Something happens here. When I first came to GW, I thought that this official GW slogan was vague, if not a little bizarre. I imagine that the late Andy Rooney would have a heyday with this motto. What exactly does GW mean by that cryptic statement? What happens here? Something happens here. Actually, a lot happens here. It’s hard to describe the meaning behind this proclamation in a few words but easy to see when walking around campus in the heart of our nation’s capital. The most recent illustration is that President Obama, President George W. Bush, U2 singer Bono, and Alicia Keys are convening in our very own SMPA for World AIDS Day tomorrow morning, and they’ll be interrupting access to my journalism class (rude). But GW is where stuff like this happens all the time. Every day, the classroom meets the newsroom and the pressroom.
My father asked me the other day why I didn’t go to journalism school at Syracuse University, because he heard it’s one of the best journalism schools in the country. I was in the middle of doing sit-ups in the gym and was annoyed that he even asked me such a loaded question over text especially since he knows how much I love SMPA(dads + technology don’t always mix). I responded, well yes, it is a great school, there’s no doubt about it. But why study journalism if you can’t apply it in real life? While SMPA may not necessarily have a coveted number one rating from U.S. News, it has provided all the real-world knowledge any journalism student can hope for. Washington, D.C. is a playground for journalism and politics, and SMPA has a backyard that no other school can compare to. Not to mention, most professors are seasoned journalists who are experts in their craft. Something happens here that no other school can compare too, even if they are number one in the college rankings.
When GW says something happens here, a lot happens here, like the most important politicians in the world interrupting my class time. A writer for The Hatchet said that so many “somethings” happen here that it’s hard to keep track sometimes. While it may sound nice on paper to attend a top-ranked journalism school, I wouldn’t trade my experience in SMPA for anything. I’ll never stop smiling when a presidential motorcade drives through campus, I’ll never stop boasting about the time when five former secretaries of state sat on the same GW stage, and I’ll never stop thanking my dad for telling me that DC would “eat me alive” if I decided to come here. As my four years come to an end and graduation is near, he knows that I proved him wrong. In the meantime, Obama and Bono can interrupt my class time anytime.
More info on tomorrow's World AIDS Day event:
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