The Hoya: Feb. 22, 2013

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

Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 94, No. 34, © 2013

FRIday, february 22, 2013

Tisa, Ramadan GUSA Champs Candidates overtake first by 92 votes after four rounds of runoff counting Annie Chen

Hoya Staff Writer

REBECCA GOLDBERG/THE HOYA

Ramadan, in red, and Tisa celebrate their GUSA victory in an election Thursday that featured record turnout.

Nate Tisa (SFS ’14) and Adam Ramadan (SFS ’14) were elected president and vice president of the GUSA executive yesterday, finishing just 92 votes ahead in the final round of runoff voting despite trailing in the initial stages.

“We are beyond thrilled to serve the student body and make Georgetown a better place,” said Tisa, who ran as a presidential candidate in the 2012 Georgetown University Student Association executive election and currently serves as speaker of the GUSA senate. “It shows the faith a lot of people have in us that we have the capability of actually accomplishing what students wanted.”

Tisa and Ramadan trailed Jack Appelbaum (COL ’14) and Maggie Cleary (COL ’14) 1,210 to 1,187 in the first round of counting but overtook first place in the fourth round and achieved a majority after alternate choices once the other candidates’ votes were distributed.

A total of 3,733 ballots were cast in the election, surpassing last year’s total 3,697 ballots and marking a record high turnout rate for any GUSA vote.

The results of the election, which were released round by round on Twitter by the GUSA Election Commission between 12:42 a.m. and 12:51 a.m. Friday, mirrored a poll

that The Hoya conducted last Tuesday, in which Tisa and Ramadan tied with Appelbaum and Cleary, both tickets scoring 20.5 percent of likely voters among the 793 students polled.

Tisa and Ramadan, whose platform advocates for expanding freespeech zones, combating sexual assault on campus and establishing gender-neutral housing, received endorsement from H*yas for Choice, GU Pride, The Voice and Hoya Blue.

“We are going to get started on our platform tomorrow morning as soon as we wake up. Students have shown that they know we care about diversity, care about free speech and sexual assault, and we will push through our platforms for the entire next 12 months,” Tisa said.

Appelbaum and Cleary maintained a lead of 19 through the third round of voting.

Shavonnia Corbin Johnson (SFS ’14) and Joe Vandegriff (COL ’14) received 758 first-round votes, while their supporters’ alternate votes played a deciding role in the election.

Corbin Johnson and Vandegriff had endorsed Appelbaum and Cleary as a second choice for their supporters, but retracted this endorsement after news of Appelbaum’s membership in the See ELECTION, A7

BY THE NUMBERS

Ticket

LEFT: EUGENE ANG/THE HOYA, RIGHT: LEONEL DE VELEZ/THE HOYA

The final days of the GUSA executive campaigns for Appelbaum, left, and Ramadan were dominated by news of their secret society membership.

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4

Tisa & Ramadan

1187

1230

1328

1723

Appelbaum & Cleary

1210

1260

1347

1631

Corbin Johnson & Vandegriff

758

790

866

Walsh & Silverstein

366

384

Warren & Logerfo

175

Secret Societies Jolt RA Benefits Come at Cost of Aid End of GUSA Race Mallika Sen

Special to The Hoya

Emma Hinchliffe & Braden McDonald Hoya Staff Writers

The final 24 hours of the GUSA executive race were dominated by revelations, allegations and admissions about candidates’ membership in secret societies.

A release Tuesday night of documents and photographs implicated presidential runner-up Jack Appelbaum (COL ’14) to be a member of the Second Society of Stewards. The information, posted on an anonymous Facebook page, initiated a day of debate between campaigns and their supporters about the relevance of secret societies to the election.

Adam Ramadan (SFS ’14), who was elected GUSA vice president alongside president-elect Nate Tisa (SFS ’14) yesterday, initially denied being a member

of a secret society but later admitted to his membership in an undisclosed group. Tisa, who also had denied Ramadan’s membership, conceded to knowing of it partway through the campaign.

The Facebook records also pointed to Jake Sticka (COL ’13) as a membership in the Stewards. Sticka is outgoing GUSA chief of staff and Appelbaum’s campaign manager. That drew criticism from some of the candidates, including Ramadan, who apologized for his comments after admitting involvement in a secret society himself.

Appelbaum confirmed his membership in the Stewards when the news broke. Asked if he regretted the decision not to disclose his involvement, Appelbaum said he does not believe voters have a right to know if See SOCIETIES, A7

For students who become resident assistants, the free room, partial board and meal stipends are attractive perks. Yet these can come with a price tag, as RA benefits are deducted from the package given to those on financial aid.

Michelle Haines (SFS ’14) recently proposed a change to the university’s RA compensation policy on the Internet forum IdeaScale, which prompted a discussion between the student body and the Office of Financial Aid. According to the Office of Student Financial Services, the value of these benefits is classified as an outside scholarship when determining an RAs’ financial aid packages. But for some, he OSFS decision to cut his financial aid was problematic.

“My work-study award, which was $3,600, was taken away as a result of the RA position,” Michael Raleigh (NHS ’15) said. “This was the biggest shock to me. I had to search for a new job as my previous one with the Center for Social Justice only paid work-study students.”

CONQUERING ABLEISM · · · ·

Students with visible and invisible disabilities face institutional challenges.

GUIDE, G6 Newsroom: (202) 687-3415 Business: (202) 687-3947

EDITORIAL Tisa and Ramadan must tackle free-speech issues early in their terms.

· · · ·

OPINION, A2

Published Tuesdays and Fridays

Raleigh, whose scholarship allows him to pay just 25 percent of full tuition, said he was forced to appeal his financial aid but still receives only a portion of the originally promised benefits.

In her IdeaScale post, Haines references Washington University in St. Louis, which changed its RA compensation policy in fall 2011. The university’s RAs are now designated as full employees, eliminating the position’s effect on their aid packages. Haines suggests that Georgetown follow suit.

Director of Residence Life Stephanie Lynch disagreed with Haines, stressing that the RA compensation package already provides sizable compensation, adding that the package adjusts accordingly for increases in housing costs.

“For the overwhelming majority of students, becoming an RA is a financial benefit,” Lynch said.

Director of Media Relations Rachel Pugh declined to comment on behalf of the Student Employment Office.

For some students, benefits are not the sole motivating force for accepting an RA position.

TENURE Hundreds petitioned GU to reconsider its denial of tenure to Samer Shehata.

NEWS, A4

“The benefits offered with the position were a huge incentive to apply,” RA Tucker Cholvin (SFS ’15) said. “[But] part of what motivated me to take the job was that I knew that I would make a pretty good RA and that it was work for which I felt I was well cut out.”

Raleigh agreed.

“We are here to foster community and satisfy the needs of our residents, not to simply get free room and board,” Raleigh said.

But Haines, who declined to comment for this article, wrote in her post that due to RA compensation’s effect on financial aid, the Office of Residence Life fails to attract students of different socioeconomic levels.

Cholvin emphasized that a change in compensation policy would attract a more diverse group of applicants.

“This change is something that would advance [Residence Life]’s agenda and help them to live out their ideals,” Cholvin said. “We talk a lot about socioeconomic equality on campus, and this sort of policy is flatly to the contrary.”

JUICESeeCUSE PAY, A10 heads to Georgetown Syracuse for the final time in Big East play.

SPORTS, A12

Send Story Ideas and Tips to news@thehoya.com

OPINION

THE HOYA

Founded January 14, 1920

EDITORIALS

A Mandate for Reform The votes are in. Nate Tisa (SFS ’14) and Adam Ramadan (SFS ’14) were elected yesterday to the executive of the Georgetown University Student Association. The challenge before them now is to set the gears in motion for making student rights a priority on campus.

A hallmark of the Tisa-Ramadan campaign was their focus on changing Georgetown’s speech policy to accommodate a greater number of free-speech zones. The pair can use their election momentum to act early on this issue. An election produces a mandate, and the university can interpret a Tisa-Ramadan win in the same spirit that it would a student-body referendum on free speech.

The free speech issue will meet arguably even more resistance than last semester’s “clear and convincing” referendum. There is an added element in the speech debate with the university’s Catholic community, which has traditionally contended unlimited free speech for groups like H*yas for Choice and GU Pride that are considered inconsistent with Catholic values.

Over 30 years after its implementation, however, it is reasonable to consider a re-evaluation

of the speech policy. And while it is unlikely that Georgetown will become a completely freespeech campus in one year, Tisa and Ramadan now have an opportunity to take at least one significant step toward that goal. The key will be to present the issue not as a contest of students versus administrators but rather, as they emphasized in their campaign, an interpretation of Jesuit heritage that places higher value on its commitment to open dialogue. Now is the time for tactful groundwork with the administration to build a foundation that both students and administrators will support.

Another project the duo can tackle is the creation of the app for the Code of Student Conduct they pitched in their campaign platform. Less cumbersome than the dense online document and readily available, the app can help insure students are aware of their rights and the consequences they might face for an infraction.

Yesterday’s election showed student interest in expanded rights. Tisa and Ramadan campaigned and won on this platform. Now it’s time to make it happen.

Hard Knock Res Life Taking a position as a resident assistant, like any job, is inevitably a cost-benefit decision.

While being chosen to support and enrich undergraduates’ housing experience is an honor and privilege, it comes with its own set of sacrifices — whether it’s having to write up a friend or being on duty on a Saturday night.

One cost that should not be included in this decision, however, is the job’s effect on one’s financial aid package.

Georgetown’s current financial aid determination system considers the compensation received from an RA position — which includes free housing and partial board and meal stipends — as an outside scholarship.

This policy is problematic on two counts. First, it treats the monetary value of the benefits of the RA position as “free money.” This assessment not only is inaccurate, as RAs work to earn the money covered by those benefits, but also causes this value to subtract directly from a student’s calculated demonstrated need, resulting in a reduced

friday, february 22, 2013

C

A2

C C C C

THE VERDICT Wheels on the Bus — An out-of-service Metrobus crashed into the retaining wall just outside the front gates Wednesday night.

Thin Mint Time — Girl Scouts will be selling cookies in the D.C. area, including right outside Saxby’s, from today until March 24.

On the Road — Hoya Blue will travel to Syracuse on Saturday for the Hoyas’ last away conference game against the Orange.

Golden Opportunity — D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray is currently weighing the decision of holding the 2024 Summer Olympics in the District after receiving interest from the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Stepping Up the Game — Funding has been officially authorized to begin work on a new Intercollegiate Athletics Center equipped with practice gyms, an academic center and locker room space.

A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD US ... @joegruenbaum Feb. 20 @thehoya Indeed, I am starting the Fourth Society of Stewards later this evening and the Fifth and Sixth tomorrow over breakfast. Come join! @SeaFromCovers Feb. 16 @thehoya keep the tradition alive - chicken madness! @mrjtwhite Feb. 18 Creeping up. I like it. RT “@thehoyasports: #Hoyas up to No. 11 in the AP poll this week, their highest position this season.” @jespinoza94 Feb. 15 Great paper today! Great poll and the “Let’s talk about sex” article.

EDITORIAL CARTOON by Arturo Altamirano

financial aid package. Further, students who qualify for a work-study job but decide to become an RA may see their packages reduced in such a way that they no longer qualify for work-study.

The second problem with the policy is that it inherently limits the socioeconomic diversity of the RA staff by imposing constraints on financial aid students.

While financial aid is administered on a federal level, changing this policy would only require Georgetown to bill the RA position as a full-time job, freeing it from the restrictions of outside scholarships. The university should act to make this administrative change. Rather than restricting individuals who would make good RAs but cannot risk seeing their package reduced from accepting the position, it would open up the option for these students and lead to an expanded, better pool of applicants and RAs. Being an RA already comes with its own set of unique challenges. There is no need to add the burden of higher cost of attendance to the list.

Valuing Our Veterans An increasing number of veterans have traded in their green and brown camouflage for blue and gray: The veteran population on campus has ballooned from a few dozen in 2009 to almost 500 students at the start of the 2012-2013 academic year. However, their transition onto the Hilltop involves much more than moving into a dorm and signing up for courses. Georgetown needs to boost funding to accommodate this growing trend and the challenges it presents.

Last week, Army Major Paul DeLeon (GRD ’13) hosted the pilot seminar of the Georgetown University Veteran Ally Program. GUVAP aims to educate Georgetown staff and faculty about the benefits and challenges student veterans bring to the classroom. This seminar, led by student veterans and guest speakers and concluding in a panel discussion, takes a proactive approach to the student veteran dynamic in classroom discussions.

GUVAP has received funding from the Aurora Foundation, a foundation that helps student veterans pursue a college education and enter the workforce, for a limited number of seminars

next fall, but it needs additional funding and support to continue to expand to a greater number of students and faculty — and to become an established reservoir of information and education for faculty and students on campus. Georgetown should recognize the program’s merit in making the classroom environment more accommodating to student veterans.

In response to the growing number of student veterans on campus, the university has implemented the position of veteran office coordinator as well as veteran support meetings, which are led twice a semester by key faculty and staff familiar with the challenges veterans face in adjusting to campus. In order to foster a positive learning environment for veterans at Georgetown, the university should strongly consider contributing funds to the GUVAP program.

Discussion-based learning is the hallmark of a college education. It is the university’s responsibility that all students, including those who have served in our nation’s military, benefit fully from an open classroom setting.

Danny Funt, Editor-in-Chief Braden McDonald, Executive Editor Victoria Edel, Managing Editor Emma Hinchliffe, Campus News Editor Hiromi Oka, City News Editor Ryan Bacic, Sports Editor Sheena Karkal, Guide Editor Hanaa Khadraoui, Opinion Editor Leonel De Velez, Photography Editor Zoe Bertrand, Layout Editor Hunter Main, Copy Chief Molly Mitchell, Multimedia Editor Lindsay Lee, Blog Editor

Contributing Editors Michelle Cassidy, Patrick Curran, Suzanne Fonzi, Evan Hollander, Upasana Kaku, Sarah Patrick, Steven Piccione, Lauren Weber, Emory Wellman

Penny Hung Eitan Sayag Ted Murphy Will Edman Arik Parnass Josh Simmons Kim Bussing Nicole Jarvis Emily Manbeck David Chardack Shannon Reilly Sean Sullivan Katherine Berk Rohan Shetty Chris Grivas Erica Wong Jessica Natinsky Kennedy Shields Ian Tice Karl Pielmeier Kate Wellde

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

Editorial Board Hanaa Khadraoui, Chair Arturo Altamirano, Patrick Gavin, TM Gibbons-Neff, Alyssa Huberts, Sam Rodman

LETTER TO THE EDITOR To the Editor: One could, and perhaps ought to, devote an entire piece to decrying the raunchy sensationalist smut of the recent feature on sex at Georgetown in the guide. I turn, though, to what was omitted in the issue: namely, any positive case for the virtues of chastity and abstinence. “Confessions of a 20-Year Old Virgin” (G9, Feb. 15, 2013) was a half-hearted, vague attempt to nod in this direction. In the end, it remained an unprincipled, flippant and largely irrelevant attempt.

Both religious and non-religious arguments abound for sexual integrity. Neither of these perspectives was seriously engaged, a particularly egregious omission given Georgetown’s rich Catholic, Jesuit identity and emphasis on cura personalis.

Mary Nancy Walter, General Manager Mariah Byrne, Director of Corporate Development James Church, Director of Finance Mullin Weerakoon, Director of Marketing Michal Grabias, Director of Personnel Michael Lindsay-Bayley, Director of Sales Kevin Tian, Director of Technology Natasha Patel Glenn Russo Martha DiSimone Nitya Rajendran Jonathan Rabar John Bauke Molly Lynch Pauline Huynh Esteban Garcia Addie Fleron Preston Marquis Taylor Doaty Eric Isdaner Simon Wu Sean Nolan

Alumni Relations Manager Special Programs Manager Accounts Manager Operations Manager Publishing Division Consultant Statements Manager Treasury Manager Marketing Research Manager Public Relations Manager Human Resources Manager Professional Development Manager Institutional Diversity Manager Online Advertisements Manager Systems Manager Web Manager

Board of Directors

Lauren Weber, Chair

Kent Carlson, Danny Funt, Evan Hollander, Dylan Hunt, Mairead Reilly, Mary Nancy Walter

The physical effects of the hook-up culture are well documented. Yet, in popular discourse and in the guide’s sex issue, a scandalous silence exists regarding the emotional, psychological, spiritual and relational consequences of promiscuity. A growing body of sociological and psychological research is shedding light on the harmful effects of nearly everything that was celebrated in the sex issue.

A more robust campus conversation on matters of sexuality and relationships is surely needed. Such a conversation, however, must be respectful, mature and rooted in the serious ethical traditions and emerging social science data that challenge the status quo by making a strong, rational case for sexual integrity.

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 Braden McDonald at (202) 687-3415 or email executive@ thehoya.com.

News Tips Campus News Editor Emma Hinchliffe: Call (973) 632-8795 or email campus@ thehoya.com.

City News Editor Hiromi Oka: Call (281) 658-8596 or email city@thehoya.com.

Sports Editor Ryan Bacic: Call (617) 960-7278 or email sports@thehoya.com.

General Information The Hoya is published twice each week during the academic year with the exception of holiday and exam periods. Address

Kieran Raval (COL ’13)

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. © 1920-2013. 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, february 22, 2013

AS THIS JESUIT SEES IT ...

THE HOYA

A3

FROM THE OUTSIDE

Liberal Arts a Lost Beauty Fr. Patrick Rogers, S.J.

A Papacy Divinely Guided Like many of you, I awoke last Monday to astonishing news: Benedict the XVI was going to resign his papacy. It has been over a week since that news shook the world and still the questions keep coming at me from all sides. “What do you think of the Pope’s resignation?” “Who will the next Pope be?” My answer is always the same. I have no idea, but I trust that the Holy Spirit will give us what we need and I surrender to the powerful mystery that has guided the Church from generation to generation.

It seems like everyone has an opinion about who the next Pope should be. Oddsmakers from around the world are taking bets on everything from the actual name of the cardinal elected to his age and country of origin. A word of warning, though: Pope Gregory XIV, in his Papal Bull Cognit nos, dated Mar. 21, 1591, said he “forbade under pain of excommunication all bets concerning the election of a pope, the duration of a pontificate or the creation of new cardinals.” Excommunication aside, save your money because guessing who is next in line for the papacy is a losing bet every time. Only God knows how the Holy Spirit will animate the College of cardinals as they discern what the Church needs in this time and this place.

For example, no one would have bet 35 years ago that a Cardinal from Poland would be the first non-Italian Pope elected in over 450 years. I remember being a teenager in 1978 and watching excitedly with my family as white smoke was finally seen billowing from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney, announcing to the world

Benedict XVI’s coming resignation is something that I can trust because I know he is a man of deep prayer.

that a new Pope had been elected. I also remember being rather amused at the lack of information about this man from Poland who was now our Pope. The initial commentary on that first day was sparse as television anchors from around the world gritted their teeth and smiled as they desperately waited for their reporters to dig up relevant information about Karol Josef Wojtyla, the charismatic young Catholic leader from behind the Iron Curtain. The American news media — and the rest of us — were caught off guard because everyone was hedging bets, presuming that one of two powerful Italian cardinals would surely be elected to Shepherd the Church. We know how that worked out. John Paul II is now recognized as one of the great leaders of the 20th century.

Benedict XVI’s coming resignation, stunning as it is, is something that I can trust because I know he is a man of deep prayer. He loves the Church profoundly, and I have seen the Spirit moving powerfully in his life and ministry to the Church, even if I don’t fully understand how his resignation will impact the future of the papacy. Through prayer, Benedict discerned that the Catholic Church at this time needs a vigorous leader who is better able to navigate the complexities facing the Church, humanity and the world. Whoever is elected to the Chair of Peter will surely face many challenges. I trust, however, that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he will shepherd the Church to life-giving waters.

Some people say that the best days of the Church are far behind us.

More pointedly, many are convinced that the papacy’s best days are long gone. Well, the only thing I can say to that is; don’t bet on it.

Fr. Patrick Rogers, S.J., is the director of Catholic Campus Ministry and Main Campus Outreach. AS THIS JESUIT SEES IT appears every other Friday.

As the job recruitment process for the world of finance comes to a close, I reflect on the flurry of interview questions I was asked. One question I was consistently asked concerned my academic background. While it is considered a Georgetown-esque combination, my concentration choices of government and English raised eyebrows about the usefulness of a liberal arts education in the financial sector.

I would argue against the supreme overvaluation of the more technical and job-specific undergraduate majors. This is not to say that individuals who choose these academic paths are mistaken in their choices. However, at Georgetown, the liberal arts core, which is supposed to guarantee at least some exposure to literature, language and art, provides only a rudimentary understanding of forced texts and syllabi. Rare is the student who is truly inspired by the questions posed in a “Problem of God” seminar or the broad appreciation of an introductory class in literary history.

I certainly sympathize with students who opt to go into more technical majors, some of which are said to “guarantee” jobs post-graduation, particularly in this economic climate. If you want a job, so the sentiment seems to ring, major in finance, accounting or biochemistry.

It is difficult to quantify the value of a degree in history or the classics. It is increasingly challenging to justify an education devoted to the study of the sentiments of authors of bygone eras.

On the other hand, a college educa-

tion is meant to challenge students to think critically and creatively. It is meant to create well-rounded, articulate and educated graduates to challenge the world’s toughest problems.

Through their exposure to a vast assortment of complex assertions and understanding, students of the liberal arts acquire these talents and attributes more so than nearly any other academic background.

In a world of utilitarian necessity, we have lost sight of the intrinsic beauty of education. The relevance of a college degree to a career seems to have outpaced what has driven the university community for centuries: the emotion-

al agony in Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” the beautiful progression of Chopin’s “Nocturnes,” the stunning detail in Greek sculpture.

The point of a college education has traditionally been to direct a life lived well rather than a life driven by bottom lines.

A strong background in liberal arts prepares students for complex challenges beyond current trends.

It gives students an appreciation for dynamism. It requires them to challenge previous notions and think independently for themselves. Former Harvard Law School Dean Erwin Griswold put it well when he

ENGAGING BIOETHICS

said that education should be “for taste, for discrimination, for mental courage and mental soberness.” To viscerally feel the lamentations in St. Augustine’s “Confessions” or to comprehend the complexity of Homer’s Achilles teaches fundamental truths about mankind of which all well-educated students should be familiar.

Surely society would be on a downward trend if its academic foundation were to become focused solely on the applicability of classroom skills to those required of an entry-level job.

To conclude, I quote the words of Alice Freeman Palmer: “We go to college to know, assured that knowledge is secret and powerful, that a good education emancipates the mind and makes us citizens of the world.” Losing sight of the role of education in our personal lives, and in society as a whole, would be a disservice to preceding generations of thinkers and scholars.

David Weis is a junior in the College.

FROM THE OUTSIDE appears every other Friday.

PAST IS PRESENT

Health Plans Needlessly Immigrant Voters Mandate Moral Values Provide Party Base

R

ecently, in the case of Korte v. but the plans offered vary considerably.

Sebelius, the 7th Circuit Court At present, the Institute of Mediof Appeals temporarily blocked cine determines which treatments are a policy that would have required “medically necessary.” Contraception Cyril and Jane Korte, the owners of a is included. On reflection, however, construction company, to violate their no medical treatment is “medically beliefs and provide insurance that cov- necessary” if one has strong enough ered contraception to their employees. objections and is willing to take the At least 40 lawsuits challenging consequences of refusing it. No good Obamacare and the Affordable Care reason exists to force someone to buy Act’s requirement to provide contracep- insurance that includes these items as tion are now pending. The issue poses a long as the insurance exchange offers moral dilemma for employers, wheth- otherwise similar plans both including er or not they are religious institutions. and excluding them. Only with someEmployers might plausibly object thing like Obamacare’s exchanges with to some healthcare services, whether enormous numbers of participants can they be contraception, abortion or phy- Americans have a wide range of choices sician-assisted suicide. While we should available. Presently, with insurance tied respect employers who conscientiously to employment, most of us are forced scrutinize what they insure, we should into limited choices. Either employers also respect the legal right of employees must offer what they perceive to be who want such coverage. morally controversial or some employThe problem extends well beyond ees must forgo coverage they desire. religious objections. Employers and The solution is to abandon employeremployees may disbased insurance. Transagree about the value fer to employees the of healthcare regardfunds that employers less of religious beliefs. presently spend on it.

Some employees may Employees would then want acupuncture or — under Obamacare’s alternative therapies. mandate — have to buy Some may want poinsurance from the extentially life-saving yet changes or pay penalexperimental theraties. Tax policy would Robert M. Veatch pies. Others may be need to be adjusted so offended that their inthat premiums would surance premiums are be deductible, making Only with paying for services they the economic conseObamacare’s consider useless. Thus, quences exactly the the proposed solution same as they are now. exchanges can of letting insurers proEmployees presently Americans have a vide contraception free getting insurance from of charge for employees employers would have range of choices. of religious institutions many more choices. won’t work. It doesn’t We could get insured address other controversial services or for the services that are important to the rights of private employers. us and at the same time not be forced In a pluralistic society, the answer to contribute to funding used to pay for is to let people buy the insurance they services that we perceived to be morally prefer. People ought to be able to buy objectionable or simply useless. Employthe alternative-care plan or the experi- ers would no longer be buying health mental-treatment plan. Those desiring insurance; they would be paying wages. contraception should be able to buy One might argue that, in the end, that insurance, but colleagues offended it is all the same. A good case can be by it shouldn’t be forced to have their made, however, that this not only gives insurance premiums pay for it. Scrupu- employees more choices, but also relous employers shouldn’t have to pro- lieves employers of a moral responsibilvide these interventions, either. ity for what their employees eventually Most of us presently get our health buy. Employer complicity is no longer insurance from our employers. Though at stake — either formal or material. Emcheaper than individual subscriptions, ployees have always had the legal right it also poses a problem. Employers rea- to use their paychecks for all kinds of sonably see themselves as paying for activities that could offend employers. the services in their plans — including Obamacare lays the groundwork for rethose they find objectionable. Since em- solving the moral dilemma of employployers need economies of scale: Even ers who object to certain healthcare large employers — like Georgetown, the coverage. Employees are not only made largest private employer in Washington responsible for their moral choices but D.C. — can offer only two or three plans. are, for the first time, given the opporSome employees, lucky enough to have tunity to make their insurance match values closely matching their employ- their personal values rather than being ers’, get their desired coverage; while forced to conform to the value choices others are saddled with less desirable of their employer and the Institute of and even plans that they consider mor- Medicine. ally reprehensible.

Here is where Obamacare could help. Robert M. Veatch, Ph.D. is a proObamacare operates through health fessor of medical ethics at the insurance exchanges in which people Kennedy Institute of Ethics. ENselect from hundreds of plans. Each GAGING BIOETHICS appears every must meet certain minimal standards, other Friday.

M

any observers predicted Even more skilled than Lincoln soon after Barack Obama’s in the realm of immigrant coalition re-election in November building was Franklin Roosevelt. that comprehensive immigration FDR used his New Deal to construct reform would be his first legisla- a fearsome electoral machine that tive undertaking during his second lost only two of the nine presidenterm, given the significant role La- tial elections between 1932 and tino voters played in the president’s 1964. The Great Depression hit imre-election. Some exit polls put their migrant communities particularity support for the President as high as hard since they worked primarily 75 or 80 percent. These same polls industrial labor jobs. Jewish, Italian show nearly all of these voters did so and Eastern European immigrants based on broad concerns like immi- dashed over to FDR’s camp in the gration policy or relevant legislation 1932 election. The Depression had like the DREAM Act. Comprehensive significantly weakened — if not immigration reform is seen as a way broken — the traditional Republito cement Latino voters for a genera- can claim that unfettered corporate tion in the same way that the Civil success was the best path to prosRights Act brought black voters per- perity in America. Led by Jews and manently into the Democratic fold Italians, immigrants from all over, in 1964. now American citizens, flocked This is hardly the first time immi- to FDR’s social welfare platform, grant communities have played the helping to give the Democrats a central role in shifting American solid base from which they could voting patterns at the presidential win the White House for almost 40 level. In the decades years in a row. leading up to the History suggests Civil War, for examthat when immiple, the major imgrant communities migration debates break onto the stage of the time were politically, they tend tied closely with to remain imporhow the nascent tant to one party or Republican party another for a long was able to develop time. In both cases, Ethan Chess the force to win the the immigrant White House and voting blocs were prosecute the war.

Immigration reform reliable support in Confronted with an otherwise turbulent is seen as a way influx of Irish and times.

German voters from Regardless of to cement Latino Europe, native-born what today’s Demovoters.

American Protescratic policymakers tants, largely in the think is the best northeast, began to organize po- course of action, they are currently litically with anti-immigrant and faced with an important political anti-Catholic platforms. The stron- opportunity. If history is any guide, gest was the Know-Nothing party, Latino voters could be part of the which polled very strongly in the next long-term coalition that es1854 House elections. However, the tablishes itself as the automatic anti-immigrant movement van- frontrunner in presidential elecished shortly thereafter over divi- tions. In today’s frenzied media ensions about slavery. vironment, it would bring peace of As a result, a previously obscure mind to leaders of the Democratic Illinois legislator named Abraham National Committee to know that Lincoln realized that the slavery 50.5 million voters will be largely debate presented an opportunity in their camp even before any comfor the young Republican party to mercials hit the air. However, choosbroaden its electoral reach. Ger- ing the right course of action before man immigrants brought a highly the next presidential election is egalitarian and collectivist idea of crucial. In both the case of Lincoln society and politics from their old and FDR, specific policies and ideohomeland. Lincoln called Carl Sch- logical frameworks were required urz, a German-born American, the to cement immigrant support. Lin“foremost of all” his campaign sup- coln followed through on his antiporters in 1860. German-Americans slavery rhetoric, and FDR oversaw supported Lincoln to such a strong the construction of a welfare state degree thanks to Schurz that it to cushion the blow of economic pushed the Republican ticket over hardship. If President Obama can the top in many key states. During generate enough political support the Civil War, over 200,000 Ger- to dramatically alter immigration man-Americans formed the larg- processes and laws for America’s est contingent of ethnic soldiers in documented and undocumented the Union Army. Ultimately, Lin- immigrants, he may find himself coln’s savvy outreach and election at the head of another generationto the White House embedded the long political dynasty.

German-American community as a bedrock political constituency for Ethan Chess is a junior in the the Republicans for an entire gen- College. PAST IS PRESENT aperation. pears every other Friday.

A4

NEWS

THE HOYA

PAGE FOUR

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE Presidential speechwriter David Frum discussed Republican strategy Tuesday.

Read more at thehoya.com.

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya.

IN FOCUS

verbatim

THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE

“

Our colors are part of our brand.

That’s how people recognize our company.

”

Yellow Cab Company of D.C. General Manager Roy Spooner, on a recommendation to paint all taxis red.

See story on A6.

from

NORTHCOASTFESTIVAL.COM

CHRIS GRIVAS/THE HOYA

Comedian Kenan Thompson, who is best known for “Kenan & Kel,” “Saturday Night Live” and “Good Burger,” performed in a show sponsored by the Georgetown Program Board and the Lecture Fund in Gaston Hall Thursday night.

SUMMER [MUSIC] LOVIN’ Looking to hit a music festival or four this summer? Check out our guide to the best ones on 4E. blog.thehoya.com

Jesuit Center Shutting Evans Plans Mayoral Bid Doors After 40 Years IVAN ROBINSON Special to The Hoya

MOLLY DEPIPPO Hoya Staff Writer

The Woodstock Theological Center will close June 30 after serving as a home for Jesuit-informed research and reflection at Georgetown since 1973.

Woodstock Center Director Fr. Gasper LoBiondo, S.J., said the decision was finalized in early January by the Jesuit Provincials of the Maryland, New York and New England Provinces, who own the ministry, which is independent from the university. The closure was not publicly announced, however, until Feb. 15.

LoBiondo said a lack of Jesuit staff and a dearth of options for leadership replacement was one of the main reasons for the center’s shuttering.

“This is a Jesuit center, and in order to keep it a strictly Jesuit center, there had to be some Jesuits here,” he said. “There just aren’t enough.”

The lack of manpower for Woodstock is partly due to the presence of Jesuit seminaries at Boston College and Santa Clara University. Because both centers are involved in training young Jesuits, they have priority in obtaining personnel.

Director of the Woodstock Theological Center Library Fr. J. Leon Hooper, S.J., confirmed the inability to find new leadership for the center as an additional cause for its closing.

“The youngest guy [at the center] is 68 now,” Hooper said. “We began to recognize that we needed some younger leadership for, if nothing else, the energy but also for dealing with more contemporary problems.”

While several of the center’s employees and fellows will be absorbed into university positions, placement for some has yet to be determined as the center is still in a transitional period.

Woodstock Fellow Fr. Thomas Michel, S.J., will go to the School of Foreign Service in Qatar, while Matthew Gladden, associate director for programs, administration and finance, has been hired by the psychology department.

Hooper also added that the center has been under financial pressure for some time. According to Hooper, the center’s staff was reduced last year to conserve funds, and closure had been considered for the past year and a half.

The university-funded Woodstock Center Library, which is located on the bottom level of Lauinger Library, will con-

SUNG JIN KIM FOR THE HOYA

The Woodstock Center will cease operations this summer after considering closure for over a year. tinue its operations as a leading source of Jesuit letters, reports and other written work. Although the Jesuits of New York and Maryland Provinces also own the collection, Georgetown has agreed to fund new acquisitions, allowing the library to remain open.

While current research — from business ethics to the church’s political involvement — funnelled through the center will come to a close, past research will be preserved, and the mission of many fellows will continue without the center.

According to Rev. Raymond Kemp, a fellow at the Woodstock Center and a theology professor, the research conducted in the past has been in the process of digitalization over the last few years, and many of the center’s issues will continue to be addressed on campus.

“Those [research] items are going to be on my agenda forever,” he said. “I think they are items that are going to be on the agendas of a lot of people here at Georgetown.”

Kemp added, however, that the center’s closing signals the termination of what was once a vibrant institution.

“I do think it’s the end of an era, when we were flush with Jesuits and we had a lot of theologians that were ready to think through these issues,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll die. I think we’re going to morph — a different kind of phoenix will rise from the ashes.”

Although the District of Columbia mayoral race is more than a year away, Councilman Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) has already announced his intention to run for the city’s highest office.

Evans, who represents the Georgetown area in city council, has not yet filed any official paperwork but iterated to THE HOYA that he would be a candidate for the Nov. 4, 2014 election.

The councilman is a mainstay in city government, having served on the D.C. Council since 1991. This Monday, he became the District’s longest-serving councilmember.

But throughout his lengthy career in local politics, Evans has only run for mayor on one other occasion, in 1998. Although he was ultimately unsuccessful in his 1998 bid — placing third in the Democratic primary behind eventual Mayor Anthony Williams and former Councilman Kevin Chavous (D-Ward 7) — Evans said he has learned valuable lessons from that campaign.

“A mayor’s race is a long marathon, and it’s time consuming and very tiring,” Evans said. “You have to be prepared and ready for it and just go out and be honest and truthful with the voters. If you can do that, you can have a good chance of success.”

Since 1998, Evans has seen his popularity grow, receiving 65 percent or more of the vote in each of his city council elections since then. Last year he easily won reelection, running unopposed in the primary and general election.

“People know who I am, and I have a long — and I think very good — record,” Evans said. “Some people would disagree with some of the positions I’ve taken, and I recognize that going in [to the race].”

In the fifteen years since his last run, however, the political campaign season has gotten longer. In 1998, Evans waited until May of the election year to announce his candidacy. This time around, Evans began to lay the groundwork for his campaign more than two years beforehand and began talking to potential financial backers in summer 2012.

The change is in part because of a new federal requirement that moved the primary up from September to April, lengthening the campaign by five months. According to WRC-TV, NBC’s Washington affiliate, petitions to be on the primary ballot could be available as early as this December.

The early mayoral bid announcements also come after alleged campaign corruption in Mayor Vincent Gray’s 2010 run for D.C.’s highest position. Shortly after accusations of finance misdeeds surfaced in 2011-2012, several councilmembers, including Evans, were rumored by The Washington Post to be considering throwing their hats into the mayoral ring. While Evans was critical of Gray in 2011, his opinion has changed since then.

“I’ve known him 30 years,” Evans said of Gray. “I think he’s doing a good job as mayor. He’s somebody I work with closely, and so I have a lot of respect for him.”

The councilman faced controversy himself when he was accused Nov. 2011 by fellow Ward 2 candidate Fiona Greig of intimidating her to drop out of the city council race.

In the mayoral race, however, Evans is not alone in his ambition for the city’s top office. One of his potential opponents, Councilman Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), announced Feb. 4 that he is forming an exploratory committee to examine a mayoral bid.

One thing that has not changed since his 1998 bid is that if Evans wins, he will be the District’s first white mayor.

“City’s changed. Country’s changed. Attitudes have changed,” Evans said. “I think people are more interested in someone who’s a qualified, good mayor — someone that they believe can get things done, who has a good track record — than what color they are.”

As representative of an area that includes both Georgetown and The George Washington University, Evans recognizes the importance of interacting with the two universities.

“I make it a routine of speaking at Georgetown and George Washington at least once or twice a year, whenever there’s an opportu-

nity to do something,” Evans said.

“We just ran an April [democratic primary] election when I ran for re-election last year, and reaching out to the students was one of the things I did then and will continue to do now.”

However, Evans has previously cancelled commitments to come and speak at Georgetown, such as when he cancelled a planned appearance in 2011.

After this cancellation, Georgetown University College Democrats struggled to get in touch with his office to reschedule.

“Historically, we have had a difficult time scheduling with his office,” GUCD President Trevor Tezel (SFS ’15) said.

After not receiving any contact from Evans’s office, Tezel said he heard back months later after sending the councilman a tweet.

“Some of his statements that he has made in the past regarding students have been unfortunate,” Tezel said. “He seems to have a general interest in the concerns of students in D.C., but I think we need to see more from him in his campaign before there’s any kind of organized support for him [from college students].”

Evans was also critical of Georgetown’s campus plan in a January 2011 column from local paper The Georgetowner, writing that the university needed to house all of its students on campus.

“Even if students who live off campus in our neighborhood are well-behaved, it is too much of a strain on residents,” Evans wrote.

“When you have houses and tenants that are not well-behaved, the burden becomes impossible.”

However, Evans said he does not foresee any change in his priorities for the Georgetown area if he were to be elected mayor.

“Picking up the trash, trimming the trees, making sure the street lights work, fixing the potholes, sidewalks — basic services that every person in the city wants,” Evans said. “They want to make sure that the neighborhood is safe during the day and night, that there’s enough of a police presence — all of that. Those are the basic issues, and then beyond that, much of Georgetown has been taken care of.”

News

friday, february 22, 2013

THE HOYA

A5

Alums Bring Cheap Tenure Denial Incites Backlash Data to Africa Tia Baheri

Hoya Staff Writer

Katherine Seevers Special to The Hoya

When Reza Handley-Namavar (MSB ’12) fell ill in the middle of the night during his junior semester abroad in South Africa, he was utterly alone.

Without access to a cell phone or computer, he couldn’t call for help, research his symptoms or consult a doctor. This experience inspired him to launch Dream Mobile, a start-up company offering a cheaper smartphone alternative, which is based in South Africa and staffed by fellow Class of 2012 Georgetown graduates.

“If something had seriously gone wrong, I would have been in a lot of trouble,” he said. “I realized that if I had had a smartphone, I could have … actually gotten help instead of suffering through the night until I was able to reach a doctor in the morning.”

Handley-Namavar founded the for-profit social enterprise in February 2011 to develop affordable smartphones and provide low-cost access to data to the African population.

He then moved to Cape Town after graduating last spring, while three of his Georgetown classmates, Gwen Schwartz (COL ’12), Benjamin McAfee (SFS ’12) and Odosa Aghayere (MSB ’12), ran the company’s U.S. team.

Dream Mobile’s phones, which come with data-blocking software that allows users to designate specific essential data to use the data network to reduce the cost of data plans, were developed through a Chinese manufacturer using the Android software.

“Some can’t afford to have the phone using data all the time, if the phone is just updating in the background,” he said. “If they’re just using Whatsapp, they can afford to keep data on.”

By focusing on just the African market, Dream Mobile can develop technology specially tailored to African needs through enhanced Bluetooth sharing and anti-theft apps.

Dream Mobile received its first shipment of 100 phones last week. It will

be sold to a local pizza service that is developing a digital communication system for deliveries. Its business model has evolved from focusing on the youth and consumer market, to working with small- and mediumsized businesses.

However, the team has come a long way since last year, McAfee said.

“Back then we didn’t have a logo, we didn’t have the phones that we have now, we didn’t have a solid business structure [and] we didn’t have a team.

There were just many things that weren’t even there,” he said. “Where we are right now with our company … is a lot stronger. We’re able to sort of understand what we’re doing a lot more than we’re used to.”

Dream Mobile is also proud of its commitment to employing South African students.

“We’re creating structures to decrease the unemployment in South Africa, because we employ youth … to teach them how to run as business as well as provide an income,” McAfee said.

Handley-Namavar’s foremost business goal is further growth throughout Africa. He is currently working with a team to expand into Ghana, in addition to making preliminary connections in other African countries.

“My dream 10 years from now is that when I get into a minibus taxi or go into any public space, I see a third to a half of the people using a Dream Mobile phone, at least in Africa,” he said.

Despite the risk and responsibility involved, Handley-Namavar thinks the decision to launch the company was the right one.

“In a lot of ways, what I’m doing as an entrepreneur is a lot harder … because everything’s on you. The company goes forward when I work; the company stalls when I stop working.

It’s the same for the rest of the team,” he said. “But there’s nothing I would rather be doing with my life right now than what I’m doing.”

Students, alumni and professors have banded together to petition Georgetown’s July decision to deny tenure to the School of Foreign Service’s assistant professor of Arab politics Samer Shehata.

Ebie DuPont (GRD ’06) created the petition, which she submitted to University President John J. DeGioia Feb. 11 with 255 signatures after learning of the university’s decision.

DuPont, who is based in Cairo, found out about the decision when she was visiting Washington in January and spoke to Shehata, who told her he was leaving Georgetown after being denied tenure in July and then unsuccessfully appealing the committee’s decision in September, learning of his second denial in November.

“He was denied tenure. People were shocked,” DuPont said. “He appealed it and had full support from the faculty.”

Several faculty members from the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies lent their support to Shehata’s appeal. Former CCAS Director Michael Hudson wrote a personal letter in response to Shehata’s denial.

Associate professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic studies at New York University Arang Keshavarzian said he was upset by the committee’s decision to deny Shehata tenure.

“I was also saddened for my own field of Middle East politics that doesn’t support the type of original, refined research exhibited in Samer’s publication,” Keshavarzian said. “His scholarly work, in terms of his political engagements and his willingness to dialogue with journalists is admirable. Samer strove to offer a deep understanding of Egyptian politics to as broad an audience as possible. He has gone a long way in achieving this objective.”

“Denying Samer Shehata tenure is unjust and wrongheaded,” DuPont said. “It is an unbelievable judgment when you consider his record, which is superior on several levels to many other successful applicants in recent years.”

Among other accomplishments,

Shehata was instrumental in establishing the Qatar Arabic Scholarship Program and the Qatar Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at CCAS. “Together, both programs have brought hundreds of thousands of dollars to Georgetown and have created countless opportunities for students to critically engage with the Arab world,” Shehata said of his work.

Keshavarzian added that Shehata’s research was particularly significant in the wake of the Arab Spring.

In addition, Shehata emphasized his scholarly accomplishments outside of Georgetown.

“Because of my scholarship and expertise, I have frequently been asked to share my knowledge with senior U.S. government, World Bank and [International Monetary Fund] officials; civil society leaders, the policy community and the media,” Shehata said.

The petition stresses that Shehata’s work focuses on the contemporary Arab world, which is an explicit goal of CCAS in seeking to differentiate itself from other Middle East Studies programs.

DuPont pointed to Shehata’s proven excellence in teaching evaluations and student responses to his courses. According to DuPont, Shehata received an evaluation of 4.8 out of 5.0 in the “overall evaluation of instructor” category for both “Egypt: Authoritarianism to Revolution” and “Contemporary Politics of the Middle East” in fall 2012.

“This was his score despite the stresses he has been going through for the last six months, having been rejected for tenure after more than a decade of service to the university and its students,” DuPont said.

Laci Barrow (GRD ’12) praised Shehata’s teaching and work.

“He has fantastic balance of scholarly, pedagogic and outreach,” she said. “His activities are so well balanced, and in each of his activities he is so present and really engaging that its hard to find someone that has the combination of people skills and also teaching skills, pedagogic skills and who can also be representative of the university and can articulate political issues that the public can grasp.”

DuPont added that it is impossible to speculate on the reasons for the university’s denial because of the opacity of the tenure decision process.

“From my perspective, I can’t imagine the reason to deny him tenure.

These decisions are not transparent.”

Graham Griffiths (GRD ’13) said losing Shehata will negatively impact the CCAS, which has been in a transition period.

“There has been quite a bit of turnover in the past couple of years; a couple of professors have left for retirement and other reasons, and they’ve had difficulty hiring replacements to fill a couple people,” Griffiths said.

“From a student perspective, its a lot of disruption to the center to have this high turnover of faculty, especially faculty like Professor Shehata.”

Diana Shin (GRD ’12) took two classes with Shehata and worked as his research assistant during the 2010-2011 academic year.

“I think he is a very dedicated teacher. He is the type of teacher who would Skype in while he was doing fieldwork monitoring parliamentary elections in Egypt for his classes here, and I don’t think many professors would do something like that,” she said. “He has done an incredible amount of service for CCAS and Georgetown. And just his name, ‘Samer Shehata,’ has been associated with CCAS for a decade now, and just to lose that person is just a great loss for CCAS and for Georgetown.”

Shehata said that he was moved by the outreach from his students.

“I am extremely touched by the efforts of my former students and other Georgetown alumni,” Shehata said.

“One of the great joys of teaching here has been the opportunity to interact with exceptionally bright students who are intellectually curious, hard-working and deeply engaged in thinking about the world and its problems.”

Due to the privacy of tenure decisions, university officials declined to comment on the decision made by the committee.

Hoya Staff Writer Eitan Sayag contributed reporting.

A6

news

THE HOYA

Speaker’s Corner

John Fea

Messiah College History Professor “I’m a little skeptical about this whole term ‘secularism.’ The Christian right has done such an outstanding job in demonizing this word ... so you all have a lot of work to do.”

“I’m happy working with people of all faiths or no faiths at all to promote the common good. We don’t need to have a Christian nation in order to live faithfully in the world.”

“If you’re going to make an argument that America is not a Christian nation, I think you need to be cautious when using the Treaty of Tripoli because it’s so easy to take this thing out of context.”

“Christians need to be in dialogue. There’s something about pluralism imbedded in the JudeoChristian community.”

“[The Christian right] thinks of aggressive atheists who have a particular agenda to try to remove anything related to religion from public life.”

KRISTEN SKILLMAN FOR THE HOYA

Colette Gilner Special to The Hoya

John Fea, an associate professor of history at Messiah College, addressed America’s origins at the Program for Jewish Civilization’s three-day “Secularism on the Edge” conference.

PJC Director Jacques Berlinerblau interviewed Fea at the conference’s opening

event, “America: A Christian Nation or a Secular Nation?”

Fea discussed the ways different interest groups, from the conservative Christian right to liberal secularists, have used historic documents to justify their views that America was founded as either a Christian or secular nation. He said the Declaration of Independence and the Treaty of Tripoli are com-

monly cited documents.

As an evangelical Christian with secular political views, Fea said he appreciated how this conference is working to redefine secularism.

The BMW Center for German and European Studies, the French department and the government department cosponsored the conference.

DC Cabs May Turn Red Natasha Khan

Special to The Hoya

A District of Columbia Taxicab Commission panel recommended that all D.C. cabs be painted red in a public meeting Feb. 13, adding to regulations that include a 2012 proposal mandating standardized dome lights on city taxis.

“Red is a color that is associated with the District, both among residents and visitors,” the DCTC’s One-Color Panel said in its recommendation statement. The four-person panel cited the District’s flag, the city’s sports teams, the Circulator buses and Capital Bikeshare as examples of the color’s prevalence throughout the city.

If the proposal is accepted after the full commission considers it in March, cab drivers will have to switch over to red when they replace their vehicles upon reaching their service limit, which depends on age and mileage. The drivers will be responsible for the costs of painting the car red.

According to D.C Taxicab Commission Public Information Officer Neville Waters (MBA ’91), the standardized dome lights, which are now in the proposed rulemaking stage, would have LED lights to demonstrate taxis’ availability and feature a four-digit vehicle identification number.

“It will enable passengers, if they have a problem, to see that four-digit number and notify us to lodge a complaint,” Waters said.

While Waters is hopeful that the dome lights could be installed by the spring or the early summer, he said the complete transition to red cabs would take about five years.

The uniform color scheme has been met with resistance by many cab companies.

“We oppose the one-color

scheme,” Yellow Cab Company of D.C General Manager Roy Spooner said. “Our colors are part of our brand. That’s how people recognize our company and our cabs on the street, by our color scheme.”

Spooner distinguishes the color change from other cab reforms that he says benefit customers.

“Changing your color doesn’t improve service,” Spooner said.

“We already do GPS, credit card, apps and all these different things and that’s how you improve service, not by changing the color of the cab.”

Other cab company represen-

“The uniform color will add to the legitimacy and will help students feel safer when taking cab rides.”

MANAVI BHAGWAT (SFS ’16)

tatives agree.

“We will mourn the disappearance of our unique color scheme,” Diamond Cab Dispatcher Nathan Harris said.

Cab drivers have voiced protests as well, especially over the cost of repainting their cabs themselves.

“It is completely ludicrous and will cost drivers extremely large amounts of money with no return,” Yellow Cab driver Nathan Price said. “I have had the same colors for 40 years, and I don’t understand the need of [the change].”

Price’s cab is a 2002 model that he says will have to be off the streets by about 2015. He estimates that the cost of the mandated improvements, which also include installing a smart meter, will be about $40,000.

“In June of 2008 to May of 2012, we operated on a minimum of 25 to a max of 40 percent deficit in income, so how can drivers all of a sudden afford to put out $40,000?” he said.

Price called the legislation “economical genocide.”

“I own my cab now, but the way they have things set up, I don’t know how much longer I will be able to own it,” he said.

Price feels that the work of taxi drivers is not being appreciated.

“These drivers have given all these years of public service to the district; and in return, they’re forcing you to do something that is almost financially impossible.”

The one-color scheme was motivated by a number of reasons, including having a color distinctly linked to the District and distinguishing legal cabs, according to Waters.

Students generally approve of the one-color scheme.

“It will be easier to distinguish the cabs, and you will see them coming from a further distance,” Maddie Gallo (NHS ’16) said. “It will make travel easier.”

Others said that the red cabs would help improve safety.

“Sometimes I feel threatened getting into a cab if I’m not familiar with its appearance,” Manavi Bhagwat (SFS ’16) said.

“The uniform color will add to the legitimacy and will help students feel safer when taking cab rides.”

Nonetheless, Waters acknowledged that the dome lights would have a greater effect on modernizing the fleet and making them more visible to users.

“I expect that over the next couple of years, we will have a modern fleet and hopefully people will be saying that the D.C. cab industry is one of the best in the world,” he said.

friday, february 22, 2013

For Some Pre-Meds, An Alternative Future Kylie Mohr

who has never considered other options, said.

Nevertheless, John Delgado-McCollum While most pre-medical students at (COL ’16), a mathematics major on the preGeorgetown continue on to medical medical track, said that he wanted to keep school, others consider alternative paths his options open. such as research, nursing, consulting and “Being pre-medical really sets a fantastic education. foundation in the sciences,” Delgado-McAccording to Edward Meyertholen, as- Collum said. “You really get a good exposistant dean and director of pre-health pro- sure. It’s a good setup for any career in the grams, there are approximately 90 to 130 sciences, one way or another.” pre-medical students in the Class of 2016, Alexandra Palumbo (COL ’16), a biochemincluding those in post-baccalaureate pro- istry major and Russian minor on the pregrams, while 130 students in the Class of med track who plans to go to veterinary 2012 applied to medical school. school, also disagreed with Schertz.

“It’s up to the student to decide what “I’m doing the pre-med track just because they want to do, and then we will try to it’s basically the same track for pre-vet and help them achieve [that],” Meyertholen pre-med,” Palumbo said. “I just have more said. of an interest in animal sciences. I want to Since the pre-medical curriculum at be a zoo veterinarian.”

Georgetown is not an official major, stuNathalie Lawyer (COL ’13) also said that dents have the flexibility to consider other some pre-medical students, especially after fields of study. years of hard work, feel too burned out to “One advantage of the pre-med curricu- continue directly to medical school. lum is that students can pursue any aca“I’m still strongly considering medical demic major, thereby developing critical school, but right now, I feel like going into skills that are generalizable to many career medical school straight out of working fields outside of medicine,” Cawley Career very hard through high school and college Education Center Director Mike Schaub is a little bit daunting,” Lawyer said. “I feel said. like my heart wouldn’t be in it right now, Instead, pre-medical status is a flag in the so I’m taking a break, and we’ll see where university system that helps deans advise I am after.” students in choosing courses. Pre-medical But despite the array of career options advisors host workshops focusing on medi- available to pre-medical students, Schertz cal school applications and the MCAT, said that advisers and professors rarely while clubs such as the discuss such alternatives Georgetown University “Georgetown’s biggest and that while GeorgePre-Medical Society also town’s pre-health profailing lies in that the gram’s website includes advise students.

Kenny Lahart (COL ’16) information about presaid that the ability to teachers don’t discuss vet and pre-dental tracks, study other fields allowed any options besides these options are often him to consider alternaneglected by advisors pre-med with you.” tive careers. and faculty.

“The pre-med concen“These options are tration is a way to keep available if people seek that door open,” Lahart them, but they are not matt emch (COL ’14) said. “I’ve always been explicitly discussed by interested in science and our pre-med teachers math, so I guess medicine is one area that and advisers because it is assumed that if I’m interested in, but I’m not really sure if you declare yourself to be pre-med, you inI want to go down that path for my career.” tend to go to medical school.” Schertz said.

Though Lahart found the pre-medical Palumbo expressed frustration at this advising program helpful, Matt Emch (COL lack of guidance. ’14), a chemistry major in the pre-medical “It’s kind of frustrating,” Palumbo said. track who plans to go to law school, dis- “There isn’t really a lot of support or inagreed. formation for what students can do other “There is no hands-on experience in hos- than go to medical school.” pitals,” Emch said. “I think they really do Lawyer, who plans to go into the Peace need to overhaul their program. … I look at Corps or a graduate program for emergenthe nursing students, and they are doing cy disaster preparedness, said that she had clinicals from day one.” to be proactive to find information about Pre-Med Society Co-President Kate these programs.

Schertz (NHS ’15) said that most students “I think the NHS is really good about who eventually decide not to apply to medi- sending out [emails] about healthcare-recal school originally intended to pursue lated jobs,” Lawyer said. “Pretty much all medicine. the information that I’ve gotten was mostly “The few pre-med students I know who self-sought out.” are considering going into research initialEmch cited the lack of alternative career ly thought that they wanted to go to medi- guidance as one of the pre-med program’s cal school,” Schertz said. “Most of them be- largest flaws. came interested in research after becoming “Georgetown’s biggest failing lies in that volunteer research assistants.” the teachers don’t discuss any options beEmch said he felt conflicted about applying sides pre-med with you,” Emch said. to medical school due to his varied interEmch added that without his parents’ ests. advice, he would not have been aware of “I realized that my interests varied so options outside of medical school. much, and I just couldn’t see myself being “I wouldn’t have really been able to [dea doctor anymore,” Emch said. “The big- cide not to apply to medical school] with gest component was the lifestyle choice — the help of Georgetown,” Emch said. you’re on call all the time, and I just didn’t In addition, Emch said that the difficulty want to have that lifestyle. If you want to of the organic chemistry class, a pre-med raise a family and have all the other nice- requirement, deterred many students. ties of life, do you really want to be a doc“The fail rate is unbelievably high,” Emch tor? The answer for me was no.” said, referencing the fact that the class Schertz, however, said that pre-medical caused many pre-med students to reevalustudents should only include those con- ate their career options. sidering medical school.

Yet Delgado-McCollum said that most of “There is absolutely no reason for some- his fellow pre-med students in the freshone who is interested in pursuing a sci- man class still want to go to medical school ence major or a career in science to be a despite their doubts. pre-med student unless they are consider“I think every freshman student quesing medical school in the future,” Schertz, tions it,” Delgado-McCollum said.

Special to The Hoya

news

friday, february 22, 2013

THE HOYA

A7

Race Decided by Final Votes ELECTION, from A1 Second Society of Stewards broke early Wednesday morning.

Vandegriff said similarities between his ticket and Tisa’s influenced supporters. “[Tisa and Ramadan] support making campus a more progressive place, which is near and dear to my heart. I really hope they stay true to that,” Vandegriff said. “That may be a reason why people supported them. There’s a lot of the same focus.”

The eventual winner was far from clear until the runoff had concluded.

“I had no clue what to expect. I was not in any place thinking we had it in any of those first rounds. I knew it would come down to where Shavonnia and Joe’s votes were redistributed,” Appelbaum said.

Appelbaum said he did not believe news of his membership in the Stewards greatly affected the outcome

“It came at an unfortunate time,” he said. “But I’m prepared to answer for it at any time. I’m not ashamed of it and I’m proud of how we stood up for it.”

Ramadan also admitted to membership in a secret society Wednesday night after initially denying affiliation with a secret society Tuesday. Ramadan also said he did not believe his membership or initial denial affected the election.

“At the end of the day, people know that Nate and I care about this place, and that’s what matters and that we want to make Georgetown a better place, whether it be through organizations that nobody talks about or organizations that everybody knows about,” Ramadan said.

Current GUSA President Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13) and Vice President Vail Kohnert-Yount (SFS ’13), who had endorsed Appelbaum and Cleary in this race, showed up at Tisa and Ramadan’s campaign party to congratulate the duo.

“I think it was a very long, very well

fought campaign. I think Nate and Adam will do a great job and they will be able to recruit a lot of different people to be involved in GUSA that haven’t been before, which I think is very exciting,” Gustafson said.

Corbin Johnson and Vandegriff wished Tisa and Ramadan well in office.

Vandegriff said he believed Tisa benefitted in this race from having experienced a campaign cycle, as did Cleary, who ran as a vice presidential candidate in 2012.

Spencer Walsh (MSB ’14) and Rob Silverstein (SFS ’14), the only ticket without GUSA experience, finished in fourth place with 366 first-place votes.

“Given our cross endorsement with Nate and Adam, we are especially excited to see a candidate who shares our values chosen to lead GUSA,” Walsh wrote in a statement. “Rob and I hope to work with Nate and Adam on the many issues where we agreed during the campaign.”

Cannon Warren (SFS’14) and Andrew

Secret Memberships Rock Race SOCIETIES, from A1 candidates are members in secret societies.

“My campaign is separate from the Stewards Society,” Appelbaum said.

“It’s a private association of mine, just like any of the other candidates might have other private associations.”

Nonetheless, the secret society disclosures may have played a role in the election outcome. In the wake of the development, Shavonnia CorbinJohnson (SFS ’14) and Joe Vandegriff (COL ’14) announced early Wednesday morning that they were no longer encouraging supporters to rank Appelbaum and Cleary No. 2 on their ballots. Corbin-Johnson had announced the cross-endorsement along with Appelbaum at the Monday presidential debate.

“We refuse to align ourselves publicly or privately with any members of an organization that lacks transparency and accountability at Georgetown,” Vandegriff said in a statement to The Hoya.

The Appelbaum ticket received 1,210 first-place votes compared to Tisa’s 1,187, yet runoff counts were initiated

when no candidate had a majority of votes. The Tisa-Ramadan ticket won in the fourth and final round by a slim 108-vote margin.

Chief Steward of the Second Society Sam Schneider (COL ’13), who is co-director of the Student Advocacy Office and a former member of The Hoya’s Board of Directors, issued a statement Wednesday morning clarifying the nature of the society and commending Appelbaum’s honesty in revealing his affiliation.

“We communicate openly with the university administration when necessary and I am available to answer any questions at any time,” he wrote.

“While the Society applauds … Appelbaum’s service to GUSA, the privilege belongs entirely to him. … Jack disclosed his membership, an aspect of his private life, at the very moment he was asked. His record of public service should be all that matters to any thoughtful person weighing the merits of his candidacy.”

Appelbaum’s running mate Maggie Cleary (COL ’14) said she learned of her membership when the ticket formed, but said she did not consider it a mitigating factor in their ability to lead Georgetown’s student body effectively.

Cleary said that she did not think the Stewards had given her campaign a disproportionate level of support compared to other student organizations, and she denied that the Stewards had influenced her ticket’s platform.

Tyler Sax (COL ’13), who was a presidential candidate in last year’s GUSA race, confirmed his membership in the Stewards but denied that the leak was significant to this year’s election.

“I think it tries to make a big issue out of something that’s not a big issue.

It’s sort of sad to see someone would go to these lengths to make a big deal out of something,” Sax said.

Second Society of Stewards spokesman Russell Smith (COL ’98), whose name was noted on the tax filing posted by the Facebook user, declined to comment on the leak or the reaction on campus, but emphasized that all tax records leaked were public documents.

“We try to keep our affairs private.

We, like a lot of groups, do a good job of that, but these things happen,” Smith said.

University spokeswoman Stacy Kerr declined to comment on the university’s policy regarding secret societies.

REBECCA GOLDBERG FOR THE HOYA

Tisa at a campaign party last night, moments before hearing the result.

Logerfo (COL’14) finished with 175 votes in the first round of voting.

Tisa will be the first openly gay president of the Georgetown University Student Association and the second at a major Jesuit university. The first was elected to the University of San Francisco in 2003.

“As the first gay president at this uni-

versity, I am going to Catholic [University], going to American [University], I’m going to tell them, this is the 21st century and they have absolutely no reason to deny the fact there are gay students here who deserve representation and deserve a voice in student government,” Tisa said.

Tisa and Ramadan will be sworn in to their new roles March 16.

How It Unfolded 10:30 p.m. Tuesday

A Facebook page called StewardThroat Hoya posts screenshots of correspondence and tax filings that connect students to the Second Stewards Society, including GUSA candidate Jack Appelbaum and his campaign manager, Jake Sticka.

12:45 a.m. Wednesday

Appelbaum confirms his membership in the Stewards in an interview.

3:00 a.m. Wednesday

All other candidates deny their membership in a secret society, including vice presidential candidate Adam Ramadan.

4:55 a.m. Wednesday

Shavonnia Corbin Johnson and Joe Vandegriff announce they are retracting their cross-endorsement of Appelbaum and Maggie Cleary.

Both tickets announced at the Tuesday presidential debate that they urged supporters to rank the other duo second on their ballots.

11:15 a.m. Wednesday

Chief Steward Sam Schneider issues a statement on behalf of the Stewards. It defends the society and the integrity of Appelbaum’s campaign.

11:35 a.m. Wednesday

GUSA President Clara Gustafson issues a statement in support of Appelbaum, who she and Vice President Vail Kohnert-Yount endorsed at the beginning of the campaign. She calls criticism of Jack from opposing candidates “absurd and insulting to me.”

3:50 p.m. Wednesday

Adam Ramadan admits that he is a member of an undisclosed secret society and apologizes for criticism of Appelbaum’s membership.

A8

news

THE HOYA

friday, february 22, 2013

Group to Serve Sophomores Patent Law Revisions Alexandra Douglas Special to The Hoya

The College Dean’s Office recently formed a Sophomore Year Experience Committee with the goal of providing sophomores with more academic and professional guidance.

“The motivation … is to figure out how to assist Georgetown … sophomores’ transition from a more supported firstyear environment to a more independent junior-year environment,” McDonough School of Business Academic Counselor and Associate Director Rebecca Cassidy, committee chair, said.

According to Cassidy, students face a variety of new challenges in their sophomore year.

“Academically, most sophomores have general education requirements that are getting tougher but have not had the opportunity to begin classes within their major,” Cassidy said. “At the same time, sophomores are being asked to choose a major by the end of their sophomore year.”

Other challenges include applying for internships and deciding whether to study abroad.

“Sophomores are being

asked to make big life decisions, often at a time of indecision and confusion about life plans and goals,” Cassidy added.

According to Cassidy, the committee is still in an early developmental phase and will design events and services based on student feedback. The committee sent a survey to the Class of 2015 in early February, asking about the areas in which sophomores needed the most assistance.

“We hope that the results of the survey will help guide the committee to develop programming that will provide sophomores with the information they need to move through sophomore year with less stress and anxiety,” Cassidy said.

Cassidy added that the committee is also collaborating with different departments across campus and needs increased publicity to encourage sophomores to utilize advising services.

“The challenge is getting the word out about these services to those who need it most,” Cassidy said.

Steven Carrubba (COL ’15) and Brandon Kwan (COL ’15) expressed enthusiasm for an additional source of guidance for sophomores.

Though Carrubba said that he did not experience a significance increase in academic rigor, he felt increasing pressure to pick a major, apply for internships and think about careers.

“Freshman year, you don’t give any thought to this,” Carrubba said. “You are just taking in the college life.”

In addition, Carrubba said that the social atmosphere is different between freshman and sophomore year.

“I feel as if dorm life is a little different,” Carrubba said.

“Freshman year, everyone is really close with each other, but this year, everyone has their own friend groups; it is more disconnected.”

“It’s harder to meet people,” Kwan agreed. “Freshman year, you have one thing in common: You are all new.”

Kwan also said that he is receiving less guidance than he did in freshman year.

“People expect us to be more independent,” Kwan said.

Katie DuBois (COL ’15) said she would take advantage of the committee’s new resources.

“Sophomore year is a time when we are all declaring majors and thinking about careers, so we need more guidance in that area,” DuBois said.

To Impact GU Inventors Madison Ashley Hoya Staff Writer

The Office of Technology Commercialization is preparing students and faculty inventors for patent changes set to take effect in March.

The changes, part of the America Invents Act of 2011, focus primarily on the issue of ownership. As of March 16, the United States will become a “first inventor to file” country.

Until now, the U.S. has been a “first to invent” country, meaning that if two inventors file a patent on the same invention, the patent office will review the patent to see which inventor had first conceived the invention and was able to practice it through means such as conducting trials.

Under the new system, the first person to physically file the patent will be considered its inventor, encouraging patents to be filed much earlier than before.

The OTC issued a statement earlier this week urging all current and prospective inventors to submit any outstanding patent applications as soon as possible in order to beat the March 16 deadline.

“Since the current patent rules favor universities, where the invention disclosure and patenting process can take some time, and gives us the opportunity to try to prove our inventors were the first to make the invention, we are trying to file patent applications on inventions under the existing rules,” Claudia

Stewart, vice president for technology commercialization, said.

While the office does have some undergraduate patents, the large majority of patentholders are graduate students and faculty members.

Sivanesan Dakshanamurthy, an assistant professor of oncology at the Georgetown School of Medicine, holds several patents with the university for anti-cancer treatments that he has invented. He does not, however, feel that the new system will have much impact on his work.

The OTC will hold a seminar Feb. 27 that will focus on the recent changes to patent law as well as the new online invention disclosure forms that the office is releasing.

These new forms, geared towards inventors as well as prospective inventors, will expedite the legal processes involved with patents. “[The new form] is attached to my office’s database where we manage all of the intellectual property. Faculty will be able to disclose [their inventions] immediately to our office and be able to follow the progress of their patents,” Stewart said.

Dakshanamurthy believes that the new online database will have a greater impact on his day-to-day work than the switch to a firstinventor-to-file system.

“I don’t think I will be affected by this new system,” Dakshanamurthy said. “But I do like the new online disclosure system going into effect soon. It will help me find inventions quickly.”

E-Reserves Court Case Brings Fair Use Laws Into Question Mallika Sen

Special to The Hoya

Universities and publishers are closely following a court case regarding the copyright policies of electronic course reserves — academic documents that have been catalogued online — that is awaiting trial in the U.S. Court of Appeals.

In 2008, Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press and SAGE Publications filed a lawsuit against Georgia State University. The plaintiffs allege that Georgia State violated copyright law by allowing some of the publishers’ content to be used in e-reserves without license.

Judge Orinda Dale Evans of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia ruled in favor of Georgia State in 2011, stating that the university only violated publishers’ copyrights by going over the amount of e-reserves considered fair use in five of 99 cases. The publishers, however, wanted another trial, and their motion for appeal has been granted.

Georgetown students encounter e-reserves, also known as online reserves, every day when professors post scanned articles on Blackboard.

According to Laura Leichum, intellectual property manager for the Georgetown University Press, there are varying regulations for e-reserve

access.

“Usually, the rule is only people in that class can view the material,” said Laura Leichum, intellectual property manager for the Georgetown University Press.

The press publishes about 40 books and two journals a year that are primarily aimed at scholars, according to its website.

Mark Muehlhaeusler, head of the department of copyright and digital rights management for Georgetown University Library, does not believe the case will ultimately have much effect on academic practices at Georgetown.

“When the first judgment came down, we looked at it very carefully to

see if there were [risks]. Georgetown is very careful, inherently risk-averse,” Muehlhaeusler said, adding that Georgetown makes use of e-reserves very differently than does Georgia State.

According to Muehlhaeusler, the university tries to use e-reserves sparingly and only for pertinent material whereas other schools may utilize the documents as often as possible.

Although the case may not greatly impact Georgetown, Evans’s ruling clarified that only ten percent of a book can legally be used in any reserve system.

“The case clarifies what is fair use, [and] it makes it easier to make that

determination on a day-to-day basis,” Muehlhaeusler said.

Both Leichum and Muehlhaeusler said they believe the publishers’ efforts to enforce copyright regulation is not only motivated by financial reasoning but also by the desire to preserve academic integrity.

“Copyright is not there to protect the explicit interests of the publisher,” Muehlhaeusler said. “It’s [there] to stimulate creative expression,” Ultimately, both educators and publishers want people to be able to access academic content.

“We’d like to have everyone use this material. There’s a common goal,” Leichum said.

A10

Sports

THE HOYA

friday, february 22, 2013

men’s basketball

Raising the bar

Hoyas Aim to Close Owners Split by Cash, Success Carrier With Victory T SYRACUSE, from A12 likely have adjusted his legendary 2-3 zone to neutralize Porter Jr.’s midrange jumper, which caused problems for the Orange last year. Freshman guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera will also appear high on the scouting report, having racked up 33 points on 10-of-12 shooting against DePaul.

Thompson III, who did not respond to requests for comment, has his hands full with the Syracuse offense, which ranks first in the conference in scoring and has several quality options at its disposal. In addition to Carter-Williams, senior guard Brandon Triche and junior forward C.J. Fair have ranked among the Orange’s top weapons for years.

Senior James Southerland, an insideout forward who returned from academic suspension this month to save

Syracuse from a midseason swoon, will pose a matchup nightmare off the bench.

Tomorrow’s game is not the final word on the Big East’s best rivalry, but its mind-blowing attendance and standings implications make it among the most important games of the college basketball season. The winner takes an important step toward the regular season title and at least a share of final-season bragging rights. And Thompson III has a chance to cement his place as a supervillain in Carrier Dome history, much as his father did at Manley Field House.

Hoya Nation can only hope that this final siege of Syracuse is more successful than those of their Athenian predecessors. If Porter Jr. and Co. keep up their recent dominance, they just might get their wish.

women’s lacrosse

his past Monday, longtime Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss died from kidney failure at age 80, inspiring an outpouring on ESPN of reflections on and tributes to his life and career. In NBA circles, after all, even those who despise his team remember the shrewd, insightful and charismatic Buss as one of the greatest owners in NBA history: The Lakers were far and away his most prized possession, and he put every ounce of his abundant professional and business energy into them because of it.

A few years ago, Buss passed the team on to his son Jim, who is unfortunately drawing more comparisons to Fredo Corleone than Michael. (Jim Buss has never figured out the casino business, either.) When the younger Buss’ influence in the NBA started diminishing, it became clear that the NBA — and all professional sports, for that matter — need more owners like Jerry Buss who are willing to sacrifice a little in profits for the sake of the team’s winning percentage.

Which got me thinking: Is it wrong when owners take an antiBuss path and care more about profit than team success? Obviously, it’s better for the sport as a whole (especially from the fans’ perspective) when wins matter more than the operating income, but the question is whether it’s wrong for an owner of a possession in a capitalistic society to use that possession — in this case, a sports franchise — for profit first and foremost.

A common misbelief in the sporting world is that caring about winning and caring about profit are completely aligned. In reality, while there is a strong correlation between a team that maximizes winning and a team that maximizes profit, the connection isn’t perfect.

Before 2004, the NHL did not have a salary cap. Jeremy Jacobs has owned the Boston Bruins since 1975 — thus operating in both eras — and the team made the playoffs every year during his first 21 years of ownership while usually failing to have a realistic chance at a Stanley Cup. This apparent contradiction was made

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

possible by the fact that, almost every year, Jacobs spent just enough money to generate interest in the team throughout Boston, as the team sold out nearly every game; he just didn’t spend enough money to win it all. It should be noted that, according to Forbes, Jacobs is now worth $2.7 billion, while his franchise is worth $350 million, so it’s not like he was too light in the wallet to pay for a good team. He just got a kick — and a bigger bank ac-

Tom Hoff

The correlation between winning teams and lucrative ones isn’t perfect. count — out of toying with Boston hockey fans.

Other examples of owners like this aren’t hard to find. Perhaps the worst case is that of Jeffrey Loria, the owner of MLB’s Miami Marlins who, in 2011, spent highly on free agents and suckered Miami-Dade County’s citizens into allocating some $155 million of taxpayer money for a new stadiuma, all for the sole purpose of raising ticket prices. Then, once the Marlins got off to a bad start in 2012, he traded away every decent player on the team in multiple fire sales. Miami citizens are now low on cash, Marlins fans now feel cheated by a franchise that acted like it cared and Jeffrey Loria is now even richer than he was before.

While no sports fan likes seeing such examples, is it actually immoral when owners care more about profit than anything else, or is it just annoying? In my view, the answer lies in the way that owners market their teams to their fans. If fans are sold on

the idea that the franchise cares about winning, then the least that they deserve is for the owners to actually care.

I realize that the previous sentence makes me sound naive. I’m well aware of the fact that businesses in today’s world aren’t always honest in their marketing. Coca-Cola recently launched a campaign proclaiming that they truly care about obesity in this country. And then they told me what a great investor Bernie Madoff is.

The Coke example demonstrates where I draw the line between businesslike and dishonest. If a chocolate company wants to tell us that chocolate is a great thing to buy significant others on Valentine’s Day because of tradition or some kind of special feeling that it elicits, that’s fine.

Just don’t tell us that a box of chocolates for dinner every night is good for our health. There’s focusing on the positives, and then there’s just flat-out lying about the negatives.

It’s the same idea with sports teams. While I want each owner to care about winning more than income, I wouldn’t find it immoral for an owner to care about profit first if he or she isn’t disingenuous about it to the fans. In short, don’t tell your fans you’re in it to win it when that’s simply not the case.

But trying to put people in the seats with that approach probably won’t work. Its difficulty means that it’s a road owners usually don’t take, which is why I have a problem with most cases in which owners prioritize money over winning. If public money was involved in the construction of a stadium, it’s even more important to care about winning, because no city would agree to put its tax money into a sports building if it felt that the owner didn’t want to win.

So rest in peace, Dr. Buss. We can only hope that more owners will one day begin to follow your lead.

Tom Hoff is a sophomore in the McDonough School of Business.

DOWN TO THE WIRE appears every Friday.

women’s basketball

Junior midfielder Kelyn Freedman posted a hat trick in GU’s win over Delaware, and Head Coach Ricky Fried is expecting her to sustain that level of play.

Freedman in Spotlight Battle of Skids on Deck at Pitt Against No. 17 Tigers Carolyn Maguire Hoya Staff Writer

Laura Wagner Hoya Staff Writer

It may not yet feel like spring, but the No. 15 Georgetown women’s lacrosse (1-0, 0-0 Big East) season is now in full swing as the team prepares to face No. 17 Towson (0-1, 0-0 Colonial) in the season home opener this Saturday.

After a 16-12 victory last week over Delaware, the Hoyas are hoping to keep their momentum going with a win over a talented Tigers team this weekend. Though Towson may sit below Georgetown in the rankings, they are a tenacious team that played its way into the NCAA tournament at the end of last season.

Georgetown Head Coach Ricky Fried, therefore, is prepared for a close game.

“They’re a blue-collar physical team, very talented and they’re going to go after you,” Fried said. “So I think we have to keep our composure and focus on doing the little things on a consistent basis even after we make a mistake.”

In early-season games, mistakes are inevitable as teams adjust to the competition. That was certainly the case for the Hoyas, who made some uncharacteristic passing errors during their opening game against the Blue Hens.

Those kinds of slip-ups, Fried explained, could be attributed above all to simple first-game nerves.

“I think it was a combination of being tentative and having a lot of adrenaline,” he said. “We got safe with some of our passes, so we threw them short. We wanted to make sure our teammates caught passes and therefore we didn’t throw very good passes sometimes.”

But despite the occasional dropped pass, Fried was pleased with his team’s speed, aggression and especially their teamwork.

“We had 12 scorers for 16 points.

Our offense doesn’t revolve around one person — everybody is involved,”

Fried said. “You know, very similar to — and I don’t want to compare it exactly to them — the men’s basketball team. The ball moves, and when you have the shot you take the shot, when you have a pass you make the pass. Every player has to make the most of that opportunity.”

No matter the emphasis on team play, however, there were definitely some standout players in Saturday’s opener.

Freshman attacker Corinne Etchinson was the most notable among them, tallying two goals and two assists in her first game as a Hoya, while junior midfielder Kelyn Freedman racked up three goals and one assist.

Fried is predicting big things this season for Freedman, who was named to the Big East weekly honor roll for her performance against Delaware.

“She has gone through some injuries, and I think she is feeling 100 percent for the first time going into the season and she is feeling really good about that,” Fried said. “She has a couple years under her belt, so she knows exactly what we are expecting of her.”

Freedman and other upperclassmen may be comfortable with their individual roles on the squad, but Saturday’s showdown against Towson is going to help the Blue and Gray continue to figure out their identity as a team.

Playing ranked opponents early in the season isn’t always seen as an advantage, but Fried is looking forward to seeing what his team is made of as play begins.

“Very rarely do you have a statement game in the second game of the season,” Fried said. “This is a statement game because of the opponent we are playing, where they’re ranked and how they play. So I think it going to tell us a lot about ourselves.”

The opening draw between Georgetown and Towson is slated for 1 p.m. at MultiSport Facility.

One way or another, a losing streak will end Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh when the Georgetown women’s basketball team (1312, 4-8 Big East) takes on Pitt (9-16, 0-12 Big East). The Hoyas are aiming to end their four-game slide, while the Panthers look to end their 12game losing streak in the teams’ final regular-season meeting before Pittsburgh leaves for the ACC. “I am always afraid of playing teams that haven’t won a game in the Big East,” Head Coach Keith Brown said. “[Pittsburgh’s] coach is telling them to just get this game, to just win this game. [The next game] happens to be us, and they are at home. I expect it to be a dogfight.”

The Blue and Gray — coming off a particularly disheartening 57-44 loss at the hands of Villanova — have defeated the Panthers once already this season, securing a 69-57 win at McDonough Arena on Jan. 26.

“I think we match up with them well. They have a big kid and a good guard,” Brown said. “They play hard, and it’s a great atmosphere to play in. Pitt gets a great crowd and they have a great arena, but I think we match up well with them.”

Georgetown, which has dressed as few as eight players in recent games, will have to overcome both its short bench and ever-changing starting lineup as it seeks to earn the road win against Pitt.

“We are learning how to play through the injuries — our chemistry is getting better,” Brown said.

“Our chemistry hadn’t been really good [before] because the injuries we have had have been in spots where you can’t have them.”

In the first meeting between the two teams, the Hoyas dominated inside, outscoring the visiting Panthers 38-16 in the paint. Because of injuries at the guard spot, the Blue and Gray will once again have to depend on strong post play from junior forward Andrea White and rejuvenated senior center Sydney Wilson on Saturday.

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS GRIVAS/THE HOYA

Senior center Sydney Wilson (left) and junior forward Andrea White will be counted on to step up Saturday due to backcourt injuries.

“We don’t have any guards, so we are going to have to throw it into the post. Hopefully Sydney will have a big game for us,” Brown said.

“I think Andrea coming back is important, but she has been out for two weeks and she was extremely rusty against Villanova. … Hopefully, Andrea can come in and all of them will help us in the paint.”

While the team as a whole has struggled this season, the team does have two especially potent offensive players in junior forward Asia Logan and sophomore guard Brianna Kiesel. Both Pittsburgh players average 14.6 points per games and rank in the top 10 in the Big East in scoring.

“We need to limit their touches,” Brown said. “You have to limit their best players touches, and if we can do that, I think we will be okay. “ Georgetown has struggled to outrebound teams so far this season and was outrebounded by Pittsburgh in the teams’ first meeting.

According to Brown, you should expect that to should change this time around.

“Rebounding is a thing that is giving teams second shots [against us],” Brown said. “I think we have emphasized all week long that rebounding is going to be the way that we get back in this and start winning some basketball games. … We have to defend better and stop giving up easy shots and open three-pointers.”

And although the Hoyas find themselves among the Big East leaders in terms of scoring, Brown noted that his squad could still benefit from making the extra pass in their offensive sets.

“We have to share the ball. We have to get our assist ratio up,” Brown said. “[Senior guard] Sugar [Rodgers] is the only one having the assists, so we aren’t sharing the ball, so we have to look for that extra pass.”

Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. Saturday.

sports

FRIDAY, February 22, 2013

THE HOYA

A11

BASEBALL

MEN’S BASKETBALL

GU Seeks Greener Pastures After Opening Letdown Will Edman

south and get snow,” Wilk said.

Due to the wintry weather, Georgetown’s scheduled Sunday game against USC Upstate Especially given the snow that blanketed was cancelled outright. the field during the Georgetown baseball Although the Hoyas failed to deliver in sevteam’s opening weekend, the Blue and Gray’s eral major aspects of the game over the weekperformance through its first two contests end, their struggles can first and foremost could be described as flaky at best. Now look- be chalked up to poor defensive execution. ing to turn things around, Georgetown (0-2) Wilk attributed these difficulties to a lack of travels to North Carolina today to face David- preparation in using proper facilities during son and Lafayette in this weekend’s Davidson the offseason.

Tournament.

“This is going to sound like an excuse, The Hoyas began their season with high but it’s not meant to sound that way,” Wilk hopes last weekend but failed to perform, said. “Until we had gone down there, we had losing to Wofford 6-5 in extra innings and spikes in our own dirt, which was soft and UNC Asheville 7-4. As Head Coach Pete Wilk slow, three times. We went down there and emphasized, there can be no such repeat per- it was fast — both infields were fast — and formance at Davidson. we were not prepared to “We played poorly. De- “I was proud of the play on them. I think if fensively, offensively, you we played those teams two name it,” Wilk said. way we competed weeks from now, we’d beat In the Wofford game last them both.”

Friday, Georgetown fell be- and came back, but This weekend, Georgehind 5-1 before storming it shouldn’t have town will need to tighten back in a bizarre seventh up its play if it hopes to inning that featured two been that close.” come out victorious in its walks, a hit-by-pitch and two games against Davidpete wilk only one hit — a two-run trison (2-1) and its one against Baseball Head Coach ple by senior centerfielder Lafayette (0-0).

Justin Leeson. After three scoreless innings Wilk noted that Davidson, coming off a from senior pitcher Neal Dennison, who sweep of George Washington last weekend, Wilk cited as the highlight of an otherwise should be beatable for Georgetown on Friday “OK to bad” pitching weekend, Georgetown and Sunday. failed to capitalize on a chance to take the “Davidson never beats themselves, they’re lead when junior right fielder Christian Ven- well-coached and they seem to always know ditti grounded out with the bases loaded in who they are and what they do well,” Wilk the ninth inning. said. “They will not beat themselves — we’ll Wofford capitalized immediately, walking have to beat them. But it can be done.” off on a tenth-inning sacrifice bunt.

On Saturday, the Hoyas will hope to avoid “I was proud of the way we competed and the fate of the men’s lacrosse team, which came back, but it shouldn’t have been that lost an overtime heartbreaker to Lafayette close,” Wilk said. “We did a nice job of com- last weekend. The baseball Leopards will be ing back, but we gave them the game.” playing their first game of the season and The game against UNC Asheville on Satur- will likely need to shake off some early-season day featured a bizarre ending, as the unchar- rust, just as Georgetown did last weekend. acteristic snow forced the game to be called “Lafayette is always a wild card, and I don’t during the seventh inning. Georgetown took know what we’re going to get out of them,” leads at 1-0 and 4-3, but UNC Asheville took Wilk said. “We’re better than them on paper, the lead for good in the fourth inning when but the game isn’t played on paper.” a Hoya defensive implosion resulted in three In a perfect world, Georgetown would earn unearned runs. The Blue and Gray were then a sweep this weekend and return home with given no opportunity to bounce back, as the a winning record. However, Wilk emphasized snowstorm ended the game prematurely. that the Hoyas will require some time — and “Never in my wildest dreams did I think game experience — before they will be able to we were going to drive eight-and-a-half hours hit their stride.

Hoya Staff Writer

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

Junior forward Nate Lubick echoed Smith-Rivera’s stellar efficiency numbers in his 35-minute shift against DePaul, putting up 15 points on just 7-of-11 from the floor.

Dormant Offense Explodes DEPAUL, from A12

stick around.

The more talented team eventually prevailed, with Smith-Rivera and sophomore guard Jabril Trawick slicing through the Blue Demons’ swiss-cheese halfcourt set for open layups and easy dishes to Porter Jr. and Lubick.

Even the Blue Demons’ full-court press did little to stop the Hoyas; the few times they set it up, junior point guard Markel Starks orchestrated the press break perfectly for easy transition baskets.

Thompson III was particularly satisfied with the result in advance of Saturday’s showdown at the Carrier

Dome; much of the week’s media attention had centered around the Syracuse game, and Tuesday’s practice left doubts about his team’s focus.

“I was very nervous coming into this game,” he said.

“Yesterday, we probably had our worst practice of the year by far.”

He need not worry, though. The Hoyas cruised, and the closing minutes of the game bore all the signs of a Blue and Gray blowout, with Trawick and frustrated opponents being separated by officials, dunks from junior swingman Aaron Bowen and loud “CA-PRI-O” chants from the home crowd.

Perhaps the strangest as-

pect of a game in which Georgetown nearly broke the century mark had nothing to do with the game itself: The Verizon Center scoreboard, which shut off completely in last night’s Wizards-Raptors game, flashed strange symbols and random letters periodically throughout the first half.

Event staff eventually turned off the player point and foul displays, leaving only the game clock and score, prompting the night’s best tweet, courtesy of the AP’s Joseph White.

“Good thing game ended when it did,” White wrote.

“The way Hoyas were playing, they might’ve broken the scoreboard.”

Raising the bar

All-Star Game Another Snoozer G erald Green brought the house down.

Green’s inaugural dunk in the 2013 Slam Dunk Contest was no ordinary liftoff. The off-the-side-of-thebackboard, double-clutch, reverse dunk from the Indiana Pacers small forward electrified the crowd gathered in Houston for the NBA All- Star Weekend. It brought the group of friends I was with to their feet, some screaming in delight, some simply standing and staring in awe. The thunderous throw-down represented a hope — maybe this was the year we would see the unbelievable in the dunk contest.

Maybe this was the year we could discard all rational thought and forget, just for a few hours, how high a human could jump and how hard they could come down.

Maybe this was the year the NBA All-Star Weekend would be meaningful, and would be something greater than a little hiatus in the NBA calendar.

Unfortunately for us, the house Green brought down was more of a mirage than a mansion. Once again, AllStar Weekend was hyped to be a premier event in the NBA season and a chance to see the greats of the past, today’s superstars and tomorrow’s NBA elite gather under one roof. The recipe is simple: Bring the stars and celebrities to one arena in the middle of February, and just add a ball. Things would work themselves out, right?

Maybe not. Another year, another lackluster NBA AllStar Weekend. The year that James “Flight” White was supposed to take off and take over the Dunk Contest just never got off the ground.

Kicking off the supposed excitement of Saturday night was the Three-Point Contest, and although the event was only under pressure to follow up the pitiful Skills Challenge, the end result still left me hankering for more. Steve Novak — the plucky hero of every viewer sitting at home — turned in an underwhelming performance and was beat out

by Kyrie Irving, the Cleve-

land Cavaliers’ wonder kid.

In the final round, Irving found himself matched up against the poor man’s Novak, the San Antonio Spurs’ Matt Bonner, and beat him by three triples, continuing a torrid stretch for the Duke product. But Kyrie seemed unimpressed with his victory, and knowing he wasn’t the best three-ball shooter there only cheapened the victory.

The dunk contest concluded Saturday night, and the aftertaste was equally bitter. The best dunk? Gerald Green’s aforementioned jam. The best dunker?

Peter Barston

Sunday night was a glorified pickup game, not a true spectacle.

“Flight” White, his outer space hops the focus of the buildup to this year’s incarnation of the storied event. Neither of these men, though, emerged victorious, punished for an unspectacular second dunk and questionable scoring from the presiding judges, respectively. With the most important dunkers sitting out the finale, Terrence Ross defeated Jeremy Evans in a yawner.

Finally, we arrived at the All-Star Game Sunday night.

Sure enough, the game was filled with moments to revel in, like Kobe Bryant’s block on LeBron James, Chris Bosh’s hilarity-filled 23 minutes and Blake Griffin’s alley-oop to himself to cap things off. But the contest was a glorified pickup game, not a representation of the finest the NBA has to offer. It was back-and-forth to a fault, with defense not to be found in the entire state of Texas. Yes, the stars were on display, but they weren’t allowed to truly showcase the skills we have

to come to know and love.

They were just out there to show up one another in what amounts, year after year, to a loosely organized shoot-around and alley-oop exhibition.

The problem with All-Star Weekend lies in what it asks us as fans to do. The All-Star game, the dunk contest, the three point contest — they all ask you to expect the unexpected, demand the unrealistic. This seems natural for the lighthearted festivities, but the side effects of this prescription are unintended and ugly. All-Star Weekend requires you to throw out every serious angle of the game of basketball you have. Suddenly, instead of five players moving in harmony on a quest to score and five men tasked with keeping the ball out of the hoop at all costs, the game is completely changed. Now it’s players showing less energy in running the obstacle course than they do warming up for a regular season game. It’s one guy moving around the arc, chucking up threes. It’s James White missing five dunks in the span of two minutes because he is convinced he can pull off the impossible. It’s the two teams combining for 281 points and 116 field goals in 48 minutes of play.

Serious basketball minds are turned to mush when All-Star Weekend rolls around. Those critical, serious outlooks are replaced by a view of the stars assembled in the arena, a constant stream of loud music and louder outfits further diluting the product. Basketball?

What’s that? Watch the players! Keep an eye out for those celebrities!

All-Star Weekend is supposed to shine the brightest lights in the NBA. For yet another year, however, it has only dimmed them. Thankfully, the whole get-together of All-Star Weekend is not entirely useless. After all, midterms are in full swing.

I could sure use a nap.

Peter Barston is a freshman in the McDonough School of Business. RAISING THE BAR appears every Friday.

MEN’S LACROSSE

Navy Presents Chance for First Wins of Season, Warne Career NAVY, from A12 Sunday. The best thing is everything is correctable.”

One thing that needs some correction is the one-dimensionality of the Blue and Gray’s offense, as sinking the Midshipmen is a task that can’t rest on the shoulders of Casey alone.

The Maryland native posted four goals and an assist against the Leopards, in the process accounting at least partially for half of the Hoyas’ total tallies on the day. Sophomore attack Reilly O’Connor added a goal and three assists in his own right to make a case as the potential Robin to Casey’s Batman, but when that kind of tandem effort still isn’t enough to get the job done, it becomes obvious that bigger contributions from other sources will be essential going forward.

Even so, Warne viewed Casey’s gutsy — if largely solo — performance last weekend as more of a positive for the team than anything else.

“I see it as encouraging. You want your senior leaders to step up and set the tone in the beginning of the year for the rest of the season,” Warne said.

Outside of Casey, though, that was hardly the case Saturday.

Senior attacker Travis Comeau, a preseason all-Big East selection prior to the 2012 campaign, started on the bench against Lafayette and was virtually invisible throughout; senior midfielder Dan McKinney — who got a preseason all-Big East nod this year — had one goal on five shots; and senior defenseman Chris Nourse didn’t force a single Leopards turnover despite ranking third in the conference in the category last season.

All told, Georgetown’s third-, fourth- and fifth-highest point men in 2012 (seniors McKinney, Jason McFadden and Zac Guy, respectively) combined for two goals and three assists between them.

The good news, of course, is how upperclassmen-heavy this Hoya squad evidently is all over the field. The lone place where youth predominates is in the cage, where freshman keeper Alex Joyce allowed 11 goals on 21 Lafayette shots Saturday.

Navy, meanwhile, hung 20 on Virginia Military Institute in the two teams’ season-opener Feb. 9, marking the program’s highest individual-game goal total since 2004. VMI has been outright dominated in its two games since then, however, and that same Navy explosiveness hasn’t resurfaced in its most recent outings — an 11-7 home win over Detroit and a 10-9 road loss to Fairfield Tuesday.

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS GRIVAS/THE HOYA

Freshman goalie Alex Joyce was the lone underclassman in Georgetown’s starting lineup Saturday. He finished with 10 saves.

Whether Navy’s offensive firepower was the result simply of a weak opponent, then, still remains to be seen. But that doesn’t mean Georgetown’s defensive unit can afford to take any chances Sunday, according to Warne.

“I think they’re really good offensively and very aggressive defensively,” he said of the Midshipmen. “Their attack has been playing together for three years, so they know each other pretty well and they do a good job within their system.”

The bottom line, then? Warne and Co. will have to show up in a big way Sunday if they’re hoping to get rid of that goose egg in their record in front of their home fans.

“Navy is a team that always plays with a lot of toughness,” Warne said. “They’re going to play for a full 60 minutes.”

The opening faceoff is set for noon Sunday at MultiSport Facility.

SPORTS

BASKETBALL Hoyas (20-4) at Syracuse (22-4) Saturday, 4 p.m.

Carrier Dome

FRIDAY, FEBR UARY 22, 2013

WOMEN’S BBALL The Hoyas hit the road Saturday for a rematch with the Pitt Panthers.

See A10

TALKING POINTS

“

NUMBERS GAME

4 ”

Yesterday, we probably had our worst practice of the year.

The number of goals scored by senior attack Brian Casey Saturday.

Men’s basketball Head Coach John Thompson III

MEN’S BASKETBALL

HOLLANDER

Forget Foe: Record Crowd Awaits GU at Carrier Dome DSR on

BY THE NUMBERS The Rise 35,012 I PAT CURRAN

Hoya Staff Writer

f a rising tide lifts all boats, a weak opponent makes every player look better. Even so, D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera’s star burned bright against lowly DePaul Wednesday night.

It was the best effort of the freshman guard’s career, although his absurdly high shooting percentage — 83.3 percent — was probably more a result of the Blue Demons’ ghoulish defense.

But it is part of an upswing. DSR is shooting 35-of-75 from the floor, for about 46.6 percent, during the Blue and Gray’s eight-game winning streak.

While some Hoyas appear to suffer from diminishing returns the more time they spend on the floor — sophomore center Mikael Hopkins certainly comes to mind — Smith-Rivera has prospered as his minutes have increased.

DSR has sometimes struggled from behind the arc this season, but Head Coach John Thompson III has been more than willing to let the freshman take good shots from three-point range, even when they aren’t falling.

“He’s gotten a little more comfortable,” Thompson III said of Smith-Rivera Wednesday night. “He knows where his shots are coming from.”

With a seemingly keen appreciation for his own strengths, it’s no surprise that DSR has been raining treys of late.

8-of-10 from the charity stripe Wednesday night, Smith-Rivera’s ability to knock down free throws is an

During the great Mediterranean wars of old, the city of Syracuse found itself under attack on several occasions. In 415 BC, the Athenians laid siege to its walls. Thirty years later, the Carthaginians were repealed. In 212, the Romans prevailed.

This Saturday, the Hoyas take their turn.

While tomorrow’s clash between No. 8 Syracuse and No. 11 Georgetown won’t be the teams’ last meeting, it may well go down

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS GRIVAS/THE HOYA

Sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr. will play an essential role Saturday in breaking down Syracuse’s zone.

as one of their greatest. The Orange and Hoyas will do battle in the cavernous Carrier Dome for the final time as Big East rivals and before the largest crowd ever to witness a basketball game in an on-campus arena.

The game marks the beginning of the last chapter in the fierce conference rivalry — a rivalry considered one of college basketball’s best ever since the cold 1980 night when John Thompson Jr. declared Manley Field House “officially closed.” The two squads have combined for 12 Big East championships, 10 overtime games and scores of unforgettable moments.

It’s only fitting, then, that Saturday’s showdown has all the makings of a Hollywood epic.

There’s the high-stakes situation. The two teams enter the game having asserted their dominance as co-owners of the Big East’s top spot — Georgetown in 24-point fashion over DePaul, Syracuse by 25 over Providence. They’ll meet twice in the last two weeks of the regular season, jockeying for pole position at Madison Square Garden in their final season together.

There’s the clash of coaching titans. Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim — one of the best to ever live — manages one of the country’s most dangerous, balanced teams.

Georgetown’s Thompson III has marshaled the Hoyas to yet another overachieving season and is the favorite for Big East coach of the year. Each season, the dueling giants make adjustments to attack each others’ weak points; each season, the resulting chess match is one of the winter’s high points.

There’s the star power. George-

The number of tickets sold for Saturday’s game, a college basketball record for an on-campus arena

22-8 The final score of last year’s game at the Carrier Dome

13

EVAN HOLLANDER is a junior in the School of Foreign Service and former sports editor of The Hoya.

64-61

(OT )

Rebounds secured by then-freshman Otto Porter Jr. in last season’s loss

town forward Otto Porter Jr. and Syracuse guard Michael CarterWilliams have emerged as two of the nation’s best players in their sophomore seasons. At 6-foot-6, Carter-Williams distributes effectively for a cast of veterans; Porter Jr. is the go-to scorer and defensive stopper on an inexperienced squad.

So what should we expect?

History says the Orange — like their Sicilian predecessors — have a pretty big advantage. They rank higher than the Blue and Gray in every major statistical category.

They lead the all-time series at the Carrier Dome, 22-8, where they haven’t lost there since February 2011. They’ve beaten every ranked

MEN’S BASKETBALL

added comfort for Georgetown fans — and an added benefit if the freshman is increasingly on the floor in late-game situations.

For a team that has almost always put squad before self, the way that SmithRivera and junior point guard Markel Starks work together is also important.

The two bring different skill sets, with Starks looking most comfortable bringing the ball up the floor and distributing it and Smith-Rivera a seemingly more confident scorer. That being said, if the two find their stroke at the same time, these Hoyas will be very tough to handle.

Freshmen are often expected to prosper on their home floor, while experience counts more on the road. And there is no greater lion’s den in college basketball than the Carrier Dome, so what can we expect from DSR Saturday?

If past performance is any guide, we can expect quite a lot. Smith-Rivera has scored in double figures in every Big East road game this season save for an eight-point, 10-rebound effort at St. John’s.

And in Georgetown’s loss at South Florida, DSR’s 16-point outburst provided the only burst of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy outing.

Unlike standout sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr., the Hoyas won’t live or die

by DSR. But the difference between surviving and thriving in the next six games may well be up to the sophomore.

DSR’s offensive efforts against DePaul have the Georgetown faithful riding high going into the Syracuse. But the fanbase’s native pessismists have an angle as well: The Blue Demons join the Hoyas in their “Catholic Seven” venture.

Considering that one of DePaul’s two Big East wins came against fellow “basketball school” Providence, it’s high time for Georgetown President John J. DeGioia and Athletic Director Lee Reed to stress quality over quantity when the new league considers adding members.

The all-time record between the two schools at the Carrier Dome

team they’ve played this year. The record-breaking crowd of 35,012 should only make things more difficult for the Hoyas.

The caveat: The last visitor to win at the Dome was, of course, Georgetown. The Hoyas looked near-unbeatable Wednesday night — granted, against the worst defensive team in the league — and have withstood every test possible in their recent eight-game win streak. And the hosts’ statistical advantages can be chalked up to a much faster style of play.

The two coaches know each others’ tactics so well that very little will surprise either. Boeheim will See SYRACUSE, A10

MEN’S LACROSSE

Frosh Outburst Leads Hoyas Over Demons PAT CURRAN

Hoya Staff Writer

DePaul (11-15, 2-11 Big East) made No. 11 Georgetown (20-4, 10-3 Big East) and its modest offense look like the Showtime Lakers Wednesday night, bowing out in a 90-66 Blue and Gray blowout.

Freshman guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera shot 10-of-12 from the field for a spectacular 33 points, the most scored by a Georgetown rookie since Victor Page’s 34 in 1996. Junior forward Nate Lubick added 15 points and eight rebounds.

“He puts the ball in the basket,” Georgetown Head Coach John Thompson III said of Smith-Rivera.

“As the year has progressed, he’s gotten a little more comfortable.

He knows where his shots are coming from.”

Smith-Rivera wasn’t alone in his lights-out performance — the rest of the Hoyas joined him in taking advantage of the worst defensive effort to grace Verizon Center in years. DePaul played no help defense, no transition defense and only slightly more man defense, allowing their offensively-challenged hosts to break 90 points in a game for the first time this season.

The Hoyas spent the entire second half on cruise control despite the absence of sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr., who injured his knee in a first-half collision and sat for most of the second frame.

“I think he’s going to be OK — he banged knees and he was sore. I think it scared him more

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS GRIVAS/THE HOYA

Sophomore attack Reilly O’Connor complemented Brian Casey with a goal and three assists of his own, but even that wasn’t enough.

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS GRIVAS/THE HOYA

Freshman guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera scored 33 points, making history in the process. than anything else,” Thompson III said, adding that he could have reinserted Porter into the lineup if need be.

Early on, however, the trackmeet atmosphere appeared to catch Georgetown with its guard down. The Blue and Gray bounced back from an ugly start to establish a narrow lead, but poor boxing out — and transition defense nearly as bad as DePaul’s — allowed the outmatched visitors to See DEPAUL, A11

Stars Seeking Help Against Midshipmen RYAN BACIC

Hoya Staff Writer

A fourth-quarter collapse necessitated a late equalizer from herculean senior attack Brian Casey last Saturday, but, in the end, an overtime game-winner from visiting Lafayette broke the hearts of the Georgetown men’s lacrosse team (0-1, 0-0 Big East) and left it still seeking its first win of the season.

Perhaps more importantly, last weekend’s collapse meant that firstyear Head Coach Kevin Warne was left looking for the first victory of

Visit us online at thehoya.com/sports

his career. Warne will now have one more shot to get over that hump at home Sunday against Navy (2-1, 0-0 Patriot League) before the Hoyas hit the road for a three-game away stretch.

“Personally [my first win] will come when it comes, but for our guys it’s important not to focus on the wins but on the process of how we’re going to get a win,” Warne said. “I think we saw some encouraging signs on Saturday and will look to improve on some things for See NAVY, A11