Thumbs Up: A more diverse law school class

The rankings are in at the GW Law School. And while numbers relating to the school’s academic standing were largely unchanged in comparison to last year, the school’s administration clearly prioritized diversity in their most recent round of admissions.

The minority population – which includes black, Asian and Hispanic communities – increased from 31 percent to 37 percent of the law school for this year’s class, according to data released Monday.

And GW Law has record in gender diversity in their most recent class, of whom 53 percent are women.

When news broke that GW admitted an exceptionally large class as the number of law school applications nationwide has trended drastically downward in the past few years, some where concerned that the school had admitted a lower caliber of students to keep the school financially healthy. And granted, the LSAT score – traditionally considered the most significant part of law school applications – decreased by two points, from 167 to 165.

But the average GPA increased from a 3.60 to a 3.71, making clear that GW did not have to sacrifice quality for quantity.

Admissions officers have numerous balls to juggle when deciding which students to admit. Academics are, of course, a huge part of the process. But it’s reassuring to see that GW was able to recruit an intellectually superior class while simultaneously promoting diversity, sending the clear message that affirmative action in higher education is a program worth maintaining.

Thumbs Down: A sad, disturbing story

Very little has stayed the same at GW over the past 28 years. The exception, of course, was hot dog Manouchehr Mokhtarinava, who has been selling grub with “GW sauce” on 21st Street since Lloyd Elliott’s administration.

For nostalgic alumni and current students alike, it’s jarring news that, amid allegations from last April that he sexually abused a 19-year-old woman, Mokhtarinava is no longer a late-night campus fixture.

Mokhtarinava, who often goes by Manouch, denies the allegation – though he admits to kissing the woman – and says his business is ruined.

The details of the investigation are not public, according to a Metropolitan Police spokesman. A University Police officers, though, told The Hatchet that the alleged abuse was serious and damaging to the victim.

No matter what, this is a sad and serious episode for the alleged victim and the GW community at large.