The Blog

On-campus housing not the answer for Georgetown University

By Kara Brandeisky (Georgetown 2013), cross-posted with appreciation from Greater Greater Washington. In "GU takes student ghetto approach to housing undergrads," Ken Archer argues that Georgetown University has created a "student ghetto" by failing to guarantee undergraduates four years of on-campus housing. In response, he suggests four locations where the University should build "multi-use" facilities behind the gates. However, the University's very real financial and space constraints, historical context, and students' actual needs don't support this approach. Historical context It' s hard to substantiate the claim, echoed by many other neighbors, that the University has created a larger "student ghetto" than there was in the past. Mr. Archer uses 1980 as a benchmark. But a 1979 Hoya student newspaper article reported that only 3,058 students were offered on-campus housing in 1980, or 58 percent of Georgetown's 5,293 undergraduates. Today, the University houses 84 percent of its undergraduates. In 1980, 2,235 students lived off-campus. Last semester 1,077 students lived off-campus, not including those studying abroad.* Read More

Tom Smith brings anti-student efforts to ANC2E

By: Alykhan Merali (Georgetown 2013)

During last Thursday's special session of ANC2E, several prominent members of DC local politics were in attendance. Among them was former DC Councilmember Vincent Orange, who is currently vying for an at-large seat on the DC Council after failing to to be appointed to the seat by the DC Democratic State Committee. I approached the former council member along with DC Students Speak blogger Ricky Garza in an attempt to learn more about Orange, his campaign, and his stance on the campus plan being discussed that evening.

After having a productive conversation with Orange, we gave Al Edmontson, one of Orange's campaign staffers, a more thorough explanation of DC Students Speak and the goals of the organization. Not knowing that Tom Smith, an ANC3D commissioner who recently defeated AU freshman Tyler Sadonis in a controversial election, was nearby, I mentioned that it was important to make DC college students aware that they have the opportunity to switch their voter registration to the District of Columbia.

Hearing this, Smith approached our group and immediately became combative, beginning by saying that "you would have to be a fool to change your voter’s registration to the District of Columbia." He went on to claim that students would have to change their drivers’ licenses to DC to be able to vote here. I responded by arguing that the issue was far more complex. Although the Department of Motor Vehicles encourages residents to change driver's licenses within 30 days of changing voter registration, this is only required when the new resident in fact plans on driving. Many students don't plan on doing so and even those that do sometimes have this grace period extended to when your previous license expires. Smith was not confident if this was true or not.

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ANC Roundup: ANC2A concerned about George Washington Law growth

By Drew Spence (George Washington 2013) Concerns and frustration about the progression of The George Washington University’s Law School development were discussed Wednesday, January 19th at Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2A’s first meeting of 2011. The concerns, at least for the time being, are a stumbling block to the University’s plans to create a new underground parking structure as part of the proposed Law Learning Center Development. The development, bordered to the north by G Street in the middle of campus seeks to add four levels of underground parking as well as additional classroom space and an outdoor area for use by the school and community. However, some ANC commissioners and residents contend that the additional parking will add unnecessary traffic to the neighborhood and that the design of the parking garage is infeasible. The plan would have vehicles entering the garage on 20^th Street and exiting on 21^st, but some are fear that the absence of any traffic signals at those driveways will create congestion. At the meeting, ANC Commissioner Asher Corson also brought up a recent article in the GW Hatchet which he interpreted as University President Steven Knapp expressing interest in pursing a removal of GW’s enrollment cap, as agreed to in its 20-year campus plan. Read More

ANC Roundup: Students stand up for progress at special session of ANC2E

By Ricky Garza (Georgetown 2013) On Thursday night, after weeks of organizing, planning, and anticipation, a special session of ANC2E on Georgetown's 2010 Campus Plan convened as a diverse audience of students, neighbors, and university administrators packed the auditorium.  A student section formed around the left side of the room, with about 40 students filling three rows while more than a hundred neighbors settled in on all sides. On the stage, four ANC commissioners including student commissioner Jake Sticka were seated at the center.  On their left was a table made up of community groups from the Burleith, Foxhall, Hillandale, and Georgetown neighborhoods, while to the right sat GU Vice Presidents Todd Olson, Spiros Dimolitas, and Provost James O’Donnell. While the topic of day was the Campus Plan, neighbors accustomed to a near monopoly on opinion were surprised to find a sizable student minority—armed with laptops and smartphones for note-taking and livefeeding to Twitter—both vocal and organized in attendance. While making the short trek from the Georgetown campus to the meeting, members of DC Students Speak were greeted by signs lining the sidewalk up to the building’s entrance, reading alternatively “OUR Homes; Not GU’s Dorms” and “Oppose GU’s Campus Plan”.  Although now almost regular fixtures around the neighborhoods surrounding campus, such placement and behavior by organizations nominally dedicated to civil dialogue was disheartening and set the tone for what would follow later. Once inside, we made our way to the auditorium entrance, passing tables where members of CAG and BCA handed out professionally-made buttons reading “OPPOSE” in addition to anti-Georgetown literature. The results of the neighborhood associations' fundraising efforts were clear to all. As the meeting began, presiding commissioner Ed Solomon explained the format of the meeting.  There would be four sections of debate, regarding in turn the proposed increase in graduate enrollment and off-campus student life, extensions to the University Hospital, a weatherproofed enclosure for Kehoe Field, and parking and transportation. As predicted, the first and last sections garnered the most debate from students and neighbors alike.  The neighbors’ questions ranged from the understandable (“Why more graduate students?”) to the near absurd, as residents repeatedly insisted that their neighborhoods were reaching or had reached “the breaking point," with rhetoric that would make one think a war was being waged. Read More

Attend important ANC2E meeting on GU’s Campus Plan tonight

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ANC Roundup: ANC5C holds first meeting of the year

By Katie Breslin (Trinity-Washington 2013) ANC5C held their first meeting of the year yesterday at Trinity-Washington University's Social Hall. The majority of the meeting focused on the transition of the new commissioner board and the election of officers.  During the community concern portion of the meeting, several residents raised concerns about Wal-Mart’s plan to open at New York Ave, near the Cook School.  I also made a statement about the amount of crime and lighting issues in Brookland and the lack of a crosswalk that would allow Trinity students to get to Trinity Square. After the statements from the community, the commissioners talked about the need for an ANC office space. A resolution was passed to start the process of finding an office space for commissioners to use for a meeting place. Although one might assume that the office space would be in the 5C area, commissioner John Salatti felt the need to specifically request such. Read More

University development’s enrichment of communities

By John Woolley (Georgetown 2013) If you were to ask a community of individuals concerned about their property and the livability of their neighborhoods, you would not expect them to reject plans to increase housing value or improve accessibility. Yet, it is this self-defeating response students and their universities consistently receive from their ANCs and non-student residents. The benefits of a robust education to society are self-evident. They are a fundamental necessity to technological progress, economic growth and informed self-government. Universities have long been considered centers of cultural and societal development in Western civilization, from Bologna and Oxford on to the present day. They produce highly-skilled professionals and develop critical-thinking skills that are applicable to many of societies outstanding problems. The work of universities requires the proper capital investment and resources being made available to the students, professors and researchers who go endeavor to broaden the horizons of human knowledge and understanding. Accepting the premise of such institution’s value to society, it is unfortunate when universities like Georgetown come into conflict with their surrounding communities. There is both the necessity and ability to balance the needs of the community and the needs of universities and their students, provided both parties are willing to approach the problem rationally. Read More

From a Student’s Point of View: Back in context

By Kara Brandeisky As former Georgetown Voice news editor and former “campus news and politics” columnist, I’ve been on the front lines of the war over the 2010 Campus Plan. The battle lines are clearly drawn—there are few students who will publicly share the neighbors’ concerns, and vice versa. So while perusing the Citizen Association of Georgetown’s special edition newsletter responding to the 2010 Campus Plan, I was surprised to discover that CAG had found a “student perspective” to support their position. Then I realized—they were quoting me. CAG included the following selection from one of my columns, under the headline, “From a Student’s Point of View: Excerpt from an article by Kara Brandeisky in The Georgetown Voice (November 11, 2010).”

“… The heart of the issue is that there’s simply not enough room for everybody, so students are only guaranteed three years of on-campus housing. Every year, students are forced into the surrounding neighborhood. Some students enjoy the independence and freedom from Georgetown bureaucracy, but off-campus living comes with its own pitfalls such as longer walks to campus and fun encounters with the Metropolitan Police Department or Student Neighborhood Assistance Program when a party gets too loud. Interestingly, the most vocal opponents of this arrangement aren’t the students—they’re the residents. They object to our party habits, our trash, our noise, and our choice in pizza. If you’ve ever taken a walk through Burleith, you know from their subtle ‘Our Homes, Not GU’s Dorm’ lawn signs and their resentful stares: they want us out. But there’s simply nowhere else to go. Georgetown residents frequently feign concern for students by bemoaning the ‘slum landlords’—read: their neighbors—who charge exorbitant prices for sub-standard housing. As someone who spent the summer battling bedbugs in Burleith, I’m not going to contest that characterization. But with University housing in short supply, off-campus housing is a seller’s market...”

I stand by that description. But CAG artfully left out both my suggested solution and my analysis of the problem, leaving the reader to assume I side with CAG. Let me make myself clear: I support the 2010 Campus Plan. Read More

My look into the Georgetown Forum listserv

By Mark Stern Last week, I joined the Georgetown Forum, the largest listserv of the Georgetown community. Having spoken to a number of neighbors in the past, I expected that many of them would be supportive of GU's 2010 Campus Plan. It was my hope they would sign DC Students Speak's petition that I had seen earlier in the week.  Based on the signature list, this appears to have been the case. It was not, however, the case for everyone. I received a smattering of responses that reflected antagonism and confusion. DC Students Speak has agreed to reproduce my original email and these responses, with names redacted, below. Read More

ANC Roundup: American’s ANC3D considers Georgetown’s Campus Plan, Spring Valley Park, and more

By Tyler Sadonis Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3D held its first meeting of the year on the night of Wednesday, January 12th. Despite being the ANC of American University, it was Georgetown University and their 2010 Campus Plan that drew the most attention. When GU representatives presented the plan at the meeting, neighbors were particularly concerned about the re-routing of GUTS, GU’s internal shuttle bus system. The planned construction of a road along Glover Archbold Park came under the criticism of neighbors who argued that bus traffic so close to the park would pose a threat to the park’s serenity and environment. Conrad Dewitt, a resident who lives on 44th Street spoke at the meeting about his concern about the light and noise that would come from GUTS buses driving along the park. Another resident, Ed Henlon, who frequently uses Glover Archbold Park, voiced his concern about the environmental impacts of the buses in their proximity to the park. GU representative Linda Greenan, one of three representatives at the meeting to present the plan, addressed the concerns of the neighbors by informing the commission of the scenic easement the university is giving to the park service. This easement would serve as a buffer between the park and the road along the park. The road along the park would not have any bus stops which would cut down on the time buses spend idling near the park. Read More