Talking Stick - November/December 2016 - 64

SNAPSHOT

SETH WEINSHEL
What's the biggest issue for the students on your campus right
now?
As residents of the most politically active university in the country,
our students are heavily engaged in the current election cycle. Our
students are actively engaged and civic-minded, and we see that
they are keenly aware of national and world issues, which seem to
motivate and challenge them to make the world a better place for all
of society.

What's the biggest issue you see facing the profession right
now?
We are continually focused on keeping costs as low as possible,
while still providing a high quality living environment.

What are your favorite campus traditions?
My favorite campus tradition is freshman move-in. The amount
of effort that GW staff and students put into making the move-in
experience seamless is amazing. We have more than 600 student
volunteers and hundreds of staff who coordinate to welcome
students and their families, who often seem surprised at how quickly
we have them in their rooms unpacking. The energy and excitement
around moving into college for the first time is amazing. I wish I
could bottle it. Our students are so excited to meet their roommates
and settle in, and we do all we can to make sure they have a really
good experience starting from the first day they arrive.

SETH WEINSHEL is the assistant
dean of students within the
housing and financial services
department at The George
Washington University in
Washington, D.C.
What makes your campus unique?
The George Washington University (GW)
has two residential campuses located in
Washington, D.C. One is four blocks from
the White House and adjacent to the
Department of State, and the other is two
miles away in a residential community
and next door to the German Embassy.
Our location allows our students access
to U.S. and world leaders every day. At
some institutions students will claim
they were late to class because they slept
in. At GW, students have been known
to be late to class because of a passing
motorcade.

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TALKING STICK

What is your favorite parent story?
Several years ago a parent called me after her son got his housing
assignment. She was very worried because all three of her son's
assigned roommates were Boston Red Sox fans, and her son was a
New York Yankees fan. How could they possibly live together? As an
avid Yankees fan myself, I reassured her that everything would work
out, and a baseball rivalry was not a reason to consider switching a
housing assignment. These four students ended up becoming great
friends even though the Red Sox won the World Series that year.

What motivates you the most in your job?
Our students are passionate, intelligent, and eager to change the
world. I believe that it is a significant part of my job to make sure
that their living environment allows them to learn and grow and to
reach their dreams.

What is the most challenging part of your work?
One of the most challenging parts of my work is that we try to be
everything to everyone, because we want all students to find their
home on GW's campuses. However, what works best for one student
does not always work for another, so we are constantly evolving to
ensure that we provide our students with the resources they need so
that they can succeed in school and in life.
Talking Stick - November/December 2016

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