Student Accounts inconsistency

A few days ago I noticed that I still owed the University tuition. I logged onto GWeb to investigate and discovered a charge for more than $500 for dropping a class. I had dropped a class, but it was replaced immediately after I dropped the course. I called Student Accounts to find out what was going on. The employee I spoke with told me that it was University policy to impose a drop fee, but she would let me use my “one-time pass” and do me a favor by waiving the fee. “Wow, good thing I spoke to someone so nice,” I thought.

Imagine my surprise when I opened The Hatchet last Thursday and read the headline “University accidentally penalizes students for dropping courses,” (Sept. 22, page 1). Student Accounts needs to make sure all of its employees are on the same page. If the office knows that this malfunction exists in Banner, they should at the very least inform all of their employees, so parents and students calling with questions will get a straight answer.

-Caity Baxter, graduate student

Rock the D.C. vote

Kudos to your article “Crowded field readies for mayoral race” by Catherine Villnave, (Sept. 19, p. 3) for covering the D.C. mayoral primary. It is imperative that Colonial students know the ramifications of this election.

George Washington University is the largest private landowner and the second largest public landowner in the District, behind the federal government. When the mayoral candidates speak about changes in this city, they are speaking about changes to our campus.

Students voted in record numbers in 2004; let’s do it again in 2006 to ensure the mayor of Washington, D.C., pays attention to us. After all, it’s our city, too.

-Stina Skewes-Cox, graduate student