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While blizzard conditions had students across campus relishing canceled classes and snowball fights, the winter weather proved to be a nuisance for student organizations and event planners, causing several events across campus to be postponed.
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch was slated to appear Tuesday night on the Kalb Report, produced by the GW Global Media Institute in conjunction with the National Press Club. Late Tuesday afternoon, Murdoch’s office asked for a postponement of the event due to road and airport runway conditions and the new winter storm warning.
“We’re all disappointed for the moment but the only person to blame is Mother Nature and she doesn’t seem in a mood to play ball at this moment in time,” executive director of the GW Global Media Institute and SMPA professor Michael Freedman said in an e-mail. “So, the best we can do is turn a lemon of a weather forecast into lemonade – and we’re appreciative Mr. Murdoch respects this commitment to the point of immediately scheduling a new date during this semester,” Freedman added.
The event was rescheduled for Tuesday, April 6, and students with ticket reservations for Feb. 9 will have the first opportunity to get tickets for the rescheduled date, Freedman said. After those students have the chance, others will be able to reserve any remaining tickets.
The snow has also changed plans for Allied in Pride’s Marriage Equality Week, with many scheduled activities either postponed or canceled.
Meghan McCain’s appearance at the Jack Morton Auditorium, originally set for Feb. 9, will be rescheduled for a later date, Michael Komo, president of Allied in Pride, said in an e-mail.
The original tickets for the event will be honored for the new date. Komo said the three main sponsoring organizations, Allied in Pride, the Graduate School of Political Management Student Association and Program Board, are working to bring McCain to campus as soon as possible.
Marriage Equality events scheduled for Wednesday and Friday were postponed as well.
“The snow has made it extremely difficult for us to host our regularly scheduled events. We are currently in the process of looking for alternative days to host this week’s scheduled events,” Komo said.
Amnesty International rescheduled a training session that is part of their spring effort to lobby for comprehensive immigration reform, president Michael Thomas Mort said.
“While we are disappointed that the snow has slowed down our efforts, we are confident that are targeted efforts to advocate for changes in America’s immigration system will continue to be worthwhile. We received such a positive response to the government affairs effort that we know the enthusiasm will brave the snow and wait an extra week,” Mort said.
For Sigma Iota Rho, the honor society for international affairs, the cancellation of their “Energy in the 21st Century” event with a guest speaker from ExxonMobil did not dampen spirits too much. The group planned a member dinner and game night in a residence hall lounge, using the snow as an excuse to hang out on campus with friends.
“I do believe canceling was the right choice. This ‘snowpocalypse’ phenomenon does not happen in D.C. often, but when it does, the city basically shuts down. We wouldn’t want to be snowed in at the Elliott School,” Monica Sanchez, president of Sigma Iota Rho said.
Several other events, including the GW College Democrats’ Career Series event scheduled for Wednesday night, Alpha Epsilon Phi’s Candy Sale scheduled for this week, and SMPA Fireside Chat with Professor Janet Steele scheduled for Wednesday night, have been postponed due to the historic snow totals.
