AU Gives Students SmarTrip-Enabled IDs - GW Should Follow

Last February, the Hatchet reported that American University was beginning to test a new student ID card that would give students access to the DC metro via SmarTrip.  This month, the Eagle - AU's student-run newspaper - is reporting that this successful program is being expanded to 300 AU students:

Housing and Dining will distribute 300 of these hybrid cards on a first-come, first-served basis. All non-graduating students are eligible to participate in the program.

SG has worked with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority since last June to provide a Metro discount for AU students. The pilot program will provide data on student ridership that is necessary to determine the cost of subsidizing a possible student discount. The pilot program will be in effect from April until October, according to SG President Andy MacCracken.

A 20-card pilot program has already taken place to make sure the cards work, he said.

“We’ve so far had a 100 percent success rate,” he said. “We’re moving forward with an expanded pilot program.”

So not only is AU testing a SmarTrip-student ID hybrid, but they're also considering funding a student metro discount for its students. 

I don't believe that this discount is necessary - even with the recent fare hikes, the metro is still much less expensive than taking a cab or riding the bus.  But enabling students to use their school ID cards as SmarTrip cards would make it much more convenient for students to access the metro.  And with GW currently revamping its GWorld cards to give it a tap-and-enter system similar to that used by SmarTrip cards, now is the time for GW to follow in AU's footsteps and give its students metro access on their GWorld cards.

We're not asking for a discount: we're just asking the school to take this opportunity to give students a way to easily access the metro without having to buy a separate metro card.

A Facebook group on this topic has gained 250 members in less than two weeks.  If you believe in this cause, please join us, and sign the petition expressing your support for a GWorld card with SmarTrip capabilities.

Like Free Stuff? How About Free Coffee During Finals?

There are a lot of long term, challenging activism proposals floating around out there. Just two days ago, we set out to make a simple and practical change for students during finals: free coffee. This year the Student Association was able to extend study hours in certain locations on campus, but let's take that one step further. The University should provide students with this necessary component during our stressful exam preparation.

Let the GW administration know what YOU think. Sign our petition to Executive SA President Julie Bindelglass and University Librarian Jack A. Siggins.

In a few days our fan page has soared past 50 members and well on our way to 100 members, help us get there! Become a fan today! http://j.mp/coffee4finals

Green GW's Vehicles: Update 2

In yesterday's Hatchet, there was an article about GW's Climate Action Plan.

The plan won't be released until May 15th- but I'm curious to see what it will hold for the future of GW's transportation.

Meghan Chapple-Brown, the director of the Office of Sustainability, is reported as saying:

"If it weren't for our young leaders, we probably wouldn't see change happening as quickly as it does," Chapple-Brown said. "Our students here at GW have that potential for leadership; not only do they have that potential, but they are demonstrating that they know how to be leaders. Change has to do with painting a picture of the future we want to be a part of, and our young people can see that future much more clearly."

Here's to hoping she sticks by this statement, and Green's our Vehicles!

Green GW's Vehicles: Update

In my campaign to help Green GW's Vehicles, I began with writing letters to President Knapp and the Office of Sustainability.

Sophie Waskow, a staff member at the Office of Sustainability, responded to my letter in an email. In the email, she said:

While we recognize that transportation amounts to only 6% of our carbon footprint, we know that it is still an area that we need to and will address through our Climate Action Plan. We look forward to exploring options around biodiesel and please let me know if you would like to work together on this.

Based on information gathered from the American College & University President's Climate Commitment's carbon-footprint information on GW, and the EPA's estimation of the yearly carbon emission of cars- I found that 6% of GW's carbon footprint equals the yearly carbon emission of 1483 cars.

What do you think of this response? Do you think the school is taking the issue of transportation seriously? Or do you think this is a blanket-response email?

Reflections of a Senior

In one of my last posts I have decided to impart some wisdom onto those impressionable underclassmen out there in the blogosphere.

Don’t get too stressed over anything at GW, there are very few things here that are worth stressing over. Of course, your financial aid falling through, failing a class (or coming close to failing), and not getting housing are things that might seem like the end of the world, they are not. No matter how bad it gets with whatever it is there is always some other way, some alternative to whatever situation you are in that might prove a good solution if you just sit back and look. Too often GW students think that they are the masters of the universe and that everything out there bows before them and lead them towards some form of brash action; sorry to disappoint all of you but often you do more harm than good in the long term.

Democrats- Republicans are not the enemy. Republicans- Democrats are not the enemy.

You have been babied here; fixit comes in and (sometimes) repairs your running toilet, replaces a light bulb, or unclogs a leaky drain. Learn to do some of these things yourself, go out and buy a basic tool kit with a hammer, pliers, and a screwdriver, a roll of duct tape, and can of WD-40, tools in hand you will be fine. If something breaks you can fix it, and if you cannot do it with those basic tools look online for what you need and make a project out of it. You and you roommates will have fun.

Take a class outside your comfort zone; take Modern Yiddish Literary Classics in Translation, Modern Dance, or Japanese Swordsmanship. You will learn more about you than you will about the topic (not that you will not learn a lot about dance). You will also get to meet a lot of interesting people.

That’s it, I am on my way out the door facing unemployment, homelessness, and a degree in History (what do I do with that?) but on May 16 we “walk” at university commencement, hear Michelle Obama and her attempt to inspire us after giving us one last prerequisite for her appearance, and then….


Photo Credit 1

College Students Addicted to Social Media, Says Study

A study out of the University of Maryland says that college students are addicted to social media and use the same diction as drug addicts to describe their withdrawal from it.

200 students were asked to abstain from social media, including Facebook, Twitter, texting, and online instant messaging for 24 hours. At the end of the experiment, the students wrote blogs reported feeling anxious, panicked, angry, and antsy throughout the day. The also claimed to have felt disconnected from their friends, and reported feelings of longing and loneliness. The study essentially found that students suffer a high level of anxiety after only a few hours of being separated from social media, and an unhealthy level of anxiety after 24 hours of being without the technology.

The study looked deeper and also determined that students expressed feeling ignorant of popular culture and things such as television shows and news items, suggesting that college-age students rely on social media for the bulk of their information now.

Do you think you are addicted to social media? Would you be able to go 24 hours without Twitter, Facebook, texting, instant messaging, blogs, and YouTube?

Caps Lose in Game 5

The Washington Capitals lost to the Montreal Canadiens, 2-1 in Game 5 on Friday.

The Caps currently lead the seven-game series, 3-2. The Caps are a first seed team, while the Canadiens are an eight seed team.

Couch Boudreau was vocal in his disappointment of the team after the loss. The DCist reports him saying:

We have Game 5 in our building, and we play like crap for the first ten minutes, and the game's over.

The Canadiens scored the two goals within the first seven minutes of the game.

The NHL playoffs are still in conference quarterfinals, the first of four rounds, with the last being for the Stanley Cup.

Game 6 is set for Monday, April 26 at 7pm, and will be played in Montreal.

Some highlights from Friday's game if you missed it: