ANC Meets Tonight at 6:30 p.m.

Robert Devaney • June 8, 2012

---

The Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E monthly public meeting will be held this evening, 6:30 p.m., at Georgetown Visitation Prep, 35th Street and Volta Place, Heritage Room, first building on left by gatehouse, second floor. All are invited to attend.

The agenda is as followed:

Administrative

Approval of April 30, 2012, Meeting Minutes

Public Safety and Police Report

Financial Report

Transportation Report

DPW Report

Community Comment

Update for Hyde-Addison Elementary School development

New Business

Georgetown Presbyterian Church Picnic at Volta Park, September 23, 2012

• DDOT procedures for issuing permits for block parties

• Georgetown University Campus Plan update

Zoning

1215 31st Street, NW, BZA Application No. 18382, Georgetown Post Office, Application for use variance to permit the renovation and expansion of an existing conforming structure devoted to non-conforming use and area variances from minimum percentage of lot occupancy, rear yard, and side yard requirements

ABC

3236 Prospect Street, NW, ABRA-087240, t/a M Café, Voluntary Agreement

D.C.’s Unique GI Film Festival Brings Our Warriors Close to Us

Robert Devaney • June 4, 2012

---

The GI Film Festival (GIFF), the nation’s only military film festival, begins Tuesday, May 15, and runs through Sunday, May 20. The festival of “Reel Stories, Real Heroes” commemorates, depicts and celebrates those of our citizenry who go to war in defense of our nation and of us. One big attraction will the May 17 advance screening of the action movie, “Battleship.”

Tonight, the festival opens at the Newseum with a dinner honoring H. Ross Perot. Most movies will be shown at the Navy Heritage Center at the Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue; other sites include the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center and the Canadian Embassy. On May 15, Actor Joe Mantegna will be given the GI Spirit Award by Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) and Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.). International Warrior Night will headlined by television personality Pat Sajak at the Canadian Embassy on Wednesday, May 16. On Saturday, May 19, there is a “Salute to Military Spouses Night” with the “Army Wives” cast.

The sixth annual GIFF film line-up offers 42 film screenings, movies that represent every branch of the military and span five wars. Over the course of the six-day event, the festival will offer 23 narrative films and 19 documentaries covering every genre conceivable – from action and adventure to drama and romance. With at least a dozen world-premiere screenings, GIFF offers plenty of opportunities to discover emerging directors, producers and actors.

Films include “The Red Rose of Normandy,” “From Philadelphia to Fallujah,” “Memorial Day,” the graphic novel, “Bridges,” “The Red Machine,” “Least Among Saints” and “If I Should Fall.”

The full program, including times and locations, is available on the festival’s website, GIFilmFestival.com/2012films.

“More than 200 films were submitted to GIFF this year. We were overwhelmed by the raw talent and emotion expressed in every film,” said Brandon Millett, co-founder and president of the GI Film Festival. “Our mission is to educate the public about the successes and sacrifices of the American military and there has never been a better festival line-up to more perfectly exemplify that mission.”

GIFF will also preview Peter Berg’s “Battleship” from Universal Pictures on Thursday, May 17. The screening will take place during the festival’s Wounded Warrior Appreciation Night, where wounded warriors from the D.C. metro area will serve as the festival’s guests of honor.

“One of the best parts of the festival is every day is so different. Whether our guests are honoring the contributions of wounded warriors or walking the red carpet with famous actors, there’s a unique experience every night,” said GIFF co-founder and director Laura Law-Millett. Ticket prices range from $12 for a single film to $250 for a week-long VIP pass.

According to the GI Film Festival, it is “the only film festival in the nation to exclusively celebrate the successes and sacrifices of the service member through the medium of film” and is “a 501 c(3) non-profit educational organization dedicated to sharing the military experience in and out of the arena of war.” [gallery ids="100793,124378,124368,124374" nav="thumbs"]

Mayor Gray Celebrates Completion of Energy-Efficient Alley Lighting Project

Robert Devaney •

---

Mayor Vincent Gray today joined officials from the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) to celebrate the completion of a project to replace alley lights with new energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly lighting fixtures. In a Mount Pleasant alley, Gray watched as DDOT contractors replaced an inefficient incandescent bulb with a new light-emitting diode (LED) light fixture. The installation was the last of 1,360 alley light replacements in a $1-million project that involved all of the District’s eight wards.

“Already, results show these new light fixtures are saving energy – 57 to 60 percent – compared to the old incandescent, mercury vapor, and high-pressure sodium lights,” said Gray, who has spearheaded the Sustainable DC effort to make the District the most sustainable city in the United States. “Imagine how much energy we could save if we expand this program to all 70,000 street and alley lights across the District. That would be a great down payment on a truly Sustainable DC.”

The LED lights have a longer life expectancy than the District’s existing lights and will reduce maintenance and energy costs as well as greenhouse-gas emissions. For example, a 189-watt incandescent bulb has a lamp life of 6-12 months; by comparison, a 54-watt LED light has a life expectancy of 12-15 years.

They also use the least amount of energy compared to other fixtures while offering less glare and better illumination, uniformity, safety, color and aesthetics.

“This is just one example of how we are reducing our footprint at DDOT through the use of green construction techniques, technology and infrastructure,” said DDOT Director Terry Bellamy. “We’re also fostering environmentally friendly forms of transportation and expanding our tree canopy. The Mayor’s vision for a Sustainable DC is achievable with this type of investment, and with our partners at DDOE and other agencies, we will continue to do our part.”

The District Department of Energy (DDOE) is supporting and funding the LED lighting project, under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficient and Conservation Block Grant program.

“An initiative like this that saves the city money, improves residents’ safety, and reduces our energy appetite is certainly worthy of our investment,” says Christophe A.G. Tulou, director of DDOE. “This is a great example of how involvement of many departments across the city will make Sustainable DC a reality.”

It’s estimated that the 1,360 new LED alley lights will save the District approximately 591,000 KWH in electricity annually, and as a result will cut CO2 emissions by 719 tons.

Before the start of this project, in conjunction with the Howard University Transportation Research Center, DDOT conducted a study and analysis of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting products from a variety of vendors and manufacturers. The study involved the evaluation and analysis of photometric readings, fixture life, efficacy, aesthetics, color temperature, dimmability and compatibility with remote monitoring and control systems. At the conclusion of the study, DDOT selected Lighting Science Group’s (LSG) LSR-2 LED fixture as the preferred choice to replace the District’s existing alley lights.

“When it comes to city planning, smart infrastructure save lives and dollars,” said Jim Haworth, chairman and chief executive officer of Lighting Science Group of Lighting Science Group. “The Mayor, DDOT and DDOE are clearly united in their commitment to promoting both the safety and financial interests of District residents with their vision for a Sustainable DC, and Lighting Science Group is proud to do its part to bring that vision to life. Our roadway solutions offer notably longer-life expectancies than the District’s existing lights and real reductions in maintenance and energy costs, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. With less glare and better illumination, uniformity, and color, the new LED street lights signal a true improvement for the nation’s capital.”

In 2005, the District became the largest city in the United States to convert all of its traffic signals to LED fixtures.

DDOT plans to install energy-efficient light fixtures throughout the city – including all District alleys, streets, bridges, tunnels and underpasses, pedestrian walkways, and bike and running trails by the end of 2015. DDOT is also exploring the use of solar and wind power as alternative power sources to reduce its dependency on the electrical grid.

For more information about Mayor Gray’s Sustainable DC vision, visit the Sustainable DC website. More details about DDOT’s Energy Saving Initiatives are also posted online at ddot.dc.gov.

Archdiocese of Washington, Catholic University, Others Sue Obama Administration

Robert Devaney • May 29, 2012

---

Protests echo after graduation weekend at Georgetown University, and charges that religious freedom is under attack have entered a wider arena. These new protests may have an effect on the 2012 presidential campaign.

The criticism of Georgetown University’s invitation of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to speak at its Public Policy Institute drew media attention and a small crowd of protesters at 37th and O Streets as well as a heckler during Sebelius’s speech May 18. The Archdiocese of Washington’s argument that the HHS secretary posed a threat to religious freedom was followed by a report that William Peter Blatty, author of “The Exorcist” and a 1950 Georgetown graduate, planned to sue the university in Catholic court for not adhering to Catholic dogma. The university had cited academic freedom in defending the selection of Sebelius as a commencement speaker.

Blatty, according to Religion News Service, “says that Georgetown has violated church teaching for decades by inviting speakers who support abortion rights and refusing to obey instructions the late Pope John Paul II issued in 1990 to church-affiliated colleges and universities. Georgetown should amend its ways or stop calling itself a Catholic or Jesuit institution, Blatty said.”

On Monday, it was announced that the Obama administration is being sued by the Archdioceses of New York and Washington, D.C., Catholic University, the University of Notre Dame and other Catholic dioceses and groups that are “filing 12 different lawsuits filed in federal courts around the country,” according to CNSNews.com.

A special website of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. — PreserveReligiousFreedom.org — explained the decision: “This lawsuit is about an unprecedented attack by the federal government on one of America’s most cherished freedoms: the freedom to practice one’s religion without government interference. It is not about whether people have access to certain services; it is about whether the government may force religious institutions and individuals to facilitate and fund services which violate their religious beliefs.”

The lawsuits, according to CNSNews.com, “focus on the regulation that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced last August and finalized in January that requires virtually all health-care plans in the United States to cover sterilizations and all Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptives, including those that can cause abortions.” [gallery ids="100817,125074" nav="thumbs"]

America Marks Vietnam War’s 50th Anniversary

Robert Devaney •

---

While Memorial Day weekend marks the start of summer, beach traffic and the Indianapolis 500, the federal holiday began as a commemoration of those killed in the Civil War. Today, Memorial Day honors all in the military who have fallen in the service of the United States. Remember that as you fire up the grill, and take time to honor them in your own way.

Friday May 25th 2012

9 p.m. Candlelight Vigil – Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Saturday May 26th 2012

9 a.m. Thunder Alley Opens-the official vendor site for Rolling Thunder is located at 22nd Street and Constitution Avenue across from The Wall. It will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday and will be selling the official Rolling Thunder T-shirt, patches, pins, food, leather, and many other interesting goods. (For more information see Thunder Alley page)

11:45 a.m.-8:00 p.m. C.A.M.M.O. Presents a Tribute to Rolling Thunder XXV Musical guests and special guest speakers appearing on stage at the Henry Bacon ball field include: Ray Manzo-founder of Rolling Thunder Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band Other special guests to be announced

Also on stage: Unveiling of the Rolling Thunder XXV Tribute Bikes Custom-built in honor of each branch of the United States Armed Forces

Sunday May 27th 2012

6 a.m. Reveille – Wake up call for riders taking place in the Rolling Thunder XXV First Amendment Demonstration Run. Bikes begin rallying in the North and South Pentagon parking lots at 7 a.m. for a noon departure.

12 noon Rolling Thunder First Amendment Demonstration Run After the Run, riders are directed to West Potomac Park where they will convene in the Mall area to pay tribute to their fallen brothers and sisters

Monday May 28th 2012 Memorial Day

11 a.m. Wreath Laying Ceremony -Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington National Cemetery

2 p.m. Annual Memorial Day Observance at The Vietnam Veterans Memorial To the fallen service men and women of the Vietnam War. This year’s service by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund will include a special Commencement Ceremony marking the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War.

2 p.m. National Memorial Day Parade

3 p.m. National Moment of Remembrance – one minute of silence in honor of those who have given their life for our country

The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration National Announcement & Proclamation Ceremony

(01:00 PM – 03:30 PM)

May 28, 2012

01:00 PM – 03:30 PM

The Memorial Day 2012 ceremony beginning at 1 p.m. at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall will begin the national commemoration of the Vietnam War’s 50th anniversary. The Department of Defense’s Office of Commemorations is working with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and National Park Service for a special and inspiring ceremony to thank and honor America’s Vietnam Veterans and their families for their service, valor and sacrifice.

Author of ‘The Exorcist’ Threatens Suit Against His Alma Mater, Georgetown University

Robert Devaney •

---

But wait, there’s more, and it involves one of the most famous authors to graduate from Georgetown University. And you thought Father Damien had problems.

While Georgetown University was criticized for its invitation of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to speak at one of its commencement events and the Archdiocese of Washington joined at least 40 Catholic dioceses, schools or groups in suing the federal government in several districts for its healthcare requirements, another suit involving the Catholic world was threatened last week.

Georgetown alumnus, William Peter Blatty, who penned the satanic blockbuster, “The Exorcist,” and put Georgetown into horror film history, accuses his alma mater of turning away from its Roman Catholic commitments.

“For 21 years now, Georgetown University has refused to comply with Ex corde Ecclesiaie (“From The Heart of the Church”), and, therefore, with canon law,” Blatty wrote in the letter. “And, it seems as if every month GU gives another scandal to the faithful! The most recent is Georgetown’s obtuse invitation to Secretary Sebelius to be a commencement speaker. Each of these scandals is proof of Georgetown’s non-compliance with Ex corde Ecclesiae and canon law. They are each inconsistent with a Catholic identity, and we all know it. A university in solidarity with the Church would not do these prideful things that do so much harm to our communion.”

Blatty cited the website, GUpetition.org, as the starting point for his complaint, where it calls for him to named “procurator” on behalf of those who agree with the petition to go before the Vatican. On the site, those joining the complaint are asked to fill in a form and agree to the following:

“Therefore, I do hereby designate and appoint WILLIAM PETER BLATTY as my lawful procurator to act for me, if necessary, in the protection of my rights in accord with the norms of canons 1481-1490 and 1738, to seek alternative forms of relief that may include a declaration by the appropriate ecclesiastical authority that Georgetown University is no longer entitled to call itself a Catholic or Jesuit university, or to order a Visitation, or to seek other remedies, and do expressly grant him a Mandate to appoint additional and substitute procurators, to submit a petition, to renounce an action, instance or judicial act, to make a settlement or strike a bargain, and to enter into arbitration in accord with canon 1435.”

Georgetown University has cited academic freedom in defending the selection of Sebelius as a commencement speaker. As for the Blatty complaint, university spokesperson Stacy Kerr repeated Georgetown president John DeGioia’s response: “We are a university, committed to the free exchange of ideas.”

Commencement Schedules and Speakers for Georgetown and George Washington University

Robert Devaney • May 21, 2012

---

This weekend sees the commencement weekend for both Georgetown University and George Washington University. There is controversy for Georgetown, which invited HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to speak at its Public Policy Institute. The Archdiocese of Washington as well as the Cardinal Newman Society has criticized the university for allowing Sebelius to speak at a Catholic institution, viewing the Obama Administration’s healthcare directives as hostile to religious liberty. Georgetown University has defended its selection of Sebelius as a speaker in terms of academic freedom. Meanwhile, George Washington University will enjoy its main graduation speech at the National Mall with Brian Williams of NBC News, who studied at GWU.

The following information is from the website of the two neighborhood universities

From Georgetown University:

COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS AND HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENTS

Helen Neville

Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Friday, May 18, Healy Lawn, 9 a.m.

Neville’s contributions to neuroscience have made her a leading figure in understanding the brain. She holds the Robert and Beverly Lewis Endowed Chair at the University of Oregon and is a professor of psychology and neuroscience as well as director of both the Brain Development Laboratory and the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. Her major research interests involve the biological constraints and the role of experience on development in humans. She is particularly interested in the way that the human brain develops and its capacity to change in reaction to experience.

Barry Salzberg

Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa

McDonough School of Business, MBA Program

Friday, May 18, Healy Lawn, 12:30 p.m.

Salzberg is the global chief executive officer of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL). As CEO, he leads and manages the law firm and sets the strategic direction of the Deloitte global network. The network comprises 48 member firms operating in 150 countries, with approximately 182,000 people worldwide. Prior to his current position, Salzberg served as CEO of Deloitte LLP (United States) and as the U.S. managing partner. Salzberg has served in a variety of leadership roles since joining Deloitte in 1977.

Scott Case

School of Continuing Studies

Friday, May 18, Healy Lawn, 3:30 p.m.

Case is an entrepreneur and inventor who has put his talents to work pushing progress and innovation in both the private and nonprofit sectors. As the founding chief technology officer of Priceline, the “Name Your Own Price” company, he was responsible for building the technology that enabled Priceline’s rapid growth. Case is a named inventor on dozens of U.S. patents, including the underlying portfolio for Priceline. Case also co-founded Precision Training Software, a software company that developed the world’s first PC-based simulated flight instructor and photo-realistic flight simulator. Most recently, Case was named CEO of the Startup America Partnership, where he works to drive American entrepreneurship to create jobs and sustain our nation’s global leadership. Before joining the Startup America Partnership, Case was CEO of Malaria No More, where he worked to inspire individuals and institutions in the private sector to end deaths caused by malaria. Case also serves as chair of Network for Good, a national nonprofit that has distributed more than $475 million to 60,000 nonprofits and provides online fundraising and communications services to more than 5,000 nonprofit organizations.

David Simon

Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa

Georgetown College

Saturday, May 19, Healy Lawn, 9 a.m.

A former crime reporter at The Baltimore Sun, Simon is best known for his creation of the critically acclaimed television dramas “The Wire” and “Treme,” which explore the societal repercussions of the drug trade upon inner city Baltimore and a post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. At The Baltimore Sun, Simon reported and wrote two works of narrative nonfiction, Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets and The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood. The former is an account of a year spent with the city’s homicide squad and the latter represents a year he spent on a West Baltimore drug corner. Homicide became the basis for an NBC drama that aired from 1993 to 1999 and for which Simon became a writer and producer after leaving the newspaper in 1995. The Corner became an HBO miniseries and won three Emmy Awards in 2000. Simon also served as a writer and executive producer of HBO’s “Generation Kill,” a miniseries depicting U.S. Marines in the early days of the Iraq conflict. He is currently at work on the third season of “Treme.” Simon also writes for The New Yorker, Esquire and The Washington Post, among other publications.

Mark Green
Doctor of Science, honoris causa

School of Nursing & Health Studies

Saturday, May 19, Healy Lawn, 12 p.m.

Senior director of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, Green is also a former ambassador to Tanzania and a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin. While in Congress, Green helped craft a variety of foreign policy initiatives focused on issues of health, including the Global Access to HIV/AIDS Prevention, Awareness and Treatment Act of 2001 and the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act. Since March, Green has been a member of the Executive Council on Development at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. At the Center, he is exploring ways in which the federal government and the private sector can both independently and in partnership help alleviate poverty by fostering economic growth. The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition is a broad-based network of 400 businesses and NGOs, national security and foreign policy experts, and business, faith-based, academic and community leaders in all 50 states.

Ela R. Bhatt

Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa

Walsh School of Foreign Service

Saturday, May 19, Healy Lawn, 3 p.m.

Bhatt has defended the rights of poor and marginal women for more than 60 years. Through her early work with the Women’s Wing of the Textile Labor Association, Bhatt encountered firsthand the dire condition in her native India of self-employed women, who comprised 90 percent of the total labor force. These women had none of the legal protections extended to workers in the organized sector. To combat this injustice, Bhatt, in 1972, established the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), the largest union in India. SEWA formed a women’s cooperative bank, created a highly successful literacy program, offers child care centers and promotes low-cost housing and microfinance. Bhatt has also been a long-time consultant to UNICEF, and has served as a trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation and received numerous awards.

Tim O’Shaughnessy (B’04)

McDonough School of Business

Saturday, May 19, Healy Lawn, 6 p.m.

O’Shaughnessy is the CEO and co-founder of LivingSocial, an online retailer of discounts to local businesses. He sets and communicates LivingSocial’s core strategy and oversees growth of the online business. Before LivingSocial, he led the consumer products team at Revolution Health and managed product launches at AOL. In 2010, O’Shaughnessy was named to Washington Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 and Inc.com’s 30 Under 30 list. LivingSocial earned the Hottest Venture Capital Deal award at the 2010 Northern Virginia Technology Council’s NVTC Hot Tickets Awards.

Dr. Michael Zasloff

Doctor of Science, honoris causa

Dr. Ross Fletcher

Doctor of Science, honoris causa (degree only)

School of Medicine

Sunday, May 20, Warner Theater, 11 a.m.

Zasloff is an internationally recognized immunologist and member of the editorial board of several scientific journals. Since 2004, he has been actively engaged in studies of innate immunity within the Surgical Immunology Transplant Institute at Georgetown’s department of surgery. He was named dean of Research and Translational Science at Georgetown in 2002, tasked with integrating basic science with the clinical environment of the Medical Center. Zasloff was chief of the human genetics branch at the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development in the 1980s. In 1988, he founded Magainin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a publicly traded biotechnology company. In July 1992, he joined Magainin on a full-time basis, serving as executive vice president and president of the Magainin Research Institute, a basic research division of the company. From July 1996 through November 2000, Zasloff was vice chairman of the board of Magainin Pharmaceuticals.

Fletcher created for the Veterans’ Administration the first successful, system-wide, paper free medical record, serving American service members across the nation and around the world. This electronic system now generates data available to both patient and physician in an integrated platform that has improved care with a rate of success unmatched in any other system. The Wall Street Journal credits Fletcher with leading the development of the most advanced medical record system in the nation. Since 2000, Fletcher has served as chief of staff at Washington DC VA Medical Center. He completed his M.D., medical house staff training and first-year fellowship at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He served two years with the U.S. Army in Washington, D.C., and received his cardiology fellowship training at Georgetown. Since 1972, he has been chief of cardiology at the Washington DC VA Medical Center. He has served on the faculty at Georgetown’s medical school since 1969 and is now a professor of medicine. Fletcher also directs the nationwide Veterans Affairs registry for the Pacemaker and Defibrillator Surveillance Center and the Core Holter Lab for cooperative studies in antiarrhythmic therapy in congestive heart failure and sudden death.

Arthur J. Gajarsa (L’67)

Doctor of Law, honoris causa (degree only)

Gay J. McDougall

Speaking and accepting Doctor of Law, honoris causa for her late husband, John A. Payton

Law Center

Sunday, May 20, Healy Lawn, 2 p.m.

Gajarsa has served as a judge at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit since 1997. During law school at Georgetown, he worked as a patent advisor and later clerked for Judge Joseph McGarraghy of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. After that position, he served as special counsel and assistant to the commissioner at the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Department of Interior. Prior to private practice, Gajarsa worked for the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Defense. Gajarsa’s work in private practice spanned three decades with firms specializing in litigation of water rights, intellectual property, securities and international corporate matters. He received his bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master’s degree in economics from Catholic University.

Payton, who died this past March, served as president and director-counsel of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund. While attending Harvard Law School, he served on its Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Law Review and assisted with high-profile civil rights cases. These cases included the defense of a 1960s NAACP-led boycott of segregationist merchants in Mississippi. After graduating from law school, Payton served as a law clerk to Judge Cecil F. Poole of the U.S. District Court in San Francisco before joining the Washington, D.C., firm Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering (now WilmerHale). He chose the firm in order to continue working on NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware, the Mississippi boycott case that Wilmer lawyers argued successfully before the Supreme Court. He went on to lead the firm’s litigation department, simultaneously handling commercial matters and some of the most important civil rights cases of our time.

McDougall, formerly a United Nations Independent Expert on minorities, will accept an honorary degree on behalf of her late husband, John A. Payton. She is serving as the Robert Drinan Visiting Professor in Human Rights at the Law Center this academic year. McDougall was executive director of the international NGO Global Rights from 1994 through 2006. She has also served as an Independent Expert on the U.N. entity that oversees compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. During her time in that position, she negotiated the adoption of General Recommendation XXV on the Gender Dimensions of Racial Discrimination.

SPEAKERS AT OTHER EVENTS

James J. O’Donnell, provost

School of Foreign Service in Qatar Commencement

Saturday, May 12, Grand Hyatt Hotel in Doha, Qatar

O’Donnell has served as Georgetown’s provost since 2002. A distinguished scholar and recognized educational innovator, he has been recognized by his peers with election to the presidency of the American Philological Association and has been a fellow of the Medieval Academy of America since 2003. His scholarly work ranges widely in the cultural history of Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East in the later Roman and early medieval periods. He is the author of seven books, including a three-volume edition of Augustine: Confessions, and a 2005 biography of Augustine. HarperCollins published his latest book, The Ruin of the Roman Empire, in 2008. In 1990, O’Donnell co-founded the Bryn Mawr Classical Review, the second online scholarly journal ever created in the humanities. He is secretary of the board of directors of the American Council of Learned Societies and chairs the board of directors of ResearchChannel. He also served two terms on the Board of Trustees of the National Humanities Center.

Helen O’Reilly (F’03)

Senior Convocation

Thursday, May 17, McDonough Arena, 2 p.m.

After graduating magna cum laude from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service in 2003, O’Reilly spent three years at Advocates for Children of New York as an education advocate for detained and incarcerated youth with learning disabilities. In 2006, she was selected as a Luce Scholar and spent the next two years in the Philippines and Hong Kong working with local NGOs to advocate for fair working conditions for migrant domestic workers. She returned from Asia to start law school in 2008 and simultaneously served as a member of the Immigration and Legal Services Clinic and the Workers Rights Advocacy Clinic. She graduated from Yale Law School in 2011 and is currently working as a judicial clerk for Judge Barrington D. Parker on the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Next year, she will be working for Judge John Gleeson in the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn.

Louis J. Freeh

ROTC Commissioning Ceremony

Friday, May 18, Gaston Hall, 7:30 a.m.

Before serving as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 1993-2001, Freeh was the lead prosecutor in the so-called “Pizza Connection” case, the largest and most complex investigation undertaken at the time by the federal government. The case involved a drug-trafficking operation by organized crime members who used pizza joints as fronts. Freeh served as the federal government’s principal courtroom attorney in the 14-month trial of the criminals and won the conviction of 16 of 17 co-defendants in the case. He subsequently held positions in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York as chief of the Organized Crime Unit, and as deputy and later associate U.S. attorney. He went on to serve as a U.S. District Court judge for the Southern District of New York before being nominated as FBI director by President Clinton. Following his many years of public service, Freeh accepted a position with MBNA America Bank, N.A., as vice chair, general counsel and ethics officer. In 2007, he founded the Freeh Group International Solutions, LLC, an independent global risk management firm.

Kathleen Sebelius

Georgetown Public Policy Institute Tropaia

Friday, May 18, Leavey Center Ballroom, 11 a.m.

Sebelius was sworn in as the 21st secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2009. Since taking office, she has led efforts to improve America’s health and enhance the delivery of human services to some of the nation’s most vulnerable populations, including young children, those with disabilities and the elderly. As part of the historic Affordable Care Act, she is implementing reforms she says have ended many of the insurance industry’s most discriminatory practices and will help 34 million uninsured Americans get health coverage. She is also working with doctors, nurses, hospital leaders, employers and patients to implement policies aimed at slowing the growth of health care costs. Sebelius served as governor of Kansas from 2003 until her cabinet appointment and was named one of America’s Top Five Governors by Time magazine.

Sri Mulyani Indrawat

Alexander Graf Lambsdorff (G’93)

Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) Tropaia

Friday, May 18, Gaston Hall, 7:45 p.m.

Indrawat, an Indonesian economist, served as the country’s finance minister from 2005 to 2010 and is credited with strengthening Indonesia’s economy and directing it through crises between 2007 and 2010. Indrawat also is said to have increased Indonesian investments, addressed issues of tax corruption by implementing financial reforms and decreased the country’s overall public debt. During her term as finance minister Indonesia’s foreign exchange reserves reached an all-time high of $50 billion.

Lambsdorff (G’93) is a German politician and member of the European Parliament with the Free Democratic Party of Germany, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. This transnational alliance includes two European political parties, the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and the European Democratic Party. Lambsdorff sits on the European Parliament’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, which manages the promotion and protection of consumer economic interests. He is also a member of the delegation for relations with the United States.

From George Washington University:

‘NBC Nightly News’ Anchor Brian Williams to Headline Weekend Celebration

“NBC Nightly News” anchor, members of Congress and the District’s deputy mayor of education will be among the speakers addressing graduates at George Washington University Commencement ceremonies May 18-20.

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News” and host of “Rock Center,” will deliver the keynote address to nearly 25,000 George Washington University graduates and guests and will receive an honorary doctorate degree, Sunday, May 20, on the National Mall. International businessman and philanthropic leader Carlos Slim, and internationally renowned artist Clarice Smith also will receive honorary degrees from the university.

At the Commencement ceremony, the Class of 2012 will be represented by graduating senior Noreen Kassam. Ms. Kassam was chosen to deliver a short speech during the ceremony by a panel of judges at the student speaker competition held Friday, April 18. She competed against 11 other students for the honor of addressing her fellow graduates. Ms. Kassam is expected to graduate from the Elliott School of International Affairs with a major in international affairs and political science.

Mr. Williams, one of the nation’s foremost television journalists, began his broadcasting career in 1981 at KOAM-TV in Pittsburg, Kan. He worked at several local stations in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City before joining NBC News in 1993. Mr. Williams served as NBC’s chief White House correspondent and later assumed the role of anchor and managing editor of “The News With Brian Williams” on MSNBC and CNBC. Since taking over as anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News” in 2004, he has strengthened the broadcast’s position as the most-watched television newscast and has become the most highly decorated evening news anchor of the modern era. In 2007, “TIME” named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2011, NBC News launched “Rock Center with Brian Williams,” the network’s first new primetime newsmagazine in nearly two decades.

Mr. Williams attended GW for the fall semester of 1980.

Business leader and humanitarian Carlos Slim has made significant contributions to business and community development in Mexico and Latin America, and his extensive philanthropic work through his foundations has led to improvements and investments in education, health and the fine arts. Mr. Slim also was awarded the George Washington University President’s Medal in 2009.

Clarice Smith is a native of Washington, D.C., and a two-time George Washington alumna. Ms. Smith was also a member of GW’s art department faculty from 1980-1987. She has been painting professionally for 35 years and has had numerous solo exhibitions in museums and galleries in the United States and abroad. Ms. Smith presently serves on the Board of Commissioners at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
George Washington University’s Commencement activities will take place Sunday, May 8 – Sunday, May 15. The university-wide Commencement will be held the morning of Sunday, May 15, on the National Mall. A schedule of school and college celebrations, including keynote speakers, is below.

Friday, May 18

Edward “Skip” Gnehm, Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to Jordan and GW alumnus, will speak to graduates at the Elliott School of International Affairs’ celebration at 11:30 a.m. at the Charles E. Smith Center.

Linda Rabbitt, founder, CEO and chairman of Rand Construction, and GW Board of Trustees member, will address graduates at the School of Business celebration at 3:30 p.m. at the Charles E. Smith Center.

Ron Ross, a fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will address graduates at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at 7:30 p.m. at the Charles E. Smith Center.

Saturday, May 19

De’Shawn Wright, D.C. Deputy Mayor for Education, will address graduates at the Graduate School of Education and Human Development celebration at 8 a.m. in the Charles E. Smith Center.

Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell, director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, will address graduates at the university’s Interfaith Baccalaureate service at 9:30 a.m. at Western Presbyterian Church.

David Rain, GW professor of geography, will address graduates at the noon Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Celebration at the Charles E. Smith Center

Diane Rehm, host of National Public Radio’s “The Diane Rehm Show,” will speak to graduates of the School of Public Health and Health Services at noon in Lisner Auditorium.

Heidi Bardot, GW professor of art therapy, will address graduates at the 3:30 p.m. Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Celebration at the Charles E. Smith Center.

GW students Maggie Richards and Mong Tuyen Tran will address health sciences graduates of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at 4 p.m. in Lisner Auditorium.

Congressman Rush Holt (D-N.J.) will address graduates of the College of Professional Studies at 7:30 p.m. in Lisner Auditorium.

Sunday, May 20

“NBC Nightly News” Anchor Brian Williams and GW student Noreen Kassam will deliver remarks during the university-wide Commencement ceremony at 9:30 a.m. on the National Mall.

Carmen M. Ortiz, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, J.D. ’81, will speak at the Law School Celebration at 2:30 p.m. in the Charles E. Smith Center.

Congresswoman Donna M. Christensen, M.D. ’70, will address M.D. graduates of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at 2:30 p.m. in Lisner Auditorium.

Benched C&O Canal Barge Reveals More Problems

Robert Devaney • May 17, 2012

---

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park faces more problems besides its decommissioned mule-pulled barge, The Georgetown, up and dry on timbers in the canal between 31st and Thomas Jefferson Streets. There will be a smaller motorize boat for the canal, but it is not seen as a long-term solution.

According to Charles Pekow, writing in the Washington Examiner, “the already cash-strapped budget for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park may face a sequestration of nine or 10 percent next January. To avoid that, Congress will have to come to a budget resolution. If not, the backlog for upkeep and maintenance of the historic structures along the 184.5-mile linear park between Georgetown, D.C., and Cumberland, Md., would only worsen and the already barebone number of interpretive programs would shrink even further. So warned Park Superintendent Kevin Brandt, at the annual meeting of the C&O Canal Association in Williamsport, Md.”

“The barge in Georgetown no longer gives rides,” Pekow wrote. “The National Park Service (NPS) is trying to figure out what to do with the boat, including possibly moving it to Williamsport. The list of structural problems in the historic park continues to mount and the cash-strapped park service can only do so much. For instance, structural damage was recently found on the Arizona Avenue Bridge because a truck hit it. It would cost $400,000 to patch it together and $1 million to repair it completely, Brandt said. But neither NPS nor the District Department of Transportation contains the money in budget at the moment. The only vehicles allowed to use the bridge are emergency, law enforcement and NPS maintenance vehicles. It’s mainly used by trail users.”

Pekow, who is a member of the C&O Canal Association, also reported that the gate at locks 4 (near Thomas Jefferson Street) and others along the canal need to be replaced.