The last of Georgetown’s  four undergraduate schools, we end here with a review of the School of Nursing and Health Studies (NHS).

So you’re in the NHS, easily the smallest of the undergraduate schools. There’s a good chance you’re pre-med, a better chance you’re female, and a sure-shot that you’re a particularly good finder (we win the Hogwarts game, College).

Class-o-physiology

Being in the NHS means having fewer general education requirements than most of your friends. Everyone is required to take two classes each in humanities, philosophy, and theology, but that’s usually all the liberal arts you’ll have to take. And, with the exception of International Health, there is no foreign language requirement.

But that doesn’t mean you can take whatever classes you want. The would-be gen eds are replaced by a slew of major-specific requirements, which don’t leave much time for electives. For instance, Nursing majors can only take three open classes.

For most students, freshman year is synonymous with Human Biology, a memorization-heavy anatomy and physiology course that will test your commitment to your major. Be prepared for the workload, and remember to take advantage of the weekly tutoring sessions the NHS holds because, when it comes to Human Bio, there’s more than one way to skin a cat.

Also, the school all but guarantees you a spot in its required in-house classes. Be glad, as this will spare you the semesterly headache that is preregistration.

St. Mary’s and beyond

Student life in the NHS benefits from its intimate size. The academic council treats students to a couple pancake breakfasts and faculty dinners throughout the year. Also, the NHS holds a barbecue in the St. Mary’s parking lot each semester – a good time to schmooze with next semester’s professors.

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As part of the Undergraduate Research Conference, Alan Leshner, CEO of American Association for the Advancement of Science and Executive Publisher of Science, delivered a keynote address on the evolving relationship between science and society as a whole. Although Americans resoundingly acknowledge the vital role science plays in society, he contended, there are huge gaps in understanding between scientists and non-scientists over what science is, how it functions, and how much money it needs.

He dedicated his talk to two truisms:

Truism #1: The health of the scientific enterprise is embedded in and reflective of the broader society.

An increasing number of scientists (particularly young ones) view their work in terms of its practical considerations, and this is primarily why society supports research. Those who pursue their research only because it is interesting and provocative tend to be funded at similar levels to classical archaeology, Leshner joked. (For the uninitiated, most academic science is funded through federal grants.)

Because science as an institution is coming to terms with its pragmatic role in society, America is increasingly seeing more grants for high-risk/high-rewards research as well as a greater push for diversity in fields.

“The greatest progress in science comes from diversity,” Leshner said, referring to both demographic diversity and varied ways of thinking.

But of course, funding is always an issue, regardless of the field. In the past year, federal grant-giving institutions (e.g. NASA, NIH) are more likely to see less funding in efforts to balance the budget. Last year, almost across the board, science agencies’ budgets didn’t just not increase with inflation, they were cut. To the individual scientist, this translates to a longer interval between graduate school and their first grant (generally held as the measure of when a scientist’s career starts). Leshner said that he received his first grant at 25—now scientists with PhDs are having to wait until their forties to research independently.

However, this is mainly a problem for the individual scientists. From a macro perspective, the rate of publications is still rising, and the arrested development is manifesting in increased collaboration. Leshner said that Science barely receives any single-authored papers, and many of the submissions will have co0authors from different institutions in different countries.

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In recognition of the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Compensated Emancipation Act, which freed all slaves in the District of Colombia on April 16th 1862, a panel of history professors and local civil rights advocates discussed the history of emancipation in D.C. and slavery’s legacy in American politics on Tuesday morning. Although each speaker celebrated emancipation day as a victory for human rights, each was sure to remind the audience that freedom is an ongoing struggle.

“Emancipation is an ongoing process, and we still have a long way to go,” started the event’s moderator, Rev. Ray Kemp. “1862 is not that far away. We have to find some way to own this emancipation.”

Kemp went on to discuss his own work as a civil rights advocate in D.C. and how he, in synecdoche for the country as a whole, had to come to grips with his ancestor’s role as slave-owners.

To give a historical perspective of D.C.’s role in national emancipation, Professor of History Chandra Manning told stories of the contraband phenomenon. During  the civil war, Union General Benjamin Butler refused to torn over escaped slaves under the fugitive slave act, citing that war gave him the authority to seize enemy property. To house the runaway “contraband,” contraband camps were constructed wherever union soldiers stopped–there were two in D.C. and more in the surrounding area.

Although conditions in the contraband camps  varied, their presence weakened slaveholder’s grasp because they provided safe havens for escaped slaves, explained Manning. More importantly for emancipation, the camps, especially those around D.C. put former slaves in direct contact with union solders who started to advocate for emancipation as a wartime goal.

Maurice Jackson, also a History Professor, summarized the place of blacks in modern D.C. In the 1950s, the restrictive covenants that determined where blacks couldn’t live in the city were removed, and in 1957, the city was the only major American city with a black majority. In 1970, 71 percent of the city was black; now it is under 50 percent, according to Jackson.

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Yesterday, the Georgetown University Student Association met on Copley Lawn to welcome new senators from the recent by-election, to move forward on the Harbin Patio games program, and to institute harsher punishment for frequently absent senators.

Like lambs to the slaughter

On Saturday, the winners of GUSA senate election were announced: Sam Greco (SFS ’15) won the at large election with 304 votes in the third round; Andrew Markel (SFS ’15) won Harbin 2-5 with 45 votes, Galen Weber (SFS ’13) won Nevils with 33 votes, and Vetone Ivezaj (COL ’13) won Village A A-D with 39 votes. The seat for Village A E-H is remaining absent for the rest of the year because there was no serious candidate.

After they took the oath to defend GUSA against all enemies, the senate moved on.

I, (name), do hereby affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution and By-Laws of the Georgetown University Student Association against all enemies, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter.

It’s all fun and games until the space becomes actually useful

Senator Ben Weiss (COL ’15) is creating a rental program for “stationary games” on Harbin Patio. Weiss explained that the Harbin Patio is currently underutilized, and that he is in the process of creating a creating a rental program for games out of the Village C RHO.

However, the only games allowed on the patio by the university are “standing games,” like cornhole toss, according to Weiss. Because of an incident several years ago, the university doesn’t allow “ball-playing games” on the patio. Although there will need to be a follow-up meeting to find funding for the program, Weiss said that all the appropriate administrators are on board with the program.

If implemented, the program will be reviewed by the senate next spring, and they may consider expanding it to other RHOs and areas of campus.

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As part of the Center for Australian and New Zealand Studies’ annual ANZAC event, New Zealand’s Ambassador to the United States, Mike Moore, addressed his nation’s role in international economics and politics, despite its small size and geographical isolation.

“We are not isolationist, nor are we neutral to the great events changing the world,” Moore, a former director-general of the World Trade Organization, said.

Like other nations, we will base our decisions on our engagements, values, interests, and limitations. Having said that, we do not live in a vacuum. Nations are not NGOs; you cannot project and protect your values and interests without the cooperation and understanding of others. This has always been so.

Small nations need rules-based systems more than great powers, and the law is the great equalizer. We know there are great costs to the dangerous paths of soft, populist isolationism, and the dangers inherent in both an economic and political sense. The two are intertwined: economic isolationism makes us all poorer. Globalization is not new: its not a policy dreamed up by Wall Street or our debtors. Globalization should not be demonized or idealized.

Moore cited two primary examples for New Zealand’s international engagement: its worldwide military history and its relationship with China.

For its military history, Moore catalogued all the wars New Zealand has been involved in in its history (i.e. almost all of the United Kingdom’s wars, plus a few extra). In World War I, Moore said, 47 percent of Kiwi men fought, with a casualty rate of 58 percent. In World War II, New Zealand helped the British in the Battle of Britain. This July, New Zealand is inviting back US Marines who were stationed on the islands 70 years ago during World War II, as the nation’s guests of honor.

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As part of the ongoing re-accreditation process Middle States Commission on Higher Education puts the university though on a regular basis, a team of administrators from other university’s came to review Georgetown in the last week. And according to them Georgetown is doing (almost) everything right.

Leading the review team was Rebecca Chopp, President of Swarthmore College. Chopp said at a formal reception for the team yesterday that over the past few days, she and her team met with administrators, board of directors, faculty, and students to assess how Georgetown is doing on its four goals (fun fact: President DeGioia, in his introduction, said she met with the board of directors, faculty, and administrators… that’s it). Although she had glowing praise for (almost) every aspect of the university, she did give the caveat that she wasn’t allowed to reveal her recommendations because that was the responsibility of the Middle States Commission. She advised those in attendance to “read between the lines.”

For institutional support and development, she congratulated Georgetown on its well-defined governance procedures for input from faculty and students. She further congratulated the University on its values-based planning efforts: there is a widely shared understanding on campus of what Georgetown is, and what it can become, she said.

According to Chopp, a member of the Board of Directors told her that Georgetown can be summarized by four qualities: preeminence, research, service to the global community, and responsible resource allocation. She said that administrators, faculty, and students regularly engage in conversations about planning. On a financial level, the university outperforms its resources.

For planning, Chopp did say that the University should enhance the mechanisms for information-sharing across campus, specifically in context of the Office of Institutional Support and Decision making.

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Last night at the monthly meeting of advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E, we had an important announcement about the campus plan, and a few other  visits from the university. Before we get into the recap, here’s a PSA in case local government is your thing.

Sticka wants YOU to join the ANC

Tomorrow night at 8 p.m. in the Reiss 281, the current on-campus ANC commissioner Jake Sticka (COL ’13) is holding an info session for prospective candidates. ANC commissioners serve two-year terms, and since the redistricting process of last fall, campus now has two seats (one representing SW Quad, VCW, and New South, the other representing Henle, Harbin, Copley, some townhouses, and Nevils. Unfortunately, Darnall, LXR, and Magis Row have been gerrymandered into other districts.)

Although the town-gown issues get all the attention, most of what the ANC does focuses on local businesses, public space, and transportation.

Sticka says you should run because, ”People should want their representational forms of  government to represent them.”

Speaking of the University (but when are we not, honestly)…

Speaking of the university, a few special guests dropped by to say “hello,” “how are you,” and “could you approve this athletic center?” First up, GUSA president Clara Gustafson (SFS ’12) introduced herself to the community.

“I just wanted to come hear tonight to say that Georgetown University and the community have in the past not always had the best relationship,” she said, “But I want you all to know that I am very committed to help improve that in any way I can.”

Later, VP for External Relations Linda Greenan presented the revised plans for the Athletic Center to the ANC for approval. The Athletic Center was already approved for use by the Zoning Commission, and, according to ANC Commissioner Ron Lewis, is is ANC policy to approve the specifics one the zoning commission has spoken on a project.

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Tonight, Georgetown University, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E, Citizens Association of Georgetown, and the Burleith Citizens Association announced they would restart negotiations about the 2010-2020 Georgetown University campus plan. They also requested that the Zoning Commission postpone its filing deadlines and an upcoming hearing to allow the negotiations to unfold.

The parties announced their decision at tonight’s public meeting of ANC2E, where Chair Ron Lewis said, “Today we, together, have filed a letter with the Zoning Commission requesting that they postpone the filing deadline on the 12th [of April] and on the 19th [of April] and then the hearing afterwards for 60 days so we can explore the possibility of reaching common ground in our talks about the campus plan.”

This decision comes after Zoning Commissioner Anthony Hood suggested at the February 9 hearing that university administrators meet regularly with community leaders to resolve the objectionable impacts of students. At the hearing, the Zoning Commission said that all parties must file documents commenting on the efficacy of the university’s mitigation efforts by April 12 and 19. The 60-day extension would move the deadlines to June 11 and 18 with the small-scope hearing moved to June 25.

Georgetown University Director of Media Relations Rachel Pugh issued the following statement:

At the last DC Zoning Commission hearing on February 9, all parties in our campus plan process – the university, our neighbors and the city – were asked to continue to work together to work toward agreement. Over the past six weeks we have been engaged in extensive work towards this goal, meeting with city and neighborhood leaders. This approach reflects our continued efforts to seek common ground and to engage with city and neighborhood leaders. Joining with our neighbors in requesting an extension is a meaningful sign of progress in a long process. We are pleased that the result of our work together over the last six weeks is a mutual agreement that it is in our best interest as a community to work together and with the city to find common ground.

Lewis added at the meeting that no reports would be issued from the negotiations.

“We can have better conversations if they can be conducted as candidly as possible,” he said.

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At yesterday’s meeting of the Georgetown University Student Association Senate, the most venerable senators approved the third member of the IRC Triumvirate Election Commission, the new chair of the Finance and Appropriations committee, and discussed the future of the GUSA Fund. And there were some long speeches read directly to Vox on unrelated topics, but we’ll save those for another time.

Three’s company

Election Commissioner Adam Giansiracusa (SFS ’12) presented his replacement, who was vetted by the executive and approved by the senate yesterday. Pavan Rajgopal (SFS ’15) was selected because of his basic competency as a person, according to Giansiracusa. Rajgopal was approved by the senate with the expectation (they even asked him about this) that he will serve until he graduates (or is removed by the senate for disqualifying a candidate for illegitimate reasons an hour before the election, as Speaker Adam Talbot (COL ’12) reminded him).

In response to a question about punishing candidates for violations, Rajgopal said that he would be comfortable with it, and he would rather be proactive in preventing violations.

It was also mentioned that Rajgopal is a member of the IRC, like the other two current members of the EC and was outgoing chair AG. ”We’ll not draw too much attention to that now,” Talbot added.

Fynapp

Since two members, including the chair, of the Finance and Appropriations committee moved to the executive, the senate approved Shiela Walsh (COL ’14), the first female finapp member, as chair and then appointed Robert Shepard (COL ’15) and Laura Kresse (SFS ’12) to the committee.

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Yesterday, the Georgetown University Student Association Senate tied up some loose ends from last week’s meeting, including, passing electoral reform laws, the FY13 budget, and the executive cabinet.

One of the few new items at the meeting the briefing by GUSA president Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13) who talked about Georgetown Day. Gustafson said the executive has received around 20 applications for the Georgetown Day committee already (they make it look so easy), and they are moving ahead with planning.

The senate also approved the executive cabinet unanimously.

The second new item was the approval of the GUSA fund, which gave $350 to the Georgetown Israel Alliance for their annual Independence Day celebration. The Alliance requested $500, but that was brought down “for reasons of frugality,” according to Nate Tisa (SFS ’14).

From last week, the senate approved the FY13 budget after nearly a month from its initial draft publicaiton before spring break.

Also from last week, the senate passed the Omnibus Electoral Accountability and Regulation Act of 2012, which was virtually the same as last week except that it removed some stipulations to allow the Election Commission to use their best judgement in the exact punishment (instead of specifying it for them).

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