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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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Sophomore advocates for Metro passes at WMATA meeting

Anne McBride | Hatchet Photographer
Anne McBride | Hatchet Photographer

A sophomore represented the Foggy Bottom community in a meeting about unlimited Metro passes for GW students.

Eve Zhurbinskiy, a commissioner on the Foggy Bottom and West End Advisory Neighborhood Commission, went to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority Board of Directors meeting last Monday to show her support for the Metro pass program.

Zhurbinskiy, who is the secretary on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission representing Foggy Bottom, said she would support the program if students could opt in instead of having it automatically tacked onto their cost of attendance.

“My role in advocating for the passes has been telling WMATA to create it, not telling GW how to implement it,” she said in a message.

The passes would add $250 to students’ cost of attendance for GW and provide unlimited Metrorail and bus rides. Zhurbinskiy said the increased cost of attendance would be covered by financial aid.

Casey Syron, the Student Association’s former executive vice president, advocated for the passes with WMATA last month while he was still in his position. He said last month that he would like to have the passes set up for the incoming freshman class this fall.

Zhurbinskiy said she is meeting with other members of the SA, like President Andie Dowd and John Lindsay, the chief of staff to the SA executive vice president, to create the pass. GW students will vote through a referendum in the upcoming SA elections about the passes.

Zhurbinskiy said she too would benefit from having the passes because she works in Virginia several days a week.

“I personally have spent a lot on the Metro,” she said. “The passage of this bill would help the commute for several GW students and would be a huge benefit.”

The ANC voted in approval of the passes for GW students in November after Zhurbinskiy introduced a resolution.

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