Ben Shaw (COL ’08) took office last February promising to bring the student body free national newspapers, extend the add-drop period and represent the student body to the University administration. As Shaw’s term ends, two of those goals have been fulfilled.
This fall, the administration kept both Shaw and his vice-president Matt Appenfeller (COL ’08) in the dark about changes being made to Georgetown’s alcohol policy, letting them find out at the same time as the rest of the student body. Nevertheless, Shaw was quick to lobby for changes to the policy. He met with Vice President Todd Olson twice within a week of the announcement and took administrators on a midnight tour of Georgetown’s deserted campus over Labor Day weekend to show them the effect the policy had taken on students’ social lives.
“We were blindsided by this,” Shaw said. “But given the situation we were thrown into, we did a fairly good job of responding.” In part because of Shaw’s lobbying, the rules were changed to require only one 21 year-old or older student to host a party.
Shaw was also able to get free national newspapers for students in the face of bureaucratic morass. Distribution will begin after Spring Break.
Shaw’s presidency left several unresolved opportunities for the next administration. Students remain without wireless internet in many parts of campus, including dorms, where it is most needed. Another Shaw-Appenfeller initiative, the extension of the Add-Drop deadline, was blocked by the Main Campus Executive Faculty.
The next president will have no shortage of issues handle. He should work with LGBTQ working groups to make sure the University fulfills the promises it made last fall, finish what Shaw started in the newspaper program and continue to urge an expansion of the wireless internet network. While Shaw had a successful term as GUSA president, he also leaves behind opportunities for the next president to build on.
