Renovated New South Opens
The opening of a new entrance and lobby capped a $21 million renovation of New South that began last summer.
The entrance to the residence hall was moved from its old location across from Village A to the former cafeteria’s loading deck near O’Donovan Dining Hall. The new lobby houses the relocated residence hall office, new elevators and an electronic security system requiring all freshmen to swipe their GOCards in order to gain further access to the building.
A new landscaped, handicapped-accessible pathway was also added. The entrance was finished off with benches and bike racks.
Resident reactions were mixed.
In the latest phase of the New South construction project, the former dining hall and kitchen were renovated into a new student center, now named Riverside Lounge. A computer lab with printers and workstations was also constructed in the former entryway.
Early Action Applications Rise
Following a sharp decline in 2003, the number of early applications rose 4 percent this year, although the number was still 21 percent lower than in 2002, the peak year.
Charles Deacon, dean of undergraduate admissions, attributed the volatility to the false inflation of the number of early applicants during the last half-decade, largely because of changing early admissions policies at top-tier universities.
Deacon also said that the average SAT scores of the early action applicants also rose from previous years. Preliminary results showed a continuation of trends from the past few years.
“The trend, if any, is toward strong interest in international affairs,” Deacon said, noting that applications to the SFS and MSB are particularly contingent upon world affairs.
Applications to the SFS have been steadily increasing since Sept. 11, 2001.
Power Outage Leaves Copley Lawn Dark
A power outage lasting more than 24 hours darkened parts of campus. Attributed to a failed transformer under Copley Lawn, the outage cut power to Copley, White Gravenor and the Healy gatehouse. Streetlamps from White Gravenor to Healy Circle were off as well.
Facilities personnel were on the scene by 1 a.m. on Nov. 13 installing a generator. By Saturday afternoon a temporary transformer had been installed, restoring full power to Copley and partial power to White Gravenor. Work continued through the weekend, but one White Gravenor classroom was still not functional on Nov. 15, and classes scheduled there had to be relocated.
DeGioia Among Highest Paid Presidents
A study conducted by The Chronicle of Higher Education found that University President John J. DeGioia is one of 42 private university presidents in the United States to earn salaries and benefits that total over $500,000.
DeGioia’s total compensation was $587,922, including $29,592 in benefits, in the 2002-03 fiscal year, the most recent year for which tax records were available. This amounts to a twofold increase in presidential pay at Georgetown since 1996-97.
“Georgetown operates in an extremely competitive marketplace and salaries of senior administrators are reflective of that,” university spokeswoman Laura Cavendar said. “We work hard to attract talented senior administrators and must be able to offer compensation levels that are competitive with our peer institutions.”
SFS Senior Named Rhodes Scholar
Jennifer E. Howitt (SFS ’05) was one of 32 students nationwide selected for a 2005 Rhodes Scholarship.
Howitt, an international politics major, will attend Oxford University in England next October to pursue a doctorate in development studies. She described being given the scholarship, which funds two or three years of study at Oxford, as a surreal experience.
“Jennifer has made Georgetown extremely proud,” University President John J. DeGioia said in a university press release. “Her intelligence and leadership are remarkable and I am certain she will continue to make her mark on the world through her academic, personal and professional achievements.”
Howitt won a gold medal in the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games with 11 other members of the U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team. She has been in a wheelchair since the age of nine, when she lost her legs in a hiking accident.
Cha Appointed to NSC
Government professor Victor Cha was named Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council for President George W. Bush’s second term.
Cha, an associate professor of government and D.S. Song-Korea Foundation chair in the School of Foreign Service, has previously served as a consultant for the U.S. government. He is the first Korean-American to assume a high governmental position that directly involves Korean-American relations.
