Renovations on One Washington Circle underway

GW has begun renovations on their most recent investment purchase, the One Washington Circle Hotel and has no plans to switch it to student housing, GW President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg said.

The building was purchased almost a year ago and will continue to operate despite the renovations.

“When we bought (the hotel), it was tired,” said University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. “It had a sad look to it, so we are freshening it up with paint, carpets and furniture, and then we’re going to reopen it as a hotel.”

The hotel, which is targeted to open this spring, will have an updated look with renovated guest suites, meeting rooms, dining facilities and a new lobby. The hotel’s heating and cooling system has also been upgraded.

Director of Media Relations Gretchen King said the renovations will create a new level of guest service.

“Our goal is to convert One Washington Circle into a boutique chic ambiance,” King said. “We will be replacing windows with sound-proof materials and sound-proofing the walls because of the hotel’s location.”

King said the main purpose for buying the property was to create revenue that would continue to support the University.

This is the second hotel GW will run in the area. The University bought the Inn at Foggy Bottom (now called the George Washington University Inn) in 1994.

-Julie Gordon

Health and Wellness Center pool delayed

GW officials said drainage and waterproofing problems have delayed the opening of the new Health and Wellness Center pool for five months.

The pool, originally slated for completion in August with the rest of the building, is now scheduled to open mid-February, Assistant Athletic Director of Facilities and Development Tony Vecchione said.

Vecchione said the 25-yard, three-lane lap pool on the HWC lower level “will be worth waiting for.”

Vecchione said the special thing about the pool is the amount of time it will be open for student use.

He said the Smith Center often closed the pool for special events, and the point of the HWC was to satisfy the needs of students and more hours will make that happen.

He said exact swim times have not yet been set for the three to five- foot-deep pool, but the schedule will likely have three swim times including an early morning session.

Workers are also still completing a courtyard behind the HWC building, which Vecchione described as an open area where students can relax with tables and chairs.

“Now students will have an extra place to sit outside, read or just relax,” he said.

-Samantha Saifer

Congressman to address campaign finance reform

Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) will kick off the University’s “In the Know” series next Tuesday with an address on finance reform and President George W. Bush’s upcoming State of the Union address.

The series will include luncheon conversations with public figures involved in politics and other areas.

The event will begin on Jan. 29 at 12:30 p.m. at the University Club located at 1918 F St.

Meehan is a spokesperson for campaign finance reform in the House of Representatives.

He recently authored a bill that would reform campaign finance by banning soft money and limiting advertisements on issues such as social security and health care.

Activist will host AIDS discussion

The Black Student Union will sponsor an AIDS discussion with activist Rae Lewis Thornton as part of Black History Month.

The event, titled “Killing Me Softly,” will be held in the Marvin Center amphitheater from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Thorton will address sexual issues within the black community in the area as well as the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which is killing people across the globe.

Former ambassador will lecture on Somalia

Former ambassador and State Department coordinator for Somalia David Shinn will address students next week about terrorist activity in the African region.

The lecture, titled “Terrorism and the Horn of Africa: Is Somalia the Next Afghanistan?” will be held on Jan. 29 from 5:45-7:15 p.m. at the Elliot School Commons, Stuart Hall room 103.

In light of the current war in Afghanistan, Shinn will discuss the issues surrounding terrorism in Africa and the question of U.S. involvement.

Light refreshments will be served staring at 5:45 p.m., and the lecture will begin at 6 p.m.
-Trevor Martin