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What’s happening on campus and in D.C.



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Union Jack: Drones finally face scrutiny

For the first time ever, the so-called “drone wars” are under intense scrutiny and it is a welcome development that his legacy is being examined. However it seems more appropriate than ever to actually question the core priorities of the War on Terror—whether or not drones have more congressional oversight.

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Five tickets start competing for GUSA presidency

Early Thursday morning, five campaigns declared their candidacies for the presidency and vice presidency of Georgetown University Student Association. Campaigning will last for two weeks until voting starts on Wednesday, Feb. 20 and the election is called on Thursday, Feb. 21.

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Sexual Assault Working Group hasn’t met for more than a year

Many groups at Georgetown are trying to reduce the prevalence of sexual assault. Their efforts receive support from the Sexual Assault Working Group, a collection of students, staff, and community members dedicated to the issues of sexual assault and relationship violence on campus. But the group has not met in a year.

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Provost reorganizes office, creates rotating positions

Groves has taken many steps to implement this reassessment of Georgetown’s academics and his next step is the reorganization of his office. In an email to the student body last Wednesday, Groves announced he will be creating three new vice provost positions which will be filled by existing faculty.

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City on a Hill: Students know best

A new District of Columbia Public Schools policy would grant students the power to evaluate their own teachers by answering a survey and then link their opinions to hiring and firing decisions made by DCPS. Chancellor Henderson should take it this new policy to the public.

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Lawsuit pending in dispute over rights to Jack’s Boathouse

The dispute over Jack’s Boathouse has entered a new phase as owner Paul Simkin has prepared to file a lawsuit against the National Park Service over its attempt to revoke his right to operate on the property. Simkin’s attorney Charles Camp confirmed that the lawsuit is ready and will likely be filed within the next few days.

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Applicants outnumber available spots on Alternative Spring Break trips

From March 2 to March 9, Georgetown students will travel around the country to take part in the week-long Alternative Spring Break program, engaging in community service and social justice issues under the banner of Georgetown’s Center for Social Justice. In recent years the number of applications for the program has more than doubled. Despite an increase in scholarship funding, the CSJ is unable to offer every applicant a spot, as it balances bureaucratic and financial concerns with the challenge of having a positive and lasting impact.

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WMATA proposes to bring Metro stop to Georgetown

Last week, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) released a broad-reaching, ambitious strategic plan to modernize and renovate the Metro system over the next several decades. Dubbed Momentum, the 49-page plan aims to address the major strains that have plagued the system for the past several years by widening accessibility, improving physical conditions of trains and stations, and easing congestion. The plan includes a proposal to build a new alignment of the Blue Line from Rosslyn that will run under the Potomac to Georgetown and extend under M St. to reach Thomas Circle.

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Union Jack: Labor under attack (as usual)

Last week, organized labor was dealt a major blow on the federal level, when a federal appeals court ruled that President Barack Obama’s recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board last January were invalid. The decision, handed down by three Reagan appointees on a D.C. Circuit Appellate Court, which breaks with over 150 years of precedent on recess appointments from Republican and Democratic presidents alike, could invalidate all decisions going back to when the three board members in question were appointed.

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GU Fossil Free pressures University to divest within 5 years

GU Fossil Free, a new student group created last semester, delivered a letter to President DeGioia’s office Wednesday morning requesting that Georgetown University immediately begin a process to divest from coal, oil, and natural gas companies within five years.

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Owner of Jack’s Boathouse faces legal battle over property rights

Jack’s Boathouse has been renting out kayaks from the Georgetown waterfront for nearly 70 years, but a legal battle is beginning to develop over the rights to the property—and the current operator of Jack’s is alleging that the National Park Service (NPS) has made a deal with a major competitor.

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Students honor MLK’s legacy with service, celebration

Throughout this week, the Georgetown community is celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with several events organized both on and off campus to commemorate the 50th anniversary of King’s call to justice and embrace of radical social change.

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City on a Hill: Certifiably screwed

It’s not often I agree with anything a Chamber of Commerce chapter has to say, but even your friendly progressive columnist has to admit the D.C. Chamber and its business lobby allies have a point in their criticism of the Certified Business Enterprise program. On Tuesday, they wrote a letter to Mayor Vincent Gray asking him to veto a bill passed by the D.C. Council late last year tightening up requirements for businesses participating in the program.

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D.C. residents’ opposition to school closures intensifies

On Jan. 12, over 80 D.C. community members and activists gathered at the Guildfield Baptist Church for the Save Our Schools Action Summit organized by Empower DC, a local nonprofit... Read more

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Zoning board approves plans for bowling alley in Georgetown Mall

It looks like the Georgetown neighborhood will finally get what it’s always wanted: a bowling alley. Pinstripes, Inc. now has permission to move forward with plans to build an upscale... Read more

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University anticipates flu outbreak and vaccine shortages

Washington has yet to experience the surge in early flu outbreaks felt in other parts of the country. Howeverm many, including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,  are saying... Read more

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Union Jack: Gun control is an incomplete solution at best

I count myself among the millions of Americans whose immediate reactions to the Sandy Hook massacre were horror, sadness, and then outrage that the nation’s laws regarding firearms ownership are... Read more

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Community concerned with D.C. school consolidation

On Nov. 13, D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson announced a plan to shut down 20 schools in 19 buildings and six wards before the beginning of the next academic year.... Read more

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The Corp joins with Google to map Georgetown’s landmarks

If you’re new to the Georgetown area or directionally challenged, you can now check out Google Maps to find all the classic Georgetown spots such as the Exorcist stairs or... Read more

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University begins initiative to improve campus technology

On Tuesday, Provost Robert Groves announced to the University community an $8 million investment in an initiative on technology enhanced learning aimed at three areas: faculty-designed classroom innovation, improving the... Read more