Main Dish
Washington Post, New York Times be warned: AU Prof develops bloggers, spin-meisters, journo-lists
July 27, 2010
Photo By: Jacques Ledbetter
Prof. Pallavi Kumar in class
You might be fooled by American University Professor Pallavi Kumar's broad smile, friendly tone, and easy conversationality -- but be warned. Writers, would-be journalists, bloggers and spin-meisters have a new weapon. The diminutive Kumar, Georgetown resident, is training the bloggers, journo-lists, PR execs, and media producers of tomorrow to cut through the noise of the blogosphere -- no matter what.
"I'm a news junkie," she says innocently. That's not the statement it used to be. Nowadays, it means a honed and bottomless appetite for everything from wsjonline to People, Us Weekly, Facebook, Twitter, RadarOnline and ratemyprofessors.com. All in seconds, in rapid fire 
digitally. Everything under the LED (not the sun), 24/7 at warp speed.
Ben and Sally, call your office. No, text.
Kumar is training her students to infiltrate and outmaneuver all the usual hierarchies. A recent graduate class focusing on public relations and social media featured Project Beltway founder Rachel Cothran, whose blog caught the attention of Washingtonian and others before she turned her attention to the worthy Corcoran Gallery of Art.
Pallavi Damani Kumar joined AU's Public Communication division in 2009 after rising through the ranks at Fleishman Hillard to become vice president in social marketing, including a stint with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy’s National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. Kumar was an associate director of international public relations at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, where she led global public relations activities for several products. As a vice president of Ketchum's healthcare practice, Kumar cut her teeth on the most controversial issues of the day.
Knowing her history, it's easy to see why Kumar isn't intimidated by the turbulent and sometimes treacherous blogosphere. She and her husband Nitin Kumar, a radiologist, and children, Rani, age six, and Riya, five months, have nestled into peaceful Hillandale, but Pallavi was born in Pune, India, to a family with roots in Uganda. They fled the East African country in 1972 when dictator-President Idi Amin gave Uganda's Asian population, mostly Gujaratis of India, 90 days to leave the country, following an alleged dream in which, he claimed, God told him to expel them.
With that behind her, Pallavi has little fear -- even of the internet.
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GLBT League Shows Muscle at Tennis Club of Georgetown
July 20, 2010
Photo By: RJSmith
Jesse Singh and Jonathan Ramos, doubles partners, get ready to play
They wanted to take their shirts off. But tennis being what it is, and the members of the Capital Tennis Association (CTA) being as mannerly as they are, the men glistened fully clothed as the mercury crested the 90-degree mark well before brunch hour at the George Washington Tennis Center's Sunday league match.
Lee Stubbs, wearing bright orange (below left), greeted organizer Rahsaan Burroughs (below, center) as the latter 
checked off all the players and analyzed the tournament grids. "I know you're busy," Stubbs said. "That's okay."
Burroughs was busy -- quickly lining up doubles pairs, making sure that Court #1 included the top players, and that each court foursome would have a competitive match. "We have all levels from beginners to college players," Burroughs said.
The league was formed in 1994 as a not-for-profit organization to coordinate and promote the sport of tennis within Washington's gay and lesbian community. It now has over 200 members.
"I'm in my sixth year," said Stubbs, a Dupont Circle resident. His partner on the court, Jonathan Ramos, joined the league when he moved to Washington. "I played in the Boston league. I joined again when I came to D.C. -- it's great to meet people," he said. "I'm having a ball."
The tennis, however, is serious. As Burroughs got the matches started, cannon-speed serves and curving dropshots sliced across Court #1. "I grew up watching Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker," said IT auditor Jesse Singh, who lives nearby in Cleveland Park. In his profession, the goal is to look for aberrant behaviors, fraud, and tricks. Like when the service receiver deceptively aims a bullet return down the alley line. Gotcha!
The more strategery, the better -- GWTennis director Greg Munoz is not worried. While his assistant Mustafa Ulukan gets ready for the afternoon women's clinic and the weekly tennis social at the 11-court facility off Foxhall Road, Munoz is already mentally preparing for the arrival of the GWU Men's varsity squad, of which he is head coach. "We're going to have a great team this year."
The Capital Tennis Association is also ready for September. The league's Capital Classic tournament, to promote the sport in the LGBT community, is expected to draw more than 300 participants and spectators from the metropolitan area and other U.S. cities. The Capital Classic is also a charity event, this year benefitting the "Team DC Student-Athlete Scholarship" for LGBT student-athletes who demonstrate dedication to both academic and athletic excellence, as well as being positive role models for the LGBT community. To learn more about this year’s charity visit the league's website. More information is also available at capclassic@capital-tennis.org.
The George Washington Tennis Center offers private and group lessons, clinics, ball machine use, and fun for all ages. More information is at (202) 242-6100.
CTA organizer Rahsaan Burroughs shows the draw to a league player.
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Georgetowners Weigh in on Mayoral Election
July 19, 2010
Correspondent Katie Manning interviews Marissa Latta, a Georgetown University student
Who's ahead in the Mayoral race? Special correspondent Katie Manning hits the streets in an exclusive curtain-raiser in advance of Wednesday's Ward 2 straw poll featuring Mayor Adrian Fenty and challenger Vincent Gray, D.C. Council Chair.
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