The GW
HATCHET
February 24, 2025 Vol. 121 Iss. 20
AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER • SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904 • ONLINE AT GWHATCHET.COM
Officials add review step for hiring, promotions SACHINI ADIKARI
CONTRIBUTING NEWS EDITOR
Officials will add another step to the approval process for faculty and staff hiring and promotions on Monday to protect GW’s “limited” resources amid the impacts of the executive branch’s recent actions to federal funding. Provost Christopher Bracey, CFO Bruno Fernandes and Chief of Staff Scott Mory said in an email Friday that GW is implementing a “position management review process” in which promotions and hiring require an extra “level of review” by University leadership before approval. The officials said the new process aims to ensure GW stays within its budget in response to the headwinds in higher education posed by President Donald Trump’s recent executive actions. The officials said the review process would be in effect through fiscal year 2025 and could be extended. “We want to be clear that GW’s financial position remains strong,” the email states. “However, our resources are more limited than other large research universities, and we must take steps now to anticipate difficulties that lie ahead in order to avoid significant disruptions to our community and the University’s stability.” The officials said the new review process is not a hiring freeze and that they will continue to hire faculty and staff that are “critical” to advancing the University. The officials said they plan to share more details about the review process with administrative and academic leadership involved in hiring. “We recognize that this measure, and others we may be forced to take in the future, will require the cooperation and flexibility of all our colleagues,” the email states.
COLLAGE BY LEXI CRITCHETT
‘Fear in the air’: Student, local groups launch outreach to protect immigrant community ALEXIA MASSOUD REPORTER
RORY QUEALY NEWS EDITOR
GW student groups and community organizations launched training sessions and educational programs in the wake of President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration executive orders to support refugees and prepare for potential raids. Trump over the last two
months issued a blitz of sweeping immigration orders to carry out his campaign promise of mass deportations and intensified border security, including expanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests, opening a migrant detention center in Guantanamo Bay and halting U.S. entry to refugees. In response, student and community groups have organized know-your-rights trainings and outreach to refugee students, aiming to mitigate safety concerns among immigrants
in the District. Alfredo Castro — the founder of Son La Lucha, a D.C.-based organization that blends workers’ rights and immigration advocacy with Mexican folk music performances — said the group began organizing trainings following Trump’s inauguration, including one on Feb. 8 at the D.C. Justice Center, to teach community members the legal basics of responding to immigration officers in their homes, cars or workplaces.
He said the trainings aim to help people remain calm and remember their rights in the event of a confrontation with an immigration officer. Castro said there have been “very low” levels of ICE presence in D.C. but that immigration officers have made arrests in Northern Virginia and Maryland. “Our goal is to decrease fear and decrease panic when this situation is happening,” Castro said. See GROUPS Page 5
Black Heritage Celebration honors Black culture amid federal attacks on DEI SAMUEL PEREZ REPORTER
This year’s Black Heritage Celebration commemorated and highlighted the Black community’s influence through history this month, sparking conversations about retaining representation amid President Donald Trump’s recent threats to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs. This year’s Black Heritage Celebration, titled “The Blackprint: It’s Been Us,” kicked off Feb. 1 with a keynote speech from former Vine influencer Demetrius Harmon, followed by 21 events from student organizations throughout the month, including a “hairitage” showcase platforming natural hairstyles and an event celebrating The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s 116th Founding Day. Student leaders said this
year’s programming emphasized the value of honoring the legacy of the Black community in the wake of the Trump administration’s recent attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs nationwide. BHC Co-Chair Clarke Gilmore, a senior, said the theme of “The Blackprint” aims to incorporate history into BHC programming to add an educational dimension to the celebrations and reflect on the impact of earlier generations through events like panel discussions with GW alumni. “It’s not just fun celebratory events because we definitely want to emphasize that too, but you’re also truly taking away maybe a new bit of knowledge with it and a new appreciation for Black culture when you attend these events that incorporate our theme,” Gilmore said.
Gilmore said all people of color are affected by the Trump administration’s threats on DEI. Trump issued several executive orders during his first month vowing to cease federal DEI programs and terminate funding for schools who use “racial preferences” as a factor in hiring, admissions and financial aid. Gilmore said the goal of BHC is to unite Black student organizations on campus to showcase a shared sense of Black community, given that GW is a predominantly white institution. “It is important that when there is an attack on any marginalized group that that group band together and celebrate one another in the face of adversity,” Gilmore said in a message. “This is why BHC is so crucial.” Programming included events like Service Day at DC Central Kitchen, the annual Soul Revue
SAGE RUSSELL | SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR Kyle Balfour, the president of Young Black Professionals in International Affairs
talent showcase and the culminating Finale, which will be held on Feb. 28 at the Gathering Spot
DC — a Black-owned event venue. See THEME Page 5
Meet the five students running for top seats on GW Law’s student government ANNALIESE PERSAUD STAFF WRITER
SBA Executive Vice President Nigel Walton
MOLLY ST. CLAIR
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
As the Student Bar Association nears the end of a term defined by its leaders navigating budget constraints and mending relationships with GW Law officials, law students will elect the body’s next president and executive vice president Monday. The five students running for the roles campaigned on boosting resources offered through the law school’s career center, strengthening ties with officials and preserving a balanced budget through SBA fundraising. All law students are eligible to vote in the election via a Google Form from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday. This year, three presidential candidates and two executive vice presidential candidates are running to lead the SBA through its next term, which begins in April. WHAT’S
INSIDE
Candidates for SBA president:
Nigel Walton, a secondyear law student from Georgia, said his experience serving in multiple roles on the SBA has prepared him to take on the role of president, particularly after he assumed the SBA executive vice president role for the 2024-25 term. As a SBA senator last year, Walton advocated for continuing the body’s professional development fund, which finances students’ attendance of law conferences. This year, Walton said he was set to assume the role of legislative director until former SBA President Raisa Shah stepped down from the position, leading current SBA President Cherissa Lindsay to assume the role in her
NEWS Honors students criticize housing move from Amsterdam Hall to District House. Page 2
place and appoint Walton to executive vice president. Walton said he will meet monthly with law school officials to improve the SBA’s relationship with administration after he said problems with a member of SBA this year contributed to a law school dean’s refusal to supplement the SBA budget if the body did not meet his funding requirements. “We want a candidate who knows how to talk to the administration,” Walton said. “In the past, our communication with them has been — and I’ll just say it — it’s piss poor.” Walton said his time on the SBA has taught him how the body’s senate operates. He said his term as vice president during the body’s budget shortage strengthened his ability to work well with senators.
OPINIONS The editorial board commends GW’s lawsuit against the NIH but calls for further community support under the Trump presidency. Page 6
Walton said he will work with the law school Career Development Office to bring an “individualized approach” to the career search by connecting students with alumni who can help them obtain jobs postgraduation.
Vice President of Finance Amanda Hichez:
Second-year law student Amanda Hichez said her thorough knowledge of the SBA finance system after a year of managing the body’s limited budget makes her the best candidate for president. Hichez started as the SBA’s deputy vice president of finance last year, where she said she learned the ropes of the body’s budget and placed order requests for student organizations. Lindsay named
CULTURE Read The Hatchet’s predictions for the 2025 Academy Awards on Sunday. Page 7
Hichez the SBA’s vice president of finance at the start of the fall semester where she has overseen the SBA budget and worked closely with the law school Finance Office to process funding requests. As SBA president, Hichez said she would look forward to helping her predecessor work through the difficulties of handling the SBA budget. She said this year, Lindsay was not as “hands on” in the budget process because she did not originally plan to take on the role of president and work closely with SBA finances. This year was the first time the SBA operated without a surplus budget of funds leftover from unused funds during the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing the SBA to operate with a smaller budget than previous years. See CANDIDATES Page 5
SPORTS Baseball nabs two of three wins in its first home series of the season. Page 8