What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? Here’s The Hatchet’s monthly wrap-up of what we’re thankful and not so thankful for.
Gelman’s new entrance
Let’s face it: Hardly anyone wants to go to Gelman Library. And when you go down the stairs into Gelman’s dark and gloomy entrance, you really just want to turn around and walk away. But the University’s projected redesign to the Gelman entrance, which will be positioned in Kogan Plaza, will hopefully make it a more welcoming space. With this new entrance, students will only start to feel depressed when they actually sit down to study, not before they enter the building.
Senior Safeway closing
Despite the protests of local residents, Safeway Grocery in the Watergate Hotel will close its doors Dec. 3. No matter how depressing and gray the “Senior Safeway” actually looked inside, students and locals went to the store to buy brand-name grocery products. It’ll be a shame to bid adieu to familiar food brands like Kraft and Kellogg’s, and we’ll have to make sure that our wallets are a little thicker when we go to Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
Attendance at games
GW’s athletic teams have achieved notable successes throughout the year, and students are showing up in impressive numbers to support them. Students stormed the field when the men’s soccer team clinched a berth to the Atlantic-10 tournament and head coach George Lidster earned his 200th win. Colonial Army was out in full force in the men’s home opener victory against University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, and the women’s game against Virginia Tech was well-attended, as fans watched the team battle and ultimately fall in the hard-fought game. Hopefully students will continue to support the athletic teams as the winter season begins to enter full swing.
Increased safety measures
The University has responded to a number of troubling security infractions this year with some notable increases in safety measures. University Police Department officers will be stationed in some upperclassman residence halls at night, a laudable move to help thwart piggybacking. In addition, the University now is able to alert students of ongoing threats via a safety and security text messaging system. Living in a city is exciting, but it also comes with some dangers, and these improvements will help students feel more secure on campus.
Farewell to The Frog
The University plans to implement the next phase of its campus plan, and while it will be sad to see Thai Place, Mehran Restaurant and Panda Café go, the most tragic casualty is that Froggy Bottom Pub will be shut down. At this school, which too often laments a lack of spirited GW spaces, Froggy’s cheap pitchers of beer and greasy food are a flocking ground for students. Froggy Bottom, and its owner Hien, our mother away from home, will be sorely missed if it is unable to relocate close to campus.
Bad News Bears in the volleyball playoffs
The Intramural Volleyball League’s playoffs will begin after Thanksgiving at HelWell, and The Hatchet’s team, the Bad News Bears, is still without a win. Fortunately, the tournament’s forgiving format allows everyone to make the playoffs. So the Bad News Bears will march into the playoffs with a defeated record, searching for our first victory that did not come from the opposing team’s forfeit. Go Bad News Bears!
