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The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

Staff Editorial: bandaged campus

GW has bought itself yet another bandage for a wound incurred by another year of over-enrollment. Before the 1999-2000 school year GW purchased the Premier Hotel to house 330 extra freshmen. Now, GW has another residence hall out of campus boundaries under its belt after securing a 15-year lease on the former St. James Suites hotel on 24th Street near Washington Circle. City Hall comes in response to a freshman class 450 students bigger than last year.

In June 1999 The Hatchet wrote that the University should either “curb the growing population or take more measures to accommodate it.” Clearly, the first request has not been met, and continued over-enrollment makes added classroom space in the Media and Public Affairs building and future Elliott School site too little, too late. And dining has hardly expanded.

The acquisition of St. James Suites helps mend problems caused by GW admitting too many freshmen and overtaxing current campus resources. Hopefully the rapid response to campus overcrowding will continue, as more classroom and dining space are needed.

Obtaining more beds was the only solution left open to GW, which legally cannot purchase off-campus buildings for University use. And building a new residence hall is impossible in such a short time frame.

Now that GW officials have found beds for incoming and returning students, the next step should be acquiring more classroom and dining space. J Street is already hopelessly crowded during peak meal times.

The mission of the University is education, and classroom learning is a valuable component of that mission. Despite arguments to the contrary, GW does not have enough classroom space. Professors are quick to point out that they often cannot sign students into classes due to a literal lack of space.

Administrators did a good job acquiring the new City Hall under the circumstances; although it sends a caution flag that this unacceptable situation will continue, and GW will continue to buy more bandages. Now GW must move on to other areas of concern to prepare the University for the onslaught of additional students.

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