The Hoya: Feb. 24, 2012

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

Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 93, No. 34, © 2012

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

GUSA WINNERS: CLARA AND VAIL

RESULTS Check thehoya.com for more on Gustafson and KohnertYount’s victory.

GUSA President-Elect Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13) and Vice President-Elect Vail Kohnert-Yount (SFS ’13) won this year’s election early Friday morning.

Gustafson Wins Election

Med Center Deficit Over $22 Million HIROMI OKA

GUSA executive election marks first time turnout has exceeded 50 percent

Hoya Staff Writer

The university has projected annual budget shortfalls for the Georgetown University Medical Center of more than $20 million for each of the next five years, according to university financial plans.

GUMC has a history of finishing in the red; it has run deficits of more than $15 million each year since 1995, THE HOYA reported in 2004. In 2000, the center sold the university’s hospital to MedStar Health in an attempt to ease its debt burden.

Today, the Medical Center encompasses the School of Nursing and Health Studies, the School of Medicine, the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Biomedical Graduate Research Organization.

According to the university’s Financial Plan 2013-2016, the medical center was the largest contributor to the university’s overall deficit in fiscal year 2011, with expenses running $22.1 million over revenues.

University services, which include the Office of the President and several other

SAM RODMAN Hoya Staff Writer

Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13) and Vail Kohnert-Yount (SFS ’13) won this year’s GUSA executive election with just over 50 percent of the vote in the sixth and final round.

About 3,700 ballots were cast in the election, a record-high turnout for any Georgetown University Student Association vote.

This year’s race marked the first time that more than 50 percent of the

MORE ONLINE Read more about the results of the election at thehoya.com. student body participated in an election or referendum.

The number of ballots cast surpassed the previous executive election record set in 2010, in which 3,089 total votes were counted. This year’s election beat that mark by 1 p.m. Thursday, at which time the polls had been open for just under 15 hours.

MORE INSIDE A look at Medical Center and GU deficits during the past eight years. administrative offices, also ran a deficit in 2011, ending the year $5.4 million in the red. But due to surpluses from the main campus and law center, the university’s overall deficit was cut to $12.8 million.

Howard Federoff, executive vice president for health sciences and executive dean of the School of Medicine, said that the medical center is taking measures to reduce costs.

“GUMC is developing and implementing a new fiscal structure … that responds to the declining availability of federal research funding and other external factors while guiding us toward sustainable growth and maximizing opportunities for our success,” Federoff wrote in an email.

According to university spokeswoman Stacy Kerr, GUMC is run efficiently despite the continued deficits.

“The investments we are making are core to our mission and identity as a world-class research university,” Kerr wrote in an email. “In an environment of increased competition for federal research money and expanding external See DEFICITS, A5

TOP RIGHT, TOP LEFT, BOTTOM LEFT: SARI FRANKEL/THE HOYA, BOTTOM RIGHT: NICOLE MCKENZIE FOR THE HOYA

Campaigning for GUSA executive elections wrapped up Thursday night as students voted in record numbers.

See GUSA, A5

Campus Plan Processes: A Battle or a Breeze SARAH PATRICK Hoya Staff Writer

While Georgetown has been entangled in debates over its campus plan since December 2010, other D.C. universities have also spent months or years trying to gain approval for their own campus plans.

D.C. municipal regulations require universities to submit comprehensive plans for their expansion to the Zoning Commission at regular intervals.

The duration and scope of the plans differ widely — Georgetown’s plan must be renewed every decade while the George Washington University’s cur-

rent plan will last 20 years — as do universities’ interactions with community members and the Zoning Commission.

At a Feb. 9 hearing, the Zoning Commission voted to push back its ruling on Georgetown’s 2010 Campus Plan, the third time it has delayed the decision.

By contrast, The George Washington University’s 2007 Foggy Bottom Campus Plan, which outlines development objectives for 16 sites on the school’s main campus over the course of the next 20 years, was approved by the commission the same year it was proposed.

HOPING TO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE ON THE HILLTOP

See PLANS, A5

ELIZABETH CHEUNG FOR THE HOYA

The D.C. Zoning Commission has become a stage for universities’ dramatic fights to win approval for their campus plans.

CSJ Seeks New Director OMIKA JIKARIA

Special to The Hoya

CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

Hoyas for Immigrant Rights tabled in Red Square Tuesday to support the DREAM Act. See story on A4.

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

After two years under interim leadership, the Center for Social Justice aims to hire a permanent director by the end of the spring semester.

The center’s founder, Kathleen Maas Weigert, left in 2010 after nine years as its director to become an adviser to the provost’s office at Loyola University Chicago, as well as a research professor of social justice.

Following her departure, the Office of the Provost and the Office of the President decided to reassess the scope of social justice work at Georgetown.

Administrators led working groups of a few dozen faculty members, students and senior administrators to consider campus and community impact, alumni, academics and national partnerships. The results of these discussions were intended to be used to create a guideline for the job de-

Published Tuesdays and Fridays

scription of the next permanent director of the CSJ. In July 2010, Jane Genster, a leader of the evaluation effort, was appointed interim executive director of the CSJ after serving as university vice president and general counsel from 2000 to 2009.

According to Associate Director Raymond Shiu, the CSJ is waiting to hire a permanent director until it finds a candidate capable of matching the stability that Weigert provided for the center.

University spokeswoman Stacy Kerr wrote in an email that Genster has remained interim director for a second academic year in order to ease the search for a permanent hire.

“Although Jane is the interim director, there has been little that is ‘interim’ about her leadership,” wrote.

While at the helm of the CSJ, Genster has made several key hiring decisions to See CSJ, A5

Send Story Ideas and Tips to news@thehoya.com

A2

OPINION

THE HOYA

friDAY, February 24, 2012

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

No Right to Same-Sex Marriage

Founded January 14, 1920

To the Editor:

New Perspectives for ANC The Advisory Neighborhood Commission offers students a unique opportunity to hold elected office before they graduate from college, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re best suited for the job.

As a result of December’s redistricting process, it is likely that two students will be elected to the commission this year. But because each of their terms lasts only two years and the timing of the elections makes it impossible for students to run for more than one term, it is hard for a student commissioner to make lasting changes.

That’s why a faculty member living on campus or a chaplain-in-residence should run for Georgetown’s second seat on the ANC. The university cannot rely on students alone to help foster positive negotiations with our neighbors through the commission.

Jake Sticka (COL ’13) has served on the ANC for two years, but his term will end in November. He has already taken it upon himself to prepare for the election by seeking out freshmen who wish to follow in his footsteps and be at the forefront of towngown relations.

But student interest in the ANC is often — and understandably — underwhelming.

Candidates must begin preparations starting in the spring of freshman year to serve through junior year, often only to have their opinions marginalized by other ANC commissioners. While we commend Sticka for his dedication and perseverance in the face of difficult relations and contentious issues, we recognize that it is impossible for him or any student to do it alone.

Because the university is set to receive another seat on the ANC this year, representation is more critical than ever. The question of who will represent Georgetown and student interests is even weightier given the controversial nature of the ongoing 2010 Campus Plan debate and already strained town-gown relations.

Luckily, the university has a more permanent option for representation. On-campus faculty and chaplains-in-residence should consider running for election to better represent Georgetown. With a tad more perspective than current students, faculty who live on campus would be able to advocate well on behalf of the university’s interests and could run for multiple terms as other commissioners typically do. This would allow the university to have a more lasting voice on the commission to match the many long-serving neighborhood representatives. In addition, a full-time professor or religious leader might garner more respect from the other members of the ANC than another student representative could.

We do not, of course, want to ignore the role of student advocacy. Any student interested in running for a position on the ANC should look to Sticka’s success for motivation. Now that Georgetown has been allocated an additional seat, we would like to see both a student and a faculty member or chaplain-in-residence represent us in hopes that the balance will allow us to better work with our neighbors.

It might be tough to persuade faculty members or chaplains to undertake such an endeavor, especially given that the option has technically been available in the past but never taken up. A position on the ANC is unpaid and requires a substantial time commitment. But given that these faculty members and chaplains already volunteer to live on campus for the good of students, sacrificing their time and energy, perhaps they might be willing to take on a similar burden for the university.

It’s not easy to be an ANC commissioner, and we admire Sticka for acting on his realization that students should get involved in off-campus relations. But we can’t help but feel that the student voice might be made clearer if a faculty member or chaplain were advocating on the university’s behalf as well.

Over the past few weeks, I have been upset by events taking place in America with regard to same-sex marriage, from a decision to overturn Proposition 8 in California — thereby making gay marriage legal there — to the passage of such laws allowing gay marriage in Washington and New Jersey. My frustration deepened when I saw last Friday’s column by Scott Stirrett, “Advancing Gay Rights” (The Hoya, A3, Feb. 17, 2012).

I am a committed Republican, but I’m also openly gay. Gay people are being denied no rights, as I see it.

Under the Constitution, which I hope someday has a traditional marriage amendment, a straight person may marry a member of the opposite sex, and so can a gay person. Gay men have the legal right to marry women, just as straight men do. A straight person could not marry someone of the same sex even if he wanted to; similarly, a gay person cannot. As such, this argument that there is discrimination in our laws is

Scott Ruesterholz (MSB ’14)

THE VERDICT

C C C

EDITORIAL

nonsensical and ignores the facts. Gay people have the exact same marital rights as straight people.

The gay rights movement is not about bringing about equality, but rather about creating a fundamentally new right that would alter our nation’s moral and societal landscape. To me, the basic building block of our society is the family, and the core essence of the family is a marriage. Marriage means more than that two people live in the same house and sleep in the same bed; there is a deeper commitment that, more often than not, involves raising children. The simple biological fact is that two members of the same sex cannot procreate, no matter how much they love each other. Seeing marriage for what it is, the fabric from which our society is woven, it is clear that members of the same sex cannot marry. The gay rights movement does not speak for me, the voters of California or New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

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Psyched Up, Grayed Out – There will be a basketball pep rally this afternoon in Red Square before the men’s basketball team plays Villanova on Senior Day tomorrow.

Black Tie Affair – Tickets to the 87th annual Diplomatic Ball will be sold to all undergraduates today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Red Square.

Victims of Piracy – The Hoyas suffered their worst loss of the season Tuesday night, falling to the Seton Hall Pirates, 73-55. See further coverage on A10.

A Continental Breakfast – The European Club will sponsor a Mediterraneanthemed brunch at Puro Cafe on Wisconsin Avenue Sunday.

Red, White and Blues – The White House threw a rock-blues concert in honor of Black History Month, during which President Obama sang “Sweet Home Chicago.”

THE RAW DEAL by Anthony Mastroianni

Right Idea, Wrong Donors Think your last year as a student at Georgetown is the last time the university will ask you for money? Think again.

Even families burdened by growing tuition bills and alums paying off student loans are asked to donate to the university.

These solicitations — accompanied by a projected 3.5 percent tuition increase each year through 2016 — are representative of Georgetown’s indifference to current economic challenges.

The rapidly escalating cost of college in the United States is a serious problem.

Georgetown’s administration is quick to point out that the trend of increasing tuition applies to many elite universities, but that attitude misses the point.

Many current students and recently graduated alumni will remember their time at Georgetown fondly and one day will be financially situated to give back to the university, but these same students and alumni are committed to making sacrifices to foot hefty tuition bills and likely won’t be able to do more than that while in school or starting a career. Asking cur-

rent students or newly employed alumni to provide additional funds is unfair and may sallow their impressions of the institution they associate with the best years of their lives.

While we understand that the university seeks to further its national and international standings, requesting donations from recent graduates and the families of current students is not an acceptable way to do so. Many students depart from the Hilltop hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, and a phone call asking for more money displays insensitivity on the university’s part. Campaign administrators may think that it doesn’t hurt to ask, but this callousness won’t be forgotten when alumni do have the financial resources to potentially give back.

The current capital campaign features the slogan “for generations to come.”

While the university has a right to look toward the future and long-term ambitions, it cannot blind itself in the present to the current financial realities of tuition-paying families and recent graduates.

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

Contributing Editors Kavya Devarakonda, Kathryn DeVincenzo, Meagan Kelly, Shakti Nochur, Eamon O’Connor, Michael Palmer, Mairead Reilly, Glenn Russo, Lauren Weber

Matthew Strauss Rita Pearson Braden McDonald Jonathan Gillis Evan Hollander Ashwin Wadekar Lawson Ferguson Victoria Edel Bethany Imondi Alex Sanchez Hanaa Khadraoui Leonel De Velez Sari Frankel Christie Shely Zoe Bertrand Jessica Natinsky Emory Wellman Nikita Buley Emily Perkins Molly Mitchell Martin Hussey

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

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

CORRECTIONS The article “Headliner Set for Spring Concert” (The Hoya, A1, Feb. 17, 2012) reported that the Georgetown Program Board’s concert budget totals $13,000, but these were the funds given by the Georgetown University Student Association for the prospect of putting on a fall concert. It was also mistakenly reported that Students of Georgetown, Inc., donated money to the Spring Concert in the past.

The article “Double Duty: Married Students Seek Balance” (The Hoya, A1, Feb. 17, 2012) mistakenly stated that James Kirby was stationed in Iraq. He was stationed in Afghanistan.

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

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

Board of Directors

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

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

Viewpoint submissions should be between 600-800 words.

Send all submissions to: opinion@ thehoya.com.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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OPINION

friday, february 24, 2012

THE HOYA

VIEWPOINT • Ben Mazzara

A3

IMPERFECT UNION

Divided by Our Labels Humbled by Our History

I

’ve never understood Black History Month.

Don’t get me wrong, I get its function: to celebrate the lives of famous African Americans throughout history. And while I certainly feel that it is right to honor those famous individuals who persevered in a society of hate and prejudice, I still do not entirely understand why the month exists. To me, Black History Month is just another reminder of how we, as a society, have failed to grasp the true meaning of the term “equality.”

In fact, I believe that Black History Month, and other social conventions having to do with race, actually create larger barriers than those they attempt to break down.

To me, the best way to handle the concept of race (or any other point of difference between identities) is to simply not make it a factor. Instead of seeing black or Latino or Caucasian people, we should see just see men or women; or, alternatively considering gender equality, just people with different skills, traits, personalities and ideas than our own.

The ideal situation, which I believe that all societies should strive for, would be that race or gender just didn’t enter our minds. As Martin Luther King Jr. famously noted, we should not judge by the color of skin (or the God one follows, or the reproductive organs one has), but solely by the “content of one’s character.”

I know that this is easier said than done. Even the most tolerant person would find it hard to describe someone without referencing skin color or gender. How are we supposed to see each other as equals and not consider labels at all when we dedicate whole months, scholarships, groups and other conventions to the ideas underlying these various labels? We are so preoccupied with being “politically

correct” that we are almost building a new distance between each other. We are not progressing; we have simply created a new environment of separation. We are not letting go of labels; we are holding onto them more tightly. Moreover, there are so many representations of this overzealous focus on our labels that it becomes hard to notice them all. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to be so fully focused on the labels with which we identify that we want to shout it from the mountaintops. We should all see ourselves as individuals and treat each other equally based on that fact alone.

I know this is uncomfortable to face. We live in a society that seems hell-bent on shining great big lights on whatever label defines a person.

Our society tells us to revel in these labels and show them off to the world.

And I’m not trying to say that people should not be comfortable with their races or sexualities or religions or genders. I only feel that this obsessive emphasis on our labels is not the right way to approach who we are as humans.

We need to cast off the labels. We need to progress beyond the need or desire for them. We need to not care. And as long as we have conventions like Black History Month, or any other such month, we can never progress past that point. If we want to keep them around for the older generations for whom they still have meaning, fine. We need a transition period, I understand that. But we need to at least recognize the effect that such celebrations of one aspect of identity have. And then we need to realize that we need to eventually get rid of them.

Ben Mazzara is a freshman in the College. He draws “Scribbles of a Madman” every other Tuesday.

As this jesuit sees it ...

To Err Is Only Human E

very Wednesday evening, I join term meaning “more” or “better.” It a group of seniors for dinner comes from the motto of the Jesuits: and conversation about life be- All we do is for the greater glory of fore, during and after Georgetown. God. Note that the magis does not Senior year, with all of its transitions, mean the “most” or the “best.” It is is a natural time for such deep, reflec- not an invitation for perfectionism, tive conversations. Thus far, our top- but for magnanimity, or greatness of ics have ranged from faith to dating, soul. Inspired by the magis, we strive from regrets to family. to do the best we can in all parts of Most recently, we talked about per- our lives. We are generous enough fectionism, a common tendency on to give it our best. We are realistic our campus. I can relate: I’m a perfec- enough to understand that sometionist. But as I get older, I’m trying to times we fail in the pursuit of a noble uproot that corrosive drive. For me, it’s cause. We are humble enough to adnot simply a character defect, it’s a sin. mit that sometimes we sin and get it As Christians begin the season of Lent, wrong. And we are grateful enough a time of spiritual house-cleaning and to receive forgiveness from God and religious recommitment, I offer some others, only to then offer that same thoughts on the sin of perfectionism. forgiveness to the other imperfect God has a plan for us, individu- people in our lives. ally and communally. God wants In our Wednesday-night conversaus to thrive as human beings and tions the seniors voiced different exto experience abiding peace and joy periences with perfectionism on the amid the ups and downs of life. But Hilltop. Some found that they are sin undermines this divine plan. Sin less perfectionist now than they were turns us inward and in high school. The excludes others. It is complex realities the opposite of love. and ambiguities of If love shares, sin adult life have made hoards. If love unites, them more acceptsin divides. If love ing of themselves forgives, sin resents. and others. A few of If love embraces the the seniors thought truth of who we are, that Georgetown sin seduces with augmented their self-delusion. If love perfectionist tendendirects us to what’s cies. The competiFr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J. most important, sin tion for grades, for distracts. esteem or popularThe lie that causes Perfectionism is fuity and, now, for emeled by the belief that is intense perfectionism is that ployment we cannot be loved or here. accepted unless we But all of us aswe can be perfect. do something perpired to better fectly. Our culture inacknowledge the stills this belief in us in countless ways. messiness of human living, to learn The almost unbelievable truth about from our failings and to move on God’s love is that it is unconditional, with hope. We all agreed that imperunmerited and freely given. fect people are better company to be The insidious lie that causes per- around. They are so much more comfectionism is that we can be perfect, passionate and understanding of othwhich as human beings we simply ers’ limitations than the seemingly cannot be. We are the created, not the perfect are.

Creator. Thus, we enjoy some natural Near the end of Lent, we will enjoy limitations. We cannot do everything; another rite of spring: opening day of we cannot be all things to all people; baseball season. This great American we cannot be good at everything; we pastime — with its runs, hits and ercannot please everyone. Seduced by rors over nine innings — can inspire the lie that we can do and be all those us as we embrace both our greatness things, we act in ways that hurt our- and imperfection. Former Commisselves and others, and by doing so, we sioner of Baseball Fay Vincent once choose to hurt God. Enter sin. wrote, “I find it fascinating that baseThis caution against perfection- ball, alone in sport, considers errors ism is not an invitation to become a to be part of the game, part of its rigslacker. We should work hard, culti- orous truth.” I invite you to join me vate our talents and abilities and use over the 40 days of Lent to embrace our gifts in service of the world. We the rigorous truth of human life: to do these things not to earn love or at- be a little less perfect and thus a little tention, but to show our gratitude for more gentle and happy. the gifts God gives us. Grateful people naturally want to give back what they Fr. O’Brien, S.J., is the vice president have been freely given. We want to do of mission and ministry. Fr. O’Brien, Fr. well, not out of duty, but because it’s Maher and Fr. Schall alternate as the the right thing to do. writers of As This Jesuit Sees It ... , Jesuits speak of the magis, a Latin which appears every other Friday.

F

ebruary marks the annual observance of Black History Month in the United States.

This is a time for all Americans to reflect on the triumphs, tragedies, struggles and achievements of blacks throughout American history.

The concept of Black History Month has long been controversial. Criticisms have intensified in the wake of Barack Obama’s election, with many contending that the month is irrelevant and unnecessary in a supposedly post-racial America.

However, Black History Month is more important now than ever before and should be observed and recognized by all Americans — regardless of their race or ethnicity.

Politicians from Barack Obama to Newt Gingrich have professed their belief in American exceptionalism and have declared the United States to be the greatest nation on earth and a bastion of liberty and democracy.

There is nothing wrong with patriotism and national pride. However, when these notions blind us to historical realities, they must be challenged.

All too often, ideas of American exceptionalism contain romanticized views of the past that serve to whitewash the darker aspects of the nation’s history.

Last month, it was reported that Tea Party activists in Tennessee demanded state lawmakers modify school textbooks to downplay the negative aspects of slavery and to promote the allegedly positive economic impact it had on the South.

In 2011, multiple Southern states celebrated the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Confederacy. And in 2010, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell issued a proclamation honoring April as “Confederate History Month.”

His proclamation did not contain

a single mention of the slavery or racial persecution the Confederacy was built on. He amended it only after he was met with a barrage of criticism from civil rights groups.

There is much to be proud of in American history. In the three greatest moral conflicts of the modern era — the struggles against the totalitarian ideologies of fascism, communism and militant Islamism — the United States has played a pivotal and leading role, saving millions of lives.

However, when confronting one

Sam Blank

Black History Month is an opportunity to reflect on our country’s past, present and future. of the greatest moral catastrophes facing our nation domestically — the scourge of racism — our response as a nation has historically been, and continues to be, feeble and weak.

It took too long for a nation committed to the ideals of “all men are created equal,” and “liberty and justice for all” to abolish slavery and end racial segregation.

Today, too many Americans remain ignorant and in denial of the racial persecution of the past and the racial persecution that continues now.

When blacks and Hispanics are

overrepresented in prisons and among the impoverished, and when they are underrepresented in the U.S. Congress and at elite universities like Georgetown, there can be no denying that racism and its consequences continue to plague our society.

The historical narrative of American exceptionalism seeks to obscure this dark reality.

This is why Black History Month is so important: It serves as a bulwark to challenge these myths of the past and as a reminder to all Americans of our tragic history of racial oppression.

At Georgetown, outside the black community, the attitude toward Black History Month is at best indifferent and at worst derisive.

The truth is, Black History Month is an opportunity for all Americans to reflect on our country’s past, present and future. Only by recognizing past and present racial injustice can we as a nation move forward to create a more perfect union like that envisioned by the founders of this country.

Moreover, Black History Month is a story of redemption and hope that all Americans can take pride in.

In the 19th century, abolitionists courageously confronted the institution of slavery, which was supported by the federal government. Only five decades ago, the Civil Rights Movement faced the horrors of Jim Crow laws and the terrorism of state authorities and the Ku Klux Klan. Many doubted we could overcome those obstacles then, yet we did, as a country.

Black History Month gives us hope that we can continue to break down barriers and progress as a nation.

Sam Blank is a senior in the College.

IMPERFECT UNION appears every other Friday.

THE DISCONCERTED DEMAGOGUE by Daniel Yang

VIEWPOINT • Palmer Quamme

Trending Now: Satirical Self-Portrait

I

n the age of Facebook and Twitter, we are all small-scale celebrities. Such portals convert us into our own personal PR managers, constantly thinking about our images and how others perceive us.

But there’s another side to the age of social media that perplexes me: our need to make fun of ourselves. “Rain scares me.” “My spirit animal is fur.”

These are just a few of the pithy, acerbic musings of Babe Walker, known to the world through her Twitter feed: @whitegrlproblem — more commonly known through her famous hashtag. A daughter of the 1 percent, Babe is wonderfully shallow, deliciously vapid and unapologetically representative of the worst of the reality-TV generation.

But she is also fictional. She is actually the creation of brothers Tanner and David Oliver Cohen and their friend Lara Schoenhals. In an interview with a reporter from The Daily Beast, Schoenhals explained that #whitegirlproblems “is a culmination of this moment in pop culture that celebrates women who have a lot of money … but no

real reason to be unhappy.”

January saw the release of Babe’s memoir (Chapter 2: “If I like him, he’s probably gay”), suggesting a question: Is Babe’s biting satire a kind of commentary on the existential ennui of the over-privileged, or just another silly Internet phenomenon?

White Girl Problems has garnered more than half a million followers and inspired a herd of imitators, from Twitter accounts such as “Yes I’m Waspy” and “Skinny Girl Problems” to the full-fledged website betcheslovethis.com. Some of her tweets could easily be seen as social commentary; others are characterized more by their sheer absurdity.

The tweet “What kind of sicko only has one therapist?” seems to refer to the Prozac nation we have become, while the tweet “When/if I die, please scatter my ashes at Barneys. Or Miu Miu. Or any Tom Ford store” would make a Kardashian blush with its shallowness.

Similarly, other attempts at Twitter satire (from here on out, Twittire?) vacillate between the witty (for example, Wasp Girl Problem’s observation that “I hate hipsters,

but dear God I love Hipstamatic”) and the downright distasteful (“You don’t have to get molested to know that going to Penn State is kind of gross,” courtesy of “Yes I’m Waspy”).

Gilbert Keith Chesterton, a progressive writer of the early 20th century (long before Twitter) wrote that “A man is angry at libel because it is false, but at satire because it is true.” Yet the biggest fans of Babe Walker seem to be those she mocks. Satire is rarely appreciated by its subjects, and yet it is the eponymous white girls of the world (myself included) who seem to find Babe and the Betches funniest.

Satire is criticism, and its authors are usually outsiders.

But Babe’s popularity among her targets reveals something telling about Generation Z: We are incredibly self-obsessed. We think about ourselves so much that when it comes time for the comics among us to caricature something, their natural instinct is not to mock the “other,” but the self.

Palmer Quamme is a freshman in the College. She is an assistant editor for the opinion section.

A4

THE HOYA

PAGE FOUR

NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

ONLINE ONLY The U.S. Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it will consider a case challenging affirmative action in university admissions. See thehoya.com.

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya.

IN FOCUS

LOOKING PAST PERFECT verbatim

“

The Meditation Center definitely became a home away from home for me.

”

Harrison Gale (SFS ’13), a resident of a Magis Row meditation house.

See story on A8.

from

HAUTELIVING.COM

KYLE YOUNG FOR THE HOYA

Courtney Martin, author of “Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters” and an activist for feminism and social justice, spoke about disordered eating and women’s obsession with perfectionism in ICC Wednesday as part of Eating Disorder Awareness Week.

A SLICE OF THE JERSEY SHORE IN D.C. DJ Pauly D is heading to Fur Nightclub this weekend — check out what else is going on in our Friday going-out guide! blog.thehoya.com

GU Launches Feedback Forum Site Video Lecture Series to ANNIE CHEN

Hoya Staff Writer

Hoya Ideas Community, a student-driven online platform soliciting suggestions for the university, will debut Tuesday.

The Georgetown-specific forum is hosted by IdeaScale, a program that allows interactive user feedback and is utilized by Stanford and New York Universities.

“IdeaScale is an online crowd sourcing platform, which is essentially a micro-blog where students can enter in their concerns and suggestions,” Georgetown University Student Association Secretary of Information and Technology Michael Crouch (MSB ’13) said.

According to Michael Wang (MSB ’07), the university’s chief innovation officer, students will be able to submit ideas about technology, housing, facilities, safety and food. Students can then comment on the proposals and vote on their relevance.

The voting feature’s ranking system is intended to allow GUSA and administrators to pinpoint and address the most pressing concerns.

According to Wang, the platform will complement the Hoya Roundtables, an initiative that allows students to discuss concerns and ideas with university administrators.

“The Ideas Community platform will help to support the Roundtables because we will be able to take the ideas, input and questions we receive to facilitate an even more focused discussion during the Roundtable sessions,” he wrote in an email.

Wang added that the site will allow the university to keep students updated on the progress of adopted proposals.

“We want to clearly communicate the projects that we are able to take on and communicate why or why not we are able to do them [...] so that it’s one place where people can see clearly where their ideas are happening, how they’re

being reviewed and, if we can’t do something, what those constraints were,” he wrote.

The website may also allow students to share the ideas on other social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, according to Crouch and Wang.

The site was a joint project by GUSA, the Office of the Chief Operating Officer and University Information Services, but the version launching next week also incorporates plans for a student suggestions forum that Wang had been developing independently.

Crouch said he hoped the platform will allow an expansion of the dialogue started by the Hoya Roundtables.

“Hoya [Roundtables are] the faceto-face contact version of what IdeaScale is in digital media,” he said. “The idea is that if students are willing to come to those events and express their opinions there, they would be even more willing to just go to a website.”

Students Refocus on DREAM Act LILY WESTERGAARD Special to The Hoya

The number 65,000, plastered on flyers around campus, has caught students’ attention, but the population it represents — the number of undocumented immigrant students who graduate from U.S. high schools each year — often goes unnoticed.

The posters were put up by members of Hoyas for Immigrant Rights, a student group formed three weeks ago to address issues facing the immigrant community at Georgetown.

In particular, the group hopes to advocate for the DREAM Act, a bill that would provide conditional permanent residency to certain undocumented immigrants who wish to pursue higher education or military service in the United States.

The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, which was first introduced in August 2001, was voted down in the U.S. Senate in 2010 but reintroduced in May. “After the last vote, the movement went downhill; people got discouraged,” club co-founder Francisco Guti-

errez (MSB ’13) said. “It’s been regaining momentum, and it will go up for the vote again next year.”

The organization hopes to restart discussion about the act on the Hilltop as well.

“We’re all interested in pushing for the DREAM Act,” co-founder Kim Maima (SFS ’15) said. “We want [immigrants] to have the same opportunities we do, regardless of their status. We also want to move beyond the DREAM Act to other things, like having a safe space for them to talk about the challenges they face.”

Gutierrez emphasized that immigration issues affect African and Asian immigrant communities as well as Hispanic ones.

“We want to address diversity within the immigrant community,” he said. “We’re creating a support group for students and creating resources.”

According to Gutierrez, the new organization has 15 to 20 members, including students and supportive faculty. He added that the group is currently reaching out to more professors and Jesuits.

Georgetown, particularly University President John J. DeGioia, has been a long-standing supporter of the DREAM Act. DeGioia submitted testimony to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security in June, while the university has also drafted letters of support and lobbied for the act on Capitol Hill.

“At every level, we have weighed in to make clear the importance of this legislation to the university’s mission of ensuring that DREAM Act students who have gained from a university education, here at Georgetown and elsewhere, are able to put their talents to work to strengthen the U.S. economy,” Director of Media Relations Rachel Pugh wrote in an email.

Hoyas for Immigrant Rights will be holding a discussion panel on how being an undocumented immigrant affects life at Georgetown Monday.

“It’s not just to support the undocumented students,” Lisa Frank (COL ’13) said. “It’s to let everybody know what’s going on.”

Kick Off This Summer MARGARET VIATOR Hoya Staff Writer

The Georgetown Conversation, one of the winners of a 2011 ReImagine Georgetown grant, plans to kick off its online lecture series this summer.

The videos will cover a diverse range of topics and are intended to foster dialogue between students, faculty and staff members.

Emily Oehlsen (SFS ’13) and Sam Schneider (COL ’13), a member of THE HOYA’S board of directors, developed the idea for the online forum after being introduced to one another by Georgetown University Student Association President Mike Meaney (SFS ’12). After receiving guidance from Meaney, Oehlsen and Schneider applied for the ReImagine Georgetown grant as a pair.

According to Schneider, the $7,000 received from RIG has been integral to making the concept a reality. He and Oehlsen, who is studying abroad in London this semester, are currently looking to fill several fellowship positions that will develop the program’s technology, design management and event coordination over the summer. The official website will launch in September.

Schneider hopes that Chief Infor-

mation Officer Lisa Davis, who began her job in early February, will play an important role in the idea development process. The group has not had an official meeting with administrators, however.

“We think there is a lot of potential for the university to help and make this idea sustainable,” Schneider said. “We don’t want the project to die away.”

For the time being, the project’s main priority is hiring a staff and enlisting professors to present lectures that they can film. The group has reached agreements with 10 professors who will be featured in the first round of videos, speaking on topics from storytelling to international politics.

“We really want to encourage students to access everything that Georgetown has to offer,” Schneider said.

According to Schneider, the duo is open to suggested revisions to their plan. They intend to reach out to oncampus groups to solicit videos and use social media to better communicate with the student body.

“We want [students] to be willing to reach outside of their job applications and run-of-the-mill school work,” he said. “We want to get students excited and curious,”

Student Arrested for Assault Saturday SARAH KAPLAN Hoya Staff Writer

A student was arrested for assaulting his roommate in Village B Saturday afternoon, according to the Department of Public Safety.

The Metropolitan Police Department initially responded to the scene, according to the DPS incident account.

MPD classified the incident as simple assault and reported that the victim sustained minor injuries to his right wrist and left elbow.

According to MPD, the victim, also a

student, reported that he had a verbal altercation with the suspect over the victim’s property at 3:24 p.m. The suspect then entered the victim’s room without permission and pushed him into a desk, causing the injuries.

Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Services arrived at the scene to treat the victim but did not transport him to a hospital.

MPD classified the incident as intrafamily violence because the two students lived together.

According to university spokeswoman Stacy Kerr, the incident is now being handled solely by MPD.

News

friday, february 24, 2012

Seeing Red: MED CENTER & GU Deficits 2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

$$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $

$$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$

$$ $$ $$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

$$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

$$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

$$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

$$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

$ UNIVERSITY

$$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

$ MEDICAL CENTER

$7.6m

$15.9m vs.

$15.9m

$3.8m vs.

$16.9m

$9.1m vs.

$19.4m

vs.

$21.7m

$23.9m vs.

$23.2m

$13.2m

$12.5m vs.

$22.8m

DEFICIT

$12.5m vs.

$22.1m

vs.

DEFICIT

$28.6m

DATA: GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF FINANCIAL AFFAIRS

SHAKTI NOCHUR/THE HOYA

Georgetown University Medical Center spending has contributed to a large part of the university’s overall deficit since 2004.

Continuing Trend, Med Center Sees Deficit DEFICITS, from A1 costs, Georgetown University Medical Center operates at a highly competitive and efficient level.”

According to the financial plan, the high cost of employee compensation and a drop-off in the number of grants and contracts for sponsored research the medical center receives are major contributors to the deficits.

Compensation, which includes employee salaries and fringe benefits, is GUMC’s largest spending area and is projected to cost $135.1 million in 2012.

Grants and contracts make up 46 percent of the center’s revenue, and the availability of funding from federal sources such as the National Institutes of Health has suffered in the recent economic downturn. Federal funding for NIH is expected to remain stagnant for fiscal year 2013, according to Associate Vice President for Federal Relations Scott Fleming.

According to the university, rev-

enues from a 3.5 percent tuition hike in the School of Nursing and Health Studies, graduate schools and the School of Medicine will help offset costs.

Other efforts to increase revenue and cut expenses include focusing on high-impact biomedical research, strengthening innovative education programs, developing strategic and philanthropic partnership, enhancing financial policies and expanding graduate programs.

With these changes, revenue is expected to increase by 5.6 percent in 2012 and 7.9 percent in 2013, though this increase will fail to close the more than $24 million budget gaps projected for 2012 and 2013.

“We are creating a more efficient organization that will enable us to decrease our deficit in a unique and challenging fiscal climate, develop a sustainable financial future and continue to strive for excellence in the academic and research fields,” Federoff wrote.

THE HOYA

A5

Plan Processes Vary CSJ to Hire New Leader PLANS, from A1

The Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2A, which includes GWU’s Foggy Bottom campus, initially opposed the plan because of potentially undesirable impacts on quality of life in the surrounding community — reasons similar to those cited by ANC 2E in its opposition of Georgetown’s plan.

In its ruling on GWU’s plan, the D.C. Zoning Commission required the university to maintain the same growth caps that had been imposed in its previous campus plan.

John Richardson, current president of the GWU Student Association, acknowledged that the approval of the 2007 Foggy Bottom Campus Plan required some concessions by the university. But he said the plan passed relatively quickly because of the university’s strong relationship with the surrounding neighborhood. “[Getting the 2007 Campus Plan approved] went pretty well, but as I know, it takes a little bit of back and forth. The university has to make concessions,” Richardson said. “By and large, GWU has a pretty good relationship with our neighbors, and that is in large part due to the amount of energy and time that our external relations and government relations staff puts into communicating and being visible to the community.”

American University has faced more difficulty in getting its 2011 Campus Plan approved. As with the Georgetown Campus Plan, the Zoning Commission has repeatedly delayed its ruling on the AU plan, which seeks to build new residence halls and expand existing campus buildings.

At a Feb. 16 hearing, zoning commissioners moved to postpone their ruling on the AU plan until early March. American has been seeking approval for its Campus Plan since it was first filed in March 2011.

The Catholic University of America submitted its 2012 Master Plan to the Zoning Commission this past December and hopes for the local ANC’s approval before the Zoning Commission vote. According to CUA Associate Vice President for Public Affairs Victor Nakas, it is likely that the ANC will support the plan.

“We have been collaborating very closely with the local ANCs for

a number of months on the Master Plan,” Nakas wrote in an email.

“Their input has been very important to us, and we are optimistic that they will support the plan.”

This expectation poses a stark contrast to the opposition Georgetown has faced from its neighborhood commission. This January, six of the seven ANC 2E commissioners came out in opposition of the plan.

Jake Sticka (COL ’13), the representative for the district containing Georgetown’s main campus, cast the sole vote in favor.

According to Jill Sankey, associate director of media relations at GWU, the success of GWU’s campus plans is a result of extensive planning and consideration of the university’s role in the surrounding neighborhood.

According to Richardson, GWU initiatives to build relations with neighbors also helped in the approval process.

“That has definitely paid dividends,” he said.

Georgetown has made similar attempts to both engage and assuage neighbors, such as instituting a twice-daily trash removal program and an M Street shuttle and inviting neighbors to student arts performances.

Howard University faced minimal opposition in seeking approval of its 2011 Campus Plan, with members of the LeDroit Park Civic Association voting 11-2 in support of the proposal. By comparison, both the Burleith Citizens Association and the Citizens Association of Georgetown came out strongly against GU’s 2010 Campus Plan when it was released last year.

Comparing the smooth approval of GWU’s campus plans with the more dramatic process that Georgetown has experienced, Richardson said that the opposition Georgetown has faced may stem from differences in the makeup of their respective surrounding areas.

“At Georgetown, the area is more residential and butts up right against the neighborhood. Here we have the IMF-World Bank complex, the Department of State, Department of Navy and other large governmental buildings in the area.

There is a community of residents [in Foggy Bottom] but certainly fewer individual houses,” he said.

Hoya Staff Writer Braden McDonald contributed to this report.

CSJ, from A1 strengthen the foundation of the organization.

Earlier this month, she promoted Shiu, formerly the director of student leadership and special programs, to the position of associate director.

“She has brought a great deal of resources and focus during our transition,” Shiu said. “She has been working to lay the groundwork for our permanent director.”

For Carly Rosenfield (COL ’14), a member of the CSJ’s Advisory Board for Student Organizations, the new director should demonstrate the same passion and work ethic as current CSJ staff members. “[The new director] needs to be engaged in community service and excited about social justice,” she said.

Turnout Exceeds 50 Percent GUSA, from A1 The previous record for any student vote — 3,554 votes in the 2006 GUSA Accountability and Reform Referendum, which gave the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee control over the student activities fee — was broken by 10 p.m. Thursday.

The 2010 contest saw the re-election of incumbents Calen Angert (MSB ’11) and Jason Kluger (MSB ’11). Four tickets vied for the presidency that year; this year, seven did.

Election Commissioner Adam Giansiracusa (SFS ’12) attributed this year’s high voter turnout to the large field and competitiveness of the race.

“It’s great for GUSA and great for the university as a whole that so many students were involved in the process,” he said.

PUZZLES BRAIN TEASERS There are only two words in English that end with –shion. One is fashion. What is the other?

What is the one word in English that has three double-letter pairs in a row? (ex. balloon has two-double letter pairs in a row)

JUMBLE

Unscramble each of the words; use the shaded letters to unscramble the final clue at the end.

VOLEH _ _ _ _ _

QUOPEA _ _ _ _ _ _

BETER _ _ _ _ _

GODINI _ _ _ _ _ _

What she showed her obnoxious date: _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS BRAIN TEASERS:

1) Light both ends of one string at the same time while simultaneously lighting one end of the other string. When the first string completely burns up, we know ½ hour has passed, so light the other end of the string that is still burning. When that string completely burns up, 15 minutes will have passed (because we already know it burned for ½ hour). Thus, 45 minutes.

2) Start both hourglasses at 0 minutes. Flip over the four-minute glass when it runs out (at 4:00); ditto for the seven-minute glass (at 7:00).

When the four-minute glass runs out the second time (at 8:00), the seven-minute glass will then have one minute of sand in its lower bulb. Flip the seven-minute glass over again and let the minute of sand run back. When the last grain falls, that will be nine minutes.

SUDOKU:

Kate Sciamanna/THE HOYA

BE ’NO

AT OVA

A8

news

THE HOYA

friday, february 24, 2012

Tech Initiative Gains Ground Emma Hinchliffe Hoya Staff Writer

The Teaching, Learning and Technologies Initiative has allowed a group of faculty to reinvigorate their classroom experiences with new teaching techniques this academic year.

The enterprise, which was launched in May 2011 by the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship and the Gelardin New Media Center, aims to help faculty use technology in creative ways to advance learning as well as student-faculty interaction.

According to Executive Director of CNDLS Randall Bass, the university plans to mesh the goals and resources of the program with those of the Doyle Initiative, which focuses on emphasizing diversity and tolerance in the undergraduate curriculum, and the BottleNecks and Threshold Initiative, which is designed to further students’

understanding through engaged writing.

“TLT will continue to push the envelope on technology-enhanced pedagogies,” Bass wrote in an email.

This year, the TLT Initiative includes six faculty fellows from all four of Georgetown’s undergraduate schools.

Professor Betsy Sigman, who teaches in the McDonough School of Business, has applied the program’s technology within her operations and information management courses by having students create online timelines charting companies’ progress and using Google Plus as a classroom forum.

“Being a TLT fellow has almost taken [teaching] to a new level, in that [it has] allowed me to step back and integrate new technology into the classroom and think about new technology I wanted to introduce students to,” Sigman said.

Professor Nancy Crego, who

teaches pediatric nursing in the School of Nursing and Health Studies, has used the fellowship to improve her longstanding program of patient simulation by electronically tracking and recording her students’ progress.

Both Sigman and Crego emphasized the initiative’s upside for both students and faculty. “[Students’] enthusiasm and interest takes things to a new level,” Sigman said. “It creates a community of learning that we all strive for.”

For Crego, the main benefits of being a TLT fellow were unexpected.

“The most positive thing for me on the faculty end is the contact I’ve had with so many different places within Georgetown,” she said. “I found out about other resources, and [my TLT team] shared with me other people on faculty who use technology in different ways. It’s been great networking.”

Adventures Outside the Bubble Beth Garbitelli Hoya Staff Writer

Last Tuesday, hundreds of applications from students hoping to study abroad flooded the Office of Overseas Studies. These applicants aspire to be among the 57 percent of Georgetown students who trade Healy Hall and chicken-finger Thursdays for Italian villas and baklava to spend a summer, a semester or a year studying at universities across the globe.

A GLOBAL GETAWAY Many students complain about the need to “break the Georgetown bubble.” For some, that entails a quick trip to a Smithsonian museum or Eastern Market. For others, it can mean a semester-long trip halfway around the world.

“I think by junior year you get a little claustrophobic on campus,” Arielle Martins (COL ’12), who studied in St. Petersburg, Russia during the spring of 2011, said. “As soon as I decided to [go], I started to regret it immediately. I was like, ‘Oh my god, I’m finally happy, why am I leaving?’ and then the second I got there, I completely forgot about Georgetown.”

For students who don’t want to miss out on any part of their time on the Hilltop for social or academic reasons, summer programs like the one at Villa le Balze in Fiesole, Italy can be good alternatives.

“Being in the business school, it’s more difficult to study abroad … [because] the options are more limited,” Ellie Conlee (MSB ’12) said. “I knew it would be more difficult to go to the Villa during the year because all the classes offered there are obviously not business classes.”

Students such as current sophomore Alexandra Buck (COL ’14), who applied to study in St. Petersburg, Russia in fall 2012 and at the University College Dublin, Ireland in spring 2013, described the application process for studying abroad as highly time consuming.

DANGERS ABROAD Last spring, the university evacuated students from two countries after a political uprising in Egypt and a deadly earthquake in Japan.

Hannah Walker’s (COL ’12) spring semester in Japan ended abruptly due to the earthquake.

Because of the disruption, Walker needed to take the remainder of the semester off, load up on summer classes and take a full schedule during her senior year.

Despite the extra work, Walker said she didn’t regret her decision to study abroad for a full year.

“I’m so glad that I made the full-year decision,” Walker said, citing her four months in Japan before the earthquake.

Sam Gerstle (COL ’13), who studied abroad in Nagoya, Japan last spring, stayed in the country to continue his program at Nanzan University in the aftermath of the earthquake.

“I’ve been studying Japanese for a long time and I’m a Japanese major, so I thought it would be the natural next step in my education to study in the actual country,” Gerstle wrote in an email. “I wasn’t really worried about the risk of radiation. Before I could get approval to go to Japan, I had to wait for the State Department to lift its travel warnings … and after they did I figured it would be safe.”

Bonnie Duncan (COL ’13) spent last semester studying in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, a city the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs says is known for high rates of theft and violent crime. But Duncan said the experience of studying in such a unique environment outweighed potential risks.

“Going abroad, I really wanted to experience a culture that was foreign to my own in an

CLASSIFIEDS

INDEX MISCELLANEOUS

“Most of it was fun, like picking classes and such, but some things are stressful — like the essays,” Buck wrote in an email.

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unconventional place,” Duncan wrote in an email. “I tried to stay clear of Europe and was really drawn to countries that are considered the ‘third world.’ Obviously there is a cost associated with studying in a place like Vietnam … but unless you’re willing to take the risk, you’re going to miss out on a beautiful country and a once [in] a lifetime experience.”

Neyat Daniel (COL ’13), who split her junior year between Ghana and Turkey, made light of the dangerous reputation of places she has visited while abroad.

“If anything happens to me [it will be] diabetes from the phenomenal baklava and Turkish delight,” she joked in an email.

A NEW VIEW FROM THE HILLTOP While more than half of Georgetown students study abroad, the experience isn’t for everyone.

“There wasn’t a program I wanted,” Mike McClain (SFS ’12) said. “I’m paying so much for tuition that most … places I could go [abroad] would either not be worth the money … or would be like vacations.”

Internship deadlines also influence students to stay on campus during junior year.

“I was planning on [studying abroad] coming into Georgetown, but everyone goes abroad their junior year, and I had a job on campus which required me to stay,” Phil Chang (MSB ’12) said. “And [spring semester] was recruiting season. I didn’t want to miss that.”

McClain believes that staying at Georgetown while most of his friends went abroad provided him with a fresh outlook on D.C. “I think I got some of the benefits of studying abroad while everyone was gone,” McClain said. “It really shook up who I spent time with and what I did. … I had lived in D.C. for three years without really living in it so when a lot of my friends cleared out, I got a new perspective.”

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NICOLE MCKENZIE FOR THE HOYA

The John Main Meditation Center, housed in the campus’s oldest building, McSherry Hall, provides students with a space for spiritual contemplation.

Finding Peace and Quiet Carly Graf

Hoya Staff Writer

After a chance encounter with a monk in London, Gregory Robison, the director of the John Main Center for Meditation and Interreligious Dialogue at Georgetown, spent six months studying in a French Benedictine monastery.

This monastic experience with Brother John Main, a Benedictine monk, practitioner of Christian meditation and the namesake of the center, serves as the basis of Robison’s work on the Hilltop.

“Here at Georgetown, the students, faculty and staff who come to the John Main Center are looking for the same thing I sought at the age of 18: to cultivate an interior space, to integrate the disparate elements of a hectic life being tugged in different directions; to weed, water and prune that inner garden that we all have,” Robison said.

The center was founded in 2005 by former Georgetown professor Brother Laurence Freeman, O.S.B., who wanted to address a hunger for deeper spirituality that he saw in his students.

While it is one of the university’s newest spiritual institutions, the John Main Center is located in McSherry Hall, the oldest building on campus. The center holds daily meditation sessions, offers free yoga classes every weekday and houses the Hindu Student Association’s weekly puja and Buddhist Meditation’s weekly sangha.

“Our sessions are open to those from diverse religious traditions — or from none. The heart of our sessions together is still and silent,” Robison said.

“As my abbot told me when I was the age of an undergraduate, everyone who comes to the John Main Center are brothers and sisters whose liberty we respect.”

For the six students living in the Magis Row Meditation Houses, the sessions offered at the center are an extremely important part of both their Georgetown experience and their spiritual life.

“The Meditation Center definitely became a home away from home for me,” Harrison Gale (SFS ’13) said. “It’s a great way to zen oneself and insulate from Georgetown craziness. There are few chiller organizations imaginable — something about all forms of conflict resolution point to sitting quietly for 20 minutes.”

Gale and the other Magis Row residents also lead weekly meditation sessions as well as direct meditation backpacking trips and composting efforts for their neighbors.

“The Magis Row experience allows those of us who care deeply about meditation to live with or near each other, which fosters a spirit of community among meditators,” Madeline Collins (COL ’13) said.

The center also holds special events throughout the academic year. Each semester, the center partners with the Georgetown Library Associates to host the John Main Lecture, a discussion on how prayer intersects with academic disciplines. The center also sponsors the Good Heart Dialogue, a seminar designed to bring faiths together to reflect on their traditions and identify both similarities and differences.

While the center focuses on the Christian meditation tradition, it hopes to include members of all faith backgrounds.

“In the depths of our selves there are no formulations, no words, no images.” Robison said.

“It is for this reason that we can sit in meditation together — Christians, Muslims, Jews, Jaines, Hindus, Buddhists and those with no faith or tradition.”

sports

FRIday, february 24, 2012

THE HOYA

A9

Basketball

men’s lacrosse

Georgetown Set to Open Season Against Terps Hoyas

Look to Regroup

Evan Hollander Hoya Staff Writer

After a disappointing season that left the Hoyas fighting for a .500 record, the Georgetown men’s lacrosse team begins the 2012 campaign with a blank slate when they take on Maryland at MultiSport Facility tonight.

This year’s game will be the seventh time in eight years that the Blue and Gray will open their season against the Terrapins. Although their meeting last year was not the season opener, Maryland had Georgetown’s measure and won, 208, in College Park.

The Hoyas dropped tough onepoint losses at Harvard, Syracuse and Notre Dame and lost at Duke by two points. But those close defeats were the difference between what could have been — an NCAA tournament bid — and what was: a disappointing effort that limped to the end of the season..

But while the Blue and Gray carried great expectations at the beginning of last season, these Hoyas are not ranked in the national polls and were tabbed to finish fourth by Big East coaches behind Syracuse, Notre Dame and Villanova.

This season, the Hoyas will have to contend with the loss of six starters.

Among those, defenders Barney Ehrmann and Dan Hostetler now play in Major League Lacrosse.

To help replace these players’ contributions, the Hoyas will need strong efforts from senior defensive midfielder and co-captain Gerry Reilly and junior defender Chris Nourse.

Reilly was an eighth-round draft pick for the MLL last sprint but returned to the Hilltop for his fourth season. Nourse, a close defender, had 36 ground balls and forced 35 turnovers last year.

On offense, Georgetown will look to junior attack Travis Comeau and senior midfielder Zack Angel. Junior attack Zac Guy, who played only one game last season before sustaining an injury, will return to comple-

perfect timing for your holiday specials contact sales@thehoya.com

NOVA, from A12

FILE PHOTO: porter watkins/THE HOYA

Junior defender Chris Nourse and the Georgetown men’s lacrosse team open their season tonight against Maryland.

The Hoyas hope to get off to a better start than last year, when they fell to the Terrapins, 20-8.

ment Comeau on offense.

Comeau, who hails from Canada, grew up playing indoor lacrosse and is an opportunistic player known for salvaging goals. Comeau finished last year on a strong note, scoring 30 goals on the season. Angel also has a chance to help the Blue and Gray rebound from the loss of Reilly. Angel has started in all three of his seasons at Georgetown and scored 15 goals last season.

Comeau and Angel were both named to the preseason all-Big East first team. Nourse joined Comeau on the watch list for the Teewaraton Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top male lacrosse player.

The Blue and Gray also hope for help from two freshmen attacks, Bo Stafford and Reilly O’Connor.

O’Connor, another Canadian, was coached in high school by former Georgetown standout Brodie Merrill, which might help him fit into Head Coach Dave Urick’s program.

Urick, the winningest active coach in Division I college lacrosse, is beginning his 23rd season with the Hoyas. Former Georgetown assistant coach Matt Kerwick, who was most recently head coach at Jacksonville, returned to the Blue and Gray’s coaching staff in July as associate head coach.

Lining up across the field from Urick will be Maryland second-year head coach John Tillman. He guided the Terps to a 13-5 record last season, when they lost to Virginia, 9-7, in the national title game.

While some teams would be ex-

pected to slide backwards after such a stellar season, Maryland hasn’t so much rebuilt as reloaded, adding seven high school Under Armour All-Americans to its squad this season.

The Terrapins won their opener at Hartford last Saturday and showed off their deep rotation, with nine different players scoring. However, Maryland’s strength is in the midfield, where junior honorable mention All-American Curtis Holmes stands out. They are also strong on defense, though, and the incoming freshmen class strengthens the Terps’ attack.

With such a deep squad, Maryland will give the Hoyas everything they can handle. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. tonight at MultiSport Facility.

on junior guards Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek to step up.

The juniors have both vastly increased their scoring output, but have not done so particularly efficiently. Cheek shoots just 40 percent from the field while Wayns is only marginally better at 41 percent; neither hits more than a third of their considerable amount of threepoint attempts.

Injuries have not been kind to Wright’s team either, as two starters — Wayns and sophomore guard James Bell — have missed the team’s last two games. There is no word on whether either player will be available Saturday, but even if they are, it’s safe to expect they will not be at full strength.

The Blue and Gray have provided a kind of foil to Villanova all year, as their overachievement has pushed them to unexpected heights in the rankings. They are coming off a disappointing eight-point loss at the hands of Seton Hall, but Saturday will see them return to the friendly confines of Verizon Center and face a dejected team with much less to play for.

Nevertheless, the Wildcats have shown the ability to play good teams close, even without two starters. The Hoyas will have to elevate their play if they want to win an improbable 21st game of the season.

Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. tomorrow at Verizon Center.

A10

sports

THE HOYA

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

men’s basketball

GU Preps for Rivalry Game SYRACUSE, from A12 offense is the variety of players that can contribute on every night. Junior center Kayla Alexander, senior forward Iasia Hemingway and junior guard Carmen Tyson-Thomas all average double-digits in scoring and over six rebounds per game.

And while that trio provides most of the scoring and work on the boards, junior guard Elashier Hall and sophomore guard Rachel Coffey are effective distributors. Each averages over four assists per game.

Fortunately, the Blue and Gray match up well against the Orange thanks to their tenacious defense. Georgetown ranks fourth in the league in team defense, only allowing opponents an average of 52 points per game.

The Hoyas have troubled their opposition

friday, february 24, 2012

and forced a significant amount of turnovers all year thanks to their signature press. They rank second in the league in turnover margin.

And while Georgetown’s offensive attack may not be as balanced as Syracuse’s, the Hoyas boast the Big East’s leading scorer in junior guard Sugar Rodgers (19.3 ppg). Rodgers was named to last week’s Big East honor roll.

This late-season contest is not only important for the Hoyas because of the rivalry, but also for the momentum and potentially higher seeding a victory would give the team going into the Big East tournament and ultimately the NCAA tournament.

The seven graduating Hoya seniors are especially aware of this fact, as they are focused on making a deep postseason run.

Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Carrier Dome.

swimming

Opartny, Ng Break Records Laura Wagner Special to The Hoya

The moment the Georgetown swim team had been preparing for all season finally arrived when it traveled to Pittsburgh for the Big East championship meet last week. The Blue and Gray faced stiff competition against top conference schools including Louisville, Notre Dame, Villanova and West Virginia, but their hard work paid off in several record-breaking individual performances as well as a sixth-place finish for the men and a ninth-place finish for the women.

The Hoyas opened competition on Wednesday in the men’s and women’s relay events.

The 800-yard freestyle relay team of sophomore Mathew Mandel, senior Chris Finnegan, freshman Will Lawler and junior Paul Quincy posted a sixth-place finish with a time of 6:41.99. The men’s 200 medley relay team, consisting of freshman Michael Ng, senior Brad Crist, Lawler and Mandel, finished in 1:32.19.

On the women’s side, the 800 freestyle relay team of freshman Laura Tramer, freshman Kim DiNapoli, junior Sarah Chiles and sophomore Lauren Opatrny finished with a time of 7:44.28 to take 11th place. The 200 medley relay team of Opatrny, freshman Casey Bandman and sophomores Allison Fulenwider and Alexandra Van Nipsen placed ninth in 1:46.71.

Day Two of competition also saw some successes for the Hoyas, as several swimmers set new school records and racked up points for the team. Quincy swam a scorching 4:29.83 in the finals of the 500 freestyle to set a new school record and earn two points for the Hoyas.

Opatrny also set a school record in the women’s 200 individual medley final with a 14th place finish and a time of 2:03.79. Three additional swimmers set school records in the preliminaries: Sophomore Christian Kilgore broke the school record for the 200 individual medley

with a time of 1:52.16, junior Amy Ballanfant broke her own school record in the 50 freestyle finishing in 23.97 and Mandel set a record in the men’s 50 freestyle with a time of 20.69.

The Blue and Gray were also did well in both the men’s and women’s 200 freestyle relay.

The team of Crist, Lawler, Kilgore and Mandel turned in an impressive time of 1:22.79 to finish in fifth place and earn 28 points for the Hoyas.

The women’s relay team of Ballanfant, Bandman, Opatrny and sophomore Alanna Hulburd scored 18 points for the team with a ninth-place finish of 1:36.86.

Two Hoya swimmers who really made a splash on day three of the Big East championship were Opatrny and Ng, as each advanced to the finals and set a school records along the way.

Opatrny placed second with a record-breaking time of 55.58 in the 100 butterfly B final to earn seven points for the team. while Ng broke the school record in the 100 backstroke preliminariess with a time of 50.58 before earning the Blue and Gray three points with a sixth- place finish.

Although Ng and Opatrny were the only swimmers to advance to the finals on day three, they were joined by Ballanfant in the record books when the junior swam the 100 breaststroke in 1:05.45.

On the fourth and final day of the meet, the men turned in a series of strong performances to seal their sixth-place finish. Four swimmers — Quincy, freshman Greg Romanov, Ng and senior Trevor Kosmo — made it to the finals in their events. Quincy and Romanov finished ninth and 12th respectively in the 1650 freestyle, Ng turned in another impressive performance in the 200 backstroke to finish 16th overall and Kosmo swam a 1:52.71 in the 200 butterfly to take eighth in the B Final. The Blue and Gray wrapped up competition with the men’s and women’s 400 freestyle relay, with the men finishing eighth overall and the women finishing 10th.

FILE PHOTO: WEB LESLIE/THE HOYA

Senior guard Jason Clark recorded seven points and two assists in Tuesday’s loss.

Pirates Wreck Hoyas in NJ Michael Palmer Hoya Staff Writer

For the last two weeks, Georgetown has repeatedly stated that its focus is not on the Big East tournament, but on each game remaining in the regular season. Tuesday night suggested otherwise.

The No. 8 Hoyas (20-6, 10-5 Big East) suffered their worst loss of the season Tuesday night, a 7355 drubbing at Seton Hall (19-9, 9-8 Big East), bringing the Pirates one step closer to an NCAA tournament berth and pushing Georgetown farther away from a Big East tournament doublebye.

The Hoyas failed to put a single player in double-digits, due to a combination of poor shot selection and tough defense by the Pirates. The Blue and Gray were unable to overcome a seven-point halftime deficit, which slowly ballooned into a doubledigit lead as Seton Hall senior guard Jordon Theodore caught fire.

“They played a terrific game.

Jordan Theodore played one of the best games that I've seen him play all year,” Georgetown Head Coach John Thompson III

the bleacher seats

$54.9 million last year — and elected not to re-sign their only two players from 2011 that made over $6 million.

For years, the A’s entire philosophy has centered on avoiding overpaying players in the open market and building through the farm system. For example, Oakland’s famous trio of aces — Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder

Corey Blaine

Beane has strayed from his generally frugal ways to sign Yoenis Céspedes.

and Barry Zito — made only a combined $6.35 million in 2003 while leading the team to the playoffs.

Further, the signing of Céspedes goes against another principle of Moneyball — valuing sample size. According to Beane, the true value of a player is in the amount of times they get on base and score runs over the course of an entire season.

Given this, it’s startling that the A’s would spend so much for a player whose largest exposure came when he played in six games in the

World Baseball Classic. Six games is not enough time to evaluate a player, especially under Beane’s system.

Furthermore, the track record of high-profile international signings has been spotty at best. For every success story like Ichiro Suzuki or Hideki Matsui, there are failures like Kaz Matsui and Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Beane is famous for finding value in players otherwise thought to be worthless or undesirable, but the 2012 Oakland A’s could be in for a long season of ridicule if the Cespedes signing does not work.

In a time when the rest of the division is stockpiling superstars, the A’s seemingly need to rely on Moneyball tactics more than ever to be successful. However, with lackluster talent like Coco Crisp and Jonny Gomes roaming the outfield and less-than-stellar pitching, the few fans that go to the Coliseum could see the worst A’s team of the Billy Beane era face off against the best AL West in recent memory.

By straying from the Moneyball system and instead making mistakes familiar to other small-market clubs, the A’s seem doomed to a long and unsuccessful season. As quick as the baseball community will be to criticize, it must be noted that this may just be the first step in Billy Beane’s next plan to change baseball.

Corey Blaine is a junior in the McDonough School of Business.

THE BLEACHER SEATS appears every Friday.

round. Seton Hall also committed just eight turnovers and limited Georgetown to 5-of-15 shooting from three-point range. Georgetown boasted the Big East's best defense coming into the game, allowing just 58.7 points per game and holding opponents to 38.4 percent shooting.

Seton Hall made that defense look futile — especially from the perimeter, where the Pirates were 8-of-13 from long range.

“We have had pretty good perimeter defense but we were atrocious today," Thompson III said. "They hit a couple shots early and our frustrations set in and carried over. That's something that we haven't done, nor haven’t shown but we will fix that.”

Freshman forward Greg Whittington led the Hoyas with nine points, and junior forward Hollis Thompson added eight points, six rebounds and two assists.

Georgetown will return home from its two-game road trip for a noon match against Villanova Saturday at Verizon Center. Seniors Jason Clark and Henry Sims will be honored in the annual Senior Day celebration.

football

Beane Rethinks Moneyball I

f Michael Lewis has any plans to write a sequel to “Moneyball,” he might want to reconsider. Over the offseason, the Oakland Athletics have traded and signed their way through several mistakes in a baffling combination of Moneyball tactics and big-market ineptitude.

To his credit, Billy Beane has stuck to many of the principles that allowed the resource-poor A’s to be a postseason fixture in the early 2000s and reach the ALCS in 2006. He traded starter Gio Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals, where he will now make up to $12 million, signed Manny Ramirez for $500,000 and traded closer Andrew Bailey to the Red Sox, where he will make $3 million.

But a funny thing happened during the A’s annual round of dumping middleaged players for younger and cheaper (if riskier) prospects — the A’s front office began to feel pressure from the high-profile big-money signings made by divisional rivals Texas and Anaheim.

As a result of the sensational signings of Albert Pujols for the Angels and Yu Darvish for the Rangers, Beane strayed from his generally frugal ways to sign Yoenis Céspedes.

Most franchises would be ecstatic to win the bidding for a marquee free agent who is generally considered to be a sensational player with all the tools needed for success.

However, the Athletics agreed to pay Céspedes $9 million a year for four years — an astronomical number for a team that spent only

said. “To tell you the truth, he didn't make any mistakes and I'm not just talking about the shots he made. He totally controlled everything, and tonight we just didn't have any answers for him.

Theodore scored 29 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including a 5-of-5 mark from three-point range, and torched the Hoyas from beyond the arc at key moments in the game. After freshman guard Jabril Trawick hit a pair of free throws to give the Pirates a 49-38 lead, Theodore hit a long, fadeaway threepointer with a defender in his face to extend the lead to 14.

That kick-started an 11-4 run that stretch Seton Hall's lead to 18, and the Pirates never looked back.

“Watching them on film, that is one of the best defensive teams in the country, by far," Seton Hall Head Coach Kevin Willard said. "To play the way we played and execute the way we did was really good.”

The Pirates shot 60.9 percent for the game, the best shooting performance by a Georgetown opponent since Baylor shot the same percentage against the Hoyas in the 2009 NIT opening

FILE PHOTO: Chris bien/THE HOYA

Georgetown boasted a solid defense but struggled on offense at times last season.

Marino to Direct GU Offense MARINO, from A12 excellent job tutoring quarterbacks and has an extensive background of recruiting at academic institutions,” Kelly said.

Marino’s recruiting experience is particularly relevant, as the Patriot League recently voted to allow athletic merit scholarships for football starting in 2013. Marino specializes in recruiting players from New England, Florida and Georgia, all areas with strong football traditions.

Marino’s strong ties with these areas, coupled with the new Patriot League scholarship policy, could provoke an increase in interest from talented recruits. Fordham Head Coach Joe Moorhead described how rewarding the new scholarship policy will be for the league.

“I have seen how awarding

merit-based aid has greatly increased the quality of studentathletes that we are able to recruit,” Moorhead said in a statement. “I believe that this decision will benefit the entire Patriot League.”

Despite the Patriot League’s decision, sweeping changes may not be forthcoming for Hoya football. Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia, who played for the Hoyas in the 1970s, has opposed a move to football scholarships in the past and vowed to examine all possibilities.

“Georgetown will continue its membership in the Patriot League in the sport of football and explore all of its options, including our ability to compete as a need-based program,” DeGioia wrote in a press release last week.

If it hopes to remain competi-

tive in the Patriot League, however, Georgetown would likely need to offer at least some football scholarships. Need-based programs have a a predictably poor record competing against scholarship programs. For example, Lehigh, who dominated the Patriot League last season, was blown out by scholarshipoffering North Dakota State in the playoffs, 24-0. Similarly, Colgate won the Patriot League in 2003, but was demolished by Delaware in the FCS championship, 40-0.

On the heels of the Hoyas’ most successful season in over a decade, the program appears to be taking a step toward committing to its football program. If the university chooses to prioritize football and wishes to have a consistently competitive team, more changes to the program will likely be on the way.

Sports

FRIday, february 24, 2012

THE HOYA

TRACK

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Bright Future Evident for GU CHAMPS, from A12 top spot.

But the relay performances had the strongest individual showings across the board from Kimbers, Cox and Infeld, who have served as the core of the team all year long. Kimbers took third in the 60m dash and second in the 200m dash, Cox finished third in the 800m run and Infeld won the 3000m run and took third in the mile run.

Despite the impressive performances from the women, Henner still sees room for improvement.

“Even at the Big East meet, we’d always like to acknowledge that we were successful, but at the same time, we’d like to [see] where we can get better,” Henner said. “We had a few people who were trying too hard to score some points … and I think they learned some pretty valuable lessons.”

The challenge for the men, however, was overcoming injuries that plagued the team throughout the indoor season. Freshman Tyler Smith and graduate student Toby Ulm missed much of the year, while senior Mark Dennin ran in his first race of the year this weekend. The men also had trouble scoring points in traditionally strong events, such as the 60m hurdles, in which graduate student Jarrett Eaton of Syracuse took the top spot.

Sophomore Hansel Akers, running in his first 500m event of the year, scored points for Georgetown

with a seventh-place finish in an extremely competitive event. Akers’ departure from his normal distance, 400m, left senior Austin Perron alone in the event. He fell just shy of scoring for the Hoyas.

“The Big East 500m event this year was ridiculous,” Henner said.

“I remember a couple years ago, [a time of] 1:01 was unbelievable, and now four or five guys have that.”

But going forward, Akers may hit that time and score some major points for the Blue and Gray in both the Big East and national championships.

“He still needs to get stronger and more confident, but I think a few years down the road, he can be that guy at 1:01,” Henner said. “He ran a great race and competed really well.”

The relays for the men were also strong. The DMR team, which consisted of freshman Omar Kaddurah, Ulm, senior Theon O’Conner and sophomore Andrew Springer, finished in second place behind Providence. The Friars took the top spot after an incredible performance from their anchor, senior David McCarthy.

Georgetown’s 4x800m team, comprising sophomore Bobby Peavey, Ulm, freshman Michael Reher and Kaddurah, scored a third-place finish in a tie with Connecticut. And finally, the 4x400m squad of Perron, Akers and sophomores Justin Crawford and Dylan Sorensen came in fifth place.

All three relay teams scored for Georgetown.

The highlight for the men was not in a relay event, however.

Springer’s time of 7:59.55 in the 3000m run was second only to Providence’s McCarthy. Both Springer and McCarthy broke the previous meet record of 8:01.56, set in 1995.

“I think Springer had one of the best Big East meets I’ve ever seen,” Henner said. “He’s really had a breakout season.”

Another bright spot for the Hoyas’ future came in the form of Reher, who competed in his first Big East championship for Georgetown. Along with a trio of sophomores — Bobby Peavey, Dylan Sorensen and Ben Furcht — Reher is the core of a young, strong middledistance squad that will be a force moving forward.

“It’s just like I told the guys. …

We’re not where we want to be, but we’re not very far off at all,” Henner said. “We still have got to get better, but we got a lot of really young guys and new sprinters coming in, so I’m optimistic about the future.”

The Hoyas are now looking ahead to the national tournament, for which the women’s DMR team has already qualified, along with Infeld and Springer for the 3000m run. Some athletes may run at Notre Dame for a lastchance meet, which gives runners a final shot at recording an automatic qualifying time for nationals.

Nationals take place March 9 and 10 in Nampa, Idaho.

BASEBALL

Hoyas Knock in 17 Runs in Win Kyle Franco Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown’s bats exploded for 17 runs Wednesday afternoon to outslug Coppin State in the Hoyas’ home opener at Shirley Povich Field.

Senior outfielder Rand Ravnaas helped the Hoyas improve their record to 3-1 with three hits and four RBI in a 17-11 win over Coppin State.

Head Coach Pete Wilk saw the greatest production in the lineup from an unlikely place. Georgetown’s sixth, seventh and eighth batters went a combined 7-of-12 with two home runs and nine RBI. Senior catchers Nick Geary and Kevin Johnson and junior infielder Corbin Blakey each drove in three runs, with Johnson and Blakey both going yard.

Wilk was impressed with his team’s offensive performance but still acknowledges that it is difficult to predict whether this output will continue.

“Our offense has been pretty good,” Wilk said. “This is probably the most talented offensive team we’ve had. We’ve had pretty good at-bats, but it’s a bit early to see how good we’re going to be.”

The Hoyas’ 17-run outburst overshadowed a shaky day for Georgetown pitchers.

Georgetown used six pitchers on the day, who combined to give up 11 earned runs and 14 hits. Redshirt

senior Tommy Isaacs earned the win after allowing one run while striking out three over two innings of work.

Sophomore Jack Vander Linden started the game for the Blue and Gray and was by far the Hoyas’ most effective pitcher. The lanky righthander threw two perfect innings and struck out two.

Following Vander Linden’s exit, Coppin State scored first when Georgetown freshman pitcher Max Allen got in a bind and surrendered three straight hits in the top of the third. Allen gave up one run before working his way out of the jam, thanks in part to a successful relay from Ravnaas to sophomore first baseman Steve Anderson to catcher Geary in order to throw a runner out at the plate.

In the bottom of the third, the Blue and Gray rallied to take a 4-1 lead. A sacrifice fly from senior infielder Andy Lentz, a two-run double from Ravnaas and an RBI single from redshirt junior infielder Mike Garza put the Hoyas on top. With the momentum in their favor, the Hoyas’ bats continued to thrive.

Over the next four innings, the Blue and Gray plated 13 more runs while Coppin State mustered only four. The 13-run surge was led by a two-run single from Geary and a two-run blast from Blakey, the first of his Georgetown career. Junior infielder Danny Poplawski added an

RBI sac fly, and Johnson capped off the scoring affair with a three-run homer in the seventh that put the Hoyas firmly in the lead, 17-5.

With its fate all but sealed, Coppin State put together a six-run rally over the eighth and ninth innings to bring the score to 17-11. In the top of the ninth, junior reliever James Heine suppressed Coppin State’s valiant comeback attempt to secure the victory for the Blue and Gray.

Hoping to continue their hot start, the Hoyas travel to WinstonSalem, N.C., this weekend to compete in the Wake Forest Invitational against Cincinnati, UMBC and Wake Forest.

In order to come away from this four-game weekend series with some victories, Wilk’s starters will have to go deeper into games to keep the bullpen fresh — a tough task for them thus far.

“I’m concerned with four games in three days and a pitching staff that has been depleted by some injuries,” Wilk said. “We’re going to need [senior Will] Harris and [junior Thomas] Polus to go deep if we want a successful weekend.”

Wilk also stressed that this weekend should provide a good test for his lineup.

Georgetown will kick off the weekend series Friday morning against conference opponent Cincinnati, with first pitch slated for 10 a.m.

A11

CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

Senior forward Tia Magee scored 17 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in the Hoyas’ blowout win over Providence last Saturday. The Hoyas take on Syracuse this weekend.

Seniors End on High Note Beno Picciano Hoya Staff Writer

It was a fitting finale to what has been a remarkable journey for the seven seniors of the No. 15 Georgetown women’s basketball team (21-6, 10-4 Big East). On an occasion when only a win would have done justice to the careers of the most successful class in Hoya history, Georgetown ran by Providence (13-14, 5-9 Big East) for a 66-39 Senior Day victory last Saturday afternoon.

The win was another big step toward clinching a top-four Big East finish and a much-coveted double-bye in the conference tournament, but for senior forward Tia Magee and company, the day held additional significance. While Georgetown will play once more at McDonough Arena — next Monday versus St. John’s — the members of the class of 2012 were honored before tipoff in a ceremony symbolic of the end to their collegiate hoops careers.

“Today was exciting, but at the same time it was really emotional,” Magee said. “I was the one in the back crying, wiping my face before we came out to warm-ups that last time. Everyone was excited and that showed in the way we played today.”

After entering a relatively unknown program with only one prior NCAA tournament appearance and little national attention, the members of the senior class will end their careers having won 20 games in each of their four years. The group has spent over 40 weeks in the national rankings and is approaching its third consecutive trip to the Big Dance.

The matchup against Providence began inauspiciously, though, with ineffective offense on both ends as the Hoyas and Friars — who rank 15th and 16th in the Big East with respect to field goal percentage — lived up to their reputations for poor shooting in the first half. The Blue and Gray managed just nine made field goals on 28 percent shooting throughout the opening

period, but they were outdone by the visitors’ abysmal 5-of-27 performance.

The score remained close throughout the half as Providence hung with the favored hosts until standout junior guard Sugar Rodgers’ threepointer with 7:45 remaining gave Georgetown a 19-16 lead that they would never relinquish. The Hoyas finished the first half with a 9-3 run and headed to the locker room with a 25-19 advantage, thanks in large part to nine points from Magee and seven from Rodgers.

The game’s second installment, however, followed a different plot. The Blue and Gray finally snapped their shooting slump, exploding for 41 points on 59 percent shooting after the break. Georgetown used a 10-0 run at the beginning of the half to race to a 35-19 lead.

The Friars were overmatched in the remainder of the contest, as the Hoyas’ lead swelled to as many as 30 points.

“It was good to come out and play like the way we can play today,” Head Coach Terri WilliamsFlournoy said. “It was nice to see us aggressive and not be in such a fight. We played relaxed and were able to take a few chances here and there.”

Rodgers, the Big East’s leading scorer at 19.3 points per game, grabbed a share of the Georgetown record for all-time career three-pointers when she converted one from downtown with 14:33 remaining. The three-time conference player of the week was awarded her seventh mention on the weekly Big East Honor Roll, finishing with 14 points and three blocks on the afternoon.

Magee led the Hoyas with an impressive double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Blue and Gray outrebounded Providence, 44-33, and forced 16 turnovers while committing 13.

Next up for Georgetown is a Saturday road date with nemesis Syracuse, whom the Hoyas squeezed for a 69-42 victory on Jan. 15 at McDonough Arena. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.

top of the key

Big Ten, Big 12 Challenge for Top Spot in Conference Rankings

J

has more teams could go far in that event. Ohio State is a possible championship contender, and Tom Izzo’s masterful coaching has Michigan State primed for another run to the Final Four. Michigan and Wisconsin are dangerous, if streaky. Cody Zeller and DeMatha Catholic High School graduate Victor Oladipo might just have enough hoops prowess to give Indiana a shot at their first Sweet 16 since 2002.

3. Big 12 – No conference has as strong Power Conferences 1a. Big East – Georgetown’s league is a top tier as the Big 12. Kansas and Misstill on top but is nowhere near as im- souri dominate the league with highpressive as it has been in recent years. level talent like Thomas Robinson of The argument could be made that the Jayhawks and Marcus Denmon of Syracuse is the best team in the coun- the Tigers. Baylor, too, is stacked with try, but questions linger about its abil- talent. Kansas State, which pulled off ity to go the distance in the Big Dance. a huge upset at Mizzou on Tuesday, is Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette a potential tourney giant-killer. Iowa and Notre Dame round out the Big State and Texas also both figure into a East’s upper tier, but none of them complex league picture. seems likely to cut down the nets in 4. ACC – Although North Carolina New Orleans. Other likely tourna- hasn’t kept pace with Syracuse and ment teams — Cincinnati, Seton Hall, Kentucky at the top of the national South Florida and West Virginia come polls, the Tar Heels are part of a loadperfect timing to mind — will likely for be quick outs in ed trio in the ACC. Duke — which has outperformed this season and has the tournament. your holiday specials 1b. Big Ten – While the Big East may only one bad loss, a 22-point beatultimately more squads for down at Ohio State — is also a top-10 contact qualify sales@thehoya.com the NCAA Tournament, the Big Ten team. Florida State, with dynamic ust as America’s reign as the world’s lone superpower is encountering a challenge from a rising China, the Big East’s dominant position in college basketball is being tested by the Big Ten and the Big 12 this season. But to make a fair assessment of the picture, a ranking of the power conferences and the stronger mid-major leagues is in order.

guards Ian Miller and Michael Snaer, will be a tournament threat as well.

Virginia and North Carolina State are tournament teams, although the Wolfpack has disappointed against quality opponents.

5. SEC – Kentucky, far and away the nation’s best team, makes the SEC look good. But the weakness of Florida,

Evan Hollander

The Big East’s dominance is being tested by the Big Ten and Big 12 this season. overrated at No. 11 in the polls, shows that the conference is not particularly deep. Vanderbilt, which carried high

expectations into the season, has been sorely disappointing, and Anthony Grant has allowed a circus-like atmosphere to descend over Alabama’s roster, imperiling the Crimson Tide’s attempts to reach their league’s upper rung.

6. Pac-12 – Once again, the Pac-12 is miserable. The conference’s twelve teams have a combined 0-12 record against teams in the AP Top 25. UCLA, which was tabbed to be the league’s best team, lost at St. John’s last weekend and even the league’s best, California, lost by 40 points to Missouri.

BEST OF THE REST: THE Mid-Majors Mid-majors that have been strong in the past, such as the MAC and Conference USA, are floundering this season. But the Atlantic 10 and the Mountain West have both come on strong. Who would have thought that the West Coast Conference would have better basketball than the Pac-12 this season?

Atlantic 10 – Temple, whom the Big East appears to be courting, is the league’s best team and proved itself to be a national player after knocking off Duke. But the Owls are joined

by St. Louis and Xavier at the top of

the league. Going forward, the Musketeers may be in the best position, as they have impressed while at full strength.

Mountain West – This conference is stacked, with New Mexico, UNLV and San Diego State all fitting into the AP Top 25 this week. Steve Alford, the Indiana legend and former Iowa head coach, could take the Lobos even further than the Sweet 16, where he led Southwest Missouri State in 1999.

UNLV, with some gutsy road wins, may have the best chance of tournament success.

West Coast Conference – No Jimmer Fredette, no problem for the WCC, whose standard-bearer this season is St. Mary’s. However, the Gaels faltered in their clash at Murray State, raising questions about their tournament chances. Come March, the edge goes to Gonzaga, which has done better in close matchups. In any case, this league is better than the Pac-12, the Pacific Coast’s other conference.

Evan Hollander is a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service and deputy sports editor for The Hoya.

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MEN’S BASKETBALL No. 9 Hoyas (20-6) vs. Villanova (11-16) Tomorrow, 2 p.m.

Verizon Center

friDAY, febr uary 24, 2012

Recent Scores: big east men’s BASKETBALL

WHAT’S INSIDE Evan Hollander previews tonight’s men’s lacrosse season opener against crosstown rival Maryland at MultiSport Facility.

USF Syracuse

48 56

Rutgers Marquette

65 82

Louisville Cincinnati

Upcoming Games: big east men’s basketball 56 60

Marquette at WVU Tonight, 9 p.m.

Syracuse at Connecticut Tomorrow, 9 p.m.

Rutgers at Seton Hall Tomorrow, 5 p.m.

“Anytime you’ve got somebody like [senior Emily] Infeld, you can ... bank on some points. Everybody can just relax and do their jobs.” Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Patrick Henner

track

Men’s basketball

Women Take Big East Title Ashwin Wadekar Hoya Staff Writer

The women keep on rolling.

After securing its first ever crosscountry national championship, the Georgetown women’s track and field squad — which includes members of the 2011 national champion cross-country team — came home from New York City last weekend with a Big East title. Meanwhile, the men finished in eighth place as Notre Dame took the top spot.

The women’s balanced effort allowed the Hoyas to score points in every running event except for the 400 meter dash. And, just as it has all year, Georgetown dominated the relay events.

The women’s distance medley relay team — comprised of sophomores Kirsten Kasper, Tenille Stoudenmire, Chelsea Cox and junior Emily Infeld — had already shattered the previous school record earlier this year, but bested that mark with a Big East championship record. The team’s time of 11:08.19 was almost three seconds faster than its closest competitor, Villanova.

“Tenille ran a great leg, and Chelsea did a good job to put Emily in a position to win,” Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Patrick Henner said.

“Anytime you’ve got somebody like Infeld, you can kind of bank on some points. Everybody else can just relax and do their job.”

The 4x800m team — comprised of senior Lauren Borduin, freshman Hannah Neczypor, Cox and junior Rachel Schneider — took third place overall behind Villanova and Notre Dame, while the 4x400m team of senior London Finley, junior Amanda Kimbers, freshman Deseree King and Stoudenmire took the See CHAMPS, A11

FILE PHOTO: WEB LESLIE/THE HOYA

Freshman forward Greg Whittington led Georgetown with nine points in a 73-55 loss at Seton Hall Tuesday night, the Hoyas’ worst of the season. See A10

GU Faces Struggling ’Nova on Senior Day Lawson Ferguson Hoya Staff Writer

Villanova and Georgetown are familiar opponents, but this year the two programs find themselves in an unfamiliar position. The Hoyas have won three of the last four meetings, each time coming up against a Wildcats team ranked in the national top 10. But this time, the No. 9 Hoyas (20-6, 10-5 Big East) will be favored as they welcome the struggling Wildcats (11-16, 4-11 Big East) to the District for Senior Day

football

Hoya Staff Writer

After its most successful season this century, the Georgetown football program announced the hiring of former Columbia quarterbacks coach Vinny Marino as offensive coordinator Tuesday afternoon.

“Vinny comes very highly recommended from people that I know and respect in the business,” Head Coach Kevin Kelly said in a statement. “He really is the total package and fits all of the criteria we were looking for in a coordinator.”

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

The Hoyas went 8-3 last season and return several key offensive weapons.

Marino brings a background of success to a Georgetown program on the rise. In his six years at Columbia, Marino helped revive an abysmal Lions’ offense and coached all-Ivy League quarterbacks in five of six years. Prior to working at Columbia, Marino was a wide receivers coach for a Connecticut team that won 20 of 27 games during his tenure. And as a running backs coach in 2000, Marino helped Rhode Island earn its first winning season since 1985.

Marino should slide smoothly into his new role, as the Hoyas return most of their top offensive weapons for the 2012 season. Junior quarterback Isaiah Kempf, who had 1,268 yards and a 109.7 quarterback rating in 2011, will bring senior leadership to an offense that also returns speedy sophomore running back Nick Campanella, who had 499 yards and 8 touchdowns last season. Kempf will also have his two top targets back, junior slot receiver Max Waizenegger and redshirt sophomore wideout Jamal Davis.

Additionally, Marino brings excellent recruiting experience to the Hilltop: While at UConn, he also served as recruiting director. Moreover, his experience at Columbia may assist Georgetown in bringing top athletes to the academically challenging environment.

“He has experience and success as an offensive coordinator. He’s done an See MARINO, A10

lanova sitting at a shocking 13th in the conference.

Only four teams pull down more rebounds per game than the Wildcats, but abysmal shooting (41 percent from the field, good for 277th in the country) has more than undone all their good work on the boards.

After losing leading scorers Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes and their nearly 31 points per game to graduation, Wright was counting See NOVA, A9

woMEN’S BASKETBALL

Georgetown Hires New Offensive Coordinator Matt Carlucci

Saint Louis and Santa Clara sent Villanova into a tailspin from which they haven’t recovered, as a team that was picked to finish eighth in the Big East has struggled early and often.

It appeared that the Wildcats might rescue their season in midJanuary when they posted consecutive wins over Seton Hall and St. John’s, but they reverted to form thereafter. Six losses in seven games — including two heartbreaking home overtime losses to Notre Dame and Connecticut — have Vil-

Saturday afternoon.

The last time an unranked Wildcats squad faced off against Georgetown was in February 2008, when the No. 8 Hoyas eked out a twopoint win thanks to two Jon Wallace free throws with one second left. The rankings — or lack thereof — are similar this time around, with Georgetown back in the top-10 and Villanova unranked.

Head Coach Jay Wright’s team started off the season with four wins, but it has all been downhill from there. Surprising losses to

Chris bien/THE HOYA

Junior guard and Big East leading scorer Sugar Rodgers had 14 points in last Saturday’s win over Providence.

Hoyas Primed for Rematch at ’Cuse Leonard Olsen Hoya Staff Writer

Regardless of the teams’ records, rivalry games are always important, and the No. 15 Georgetown women’s basketball team’s (21-6, 10-4 Big East) upcoming visit to Syracuse (17-11, 6-8 Big East) this weekend is no different. The Hoyas will look to beat the Orange for the second time this year in the alwaysheated matchup between the two schools.

The Blue and Gray easily defeated

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Syracuse at home in their matchup on Jan. 15th, handing the Orange a 69-42 loss. But Syracuse will carry some momentum into this contest, having won their last two games.

In the most recent game Tuesday night, the Orange upset No. 21 DePaul on the road by a convincing 16-point margin. On top of that, Syracuse’s Carrier Dome is always a tough place to play, so Georgetown Head Coach Terri WilliamsFlournoy will need to have her troops ready for battle if they want to sweep the season series with

Syracuse.

The potent Orange offense was in full force against DePaul, and the Hoyas should not expect Syracuse to bring anything less to the table on Saturday. Syracuse ranks fourth in the Big East in total offense with an average of 70 points per game. They also lead the league in free throw percentage, shooting an impressive 76.7 percent as a team from the charity stripe.

Another strength of the Syracuse See SYRACUSE, A10