The Hoya: Jan. 20, 2012

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY’S NEWSPAPER OF RECORD SINCE 1920 thehoya.com

Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 93, No. 25, © 2012

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

NOW ON SOCIAL READER

The Hoya has joined Washington Post Social Reader.

Get the app and read the news with your friends.

THE HOYA’S NEW BLOG

The Fourth Edition (4E to our friends) debuts today at blog.thehoya.com. Trust us, we’re the next big thing.

Applications Soar for Class of ’16 University receives record number of applications in this year’s admissions cycle ADRIANNA SMITH Hoya Staff Writer

Over 13,000 regular decision applications from Georgetown hopefuls flooded the Office of Undergraduate Admissions this winter, and pending finalization of data, the university expects a record 20,050 applications for the Class of 2016.

This year’s record numbers mark a 4.2 percent increase from last year’s pool of 19,228 total applicants. Earlier in the admissions cycle, the university also saw a record 6,750 early action applications, up 1.4 percent from 6,658 applications to the Class of 2015.

“I think when we look back at this year we’ll see, for lack of a better term, that we probably got a little bigger market share of the top students,” Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Charles Deacon said.

Each of the four undergraduate schools experienced a significant spike in applications this year. According to early estimates, the College received roughly 12,000 applications, up 2.5 percent from last year; the School of Foreign Service received 3,600 applications, up 5.6 percent; the McDonough School of Business drew 3,100 See ADMISSIONS, A5

CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

MPD cordoned off a section of woods near the university’s Canal Road entrance Thursday, where a deceased adult male was found in a tent.

Dead Body Found Near Campus MARIAH BYRNE

property, to the Department of Public Safety Thursday afternoon. DPS notified the National Park Service, who then notified MPD at about 3 p.m. MPD is now handling the investigation.

According to MPD Public Information Officer Hugh Carew, officers found the man dead when they arrived. Carew said it appears that the man died of natural causes.

Carvelli had been living in and

Hoya Staff Writer

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the death of 55-year-old Clark Carvelli, who was found in the woods adjacent to the university’s Canal Road entrance Thursday afternoon.

A university facilities and maintenance employee reported a tent in the woods, which are government

around the woods near Georgetown for the past 25 years, according to his friend, Joseph Cunningham. Cunningham, who was on the scene and interviewed by MPD, was the owner of the tent in which Carvelli was found deceased.

According to Cunningham, Carvelli suffered from heart murmurs and had been diagnosed with Hepatitis C. An MPD official said that the cold

nighttime temperature may have played a role in Carvelli’s death, but an autopsy would be necessary to confirm hypothermia. Cunningham did not think that hypothermia was the cause of death.

“I don’t think it was the harsh cold weather, because we had plenty of warm camping gear,” he said.

Hoya Staff Writers Sarah Kaplan and Matt Strauss contributed to this report.

GU Media Defies Industry Trends LAURA ENGSHUBER Hoya Staff Writer

Lauinger Library is not the only place on campus filled to the brim with students writing, editing and putting the final touches on papers until the wee hours of the morning.

High above the bookstore, on the fourth floor of the Leavey Center, members of Georgetown’s campus media outlets work late into the night to inform and entertain students.

The Independent, a lifestyle magazine, is described as “witty, smart and sometimes truly hu-

SMDS 2E04 and 2E08 will likely be represented by Georgetown students.

IMAGE: DCCOUNCIL.WASHINGTON.DC.US; LEONEL DE VELEZ/THE HOYA

morous” by Editor-in-Chief Jules McLaughlin (COL ’12). The newly reinvigorated GUTV broadcasts

“It’s a great way to engage with what’s going on ... in a way another student couldn’t.”

MASHA GONCHAROVA News Director of GUTV

shows and news segments about on- and off-campus events. The Anthem continues to uphold its tradition as the university’s sta-

ple literary magazine. Ye Domesday Booke, the school yearbook that floundered earlier this year, is working to re-establish itself on campus. And there are, of course, Georgetown’s two traditional news outlets, THE HOYA and The Voice.

Despite their different tones, publication dates and circulation rates, they all share a common plight: the struggle to adapt to and flourish in a rapidly-changing world of journalism.

Conventional wisdom and industry trends suggest that journalism See MEDIA, A6

WITHOUT OPTION TO RENEW LEASES, MALL STORE FRONTS STAND EMPTY

As a result of the 2011 redistricting process, ANC 2E now contains two singlemember districts composed primarily of Georgetown students.

GU Likely to Gain One Seat on Redrawn ANC ESTEBAN GARCIA Hoya Staff Writer

The D.C. Council recently redrew the map of the District’s Advisory Neighborhood Commissions in a move that could increase Georgetown’s representation in the local ANC from one to two seats.

Ten years ago, ANC 2E contained two districts composed primarily of Georgetown students, according to ANC 2E Vice Chair Tom Birch. That second seat was lost during the 2001 redistricting process, when it was reconfigured to include a greater mixture of students and residents.

Today, the majority of Georgetown students are grouped within one singlemember voting district, SMD 2E04, a constituency currently represented by

ANC commissioner Jake Sticka (COL ’13).

The new guidelines, which were delivered in a ruling late last month, create an eighth ANC 2E commissioner position, one Birch says will most likely go to a university student when commissioners are elected in November.

“I think it’s quite a given because that new SMD that the new plan creates is almost 100 percent student residents,” Birch said.

Birch added that he approves of the new plan because the new boundaries are more equitable and consistent with D.C. regulations, which place the number of residents per single member district at 2,000.

Newsroom: (202) 687-3415 Business: (202) 687-3947

See REDISTRICTING, A7

AMANDA SODERLUND/THE HOYA

Ten more businesses were forced to leave The Shops at Georgetown Park when their leases expired Dec. 31, bringing the total of empty store fronts in the mall to almost 60. See story on A4.

Published Tuesdays and Fridays

Send Story Ideas and Tips to news@thehoya.com

A2

OPINION

THE HOYA

FRIDAY, January 20, 2012

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Missing the Point of the Game

Founded January 14, 1920

To the Editor,

EDITORIALS

Too Many Town Halls Render Input Ineffective Trying to use a town hall meeting to talk to students about an open provost position is like trying to drive a nail with a screwdriver — no single tool is fit for every job.

Many topics under discussion at this semester’s town hall meetings are important to both students and faculty, but while the university’s increased efforts to involve students are commendable, not every decision requires input from the masses.

As Provost James O’Donnell’s tenure comes to a close, the university’s search committee has begun the lengthy process of searching for a worthy replacement. Last night’s town hall meeting to gather student input on the necessary qualities of candidates for the position was the third town hall meeting held for students this week; the other two discussed endowment reform proposals. These meetings continue a trend of townhall meetings and roundtable discussions held during the fall on various academic and administrative matters.

Though the provost influences many aspects of the Georgetown experience, his direct interaction with the student body is limited. Ask Joe or Jane Hoya what the provost does, and the answer will likely be a vague description of a generic high-up administrator.

The reality is that the other methods Georgetown has employed in the recruiting effort — including the composition of a search committee made up of faculty, staff and the professional re-

cruitment firm Witt/Kiefer — provide the informed perspective needed to hire a competent provost.

Arguably, the average Georgetown undergraduate viewpoint wouldn’t hinder the hiring process, and there will always be those who feel strongly that their opinions should be heard in the search for a new provost and other broad grand-scale university concerns.

While town hall meetings may not be the deciding factor, they provide at least a symbolic message of university interest in students’ opinions.

But the proliferation of trivial forums may actually hurt students when it comes to resolving issues that beg their perspective. Issues that divide the student body or relate directly to student-administrator interaction benefit most from the democratic format of a town hall meeting or roundtable.

This year’s Hoya Roundtables and the 2009 Town Hall Meeting on Satire, Diversity and Intellectual Excellence have provided models of how these meetings can inform students on issues they are passionate about.

Yet if every decision, including those to which the student perspective is secondary, results in a town hall meeting, students will begin to lose faith in the worth of their voices. There is a fine line between increasing representation and diluting its significance.

If town halls are held when they fit the tasks at hand, the value of student input will be protected.

Sunday, I groggily yet eagerly boarded the bus to New York City at 5:40 a.m., excited for my first Georgetown basketball road trip to watch the Hoyas play St. John’s. Wearing my “We Are Georgetown” T-shirt, I marched — beaming with pride — with the herd of faithful Hoyas into one of this country’s famous arenas: Madison Square Garden. I would never have expected that I would walk out two and a half hours later significantly less proud than I walked in.

As a prospective Georgetown student, I was largely sold on this university by its ideals, including those of integrity, respect and love for others. It was so sad to me that these ideals did not follow us to Madison Square Garden as comments about St. John’s “ugly cheerleaders” and lower academic reputation were crudely yelled by Georgetown fans throughout the course of Sunday’s game.

Though put off by this, I was most appalled by the criticism and booing from our fans of a man in the Army wearing a St. John’s t-shirt during a fan shooting contest. A week after sadly, yet proudly, sending a good friend off to Afghanistan, I was jarred by my own university’s fans rudely and offensively jeering a man who protected the very freedom that allowed us the experience of watching a great basketball game, traveling to a world-class city and learning at one of the best, most recognized universities in the world.

The next time I go to support the Hoyas whom I so adore, I will very consciously ensure that I do not leave my Georgetown values at the door. May we not so quickly forget what we stand for as Georgetown students, and may we not forget the people who have made the sacrifices to get us where we are today.

Katie Day (NHS ’15)

FROM THEHOYA.COM READER’S RESPONSE

“

Why would a university in an Indiana milltown, founded 50-plus years after Georgetown with 30 percent fewer students have an endowment six times bigger than Georgetown’s? I’m referring to Notre Dame. ... I think it’s because Notre Dame still acts like a Catholic institution.

A Concerned Alumnus on “University Endowment Continues to Grow” Posted Jan. 8, 2012

”

THE RAW DEAL by Anthony Mastroianni

Reading Between the Lines: The Cost of Textbooks layout changes that are unessential to a student’s ability to grasp course material. Not only are these new editions marked up beyond their content value, but they depreciate the worth of prior versions. These new editions take more money from students than the value added by any revision.

The ability to lower textbook costs for students lies not in their hands but in the hands of professors. Because professors determine course work, they can assign books that leave more money in our pockets. If the newest editions don’t contain groundbreaking material in the field, courses should not require them.

Furthermore, when possible, professors should put selections of pages online when textbooks in their entirety are not used for the class. It’s frustrating to buy a new book at full price to discover that only a single chapter is assigned.

Professors were students once, too.

They can and should understand that students shouldn’t have to take textbook costs into consideration when choosing their courses.

Connor Gregoire, Editor-in-Chief Upasana Kaku, Executive Editor Suzanne Fonzi, Managing Editor Mariah Byrne, Campus News Editor Sarah Kaplan, City News Editor Pat Curran, Sports Editor Steven Piccione, Guide Editor Katherine Foley, Opinion Editor Chris Bien, Photography Editor Stephen Levy, Online Editor Remy Samuels, Layout Editor Samantha Randazzo, Copy Chief Fiona Hanly, Multimedia Editor Michelle Cassidy, Blog Editor

Contributing Editors Kavya Devarakonda, Kathryn DeVincenzo, Eddie Fearon, Lawson Ferguson, Meagan Kelly, Shakti Nochur, Eamon O’Connor, Michael Palmer, Glenn Russo, Lauren Weber

Matthew Strauss Rita Pearson Braden McDonald Evan Hollander Ashwin Wadekar Victoria Edel Alex Sanchez Bethany Imondi Martin Hussey Sari Frankel Christie Shely Zoe Bertrand Jessica Natinsky Emory Wellman Nikita Buley Emily Perkins

Deputy Campus News Editor Deputy Campus News Editor Deputy City News Editor Deputy Sports Editor Deputy Sports Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Opinion Editor Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Layout Editor Deputy Layout Editor Deputy Layout Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor

Editorial Board Katherine Foley, Chair Sidney Chiang, Laura Engshuber, Danny Funt, Alyssa Huberts, Nneka Jackson

THE VERDICT

C C C

Hats for Hoyas — The Georgetown Athletics Department is offering free tickets to Saturday’s basketball game for fans who purchase official Georgetown hats at participating local LIDS stores.

C

Any economics textbook will tell readers that it’s not cost effective to buy a $250 book for one semester when the previous version is available at half the price.

Textbook requirements place students in a financial bind, as total costs for some can exceed $1,000 in one semester, and no buyback or resale program is generous enough to cushion that blow. In answer to an overpriced market for new editions, professors that set reading lists should take it upon themselves to reduce the burden on students.

Publishers enjoy a unique advantage in that students have almost no choice in the textbooks they purchase. Within an economic environment that includes a captive set of buyers, they have incentive to charge hundreds of dollars for books and other required materials, and students have no choice but to pay up or be disadvantaged in the classroom.

With this in mind, the textbook industry cranks out new editions at an absurd pace. More often than not, these pricey revisions feature nothing more than simple photo or

For Generations to Come? — Due to harsh winds Wednesday morning, the “Generations to Come” banner flew off of Healy Hall and had to be replaced by crane.

Credit Where Credit Is Due — This week, the community has honored the life and achievements of Martin Luther King, Jr., with events sponsored by the Let Freedom Ring Committee, Office of the President and Office of Campus Ministry.

For Short Attention Spans — Featuring four student performances, Nomadic Theatre’s Night of One-Act Plays opened Thursday in the Davis Performing Arts Center.

Student tickets cost $8.

Jonathan Rabar, General Manager Glenn Russo, Director of Corporate Development Kelly Connelly, Director of Finance Claire Willits, Director of Marketing Michael Grasso, Director of Personnel Bryn Hastings, Director of Sales Caroline Boerwinkle Catherine Hendren Evan Marks Shane Sarver Sara Eshleman Kent Carlson Keeley Williams Max Gottlieb Mary Nancy Walter Michael Lindsay-Bayley Jonah Joselow Ryan Smith

Alumni Relations Manager Special Programs Manager Accounts Manager Publishing Division Consultant Operations Manager Human Resources Manager Institutional Diversity Manager Public Relations Manager Local Advertisements Manager Online Advertisements Manager Systems Manager Web Manager

Board of Directors

Carolyn Shanahan, Chair Connor Gregoire, Web Leslie, Jonathan Rabar, Sam Schneider, Lauren Weber, Amanda Wynter

Policies & Information Letter to the Editor & Viewpoint Policies The Hoya welcomes letters and viewpoints from our readers and will print as many as possible. To be eligible for publication, letters should specifically address a recent campus issue or Hoya story. Letters should not exceed 300 words.

Viewpoints are always welcome from all members of the Georgetown community on any topic, but priority will be given to relevant campus issues.

Viewpoint submissions should be between 600-800 words.

Send all submissions to: opinion@ thehoya.com.

Letters and viewpoints are due Sunday at 5 p.m. for Tuesday’s issue and Wednesday at 5 p.m. for Friday’s issue.

The Hoya reserves the right to reject letters or viewpoints and edit for length, style, clarity and accuracy. The Hoya further reserves the right to write headlines and select illustrations to accompany letters and viewpoints.

Corrections & Clarifications If you have a comment or question about the fairness or accuracy of a story, contact Executive Editor Upasana Kaku at (202) 687-3415 or email executive@ thehoya.com.

News Tips Campus News Editor Maraih Byrne: Call (202) 687-3415 or email campus@ thehoya.com.

City News Editor Sarah Kaplan: Call (202) 687-3415 or email city@thehoya. com.

Sports Editor Pat Curran: Call (202) 6873415 or email sports@thehoya.com.

General Information The Hoya is published twice each week during the academic year with the excep-

tion of holiday and exam periods. Address all correspondence to: The Hoya Georgetown University Box 571065 Washington, D.C. 20057-1065 The writing, articles, pictures, layout and format are the responsibility of The Hoya and do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, faculty or students of Georgetown University.

Signed columns and cartoons represent the opinions of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the editorial position of The Hoya.

Unsigned essays that appear on the left side of the editorial page are the opinion of the majority of the editorial board.

Georgetown University subscribes to the principle of responsible freedom of expression for student editors.

The Hoya does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, disability, color, national or ethnic origin. © 1920-2011. The Hoya, Georgetown University twice weekly. No part of this publication may be used without the permission of The Hoya Board of Editors. All rights reserved. The Hoya is available free of charge, one copy per reader, at distribution sites on and around the Georgetown University campus. Additional copies are $1 each.

Editorial: (202) 687-3415 Advertising: (202) 687-3947 Business: (202) 687-3947 Facsimile: (202) 687-2741 Email: editor@thehoya.com Online at www.thehoya.com Circulation: 6,500.

OPINION

FRIDAY, January 20, 2012

THE HOYA

quorum call

A3

A Canadian Contention

Romney: The Right Candidate Vote for the Economy To Take Back the Presidency T

J

ournalists and pundits covering the Republican presidential primaries have recently been stuck on the question of whether Mitt Romney will secure the nomination, and how he will do so.

Unfortunately, the question of whether Romney should be the GOP’s presidential candidate has been largely ignored. I believe that the Republican Party — and the United States — will benefit tremendously from Romney winning the party nod.

As an engaged Republican primary voter, I’ve suffered from the same candidate indecisiveness as my peers. One year ago, scintillating apparitions of a Jeb Bush or Mitch Daniels candidacy crossed my mind. Chris Christie and Paul Ryan beckoned me, only to throw in the towel before even declaring their candidacies. I entertained the idea of Jon Huntsman but decided to settle with the thoroughly sensible Tim Pawlenty. Pawlenty’s abrupt withdrawal from the race after a disappointing Ames Straw Poll showing left me with one choice.

I gave Romney a second look.

Why not? He was running a welloiled, expansive and innovative campaign. In successive debate performances he came off as the only possible president on the stage. As a mainstream conservative Republican, I was attracted to his prowess in procuring funds and endorsements. So I hopped on board.

I haven’t looked back. Over time, my support for Romney has solidified. For the vast majority of Republicans who value conservative principles, strong intellectual debate, policy results and the hope that Barack Obama will be a one-term president, Romney is an outstanding choice.

Certainly, a process of elimination of other candidates works in Romney’s favor. Ron Paul has shown himself to be far outside the GOP mainstream and an implausible nominee. Rick Santorum has failed to put together a strong campaign infrastructure to propel his belatedly burgeoning social conservative support.

Sam Dulik

Now is the time to unite around Mitt Romney and offer a bold agenda.

Newt Gingrich has shown himself to be the worst in Republican politics: Pomposity and hypocrisy aside, he is an embarrassment to himself and his party with his flailing attacks on the free enterprise system.

Rick Perry’s decision to leave the race yesterday narrows the field further. His brief burst of popularity had plummeted into a humiliating display of cheap pandering, juvenile debate performances and a political operation that was on life support, so to speak. His endorsement of Gingrich seems to be nothing more than a bitter, spiteful swipe at Romney, whom he blames for his profoundly tender, bruised ego.

That said, Romney is not just the “least bad” candidate — he is

a genuinely good one and has the potential to make a remarkable president. Romney’s conduct on the debate stage and campaign trail has been mature, measured and rooted in the strength of his ideas. He offers detailed plans on economic renewal, trumping his opponents’ simplistic and unachievable pandering with precise insights on our economic prospects.

Ask Romney about his plan for job creation, and he launches into a probing synthesis of taxes, regulation, trade, energy, labor, human capital and government spending. Americans deserve nothing less in their choice for president.

The knocks on Romney cannot be ignored, but his record at Bain Capital is a testament to the function of free enterprise, and his repeated explanations of the differences between Massachusetts’s healthcare system and Obamacare merit greater attention from voters and the media alike.

Nevertheless, some will tar Romney as inauthentic and socially awkward. My response is that President Obama isn’t exactly chummy, either. On the campaign trail, both men are admirably consumed with the details of policy proposals, which unfortunately come at the expense of pizazz.

Obama may have the upper hand in delivering prepared remarks — and Romney in winning a debate — but both sides can concede that neither has the gregariousness of Bill Clinton nor the wit of Ronald Reagan.

Sam Dulik is a junior in the School of Foreign Service. He is the Director of Special Events for the Georgetown University College Republicans. QUORUM CALL appears every other Friday.

THE DISCONCERTED DEMAGOGUE by Daniel Yang

he 2012 Republican presidential pri- in Chicago. Over the past year, the United mary is all but over. With Mitt Rom- States added1.9 million private sector jobs, ney’s decisive win last week, he be- with 200,000 created this past December came the first non-incumbent Republican alone. candidate to win both the Iowa caucuses as Democrats should not run from a debate well as the New Hampshire primary. At this on the economy. As many Americans repoint, all that is to be decided is how much main unemployed, voters are going to care money the other candidates will spend run- foremost about who will put the bread on ning Sisyphean campaigns against some- the table. one who will eventually be the nominee.

Mitt Romney will be a formidable candiWith the Republican primary settled, date, certainly much more so than most of let’s focus on November. What will the elec- his present challengers, and in all fairness tion be fought over? It’s not going to be an he has an impressive record. Nevertheless, election in which foreign policy dominates, President Obama has a strong record of relike in the 2004 election, when the Iraq War cent job growth, which should be emphawas perhaps the most pivotal issue. With- sized in his efforts to gain a second term. out Rick Santorum, it’s also not going to In addition to the debate over Obama’s be fought over social issues. With Romney economic policies, this presidential elecrepresenting the Republicans, this election tion will be fought over what role governis going to be focused squarely on the issue ment should have in fostering economic of who can most effectively manage the growth. Considering the scale of the GOP American economy. attacks on the Affordable Healthcare Act, In his victory speech after the New Hamp- the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill and shire primary, Romney hammered home the stimulus packages, the general election the message that under President Barack may turn into a referendum on these wideObama, the economy has suffered, and reaching reforms. The Democratic Party millions of Americans have been put out of should work to tie these reforms to the work. Even though these arguments can be decline in unemployment that has been appealing, the correlaaccomplished so far — tion between Obama’s hopefully such growth presidency and a weak will continue through economy does not nec2012. essarily indicate causaThe Democratic and tion.

Republican Parties have In January 2009, increasingly divergent the month President perspectives on the Obama was inaugurole that government rated, the economy should have in society. lost almost 600,000 The divergence has no jobs. Though this fact better indicator than Scott Stirrett has been cited against the fact that Ron Paul’s Obama, a mere few 2008 campaign was weeks in the Oval Office laughed at, while in Obama has a strong couldn’t have created 2012 he has challenged record on recent job these massive job losses.

Romney more than The Obama administragrowth, which should be almost any other cantion inherited the worst didate. Paul’s vision for economic crisis in a emphasized in his efforts the United States differs generation, with nufrom the to gain a second term. significantly merous and complex post-World War II era causes. Moreover, reconsensus because he cent developments with the European debt supports eliminating the Federal Reserve crisis are beyond the control of the current in addition to five different federal departpresident. ments.

While it’s easy to blame economic probObviously, Romney and Paul differ on cerlems on an incumbent, the real causes of tain issues, but it is fair to say that Ron Paul economic downturns are often far more has had an influence on political discourse complex.

— especially within the GOP — which will Regardless of whether these accusations continue to influence the Republican Party against the president’s economic record and the presidential election. are fair, the question is whether or not they No president since Franklin Delano Rooscan sink Obama’s re-election chances. Nate evelt has won re-election with unemploySilver of The New York Times has shown ment higher than 7.2 percent. This is a scary that the net change in unemployment fact for any Democrat. But progressives during the first three quarters of an elec- shouldn’t worry: By highlighting an imtion year is a significant factor influencing proving economy, comprehensive reforms whether an incumbent president is re-elect- and differences with the GOP, President ed. According to Silver, “Americans will give Obama has a clear path to a second term. a fair amount of credit to a president in an economy that is still below its full produc- Scott Stirrett is a junior in the School of Fortive capacity provided that it seems to be eign Service. He is the former chief of staff of getting better.” the Georgetown University College DemoThese words should warm the heart of crats, and former chair and co-founder of any Democrat, especially those working D.C. Students Speak. A CANADIAN CONTENon the president’s re-election campaign TION appears every other Friday.

VIEWPOINT • Maggie Cleary

Broadening Our Fan Base

A

VIEWPOINT • Joe Vandegriff & Jason Gerson

GUCD Looks Beyond the Hilltop

T

his upcoming year is a particularly exciting one in politics. Partly to reflect the excitement of this election year, the Georgetown University College Democrats are thrilled to begin a dynamic and informative semester of events and dialogue. While taking advantage of the opportunities that 2012 presents, we will continue the traditional programming that has made us one of the strongest clubs on campus today.

This semester, GUCD will put on a number of events for the entire Georgetown community. We hope to both inform and engage students about a variety of political issues that are important to Democrats on campus. Whether it is a member of Congress discussing life on the Hill or a panel about the future plans of the fight for marriage equality, these programs will be interesting channels for students to learn more about Democratic ideals and how they apply to politics.

In addition to being an organization dedicated to Democratic causes, we are also a group devoted to fostering a sense of community within our own membership. GUCD takes a break from the political scene with outings to Ben’s Chili Bowl and leadership retreats designed to strengthen the bonds between our members.

These excursions allow fellow college Democrats to form meaningful relationships.

We will also continue to provide services to help our members plan their futures during their time at Georgetown. We are proud to organize our internship fair every semester to help students find opportunities for professional development for the following summer or semester. Our broader efforts to promote professional development include sending weekly updates on available internships, inviting speakers to share their professional experiences and providing members with access to exclusive events across the District. Simply put, members of GUCD gain tremendous opportunities and skills from their participation in our club.

Meanwhile, our outreach department has worked hard throughout the last year to build relationships with organizations throughout the District and beyond. We have connected with the Center for American Progress, talked over Skype with Cambridge University’s Labour Club and welcomed leaders in politics and new media.

We believe that part of our club’s mission must be ensuring that our constituent have an opportunity to be involved in D.C. government, and we look forward to co-sponsoring an event featuring District

Councilmember Tommy Wells. We have been actively participating in the D.C. Federation of College Democrats, which has allowed our members to connect with the members of the Democratic college clubs throughout the city. A major accomplishment this past semester also included Israel Issue Week, which we helped organize in collaboration with J Street U of Georgetown. This weeklong series of events included appearances by Representatives Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.) as well as former Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel Yossi Beilin. Our outreach efforts are not merely extended to off-campus organizations, for we believe that a successful Democratic movement requires unity at every level. To this end, we believe that creating and sustaining strong partnerships with the diversity organizations of our campus is critical.

As we begin this semester, our primary goal is to help students interested in the Democratic political scene gain the skills and connections they need to be successful movers and shakers later on. We welcome all to join the discussion.

Joe Vandegriff & Jason Gerson are president and vice president of the Georgetown University College Democrats. They are both sophomores in the College.

lthough the women’s liberation movement began decades ago, our generation watches as the iron ladies above us struggle to find a real foothold in the political arena.

In a country where women make up over half the population, our House of Representatives has only 73 female representatives, comprising 16.6 percent of the seats. Of those, only about a third are Republican. The midterm 2010 elections were the first instance since the 1970s when women actually lost seats in Congress.

Yet it seems that years of Rosie the Riveter and “you-can-do-anything-a-boycan-do” ideology are beginning to pay off among younger conservatives, given trends at local College Republican organizations. This year, two major universities in the D.C. area — Georgetown and The George Washington University — have elected female chairs for their College Republicans.

Though the change has been slow, it has been constant. Last year, out of the 10 board positions for Georgetown University College Republicans, seven were male. This year, the tables have turned: Female members now hold five seats — including chair and vice chair.

As outgoing Chair Joseph Knowles (COL ’12) accepted his neatly wrapped gift for the end of his term, he jokingly noted, “With so many girls on the board, it’s going to be an efficient year!”

We certainly expect the role of women to continue to increase, especially with the upcoming 2012 election. For the sake of our generation and those who will follow in our shoes (or, better yet, our patent leather pumps), we hope this year’s GUCR board reflects a more gender-equal Congress in the future.

Increased gender equality, however, is not the only effort GUCR endeavors toward. Our entire board has begun other efforts gain campus recognition by sending out speaker invitations and

revamping our website over winter break. Our goal, clearly stated, is to increase our presence on campus and to enhance our reputation. It’s an exciting time to be a Republican, and we feel it is our job to share that excitement with the student body. And, of course, we are also proving to the world that men aren’t the only ones who can handle politics.

In the past year, we’ve expanded the club’s traditional role to include events such as debate-watch parties and board dinners. Although political junkies may be difficult to find at some college campuses, there is no such scarcity at Georgetown. Political groups on campus such as the College Republicans were created to to cater to those students who recognize that government and politics are a fundamental part of our country and our everyday lives.

There has always seemingly been a rivalry between the College Democrats and the College Republicans, but both groups certainly respect those who have strong political opinions more than those who have no opinion at all.

While the College Republicans all share the tenants of smaller government and personal responsibility, opinions on other topics remain broad within our membership. Especially in primary season, support ranges across the field of presidential candidates. We have avid Huntsman fans and those who support Mitt Romney. Conversations like those broadly reflect the changing nature of the GOP itself.

We as Republicans are becoming more of the Big Tent Party that President Reagan originally envisioned. This more inclusive party is what we strive for, and is something that we are already achieving here at Georgetown.

Maggie Cleary is a sophomore in the College. She is the chair of the Georgetown University College Republicans.

A4

THE HOYA

PAGE FOUR

NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

MULTIMEDIA Hear about Lydia Brown’s experience promoting new autism legislation at thehoya.com.

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya.

IN FOCUS

RALLYING TOGETHER

verbatim

“ The Corp is really more than coffee and groceries.

”

R. Scott Munro (COL ’12), explaining the role he hopes the incoming Executive Board of The Corp will play in the community.

See story on A7.

from

DAY ONE Meet The Fourth Edition, the newest member of The Hoya family. We’re taking a different approach to news — and life — at Georgetown.

SARI FRANKEL/THE HOYA

GUSA Vice President Greg Laverriere (COL ’12) discusses the benefits of all three proposals for the allocation of the Student Activities Fee Endowment money with Senate Vice Speaker Nate Tisa (COL ’14) and attendants of the SAFE Referendum Town Hall Wednesday.

blog.thehoya.com

Governement Masters Future Uncertain for M Street Mall Degree Put on Hiatus KELLY CHURCH Hoya Staff Writer

MARIAH BYRNE Hoya Staff Writer

One of the university’s five Master of Arts in Government programs, the concentration in International Law and Global Security, is not accepting applications for 2012.

The program has been put on hiatus by the government department, according to Associate Director Catherine Lotrionte, prompting fears among enrolled students who worry that the decision could mean a permanent end to the program.

Lotrionte explained that she was not involved in the decision to stop accepting students.

“I believe part of the decision was related to a university cap on graduate students,” she said.

The roughly two dozen students enrolled in the program were notified of the termination of the application process in an email sent last Friday.

Some students said they believe, based on the language of the email and the effects of the end of applications, that the program will close permanently.

Several have joined together to fight for the continuation of the degree, fearing that their diploma will lose value if the program does not continue.

“Once a program stops taking new students, it becomes much more difficult to continue in the future,” Matthew Despres (COL ’10, GRD ’13) said. “They’re actually impacting the value of the degree we’re paying for.”

Despres said that current students have been guaranteed the ability to complete their degrees but that the future of the program is still uncertain.

“The field is … expanding. It’s a shame to discontinue something that there’s quite a lot of interest in,” David Wayne (GRD ’13) said.

Despres and his classmates are contacting other current students and alumni in hopes of meeting with George Shambaugh, the chair of the government department.

The program was previously headed by Christopher Joyner, the only tenured professor associated with the degree. Joyner died in September, and his position as director has yet to be filled.

More than half of the storefronts in the once-busy Shops At Georgetown Park building are standing empty after 10 stores lost their leases on Dec. 31.

There are now nearly 60 empty spaces in the building, which once housed 110 stores and businesses. Remaining tenants are unsure of the mall’s fate.

AMANDA SODERLUND/THE HOYA

The M Street Barnes & Noble closed its doors after losing its lease last month.

Vornado Realty Trust, the mall’s realtor, did not renew the leases that expired at the end of 2011, forcing several businesses to either move or close.

Among the more prominent businesses to leave the area was the Barnes & Noble on the corner of Thomas Jefferson and M Streets. Though the bookstore was not housed inside the mall, its property was also owned by Vornado.

For many Georgetown residents and students, the departure of Barnes & Noble means not only the loss of a bookstore, but a valuable space where people could unwind and socialize.

“I’m extremely upset that the Barnes & Noble has shut down. I used to go there a lot. Among all the retail stores, it was definitely one of those nicer places to go,” said Andrew Hian-Cheong (COL ’15).

In addition, small independent businesses were hit hard by the decision not to renew leases, as many were unable to afford to rent alternative spaces in the Georgetown area.

H&M sales associate Roslin Ramseur noted that many people who worked at stores that could not afford to relocate would have to search for new jobs. According to Ramseur, it is unclear why Vornado is not renewing leases.

“We don’t know if it’s for renovating or what,” she said.

While it has been rumored that the stores are being forced to close for build-

ing renovations, the mall’s realtor Vornado Realty Trust has not confirmed any plans.

According to longtime tenant Vahan Vartabedian, many stores that remain open in the mall are suffering from reduced traffic.

“Because people think that the mall is closed, it’s affecting our sales,” he explained.

Vartabedian owns Galerie des Parfums, a small independent perfume store, and has been working there for nearly 20 years.

“It’s very difficult to survive in this environment,” Vartabedian said.

Mall management has not shared any concrete plans with the remaining tenants. Stores related to larger chain companies, including Express, GNC and Victoria’s Secret remain open. In addition, ANC 2E Commissioner Bill Starrels expressed optimism that new stores will soon come to replace those that left.

“People are highly disappointed with Barnes & Noble’s shutdown, but new changes are bound to happen. Georgetown is looking to see quite a few fresh stores make [their] way to the neighborhood this year.”

Representatives of Vornado did not respond to requests for comment.

Special to The Hoya Laura Zhang contributed to this report.

From Blog Posts to Bills, Student Advocates for the Autistic SARAH PATRICK Hoya Staff Writer

For better or for worse, Lydia Brown’s identity has been shaped in large part by her autism.

“Autism affects every aspect of my life,” she said. “I would completely not be me if I were not autistic.”

Drawing on her experiences, Brown (COL ’15) wrote and submitted two bills, one before the House of Representatives and one in the Senate in Massachusetts, proposing a mandatory training program about autism for law enforcement and correction officers in the state.

The training would focus on how to recognize and communicate with autistic people in high-tension situations.

Brown began work on the bill,

which was submitted to the state legislature last January, during the summer before her junior year of high school. The effort began as part of a community service project required by her school.

“I wanted to come up with a project that would use my interests and skills to serve the community,” she said.

Because of her interest in criminal justice and law enforcement, Brown decided to focus on the intersection between autistic people and the criminal justice system.

“I am very keenly aware that the majority of autism [advocacy] has to do with education, employment and housing issues, which are very important issues ... but very little attention was focused toward what happens when autistic people encounter

the criminal justice system,” she said. “Autistic people are much more likely to be the victim of a crime than someone without a disability.”

According to Brown, her bill seeks to protect both law enforcement officers and autistic people.

“Officers who don’t know anything about communication differences between different people are going to end up in really unfortunate situations,” she said.

Ideally, the training and education that that the bill advocates would highlight common speech and behavior characteristics of autistic people, crisis intervention, treatment in correctional facilities and methods of interviewing and arrest.

Law enforcement officers in Massachusetts as well as local and national autism organizations have

vocalized their support for the bill, though others have raised concerns about how to finance the required training.

Currently, the bills are pending in their second session of the joint committee on public safety and homeland security.

Brown has also employed her personal experiences to advocate for autistic people’s rights, particularly as an intern for the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, and speak out against arrests of autistic children for misbehavior in school.

“If an autistic person acts out at school, the student should be disciplined through the school [as opposed to through the criminal justice system],” she said.

Brown’s most recent project, the Autism Education Project hopes to

provide resources for people with autism or other disabilities that feel abused by the criminal justice system. The initiative has gained support from the ASAN and aims to promote the type of training that is advocated in her bill in other states throughout the country.

Brown uses her blog, “Autistic Hoya,” to discuss issues facing the autistic community in order to assert the rights of austic people instead of ask for medicine or charity. Through the blog, she updates her readers on the bills’ progress and her endeavors at Georgetown.

In the upcoming weeks, she plans to send out an email reminding her audience to urge the legislative committee to push through the bill and write letters to garner the support of larger organizations for the bill.

News

friday, january 20, 2012

THE HOYA

A5

High App Rate New Club Management System Debuts May Lead to Record Yield Kelly Church Hoya Staff Writer

ADMISSIONS, from A1 applications, up 5.5 percent; and the School of Nursing and Health Studies received 1,200 applications, up 4.3 percent.

Deacon stressed that Georgetown has not consciously made any changes intended to boost its application numbers and thereby decrease its acceptance rate.

“We’re definitely not aiming for 30,000 applications,” Deacon said. “How would you be able to do what I call a ‘holistic admissions process?’”

Despite this year’s jump, Deacon and the admissions committee expect application rates to plateau in future years because of shifting demographics. According to Deacon, the population of potential applicants had been growing for about 15 years, but the trend has leveled off.

“This appears to be a peaking out year,” he said.

Out of the roughly 20,050 total applications received this year, 6,833 came through the early action program. In December, Georgetown admitted 1,012 students to the Class of 2016, 100 fewer students than were admitted early last year, bringing the early action acceptance rate down to 14.8 percent from last year’s rate of about 16 percent.

Georgetown, one of the few universities in the country that has a lower acceptance rate for its early pool than its regular decision pool, had an overall acceptance rate last year of 18 percent.

According to Deacon, many top schools, such as the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University, lock in nearly half of their freshman class during the early round of applications. Harvard, which reinstituted its early action option this year, accepted 21 percent of applicants from its early pool, a number much higher than its overall acceptance rate of under 7 percent.

According to Deacon, Georgetown is more selective during the early application process.

“We only accept the best students early,” he said.

Deacon added that the admissions office expects the surge in applications to be accompanied by an increase in the yield rate, the percent of accepted students who decide to attend Georgetown. Last year’s yield rate of 48.5 percent marked an increase over previous years, which had fluctuated between 42 and 47 percent.

“This year we might get a 50 percent overall yield rate, which we haven’t done since we started competing with the other top schools,” Deacon said.

Aiming to facilitate coordination for campus organizations, the Center for Social Justice recently introduced a new online communication system for students and clubs.

Hoyalink, a joint creation of the CSJ, the Center for Student Programs and the Georgetown University Student Association, debuted at the beginning of the semester. It is designed to help organizations manage and communicate with their members and will allow student groups to share documents within their group, recruit new members and publicize events.

According to Raymond Shiu, program director of student

leadership and special programs for CSJ, the website helps centralize important resources.

“It takes a lot of services that are offered in different places and puts them in one place for student organizations and student leaders,” he said. “Hopefully what Hoyalink will do is provide a more simple platform.”

The services offered include access to club forms and rosters as well help for groups trying to navigate the event approval process.

Leaders of student organizations have been instructed to register their groups with the program by Friday, Jan. 20. At press time, 72 organizations out of the about 280 clubs at Georgetown had been added to the web-

site.

According to Erika Cohen Derr, director of student programs, CSP requested the program on behalf of all student groups at last year’s budget summit.

“We hope it will accomplish better support for student organization technological needs,” she said in an email.

GUSA is currently funding the new system through the student activities fee.

All student groups are required to register for the site, but individual students can use it as well. Students automatically have Hoyalink accounts that can be accessed using their NetIDs and passwords. Once logged in, students can browse student groups and upcoming events.

Jack Appelbaum (COL ’14), chair of the Students Activities Commission, is excited for the new system.

“I think it’s a great new program and long overdue,” he said.

“I was really impressed by the resources it has. If groups take full advantage of it, and people start to use it it has a lot to offer to student activities [and] student programming on campus.”

The platform will be especially useful for the yearbook, according to Emily Coccia (COL ’15), co-editor-in-chief of Ye Doomesday Booke.

“I think it’ll be cool, especially for us, since we have to take pictures of all of the clubs. We’ll know where the events are and we can take pictures there,” she said.

Alta Gracia Report Demonstrates Viability Carly Graf

Hoya Staff Writer

While the university’s work with Alta Gracia, a line of apparel that promotes human rights, suffered as the economy fell last year, a new report by Georgetown professors painted an optimistic picture of future success.

The report, which was released last month by professors Ed Soule and John Kline, recognized the difficulties of the unique business model, which advocates paying a living wage to its employees.

But Soule and Kline found that Alta Gracia’s college-themed apparel sells at the same rate as comparable products and produces the same profit margins as major sports apparel brands.

This finding should make pitching the sale of Alta Gracia products to bookstores much easier, according to Soule.

“That is a major hurdle,” he said. “If you can’t get that down, nothing else works.”

Parented by Knights Apparel, the Alta Gracia factory in the Dominican Republic pays its work-

ers almost three times the minimum wage in the country. The company’s labor policies comply with the standards laid out by the 2000 Worker’s Rights Consortium, of which Georgetown is a signatory.

At its outset, the company’s high operating costs created some skepticism regarding its long-term viability. Soule and Kline’s analysis, however, has articulated the ways in which these costs can be recovered over time.

The report also found that the profits lost from higher living wages can be recovered in increased productivity. Workers are more motivated to remain at the Alta Gracia factory for the long term and perform their jobs better, increasing efficiency.

Moreover, Alta Gracia distributes its products through the same channels as Knights Apparel and does not have to market them separately.

“High operating costs will be paid off partly through increased productivity and partly through achieving a premium price for a premium product

sold through the high-value channel they have chosen without the steep marketing cost,” Soule said.

According to Soule, the Alta Gracia model is unprecedented because of its decent wage requirement as well as the professional and efficient management.

“The reason this is such an exciting project is because it is an initiative of a very large company that is run by some very smart people,” he said.

“The other projects are well intended, but they don’t have the capital or expertise to maintain a sustainable operation, and they have failed.”

The remaining test for Alta Gracia’s long-term viability is whether or not it can meet the kind of volume needed to make itself a known name in the bookstore apparel market.

While some universities own their own bookstores, others are run by large, overarching companies. Those that are privately owned, such as Duke University’s, have committed to support the Alta Gracia brand.

Duke has devoted almost 8 percent of its apparel square footage to Alta Gracia products.

Such a commitment by other bookstores is necessary for the expansion of the product line, according to Soule.

“If 20 or 30 other bookstores did similarly, they would be building another factory down in the Dominican Republic,” he said.

University bookstores run by umbrella companies, such as Georgetown’s Leavey Center location, present a more difficult challenge. While they do sell the brand, their support runs to a lesser extent because the universities have less control over the products on their floors.

“We hope that universities themselves will make direct appeals to Follett or Barnes and Noble to encourage them to put more products into bookstores,” Soule said. “I’m happy to say that Georgetown is the kind of place where the Alta Gracia products are so aligned with our values that our management is very open to making those appeals.”

A6

news

THE HOYA

friday, january 20, 2012

In Film and Print, Students Learn From Experience MEDIA, from A1 is dying. Georgetown’s outlets are certainly not immune to national patterns, but for now, they are on an upward trajectory.

THE RED AND THE BLACK Because many of Georgetown’s media outlets derive their budgets from the university, bankruptcy — a threat that has weighed on professional newspapers since national circulation numbers began to decline — is not a concern.

“Groups have definitely been requesting more money, as it has become harder to raise money as these groups traditionally have done,” Media Board Vice-Chair Chris Cronbaugh (COL ’12) wrote in an email.

Because the Board gets its funding from the Georgetown University Student Association, it is able to offer more money to student groups to offset losses in revenue, according to Cronbaugh, But that doesn’t mean student organizations aren’t trying to streamline business operations; many have shown a willingness to adapt to new economic realities.

The Voice’s editor-in-chief, Sean Quigley (SFS ’12), said that the organization is currently turning a profit.

“It’s the first time in my four years here that I can remember us being in the black. We’ve been doing a better job of monetizing the blog, actually collecting the money we get in print advertisements and having a good business director,” he said.

The Hoya, which is traditionally profitable according to Cronbaugh, has worked to improve its business

department over the past year with the advent of marketing and corporate development departments.

In the past year, The Anthem has gone from publishing biannually to annually, a difference that Editor-inChief Madeleine Colavita (COL ’12) said was primarily a content decision. Colavita is a former deputy copy editor of The Hoya, “We figured we could put out a higher-quality product if we had more time to collect and edit submissions,” she said. “Quality was the most important factor, but it also reduced our budget.”

While the recession has not drastically affected most outlets, it did briefly claim one victim. Ye Domesday Booke was dropped as an organization by the Media Board earlier this year but was given a home by the Center for Student Programs days later.

“A lot of people stopped ordering it as prices went up. That meant we had to increase prices even more,” Editor Emily Coccia (COL ’15) said.

As a result, the editors have chosen to reduce the number of pages from 500 to 350 and have lowered the price. They are also coordinating more intensely with their publisher to sell advertisements and hope to turn a profit this year.

“We’ve sold 300 books so far, and we need 500 to be in the black. We’re optimistic we can hit that number,” Coccia said.

LEARNING ON THE GROUND Business isn’t the only thing that’s looking up. It is with enthusiasm that Colavita speaks of how far The Anthem’s staff has come in the year

and a half of her tenure.

“The biggest accomplishment of my time is definitely the involvement of the staff in the creation of the magazine,” she said.

The literary magazine has about 12 staff members. In the past, staff occasionally attended meetings and gave opinions on submissions, but the editors did the bulk of the work in the design of the magazine. Now, all staff members have a hand in the process, and they design pages themselves.

GUTV has seen similar growth.

While the broadcast organization used to film events only occasionally, its news department — created this year — has posted almost a dozen videos to date.

News director Masha Goncharova (COL ’14), also a staff writer for The Hoya, said she is most proud of how quickly the staff has risen to the challenges of producing full news segments.

“No one had experience in filming going in. [During one] of the first events we covered, a speech by [Hillary] Clinton, we discovered we didn’t have an [audio] cable with us.

We had to borrow one from the CBS news team,” she said, laughing. “Other times, we didn’t know how much film we had and we would run out, or we wouldn’t know how to get the best lighting. We’ve all had to figure it out as we go along.”

Goncharova said she’s seen a marked improvement in the quality of the videos over the course of the semester.

McLaughlin boasts of a similar improvement.

“The quality of our writing has

gotten consistently better. The managing editor and I are both perfectionists, so there’s been fewer typos and better content. We’ve recruited a creative director who’s good with technology, so we’ve had awesome cover art,” she said.

BECOMING THE NEW MEDIA Changes to student journalism go beyond technique and organization as outlets work to adapt to changing technologies.

“At first, we saw Facebook as an impediment to our work. After all, the yearbook is a physical product,” Coccia said. “But we’re finding ways to use social media effectively.”

Ye Domesday Booke’s new website has a feature which students can use to upload photos and tag them.

Students who are tagged will then receive an email.

“Actually knowing there are pictures of them in the yearbook will encourage students to buy it,” she said.

The Independent also recently launched a new website. While the magazine publishes once a month, content on the website appears more frequently. The organization also has a Facebook page, a Twitter account and a Tumblr, which it uses to post pictures and “random thoughts,” McLaughlin said.

The Anthem does not have a website or use social media — after all, it is a literary magazine, Colavita points out.

“There isn’t really a use for it for us,” she said.

In contrast, The Voice profits enormously from its blog, Vox Populi.

“The blog is definitely our most important arm,” Quigley said.

Vox Populi suffered a setback this fall when two of its then-editors were arrested on criminal charges for climbing through the ceiling of the fourth floor of the Leavey Center.

The Voice was forced to move into a smaller office as a result, but Quigley said the blog is back on its feet and that he is looking to increase its scope.

“We have a staff of dedicated blog writers. While the blog has traditionally been fairly autonomous, I’m making the blog editor come to section editor meetings and have more overlap. We’re also trying to integrate it more with the The Voice’s main website.”

For some students, it’s the hope of going into the industry that drives them to adapt to a changing media landscape.

Colavita, for instance, hopes to go into book publishing and sees The Anthem as a place to learn valuable skills. For others, it’s the idea of trying something new before reality hits, as Goncharova said.

“When you go to a big event, you’re right there in the trenches with the big dogs,” Goncharova said. “It’s a great way to engage with what’s going on [around] campus in a way another student couldn’t.”

Regardless of their staff members’ motivations, Georgetown’s media outlets are defying industry standards. They remain some of the biggest groups and names on campus — and they’re only growing.

As Colavita said, “It’s hard to describe what it’s like to publish a magazine if you never have, to hold that product in your hands. It’s an incredible feeling.”

Sneakers and Sweets: New Businesses Arrive in Neighbohood Laura Zhang

Special to The Hoya

Several new businesses will be setting up shop in the neighborhood this winter, including a new Nike flagship store at the corner of M and Thomas Jefferson Streets.

According to The Washington Post, the retailer is in the process of negotiating a lease with Vornado Re-

alty, the building’s owner. The store will be the first official Nike location in the D.C. area.

The space was formerly occupied by a Barnes and Noble, which was among several Vornado tenants whose leases expired on Dec. 31.

M Street also became home to two new dessert shops this past month.

Pie Sisters, which opened its doors to the public on Jan. 5 at 3423 M St. has

elicited popular reviews from students.

“I’m from the South, so I’m a huge fan of apple pie. It’s great to have Pie Sisters so close to campus. It’s definitely a place to go check out,” Catherine Merwin (NHS ’15) said.

Frozen yogurt franchise Pinkberry also opened up a location at 3288 M St. during winter break.

“Georgetown has demanded the establishment of a Pinkberry in the

Events Honor MLK’s Legacy Emma Hinchliffe Hoya Staff Writer

In a week of concerts, discussions and community service, the university honored Martin Luther King Jr. in its 10th annual celebration of his legacy.

The weeklong event commemorating King’s academic, spiritual and political legacy began with Monday’s Let Freedom Ring! concert at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The concert included performances by Grammy award-winning artist Bobby McFerrin, famous for his single “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” accompanied by the Let Freedom Ring! celebration choir.

Professor Clarence Jones, a former speechwriter for King, was awarded the John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award during the event.

“We value Dr. King for his academic genius and the

work he produced and that we study today at Georgetown,” MLK week committee member George Smith (COL ’14) said. “We look at his spiritual side and how that guided him through his work. And service — Dr. King did this nation such a service, and each event is used to pay honor to him, reflect, remember, relive and recapitulate aspects of his legacy.”

Events later in the week included an academic panel Tuesday focusing on the influence of King’s work on social and economic justice, a memorial service at Dahlgren Chapel Wednesday and a reflection event in Copley Formal Lounge Thursday in which students and faculty expressed their appreciation for the civil rights leader through music, dance and spoken word.

“I thought the events did an amazing job of showing how Martin Luther King

Jr.’s legacy remains relevant in our culture today, and how the issues he faced, we face as well,” Tucker Cholvin (SFS ’15) said.

According to Smith, the reflection event, which is now in its fifth year, had a special significance for its student volunteers.

“It was started by students for students,” Smith said. “There wasn’t anything like it for students to get together and share their experiences with King’s legacy personally.”

The celebration will conclude with a day of service Saturday, when students will travel to Ward 7 to work with local community organizations in honor of King.

“It is a celebration, a time for us to look at this American icon and learn from his legacy in every way possible,” Smith said. “This is one thing I will remember throughout my time at Georgetown.”

Alums Offer Palatable Prices

Bebe Albornoz Hoya Staff Writer

Everyone loves to eat, and everyone loves a good deal.

Savored, an online company founded by two recent Georgetown graduates, aims to offer its partners and consumers the benefits of both.

Dan Leahy (COL ’08) and Ben McKean (COL ’08) met as freshmen and soon became close friends. After graduating, both moved to New York City, where they lived together while working for separate technology companies.

“We’d get home from work and talk about creating a more efficient way for small businesses to leverage the Internet to drive customers,” Leahy, the company’s president, said.

The pair began speaking with restaurants and other small businesses to create a

business plan. The result, VillageVines, was launched in 2009 and became Savored in June of 2011.

According to Leahy, the company is the equivalent of expedia.com for restaurants.

It now features partnerships in 10 major cities across the United States, including Washington, D.C. “It’s important to remember that life at a start-up is a constant evolution, and we’re growing and changing on a daily basis,” Corrie McWilliams (COL ’08), Savored’s marketing manager, said.

McWilliams described how the quest to find a competitive advantage drove Leahy and McKean to develop a unique system. While other online companies post printable coupons on a daily basis, Savored asks its members to pay $10 to make a reserva-

tion at a partner restaurant and then gives them an automatic 30 percent discount on their final bill.

“This can equate to huge savings. We had a member share with us a recent receipt that saved her $650,” McWilliams said.

The 635 restaurants that have partnered with Savored benefit from a rush of customers during off-peak hours, according to McWilliams. The restaurants are able to choose the dates, times and party sizes for the reservations that are posted on Savored.

McKean, Savored’s CEO, said that a Georgetown class on entrepreneurship helped foster his interest in creating Savored. He added that his time playing Hoya baseball also contributed to his desire to work professionally with a close-knit team.

area for two years now, so we know that people are excited about our arrival,” Pinkberry employee Daniel Czoria said. “While business is slow in the winter, we’re expecting a drastic increase in our clientele around the spring and summer seasons.”

According to Czoria, Pinkberry will soon begin accepting GOCards as a form of payment.

Another purveyor of sweets, Mac-

aron Bee, recently won approval from Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E to set up shop at 1669 Wisconsin Ave. The shop’s plans include altering the storefront to allow customers to buy macarons through that the proposal would create Georgetown Cupcake-style lines down the street.

An official date for the shop’s opening has not been set.

news

friday, january 20, 2012

THE HOYA

A7

GU Rebuttal Defends Campus Plan The Corp Appoints New Exec Board Braden McDonald Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown filed a final statement to the D.C. Zoning Commission last week defending several components of the 2010 Campus Plan and rebutting recent criticisms.

Friday was the last day the Zoning Commission would permit interested parties to submit supplemental material regarding the plan before a final ruling is released Feb. 9.

The report was in response to a December submission by the D.C. Office of Planning, which reasserted evidence that Georgetown students living off campus have a detrimental effect on quality of life in the surrounding neighborhood.

Georgetown’s filing stressed that the number of 911 complaints relating to students have declined in recent years, a trend the university attributed to the increased presence of Metropolitan Police Department and Student Neighborhood Assistance Program patrols. According to the report, many 911 calls in so-called student blocks consist of activity from nearby commercial areas unrelated to

students.

In their submission, OP asserted that a large percentage of homes in Foxhall, Hillandale, Burleith and West Georgetown are group houses occupied by students, claiming negative impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.

The university’s report argued that close to 40 percent of those homes in Burleith and over 60 percent of those in West Georgetown labeled “student addresses”

by OP were not group homes but instead students living in the basement apartments of family homes.

The report claimed that such arrangements do not have the adverse effects often associated with student group houses.

The report further pointed out that the percentages in OP’s filings include graduate students. According to the university, graduate students do not create the same environmental problems typically linked to undergraduate students.

“The record is clear that graduate students have little or no impact. The few graduate students that do live in the surrounding neighborhoods are rarely, if ever, the source of any noise or behavior

complaints,” the report reads.

Georgetown also countered complaints that the aggregate number of undergraduate students living in surrounding neighborhoods has increased in the past 10 years. According to the report, 1,199 students chose to live off campus in 2010, down from 1,342 in 2000.

It went on to add that Georgetown houses more students on campus than almost any other District university. Administrators argued that no university campus in the country houses all of its undergraduate students on campus, nor does any jurisdiction in the United States require universities to do so.

The report also reiterated Georgetown’s commitment to freezing undergraduate enrollment at the rate approved in the 2000 Campus Plan.

University spokeswoman Stacy Kerr said that the report reflected Georgetown’s balanced approach to addressing community and university interests and added that the university has committed to renovate the hotel in Leavey or to find additional space to house students off campus by fall 2014, earlier than previously announced.

Redistricting Leaves Some Unsatisfied REDISTRICTING, from A1 “I think what it does is it attempts to create districts that have some cohesiveness to them but also to adhere as best we can to the target number of residents in each single-member district,” he said.

Despite the added seat, some believe that the size of the campus warrants further representation for university students.

Sticka has long advocated a greater number of seats for Georgetown students. The initial redistricting proposal filed by ANC 2E would have created two constituencies with 2,581 students each, which provoked protest from students who complained that the proposal packed too many students into the districts.

Sticka and John Flanagan (SFS ’14) put forth an alternative proposal that would have allowed a third seat to be

contested between Georgetown students and residents.

While Sticka considers the increase from one to two seats to be a step in the right direction, he expressed disappointment that a third student seat is not a possibility.

“I think that these districts are better than those that were in place in the last 10 years but still not completely equitable. … Considering that each ANC district is roughly 2,000 people in size and that Georgetown has over 6,500 undergraduates in the community, in addition to many graduate students, it strikes me that a plan that would allow for three students to be elected would be equitable and fair,” Sticka said.

Alykhan Merali (SFS ’13), co-chair for the Georgetown chapter of D.C. Students Speak, also maintains that a third district should have been drawn in a way that would allow Georgetown students to contest the seat.

“Some of the dorms are being separated in a way that would make it impossible for students to get [an additional seat],” he said.

Sticka said that while the second student seat on the ANC is unlikely to bolster Georgetown’s position in neighborhood politics, the two elected students will be an important resource to one another.

“I think on a commission of eight it would be overly optimistic to say that a second seat will change the overall dynamic,” Sticka said. “But having an additional commissioner will be powerful to both [of the student commissioners].

Knowing that there’s someone else on the ANC that will support them, collaborate with them and talk with them about ideas in advance of meetings will be helpful to future commissioners.”

Hoya Staff Writer Braden McDonald contributed to this report.

Matthew Strauss Hoya Staff Writer

Mike West (COL ’13), Vidur Khatri (MSB ’14), and Stephanie Wolfram (MSB ’13) were appointed CEO, CFO, and COO, respectively, of Students of Georgetown, Inc., on Monday.

All will take the helm of Corp operations beginning March 1.

West, the rising chief executive officer, joined The Corp in the fall of his sophomore year as a way to get more involved on campus.

“Freshmen year, I wasn’t involved that much, and I wanted to change that coming into sophomore year. So I joined The Corp in the accounting department working with The Midnight MUG,” he said.

Chief Financial Officer Khatri’s rise through the ranks began in the accounting department as well, where he was later promoted to director of accounts payable. His experience both managing the books and working shifts at More Uncommon Grounds paved the way for his new position.

For new Chief Operating Officer Wolfram, The Corp has been an integral part of her life at college.

“I got hired the spring of my freshmen year, and ever since, it’s been one of my favorite things about Georgetown,” she said. “It has come to define my experience here.”

As the new leadership team prepares to take over the reigns of the university’s largest student organization, the outgoing executives looked back on their term.

“Two years ago, we were $180,000 in the hole. Although the annual report is not out yet, I think I’m allowed to say that we are $240,000 in the black,” said current CFO R. Scott Munro (COL ’12).

Munro credited this turnaround to the tough decisions made by top leadership, including the controversial raising of soft drink prices.

“My opinion has always been that when The Corp is stable, we have the opportunity to give back in ways we

INDEX MISCELLANEOUS

never have before,” he said.

Current CEO Alexander Pon (COL ’12) was proud of expanding philanthropy at The Corp, which plans to give back over $60,000 this year. Additionally, Pon stepped up security policies in the wake of two thefts at Vital Vittles last semester.

“We hadn’t taken a really hard look at our security policies, and now was the right time to do it. We’ve made some big steps and we’re on the right track now,” he said.

As he steps into the chief executive role during the spring hiring season, West said he will balance the exclusivity of the organization — receiving an offer of employment from The Corp is statistically more difficult than gaining admission to Georgetown University — in order to maintain a positive public perception of The Corp.

“I think to be The Corp that we want to be, we have to be somewhat exclusive. We have to pick the right people for the job. But I think portraying how we are is one way that we can show we are one Corp, one Georgetown,” he said. “I think it’s really important to not become a clique. It’s important to always give back and show that we are part of the community as well.”

As The Corp continues to improve its financial bottom line, Khatri hopes to expand philanthropic efforts focused on entrepreneurship.

“We’re in a fantastic financial position. With this great position comes the opportunity to give back more to the community. We’re really looking into investing in different student ventures and investing in student leadership,” he said.

Preparing to pass the baton, Munro spelled out the challenges facing the incoming leadership.

“The Corp is really more than coffee and groceries,” he said.

“That is something that the community needs to start realizing and that we need to start displaying more, and these are the three to do just that.”

CLASSIFIEDS 800

ADOPT: A dream is a wish your heart makes. Our wish is a child to love. 1-877-742-6556. www. richandmyriam.com Rosslyn Condo for Sale Fully Renovated $264,900 rosslyncondoforsale@yahoo.com 1 male and 1 female 5 months old English Bulldogs for free to a good home due to relocation,please contact: anthonycook1961@gmail. com if interested or for more information.

Seeking for a caring Nanny/Child Jetty .A very kindly and someone that love kids. I will pay $710 per week and get you 1 car. The Boy is friendly and playful with anyone.

Contact: ros23101@gmail.com Affordable Rooms for Rent 2 cozy, clean rooms for rent in quaint but cluttered, G’town home.(across from park). Lg rm $525/mo: Sm rm $325/mo utls. incl.; sep bathroom; shr kitch and laundry room. Med/Law/Grad/ Profess student preferred. For more information call 202-333-2427.. leave phone # twice.

Sitters Wanted. $12 or more per hour.

Register free for jobs near campus or home. www.student-sitters.com Apartment near Georgetown campus available June 1.

HoyaHousing.com or Facebook “Georgetown Rentals”. Charles Sullivan, Re/Max Metropolitan Realty.

Over the past twenty-eight years, the Centre de Danse has established a venue for many nationally & internationally acclaimed figures in the ballet world to teach and perform at the ballet school.

In keeping with this effort, the Centre de Danse is pleased to announce the arrival of Ms. Kenia Luz Garcia Cabrera, a protege of the legendary Alicia Alonzo’s school Catedra de Danza & the Instituto Superior De Artes De Cuba. She is coming on behalf of the UNEAC and will be teaching the unique eclectic methods of those renowned ballet schools for a cultural exchange.

Ms. Kenia will be conducting Ballet classes weekdays beginning Monday, January 16 through mid February. She will also conduct Thursday evening pilates-style stretch classes. She is also available for private lessons on request.

Please contact Ms. Theresa Kramer for more information at 202.337.0268, and visit our website for hours of operation at www.centredanse.info.

The Hoya Classifieds Line Ad Rates Regular line classified ads are $0.50 per word.

Optional Extras Bold words: $1.00 per issue. Make individual words or an entire ad stand out.

Large headline: $1.50 per issue. One line of 16-point bold, centered and capitalized.

Two-line large headline: $2.50 per issue.

Boxed ad: $2.00 per issue. Add a one-point box around your ad.

Deadlines & Payment Copy and payment must be received by 12 noon, one business day before publication.

All classified ads must be paid in full at the time of placement. Visa, Mastercard, cash or personal checks are accepted. Cancelled ads may be removed from the paper if notification is made before deadline. No refunds will be given, but the unused portion of the payment will be held as a credit.

For more information, please email classifiedads@thehoya.com

A8

sports

THE HOYA

COMMENTARY

swimming & diving

Who’s Hot Post-Lockout Corey Blaine

The Bleacher Seats

N

ow that the sports world has had almost an entire month to digest the new state of professional basketball and all but four fan bases are finished with the NFL playoffs, it seems appropriate to look at the winners and losers of the NBA lockout.

WINNERS: Washington Wizards The Wizards needed the season to get started so they could start losing games to get the first overall draft pick this summer, and their 1-13 record out of the gate indicates a resounding success. For a team that’s paying Andray Blatche over $6 million this season, only the draft could possibly help the Wizards improve and get more fans to games (a ticket to tonight’s game is currently selling for $3.99). A few more first-overall picks would complement future superstar John Wall and possibly lead to future success. So while it’s always painful to watch your team lose, in a few years Wizards fans might look back fondly on this bad start.

Casual Fans For the majority of casual NBA fans, the lockout could not have ended at a better time. With this October’s thrilling MLB playoffs and Tebowmania finally subsiding after its rampant spread across America, most sports fans finally have the time to watch basketball. The casual sports fan’s reward for enduring a lockout is that he or she now has almost 10 NBA games per night to choose from thanks to the condensed 66-game schedule — not a bad reward at all.

Indiana, Golden State, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City and Denver Squeezing 66 games into a little over four months is exciting for fans (and not to mention fantasy basketball players), but at the end of the day, these players are human, and playing five games a week is going to take a toll on every player down the stretch. The older teams across the league will inevitably break down as the season wears on, giving young, deep squads a chance at a playoff run.

Each of these five young teams look primed to take advantage of the short season and finish much higher than they would under normal circumstances, as well as being much more exciting to watch as the season goes on.

Metta World Peace The lockout granted Ron Artest the time to do

some soul searching and realize he would be better served changing his last name to “World Peace.” Unfortunately, his 8-year-old daughter Diamond will also be participating in the name change.

Honorable Mentions: Shaq as a broadcaster, Los Angeles Clippers and Vince Carter’s new beard.

LOSERS: Boston Celtics It’s hard to fathom either the Celtics or the Lakers having any sort of success in the shortened season, which is sad given that the two have combined for five NBA Finals appearances in the last four seasons and feature three of the last four NBA Finals MVPs. But old age and deteriorating health seem to have caught up with team leaders Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in a season with little rest. Can a team really succeed when its starting center is Jermaine O’Neal and when Brandon Bass plays 27 minutes per night? After unsuccessfully trying to trade Rajon Rondo — and successfully angering their only future talent — the Celtics’ short-lived 21st century revival appears to have run its course.

Los Angeles Lakers The Lakers are in better shape than the Celtics, if only because they don’t have to deal with the Bulls, Heat, Knicks or the rest of the daunting Eastern Conference. It’s only a month into the young season, and the Lakers are already dealing with a Kobe Bryant injury/divorce combo that could shut down “Black Mamba” more effectively than the aforementioned Celtics in Game 7 of the 2010 Finals (they held the Lakers’ best scorer to 6-of-24 shooting). Further, their inability to land Chris Paul (through no fault of their own), the following panic trade of Lamar “Khloe Kardashian’s Husband” Odom to Dallas and Andrew Bynum’s chronic injury issues leave this team seemingly anemic as the season wears on.

David Stern David Stern is entering the Brett Favre zone for sports figures that held on too long. His inexplicable handling of one of the more pointless lockouts in history — shortly followed by the Chris Paul to Los Angeles trade fiasco — has left even casual NBA fans frustrated with Stern.

Honorable Mention Losers: Paul Pierce’s weight, Kim Kardashian’s ex-husband Kris Humphries and Dwight Howard’s purgatory in Orlando.

Corey Blaine is a junior in the McDonough School of Business. The Bleacher Seats appears every Friday.

women’s basketball

Cards Pose Tough Matchup Leonard Olsen Hoya Staff Writer

The No. 19 Georgetown women’s basketball team (15-4, 4-2 Big East) will take their two-game win streak home this weekend to face No. 15 Louisville (15-4, 4-2 Big East) this Sunday in a critical Big East matchup.

The Hoyas come into the contest on a two-game win streak, having steamrolled rival Syracuse last weekend and Marquette Tuesday. The two wins put Georgetown into a tie with Louisville for fourth place overall in the Big East conference standings.

The Cardinals and the Hoyas have had very similar seasons thus far. Besides a couple of losses to formidable opponents early in the year, Louisville ran through their nonconference schedule with ease.

Just like Georgetown, Louisville faltered earlier this year against two tough Big East teams in St. John’s and No. 7 Rutgers. However, the Cardinals will come into McDonough Arena having earned a convincing victory against Providence in their last outing, and Sunday’s game is sure to be a tight contest.

“At any given time you just never know what is going to happen in the Big East,” Georgetown Head Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said. “There are enough talented players that on any given night anybody can be beaten.”

Head Coach Jeff Walz’s Cardinals are an offensive-minded team, and their 72.6 points per game ranks fourth in the conference. The majority of this offense comes through the trio of sophomore point guard Shoni Schimmel, senior guard Becky Burke and freshman guard Bria Smith, who each average over 10 points per game.

But Louisville is not quite as talented inside as it is on the perimeter, especially after losing its lead-

ing scorer and rebounder in senior forward Monique Reid to a knee injury in December.

With the loss of Reid, redshirt sophomore center Cierra Warren and sophomore forward Shawnta’ Dyer have had to handle most of the rebounding, as they each average close to five boards per game.

“They’re very good at the guard position, and we definitely need to be able to defend [them],” Williams-Flournoy said of the Cardinals. “Schimmel and Burke can shoot the three with extended range, and Bria Smith has come and played extremely well for them.”

While Louisville relies on its scoring, the Hoyas have thwarted opposing offenses all season long.

The Blue and Gray have given up only 51.1 points per game, the fourth-best defensive mark in the conference.

Of course, Georgetown boasts one of the nation’s premiere scorers in junior guard Sugar Rodgers, who averages 19.8 points per contest. Senior point guard Rubylee Wright has complemented Rodgers well, averaging almost five assists per game.

The Hoyas should also have the edge over the Cardinals inside, as senior forwards Tia Magee and Adria Crawford, who each average over six boards per game, are both more seasoned than their counterparts.

The winner of Sunday’s game will not only move ahead in the Big East standings but will also significantly bolster its NCAA Tournament resume with a win over a ranked opponent. Despite the importance of the game, Williams-Flournoy and her team are simply looking to start strong against a tough Big East squad.

“Our approach is always just to get a good start,” Wright said. As long as we come into the first half and play hard, we don’t struggle with anybody.”

Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday at McDonough Arena.

track & field

Georgetown Rests Sprinters TRACK & FIELD from A10 or qualifiers just yet,” Henner said. “It becomes a great-quality workout, too.”

To that end, Henner is being particularly cautious with injuries, though none on the team are serious.

“The biggest thing right now is that we’ve got quite a few sprinters [that] are banged up, and we’ve got to get them healthy,” Henner said. “They have the potential to score a lot of points for us, but the people who are healthy and training are in great shape.”

Junior Amanda Kimbers, who won both the 60- and 200-meter dashes at George Mason, will

friday, JANUARY 20, 2012

sit out this weekend. Joining her on the bench from the men’s side is junior Justin Crawford, who finished second in the 60m dash in the same event. Freshmen sprinters Cornelius Savage and Tyler Smith will also sit this week.

But those who are competing will certainly appreciate the short trip to Bethesda.

“It’s nice to have a meet right here,” Henner said. “It’s a nice thing. … Our student-athletes get to enjoy having something close, which keeps our athletes fresher.”

That freshness will come in handy for the Hoyas, who are set to travel to State College, Pa., for the highly-competitive Penn State National Invitational on Jan. 27.

File Photo: CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

Junior diver Brian McAllister competes in a meet against Catholic earlier this season.

Hoyas Prep for Rivalry Meet 200 freestyle relay.

The Hoyas will need a strong effort to beat George Washington at their home pool. The GWU women’s team is coming off a couple of recent losses, but they still topped the GU women’s team in the Potomac relays in September. The GWU men’s swimming team also defeated the Hoyas at the Potomac Re-

SWIMMING & DIVING from A10 backstroke with a time of 2:09.25, junior Sarah Chiles took the number one spot in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:18.41 and freshman Casey Bandman earned a firstplace finish in the 200-yard IM in 2:15.37. The women’s team wrapped up the meet by taking first and second in the

lays; the Colonials finished in third place and the Hoyas in fifth.

The Big East Championship meet is less than a month away, so the Hoyas must perform well in order to go into the conference meet with confidence.

Saturday’s meet starts at 11 a.m at GW’s Smith Center Pool.

men’s basketball

Clark Stepping Up for GU Michael Palmer Hoya Staff Writer

Jason Clark is quietly making an outside run for Big East player of the year. While the senior guard and captain leads a definitively balanced attack, highlighted by senior center Henry Sims and junior forward Hollis Thompson, he continues to take over games when Georgetown needs him most.

Against DePaul, Clark scored 31 points, on 11-of-14 shooting, including a 5-of-7 performance from beyond the arc. He added five rebounds and four steals in another solid all-around game, his only blemish coming at the free-throw line, where the 76 percent free-throw shooter went 4-of-9 from the charity stripe.

“I think it was coming through our offense,” Clark said of his efficient performance. “I’d been on a stretch where I haven’t been, you know, making a lot of threepointers, but today they were falling.”

That stretch encompassed much of the last month.

Since a win over NJIT on Dec. 3, Clark has made just 6 of 32 attempts from behind the three-point line, an 18.8 percent mark from long range.

Many fans may discount this win — a defeat of DePaul, a perennial Big East doormat — as more of a cause for relief than celebration. However, on another night where turnovers and poor freethrow shooting nearly undid this young Blue and Gray team, Georgetown was also able to deal with the added burden of playing without starting sophomore point guard Markel Starks, out at

the last minute with a stomach virus.

That left just Clark and freshman Jabril Trawick as the only two guards on the Hoyas’ roster. Trawick played very well, scoring nine points in just 12 minutes, but Clark was the star of the night, repeatedly flashing impressive finishing skills in transition.

More importantly, wins against the Big East’s underperforming squads — St. John’s, DePaul and Providence come to mind — are as uneasy as they are necessary, and Clark knows that.

As a sophomore, he started every game in a season in which the Hoyas thrashed eventual NCAA-title contenders Duke and Butler, but also lost to Rutgers and South Florida. That team ending its season with an infamous loss to Ohio in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Tuesday night’s victory against DePaul was an all around good win, a testament to the talent of such a young team that was able to win two road games in three days to end a twogame losing streak. Georgetown rebounded very well and surged ahead early in the second half. DePaul was able to hang around for the first half, as most teams have done with the Hoyas this season, but fell back as the game went on.

Nevertheless, those turnovers just keep showing up.

“Wins in this league are difficult to come by. Road wins in this league are very difficult to come by. To that extent, it was a good day,” Head Coach John Thompson III said. “I don’t like our execution at the end. … I don’t

want to take anything away from their effort. … To come in here and win is good, but we have to be better.” “[DePaul’s] press was pretty hard at first, but we had to go big on them and use our length on their press,” Clark said at practice on Thursday.

And the free-throws — Georgetown shot 16-of-28 from the charity stripe — remain maddening for all parties involved.

“It’s a mystery,” Clark said of the Hoyas poor performance at the line. “Right now we’re going through a stretch where we’re just missing some free throws.

It’s crazy we’re missing as a team, but everybody came in yesterday and did some extra work on free throws.”

“Our good shooters are missing our foul shots, and they are good shooters and they work on it and I don’t know,” Thompson III said, chuckling. “As a coach, what’s the right answer, do you beat them up about it, so they think about it, or do you ignore it? It would be different if your bad shooters are missing, but I don’t know.”

Despite the bad showing at the line, Clark’s 31-point performance is just the sixth time John Thompson III has had a player score more than 30 points in a game.

And with Clark seemingly hitting his stride, the Hoyas can focus on the remainder of their daunting Big East schedule.

“During that [two-game losing] stretch, we didn’t rebound and we didn’t defend, so if we focus on those two things and the turnovers — let’s not forget those,” Thompson III said.

Sports

Friday, January 20, 2012

THE HOYA

A9

Commentary

Men’s Basketball

Hoyas Hope to Hold Off Rutgers Big Ten Renaissance Michael Palmer Hoya Staff Writer

This weekend, the Hoyas face a legitimate challenge from a Big East rival that has not been this dangerous for years. Rutgers (11-8, 3-3 Big East) is a young, talented squad with a penchant for using stellar defense to upset some big-name teams.

That could be bad news for a Georgetown team that continues to struggle with turnovers, the only major blemish on an otherwise impressive season for the Blue and Gray. Yet while the No. 10 Hoyas have surprised nearly everyone in bursting onto the national scene, the Scarlet Knights are making some noise in conference play.

“They’re rolling right now, they’re playing really well, and we expect a competitive game,” senior guard Jason Clark said Thursday.

At 3-3 in the Big East, Rutgers owns marquee wins against Connecticut, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh. The Panthers, who at 0-6 in Big East play are having their worst season in recent memory, was embarrassed in a 62-39 blowout loss to Rutgers at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh. The Scarlet Knights held the Panthers to 21 percent shooting from the field in their worst home loss in the past decade.

Yet the highlight of Rutgers’ season thus far was a 10-day stretch in which they defeated Florida and UConn, both top-10 teams at the time. Turnovers were key to both wins, as the Scarlet Knights forced 20 against the Huskies before committing just 11 against the Gators in a double-overtime win.

“They’re very good, and they work on

Evan Hollander Top of the Key

I

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

Hollis Thompson, shown against American, leads the Hoyas in three-point shooting. defense,” Head Coach John Thompson III said of Saturday’s opponents. “They do a good job with mixing up their defenses.”

However, Rutgers is by no means a dominant team. The Scarlet Knights rank in the middle of the Big East in nearly every statistical category. They average nearly eight steals a game in conference play and hold opponents to 33 percent shooting from beyond the arc, but struggle on offense and hold the worst assist-toturnover ratio in the Big East at 0.8.

While the Scarlet Knights have notched some marquee wins, they also have some embarrassing losses, including a defeat at the hands of South Florida and two 20-point losses against West Virginia. And while the wins over Florida and UConn are impressive, seven of Rutgers’ nine other wins have come against teams ranked 200 or lower in the RPI. Nevertheless, freshman guard Eli Cart-

er has been a nice surprise for the Scarlet Knights, averaging 13.7 points per game.

The rookie was particularly impressive against the Gators, whom he scorched for 31 points.

Already at 11-8, it’s unlikely the Scarlet Knights will make the NCAA tournament unless they come close to running the table. They could, however, earn an NIT bid and take a big step toward leaving the Big East cellar, especially once Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia leave the conference.

Look for Rutgers to mimic the Hoyas’ past opponents by trying to wreak havoc with a full-court press. Georgetown should have the advantage on the boards, however, and its length could bother the Scarlet Knights’ shooters in the halfcourt game.

Tipoff is slated for Saturday at noon at Verizon Center.

Men’s Basketball

Georgetown Earns Road Win at DePaul men’s Basketball, from A10 spanning the break.

“It was a difficult game for him in that he had to deal with their press and their pressure most of the time, but then also he was clearly in a groove and the ball was going in,” Thompson III said. “Obviously Jason played very, very well.”

“It was coming through our offense,” Clark said. “I’d been on a stretch where I [hadn’t] been, you know, making a ton of three-pointers, but today

they were falling.”

Senior center Henry Sims struggled with foul trouble, playing just 23 minutes and fouling out late in the game, but the Blue Demons had no answer for his length when he was on the court. Sims was second on the team with 16 points and had a teamhigh four offensive rebounds. Junior forward Hollis Thompson struggled from the field, shooting 6-of-15, but was the third Hoya in double digits with 14 points and committed only one turnover in a generally sloppy

road contest.

“Road wins in this league are very difficult to come by. To that extent, it was a good day,” Thompson III said.

“I don’t want to take anything away from their effort, their stick-to-itiveness, but we made that a lot harder than it had to be. … To come in here and win is good, but we have to be better.”

Georgetown returns home from its brief two-game road trip to play host to Rutgers this Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for noon.

t’s supposed to be the most boring basketball league in the country.

Its offenses are less exciting than the Princeton offense and its defenses grind through slow-paced games. The only people more bored than the fans may be the players, who see tremendous individual talent limited by pedestrian basketball.

But this year, the Big Ten seems to be breaking out of this familiar mold.

It’s not just the plethora of top-25 teams in the league — Ohio State, Michigan State, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois — or the NBA prospects, like Jared Sullinger, Draymond Green or Cody Zeller. It’s also a style of play that is surprisingly up-tempo.

Bo Ryan, the Wisconsin head coach who has always been an exemplar of the Big Ten’s slow-paced style, has guided the Badgers to only one performance of less than 50 points all season. And some games, like Illinois’ 78-73 victory over Ohio State, could even be considered highscoring, especially compared to last season’s Big Ten box scores.

This isn’t to say that the Midwest’s conference is suddenly full of runand-gun teams. Indiana, the league’s highest-scoring team, averages 80.8 points per game and is ranked ninth in the country in scoring. Conferences like the SEC, with Kentucky and Florida, and the ACC, with North Carolina and Duke, put up many more baskets each night. But it is a marked improvement from last season.

Part of this can be simply explained by improved shooting. Even cellar-dwellers like Minnesota and Nebraska have field goal percentages above 40 percent; elite teams boast long-range deadeyes like Indiana junior Jordan Hulls, whose trey at the buzzer against Kentucky put the only blemish on the Wildcats’ season.

Indiana, one of this season’s biggest surprises — not just in the Big Ten but also in the entire country — has done so well on the strength of both its post and perimeter games.

The Hoosiers boast a 45 percent mark from three-point range while diaper dandy center Cody Zeller, has averaged 15.6 points per game on

more than 65 percent shooting from the field. Those sort of phenomenal numbers have made Tom Crean’s team difficult to defend.

It takes passing to facilitate that sort of inside-outside game and that has always been one of the hallmarks of the Big Ten’s “slow” style: passing, lots and lots of passing. It should be no surprise then that four Big Ten teams — Ohio State, Michigan State, Northwestern and Minnesota — are among the nation’s leaders in assists.

With so much passing, people have often decried the Big Ten as being less physical than the other power conferences. While hard to quantify, this seems a bit exaggerated. Physicality in basketball is nearly impossible to define, but we always seem to know it when we see it.

Nobody who has seen any of the Big Ten’s marquee matchups would say that they haven’t been physical.

Post play in Big Ten games doesn’t always look like the scrum it is in the Big East, but league referees are at least partially responsible for that.

Given all this and the prowess that Big Ten teams have shown all season against their rivals in other conferences — including domination of the ACC teams in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge — 2011-2012 seems to be the season where the Big Ten finally matches up to the Big East as the nation’s premier basketball league.

And what does the postseason picture look like for the Big Ten? There are at least seven teams with compelling arguments for NCAA tournament bids (and although this sounds like a lot, remember that the Big Ten actually has 12 teams thanks to realignment).

While Jared Sullinger and Ohio State tend to hoard the national spotlight, the smart money is on Tom Izzo’s Michigan State squad, which is perenially dangerous in March. The resurgent Hoosier squad also has enough heart to go the distance. But regardless of which of these teams come out on top in the conference, they’ve all played a part in making Big Ten basketball an exciting and watchable product — and that really is an achievement.

Evan Hollander is a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service and a deputy sports editor for The Hoya. TOP OF THE KEY appears every Friday.

Sports

MEN’S BASKETBALL No. 19 Hoyas (15-4) vs. Rutgers (11-8) Tomorrow, Noon Verizon Center

FriDAY, january 20, 2012

Recent Scores: big east men’s basketball

WHAT’S INSIDE: Michael Palmer previews the men’s basketball game against Rutgers Saturday.

Cincinnati Connecticut

70 67

St. John’s USF

49 64

Seton Hall Villanova

Upcoming Games: big east men’s basketball 76 84

Rutgers at Georgetown Tomorrow, 12 p.m.

men’s Basketball

GU Grounds Golden Eagles Hoya Staff Writer

Some may be superstitious about the number seven, but there was nothing lucky about No. 19 Georgetown’s 67-39 victory at Marquette Tuesday night — the Hoyas’ first-ever triumph over the Golden Eagles in the seventh all-time meeting between the teams.

Marquette (12-7, 3-3 Big East) entered the matchup a winner of three straight conference games and seven of its last eight, but a trademark defensive performance by Georgetown (15-4, 4-2 Big East) allowed Head Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy and company to check another item off of their to-do list.

“It’s wonderful,” WilliamsFlournoy told reporters. “We have seven seniors that have

Louisville at Pittsburgh Tomorrow, 9 p.m.

“At halftime I told them to make the score 0-0 and pretend like we were starting over so they Women’s Basketball Head Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy came out with the same intensity.”

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Beno Picciano

Syracuse at Notre Dame Tomorrow, 6 p.m.

never beat Marquette.”

Out to avenge last season’s double-overtime 75-73 home loss, the Hoyas never allowed the Golden Eagles to take flight.

Holding a 6-5 lead slightly under five minutes into the game, the Blue and Gray erupted for a 20-3 run and entered the break with an 18-point advantage.

Georgetown’s quick and aggressive press prevented Marquette’s offense from finding a rhythm and had 12 steals in the first half alone, resulting in 18 points off turnovers. The rout continued after the intermission, with the Hoyas building a lead as large as 32 and the Golden Eagles never getting closer than 16. The Blue and Gray pushed the Golden Eagles into 29 turnovers, including 22 steals, and held a 30-10 advantage in points off turnovers.

“In the past we’ve gone up on

FILE PHOTO: SARI FRANKEL/THE HOYA

Senior point guard Rubylee Wright has been a solid distributor for the Hoyas, averaging almost 5 assists per game.

Marquette and then let them back in the game,” WilliamsFlournoy said. “So at halftime I told them to make the score 0-0 and pretend like we were starting over so they came out with the same intensity.”

Encouraging for the Hoyas were 31 points off the bench, including 14 points in 15 minutes for senior forward Tommacina McBride. This was not to say that the starters lacked in point production, however.

Junior guard and the Big East’s leading scorer Sugar Rodgers led the Blue and Gray with 18 points on the evening, including a pair of deep three-pointers that contributed to her 10 points in the opening 10:02 of the second half.

Despite finishing with a 43.3 field goal percentage, the Hoyas — whose opponents’ average field-goal percentage is fourth lowest in the conference — did little to make their hosts’ comeback bid any easier.

The Blue and Gray’s pesky defenders forced Marquette into difficult, contested shots with their half-court press, resulting in a mediocre 27.3 shooting percentage from the field.

“It all starts with defense for us,” Rodgers said. “We’ve been focusing on defense in practice and it really paid off for us tonight.” “[Georgetown’s defense] got us back on our heels. … It was contagious,” Marquette Head Coach Terri Mitchell said. “We played right into Georgetown’s hands. It really taught us a lot.”

Georgetown finished with just four made three-pointers, but compensated with a 34-6 advantage in the paint. The Hoyas also won the battle on the boards, hauling in 48 rebounds to the Eagles’ 35. Hardworking senior forward Adria Crawford collected 10 boards, while classmate and fellow forward Tia Magee had five to complement her eight points.

Georgetown will return to the hardwood on Sunday, when it hosts No. 15 Louisville (15-4, 4-2 Big East) in a crucial conference matchup. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. at McDonough Arena and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

FILE PHOTO: WEB LESLIE/THE HOYA

Senior guard Jason Clark had a career-high 31 points in Georgetown’s win at DePaul.

Clark, Hoyas Triumph Despite Starks Illness Lawson Ferguson Hoya Staff Writer

Despite sophomore point guard Markel Starks’ absence due to a stomach illness, No. 10 Georgetown (15-3, 5-2 Big East) eased past DePaul (10-8, 1-5 Big East) in an 83-75 win thanks to career-best performances from its two healthy rotation guards. Senior Jason Clark set a career-high 31 points and freshman Jabril Trawick tied his career high with nine points in just 12 minutes off the bench. “[Starks] has — and this is not the trainer’s definition or the doctor’s, but — something going on with his stomach,” Head Coach John Thompson III said after the game. “We were getting on the bus and he said he wasn’t feeling well. He’s been throwing up and having stomach issues and then once he got here, he just said he felt too weak, told me he couldn’t play.”

Clark also played a role in the Blue and Gray’s domination on the boards, pulling down five rebounds in a game that saw the Hoyas outrebound the Blue Demons by a

track & FIELD

staggering 47-25 margin. Senior center Krys Faber and sophomore forward Cleveland Melvin were the only two DePaul starters taller than 6-foot-3. The 6-foot-10 Faber played just seven minutes against a Georgetown team that boasted four starters standing at 6-foot-8 or higher as freshman forward Otto Porter replaced Starks in the starting lineup.

Full-court pressure from DePaul went a long way toward mitigating Georgetown’s advantage on the boards, as the hosts forced 18 turnovers while committing only 11 themselves. The Hoyas also failed to take advantage of DePaul’s propensity for fouling, making just three of eight firsthalf attempts and finishing the game a mediocre 16-of-28 from the charity stripe.

Clark’s brilliance more than covered for those problems, though. The senior, who turned 22 on Monday, shot 11-of-14 from the field and scored 18 of his points in the second half after the Blue Demons cut the Georgetown lead to one with an 8-0 run See MEN’S BASKETBALL, A9

Swimming & Diving

Hoyas Play Host to GU Impresses at James Madison Meet Lone Home Meet Laura Wagner Special to The Hoya

Ashwin Wadekar Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown may not have a serviceable track on campus, but that hasn’t discouraged Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Patrick Henner. This Friday, the Georgetown track and field team gets as close as it can to a home meet when it plays host to the second annual Hoya Spiked Shoe Club Invitational at Georgetown Prep in Bethesda, Md. The invitational is the second in the young indoor track season.

Two weeks ago, the Hoyas competed well at George Mason to kick off the year.

“Coming off of Christmas break, I thought it was pretty solid, and we did some pretty good things,” Henner said.

Athletes are getting back in shape after the long layoff over winter break, with many still recovering from a strenuous cross country season that culminated with the women’s first national

championship and a 17th place finish for the men.

“We’re still trying to get some guys back in shape and ready to compete,” Henner said. “Some of our better athletes are coming off of cross country season and we didn’t want them to start competing [too early].”

At this point, therefore, the Hoyas are more concerned with qualifying athletes for the Big East Championship in mid-February than winning the event.

“We want to get to a point where we can knock out some more Big East qualifiers,” Henner said.

But knowing that the season is long, Henner is also hoping to see forward progress in both training and competition. If that happens, qualifying times will follow.

“Really, we just want really good competitive efforts. We’re not worried about running times

This Saturday, the Georgetown swimming and diving team prepares for its meet against crosstown rival George Washington after a strong showing at its first meet of the year at James Madison.

The Jan. 14 contest against JMU, Vir-

ginia Military Institute and American University was the first meet of the semester for the Blue and Gray, who were fresh off their training trip to Puerto Rico.

The men’s swimming and diving team beat VMI (194.5- 99.50) but was edged out by American (152-142). The women’s team defeated both VMI (248-28) and American (197.5-98.5)

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

See TRACK & FIELD, A8

The swimming and diving team scored well at a meet at James Madison last week.

Visit us online at thehoya.com/sports

but was bested by JMU (175-113).

The depth of talent on the men’s team was clear as 15 different swimmers and divers finished in the top three of 16 different events. Several of these swimmers — junior Paul Quincy, sophomore Christian Kilgore and freshmen Michael Ng and William Lawler — had multiple top-three finishes.

Quincy finished second in both the 200-yard freestyle and the 500 freestyle. Kilgore also came away with a pair of seconds in the 100 breaststroke and in the 200 IM. Ng enjoyed similar success, earning second place finishes in both the 100 backstroke and in the 100-yard butterfly. Lawler placed first in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:00.91 and helped the men’s 200 medley relay to a first-place finish. Freshman diver Bryan Dorames also put up points for the Blue and Gray by earning a second-place finish in the 3-meter diving competition and a first place finish in the 1m.

The women’s team finished the meet in style, winning three of the last four events. Sophomore Lauren Opatrny finished first in the 200 See SWIMMING & DIVING, A8