The GW
HATCHET
November 10, 2025 Vol. 122 Iss. 13
AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER • SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904 • ONLINE AT GWHATCHET.COM
Men’s basketball edges out USF 99-95 in major early-season test MILO ROSENZWEIG REPORTER
Officials meet with National Guard, post signs amid campus troop surge JENNA LEE
WILL O’CONNELL
SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
REPORTER
Men’s basketball (2-0) outlasted the University of South Florida 99-95 on Saturday in Uncasville, Connecticut, squeaking past the Bulls in a gritty, chippy game that featured five players foul out and 78 free throw attempts and solidified GW as a resilient early-season contender. Displaying poise and depth across the roster, the Revolutionaries pieced together a balanced offensive attack that saw five players score in double figures and timely contributions from nearly every rotation player. Much of that strength came from graduate student guard Tre Dinkins, a transfer from Duquesne playing his first season at GW, who came off the bench four minutes into the first half to lead the team, scoring 22 points, 6 of 9 from the field and making four from behind the arc. Saturday’s win against USF was a clear statement from the Revs about their ability to win the Atlantic 10 Championship. The Bulls are one of the toughest non-conference teams the Revs will play this season, ranked by Bart Torvik as the country’s 63rd best team prior to the game — four lower than GW, who sat at 59. The Bulls were picked this offseason to finish second in the American Conference — a league of simi-
LEXI CRITCHETT | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Redshirt senior forward Rafael Castro dunks the ball during October’s exhibition game against Georgetown University.
lar strength to the A-10. In a season which GW enters with their best roster in years and an A-10 conference that looks to be wide open, this win establishes them as true con-
tenders. As the team has struggled in recent years to schedule tough opponents and create a difficult non-conference schedule, USF is possibly GW’s only chance for a Quadrant
2 win before A-10 play, with the only team ranked above the Bulls being reigning-champions the University of Florida. See TURNOVERS Page 8
University-wide budget cuts force pause on GWSB peer mentorship program ANN CROSBY REPORTER
SHIVU SATHE REPORTER
Amid University-wide budget cuts, officials halted the School of Business’ peer mentorship program for the fall semester — another hit to student resources that mentors say leaves underclassmen without career guidance. GWSB officials paused the F. David Fowler Career Center’s student coordinator program, which pairs underclassmen with paid upperclassmen mentors to help with resumes and cover letters, with plans to resume the program in a reduced capacity in the spring. Cassin Dyson, the center’s executive director, attributed the decision to University-wide budget cuts, which
have set off a series of reductions across campus operations and resources since the start of fiscal year 2026. Students and former coordinators said pausing the program deprives underclassmen of a valuable resource, limiting their ability to seek guidance from mentors with shared business interests and career goals. Dyson, who joined GWSB in January, said officials paused the program this semester as GW works to reduce expenses, with plans to reinstate it in the spring. He added that officials did not terminate the program and “at no point” indicated such to coordinators or students. “The decision was made after multiple conversations with senior leaders within GWSB,” Dyson said. “It was handled with the utmost sensitivity and was a painstaking process.” Officials announced in April
they would cut the University’s expense budget by 3 percent during fiscal year 2026 to combat a yearslong structural deficit and broader higher education challenges and announced additional measures in July, including a hiring freeze. GW in September laid off 43 staff members across five schools and divisions, including “several” within GWSB, with most of the school’s layoffs coming from the undergraduate and graduate program offices. As part of these broader budget reductions, officials closed District House and University Student Center dining options on weekends in September, ended walk-in hours for campus Counseling and Psychological Services in October and slashed Mount Vernon Express shuttle service by 50 percent at the start of the academic year. See GWSB Page 5
Officials have met twice with the National Guard since President Donald Trump deployed troops across D.C. in August to clarify campus access rules and posted signs reiterating that access to certain spaces is restricted to GWorld cardholders, a University spokesperson confirmed. Students last month reported guard troops stationed inside Duques Hall — which is GWorld tap access restricted — the Gelman Library entrance vestibule and the Mitchell Hall Chick-fil-A and said officials were not adequately communicating with the community about campus safety policies regarding troops on campus. Officials in their weekly federal update email Thursday said they are in “close communication” with guard leadership, and officials added signage in the University Student Center to inform community members that certain floors are only accessible through GWorld tap access — signaling that guard troops are not permitted to enter certain floors. University spokesperson Julia Garbitt declined to comment on who initiated the meetings, when exactly the meetings started and which GW safety and guard officials were involved in the conversations. No further meetings are scheduled, a University spokesperson confirmed. Georgetown, American, Howard and Catholic universities as well as University of the District of Columbia did not respond to a request for comment on whether they have met with the guard. Garbitt said public streets and sidewalks that run through campus fall under both federal and local jurisdiction, but only authorized community members can enter buildings that require GWorld access. She said the
guard has confirmed their understanding that they are not to enter private property, but students should still make sure doors close behind them when entering campus buildings that require tap access. “GW safety officials have met with National Guard leadership and discussed the distinction between public and private University property,” Garbitt said in an email. “National Guard leadership has confirmed they understand Guard members are not to enter private property.” The update states signs are now located on the lower level, ground, second, fourth and fifth floors of the USC, while the first floor remains open to the public. Officials installed the signs in response to community feedback and to make students feel safer amid heightened federal law enforcement presence in the District, according to the update. Officials have previously stated federal officers cannot enter the University’s private property without a warrant. The USC first floor is open to the public seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. From 10 p.m. to midnight Monday through Wednesday and 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Sunday, the USC requires GWorld tap access to enter. Tap access is not required to move between floors, making the enforcement of certain floors as private spaces unclear. “Access to this floor is limited to GWorld card holders and their escorted guests,” the signs read. Officials have installed similar signage around other academic buildings and some residence halls throughout the semester including District House, Strong Hall, Corcoran Hall and the School of Media and Public Affairs building. See SIGNAGE Page 5
MATHYLDA DULIAN | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR National Guard troops stand in front of the entrance to the Foggy BottomGWU Metro station.
GW Hospital settles with DC attorney general over alleged illegal wage practices BRYSON KLOESEL
CONTRIBUTING NEWS EDITOR
The GW Hospital on 23rd Street. WHAT’S
INSIDE
NEWS Experts in higher education say GW’s heavy investment in real estate positions the University for long-term growth. Page 2
CARSTEN HOLST | PHOTOGRAPHER
GW Hospital reached a settlement agreement with the D.C. Attorney General on Tuesday, agreeing to pay nearly $100,000 to 39 nurses affected by the hospital’s alleged anticompetitive and unlawful wage deduction practices. The Office of the Attorney General for D.C. said the hospital violated District wage and antitrust laws by requiring nurses in its Registered Nurse Internship and Residency program to sign contracts obligating them to repay up to $7,500 in training costs if they left the program before completing a two-year commitment. GW Hospital agreed not to enforce the contracts and pay $96,998.40 in restitution to nurses, as well as a $15,000 penalty to the
OPINIONS The editorial board argues when officials rely on vague or overly cautious statements, they risk issuing misleading information. Page 6
District government, but did not admit any wrongdoing, per the settlement. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb on X called the settlement a “D.C. worker win” and said in a release Friday the agreement ensures a “level playing field” for employers. Schwalb’s office also reached a settlement in August with the Hill Preschool near the Capitol over similar allegations that the school penalized teachers who left without completing their year-long contract. Schwalb’s office referred to the agreements as “TRAPs” — training repayment agreement provisions — and said they violated District antitrust law and the city’s 2022 ban on noncompete agreements, which prohibit workers from joining similar businesses by dis-
CULTURE Students are joining a nationwide revival of mah jongg with weekly meetups hosted by The Dragon Party student group. Page 7
couraging employees from seeking other jobs. “These TRAP agreements restricted the job mobility of nurses and preschool teachers, financially penalizing them for choosing to change jobs,” Schwalb said. “The Office of the Attorney General will continue to fight to make sure that workers’ rights are protected and that law-abiding businesses can compete on a level playing field.” Schwalb said GW Hospital unlawfully enforced the repayment plan by deducting money from nurses’ final paychecks between Jan. 1, 2020, and July 1, 2023. Nurses who failed to make payments were sent to collections to cover the cost of routine onthe-job training if they left before completing their contracts. See DC Page 5
SPORTS Women’s basketball fell 86-50 to Temple University on Friday, as the Owls pulled away with a dominant second and third quarter. Page 8