THUMBS DOWN: SA fee rejection

A proposition to increase the Student Association fee for both undergraduates and graduates was narrowly defeated Tuesday. Many student organization will be left without adequate funds. The proposal would have brought the amount of funding available to student organizations to nearly $1 million. Student groups, both large and small, will have to continue to make due with a smaller allocation of money and wait for another opportunity.

THUMBS UP: Possible Smith Center renovation

The news of a chance of a major donation to revamp the aging Smith Center is welcome from both basketball fans and the GW community alike. This eye-sore of a building is in need of a facelift to attract top-notch players and fans alike. This could be a major milestone for a school and a team aiming to become a first-rate basketball institution.

THUMBS DOWN: GW ranks in U.S. News and World Report

GW’s rankings among the top universities in the country are sliding after nearly a decade of stagnation. Our sky-high tuition hasn’t done much in the way of aiding GW rise, or even maintain, an impressive ranking in this annual report. While GW officials may claim rankings don’t mean much, that doesn’t take away the sting off our slipping status.

UNSURE: GW F.E.E.D.

The debate rages on concerning this initiative that aims to curb area homelessness and raise awareness among the GW community. While the idea is a noble one, the methods and outcomes of the project have been questionable. Instead of focusing on campus politics and debates over funding, hopefully this venture will become a successful element of the GW community in the future.

THUMBS UP: Mount Vernon now wireless

The Mount Vernon dorms have eclipsed Foggy Bottom in its wireless capabilities. Beginning this semester, students can access GWireless from across the campus – even in their rooms. Hopefully students calling Foggy Bottom home will soon have the same impressive wireless options.

UNSURE: Columbia University President Lee Bollinger

While brazen enough to host one of the most controversial leaders in the world, Columbia President Lee Bollinger himself became a point of debate in his opening remarks to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The decision to host Ahmadinejad prompted open nation-wide discussion, especially on college campuses. Yet Bollinger’s decision to verbally confront the infamous leader as an introduction consisting of his own opinion compromised the reasoning behind inviting Ahmadinejad in the first place.

THUMBS DOWN: Rabid bat in Funger Hall

There’s always a lot to see at GW and in D.C., but a rabid bat in a University building isn’t one of the sights anyone would plan for.