Metjian said Facilities, the Multicultural Student Services Center and the Division for Stu-

JENNIFER IGBONOBA | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Prayer mats carpet the floors of the University Student Center’s prayer room, inviting students to utilize the space.

dent Affairs worked collaboratively to develop renovation plans before winter break after the MSA “expressed a desire.” The room currently has several prayer mats and floor seats on top of large carpet rugs, a few empty boxes and chairs and additional prayer mats and supplies including abayas toward

the back of the room.

“MSA Leadership and GW staff are working together to finalize the organization and decoration of the room,” Metjian said in an email. “Feedback from students, including MSA leadership, has been overwhelmingly positive, with students commending the room’s design.”

Metjian said MSA leaders played a “pivotal” role in selecting the final decorations for the space and received progression photos throughout the renovation. She added that students actively use the space while renovations continue.

See STUDENTS Page 5

Officials to review campus free speech policies, bolster educational programming IANNE SALVOSA NEWS EDITOR

Officials unveiled a plan to cultivate “productive” conversations and review free speech policies to the GW community Thursday, a response to flaring on-campus tensions due to the war in the Gaza Strip.

University President Ellen Granberg and Provost Chris Bracey unveiled a three-part plan that outlines educational programming for handling university life during times of conflict, support for those affected by the war in Gaza and doxxing victims, and officials’ intent to review free speech and conduct policies in the “coming months.” The plan comes after students criticized free speech policies at the University in the fall semester following student demonstrations about the war in Gaza and the suspension of a pro-Palestinian

student group in November.

Granberg and Bracey said conversations with students, staff, faculty, alumni and GW “partners” informed the comprehensive plan’s creation. They added that the plan is a starting point to develop free expression on campus and will be updated. They did not specify what that would look like.

“On campus, a rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia has underscored the need for safer and more supportive campus environments,” Granberg and Bracey said in the joint email. “Amid these heightened tensions, the university’s commitment to academic freedom and the protection of free speech has been put to the test.”

Officials will soon review policies that pertain to campus demonstrations, disruptions of University functions, and the location, time and

manner of “free speech activities” in accordance with GW free speech guidelines, the plan states. Granberg said earlier this month that the University’s free speech regulations are not “harmonized” and that officials may amend the Code of Student Conduct to ensure consistency among all expression policies.

Granberg’s plan to provide guidance on the allowed time and place of demonstrations follows other higher education institutions’ policy amendments. Columbia University updated its event policy to allow officials to regulate the location, time and manner of demonstrations after suspending Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, and hundreds of students and faculty protested the suspension of SJP and JVP after an official said the groups violated university event policies.

NEWS

January 29, 2024 • Page 2

News

THE GW HATCHET

THIS WEEK’S

EVENTS

CONVERSATION WITH TONI MARSH

Tuesday, Jan. 30 | 7 p.m. | Duques Hall Attend a discussion with Professor Toni Marsh about her experiences practicing and teaching law.

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY Jan. 30, 1978

MULTICULTURAL PANEL DISCUSSION

Wednesday, Jan. 31 | 6 p.m. | University Student Center Join a conversation with students and alumni as they share their multicultural backgrounds.

An unidentified hazardous chemical powder sparked a series of explosions in Thurston Hall, one of which injured a residential assistant and left his door splintered and charred.

GW alum, university president named Tennessee person of the year FIONA BORK

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The Tennessee Tribune named a GW alum and the president of Tennessee State University one of its 2023 People of the Year in December for her advocacy for increased funding of historically Black colleges and universities.

Glenda Baskin Glover, TSU’s first female president, announced in August her plans to step down from the helm of TSU after 11 years in the role, during which she more than doubled TSU’s endowment funds, increased TSU’s research status to “high research activity” and enhanced grant funding to an all-time high of more than $100 million in 2023. She said her selection by the Tennessee Tribune, while a surprise, puts her in a position to interact more with students and put them on the “right track” to stay in school.

“It remains an honor to be named the person of the year, especially by such a notable organization as the Tennessee Tribune, so I’m just very appreciative and humbled by the selection,” Glover said.

Glover said her parents always stressed education in her home growing up, particularly by encouraging her to attend an HBCU — higher education institutions established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to serve Black students — which led her to complete her undergraduate studies at TSU. Glover said she received a doctorate in business at GW in 1990 wanting to go into the educational

COURTESY OF KELLI SHARPE Glenda Baskin Glover joins hands with Vice President Kamala Harris at the Tennessee State University Commencement in 2022.

world and teach Black students how to participate in business and the economy.

After receiving her degree, Glover said she served as a chair in the accounting department at Howard University and then served as a dean in the business school at Jackson State University.

“It was a natural trajectory to continue my mission of educating communities, especially com-

munities of color. So becoming the president, a college president, was the next course of action,” she said. “And I credit the start of this journey at that level to George Washington, because without a terminal degree, I don’t think this would have been possible.”

Glover said when she was in elementary school she watched her friend’s house burn down because the fire department wasn’t al-

lowed to enter her predominantly Black neighborhood in Memphis, Tennessee, in the 1960s. She said her father, a civil rights leader in Memphis, led a march downtown the next day to protest for fire protection in her neighborhood and other neighborhoods of color.

After witnessing the fire and her father’s subsequent activism, Grover said she knew she wanted to have a career focused on educat-

ing communities of color despite not picturing herself as a university president at the time.

“When I found there were tears in my eyes, I knew then that I wanted to have a career that focused on helping the underserved, I didn’t know the word ‘underserved’ at that time, by helping underserved communities and others like that,” Glover said.

Glover said her work as TSU’s university president since January 2013 led President Joe Biden to appoint her to serve as the vice chair on the President’s Board of Advisers for HBCUs in 2021.

Grover said she has seen an unequal distribution of funds to HBCUs compared to predominantly white institutions while at TSU. She found that underfunding at HBCUs has prevented the institutions from reaching their full research potential, a finding she presented to Biden in June 2023.

Glover is one of two Black women in the country to be a certified public accountant and have a doctorate and a law degree — which she received from Georgetown University — according to her profile in the Tennessee Tribune. She said holding this title, while an honor, means that she has not done her job of bringing someone else like her into that success.

“Being the first is great, but being the only is a tragedy, because that means that you haven’t prepared everybody else to come behind you and walk and do the things that you are doing,” Glover said.

Staff recognition limited under merit pay system: staff, experts IANNE SALVOSA NEWS EDITOR

Staff said employee rewards are limited under the University’s bonus merit pay model, a system that some experts deem a flawed practice due to its subjectivity.

Officials use a pay-forperformance model, also known as merit pay, to annually award additional compensation to staff who go beyond their duties, which University President Ellen Granberg said was the standard in higher education at a Staff Council meeting last month. Experts in performance incentives said pay-for-performance models may not effectively reward high-performing staff depending on who determines the bonuses.

All of GW’s 12 peer schools except for Wake Forest University utilize annual merit increases to reward

staff.

Caroline Kemp, a Staff Council representative for the Division for Student Affairs, said at the council meeting last month that her unit leaders cannot afford to reward employees with merit pay after paying for unit necessities.

“I fear that that model is broken,” Kemp said at the meeting. “It’s not being utilized in a way that it should be or could be.”

Chief Financial Officer Bruno Fernandes said at Friday’s Staff Council meeting that officials wanted to allot more money to merit pay in fiscal year 2023 but that some revenue, like donations, is limited to what the donors want the money to be directed toward. Granberg said at the meeting that officials use additional tuition revenue to fund merit pay.

“We certainly are looking at improving that going

forward,” Fernandes said at the meeting. “We understand the cost of living, inflation are certainly challenges.”

Staff said their merit pay feels predetermined due to a small merit pool, which is not enough to award all staff who have been performing well. They said staff want their overall compensation to match the cost of living in the District, Maryland and Virginia, whether it be through merit pay, cost-ofliving adjustments or a combination of the two.

Nicole Mintz, the chair of the council’s Staff Experience Committee, said staff have felt that the payfor-performance model is a “demotivator” because few employees can receive the highest level of bonus merit pay. She said staff have to seek out new ways to raise morale and motivation.

Benefits-eligible staff can receive a certain amount of

SNAPSHOT

Students set up hammocks on a Friday night in Kogan Plaza, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather.

merit pay based on the start date of their job and their performance rating, which includes “Exceeds Expectations,” “Achieves Expectations” and “Needs Improvement,” according to the Staff Performance Management and Salary Planning Guide.

The performance period during which officials determine merit pay begins April 1 and ends March 31 the following year.

“It’s more of a lack of understanding or feeling,” Mintz said. “I’m working so hard and it’s not going to get noticed or recognized related to salary increase.”

She said staff can feel “conflicted” after working hard but are unable to be compensated for going beyond their duties when the pool for merit pay is small.

Officials review the merit budget for each unit or school in May every year, and school and unit leaders cannot use the merit budget

for other expenses. Faculty are not included in the “regular” staff merit process.

Mintz said Granberg and human resources officials have been transparent about her administration’s active work to improve the merit pay pool. She said she appreciates that Granberg is open about not having an answer at the moment on how to increase the size of the merit pay pool but is working on a solution.

Granberg said at a Staff Council meeting in December that resources are “tight” and pledged to help increase the size of the merit pay pool for staff.

University Vice President and Chief People Officer Sabrina Minor said her office is researching performance management to see how beneficial it is for the University at a Staff Council meeting in August.

“They’ve been very clear they’re working on it, so we

TOM RATH | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

don’t want to fall back in silence,” Mintz said. “We also want to allow space for that to be worked on. And trusting in the process is a big part of our commitment.”

Emily Lewis — the lead of the Compensation Subcommittee of the Staff Experience Committee, which elevates staff voices on concerns like hiring and compensation — said merit pay is one component of helping staff feel “taken care of” in addition to promotions and ratings. She said living in D.C. is “ludicrously expensive” and staff want an increase in compensation to accommodate for the cost of living.

The guide states that cost-of-living adjustments to compensation do not adhere to GW’s “pay philosophy.”

“We’ve definitely had staff that are like, ‘Well, why don’t they just abandon merit pay and do the cost of living increases?’” Lewis said. “We’ve had staff say the other way around, we’ve had staff say, ‘Why not both?

Why can’t we do both?’”

Robert Engvall, a professor of criminal justice at Roger Williams University who published an essay on merit pay in 2010, said bonus merit pay is a fair concept but is more subjective in practice because it is difficult to consistently determine who is a high performer in higher education institutions.

“There’s nothing wrong with paying good people for doing good work,” Engvall said. “That’s a wonderful, beautiful thing. It’s motherhood and apple pie. But the problem is in how we actually distribute that money.”

He said universities have adopted merit pay systems as higher education institutions have adopted a more corporate model over the past few decades because performance-based bonuses allow administrations to have more control over their employees, which parallels corporations’ use of merit pay to entice their employees to follow objectives.

“If we could really trust those above us to make the kinds of conscientious, great decisions that certainly come and some administrators are capable of making, then there wouldn’t really be conceptually a problem with merit pay,” Engvall said. “But it can also be used as a real bludgeon to get people and keep them in line.”

NEWS

January 29, 2024 • Page 3

THE GW HATCHET

DC expands historic homeowner grant to include Foggy Bottom, Old West End ERIKA FILTER NEWS EDITOR

An expanded grant program will make it easier for owners of historic homes in Foggy Bottom and West End to fund repairs to their buildings.

The expansion of the program to now include the Foggy Bottom and George Washington University/Old West End historic districts went into effect Oct. 1 at the beginning of D.C.’s fiscal year, with the Office of Planning releasing guidance surrounding the expansion shortly thereafter. The $50,000 grants, formerly $25,000, now cover all of the District’s 37 residential historic districts and can go toward “restoration of major exterior architectural features and structural repairs,” according to the Office of Planning’s website.

A spokesperson for the Historic Preservation Office in the Office of Planning said there are 34 active applications for the grant across the District, a slight increase from last year. She said the Historic Preservation Office will analyze the impact of the expansion one year out.

“It’s still too soon to tell if the volume of applications will increase due to the program

JAMES SCHAAP | PHOTOGRAPHER

Snow settles on a row of townhouses on New Hampshire Avenue.

expansion,” the spokesperson said in an email.

The spokesperson said the Historic Preservation Office has received two applications from

Ward 2 homeowners but has not yet received grant applications from homeowners in Foggy Bottom.

“It’s one of our smallest his-

toric districts, and it just became eligible for the program,” the spokesperson said.

The time between the first application for funding and the

beginning of construction takes about four months, according to the Office of Planning’s FAQ document.

“Most of our houses are in pretty good shape, but there are several that are definitely not, that it would be nice if they could do something,” Leone said. “If the grant could help them, that would be great.”

He said in Foggy Bottom, 135 properties would now qualify as historic homes potentially eligible for the grant, even those that do not technically fall within the lines of an established historic district.

“It has to be a historic house within a historic district, or it can be a historic house that’s standing alone,” Leone said.

“It’s not limited to historic districts.”

Homeowners must qualify as low- or moderate-income as classified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to receive the grant, and the number of people in a household contributes to the calculation. Homeowners must also receive the D.C. Property Tax Homestead Deduction, which decreases the value of a home for tax purposes, and condominiums are not eligible for the grant.

Opioid overdose deaths rose in DC in 2023: report CRISTINA STASSIS SENIOR STAFF WRITER

RORY QUEALY

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Community members linger in Columbia Plaza.

TANNER NALLY | PHOTOGRAPHER

Local businesses back development program, report less foot traffic ERIKA FILTER NEWS EDITOR

NORAH WOODS REPORTER

Businesses in the Watergate complex and Columbia Plaza have noticed a decline in foot traffic since the pandemic and hope to see greater support from the city.

A study commissioned by the D.C. Department of Small and Local Business Development released last month found that 63 percent of businesses in the Foggy Bottom-West End area report sales below pre-pandemic levels, with particular declines in foot traffic at the Watergate and Columbia Plaza. Several businesses in the area seek additional support in increasing foot traffic and improving security in the area, especially after the pandemic.

The study recommended the implementation of a DC Main Streets Program in the Foggy Bottom-West End area, which supports retail in the area by recruiting businesses to come to the area and improving buildings and streetscapes.

To date, there are 28 Main Streets programs in the District.

The study further recommends that the Foggy Bottom Association, a neighborhood group, head efforts to run a Main Streets program because of its “capacity, experience and local presence.”

Five business owners in the area, although not initially aware of this plan being implemented, said they support initiatives like the Main Streets program that would help increase foot traffic in the area.

Dale Johnson, the owner of Watergate Gallery & Frame Design, said she has run the location for almost 40 years. She said foot traffic at the Watergate has declined over the years and the management of the area has been subpar.

“The Watergate used to be such a vibrant place,”

Johnson said. “It was a lot of fun to be here with a lot of stuff going on.”

Johnson said she had heard of the Main Streets program, and she would appreciate any community efforts to support local businesses but was unsure how the community could be involved.

“That would be wonderful if there was a way that they could figure out how to do that, but it’s basically my landlord who takes no interest,” Johnson said.

Johnson said she works with the Foggy Bottom Association to put on a biennial sculpture exhibition.

Arts in Foggy Bottom, which puts on the event, won the District of Columbia Mayor’s Arts Award for Innovation in the Arts.

“I don’t know how much we can expect everybody to do all that work and volunteer time,” Johnson said.

“These are professional people.”

Sunil Sehgal, the owner of Watergate Vintners & Spirits, said he stayed in business by delivering his goods during the pandemic, but now that the shutdown is over, people are ordering fewer deliveries. He said fewer tourists travel to his area since the pandemic.

“People are not traveling a lot more, and therefore traffic has decreased,” Sehgal said.

Sehgal said the Watergate businesses and residents support one another, but the city has not been much help. He said that during the Jan. 6 insurrection on the Capitol building, residents came down and helped clean up the Watergate’s broken windows.

“This complex is a community, and the community rallies together in a lot of different ways,” Sehgal said.

Sehgal said he would like to see additional security measures in the area, as people frequently will walk in and steal products.

Twenty-four percent of the businesses surveyed in the feasibility study expressed

a desire for assistance with security and vagrancy, but the Main Streets program would not centrally address these issues.

“That was rampant and continues to be a concern,” Sehgal said Sehgal said the complex could also improve accessibility, as some of his customers are disabled and struggle to access his store when the escalators are turned off. He said residents and customers also frequently complain about the rat population in the area.

Sehgal said the FBA listed his store as a preferred merchant on their website, and he participates in the discount program for members of the association.

“Anything that supports local businesses, I’m all for it,” Sehgal said.

The owner of Casey’s Coffee, John Lee, said more than 90 percent of his customers work in the State Department, so he tailors his hours to fit theirs.

“When they’re open we’re open,” Lee said.

“When they’re closed, we’re closed.”

Frederick Schwartz, who has lived in the Watergate since 1978, said the plaza used to host high-end delis and stores like Cartier, Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci. He said the wealthy shoppers who used to frequent these shops have left, preferring areas like Downtown D.C. “People think that if they make the retail area pretty or they put up signs that it’s going to make a difference, but it’s not going to make a difference because there’s no foot traffic there,” Schwartz said. “It has to be a destination, and it isn’t a destination now.”

Schwartz said the Foggy Bottom area could serve as an arts district, especially with its proximity to the University, the Kennedy Center and the biennial sculpture exhibition.

“There’s a built-in audience who might be interested in the arts,” Schwartz said.

Opioid overdose deaths in the District increased last year, according to data released last week.

The D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner recorded 427 overdose deaths in the District in the first 10 months of 2023, which experts in addiction and behavioral health said suggests the year’s total will likely surpass the previous year’s record high of 461 fatal overdoses. Experts said the increased prevalence of fentanyl in D.C.’s drug supply and a lack of addiction treatment resources have driven the rising opioid-related deaths in the District.

The data shows that in the first 10 months of 2023, there were 14 overdose deaths in Ward 2, which encompasses GW’s Foggy Bottom Campus, while Wards 7 and 8 sustained 60 and 65 overdose deaths in 2023, respectively. Black individuals made up 85 percent of overdose deaths, in line with the previous six years, despite the group accounting for only 45 percent of the District’s total population, according to the report.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public health emergency over the opioid crisis in November in response to public pressure following the steady growth in overdose deaths.

Mark LeVota, the executive director of the D.C. Behavioral Health Association, said the increase in fentanyl in D.C. directly correlates with the rising number of overdose deaths in D.C., with 98 percent of opioid overdose deaths in the District in 2023 involving fentanyl compared to 62 percent in 2016, according to the data. He said D.C. has one of the highest overdose death rates in the country because of the high levels of fentanyl circulating in D.C.’s street drug supply.

He said D.C.’s historic

heroin use, an epidemic dating back to the 1960s, might have made the District an “attractive” target for drug dealers because D.C.’s opioid epidemic has primarily related to street drugs, unlike other parts of the country where the opioid crisis is linked to prescription drugs.

“That continuous street drug market for opioid drugs has also contributed to the District being one of the jurisdictions that has the highest penetration of fentanyl,” LeVota said.

He said older Black men residing in Wards 7 and 8 historically represented the largest population of heroin users in D.C. and the District historically did not provide access to treatment resources to this population. He said older Black men in Wards 7 and 8 are still impacted by structural racism surrounding the allocation of resources in D.C and continue to be disproportionately likely to overdose as opioids become more deadly.

The District’s first stabilization center — providing emergency crisis intervention, counseling and resources to sustain longterm recovery for individuals experiencing substanceuse disorder — opened in October in Northeast D.C. LeVota said the center is primarily staffed by people with “lived experience” in opioid use. He said the stabilization center has provided services to roughly 400 individuals since its opening.

“It’s a good additional resource for our first responders so that they can take people where they can stabilize, where they’re willing to go, even if they may not be willing to go sit in a hospital emergency department,” LeVota said.

In April, D.C. officials rolled out six harm-reduction vending machines stocked with Naloxone, or Narcan — a medication that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose — and fentanyl test strips in areas with higher average drug

overdoses, like Wards 6, 7 and 8. LeVota said people have taken about 4,000 items from the vending machines since their implementation.

Wilson Compton, the deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and an addiction psychiatrist, said Naloxone distribution is a life-saving strategy and that vending machines can increase access. He said individuals need to have Narcan on hand before an overdose occurs because if someone stops breathing, there are only a few minutes to resuscitate them.

“What is a little unnerving though, is you need to have it beforehand, because there often isn’t time to go run to the vending machine, figure out how to use it, obtain the product, and then administer it,” Compton said. “That may take too long.”

He said fentanyl’s unpredictability makes it lethal because similarly sized packages of fentanyl can have different potencies depending on if the drug was diluted with other agents.

He said drug dealers are also contaminating other drugs with fentanyl without disclosing it, meaning people using methamphetamine or cocaine might be unaware they are ingesting fentanyl.

Josh Lynch — the chief medical officer and founder of MATTERS, a site based in New York that facilitates referrals for outpatient treatment for opioid use disorder — said COVID isolation caused an uptick in opioid-related deaths because pandemic shutdowns obstructed people’s ability to connect to treatment.

“Besides that, the other major factor in causing increased overdose deaths is that the opioid supply — which for the last part is fentanyl, it’s really not heroin as much anymore — but a lot of fentanyl has been contaminated with something called xylazine,” Lynch said.

AN NGO | GRAPHICS EDITOR

NEWS

January 29, 2024 • Page 4

THE GW HATCHET

New DSS director takes helm following leadership turnover IANNE SALVOSA NEWS EDITOR

Officials hired a new leader for the Disability Support Services after the unit operated without a permanent director for four months.

Rochelle Mills, the former assistant director of New York University’s Center for Student Accessibility, began her role as the director of DSS earlier this month, according to her LinkedIn profile. Former DSS Director Maggie Butler stepped down as director in September to work as an accessibility consultant after leading the office for over two years.

University Spokesperson Julia Metjian said Myra Waddell served as interim director of DSS, and a new

DSS staff member, parttime employees and other staff members were filling DSS responsibilities in the absence of an acting director. Former DSS Assistant Director Diedre Lamb departed from the University in October, just over a year after she joined the team.

Officials are still seeking an assistant director, a senior accessibility associate and an American Sign Language interpreter for the unit.

Prior to Butler’s departure as director, DSS staff dropped from 11 employees in the 2018-19 academic year to six employees in the 2022-23 academic year, according to web archives. DSS staff said they felt “overburdened” under Butler’s leadership after she implemented increased

work responsibilities, like an expanded interpreter role, and struggled with low staffing.

Students said in November that the DSS understaffing has created competition for obtaining the office’s classroom accommodations and assistive technology services and long processing times for service requests.

Mills created a task force to establish ASL and captioning services at NYU during the COVID-19 pandemic and served as the NYU Center for Student Accessibility’s first liaison to the NYU School of Law, according to the DSS website. She has also previously worked as a social worker and crisis counselor servicing individuals and families in Columbus, Ohio.

The Disability Support Services office in Rome Hall in 2020.

Researchers link school garden participation with healthier eating habits KAMALI JOSEPH REPORTER

RYAN J. KARLIN

Officials solicit student feedback on free speech policy From Page 1

REPORTER

Participation in school gardens is linked to healthier eating habits throughout child development, according to a study led by a Milken Institute School of Public Health doctoral candidate released earlier this month.

Christine St. Pierre authored a study in collaboration with FoodPrints that found students who participated in school garden programs noticed increased enthusiasm surrounding healthier food options at home and a desire for “fresh food options” at school. St. Pierre said the study’s finding that school gardens garner interest toward more nutritious dietary habits in children demonstrates a need for hands-on nutrition education embedded into the school day.

“This study is a little bit unique in that it is one of the first to be able to look at what is the impact of these programs over time, like you can study while they’re happening in schools and see what students say,” St. Pierre said.

The study featured focus groups made up of 39 elementary school students and 39 elementary school alumni, ranging from middle school to college, who previously participated in the school garden programs. St. Pierre said researchers used “semistructured” question guides and follow-up questions based on the participant’s original answers. They then organized students’ answers into themes: immediate, beyond the classroom and sustained, St. Pierre said.

She said researchers separated questions into themes and asked student participants about their view of working in the garden and their overall food behaviors and eating habits. She said researchers asked the alumni participant group an icebreaker question about their overall experience, their current nutritional behaviors, their food environment and a concluding question.

The students expressed their enjoyment of fruits and vegetables in response to the study’s open-ended

GW's GRoW Garden on H Street, buried under a layer of snow.

questions and would tell researchers their methods of incorporating healthy eating learned from school gardens at home by asking for their parents to buy healthy foods while grocery shopping, St. Pierre said.

She said the school garden program alumni were able to identify foods that were both enjoyable to eat and healthy, indicating that they formed nutritious habits.

The D.C. Public Schools Act of 2010 requires D.C. public schools to serve “healthy and nutritious” meals to students and instructed the state superintendent to establish a school garden program. In a 2022 report, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education reported the addition of two dozen school gardens within the 2021-22 school year, bringing the total to 111 gardens in D.C., with 67 on DCPS campuses and 44 at public charter schools. At GW, a group of students run the GRoW garden, a sustainable urban farm on I Street between 23rd and 24th streets.

The study found that learning hands-on with the food through gardening fruits and vegetables made the nutritional information more “memorable” and that learning how to follow a recipe fostered a sense of confidence in choosing healthy food independently among participants.

This also allowed students to discover their food preferences and make their own informed decisions about

KAIDEN YU | PHOTOGRAPHER

their diets at home.

The study states that school gardens introduce students to new fruits and vegetables like beets and kale, which drives students to request new food while grocery shopping with their parents. Participants expressed that being involved in the garden also had a positive impact on their parents because students began to incorporate what they were learning into meals at home.

“Something that has come up in research with parents is that they’re hesitant to spend money on foods that their kids might not eat, and they would rather make sure that what they’re buying are things that the kids are going to eat,” St. Pierre said.

St. Pierre said she is developing a questionnaire to survey a broader range of people because the initial focus groups were primarily made up of elementary, middle and high school students. She said she hopes to survey high school graduates in the future to observe long-term influences of gardens as they enter adulthood and make their own food decisions.

“To really start to see the lasting impacts and the ways that it continued to, having participated in elementary school, and continued to affect how they thought about food, their confidence in making food choices and being able to navigate their food context was kind of unique for this study,” St. Pierre said.

HATCHET FILE PHOTO

Coleman said the series will support Granberg’s October initiative to “enhance the ability of our community to constructively engage across what are difficult and complex issues.” On Friday, Grandberg unveiled a three-part plan to cultivate “productive” conversations after the outbreak of the IsraelHamas war and said officials will review GW’s free speech and conduct policies in the “coming months.” Granberg said the University’s current free speech regulations are not “harmonized” at a Faculty Senate meeting earlier this month.

Officials created the series in response to student feedback and conversations with members of DSA staff last semester, Coleman said.

But Coleman declined to say whether the new series is a direct response to the conflict in the Gaza Strip and the campus discourse that has followed.

“The Division for Student Affairs is creating events and activities throughout the spring semester that will offer opportunities for connection and education, harness the expertise found in our GW community, and highlight the support resources available,” Coleman said in an email. “The Dinner & Dialogue Series is one such initiative that will offer training and discussion on a variety of timely topics.”

Anthony kicked off the conversation by outlining the University’s policy on free speech, which states that GW is committed to the protection of speech, assembly and lawful protest and grants student organizations and individuals the

right to demonstrate on campus as long as the actions are not “disruptive of normal University functions.” She said since GW is a private university, GW is not legally obligated to protect free speech, but they choose to as an institution.

She said the University can restrict the time, place and manner of speech, anything criminal, some hate speech and any discriminatory speech.

When a student brought up the Gelman Library projections, Anthony said “vandalism,” regardless of the content of a speech, is not protected under GW’s free speech policy.

Another student at the meeting asked officials what the purpose of the new series was and if the University was looking for student feedback to change specific policies regarding free speech. Anthony said she is “always examining and questioning” GW's policy and trying to improve it, which is why officials want as much student feedback as possible.

Wright said officials understand the “tension” that the Hamas attack Oct. 7 caused on campus and how subsequent decisions by University officials, like the suspension of SJP in November, added to that tension.

While the discussions may not impact GW’s policies, the talks are aimed at soliciting students’ feedback on officials’ actions and decisions, Wright said.

“We are willing to tolerate as a University some of the risk and harm associated with some forms of what people would call hate speech because we think that that is necessary to providing a free exchange of ideas and critical examination,” Anthony said.

Elliott leaders seek DEI measures despite delayed diversity plan From Page 1 Elliott leaders released the first annual diversity action plan in 2019 and proceeded to release plans annually through 2022. The Elliott School’s dean; Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council; and school leaders draft and review an action plan each summer, according to the school’s DEI page.

The 2022 action plan centered around four goals: to recruit more diverse students, improve the “climate of inclusion” at the school, incorporate more DEI and social justice into the curriculum and create infrastructure to prioritize these goals. The 2021 and 2020 action plans included the same overarching pillars but outlined strategies for achieving them like increasing funding for diversity fellowships and improving already established resources and events like cultural activities and focus groups.

Harrison declined to comment on whether officials are still working to complete goals from the 2022

action plan or how many of the goals were completed at the end of the academic year.

Harrison said officials received approval during the 2022-23 academic year to install a gender-neutral bathroom in the school, held six cultural heritage month programs and awarded undergraduate and graduate scholarships through the Elliott Equity Fund. She said officials also ran the third annual Inclusive Excellence Week conference in 2023 and will run the fourth this year: this week from Monday through Thursday.

Members of the Elliott School’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council said the council is revising the school’s DEI statement, drafting a land and labor acknowledgment and growing inclusive teaching resources in the absence of an action plan.

Eric Kramon, the faculty co-chair of the council and an associate professor of political science and international affairs, said the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hasn’t shared a draft of the 2023 action plan with the council and attributed the delay to staff turnover

and the affirmative action decision. He expects to see a plan later in the year.

“We expect to have action plans every year, and we’ll advocate for that if needed,” Kramon said.

He said one of the council’s first major projects since its creation by the Office of the Provost in August 2022 is reworking the DEI statement to better reflect the school’s current efforts to create and maintain an inclusive environment. He said the council adjusted the statement with feedback from faculty, staff and students, and is now modifying the draft with input from Elliott School Dean Alyssa Ayres on the most inclusive and effective language to use.

The current diversity statement, last updated in 2016, says the Elliott School is prioritizing increasing representation and inclusion of individuals historically disadvantaged in the U.S. international affairs community and higher education.

“The dean felt and we agreed that lots of things have changed in the world since the first draft and lots of peoples’ understandings of diversity and inclusion

The Elliott School of International Affairs on E Street.

have changed over time,” Kramon said. “It seemed like a good opportunity to rethink and redraft.”

Danielle Whyte, the undergraduate representative of the council and a junior studying international affairs, said council members this semester are also drafting a land and labor

acknowledgment for the Elliott School to be displayed on the website. She said the council will submit the proposal to Ayres for review when the draft is completed.

Whyte said she is confident that the Elliott School will release the 2023 action plan after the Office of Di-

KAIDEN YU | PHOTOGRAPHER

versity, Equity and Inclusion ensures their goals comply with the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision.

“We have to ensure that we’re aligned with the court’s decision and also remain committed to our values as the Elliott School,” Whyte said.

NEWS

January 29, 2024 • Page 5

CRIME LOG THEFT II/FROM BUILDING

District House 1/21/2024 – 9:50 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Open Case GW Police Department officers responded to a report by a female contractor who reported several items stolen from her purse.

Case open.

THEFT II/FROM BUILDING

Mitchell Hall (7-Eleven Store) 1/22/2024 – 4:30 p.m.

Closed Case GWPD officers responded to a reported theft of consumable goods. Officers canvassed the area but did not locate the subject.

No identifiable subject.

THEFT II/FROM BUILDING

Media and Public Affairs Building 1/22/2024 – 5 to 5:40 p.m.

Open Case A female student reported her AirPods stolen after leaving them unattended.

Case open.

THEFT II/FROM BUILDING

University Student Center 1/22/2024 – 6 to 6:10 p.m.

Open Case A female contractor reported her phone stolen after leaving it unattended.

Case open.

HARASSING TELEPHONE CALLS

Amsterdam Hall 1/23/2024 – 4:57 p.m.

Closed Case A female staff member reported being the victim of harassing phone calls from someone she was in a relationship with while working in Amsterdam.

No further action.

UNLAWFUL ENTRY

University Student Center 1/24/2024 – 1:13 a.m.

Closed Case While on patrol, GWPD officers observed a previously barred female subject asleep on the first floor of the Student Center.

Officers made contact with her, issued her a new bar notice and sent her on her way.

THE GW HATCHET

Elliott students travel to Senegal to explore culture, foreign influence FIONA RILEY

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Elliott School of International Affairs students traveled to Senegal over winter break and met with foreign service officers, professors and locals in a short-term abroad course launched this year.

Sixteen undergraduate and graduate Elliott School students spent nine days of winter break attending conferences, focus groups and lectures on foreign influence in the country. Matthew Kirwin, a professorial lecturer who taught the course, said he wanted to give students a deep understanding of an African country because policymakers are interested in foreign influence on the continent and chose Senegal because it’s politically stable and easy to navigate.

“It was a dream come true for me to be able to do this, to see the students see Africa through my eyes because I was able to put together a program that I thought would be very insightful,” Kirwin said.

Kirwin, a division chief at the State Department, said he submitted the short-term abroad program proposal during the 2019-20 academic year. The three-credit course, Foreign Influence in Senegal: Exploring the Effects and Senegalese Perceptions, counted as credit for Special Topics in African Studies, a course offered to Elliott School undergraduate and graduate students.

He said about 37 undergraduate and graduate students applied in October 2023 for 16 spots.

Kirwin created the trip itinerary with the help of the West African Research Center, a group that connects American researchers with West African countries. He said the center connected him to Senegalese professors and helped him plan trips to significant cultural and political locations like Gorée Island, a former outpost for the slave trade located off the coast of Dakar, and Touba, a town with the biggest mosque in West Africa.

“We went back and forth on what things made most sense to do, keep-

COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER ZRAZIK Elliott School of International Affairs students pose at the foot of a historic baobab tree during their trip to Senegal.

ing in mind trying to make it affordable for students,” Kirwin said.

He said through connections from his job at the State Department, he also coordinated a meeting with several foreign service officers to explain the U.S. relationship with Senegal. The U.S. trades with Senegal and views the country as a stable democracy in Africa and a “model” for religious and ethnic tolerance, according to the Bureau of African Affairs’ bilateral relations fact sheet.

Kirwin said the class met on campus several times before the trip to learn about Senegal and hear student presentations on aspects of Senegalese culture like food, religion, politics and water sports like surfing. He said during the first pre-departure meeting, he brought in the principal deputy assistant secretary for global public affairs Kristin Kane, who previously served as a foreign service officer in Senegal, to provide insight into U.S. foreign influence in Senegal.

Before the start of the trip, Kirwin said he created an Instagram page for students to document the trip. He said he required students to upload pictures with captions that summarized what they learned on a given day at least three times during the

trip.

Kirwin said students talked with local Senegalese people in focus groups to learn about the culture and how foreign influence is viewed by locals. He said students also attended lectures on relations between the United States, Russia and China to learn about how different countries approach foreign affairs.

“There’s this foreign power competition that’s going on where every country is trying to promote their values and promote their interests,” Kirwin said.

Kirwin said foreign influence in Africa often looks like “soft power,” meaning countries like the United States, Russia, China, France and Turkey attempt to form relationships with African countries through infrastructure projects and by asserting their culture, music and sports in cities. He said countries like the United States work to appear as partners with Senegal by bringing Senegalese basketball players to play in the NBA while other countries like China build roads and bridges.

“Turkey, for example, built the new soccer stadium in Dakar, and the Senegalese are very passionate about soccer,” Kirwin said.

Subject barred.

—Compiled by Max Porter

Students praise prayer space upgrades From Page 1

Neighbors ask GW for shade, safety on I Street From Page 1 Metjian said during certain phases of the renovation, there may be “limited” impacts to the operation of FRESHFARM — a Foggy Bottom’s farmers market of more than a dozen vendors located in I Street Mall every Wednesday year round except for late December and early January. She said officials shared the plan with FRESHFARM and that the market is supportive of the additional open space and seating that will come out of the renovation.

“They raised questions about coordinating construction activities with the ongoing market schedule and we have confirmed we will coordinate to minimize impacts,” Metjian said.

Officials permanently closed I Street between 23rd and 24th streets to vehicle traffic in 1980 to create the pedestrian space, a project that cost around $200,000.

The street closure was a part of the University’s 1970 campus plan. Officials updated I Street Mall in 2005 to they installed new fencing and gardens in the space.

John George, the president of the Foggy Bottom Association, said the University organized a meeting with eight to 10 community representatives in October or November, including George, Foggy Bottom and West End Advisory Neighborhood Commission members and other community advocates, in which officials introduced the renovation plan and asked for input.

George said he and other community advocates asked the University to get rid of small hills in the mall where rats burrow and refrain from altering the entrances to I Street Mall. He said they also asked GW to add central, large canopy trees to make the area cooler in the summer and

rain catch basins to collect rainwater and disperse it “naturally.”

“I’m very grateful for the University being transparent on this particular initiative,” George said.

But George said when GW presented their tentative rendering for the I Street Mall renovation in GW’s Community Advisory Committee meeting earlier this month, many of their suggestions were not addressed “at all,” including adding rain catch basins and central trees.

“It’s important that if you are convening a group of people, then you actually listen and then act on those or give explanations for why it wasn’t,” George said.

George said he appreciated officials planning in the I Street Mall renovation to remove small hills where rats burrow and replace trash cans that rats can easily access.

“More of the trash cans, those Bigbelly trash cans, I think are very important and we’re trying to get them elsewhere in the community too,” George said.

Ed Comer, an ANC commissioner whose district includes the western entrance to I Street Mall, said he was also involved in the meeting with officials in October or November about the I Street Mall renovation plan. He said he suggested that there be more visibility of I Street Mall from GW Hospital’s outdoor eating area for increased safety, while recognizing that the University does not own GW Hospital.

Comer said he is concerned that there is little greenery in the rendering of the renovated I Street Mall, and hopes officials will be more responsive to community comments about the proposed renovation.

“This is an important part of the landscape,” Comer said. “It connects parts of the neighborhood that are not on campus.”

Senior Raheel Abubakar, the president of MSA, said the MSSC has been accommodating in providing items for the renovated musalla including water absorbent mats for the wudu stations — the cleansing performed before prayer — as well as new room dividers; thobes, or a traditional Middle Eastern garment worn by some during prayer; prayer mats; art; and more translations of the Quran in languages like English and Spanish.

“We have asked them for so many different things, and they have

been happy to provide,” Abubakar said.

Abubakar said he would have liked a bigger space to accommodate more members, especially during Jummah prayer on Fridays.

“We’re always looking to see if we can get another space but thankfully the MSSC has also been supportive of all our endeavors to search for a bigger space, but that’s obviously not something they can grant us so easily,” Abubakar said.

The renovations are set to finish Feb. 5, according to a note on the board outside the musalla entrances, but Abubakar said the date is a “ballpark” estimate that

(202) 878-6576

issues with buyers and ordering problems like incorrect rug sizes may delay.

“I’m comfortable waiting a month or more than a month if that means we have a good space for the next several years,” Abubakar said. “I really want to focus on the long-term impact of a really nice musalla.”

Abubakar said people’s feet throughout the years contributed to an unpleasant smell of the now-replaced carpet, which led to “lots” of complaints. He added that the new space will have soft carpet tiling on top of the hardwood flooring to make future cleanings or renovations

less difficult.

First-year Ahmed Babaeer said said he understands the current hardwood floors may be a little more difficult on people’s ankles and knees during prayer. He added that bringing in more carpets to cover the area or placing them on top of the existing ones to make them thicker would be a “simple” solution.

“Part of being Muslim is to always be grateful for what you have no matter what it is,” Babaeer said. “In Islam, when something happens to you, you might think it’s something bad, but it could actually be good for you.”

OPINIONS

January 29, 2024 • Page 6

Opinions

THE GW HATCHET

FROM GWHATCHET.COM/OPINIONS

“The University must actively dismantle barriers, promoting inclusivity and accessibility to create an empowering educational experience for all students, irrespective of their disabilities.”

—RACHAEL BAILEY on 1/21/2024

Stimming in class is not disrespectful

S

it still. Be quiet. Don’t disrupt your peers. Eyes on the board.

Teachers tell their students to remain static in classrooms starting in preschool. I thought I would one day outgrow the tortuous feeling of having to force my body into silence. But it’s now my last year of college, and I find myself stimming in class more than ever.

Riley Goodfellow Contributing Opinions Editor Stimming, short for self-stimulation, looks different for every person. It’s not just a habit or a quirk — it’s a lifeline that helps me manage anxiety and physical discomfort.

For neurodivergent people, stimming is not a choice. It is a vital coping mechanism that enables us to navigate the world around us.

Conscious or not, professors often have rigid expectations regarding student behavior based on neurotypical norms. Making eye contact and engaging in group activities may seem like normal behaviors for neurotypical people, but neurodivergent people like myself often find it uncomfortable and overwhelming. While professors need to maintain a productive learning environment, enforcing neurotypical behavior dysregulates my nervous system.

My need to stim becomes glaringly apparent to me and others when I enter a classroom. I pull out my laptop, drowning in stickers, including one that is a big squishy character. Having a fidget toy on my laptop helps me concentrate as I sit through a lecture without calling attention to myself. Ideally, I wouldn’t be afraid to pull out my stretchy dinosaurs or Kuromithemed fidgets, but the emphasis on conformity in educational settings often stops me from doing so.

Sitting in a classroom immedi-

HARPER DONALDSON | CARTOONIST

ately overwhelms me. Without the outlet that stimming provides, I get overheated and physically can’t contain how overstimulating my clothes, environment or interactions feel. Sometimes I have to leave class to regulate in the bathroom or even go home if I’m too overwhelmed.

Stimming is essential to me even before I enter classrooms.

As I walk to class, I wear noisecanceling headphones and play my music at full volume. Wearing noise-canceling headphones and immersing myself in my music helps regulate my body and calm my mind as I walk to class. While this might mean I accidentally ignore my friends on the way, it’s a necessary prelude to the upcoming sensory challenges and allows me

to approach the classroom with a more regulated state of mind.

I’ve occasionally ventured into crocheting in class as a way to stim without getting glares from peers or professors. But crocheting earns me stares and often heightens my anxiety rather than regulating it.

The ability to stim openly, without judgment or scrutiny, is not only a matter of comfort. It’s an essential component of self-regulation that directly impacts my ability to learn.

Being neurodivergent means the sensory demands of my environment are constantly overstimulating. It also means I am constantly hyper-aware of how I am perceived. The piercing glares and unspoken judgments that accompany activities like crocheting

On DEI, GW’s actions speak louder than words STAFF EDITORIAL What’s in a word? When it comes to DEI — or diversity, equity and inclusion — the answer is a lot.

Whether fostering community or pursuing high rankings in academics and research, the values of diversity, equity and inclusion are integral to universities’ goals. At GW, DEI encompasses sweeping principles that “all members” of the University community are supposed to advance.

But if GW is committed to diversity and inclusion, it’s not putting those principles into practice. DEI can and should be more than an academic exercise: There are practical means to improve and expand the experiences of all who call GW home.

For example, take the University’s land acknowledgment.

GW’s campus is located on “ancestral homelands of the Piscataway, Anacostan, and Nacotchtank Peoples” and a place “where Black people were enslaved, forced to work for free, and abused.”

However well-meaning these statements are, they acknowledge the University’s past without charting a course for its present: Black and Native American students made up 10.3 percent and 0.1 percent of enrolled students last year, respectively. Land acknowledg-

Hatchet The GW

609 21st St. NW Washington, D.C. 20052 gwhatchet.com | @gwhatchet eic@gwhatchet.com news@gwhatchet.com opinions@gwhatchet.com photo@gwhatchet.com sports@gwhatchet.com culture@gwhatchet.com copy@gwhatchet.com multimedia@gwhatchet.com

ments alone can’t change these figures, nor do they create opportunities for students to learn about different cultures and perspectives from their peers — opportunities that should last longer than one month.

Deploying the language of DEI doesn’t ensure the University is actually diverse, equitable and inclusive. When GW surveyed undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty and staff for its 2022 Diversity Climate Survey, half of respondents said they experienced some form of negative treatment based on their identity in the past five years.

The survey makes the problems facing the University clear: Members of our community are being mistreated simply because of who they are. Students are worried about affording GW’s more than $80,000 cost of attendance, and faculty and staff are concerned about their pay and benefits.

“I firmly believe that we can only reach our full potential as a comprehensive global research university if our aspirations are defined by inclusive excellence,” Provost Chris Bracey said when officials discussed the results of the survey in March last year.

The University can keep aspiring all it wants,

but it has to act. Assuming much hasn’t changed in the two years since the survey, and factoring in a tense fall semester, those problems have likely worsened. And it’ll take more than renaming the University Student Center or selecting a new moniker to address them.

Despite a solid consensus that diversity matters at GW, that shared value of difference hasn’t translated to the University as an institution. From students to faculty to staff, we are ready to work and learn with people whose experiences and perspectives differ from our own.

But “DEI” at GW has become an empty promise.

We hear the term everywhere, but we hardly see it in action.

Who can afford to be a GW student? Who can advance through the ranks of faculty and staff positions? For those answers to be “everyone” and “anyone,” the University will need to match its principles with policies that lower the cost of attendance, reach out to new groups of prospective students, create clear pathways to tenure or promotions and much more.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are vital to the University’s work. If these are GW’s values, it must practice what it preaches.

T

in class contribute to a heightened sense of self-consciousness. This hyperawareness, coupled with the struggle to find socially acceptable ways to stim, impedes the very selfregulation that stimming is meant to facilitate.

When neurodivergent individuals are forced to suppress or conceal their stimming behaviors, it hinders our capacity to focus, engage with the material and participate actively in the learning process. Faculty should recognize the diverse needs of their students and work toward fostering a neurodivergent-inclusive environment. This involves acknowledging the importance of stimming as a legitimate coping mechanism and challenging societal norms that perpetuate the idea

that stillness and silence are the only markers of attentiveness.

Although I’ve found coping mechanisms that allow me to stim somewhat unnoticed, like those sensory stickers on my laptop, having the freedom to stim as openly as I desire would immensely enhance my ability to learn. When studying, I seek out environments where I can stim unrestricted. I book rooms in Gelman Library with whiteboards so that I can draw, dance, listen to my music at full volume and play with fidget toys all while absorbing the information I need for a test.

Obviously, I can’t recreate my Gelman Library stimming parties in a classroom, but stimming should still be viewed as a valuable and beneficial aspect of neurodiversity in classrooms. Professors play a key role in creating a safe and accepting environment. They can recognize stimming as a legitimate and constructive way for neurodivergent individuals to navigate the challenges of learning.

Peers can also facilitate diverse ways to learn in the classroom by actively supporting each other’s individual needs. I didn’t understand how helpful stimming was until a friend shared their own fidget toys with me. Now, I have too many fidget toys to count. Encouraging alternative methods of learning enhances friendships, classrooms and society as a whole. Classrooms need to invest in creating adaptable, empathetic and open-minded students that uplift each other despite their differences.

As I get ready to graduate, I can’t help but wonder what my college experience would have been like if I had learned about stimming or been encouraged to stim in class earlier. Being neurodivergent is not a bad thing. Classrooms should stop treating it as such.

—Riley Goodfellow, a senior majoring in political science, is the contributing opinions editor.

Reexamining religion at GW

he last time I stepped foot inside of a Catholic church was for my grandfather’s funeral.

Paige Baratta Editorials Assistant I was 18 years old at the time, a senior in high school.

My family flew down to North Carolina together for the service, where Barattas scattered across the country gathered to mourn and celebrate my papa’s life at St. Vincent De Paul Church.

For more than an hour, I went through the Catholic motions, performing traditional prayers and rituals like the Sign of the Cross, the Blood of Christ and the Apostles Creed.

Nothing makes a former Catholic with religious guilt sweat like stepping inside a church to attend the funeral of a deceased loved one.

Despite the Catholic guilt that my soul is still steeped in, I’ve been teetering on the edge of atheism since my middle school years.

Surprisingly, though, college has made me somewhat of an agnostic.

My parents never strongly pushed religion on me or my siblings, and I am grateful for that independence.

Granted, from ages 5-10, I was strangely devoted to the Catholic faith, attending Mass every Sunday morning. I suppose my dad’s side of the family, Italian Americans who hung beaded rosaries from their car mirrors and folded their hands in prayer at the dinner table before

homemade pasta suppers, had rubbed off on me.

But I grew up, and I sought concrete answers based on science and reasoning rather than blind devotion More than that, I wanted that scientific, rational world I followed to be loving, compassionate and accepting. The version of Catholicism I was exposed to was the opposite: stale, conservative, cold.

Before my papa’s funeral, I hadn’t crossed the threshold of a church since the summer of 2017, when my mom marched my siblings and me out of a Catholic Mass, silently stirring with anger at the priest’s deeply conservative statements about what it meant to be a true, American family. It was long before 2017, however, that I stopped believing in God. By questioning the world around me, I started to see in color. Religion remained in black and white.

After that last Mass, I fully turned away from the Catholic Church — and religion — and didn’t expect myself to look back.

But about a year ago today, I started casually reexamining my faith.

Religion is everywhere around me at GW. It’s in my classrooms, in my sorority house, in my conversations.

I’ve talked with friends about how their faith informs their culture. I’ve learned about religious customs I had no idea existed. I’ve listened to strangers on campus speak on how their connection with their God or Gods have impacted their lives, for better and worse.

GW and Foggy Bottom

brims with religious activists handing out pamphlets on the streets, scrawled messages of faith on the side of electrical boxes, shared meals sponsored by various pious organizations and every type of religious engagement in between.

This renewed exposure to religion has led me to ask myself two questions: What does religion mean to an atheist, and who is God to a skeptic?

I’m still trying to figure out those answers for myself, but I’ve seen what religion can be for others. For many of my friends — Catholic, Muslim, Protestant, Jewish — it’s their community, even if I never found that experience in my religious involvements. Their faith is bigger than just a traditional obligation or belief. It’s their culture. It signifies a sense of belonging, and it’s even led them to seek safety and security in a found family here on campus.

This article isn’t about religion, necessarily. It’s about how students’ dedication to their faiths in the face of whatever the world might throw at them has led me to think more critically, more openly, about my journey with religion.

I still don’t believe in God, not in the traditional sense. I don’t see myself joining a new religion or renewing my connection with an old one. But I think now I truly can see others through their faith and see myself more clearly by truly seeing them.

—Paige Baratta, a sophomore majoring in political science, is the editorials assistant.

Zach Blackburn, editor in chief Nick Pasion, print managing editor Jaden DiMauro, digital managing editor Grace Miller, managing director Nicholas Anastacio, community relations director Grace Chinowsky, senior news editor Erika Filter, news editor Ianne Salvosa, news editor Fiona Bork, assistant news editor Fiona Riley, assistant news editor Hannah Marr, assistant news editor Rory Quealy, assistant news editor Jennifer Igbonoba, contributing news editor Max Porter, contributing news editor Rachel Moon, contributing news editor Nikki Ghaemi, features editor Cade McAllister, events editor Ethan Benn, opinions editor* Riley Goodfellow, contributing opinions editor*

Paige Baratta, editorials assistant* Auden Yurman, senior photo editor Florence Shen, assistant photo editor – features Sage Russell, assistant photo editor – news Jordyn Bailer, assistant photo editor – sports Jordan Tovin, assistant photo editor – culture Sandra Koretz, sports editor Ben Spitalny, contributing sports editor Nick Perkins, culture editor Jenna Baer, contributing culture editor* Eduardo Gonzalez del Valle, contributing video editor Sophia Escobar, contributing video editor Cristina Stassis, copy chief Carly Cavanaugh, assistant copy editor Faith Wardwell, publishing assistant Anna Fattizzo, research assistant

Brooke Forgette, research assistant Dylan Ebs, research assistant Annie O’Brien, podcast host – culture Lizzie Jensen, podcast host – news Isabella MacKinnon, design editor Abby Keenley, contributing design editor Anusha Trivedi, contributing design editor An Ngo, graphics editor Ishani Chettri, web developer Peyton Rollins, contributing web developer Ethan Valliath, social media director* Anaya Bhatt, contributing social media director* Max Gaffin, contributing social media director * denotes member of editorial board Business Office

Eddie Herzig, business manager

Submissions — Deadlines for submissions are Friday 5 p.m. for Monday issues. They must include the author’s name, title, year in school and phone number. The GW Hatchet does not guarantee publication and reserves the right to edit all submissions for space, grammar and clarity.

Submit to opinions@gwhatchet.com Policy Statement — The GW Hatchet is produced by Hatchet Publications Inc., an independent, non-profit corporation. All comments should be addressed to the Board of Directors, which has sole authority for the content of this publication. Opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of The GW Hatchet. All content of The GW Hatchet is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without written authorization from the editor in chief.

Cost — Single copies free. Additional copies available for purchase upon request.

CULTURE

January 29, 2024 • Page 7

THE GW HATCHET

THE

Culture

SCENE

GW COMEDY NIGHTS SHOWCASE Friday, Feb. 2 | Betts Theatre Laugh along with new and returning student comedians at this comedy show.

RELEASED

LUNAR NEW YEAR FAMILY FESTIVAL Saturday, Feb. 3 | National Museum of Asian Art Celebrate the Lunar New Year with performances, tours, hands-on activities and more.

NEW SONG: “HISS” BY MEGAN THEE STALLION

THIS WEEK:

U-Pass Wrapped: Students’ transit years in review ELLA MITCHELL STAFF WRITER

KATHLEEN GIANNI REPORTER

Gleaning inspiration from the viral Spotify Wrapped, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority hopped on the bandwagon — or should we say train-wagon — launching their own 2023 Metro Wrapped studded with ridership stats.

After Spotify Wrapped launched in 2016, the viral year-end review inspired numerous companies to create a similar concept to highlight user statistics, including the Washington Post, Duolingo and Panera. Dubbed “Your 2023 Metro Report,” WMATA’s dupe contains a summary of riders’ public transit usage during 2023, and for GW students, it serves as a meter to see if they’ve taken advantage of the Metro system during the last two semesters or if they’ve fallen victim to the Foggy Bottom bubble.

Junior Jordan Freij said Metro Wrapped proved just how much he utilized his U-Pass — he was within the top 20 percent of Metro riders. Frequenting the Foggy Bottom and Capitol South stations the most, he said he rode the lines at least six times per week for his internship on the Hill with a Rhode Island House Democrat.

Freij said the implementation of the U-Pass relieved a barrier to exploring the city, and he has since seen his Metro habits skyrocketing.

He said he would not have been able to enjoy some of his favorite Metro-accessible spots in D.C. —

FILE PHOTO BY ANN DUAN | PHOTOGRAPHER

Commuters bustle through the Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro station.

like Chinatown and its restaurants and the National Portrait Gallery — without U-Pass.

Freij found out about Metro Wrapped through social media and said he was eager to check his statistics, which include the number and miles of trips taken, the most used bus route, how many stations visited and the amount of carbon dioxide saved from using public transit instead of driving.

Transportation aficionados like Freij can see their report by entering

the 20-digit code on the back right corner of their U-Pass, or, for those who utilize it digitally, by clicking the toggle in the top-right corner to show the same code.

“I saw some random person post it on their story, and I was like, ‘Oh my God? Is that a thing?’” Freij said.

Despite what Freij’s high percentile might suggest, the yearly review only provides a glimpse into his 2023 transit because GW issues new U-Passes at the beginning of

each academic year. Senior Audrey Casper said they saw the impact of only having one semester’s worth of Metro data. Their wrapped data showed they were in the top 52 percent of Metro riders, taking 18 rail trips and eight bus trips for a total of 107 bus and rail miles, primarily to get to work or to visit different places around the city.

Harry Price, a sophomore who interned on the Hill during the fall semester, said that he fell in the top 18 percent of Metro riders, which he

credits to his job. Since he received his U-Pass in late August, he said he racked up a total of 102 rail trips.

Heather Ann Sibley, a first-year majoring in environmental science, said she found herself among the top 34 percent of Metro riders, visiting 17 Metro stations and frequenting the Blue and Yellow lines most often. She said she’s not surprised by her Wrapped data but said she thinks her perception might be skewed because of limited public transportation experience in the past.

Sibley said the environmentally conscious statistic — she saved 66 kg of CO2 by riding public transport for a span of 208 miles — was the most rewarding to see.

“Hey, I mean, I’m environmental science,” Sibley said. “I’ve got to take my public transportation.”

Sibley’s most used bus route was 33, which she typically rides to get to T.J. Maxx and Target. She said this makes sense because, as a first-year, she makes frequent Target runs to get various dorm supplies. But Sibley said she prefers the Metro because it’s “easier on your brain” to navigate and, in the brisk winter months, protects Sibley from the cold.

In a world of tracking how many new words you learned on Duolingo and bucketfuls of Panera drinks you consumed, Sibley said it was fun to see the details of her transportation habits over her first semester at GW. “It’s really funny that they did this,” Sibley said. “I know the Spotify thing, everyone posts their Spotify Wrapped. And I know Duolingo did one, too. That’s so funny that they’re jumping on this trend.”

Comfort food near campus to warm you up amid frigid temperatures Although most students have gotten acclimated to living on campus in the cold, a warm meal is the coziest way to engage in some self-care.

Intentionally choosing foods that bring you comfort and seeking out environments that eliminate stress is key to making it through the winter. Here are some of the best comfort food options near campus to help keep your semester as peaceful as possible:

now accompanied by green beans and mac and cheese.

Decadent syrup and butter coat every bite, making this the consummate choice for anyone craving fried chicken with some variety. Plus, the comforting crunch of Founding Farmers’ fried chicken is sure to give Southerners a taste of home.

1924 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Open 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Monday through Thursday; 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; and 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

Chicken and Waffles, Founding Farmers

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup, GCDC

KATRINA HAUSER REPORTER

Though Founding Farmers is often accused of being overrated for attracting hordes of tourists, its proximity to campus makes it one of the highest-quality restaurants students can access easily. Their menu, which shifts year-round to highlight local produce and seasonal offerings, includes a variety of breads, pastas and classic dishes like Yankee Pot Roast and Chicken Pot Pie — all foods reminiscent of home-cooked meals that scream comfort.

The eatery’s most notable dish is chicken and waffles, an offering on their breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. The breakfast plate comes with scrambled eggs and white gravy. For lunch and dinner, diners receive that same crispy fried chicken and waffle pieces,

Oozing melted cheese is central to comfort food — and a simple homemade grilled cheese can drum up some of the most nostalgic and cozy childhood memories.

On campus, there’s no need to stop at homemade: GCDC serves grilled cheese sandwiches and patty melts. Their menu includes a variety of styles, including Cuban Style, served with pulled pork, pickles and mustard, and Pizza Melt Style, which includes mozzarella, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce and basil. Or diners can keep it classic with a Young Americanstyle sandwich, which is just grilled cheese, bacon and diced tomatoes.

The restaurant, a GWorld vendor, features a combo option with half

a sandwich and one side.

After all, the best comfort foods offer a balance to their cheesy, greasy goodness.

While options range from pickles to mac and cheese, the most reliable option to pair with your grilled cheese is a decadent cup of tomato soup.

1730 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Open 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Everything Bagel, Pearl’s Bagels

Many GW students hail from New York or New Jersey, where coming across a great bagel is easier than finding a Hilltern. While there are many respectable options on campus for a breakfast sandwich, a quick trip on the Metro to Mount Vernon Square will take you to Pearl’s Bagels, home of the best everything bagel in the city. The chewy inside of this bagel is protected by a crispy exterior with so much coating you barely see the bread underneath.

The atmosphere at Pearl’s is warm and welcoming, having been named and themed after the owners’ beloved French bulldog. Seeing the light pink sandwich wrappers and the bowl of bagel-shaped dog treats will make your visit to Pearl’s instantly heartwarming, and there’s plenty to fill your stomach, too.

1017 7th St. NW. Open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.

A gooey grilled cheese from GCDC is the perfect toasty meal to warm up a chilly day.

HATCHET FILE PHOTO

FILE PHOTO BY REAGAN O’BRIEN | PHOTOGRAPHER Museum-goers stroll through the National Museum of Women in the Arts’ exhibits, created exclusively by women and nonbinary artists.

Star-studded, suit-centric events to attend if you aren’t going to Gala BROOKE SHAPIRO REPORTER

Couldn’t grab a ticket for the Program Board’s Gala before the event sold out?

We’ve got your weekend covered.

For an after-hours museum experience

While Program Board can boast about renting out the National Portrait Gallery as a classic GW-exclusive event, several museums in the District frequently hold cheaper after-hours events with just as much, or even more, to offer.

Located in Dupont Circle, just a few blocks from campus on 21st Street, The Phillips Collection — the first museum of modern art in the U.S. — regularly hosts “Phillips after 5,” a monthly after-hours experience including food and drink, live performances and hands-on art experiences.

February’s installment, themed “Love Is in the Air,” involves karaoke, cocktails, concerts by indie band Broke Royals and a friendship bracelet-making station. This all-encompassing evening takes place Feb. 1 from 5 to 8:30 p.m.

While it requires a longer trek, the Library of Congress organizes free, weekly “Live! at the Library” afterhours events on Thursdays.

Each week features a different conversation with an author or musician accompa-

nied by a performance. The week of the Gala, cellist Seth Parker Woods will be the Library’s special guest. For these specials, The Library of Congress is open from 5 to 8 or 10 p.m., depending on when performances end.

If late nights aren’t your jam but you still want to spend some time in a museum for a cheap price, the recently reopened National Museum of Women in the Arts is offering free admission for those who reserve tickets Feb. 14, letting students admire art themed around the sky without breaking the bank for a Gala ticket.

A starry night

While this year’s Gala theme is “Starry Night,” attendees will have no luck seeing any glistening stars from the inside of the Portrait Gallery — let alone Van Gogh’s actual painting, which resides in New York.

If you’re looking to stay on theme without a ticket or sparkly outfit, head to a planetarium or escape the District for stargazing without the light pollution of the city.

The David M. Brown Planetarium in Arlington, accessible by a half-hour Metro ride or bus, hosts “Stars Tonight,” a show exploring the night sky, every first Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. for $5. If you’d rather look at the stars in real-time instead of through a

screen, it’s worth journeying

by Uber to the Turner Farm Park Observatory in Great Falls, Virginia, for a free Friday night viewing through the observatory’s telescopes.

Playing dress up

With the Kennedy Center in GW’s backyard, the plethora of dress-up-worthy shows performed at the venue provides an excuse to get dolled up. For those willing to splurge on a ticket just a tad more expensive than a Gala one, the National Symphony Orchestra is hosting actors and singers Seth MacFarlane of “Family Guy” and Liz Gillies of “Victorious” for a series of jazz and comedy duets Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $69.

Feb. 2 at the Kennedy Center also offers Jonathan Larson’s acclaimed “tick, tick… BOOM!” which you can see for $20 if you can snag one of their first-come, first-serve student tickets, available for most other Kennedy Center performances.

No need for formalities

If staying on campus is your preferred Friday night activity, you can never go wrong with a GW Comedy Nights showcase. The student favorite comedy group is hosting its next show in Betts Theater at 8 p.m. on Gala night, with tickets going for a feasible $3.

SPORTS

January 29, 2024 • Page 8

Sports

THE GW HATCHET

GAMES OF THE WEEK

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

GYMNASTICS

vs. Towson Friday | 6 p.m.

Gymnastics travels to Towson, Maryland, to compete at a meet Feb. 2 at 6 p.m.

vs. Rhode Island Wednesday | 6 p.m.

Women’s basketball welcomes the Rams in an A-10 contest.

NUMBER CRUNCH

.553

Redshirt freshman Darren Buchanan Jr.'s shooting percentage, eighth-highest in the A-10

REVS SPUTTER AMID BASKETBALL SLUMPS Women’s basketball drops to Fordham, loses fourth straight in A-10 play

Men’s basketball falls to La Salle, third-straight loss

KRISTI WIDJAJA

PETER HARRELL

STAFF WRITER

REPORTER

Women’s basketball (812, 1-7 A-10) fell to Fordham (7-13, 2-7 A-10) 60-55 on Saturday, continuing their four-game losing streak, as they were unable to gain offensive momentum.

The Revolutionaries have struggled offensively in Atlantic 10 play, averaging 30.3 percent shooting over the past three games.

Saturday’s shooting performance was improved — 40 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from the 3-point line — but the Revolutionaries struggled with 17 fouls and 15 turnovers.

The Rams took 15 more attempted shots but only made two more baskets, totaling 33.8 percent from the field, with 26.3 percent shooting from the deep.

The Rams’ free throw opportunities made the difference in the fourth quarter, as they made six of 12 to help seal the game.

Sophomore guard Nya Robertson led the game with 19 points and junior forward Maxine Engel scored 9 points, shooting 3-4 from the 3-point line.

Graduate student guard Nya Lok finished the game with 6 points and four steals. Lok’s scoring total put her over 1,000 career

Men’s basketball (14-6, 3-4 A-10) lost to La Salle (11-9, 2-5 A-10) 80-70 on Saturday at home after the team made a season-low 16.7 percent of their 3-point attempts, leading to their third-consecutive loss.

The Revs struggled to shoot from three, resulting in a third-straight loss, pushing GW down to seventh in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

The Revs went 3-18 from 3-point range after missing their first seven attempts. By half, they trailed 37-33 after shooting 2-10 from three while the Explorers went 5-12.

Redshirt freshman Darren Buchanan Jr. left the game before the 15-minute mark in the second half after tweaking his knee. He returned shortly after and finished the game with 24 points on 8-18 shots as well as 12 rebounds and three assists.

Senior guard James Bishop IV was second on the team in scoring with 17 points on 7-17 from the field, along with three rebounds and four assists.

The second half saw the Revs attacking the basket and getting to the foul line. La Salle committed 17 fouls, 11 of which came in the second half, and resulted in 19 points for the Revs, 8 of which belonged to Buchanan, who stormed into the paint and drew 10 attempts from the charity stripe.

FILE BY RACHEL KURLANDSKY | PHOTOGRAPHER Sophomore guard Nya Robertson scans the floor as George Mason junior Paula Suárez guards.

points.

The Revs only held one lead, an 8-7 edge five minutes into the game. This was short-lived, however, as the quarter ended on a 9-2 Fordham run to bring the score to 16-10. To end the half, Fordham scored 6 straight in 13 seconds off an and-1 and a 3-pointer to cement a 31-24 lead.

The Revs went scoreless for the first three minutes of the third quarter, shooting 0-4 and helping the Rams extend their lead to 13 points. With a minute

left, Engel made her second 3-pointer, assisted by senior guard Asjah Inniss, ending the third quarter down 44-36.

In the fourth quarter, Robertson shined as she shot 5-7 from the field. Robertson sunk a jumper in the sixth minute and a 3-pointer in the next Revs’ possession to bring the score 51-45. With 3:12 minutes remaining, Engel made her third 3-pointer of the game to cut the Fordham lead to 3. Following a Fordham layup, Robertson made

two consecutive jumpers to bring the Revs within 1 point. Inniss helped the Revs to tie the game 55-55 as she sank an and-1 with 1:02 minutes remaining.

The comeback attempt was ineffective as the Revs were unable to score again, with Lok committing an offensive foul down 2 with 40 seconds left. Three late free throws brought the final score to 55-60.

The Revs will return to the Smith Center to face Rhode Island (14-8, 6-3 A-10) on Jan. 31 at 6 p.m.

“[Buchanan] brings a lot of toughness to the game, it’s really hard to stop him from getting downhill,” Bishop said.

GW attempted to retake the lead several times, but the Revs struggled with defense.

Through the team’s six losses this season, their opponent made at least eight 3-pointers.

La Salle netted 10 at a 52.6 percent clip.

Head Coach Chris Caputo took accountability for the team’s defensive performance.

“I have to do a better job with this group figuring out how to put functioning twoway players on the court together at the same time,” Caputo said.

The Revs forced 12 turnovers but routinely missed opportunities to score in transition. Despite the team winning the turnover battle by a margin of three, the Explorers were able to match GW’s 10 points off turnovers.

“It’s the strangest thing I’ve ever seen,” Caputo said. “I’ve coached teams that literally have been the best points per possession, transition offensive teams in the country multiple times. We didn’t change anything about how we talked about it.”

The Revs will try to end their three-game losing streak as they travel to UD Arena on Tuesday to face the nation’s 16th-ranked Dayton Flyers at 7 p.m.

GW’s new big man finds his footing in the paint SYD HEISE REPORTER

Clinging to a 4-point overtime lead against Navy in the Smith Center, GW was in desperate need of a stop.

With 26 seconds left to take the lead, Navy’s Austin Begini barreled toward the basket. He got past one defender and went up for the layup, shooting the ball over another. From behind, Babatunde Akingbola rose into the air smashing the ball out of bounds.

The Smith Center crowd erupted. Akingbola notched his 11th block of the game, breaking the 47-year-old single-game school record. The Revs went on to sink Navy 79-77.

“I love the process,” said Akingbola. “I love the end goal. I love everything about basketball.”

Akingbola started playing basketball at 15 years old. For most, it takes a lifetime of dedication to make it as a Division I hooper. But the lengthy Nigerian native credits his 7-foot-5 wingspan

for helping him reach the top of collegiate basketball — literally and figuratively.

“I am not going to lie, that day I was feeling good,” Akingbola said, looking back on his record-breaking performance. “I told one of my teammates, ‘CJ, I’m going to have 10 blocks today.’”

The polyonymous center currently averages 4 points per game but sits third in the NCAA for blocks per game, averaging 3.2 a night and 64 in the season, good for second overall. He is aiming to climb to first in the nation.

Shot-blocking prowess is something that GW has not seen in recent years, and Akingbola fills a necessary gap.

He often spends his games on defense hunting around the paint, looking for opportunities where he can go up and swat a shot away.

Akingbola moved to the States from Ogun, Nigeria, in 2014. His mother, a teacher, was not amused by sports culture. The two compromised that if Akingbola got a degree, he could play basketball.

“She’s happy now. Thank God,” the grad student joked.

Before landing in the nation’s capital, Akingbola spent four years at Auburn.

He had zero starts for the Tigers, making his first game at GW so emotional.

GW’s internationally packed roster sold Akingbola to transfer.

“People that think like me and have a different culture than me, here that’s what gives me the edge,” Akingbola said. “Coming from a different country and knowing that other people came from a different country kind of gives you joy.”

The Revolutionaries have four international students from three different continents on their 15-man team.

Akingbola is a big man with a bigger personality. Alongside his defensive prowess, his energetic persona on the court shines. From postgame dances to comedic interviews on the team’s social media pages, his expressions certainly entertain, with dances to the GW Fight Song after wins becoming

FILE BY MAYA NAIR | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Graduate student center Babatunde Akingbola puts a shot up over the outstretched arms of a defender.

commonplace. But out of the gym, he’s more reserved.

“I would say on the court and in the locker room, I’m always like that,” Akingbola said. “But off the court, I’m kind of quiet and in my room

a lot.”

Akingbola asks fans to keep being supportive as he closes out his first and final season donning buff and blue.

“A lot of people know my

story,” he said. “From Nigeria to coming to school out here, going to Auburn and not playing a lot, coming to GW and showing my talent — I’m grateful. That was the thing for me.”

Women’s track and field takes home individual wins at Patriot Games CARRIE MCGUINNESS REPORTER

MADDIE TOTH REPORTER

Women’s track and field found success in individual finishes at the Patriot Games at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, on Friday and Saturday.

The Revs raced at the Robert Comstock Cardinal Classic hosted

by Catholic University in Landover, Maryland, on Jan. 20 where a runner podiumed. With a roster of 23, the Buff and Blue clocked in strong PRs and individual performances, most of which finished within the top 15 of their respective events.

“We’re not really concerned so much about the time but just how the girls are running and how they’re getting after it,” Assistant Coach Justin Lupone said.

Saturday’s events started with 60-meter dashes. Graduate student Rachel Horowitz finished in 8.06 seconds, placing third in her heat.

Horowitz set the program record with a PR of 7.86 seconds in the 60-meter dash at the Youree SpenceGarcia Meet on Dec. 2. Freshman Ja-

nae Russell finished in 8.21 seconds, placing fourth in her heat. They failed to qualify for finals.

“I’m a 400 runner, so all of these meets leading up to conference, we just trained as a team, so I was pretty happy considering it’s a flat track and it’s only our second meet back from break,” Horowitz said.

Four Revs competed in the onemile run. In the first heat, freshman Emma Friedrich and senior Catherine Ruffino had strong starts.

Fredrich climbed to the top of the pack with Ruffino trailing behind.

On the third lap, Ruffino and Fredrich were firmly in third place. Even with Ruffino and Fredrich’s strong start, both fell back at the end of the race. The Revs finished second to last. Friedrich came in 24th with a time of 5:32.36. Ruffino came in 26th at 5:34.06, a few seconds shy of her one-mile PR of 5:20.53.

The second heat of the event featured sophomore Una Boylan and junior Olivia Syftestad. Boylan and Syftestad clocked in PRs at the Robert Comstock Cardinal, coming in back to back third and fourth respectively at 5:09.62 and 5:11.45. Syftestad secured a strong start in third, while Boylan fell into second to last

place. In the last two laps, Boylan worked her way up to the top and trailed in third place while Syftestad landed in fifth. Once again, Boylan and Syftestad finished back to back in ninth and 10th, with marks of 5:08.24 and 5:14.15.

The 400-meter dash starred freshman Kamryn Holness, who finished last in her heat with a time of 1:02.61 and 11th overall.

In the 500-meter dash, the Buff and Blue won two heats. Sophomore Alexia Massoud had both a strong start and finish, coming in first in her heat with a time of 1:24.19, with her PR of 1:22.07 being a program record. On the other hand, freshman Kayla Desousa tallied a time of 1:26.00.

The 800-meter run saw the Revs rise and fall. Despite sophomore Rita Mazumder coming in third with a time of 2:21.29 in their heat, senior Kirsten Long came in last with a time of 2:29.06, compared to her PR of 2:21.37.

The 1,000-meter run featured sophomore Sarah Mitchell and freshman Lola Dinneen. Dinneen began the race near last and pushed herself into third place in her heat, recording a time of 3:06.43. They re-

ARWEN CLEMANS | PHOTOGRAPHER Sophomore Rita Mazumder crosses the finish line at a meet at George Mason.

spectively placed eighth and 10th.

The final event of the day was the 200-meter dash. Horowitz came in second in her heat with a time of 25.26. Holness took first in her heat with a time of 27.19 and placed 10th.

In the last heat, Russell finished first, recording a time of 27.12 and placing eighth.

While the Patriot Games had its ups and downs, Russell and

Horowitz were both satisfied with their individual performances.

“Overall, I feel like we have this deep down, but I really need the strength and like to finish our races and everything. So just strength, but I feel like we’ve been doing pretty good so far,” Russell said.

The Revs hope to bounce back at the Boston University Valentine Invitational in Boston on Feb. 9.