GW ironies
I recently read two articles in the Sept. 10 issue of The GW Hatchet. I don’t know if it was done purposely, but an article about Gelman (“SA proposes extended hours at Gelman,” p. 10) and another article about the GW renovations (“Campus renovation enters final phase”) were on the same page, right next to one another.
The first article about Gelman reported that because GW has been getting a bit more crowded, there is less room to study. It mentioned the first-floor lounge is open 24 hours, but is extremely full. People mentioned that the study areas on the fourth and fifth floors should be open 24 hours as well, but that there was not enough money for the security needed.
I now move on to the second article about the renovations GW is doing around campus – the $3.3 million renovations to add gates, take out the outdoor classroom and build a coffee bar. The article mentioned that this was already over budget and that there would be lots of “inconveniences,” while these renovations are going on.
I found this whole thing very ironic and it makes me wonder what concern, if any, GW has for its students’ academics. The University can afford to build a coffee bar where we probably will be paying double what is required, and it can afford to build more gates and make this campus look more attractive to outsiders. Yet, GW can’t afford to take care of its current students.
The construction is going to be very loud (it already has been) right next to Gelman. I have heard it while studying on the fourth floor. GW is getting more crowded and study areas become noisy if they are too full. How can one possibly study on this campus? I just think it’s a bit ironic that they are located not 50 feet from one another.
-Alison Malcolm
sophomore
Thurston pranks
Third-floor residents of Thurston Hall were awoken by the presence of University Police officers at 4 a.m. on a recent Sunday morning. Tipped off about a possible drug possession in the building, a community facilitator and three UPD officers knocked on the door of the freshman in question and unraveled a disturbing story of gross immaturity and abuse of privilege.
By falsely tipping off a CF about illegal drug possession, a freshman, who shall remain anonymous, displayed every student’s ability to waste valuable campus security resources to wage personal battles. The UPD officers and CF sent to confiscate harmful drugs instead found embarrassment by the fact that the very pills they were after were common multivitamin and vitamin C capsules.
Why all the fiasco? Knowing the “drugs” in question were legal over-the-counter pills and harmful to no one, the freshman prankster sent UPD knocking on doors in a “humorous” attempt to hassle a personal adversary. Although this initial goal was met, other Thurston residents also were bothered by the commotion. The valuable time of three patrol officers also was needlessly wasted during this childish prank.
It’s a story of the typical high school prank, take advantage of an important resource aimed at protecting others (such as UPD) and send them barking up the wrong tree in order to play out a personal vendetta. Funny, huh?
What insight is gained from all this? Personally, I find comfort in the fact that our campus security responded within an hour of the tip-off in order to curtail any possible distribution of illegal drugs (the vitamins were confiscated for procedural reasons).
On the other hand, I find it scary that such immature students at our school are willing to take personal differences to such a serious level.
In summary, thank you UPD for doing your job and doing it well; and to GW students: Be warned that to some, reaching a higher level of studies doesn’t mean a higher level of maturity.
-Russ Rizzo
freshman
