May 18, 2009

By Julia Parmley

GW Students Get Special Invite to White House Arts Celebration

Five GW students got the invitation of a lifetime May 12--and it came directly from the White House. The University President's Office received a call May 11 inviting five GW students to attend "An Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word," featuring actor James Earl Jones, Tony Award-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda and vocalist Esperanza Spalding, and hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

The five GW students--Laura Prevete, B.A.'09, undergraduate students Lauren Weidmaier and Ningxi Xi and graduate students Maura Clark and Josh Bartell--were selected because of their interest and background in the arts and their contributions to GW, says Rebecca Sawyer, senior assistant dean of students. "Our house staff has very difficult positions and work so hard during the academic year, we thought this would be a nice opportunity to thank a select group of them for all they do," says Sawyer.

Prevete, who worked as a customer resource associate for GW Housing and will work working with GW House Life next year as a grade 12 staff member, says she was shocked when she learned of her selection. Interested in dance and personal expression, Prevete said the spoken word performances by Jamaica Osorio and Joshua Bennett "brought tears" to her eyes and pianist Eric Lewis' performance made her want to dance. "I had the chance to meet [actor] Zach Braff and [Chief Washington Correspondent for ABC News] George Stephanopoulos, and I was able to tell the performers how much I enjoyed their poetry and music," says Prevete. "It was definitely a unique experience."

"Stunned and honored" to attend, Clark says the event was a "once in a lifetime experience" and was particularly excited to meet Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon. "I majored in English literature at the University of Pittsburgh so I was especially excited to hear Chabon, also a Pitt grad, and his wife, Ayelet Waldman, speak," says Clark, who worked as a House mentor for upper-division residence halls.