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MFA losses prompt credit rating agencies to downgrade GW’s outlook

pounding losses as a key financial strain threatening its overall credit standing.

GW’s two credit rating agencies downgraded their outlook on the University’s credit score earlier this year for the first time in available records, citing the Medical Faculty Associates’ com-

Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings in reports released in May and August, respectively, affirmed GW’s strong credit rating but revised their outlook from stable to negative, signaling concern that the University’s score could tumble if officials fail

to stabilize GW’s financial support for the debt-ridden medical enterprise. Both agencies — who issued the reports before GW announced an agreement with Universal Health Services earlier this month to cofund the MFA amid ongoing negotiations — pointed to the medical enterprises’ years of debt as central to their decision, warning that con-

tinued financial pressure from the organization could weaken GW’s liquidity and long-term operating margins.

Moody’s report states losses from the MFA, which makes up about 20 percent of the University’s operating revenue, cut GW’s operating margin by 8.2 percentage points in FY2024, leaving its financial performance 5.1

trustees

GW’s endowment climbed roughly $100 million to $2.8 billion in the last quarter of fiscal year 2025, trustees reported at their second public meeting since officials publicly disclosed a budget deficit that sparked cuts to staff, operations and resources over the last few months.

Chair of the Board’s Finance and Investment Committee Todd Klein said GW’s endowment rose from $2.7 to $2.8 billion between March 31 and the end of the fiscal year on June 30, despite GW incurring a $21.9 million operating deficit in the fiscal year. The trustees did not disclose the University’s current deficit, which Chief Financial Officer Bruno Fernandes said jumped another

Georgetown hands men’s basketball 73-64 defeat in historic sold-out game

In their first matchup in 44 years, men’s basketball fell 73-64 to Georgetown University in a Saturday night exhibition, played in front of the Smith Center’s first sellout crowd in nearly a decade.

With just over two weeks until the season opener, the Revolutionaries struggled to find a rhythm against their cross-town rivals, trailing throughout and committing 17 turnovers. GW leaned on a rotation that featured 10 players — including five newcomers — but struggled to find consistency on both ends of the floor in the exhibition loss.

The team reported an attendance of 4,287, the largest since 2016, with Smith Center employees turning students away at the door after the arena reached capacity. Head Coach Chris

Caputo said after the game the competitive matchup and electric atmosphere should pave the way for more games between the D.C. schools.

“I just don’t see a downside for us,” Caputo said during the press conference. “It’s on television, we had a big crowd of our alums and things like that. I’d love to do it every year.”

Georgetown Head Coach Ed Cooley appeared less enthusiastic about future matchups, noting at the press conference that although playing more local teams has been “talked about a lot,” the program is cautious about risking home revenue “in the NIL world.” He added that scheduling home-and-home matchups and missing out on a home game is something that he doesn’t know they are “going to be able to afford to lose” the revenue from.

$2.1 million to $24 million between the end of FY2025 and sometime in July. Klein attributed the deficit to revenue shortfalls, increased expenses — particularly non-cash expenses — and the Medical Faculty Associates’ related costs, which included GW loaning the medical enterprise over $98 million in FY2025.

percentage points below the median for private universities with A credit ratings. Without the MFA’s losses, GW’s operating margin would have been around 15 percent in FY2024, Moody’s reported — well above its peers’ 11.9 percent median.

Moody’s has consistently rated GW’s outlook as stable in the 17 reports it has issued since Novem-

ber 2003, according to their website, though they once in February 2007 boosted their credit outlook from stable to positive. Ken Rodgers, an S&P analyst who worked on GW’s report, said the agency has rated GW’s credit outlook stable for at least 13 years, dating back to June 2012.

Students report surge in National Guard on campus

JENNA LEE SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

Students reported a “sinister” rise in National Guard presence on campus over the past week, fueling concerns that the continued deployment, more than two months after President Donald Trump sent troops to patrol the city, makes them feel less safe.

About 2,300 guard troops from eight states have remained in the District since President Trump ordered them on Aug. 11 to patrol D.C. as part of his crime crackdown, though students reported that troops were largely absent from Foggy Bottom during the first weeks of deployment. Since returning from fall break this week, students say a significant rise in troop sightings on campus — including inside campus buildings — have sparked general unease and a demand for clearer communication from officials on how they should interact with the troops.

Students over the past week have spotted guard troops standing in and near campus spaces, including a cluster of about 20 by the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro, four in Duques Hall, five on the Mount Vernon Express, seven outside of Lerner Health and Wellness Center and three in the Chick-fil-A in Mitchell Hall. About 10 guard officers were also present at the start of a rally hosted by GWU Socialist Action Initiative on Thursday near Kogan Plaza. A University spokesperson said GW did not request the troops’ presence at the protest.

In an email to the community last week, University President Ellen Granberg said she recognizes some students are concerned about the guard presence on campus and reiterated that law enforcement officers cannot enter buildings that require tap access without a warrant, though public D.C. streets fall under city and federal jurisdiction.

“External law enforcement officers may not enter tap access spaces without a proper warrant, a court order, or exigent circumstances,” Granberg’s message states.

Student Government Association President Ethan Lynne held up a picture of guard troops inside Duques Hall, which requires tap access, at a Board of Trustees meeting Friday, demanding University officials work to make students feel safe on campus.

University Spokesperson Julia Garbitt confirmed that the University noticed an uptick but said the University was not informed of and did not request the increased guard presence on campus, but officials are aware of it.

“We are aware that guard members have been more visible on campus in recent days,” Garbitt said.

Zina Parker, a first-year student studying business, said the troops’ presence has not been “pleasant.” She said in the last week, it has seemed like the guard troops are on every corner of campus, which she finds off-putting, especially since they tend to be in clusters.

“It doesn’t feel any safer, definitely, to me, it kind of makes me feel like a little more unsafe,” Parker said.

protest

More than 200,000 demonstrators rallied across the District on Saturday as part of the nationwide “No Kings” protests, condemning President Donald Trump’s policies and leadership, which they argue reflect fascist tendencies. Addressing a crowd that packed Pennsylvania

Avenue near the Capitol, speakers like Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Murphy (D-CT) and science educator Bill Nye addressed D.C.’s “No Kings” rally — part of the second wave of nationwide protests since the start of Trump’s second term, which drew millions to more than 2,600 demonstrations. More than 50 GW students marched to the rally together, waving American flags and holding “No kings since 1776” signs, which they said

helped counter Republican claims that Saturday’s protest was anti-American. The rally speeches kicked off at noon Saturday at Pennsylvania Avenue and Third Street NW. Many protesters marched from Arlington, Virginia, crossing the Arlington Memorial Bridge before making their way to the site of the rally. National Guard troops and Metropolitan Police Department officers were spotted in the protest areas, but of-

Trump

ficials reported no arrests. The protest comes as the government enters the third week of the federal shutdown and congressional Democrats and Republicans remain far apart from an agreement to reopen the government. Both Sanders and Murphy said they opposed a budget that did not address the Americans who have lost their health care and have seen their premiums increase.

Students revive Turning Point chapter in wake of Charlie Kirk assassination

mentor to Kirk. TPUSA aims to educate students about fiscal responsibility, free markets and limited government.

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination last month, students are reestablishing Turning Point Foggy Bottom, the GW chapter of the national organization, for both students and community members.

At the group’s first event Tuesday, where over 20 students watched a live stream of Kirk, Turning Point USA’s co-founder, posthumously receiving a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the group’s executive board said they hoped to cement Turning Point’s presence at GW after previous attempts to establish and maintain a chapter at GW fizzled out. The leaders, all of whom are GW students, said they want to promote political debate and discourse on campus, opting to avoid endorsing specific politicians and instead encouraging discussion across the political spectrum.

Turning Point Foggy Bottom is the GW chapter of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Charlie Kirk — who was assassinated by suspect Tyler Robinson last month at a TPUSA event in Utah — and Bill Montgomery — a conservative activist who was a

Logan Sedran, the president of Turning Point Foggy Bottom, said students at GW have shown a lot of interest in the organization since Kirk’s assassination, adding he was shocked to learn 13 students individually applied to TPUSA to form a chapter at GW. He said once some of the students realized they were all applying to form a chapter at GW, they worked together to establish the group on campus.

“Most of the applicants and most of the people who are interested in joining the club are freshmen and sophomores, so it’s very interesting to see,” Sedran said. “Typically, younger people are vastly more liberal.”

Students attempted to found a Turning Point chapter at GW last fall, but officials denied the group official organization status because they said it was too similar to College Republicans and would not garner sufficient interest on campus.

Sedran said the organization would apply for official status once applications reopen after officials paused them over the summer, despite the previous iteration being rejected.

GW last had an active Turning Point chapter in 2022,

Officials should clarify GW’s social media policy: experts

which protested Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaking at a town hall event on campus in 2017 and the retirement of GW’s Colonials moniker in 2022 with a postering campaign.

Sedran said he hopes to boost membership by encouraging students from other right-leaning organizations, like GW Students for Life, GW College Republicans and GW Young Americans for Freedom, to join Turning Point Foggy Bottom as well because they will focus more on political debate rather than specific political candidates or issues.

“With College Republicans, it gets tricky because they support candidates, and we don’t,” Sedran said.

“But Students for Life, Young Americans for Freedom and other activist clubs, obviously, we support their issues, so we’d love to help and work with any of them.”

Sedran said he hopes to host more events in the future with “bigger name” speakers, but he is currently unable to provide specifics until events are booked.

As a senior, Sedran said he wants the club to continue after he leaves GW, adding he believes the organization’s board of sophomores and juniors will “carry on the torch” of Turning Point.

“Our main mission right now is to get as many people involved and to have a solid chapter that doesn’t fizzle out in the spring,” Sedran said.

CRIME LOG

THREATS TO DO BODILY HARM

Amsterdam Hall Reported – 10/15/2025

Closed Case

Several male GW students reported receiving threats of bodily harm from another male GW student. Case closed. Referred to Division of Conflict Education & Student Accountability.

SIMPLE ASSAULT, DISORDERLY CONDUCT

University Student Center 10/15/2025 – 4:05 p.m.

Closed Case GW Police arrived after a female, nonGW-affiliated person reported being assaulted. The suspect was issued a bar notice and released because the victim declined to press charges. Case closed. Subject barred.

THEFT II/FROM BUILDING, CREDIT CARD FRAUD

Ross Hall

Reported – 10/15/2025

Open Case A male GW staff member reported unauthorized charges to their Universityissued purchasing card. Case open.

—Compiled by Bryson Kloesel

After a staff member left GW last month over a controversial post about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, more than half a dozen higher education experts said the University must clarify its social media policies and do more to protect free expression on campus. The departure of former Mount Vernon Campus Assistant Director of Academic Initiatives Anthony Pohorilak in mid-September following his private Facebook post publicized by Fox News calling Kirk’s murder “fair” sparked questions among community members about what GW staff, faculty and students are allowed to post on social media and also coincided with officials’ ongoing review of the University’s current social media policy since August. More than half a dozen experts in higher education said officials need to revise GW’s social media policy to define what constitutes personal speech versus speech on behalf of the University and increase protections of faculty, staff and students’ free speech rights.

GW’s current social media policy provides guidelines for both GWaffiliated content and personal posts by community members that may appear to be endorsed by the University or that violate laws or University policies by outlining restrictions on such posts, detailing potential violations and explains enforcement measures.

The University’s current social media policy stipulates that social media use should be consistent with the University’s commitment to academic freedom and promotes thoughtful discourse on “appropriate matters,” though it doesn’t define

those particular matters. The policy prohibits any posts that constitute as abusive, defamatory and harassment, along with those that disclose classified information, claim to speak on behalf of the University unless authorized or negatively impact the University’s image.

University spokesperson Julia Garbitt said officials are currently reviewing the policy as part of the University’s regular policy review process. She said the review process — which the Office of Communications and Marketing began in August and is expected to be completed by the end of the semester — will determine whether the policy needs to be revised.

Garbitt said officials will make any proposed revisions available through the University’s public comment process when they complete their review. Officials last revised the policy in 2020, according to the policy’s website.

More than six experts in higher education said GW’s current social media policy includes vague language on the content they prohibit community members from posting, which could make following the policy difficult.

Ross Marchand, the program counsel at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said the University’s social media policy could prevent community members from engaging in protected speech under the First Amendment, like how GW’s policy forbids the use of “abusive” language without specifying or defining what that language looks like. He said the University’s “broad language” in the policy summary — which prohibits community members from using language that negatively impacts the University’s or an employee’s image — could prevent the community from criticizing GW in any way, which undermines the First Amendment.

Students join protest to defend democracy, resist federal law enforcement presence in DC

From Page 1

D.C. has become a hotspot for protest activity in recent months because of Trump’s decision to deploy the guard and increased immigration raids on local businesses. Trump took control over the MPD in August and declared a public safety emergency over the objections of local leaders, which was limited to 30 days and expired in September. Last month, several thousand protesters marched against Trump’s deployment of the guard to the District. Other demonstrators donned inflatable dinosaurs

and alien costumes, which started in Portland, Oregon to help keep the mood light at protests, and anti-Trump merchandise, like “Veterans against Trump,” and held signs like “No Faux King Way” in opposition to Trump.

A group of over 50 GW students led by a coalition of four student organizations gathered in G Street Park at 11:30 a.m. prior to meeting up with the larger rally by the Capitol and listened to student speakers from the organizations. GW Democracy Matters, ACLU-GW, Swing Left GWU and Beyond the Ballot organized the event.

“Thank you everybody for taking the time to stand up today,” a student organizer, who did not identify himself, said as he addressed the crowd of students at G Street Park. “Nobody’s coming to save us, so we’re gonna fight for our own future.”

After a few minutes of speeches, students began their march toward Pennsylvania Avenue and the Capitol, garnering words of encouragement from passersby as they chanted various call and response slogans like “When I say f*ck, you say Trump,” and “When democracy is under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back.” First-year Matthew Phil-

lips waved a large American flag as he marched with his fellow students. He said he brought the flag to counter criticism from Republicans, including Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson who has called the protests “hate America” rallies.

“There’s a lot of propaganda saying that left movements don’t love America, and I’m someone who deeply loves America,” Phillps said. “I deeply respect the nation, and it’s because of that love and because of that respect that I come out to things like this because I value American values and feel like the current administration is not upholding those values.”

CAPS discontinues walk-in counseling, prompting student pushback over access

Officials ended Counseling and Psychological Services’ walk-in hours this semester, opting for an appointment-only model that student mental health advocates say limits same-day psychological support options on campus.

Web archives show that since at least 2017, students could access CAPS without an appointment by walking into the Student Health Center or calling during weekday afternoon hours. Now, under the new system, students must schedule appointments in advance through the Student Health Portal — a change student mental health advocates view as another cut officials are making to student resources on campus this year as the University works to shrink its budget deficit.

The CAPS website states clinicians will continue to see students “in crisis” who walk into the office, regardless of appointment and also provides a phone number that will offer 24/7 support to a student in need. Students also have access to TimelyCare, a telehealth platform that offers free virtual mental health services to students, including on-demand emotional support, though students are limited to nine visits per academic year.

The end of walk-in hours comes as the University has made other reductions to student services throughout the fiscal year, including slashing the frequency of the Mount Vernon Express shuttle service, discontinuing weekend operations of some dining vendors, terminating 24/7 security presence in some residence halls and cutting the law school’s student government budget. University spokespeople have denied that cuts to

the Vex schedule and dining hall hours were due to University-wide budget cuts, but University President Ellen Granberg acknowledged broadly in a University-wide email Wednesday that reductions to certain campus services were “difficult but necessary steps” to close the budget gap.

University spokesperson Julia Garbitt said CAPS introduced the new scheduling system to “better serve” the needs of students by allowing them to preview provider information and select one who “best aligns” with their individual needs and identities. Garbitt said officials introduced the scheduling model in response to student feedback and designed it to reduce wait times, increase initial consultation accessibility and make it “easier and more efficient” for students to access support.

Garbitt declined to comment on if the decision to end walk-in hours is due to broader University cuts or if there are plans to reinstate them in the future. She said officials hired more CAPS clinicians, though she did not provide specific details about when the officials hired the clinicians or how many additional clinicians CAPS now employs.

“The Division for Student Affairs will continue to evaluate feedback from students about their experiences with the Student Health Center and adjust operations as needed,” Garbitt said in a statement.

Zoe Zimmerman, vice president of the Disabled Students Collective, said officials did not inform DSC members about the cuts to walk-in appointments, despite the group holding regular meetings with administrators about campus accessibility and student concerns. Zimmerman said allowing students to book

appointments through their health portal is a “surfacelevel” move toward broader accessibility, but current wait times for an initial consultation can make the process of seeking help feel more intimidating and out of reach for students.

The earliest a student can currently book an initial 30-minute consultation with a CAPS clinician is about a two-week wait, according to the Student Health Portal.

“Honestly, for the amount of tuition you’re paying to be here, students, especially disabled students, deserve comprehensive, accessible care as a baseline, and these are not the resources that should be first to cut,” Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman said CAPS

has not clearly defined what qualifies as a “crisis,” leaving students with depression or anxiety unsure if they’re eligible for immediate care. They said walk-in hours previously offered a “wider net” for students uncertain about whether their situation was in a crisis but still sought same-day, in-person support.

Zimmerman said they are concerned students might show up to CAPS for help and be turned away because clinicians do not deem their situation to be urgent enough.

“The criteria they are using for an emergency also has not been published, it’s not been made public, so we don’t know how they are defining that term, and we truly won’t know until this

GW Hillel names new executive director set to start in December

RYAN SAENZ ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

GW Hillel officials announced last Monday they selected Rabbi Daniel Novick to serve as the center’s next executive director starting on Dec. 1. Novick, who worked as Hillel’s assistant director for nearly three years from July 2018 until May 2021, currently works as the executive director at George Mason University Hillel and will assume the role at GW from Interim Executive Director Abbey Frank, who’s held the position since July. Novick will come to Hillel as the center navigates offering support to GW’s Jewish community in the wake of campus tensions stemming from the war in Gaza, including a Department of Justice finding that GW acted “deliberately indifferent” to antisemitism during their investigation into the University’s response to campus protests.

Novick said he is “thrilled and honored” to return to GW Hillel, adding that when he arrives in December he will “listen deeply” to students to build an inclusive Jewish community on campus.

“In these challenging times, GW Hillel will continue to be a community where students can process, find support and explore their Jewish identities with pride and resilience,” Novick said in an email.

Novick will succeed Adena Kirstein, the center’s last executive

director, who served at GW Hillel for 15 years, including eight as the executive director, before she left in July to work for a local Jewish day school. Kirstein — who led the center through the aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and developments in the war in Gaza — told The Hatchet in June she was leaving the University in part because of her desire for Hillel to be led with a new set of eyes after she was with the center for over a decade.

“It just felt like the right time to take on a new professional challenge — and I also think it’s healthy for any organization to have refreshed leadership and vision for our ever-changing times,” Kirstein said in an email in June.

Since the onset of the war in Gaza, Hillel has hosted programming for Jewish students to help process the emotional toll of the war on students, many with a personal connection to Israel. In the immediate days following Hamas’ 2023 attacks on Israel, Hillel hosted a support space for students to come together and has since campaigned for the release of the Israeli hostages Hamas held up from the start of the war until last Monday.

Novick said it is “meaningful” for him to return to GW Hillel, as it has been over four years since he served as the assistant director of the center. He said he plans on taking lessons he learned from George Mason on how to provide support to a group of students who are not

consistently on campus at GW, after working with a large commuter student population at the school.

Novick said he is a “people person” and “relationship builder,” and he believes strong relationships are built through open and consistent communication, which he will use when approaching relationships with the University and other external partners.

“Through building relationships and understanding the lived experiences of our students, I will be better equipped to support our staff in developing a strategy that best supports our community,” Novick said.

Novick worked under Kirstein during his three years as assistant director, and he said Kirstein’s work at Hillel was an inspiration to him in his professional career.

In an email sent to Hillel students last week announcing Novick’s appointment, GW Hillel Board of Directors Chair Robert Snyder and Executive Director Search Committee Chair Meredith Schneider said Novick is a Northern Virginia native who has “deep understanding” of the Jewish community in the DMV region.

“At Mason Hillel, Daniel demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation, launching several award-winning initiatives, including the NOVA Summer Network that received the 2023 Innovation Award from Hillel International,” Snyder and Schneider said in the email.

situation happens, at which point it’s already too late,” Zimmerman said.

Officials adjusted the Student Health Center’s hours this summer to have more consistent opening and closing times throughout the week and also introduced the online scheduling system for CAPS appointments following advocacy from Student Government Association leaders.

“It’s school-wide, and every department has to make cuts, and this is one of the ramifications of that,” Kipiani said.

Kipiani said she is planning to solicit more student feedback and complaints about cuts to mental health services at the SGA’s upcoming town hall meeting on Oct. 21 to understand how the SGA can better advocate for counseling and psychological resources from administrators.

“I don’t think that anyone thinks that this is okay, or this is something that we can just let happen,” Kipiani said.

Sofio Kipiani, the co-chair of the SGA’s mental health assembly, said she has heard “a lot” of feedback from students that cutting walk-in appointments is “not okay” and is planning to meet with University administrators to discuss how to provide more immediate in-person support options. Kipiani said she assumes the University’s financial constraints this fiscal year likely led to officials’ decision to end CAPS walkin hours.

Graduate student union fights GW’s ban of stipend members

Members of GW’s graduate student union said the University’s refusal to recognize stipendreceiving students as eligible for union membership is unfair, effectively excluding those who conduct paid research and contribute significantly to campus work.

GWU Graduate Workers United members said officials claimed during negotiations that the University considers graduate students it pays through stipends as being compensated for academics, not research, and therefore they’re not eligible to be members of the union. But union leaders argue this classification would unjustly exclude some graduate students from union protections and say any graduate student receiving payment from the University for their services — whether as a research or teaching assistant — should be entitled to union membership.

Matthew Rohn, a member of the union’s bargaining committee, said some graduate students in lab science departments, like biomedical engineering, are paid through a combination of salaries and non-taxed stipends, depending on how their grants or funding sources are structured. Rohn said students in some programs can be switched from wage pay to fellowship stipends midway through their degrees, which he said can happen when outside funding comes into departments from organizations like the National Institutes of Health. He said that change could open the door for GW to exclude certain graduate students from the union based on how they’re compensated.

He said he is “pretty confident” the union will resolve the dispute with the University in their favor, as GW negotiators hear firsthand accounts from graduate students during bargaining meetings highlighting how their actual experiences working in labs differ from the University’s official policy definitions.

“We are hopeful that GW will be persuaded by our arguments and our sort of testimony from people’s sort of direct experiences about how things are actually working in the lab, which might be different from how things are officially written down in formal policy,” Rohn said.

A University spokesperson said officials determine graduate student payment structures based on work requirements, funding sources and the terms of the specific grants or assistantships. The spokesperson said graduate student support packages consist of salary, which is subject to taxation, and stipend, which is not taxable.

The spokesperson said any graduate student support that is not based on performing a University service is not subject to taxation, which they said includes a fellowship.

“If a graduate student’s funding changes from salary to a stipend, then their union status could change if they no longer meet the criteria for employee status under the law or as negotiated in a collective bargaining agreement,” the spokesperson said. They also said the National Labor Relations Board defined which graduate students were eligible to join the union during last year’s election, and any changes to that determination would have to occur through future bargaining or legal proceedings.

District economy slows as mass layoffs, government shutdown roil workers

ISAAC HARTE, REPORTER

The ongoing government shutdown and mass layoffs at government agencies have slowed D.C.’s economy, triggering an uptick in unemployment among government workers and a decline in consumer spending as laid-off workers attempt to find new jobs.

The shutdown, which on Wednesday will become the second longest in the country’s history, has led to the furlough of thousands of federal workers, combined with President Donald Trump’s crusade to fire more than 300,000 workers in the federal government before the end of year and slash federal contracts is slowing the D.C. economy. Facing financial headwinds from the Trump administration’s larger nationwide policies like tariffs and a reduction in economic activity caused by furloughed federal employees, many D.C. area residents and experts on the regional economy and public policy said the economy is waning and potentially headed toward a larger downturn.

The government shutdown has caused at least 600,000 employees to be furloughed by federal agencies. The Trump administration also has plans to lay off about 4,000 federal employees due to the

shutdown, a measure that a federal judge temporarily blocked last Wednesday. About 20 percent of the federal workforce lives in the DMV area, making it home to the highest concentration of federal employees in the nation, which are down about 4.5 percent between January and June.

The DMV’s unemployment rate climbed eight times as fast as in the rest of the nation between August of this year and last as home listings in the region also doubled nationwide numbers. More than 7,200 federal workers have filed for unemployment benefits since the shutdown began, according to Bloomberg News.

University President Ellen Granberg sent a message to the community Wednesday reflecting on fiscal and political pressures squeezing the University, including the shutdown, which she said has caused the federal government to furlough community members, interrupted student financial aid and slowed research progress.

A Friday report from the Congressional Budget Office said the shutdown could lead to losses in tourism for cities with national parks like D.C., where the Washington Monument and Smithsonian Institution are temporarily shuttered. The letter also stated the harms caused by the shutdown

— rising unemployment, reduced economic demand, heightened financial uncertainty due to a lack of official economic data — increase in magnitude with time.

A September letter from the D.C. Chief Financial Officer to the D.C. Council and Mayor Muriel Bowser stated hotel room bookings and average hotel room rates declined 7.9 and 6.4 percent between this August and last, reflecting a “notable slowdown.” It also said airport traffic at all three D.C. area airports down 1.4 percent in the first six months of the year compared to last.

Restaurant owners in Foggy Bottom said the National Guard’s presence in October has slowed sales and foot traffic after Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers raided a neighborhood eatery. Experts on the region’s economy said losses of federal jobs, which make up 24.6 percent of all employment in the District proper, pose a threat to the D.C.’s short and long-term growth prospects.

Daniel Burge, director of the D.C. Policy Center’s Alice Rivlin Initiative on Economic Policy & Competitiveness — which analyzes business and growth trends in D.C. — said projected cuts to about 40,000 federal jobs in the District caused by federal downsizing over

Students march through campus, renewing demands to declare GW ‘sanctuary

RYAN SAENZ ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

About 40 students marched through campus Thursday evening, calling on University President Ellen Granberg to declare GW a sanctuary campus and resist cooperation with President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

The protest, organized by Socialist Action Initiative, started outside of Kogan Plaza on H Street, with protesters marching to Granberg’s F Street House and then the Graduate School of Education and Human Development, protesting the surge of National Guard troops on campus and demanding Granberg stand up to the Trump administration. Throughout the demonstration — which featured a heavy Metropolitan Police Department and GW Police Department presence — students also renewed previous demands for Granberg to declare GW a sanctuary campus, which would require GW to instate policies aimed at limiting the University’s cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

The group throughout the protest reiterated their six demands for officials, which they first began asking for in April, including banning federal law enforcement from campus, refusing compliance with the Trump administration, defending free speech and academic freedom, providing legal and financial support to those at risk of deportation, extending aid and scholarship to D.C. Public Schools students and committing to including greater student, staff and faculty input on major decisions.

the next four to five years challenges the District’s private sector’s ability to absorb laid-off workers.

A September Brookings report found DMV private sector job gains since January — mostly construction, hospitality and health care — are poorly aligned with skills typical of the federal workforce, like communication and computer technology.

Burge said immigration enforcement is increasing employers’ hesitance to hire workers they suspect may be undocumented due to

campus’

About 10 National Guard troops, which students have reported seeing more regularly throughout campus in the last week, showed up in Kogan at the start of the protest, though they left after a speaker in the crowd mentioned the presence of National Guard troops in the city.

The protest started outside of Kogan just after 5:30 p.m. with the crowd chanting “Gran-

berg, Granberg, you’re a coward, we the students have the power,” with about 20 GWPD and MPD officers present, including 11 MPD officers on bikes. The protest began with roughly 25 protesters, but around 15 more students trickled in, joining the group during introductory speeches in the following half hour.

A representative for the GWU Left Coalition,

who requested anonymity over fears of University retaliation, said in an interview the group wants Granberg to protect students and the University, rather than making decisions based on financial interests.

“We want those to be seen and felt by the campus community,” the representative said. “We don’t want them to happen behind closed doors.”

the perceived risk of legal trouble, particularly for the restaurant industry. Amid increased federal law enforcement presence in the District — including an immigration raid at Circa Foggy Bottom in late September — local restaurant owners in the area have reported decreasing sales and have implemented training programs for their staff if they come into contact with immigration officials.

“If you’re looking at the D.C. economy, the lights are flashing yellow,” Burge said.

GW, Pfizer grants to provide dermatological care to populations in need

GW and Pfizer announced this month they are awarding two new grants as part of an ongoing partnership to provide dermatological care to underserved communities nationwide.

The partnership originated from a 2021 Pfizer grant to GW that launched four teledermatology projects aimed at expanding dermatological care for underserved populations, and now one of those projects will receive an additional $140,000 in funding, alongside GW opening applications for a new initiative worth up to $250,000. Adam Friedman, a GW professor and the director of the Teledermatology Grant Program, said the first year of the program helped over 200 patients nationwide receive care they would not have been able to access, adding that he hopes the new and expanded projects will continue to work to reduce barriers to dermatological care in areas that lack health care access.

“For communities in ‘dermatology deserts,’ telederm is often the onramp to care, cutting wait times, reducing no shows and meeting patients where they are,” Friedman said in an email.

Teledermatology is the application of telemedicine to providing dermatological care, often involving live video conferencing or the patient submitting images to a consultant and the consultant providing a treatment plan. The applications for the new funded projects are due Nov. 11, and the deadline for the funding extension for existing projects was Oct. 14 — both open to projects across the country.

Friedman said the 2021 grant from Pfizer helped GW establish the Teledermatology Help Desk/ Free Clinic model in D.C, an inperson help desk currently located at the Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church in Southeast D.C., where patients can access dermatology care and receive help activating the GW patient portal.

He said the clinic — where

70 percent of the early cohort’s participants had no prior dermatologist and 94 percent were “extremely satisfied” with their care — is serving as the “blueprint” for the newly funded projects. He said the grant program is looking for projects that will strengthen local partnerships, assist with language gaps in communities and help reduce barriers to dermatological care.

Scott Elman, an assistant professor of clinical dermatology at the University of Miami, received $250,000 as part of one of the four grants awarded in 2023 to establish a recurring dermatology clinic that provides teledermatology care in a local homeless shelter, serving people who were largely uninsured and could not afford specialty care. He said his team applied for the funding extension so they could set up a more consistent presence in the shelter and provide more frequent care.

“One of the main limitations of this population is that, of course, many of our homeless population does not have insurance,” Elman said. “So even though we were bridging that gap of providing free health care in terms of wait, there was no cost for a visit.”

Elman said his team also used the grant money to provide gift cards to patients who could not afford prescription medications, services they could expand with the extended funding.

“Given those limitations, what we’re applying for and hoping to receive is to establish more of a well-oiled machine,” Elman said.

Elman said people often overlook dermatology when considering care for underserved populations, but skin diseases are common and general primary care physicians often cannot treat them.

“Our unsheltered population is more likely to experience certain rashes, certain infections,” Elman said. “Skin injuries and wounds end up being a huge burden.”

Officials solicit community feedback as 2027 campus plan takes shape

Community members said they hope university officials will increase gathering spaces for students on campus and preserve historic Foggy Bottom sites as they gather community input for the 2027 campus plan. Officials over the last few months have hosted listening sessions for campus stakeholders, presentations to community groups, public town halls and on-campus tabling to solicit community input for a new 2027 campus plan, which will will serve as an outline of how officials will develop GW’s campus for the next 20 years, according to the plan’s website. In these sessions, student and Foggy Bottom leaders said they have advocated for continued community engagement throughout the campus planning process, increased communal spaces on campus and the preservation

of historic GW and Foggy Bottom buildings.

The campus planning team, which is comprised of GW officials as well as representatives from Sasaki Associates and LINK, two consulting firms the University announced it had hired at the May Faculty Senate meeting to assist with the campus plan, has identified eight guiding principles — including building a cohesive physical campus identity that distinguishes GW from other city buildings and prioritizing sustainability — to help shape the new campus plan.

The 2027 campus plan will also detail possible new building developments and projecting student enrollment numbers for the next 20 years, the campus planning team shared in October.

The University’s current campus plan is set to expire in 2027, two decades after District zoning officials approved the plan in 2007. The new campus plan’s eight principles

also serve to ensure the plan is in like with the University’s strategic framework that will be released this fall. The Foggy Bottom Association and the Foggy Bottom and West End Advisory Neighborhood Commission were among the community groups the campus planning team has engaged with since August to solicit feedback on the plan.

Residence Hall Association President Urja Mehta said she is on the campus planning steering committee that has been tasked with adding a student perspective to official’s discussions when creating the campus plan. She said the committee meets monthly and consists of student leaders like the Student Government Association President Ethan Lynne and SGA Vice President Liz Stoddard.

Mehta said student leaders should be involved in the planning process because students are ultimately the ones who are going to be “living this reality” that the campus

plan creates as they both live on and attend classes on campus.

“Having the opportunity for student leadership to share our voice, not just me, but other student leaders as well, ensures that the decisions that are being made and the plans that are being proposed are by students, for students,” Mehta said.

Mehta said officials will partner with the RHA at the beginning of the spring semester to table in all of the residence halls in order to raise student’s awareness of opportunities they have to influence the campus plan. She said she is interested in how the plan will address issues in residence halls, like including accessibility for students with disabilities.

“A lot of our more historic buildings are not accessible, and I think that’s should be a main priority, making sure that all students are able to access all residence halls,” Mehta said.

Mehta added that she would also like to see the campus plan commit to adding more common areas in all residence halls like the ones in the renovated Thurston Hall to foster opportunities for students to interact with one another.

University spokesperson Claire Sabin said the campus plan will serve as a “critical bridge” between GW’s strategic framework and students’ experiences on campus. Officials released a draft of the new strategic framework in April, which highlights three priorities — all of which they said are guiding their priorities for the campus plan.

“As the planning process continues over the next year, GW’s planning team will share the evolving concepts for the Campus Plan with the GW community to ensure our work and outcomes directly connect to the shared vision, priorities, and goals outlined in GW’s Strategic Framework,” Sabin said in an email.

MFA losses cut GW's operating margin: reports

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Experts in municipal and higher education finance said the outlook shifts could lead GW’s lenders to raise interest rates, especially if officials seek short-term borrowing or turn to new creditors. They added that even a credit score downgrade to the second-highest credit tier could bring GW significant financial consequences, potentially adding millions of dollars in borrowing costs and reducing long-term investment flexibility.

Both reports cite GW’s high debt load at the end of FY2024 as reason for the credit rating revision. GW’s total debt at the end of that fiscal year stood at $2.22 billion and included MFA-related obligations, like a $51 million term loan and a shared $198 million revolving credit facility, in addition to $1.8 billion in bonds, $14.4 million in finance leases and $98.1 million in operating leases.

GW’s ratio of cash and investments to debt also fell from 138.5 percent in FY2023 to 131.5 percent in FY2024, partly due to the roughly $147 million increase in total debt, S&P reported. The analysis links the rise to the MFA’s $75 million line of credit, which was active in FY2024 — the same year the enterprise recorded its largestever annual loss of more than $107 million and marked its fifth straight year of losses.

Officials earlier this month announced they had reached a preliminary agreement with UHS, the owner and operator of GW Hospital, to jointly fund MFA, which came amid ongoing negotiations aimed at phasing out the University’s longstanding financial support for the medical enterprise. It also followed GW’s public disclosure that the MFA’s debt had grown to more than $444 million at the end of FY2025, a liability owed to both the University and external lenders.

S&P predicted the University’s deficit-adjusted operating margins will reverse by FY2027, an analysis Rodgers said was determined through audited statements and discussions with University officials, and partly contingent on GW resolving its relationship with the MFA.

He said he cannot assess the impact GW’s preliminary deal with UHS could have on GW’s credit outlook since it occurred after their latest analysis, but any significant changes affecting the University’s finances would be reflected in the next annual credit review.

The Moody’s report states that the MFA accounted for about 5.4 percent — $118 million — of GW’s $2.2 billion

debt in FY2024. The MFA’s ongoing losses continue to drag down GW’s margins, with a Moody’s-adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization margin of 6.8 percent in FY2024 — its weakest performance in a decade — and interest-only debt service coverage at a low 1.2x.

“The negative outlook reflects our expectation that MFA operations will continue to burden overall university operations until those healthcare costs are reasonably managed,” Moody’s report states.

The Hatchet directed over a dozen questions about the outlook changes and the MFA’s financial challenges to Chief Financial Officer Bruno Fernandes, who did not respond to the request for comment. Instead, a University spokesperson said the credit outlooks from Moody’s and S&P are “forward-looking assessments” that take into account multiple factors, including broader trends in higher education and recent financial results, adding that maintaining a stable outlook is “typically a priority” for officials.

The spokesperson declined to comment on what efforts officials have undertaken to attempt to return GW’s outlook to stable and whether the University views the drop as primarily tied to MFA losses or reflective of broader institutional trends in debt and liquidity. They also declined to comment on whether GW’s negotiations with UHS and efforts to pursue a cofunding agreement with the health care management company was influenced in any way by one or both of the revised credit outlooks.

Justin Marlowe, the director of University of Chicago’s Center For Municipal Finance, said although it’s “rare” when reading a credit report to see agencies largely attribute a change in outlook or credit to a single factor, the reports — and Moody’s more than S&P — highlight the MFA’s financial issues as a distinct factor driving the outlook revision. He said the reports make clear that GW’s outlook change isn’t due to the broader financial headwinds facing higher education, such as Trump-era shakeups to research funding, actions against diversity programs and student aid uncertainty.

“There’s potential threats to the credit quality of GW that are distinct from the broader macro factors affecting higher education generally,” Marlowe said. “Absence of change from that, you could expect the rating to go to A2 or maybe as low as A3.”

Students relaunch socialist organization to support local political candidates, unions

NYLA KATHURIA REPORTER

RYAN SAENZ ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Students unofficially re-established a chapter of the Youth Democratic Socialists of America last month, reviving the political and labor-focused organization at GW after four years of inactivity.

Leaders of GW YDSA said the progressive organization, which leans farther left than GW College Democrats but still lends support to Democratic candidates, will appeal to a wide swath of liberal and left-leaning students at GW that straddles the line between supporting Democratic candidates while also advocating for more progressive positions. The chapter’s leaders said they will advocate for expanded affordable housing options in Foggy Bottom, support local labor unions — including GW’s graduate student union — and back political candidates in the DMV area who align with DSA policies, such as affordable housing and health care, advocacy for a Palestinian state and increased taxes on wealthier Americans.

GW YDSA joins Socialist Action Initiative as the only other socialismfocused organization on campus but will join a slate of other left-leaning organizations on campus, including College Democrats, Students for Justice in Palestine and Immigrant Liberation Coalition. YDSA is an unofficial organization, as it is unable to become an official student organization after the University paused the official process for forming new student organizations over the summer for the 2025-26 school year.

GW YDSA, the chapter of the stu-

dent wing underneath the national Democratic Socialists of America, had a chapter at GW from 2015 to 2021, according to now-inactive social media pages. During that time, the chapter focused on calls for the University to divest from companies tied to fossil fuels — which officials announced plans to do so by 2025 in June 2020 — promoted a previously unsuccessful graduate student union, which students failed to form in 2017, and D.C. affordable housing rights, according to the previous chapter’s social media posts.

Parker Brandenburg, a junior and one of the group’s leaders, said the group wants to become involved with the electoral wing of the Democratic Socialist Party and help support political candidates endorsed by the party, including Aparna Raj — a DSA member who is running for Ward 1 councilmember in 2026 and well-known candidates.

“We want to be clear that we do love many of the current socialist organizations on campus, and we do not seek an oppositional relationship with them, and we have even been in contact with them, but we felt like the DSA has a very easily replicable model,” Brandenburg said.

Brandenburg said the chapter has a few specific initiatives they want to focus on as they establish themselves on campus, including phone banking for Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor and DSA member, before the city’s election in November and creating a campaign to establish a union for the workers at the Starbucks on campus.

The national DSA organization launched a campaign in early 2022 encouraging Starbucks locations to support Starbucks workers organizing in local stores, which they dubbed

GW earned platinum sustainability ranking, Granberg reports

From Page 1

At the Board’s first meeting since GW rolled out FY2026 cuts — including the first round of mass layoffs since the COVID-19 pandemic — and indicated interest in a voluntary resolution agreement with the Department of Justice over findings that the University acted deliberately indifferent to campus antisemitism, neither Board Chair Grace Speights nor University President Ellen Granberg directly referenced the University-wide cuts or President Donald Trump’s attacks on higher education.

Speights said the University is undergoing “challenging times” but did not detail further what these are. She commended Granberg for her message to the community Wednesday, which outlined an unprecedented convergence of financial and political pressures confronting GW, along with Granberg’s commitment to putting the community first.

“These are challenging times, but your commitment to the principle of putting the GW community first is greatly appreciated by the entire Board of Trustees,” Speights said of Granberg. Neither Speights nor Granberg mentioned the MFA’s persistent financial losses or its ongoing negotiations with University Health Services, GW Hospital’s owner and operator.

The MFA — a network of health care providers and faculty linked to GW’s medical school and hospital — lost $100 million in FY2025, push-

“Solidarity is Brewing.” Brandenburg said GW YDSA is connected with a local labor organizer who is helping them get connected with informative material that will allow the chapter to begin its campaign to unionize the two Starbucks locations on campus.

He also said the group is planning to work with D.C. DSA’s chapter and their “Stomp Out Slumlords” campaign in the city, aimed at fighting evictions and supporting tenants’ rights in the city. He said the campaign provides free reading materials to residents in the city about their rights as tenants.

“We are very excited to be on campus,” Brandenburg said. “We are very excited to promote democratic socialism, and we hope that people will show up to our meetings.”

Boyang Cai, a sophomore and member of YDSA’s executive board, said the group is promoting itself on campus with a strong social media presence — posting their own content as well as sharing other progressive content online — and a postering campaign across Foggy Bottom. Multiple YDSA posters are visible on light posts around campus.

He said the group will also introduce an initiative called “Elliott Watch,” which aims to inform students and community members about and protest controversial speakers and professors at the Elliott School of International Affairs who have “radically right-wing” views. Cai said he did not have any other information about the initiative, which they are still in planning.

“We want to make sure that Elliott is held responsible and people are well informed on who’s coming to Elliott, who’s talking to Elliott and are these people that we want to host at GW, as a community,” Cai said.

ing the medical enterprise’s debt to over $444 million owed to GW and other lenders. Officials announced earlier this month GW reached a preliminary agreement with Universal Health Services to co-fund the MFA as both parties negotiate a deal to end the University’s financial support for the medical enterprise.

Speights and Granberg also did not discuss Trumpera policies. Officials said in July that Trump’s range of

federal policies — like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which terminated Grad Plus loans, and a travel ban in June that officials said would delay students’ return to campus — has played a role in the University’s current financial challenges.

Granberg reflected on the message she shared with the community Wednesday, which detailed GW’s current “moment of extraordinary complexity,” adding that officials must put the commu-

nity first and act with transparency. She did not directly name or expand on any of the points she outlined in her email, which included cuts to FY2026’s budget that triggered layoffs, officials’ negotiations with UHS to end GW’s financial support of the MFA and the DOJ’s antisemitism investigation findings — are pushing officials to reexamine GW’s mission and the future of higher education. Granberg said the Uni-

versity’s provost search advisory committee is finalizing the profile for the position and will have a final draft to her early this week after it held 11 community forums earlier in the semester.

Granberg also said GW recently earned a platinum ranking in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System — the top-tier ranking of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s system that places the

University among the most sustainable in higher education — and fulfilling a commitment the Board made in 2020 to achieve the rating by 2025. The Board also committed in 2020 to fully divest the University’s endowment of all fossil fuel companies by 2025, though officials did not discuss the topic at the Board’s last meeting before the end of 2025.

GW is one of 17 universities to earn the STARS’ platinum distinction out of 384 universities worldwide with a valid report, signaling GW’s long-term sustainability goals.

Student Government Association President Ethan Lynne said in his report students are anxious about their physical safety, immigration status and financial stability. He said student organizations have circulated petitions in recent weeks, calling on GW to reaffirm its commitment to students’ safety and belonging while they're on campus.

“On a college campus, it’s supposed to feel like a sanctuary, a safe harbor in turbulent times,” Lynne said. “But lately, students have begun to tell me that it feels more like a storm — unpredictable, overwhelming and hard to find shelter from.”

Lynne said a business student on Friday asked him if they were safe on campus after seeing the National Guard inside Duquès Hall, which should only be accessible to community members with GWorld tap access, while holding up a photo of troops inside the building.

OPINIONS

In a climate of capitulation to Trump, GW’s DEI actions must speak clearly

Under intensifying political pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration, universities across the country are scaling back, rebranding and eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion policies and programs. What was once considered a priority in higher education is now being scrutinized by stakeholders through a partisan lens, forcing administrators to navigate a rapidly shifting political landscape while reassessing whether or how to uphold their diversity commitments. It’s crucial that GW clearly demonstrate to its community members its commitment to DEI principles, ensuring equity and inclusion remain core to its institutional identity in the face of growing political pressure and national rollbacks.

With so many universities visibly backing away from DEI, any lack of transparency or communication from GW is likely to be interpreted by community members as a sign of capitulation, whether or not that’s the University’s intent. GW pushed back this year’s alreadydelayed Diversity Summit without offering an explanation beyond that it was “postponed in order to reimagine a new opportunity,” failing to clarify whether the decision was connected to the Trump administration’s DEI crackdown. During a time when so many universities are capitulating to Trump — who has labeled DEI efforts as “illegal” and “immoral” — GW must clearly state their reasoning if they expect the community to continue placing trust in their stated commitment.

The same goes for providing a clear update on officials’ plan to hire a new Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement, as the role has now been vacant for over a year. It’s essential that the University signals to its community that it values and is actively prioritizing the position,

ISTAFF EDITORIAL

which has historically led key inclusion initiatives like conducting campus climate surveys and organizing the annual Diversity Summit. At a time when inclusion and belonging are under heightened scrutiny by the federal government, GW needs visible, committed leadership to ensure it upholds its stated values of openness, respect, diversity and collaboration. The lack of visible commitment to filling the vice provost role gives the impression that GW is retreating in the face of political pressure, whether intentional or not.

Additionally, a University spokesperson said officials would talk with the Board of Trustees and other key advisers about the Trump administration’s education

compact, which proposes measures like limiting international student enrollment and mandating standardized test scores — policies that could undermine GW’s commitment to diversity in admissions. This is a pivotal moment for GW to communicate clearly whether it’s open to capitulating in any form. Rejecting the compact would demonstrate a genuine commitment to inclusivity, while considering or accepting it arguably signals that diversity is not a top priority. With DEI programs under attack by the federal administration, it’s understandable that GW may be hesitant to issue public statements or press releases celebrating diversity or reaffirming its commitment to an inclusive campus. But silence,

GW must clearly reject institutional neutrality

n an increasingly polarized time, and with President Donald Trump’s education compact asserting its implementation as a necessity for schools that comply, it’s crucial that GW takes a stand against institutional neutrality now. Its adoption would oppose GW’s push for transparency and prevent the University from addressing current and future issues in a direct and transparent manner. Since Trump included institutional neutrality in his proposed education compact, now is the time for GW to officially close the door on the policy.

The topic of institutional neutrality at GW has come to the forefront with President Donald Trump’s education compact. This compact is a proposal that would grant GW priority to federal funding if the University complies with 10 points, including one mandating institutional neutrality. GW officials have yet to announce whether or not they will comply with the proposal, creating more uncertainty in their stance on neutrality. However, GW has been going back and forth on the issue for the last year. This inconsistency in GW’s position undermines trust in an administration that constantly preaches

transparency. Rather than continue to set aside the issue and wait for a situation to erupt where choosing a side is advantageous, GW should make it clear that this policy will not be part of the University’s framework. With Trump’s proposed compact looming over the University, now is the time to take a final stance.

Declaring institutional neutrality is misleading, as it is impossible for a university to practice complete neutrality. Higher education institutions, like GW, have certain priorities, like research and discussion, that rely on political decisions. Investing the University’s endowment in certain assets over others is inevitable, but the University must acknowledge all those decisions as political statements.

Taking an oath of institutional neutrality will only make it more difficult for the broader University community to know the motives, like economic profit or gaining political alliances, behind politically consequential decisions. GW officials should prioritize unabridged dialogues about issues that affect the community, and the first step in that process is to officially reject institutional neutrality.

Not only would an adoption of institutional neutrality oppose officials’ stated push for transparency, but it would have negative effects on students and staff. GW is known for being one of the most politically active

campuses in the country, so heated debate and clashing ideas are common occurrences.

That decision would become even more difficult with the implementation of institutional neutrality as the argument behind the policy is to ensure an environment accepting of discourse, but campus protests could be shut down to prevent unintentionally portraying an institutional stance.

A lack of institutional neutrality does not mean that a university has to take a public stance on every issue that comes across the table. They can continue to allow different perspectives to participate in discourse free from fear of university backlash, while also providing clear and thorough commentary on issues they deem necessary to speak out on.

Rather than tabling the discussion for later or continuing to go back and forth on their stance in different political climates, GW should declare an official resistance to institutional neutrality, including rejecting Trump’s proposed funding compact. The GW community deserves to know what kind of institution they are investing in, and institutional neutrality would only bury that information further.

—Willow Harrington, a sophomore majoring in political science and psychology, is an opinions writer.

especially in this political moment, sends a message in itself to the community. In January, Trump signed an executive order aimed at dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the federal government — declaring many of them “illegal” and launching a task force of officials to identify, review and terminate such initiatives. As part of this broader crackdown, Trump has threatened to withhold billions in federal funding from institutions that fail to comply, freezing funds for some universities and filing lawsuits targeting schools over DEI programs and academic content. In the months since the order, many universities have either preemptively or reactively altered

or eliminated DEI-related offices and policies. At Harvard University, officials renamed the Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging the Office of Community and Campus Life after the administration warned that their federal funding would be at risk if the DEI office remained intact.

If the University feels its language and communication surrounding DEI must remain vague to protect the institution from Trump, its actions must speak louder. It is imperative that GW demonstrates, through clear and consistent efforts, where it stands on DEI. Words may be weighed carefully, but the University’s values must still be visible in the policies it upholds, the programs it funds and the positions it prioritizes filling. Just as vital as its commitment to hiring someone and the expansion of programming like the annual Diversity Summit and updates on the implementation of GW’s Diversity Action Plan. These are necessary investments in the kind of diverse campus community GW has repeatedly asserted it aspires to be.

We recognize that GW is navigating an incredibly challenging landscape, balancing the need to protect its DEI policies from scrutiny by the Trump administration while continuing to serve its community. But officials must also understand that failing to clearly communicate the reasons behind decisions like postponing diversity programs or remaining silent on the search for a top diversity official sends a message to its stakeholders too. Amid Trump’s DEI crackdown, silence can be easily interpreted as retreat or complacency. Transparent, consistent communication is essential to maintaining trust and demonstrating GW’s commitment to building and maintaining an inclusive and welcoming campus.

To protect students, GW must enact a sanctuary campus

It’s been over two months since the Department of Justice sent a letter to GW administrators detailing findings from an antisemitism investigation they launched in February. In response, GW has indicated interest in negotiating with President Donald Trump’s administration, beginning a resolution process that has targeted academic freedoms, held hostage research funding and eroded basic protections. This nationwide assault on higher education has escalated alongside attacks against migrant communities across the country.

Luke Clark Moody

GW’s administration must take a stand by rejecting a resolution with the DOJ, regardless of any further intimidation from the Trump administration and implementing the sanctuary campus demands outlined by the GWU Left Coalition. These include but are not limited to banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from campus, protecting free speech and academic freedom and establishing democratic governance for students, faculty and staff.

The DOJ’s attempt to

coerce GW into a “voluntary agreement” poses an existential threat to the institutional integrity of our university and the well-being of students and workers.

The GW administration is responsible for protecting students and workers but instead pursues avenues to negotiate with the fascist Trump administration. Students and workers are the primary stakeholders in these negotiations, yet we have received functionally zero communication.

No degree of capitulation will subdue Trump’s agenda. If the University community cares about freedom of speech, thought and expression as well as academic integrity and protecting our most vulnerable community members, we must make our voices heard. In the GWU Left Coalition’s demands for a sanctuary campus, we call on GW to defend free speech, academic freedom and the right to political dissent, ensuring our campus remains safe and free.

In the spring, when international students’ safety was on the line, GW’s response was sporadic, incomplete and difficult to access. Students were unable to assess risk, as it took the administration months to release the number of students affected by visa terminations or status changes. The administration did not publicly advocate

for those at risk or resist federal investigations into international students. The sanctuary campus demands GW ban ICE, MPD and all other external law enforcement from campus, refusing access without a judicial warrant. The University community deserves clear communication and substantive commitments.

The GWU Left Coalition has outlined specific policy recommendations for GW to implement as a step toward a genuinely democratic institution: the Sanctuary Campus Demands. In the absence of leadership, the GWU Left Coalition calls on all community members committed to keeping GW safe and free to join our campaign. For updates, follow the GW Socialist Action Initiative, GWU Students for Justice in Palestine and GWU AntiZionist Jewish Student Front on Instagram. Read the demands, sign the student letter resisting fascism, talk about the federal encroachment in class and join organizations fighting for a democratic university. This is our campus, this is our community, this is our university. We must make it so.

—Luke Clark Moody, a senior majoring in international affairs and Neha Darisi, a senior majoring in anthropology and international affairs, are members of the GWU Left Coalition.

GW, Georgetown men’s basketball rivalry reborn after 40-year pause

DIANA ANOS CULTURE EDITOR

GW community members packed into a sold-out Smith Center on Saturday to reignite a men’s basketball rivalry that’s been brewing for 40 years.

Saturday marked the first time the Georgetown University and GW men’s basketball teams had crossed paths in 44 years, but the competition dates back to 1907 and spans 89 matchups until 1981, with the Hoyas coming out on top 53 times and the Revs triumphing the other 38. GW’s announcement of the “Monumental Matchup” in June instantly sparked discourse on social media over which team would come out on top and if the rivalry was equally felt on both sides.

Georgetown ultimately prevailed in the matchup, handing the Revs a 73-64 loss. Fans snapped up tickets to the highly anticipated event, and students lined the block to get into the game — the Smith Center had the highest reported attendance of any event since 2016 with 4,287 onlookers in the stands.

The rivalry between the District’s two largest universities has perpetually needled GW students, with Revolutionaries past and present saying they were “excited” for the matchup against a team they view as their D.C. foe. Leading up to the game, GW athletics and student groups have been promoting the contest all over social media platforms, from flashy graphics counting the days until the game to vid-

eo messages from Head Coach Chris Caputo encouraging students to “get in the building early” to watch the game. GW and Georgetown community members were also abuzz on social media platforms, debating who the victors would be in a discourse that dripped down to the team’s advertising and logos.

The packed Smith Center emitted an electric energy, with GW’s student section reaching capacity right after the game.

Students began leading chants for defense, stomping their feet in the stands and cheering each time the Revs sank a 3-pointer. Some students were wearing GW-branded tricorne hats, and more than one donned a full George Washington costume.

Arthur Schechter, a former Hatchet sports writer who attended GW from 1977 to 1981, said during his time as a student, the men’s basketball team performed better than usual against local teams like Georgetown and the University of Maryland but did not perform as well in the more important conference games that had an impact on the team’s standing.

Schechter said he recalled a matchup between the two schools in 1980 where GW had a lead, but a Georgetown backup player, Craig Esherick, shot a long-distance 3-pointer, tying up the game and sending it to overtime, with the Revs falling to the Hoyas in the end.

Former Hatchet Editor-inChief and Sports Editor Charles Barthold, who graduated in 1980, said basketball was the

“only big sport” for students to unite around at the time, and the Smith Center was “pretty well attended” for home games. He said he believed American University to be GW’s closest rival, and the local games were the ones that brought the campus together.

Barthold said during his college years, the GW team was “scrappy,” “entertaining” and somewhat competitive, while Georgetown was a “national powerhouse,” and in terms of academics, the schools sat at two different levels.

Meaghan Shepard, GW senior and co-president of George’s Army, said she was “super excited” to host the game when she found out about the matchup, planning an event at the apartment building The George with free food and activities for students and pushing advertisements on social media to encourage them to attend the game.

Shepard said she sees an “unspoken rivalry” between the two teams since the basketball teams have not faced off in such a long time, but there is a “D.C. rivalry” present since the schools are so close to each other.

Georgetown freshman Sophie Sagastume said the basketball team is the most popular sports team at their school and that she has seen some social media posts about the game, but Hoyas have not been talking about the matchup on campus.

“I wouldn’t call it a rivalry,” Sagastume said. “I think it’s like a playful like, ‘We’re the better D.C. school.’”

Hughes Mews residents kindle neighborhood legacy at weekly meetings

CLARA MILOSEVIC REPORTER

KYA HOFFMAN REPORTER

On the 273rd “Neighbor Day” meeting, metal garden chairs lined the quaint street of Hughes Mews as Foggy Bottom residents gathered for their weekly neighborly meetup.

Rain or shine, Mondays at 5:30 p.m., Hughes Mews residents pause their day and step outside their homes, gathering in the shared courtyard between houses to snack, chat and update each other on current neighborhood events. Participants said the weekly events began during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic to exercise human connection and create a form of scheduled normality — now, residents have continued the meetings to create neighborly bonds and address local concerns through socialization. The origins of “Neighbor Day” can be traced back to J. Ford Huffman, an editor, designer and longtime Hughes Mews resident. Huffman said “Neighbor Day” is first and foremost an opportunity for the community to gather, not a neighborhood watch association. “We started this during COVID because you couldn’t go anywhere else,” Huffman said. “And I and another neighbor, who has since moved, realized one day that we were having the same thought — that maybe we should get together informally. So we did. We started that, and at the first two or three or four meetings outdoors, we would be 6 feet apart.”

Huffman said the Hughes Mews neighborhood was originally occupied by previously enslaved factory and brewery workers, along with European immigrants, in the late 1800s. Today, the richly historical neighborhood serves as a nexus for D.C. locals and GW community members

Open mic night spotlights student poets’ Latin identities

Students stepped up to the mic Wednesday to illuminate stories about their heritage through poetry at an open mic night in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

GW Poetic Justices, a student organization that brings awareness to social justice issues through poetry, collaborated this year with the student committee that organizes Latin Heritage Celebration, an annual month of programming at GW aiming to promote the values and traditions of South and Central America, the Caribbean and Spanish cultures, through a poetry reading called “Di Lo Que Quieras,” or “Say What You Want.” About 20 students gathered in a room in the University Student Center to listen to student poets read their work, which centered around their Latin identities — growing into them and navigating them through current political actions and rhetoric by President Donald Trump’s administration toward Latin and Hispanic communities.

Senior and president of Poetic Justices, Kiana Roman, said when Latin Heritage Committee Co-Director Adriana Hernandez reached out to her about collaborating on an event for Latin Heri-

tage Celebration, she said she agreed because she felt the organization could help highlight social justice topics, especially as Latin and Hispanic populations face discrimination due to mass deportations ordered by the Trump administration and an increasing Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence across the country.

“I think especially considering the times that we’re in right now where the Latin and Hispanic community is facing so much difficulties, considering ICE, considering immigration, considering all of these stereotypes that are being pushed upon us, it’s really important for community members to band together and find a way to fight a lot of these oppressive states through poetry,” Roman said.

Chloe Blackburn, a senior studying international affairs and Africana studies, said she performed two poems, one called “Untitled” and the other “My Cinnamon.” Being half African American and half AfroPanamanian, Blackburn said her first poem discussed how her Panamanian side has been largely excluded from her day-to-day, which has hindered her ability to learn Spanish and fully accept herself into her “Latinidad” — a Spanish-language term which does not have

to form real-world connections with one another, with the small street housing a collection of students and Washingtonians in primarily twostory row homes.

Ashleigh Watson, an economist and another longtime resident of the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, said her children consistently look forward to the weekly meetups that provide them with a time in which they can enjoy the outdoors.

She said Hughes Mews residents often discuss the rat infestation in the nabe at meetings, with semi-domesticated cats roaming the street helping to alleviate the problem along with city-wide eradication efforts. Watson said the community bond created through the meeting has also provided lessons of responsibility for her children, as they have learned to play a participatory role in the upkeep of their neighborhood. She added that the internationally focused jobs and traveling done by her neighbors has been an interesting topic to learn about and a supplement in gaining insight for possible locations for family trips. She said the support and community found in the neighborhood has also been useful in last-minute needs for child care and support for unexpected circumstances.

Katie Sizemore, a resident of the Foggy Bottom neighborhood for three years, said she found a sense of home in her new residence in part due to the weekly meetings. Sizemore said her appreciation for the neighborhood has been a product of weekly meetings, holiday celebrations and acts of kindness her neighbors have done for one another.

“I’ve lived in DC for 13 years, and I always try to help people understand that real people – beyond the politics and headlines – live in D.C., and Neighbor Day is a perfect representation of that,” Sizemore said in an email.

an exact definition but refers generally to a sense of social identity amongst people with Latin American and Caribbean ancestry. At the same time, she said the piece discussed her struggle with wanting to learn Spanish

and her reluctance to speak the language originally native to Spain, which historically brought enslaved Senior Samantha Celeste, who is studying public relations at American University, performed her original

poem, “Nostalgia,” and “Hold up a Mirror,” which she said were inspired by growing up as a DominicanAmerican and her struggles with mental health. “I think poetry was kind of a way for me to navigate

“There’s

SPORTS

Georgetown exhibition draws Smith Center’s first sellout in a decade

RYAN JAINCHILL

More than 4,000 people packed into the Smith Center Saturday night to watch the first men’s basketball matchup between the Revolutionaries and the Georgetown University Hoyas in 44 years, marking the first sold-out game in nine years.

A packed student section, a courtside row of donors and a scattering of University leadership — including some Board of Trustees members and senior administrators — helped push attendance at the Smith Center to 4,287, the largest crowd at a men’s basketball game since 2016. The last time the Revs brought upwards of 4,000 fans into the Smith Center was March 4, 2017, when 4,143 people watched GW take down Atlantic 10-leading Dayton Flyers 87-81 during the finale of a 20-win season.

Back in November 2015, the Smith Center recorded recordbreaking attendance in GW’s 73-68 upset victory over the then-sixth-ranked University of Virginia Cavaliers. That game drew a crowd of 5,025 people.

The average attendance at men’s and women’s games was low last season. Men’s basketball ranked 13th in the conference in terms of attendance, averaging 1,976 a game, while the women’s team placed 12th in the A-10 with 564 people a game.

Officials ahead of the season signed a multi-year deal with Taymar Sales U in an effort to increase ticket sales — a unique third-party contract for GW, which has traditionally handled ticket operations inhouse. Ahead of Saturday’s game, Athletics officials advertised that they would be giving out free tickets to federal employees, a new tactic for GW that likely signaled an effort to boost attendance and fill the

Smith Center for the matchup.

Junior guard Trey Autry, who is entering his third season at GW, said postgame the crowd impacted the game with its energy, adding that after two years, students and fans were starting to show up to watch.

“It really speaks to the work and the loyalty that we have to GW, and regardless of the outcome, it felt great to know that, with the work that me and my teammates have put in,” Autry said. “Also, I think that is a credit to the new guys that we have. People just hearing about our team and everything, it was really cool.”

Head Coach Chris Caputo said at the postgame press conference that students got sent home due to the capacity crowd, and the whole night was memorable for the program and D.C. basketball, as it put two of the District’s top basketball programs head-to-head.

“I was just so pleased with

Revs’ turnovers hinder men’s basketball in exhibition loss to Georgetown

From Page 1

“Not many people anticipated this being a game, right?” Cooley said.

Redshirt junior Garrett Johnson opened the scoring early in the first half with a layup — his first points after missing more than a full season while recovering from a torn ACL and undergoing chemotherapy for a benign hip tumor. Junior guard Trey Autry said he considers Johnson “family,” and he and his teammates felt sentimental seeing him return.

“It was really emotional, it was really happy, good emotions,” Autry said. “But it was nice for not only for me, who’s been around him every single day over the last three years but for everybody else to come in and see all the work that he’s put in come to light.”

After a tight first five minutes, a 9-0 Georgetown

run gave the Hoyas a 23-13 lead midway through the first half. Graduate student guard Tre Dinkins III responded with two straight 3-pointers — his first points since transferring from Atlantic 10 rival Duquesne this spring. After a Georgetown layup, Dinkins knocked down a third 3-pointer, accounting for all 9 of his points on the night, despite finishing just 3-for-12 from the field.

A buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Trey Autry before halftime cut the deficit to 38-32.

A Benjamin 3-pointer five minutes into the second half brought the Revs within three, but Georgetown countered with a 3-pointer of their own from sophomore forward Caleb Williams on their next possession.

GW was able to cut the lead to four with 11 minutes left, but a oneminute 8-0 Georgetown run quickly brought them

back to a double-digit deficit. Another 3-pointer from Benjamin — who finished with 11 points on the night — brought them down 6 points with just over two minutes left, but successful late free throw shooting from the Hoyas and poor two-minute offense from GW squashed any hope for a late comeback.

Georgetown free throws accounted for the game’s final 80 seconds, as “Go Hoyas” chants echoed from the visiting section of the Smith Center.

Redshirt sophomore guard Christian Jones led the team in scoring with 13 points off of 6-9 shooting. Out of players with at least five shooting attempts, Jones was the only one with a shooting percentage over .500. The team shot 41.3 percent from the field over the game, compared to Georgetown’s 44.3 percent.

The Revs also struggled from deep, connect-

our student turnout, [it] was incredible. I got a text that they sent 300 students home, reportedly. We’ve come a long way for that to happen, right? So that was just fantastic,” Caputo said.

Outside of the large fan attendance, the game drew top University officials to the Smith Center, including University President Ellen Granberg, Chief of Staff Scott Mory, Chief Financial Officer Bruno Fernandes, Board of Trustees Chair Grace Speights and Trustee Michelle Rubin. Rubin has a record of supporting the athletic programs at GW, including both basketball programs.

Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto, who is a graduate of Georgetown Law, attended the game as well and sat next to Speights for the majority of the contest. Her jurisdiction contains both Georgetown and GW’s campuses.

ing on nine of their 32 shot attempts from 3-point territory. Caputo said that first-game jitters may have played a role.

“I thought we might have a little bit of nerves in this opener here where we pulled a couple threes and those are weird,” Caputo said post game.

Caputo said cleaning up turnovers is a “big takeaway” for him, with the team notching 17 on the night.

Redshirt senior forward Rafael Castro, who led the team in scoring last year and was named to the A-10’s All-Conference First Team, was second on the team with 12 points off 5-13 shooting. Caputo said postgame that Castro had an “average” performance against the Hoyas but can use it as a learning opportunity.

The Revs officially open their season in the Smith Center against the University of Maine on Nov. 3 at 8 p.m.

Georgetown Head Coach Ed Cooley said postgame that the energy in the Smith Center was noticeable, and he appreciated Caputo and his staff for the opportunity to play in an exhibition game.

“The energy in the building was great,” Cooley said. “It’s something that we look forward to. I thought our players did a really good job matching the intensity.”

Revs junior guard Bubu Benjamin, who transferred from Tarleton State University during the offseason, played his first game in the Smith Center last night and said postgame that he appreciated the support from the crowd.

“We knew it meant a little bit more than just an exhibition game, and the crowd was amazing, even though, as you said, they sold it out,” Benjamin said. “Going into the season, knowing that our fans are going to have that type of support.”

Column: Georgetown game proves basketball still matters at GW

Saturday night’s “Monumental Matchup” — the first bout between GW and Georgetown University men’s basketball squads in 44 years — was much more than an exhibition game. It was a cultural reset.

Despite a 73-64 loss for the Revolutionaries, the game offered a glimpse of that movie-like, all-American college basketball atmosphere that students at GW secretly wish we had more of. For a campus that students often complain of being individual-driven and lacking community, the buzz around Saturday’s game showed that basketball can bring our community together.

For the first time in years, GW basketball felt alive. Lines wrapped around the Smith Center as spirited students showed up more than an hour before tipoff, excitedly chattering with friends and comparing game day attire. There was a noticeably more fervent sense of unity and pride around Foggy Bottom, which was filled with ‘go G-Dub’ cheers and powdered wigs resembling our namesake’s signature updo.

This was evident in the fact that the Smith Center hit max capacity packed with more than 4,000 fans just after tipoff, with hundreds more turned away at the door spilling out across campus — a stark contrast to home games last season, which averaged just under 2,000 filled seats. In fact, the game was the first sold-out basketball matchup in the Smith Center in 10 years, and the environment made that clear.

We should all hope this buzz lingers for the rest of the season. The “Monumental Matchup” was a chance for GW to prove itself against a well-established program but arguably more importantly, its own community.

Attempts over the last

few years at fan recruitment via fraternity door-knocking, luxury giveaways and even a GW basketball-themed beer have failed to rake in revenue and receptiveness to the team. It seems clear that the catalyst for student engagement appears to be competitive play and meaningful scheduling, with Saturday’s game proving that showmanship sells. The Revs’ defeat may snuff out some of the rahrah optimism from casual fans and, in turn, the level of attendance on Saturday night. It’s difficult to judge whether this burst of school spirit will survive losses or if it was a one-time novelty, given the significance of the opponent. The game’s impact went beyond the scoreboard. Amidst a contentious government shutdown, historic protests and D.C.’s overall transient culture, it proved how athletics can unify divided institutions and broader communities. With a student body that’s divided in so many ways, basketball can be a unifying force. The energy in the Smith Center reflected what GW often lacks: a shared identity and school pride that isn’t tied to academics or careerism.

For one autumn night, we witnessed a touch of what basketball at GW could look like should they continue to compete at a high level and felt how the energy of a packed Smith Center radiates throughout the rest of the institution. While I don’t expect every game this season to match the atmosphere of Saturday’s showing, I hope it rekindled some excitement among fans. If nothing else, it provided a fond, collective memory to look back on from our collegiate years. Was this game a turning point or just an anomaly? It’s hard to say right now. But for a few electric hours in Foggy Bottom, it didn’t matter — GW finally felt like a school with something to rally around. And it felt so good.