GW aids domestic violence victims
GW and other area schools are collecting used cell phones and distributing them to victims of domestic violence – to help protect battered women who return to their homes.
An area phone company has agreed to activate the phones so that the women can press one button and be automatically connected with the police, said GW senior Mary Anne Sheppard, who is organizing the drive at GW. The cell phones can only be used to contact the police.
Phones will be given to shelters in Virginia and D.C., which will distribute them to battered women and rape and stalker victims. This program will help many victims of domestic violence escape harmful situations, Sheppard said.
Sheppard said she anticipates between 75 and 100 cell phones will be donated at various schools and at Soho Tea & Coffee. The coffee shop already received 10 donations. Soho co-owners Helene Bloom and Fran Levine said they are excited about this program.
“The program just started, and already it is picking up speed,” Levine said. “So many people buy new cell phones and just throw out their old cell phones. These people should take the time and donate their used cell phones to help these women. More importantly, I hope that people gain awareness about battered women.”
Students can drop off donations in the Business School in Monroe Hall on G Street.
-Jessica Biren
Steadman Graham visits GW
Sports marketing entrepreneur Steadman Graham offered advice to freshman students in the School of Business and Public Management’s First Year Development program Friday in Funger Hall.
Graham gave two lectures that were specifically geared for a college audience. He integrated ideas from his book “You Can Make It Happen: A Nine-Step Plan for Success.” with advice about choosing the right major. The bulk of Graham’s lecture came from ideas and concepts in his book.
After the lecture, students attended small-group sessions with their assigned business school mentors to discuss the points Graham made during his lecture.
Part of Graham’s notoriety stems from his close relationship with daytime talk-show host Oprah Winfrey. Graham heads Graham Gregory Bozell Inc., an advertising agency, and S. Graham & Associates, a marketing consulting firm.
-Reshma Jhaveri
Administrators unveil Kogan Plaza
GW officially opened Kogan Plaza at a ribbon-cutting ceremony honoring Barton H. Kogan, a major fund contributor to the Mid-Campus Quad.
The Quad is a “place of tranquility in the heart of the eclectic urban community that is both Washington, D.C., and the George Washington campus,” President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg said at the event.
The quad, a 10-year project in the making from original vision to construction, ties the campus together from all sides.
“This is a thrilling moment, quite long-awaited, and a true gift to the city of Washington, D.C.,” Trachtenberg said. “It is our hope that this will be a gathering place for Foggy Bottom residents as well as the GW community.”
Trachtenberg shared his vision for the future of the plaza, including the possibility of lecture programs and the creation of a center for public debate.
Kogan also spoke, discussing GW’s need for a “major center in the open air.” The Mid-Campus Quad is “exactly what the University needed.an open event space for the use of students, faculty and administration,” he said.
-Anthony Morris
