Limited originality
“Surely he’s mad,” I thought to myself as I perused Rob’s quaint little cartoon in the Jan. 29 issue of The GW Hatchet (“GW Fashions,” p.4). It was the rendering of an Arab student (dressed in “black expensive anything”), sitting on his Benz and chatting on his mobile phone that disturbed me.
“This sort of thing must be stopped, no one should get away with such garbage,” were my next thoughts. But I suppose we can grant cartoonists artistic license as well. Besides, such social commentary is a healthy endeavor. How else can people realize how they are perceived and change for the better? I see it as constructive criticism really. We group folks under convenient stereotypes, then we don’t need to bother finding out what kind of people they really are. Stereotypes make our lives easier.
In the case of the cartoon in question, stereotypes also provide a little humor. Granted, Rob’s originality might be in question here, because he surely isn’t the first person to come up with such breakthrough campus stereotypes. But we should look past that and realize how much effort must truly have gone into the piece. I can only imagine the hours of observation and research that culminated in such artistic inspiration. My God, he even went to the trouble of getting someone to translate “Rob is Satan” for him.
If my tone seems bitter, I must apologize – it’s only that Rob seems to have limited himself with this piece. There are so many more groups on campus that are being denied the privilege of such constructive commentary on their habits. Rob, you really are doing a grave injustice to the African-American, Asian, Jewish and Latino communities – to name just a few. So my suggestion to you is to diversify brother, and keep up those lofty standards.
-Mohamad Chakaki junior
Elevator safety
On the night of Jan. 31, a Mitchell Hall resident and her guest were trapped in an elevator for about 45 minutes. The Rescue Squad from the D.C. Fire Department was called in by the University Police Department to help open the elevator doors.
While the squad’s work was commendable, its repeated presence on campus this year is cause for concern. The University administration must acknowledge a fundamental infrastructure problem. More importantly, this problem places the lives of GW students, faculty, staff and visitors at risk. Incidents in Adams and Mitchell Halls, as well as other occurrences in academic buildings on campus, demonstrate the need for a complete review of GW’s elevators by an independent authority.
The fact of the matter is that many of GW’s elevators are old, almost obsolete, equipment. Floor buttons don’t light up, elevators go up before going down, or they simply do not stop at the appropriate floor.
On behalf of the student body, I call on the University to begin an immediate investigation into the numerous incidents of elevator malfunction. Further, the upgrade and repair of campus elevators should be made an immediate priority. Even in this time of belt-tightening, I’m sure the University can find the money necessary to keep its students and employees safe.
-Scott LevySA director of security affairs
