The Hoya: March 2, 2012

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

Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 93, No. 36, © 2012

friday, march 2, 2012

SPRING FASHION

The Guide showcases spring looks from up-and-coming D.C. designers.

SCHOLARSHIPS Two Georgetown juniors are finalists for 2012 Truman Scholarships.

GUIDE, G5

LAW CENTER GU Law professors and congressmen hit the court for their annual game.

LACROSSE The women’s lacrosse team beat Delaware in its home opener Wednesday.

THEHOYA.COM

SPORTS, A10

NEWS, A7

One Year Later, a Look Back At Meaney-Laverriere Term Sam Rodman Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown University Student Association President Mike Meaney (SFS ’12) and Vice President Greg Laverriere (COL ’12) campaigned in 2011 to improve student life, neighborhood relations and GUSA accountability.

As the pair leaves the executive office, Meaney is still surprised that

he and Laverriere won the race.

“About a year ago, upon taking the oath of office, I said that it was funny to think that a grumpy, awkward kid from Long Island and a kid with a stutter from Tucson had been elected president and vice president of the Georgetown University Student Association,” he said in his farewell address to the GUSA senate Sunday. “It’s still funny, because Greg is still awkward

LEONEL DE VELEZ/THE HOYA

GUSA President Mike Meaney (SFS ’12) addressed the senate for the final time on Sunday. He will transition out of office after spring break.

and grumpy, and I still stutter.”

Meaney and Laverriere initially focused on initiatives that could bring tangible, immediate benefits to students such as the reinstitution of the College Readership program and the inauguration of Project Move-In, during which GUSA members helped new students settle in to their housing on the first day of New Student Orientation.

According to Meaney, these initiatives helped him and Laverriere build enough political capital to devote the second half of their term to working toward the longterm goals on which they had campaigned.

“We had been building and building our capital for our big things, which were Code of Conduct, Student Life Report and Access to Benefits,” he said. “People run on [these initiatives] every year. We made progress, and that’s something we’re proud of.”

A FIGHT FOR STUDENT RIGHTS A primary focus of Meaney and Laverriere’s campaign was reforming the university’s Student Code of Conduct. The duo has been working with university officials to revise the code since November, when it released its proposed changes. They hope to raise the burden of proof required to issue a disciplinary violation and better communicate student rights during the judicial process.

Their campaign also promised to revamp the Access to Benefits Policies, which outline the benefits granted to student groups. While the Student Life Report, released Saturday, provided detailed recommendations for reforming these policies, Meaney and Laverriere’s administration did not tangibly change them during its term.

The pair, however, was able to implement initiatives absorbed from other 2011 campaigns. Most notably, they charged their former election adversaries, Ace Factor (COL ’12) and James Pickens (COL ’12), with the establishment of the See REVIEW, A5

COURTESY SANDRA FLUKE

Sandra Fluke (LAW ’12) appeared before congressional Democrats last week.

Law Student Mired in Birth Control Debate Margaret Viator Hoya Staff Writer

After three years of petitioning the university to amend its health insurance policy to include coverage for contraception, Sandra Fluke (LAW ’12) was used to sparking controversy.

But when Fluke was barred from testifying on the issue before the House Oversight Committee earlier this month, she became embroiled in a much larger and more vitriolic debate.

Radio host Rush Limbaugh pro-

Religious Group Barred From University

voked a media firestorm when he called Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute” Wednesday for advocating that employers include coverage for contraception in their health care plans at a meeting of the House Democratic Steering Committee. Fluke was invited to appear at the meeting after she was prevented from testifying before the House Oversight Committee.

“So Miss Fluke and the rest of you feminazis, here’s the deal,” Limbaugh said on his show Thursday. “If we are See FLUKE, A7

Shift to GU New Battle For Veterans

Sarah Kaplan

often recruits members on college campuses.

The university sent a broadcast Members of the local arm of the email to the campus community International Church of Christ, an Tuesday informing students about international group that critics char- the presence of such groups. The acterize as a cult, have been barred email, which was signed by Vice from campus, according to Protes- President of Mission and Ministry tant Chaplaincy Director Rev. Bryant Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., and Vice PresiOskvig. dent for Student Affairs Todd Olson, Oskvig would not specify when the warned students about the negative group was barred but said that the influence these groups could exert. organization and “When ena number of othgaged with any er non-affiliated “I never would have religious group, religious groups student believed that there were no have been operatshould feel any ing on campus in these predatory groups undue pressure violation of unito join or remain on campus.” versity policies. in the ministry G e o r g e tow n or to sacrifice Jenny hunter (col ’93), requires all rewho will speak next month about their primary acher experiences in the ICOC. ligious groups ademic committhat operate on ments or alienate campus to become affiliated with themselves from family and friends,” the university, meaning that they the email read. must function under the auspices of The email also invited students to the Office of Campus Ministry. a discussion event with Jenny Hunt“We want these groups to agree to er (COL ’93), who joined the ICOC the essential principles and ideals of during her senior year at Georgethe university,” Oskvig said. town but has since separated from Georgetown is among several uni- the church. versities that have banned the International Church of Christ, which See BAN, A6

Alex Horton, T.M. Gibbons-Neff, David Shearman and Colby Howard are working to improve on-campus resources for student veterans.

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

Published Tuesdays and Fridays

Hoya Staff Writer

Beth Garbitelli Hoya Staff Writer

Most Georgetown undergraduates turn 21 amid a throng of friends at The Tombs and receive a smeared, black stamp on their foreheads to inaugurate their first night of legal drinking.

Alex Horton (COL ’13) got a different kind of mark.

“I got a pink belly for it,” Horton said.

“It’s when a group of people hold you down and take off your shirt and slap you in the stomach until [it] turns red.”

According to Horton, getting “pinkbellied” is a birthday tradition in the army.

Horton spent his 21st birthday in Kuwait, just days before crossing the border into Iraq to serve his tour of duty. Since he was on base at the time, Horton did not get to partake in any drinking, although he was allowed to skip trash cleanup for the night.

MICHELLE CASSIDY/THE HOYA

FROM THE FRONT TO THE HILLTOP After returning from Iraq, Horton took up a job at the Department of Veterans Affairs. But getting an education See VETERANS, A7

Send Story Ideas and Tips to news@thehoya.com

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OPINION

THE HOYA

friDAY, march 2, 2012

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

GUMC: Money Isn’t Everything

Founded January 14, 1920

To the Editor:

Meaney and Laverriere Gained Ground for GUSA One week ago, the buzz surrounding GUSA centered on the election of a new president and vice president. But one year ago, outgoing President Mike Meaney (SFS ’12) and Vice President Greg Laverriere (COL ’12) were just getting started.

Now, as their tenure comes to a close, Meaney and Laverriere can say that they leave GUSA a stronger, more legitimate institution than they found it.

Throughout their term, the two kept their focus on the main ideas of their campaign, such as beginning a reform of the Student Code of Conduct and drafting a Student Life Report. The executive also supported the senate throughout the Student Activities Fee Endowment reform process, helping ensure that it was a smooth and open process.

The Student Life Report, which debuted this past weekend, provides a blueprint for improving campus life over the next 10 years. The 73-page document lays out specific and tangible recommendations for funding advisory boards and intellectual and student life.

By bringing former election opponents Ace Factor (COL ’12) and James Pickens (COL ’12) into their administration to develop the Student Advocacy Office, Meaney and Laverriere displayed an ability to go beyond their own campaign goals in response to student interests. The SAO, created last fall, now provides students with free and con-

fidential advice concerning student rights and Code of Conduct issues.

Some smaller campaign goals of the Meaney and Laverriere, however, remain unaccomplished. Denied full funding for their GUSARides proposal, the team encouraged GUSA senators to continue voluntarily driving SafeRides vans; even with the implementation of Snack Cab, the program still suffers from low participation. Another campaign promise, hot Grab ‘n’ Go, was never instituted.

Minor hiccups aside, the most important victory for GUSA over the past year has been the organization’s increased accountability. By holding regular office hours, Meaney and Laverriere have kept their campaign promise of making executives more accessible.

The creation of the Hoya Ideas Community, a site that allows students to submit ideas for improving the university, gives students a louder voice. This improved relationship between GUSA and the student body certainly played a large role in last week’s record-high voter turnout.

Meaney and Laverriere’s term represents a significant step forward for student government at Georgetown. The leadership of the outgoing executive allowed for tangible improvements to student life and, more importantly, left an example for future leaders of GUSA to follow.

Affirming Diversity The Supreme Court agreed last month to hear a case on affirmative action, and many speculate that the conservative-leaning Court may overturn a previous decision allowing the use of race as a factor in college admissions.

As much as the buzzword “diversity” is used around college campuses, we often take exposure to different races, cultures and backgrounds for granted.

College education is a collective undertaking, but if the Supreme Court decides to oppose affirmative action policies, it could ultimately detract from the American undergraduate experience.

In the 2003 case of Grutter vs. Bollinger, the Court upheld affirmative action policies at the University of Michigan Law School, ruling that academic institutions should have a legitimate interest in promoting diversity. The case slated for review this fall was brought

by Abigail Noel Fisher, who was denied admission to the University of Texas.

When affirmative action was first instituted in the 1960s, it sought to address institutional inequalities. Unfortunately, discrimination persists in many areas of society, including the education system. But the necessity of academic affirmative action is not predicated on historical inequality alone.

Some critics of affirmative action in

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 Molly Mitchell, Multimedia Editor 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 Kendall Ciesemier Martin Hussey

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

Howard J. Federoff Executive Vice President for Health Sciences and Executive Dean of the School of Medicine

THE VERDICT Powerless — McDonough Arena, Yates Field House, Kehoe Field, Henle, Village A and Village C experienced power outages from Wednesday until Thursday morning.

Stopped in Their Tracks — Union Station authorities evacuated the train station for an hour Thursday night due to false fire alarms.

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Early Bloomers — Experts reported that Washington’s famous cherry blossom trees will reach their peak bloom around March 22 of this year.

Bye Bye, Hoyas — The women’s basketball team has clinched a double-bye for the upcoming Big East tournament and the men are fighting to do the same.

Spring Break Serenade — The Saxatones sang outside of Lauinger Library Wednesday evening in honor of the approaching vacation.

FROM THEHOYA.COM READER’S RESPONSE

college admissions argue that an applicant’s socioeconomic background is more significant than his or her race.

Others claim that affluent minority applicants should not benefit from affirmative action. But some of those same critics recognize that the representation of women or international students in a classroom discussion is important, regardless of whether those students happen to be wealthy. This paradox results from their viewing the minority experience through a narrow lens of economics without consideration for the cultural aspects of racial identity.

Of course, affirmative action cannot merely designate quotas; racial quotas for colleges were abolished by the Supreme Court in 1978. As universities have demonstrated for more than three decades, they can responsibly consider characteristics such as race when making admissions decisions without resorting to a quota system.

Affirmative action is not charity for some and punishment for others; it is a necessary measure that serves the best interests of all members of an academic institution, and it ought to be preserved. Should the Supreme Court choose to rule against affirmative action, the undergraduate experience will be severely damaged.

Connor Gregoire, Editor-in-Chief

The article “Med Center Deficit Over $22 Million” (The Hoya, A1, Feb. 23, 2012) focused on Georgetown University Medical Center’s debt, but it failed to articulate any of the Medical Center’s contributions to the university and its proven efforts to advance human health.

Approximately 85 percent of the university’s funded research is housed in the Medical Center, and is central to the university’s mission and historic identity. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has categorized Georgetown as a “very high research activity” university, based largely on GUMC’s research.

Georgetown is only one of 27 universities across the United States that has a prestigious Clinical Translational Science Award, and our cancer center carries the distinguished designation as a “Comprehensive Cancer Center” from the National Cancer Institute.

At GUMC, we invest in the sciences that significantly enhance our understanding of diseases and disorders. Also, Georgetown’s mission of social justice is evident in our various programs for the underserved, who depend on care provided by the Capital Breast Cancer Center and the Hoya Clinic in Washington, D.C. None of these efforts would be possible

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EDITORIALS

without investment. We support our research enterprise through several resources, including federally funded competitive grants, philanthropy, intellectual property and the support of the university.

No biomedical research enterprise breaks even. Each requires institutional investment.

At GUMC, we pride ourselves on conducting biomedical research in the most cost-effective manner. We are developing and implementing a new fiscal structure born out of the Medical Center’s Strategic Planning Initiative to respond to the challenging external funding environment. At the same time, this structure creates a roadmap for sustainable growth that leverages our strengths and opportunities for success as an academic medical center.

GUMC is so much more than just a number in a headline — our doctors and students make a difference in the daily health of the people in our community, and our faculty and staff educate and prepare our students to excel as tomorrow’s health care workforce. Our biomedical researchers contribute to advancing discoveries and treatments for millions around the country and the world.

“

Well if memory serves me correctly I have never seen the Department of Public Safety patrol after midnight. They have bikes and a car but I don’t see them do any patrols. If they took their job seriously we might not be having this problem.

Anonymous on “Student Injured in Sexual Assault” Posted Feb. 27, 2012

”

A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD US ... @mrsdurkinmuses

Feb. 27 @thehoyasports @chefgeoffs much better game than the #bachelor. @zmwang

Feb. 27 Interview with new GU CIO @LisaDavisCIO & @thehoya. Exciting times at Georgetown. #innovation #edtech @laralec

Feb. 27 @thehoya Imagine if our students (parents) did not have to take on such massive debt in order to complete undergrad or grad school @LisaDavisCIO

Feb. 28 Yes indeed @thehoya. Hoping to promote collaboration and get the community excited about technology innovation! #edtech

CORRECTION The article “D.C. Will Consider Taxi Rate Increase” (The Hoya, A6, Feb. 28, 2012) incorrectly stated that the D.C. Council was considering a rate increase. Changes to rates are determined by the D.C. Taxicab Commission.

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 Michael Vu, Director of Technology Caroline Boerwinkle Catherine Hendren Evan Marks Sara Eshleman Shane Sarver Eleonore Durand Kent Carlson Keeley Williams Mary Nancy Walter Michael Lindsay-Bayley Ryan Smith

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Board of Directors

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

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

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

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OPINION

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

THE HOYA

VIEWPOINT • Laura Engshuber

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VIEWPOINT • Andrew Owiti

Race: One Dimension of Diversity Family Roles Revisited

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here is no denying that diversity of students is a must for higher education, but affirmative action is not the best way to go about ensuring this.

The case of Fischer vs. The University of Texas may end up eliminating the use of race in the admissions process to ensure diversity of the student body. The Supreme Court has previously upheld the value of diversity in 2003’s Grutter vs. Bollinger decision, and the new case does not challenge that diversity is an admirable goal — merely that affirmative action should not be used to achieve it.

Affirmative action does both minority and non-minority students a disservice. First, it presumes that race is a predominant factor in ensuring diversity of thought and opinion. While race, subjection to stereotypes and inherent societal discrimination can undoubtedly influence a student’s outlook, many other factors have the same effect.

Most notably, socioeconomic status is a greater determinant of diversity than strictly race. There is no doubt that students who work after school to support their families should be given a boost in the admissions process. But it is hard to argue that a wealthy minority student — with the same cultural exposures, academic and extracur-

ricular opportunities as non-minority applicants — should be given special standing. Race and socioeconomic standing are unfortunately often inextricably linked, but here the socioeconomic standing of an applicant should be the determining factor.

Race is only one of many factors that contribute to diversity, yet college applicants are not given special privileges because of other factors that might contribute to a different life experience. One’s sexual identification, growing up in an abusive household or having family members that serve in the military are all factors that could make for a unique and diverse outlook that is valuable in a college classroom.

Of course, applicants can mention these factors in their college essays, but they are not asked directly about such experiences in the way they are about their race. Affirmative action presumes that race provides applicants with a unique outlook on life, even if that is not necessarily the case.

Affirmative action policies are aimed at erasing historical and current inequalities. Implicit in this argument is that increased interactions between non-minority and minority students through attending the same classes, living in the same dorms and partaking in the

same college experience will help to end unfair stereotypes and discrimination. Still, upholding the outdated affirmative action policy actually breeds resentment.

Too often, white students claim that minority students only got into elite schools because of their race. While this may be true for some students — just as others were accepted for their legacy status — affirmative action disservices the many minority students who got in purely on academic and extracurricular merit.

Affirmative action is a well-intentioned idea, but it has become outdated. Admissions officers should be given the discretion to evaluate applicants on all of their merits and look at all of the factors that make them unique, diverse and a good addition to the student body.

Race should not be given priority in this holistic review.

There is no doubt that race can add to diversity of the student body, but a legal mandate for affirmative action is not the right way to ensure diversity. Rather, affirmative action can actually end up stifling the diversity of opinions and experiences that it seeks to promote.

Laura Engshuber is a senior in the College and a member of The Hoya’s editorial board.

THE DISCONCERTED DEMAGOGUE by Daniel Yang

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nything you can do, I can do better.

I can do anything better than you,” belted Annie Oakley to Frank Butler in the smash-hit Broadway Musical “Annie Get Your Gun.” This confident assertion of feminine power six decades ago was one of the first feminist anthems, boldly declaring that women and men are equals in all respects.

A half-century of feminist scholarship and history have shown that Annie’s boast was essentially correct. There are female CEOs, Nobel laureates, prime ministers, lawyers, doctors, investment bankers and even soldiers. It is now an established truth that women can successfully occupy roles previously reserved for men, but can men successfully occupy the roles previously reserved for women?

As executive director of a nonprofit, I mostly work from home. My German wife is a molecular biotechnologist in Frankfurt, Germany, where we live. As a result, I am the primary caregiver to a strong-willed, 2-yearold daughter. My daily battles have made me wonder whether men are sufficiently equipped to nurture and raise children.

Picture an image from some lifestyle magazine of a cherry-cheeked housewife, a content child perched on her left hip, merrily vacuuming. An enticing image of domestic tranquility that we all ought to aspire to, right?

Well, as a house-husband, I have been utterly unable to replicate that image. Of course I recognize that this image is an advertisement not meant to represent reality. But what would your reaction be if on the magazine cover, instead of a happy housewife, there was a cheery house-husband?

On any given Saturday morning in my home, my daughter may decide to throw a gargantuan tantrum. While my wife would nonchalantly bite into her croissant and sip her latte macchiato, my stress level would skyrocket. My wife and many other women seem to be able to tune out screaming children — a gift that, I, and many other men, do not possess.

Even in Nordic countries, where people

consider themselves more evolved in gender relations, there is a policy of Vaterzeit (literally, father time). This means that a couple is collectively entitled to 14 months of maternity and paternity leave with 80 percent to 100 percent pay. However, five of those 14 months must be taken by the father.

Of course, most men take advantage of the policy. After all, employers provide free money and your old job is guaranteed without prejudice to your professional advancement. Typically, the mother takes the first nine months and the father takes the remaining five. But the German men I know who have taken advantage of Vaterzeit are more than relieved when it’s over.

These northern European governments are essentially bribing men to play a role previously reserved for women. In contrast, Sandra Day O’Connor, the retired Supreme Court Justice who graduated third in her class at Stanford Law, initially couldn’t get a job even when she offered to work for free. It’s difficult to miss the point that the first brilliant women trying to occupy traditionally male roles were willing to do it for free, but monetary incentive is needed to get men to do stereotypically female work.

Despite the daily stress her tantrums give me, I cherish every single moment with my daughter. But part of my brain still wonders: Are men really built for this?

21st century families are fluid, so rigorous research in men’s capability to do “female” work and new discussions about gender roles are needed. What kind of society would this create? I have no answers. I don’t know how many Georgetown men are planning on being cherry-cheeked house-husbands, but should we encourage them to consider it?

For all of you who care deeply about gender politics, these are the questions to ponder. Annie Oakley could do everything Frank Butler could, but could Frank Butler do everything Annie Oakley could?

Andrew Owiti graduated from the College in 1989 and Georgetown Law in 2004.

A CANADIAN CONTENTION

A Two-State Path to Peace

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quorum call

Romney Takes the Rocky Road M itt Romney’s primary wins in Arizona and Michigan Tuesday were hardly a surprise. In Arizona, his Mormon and Western roots gave him a leg up. In Michigan, the facts that he was born and raised in the state and that he is the son of a former governor were a definite advantage. Yet in order to arrive at a rather underwhelming conclusion, the Republican primary campaign went through a series of tremendously exciting twists and turns.

Romney’s roughly 20-point win over Rick Santorum in Arizona’s primary was a welcome boost for his campaign, but not exactly earth-shattering. Most of Arizona’s top GOP brass was solidly in his camp: Gov. Jan Brewer, Sen. John McCain and Rep. Jeff Flake, who is likely to join McCain in the Senate next year. With a large Mormon population and fond memories of Romney’s leadership of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, Arizonans joined their neighbors in Nevada in delivering a resounding victory for Romney.

Michigan was another story.

That this race was even close is embarrassing for Romney. From gaffes at a speech at an empty Ford Field, to the blase mention of his family’s numerous fancy cars, to awkwardly bringing up his friendships with NASCAR magnates, Romney made many mistakes.

But he also proved one thing: The fundamental concern for Republicans should not be that this former governor isn’t conservative enough, but that he is an astoundingly bad politician. Romney is a brilliant, accomplished, focused leader. If we as Americans want an outstanding technocrat to right our economy, he’s our man. But his self-awareness and

human touch are almost comically lacking. Voters should stop being surprised by Romney’s social awkwardness and instead realize that he offers the most stable and effective leadership for America.

Romney was also disadvantaged by his usual shortcomings. For example, Michigan is a quintessential blue-collar state. Romney’s struggle to connect personally, coupled with his patrician profile, is a massive impediment to con-

Sam Dulik

The GOP went through a series of exciting twists to settle on Romney. necting with such a demographic.

Meanwhile, Santorum was raised in and spent his life representing the steel and coal country of western Pennsylvania, just a stone’s throw from Michigan. His roots made him an unlikely power player in Michigan.

Many thought a loss in Michigan would have destroyed Romney’s campaign. It likely would not have done so, but either way, Romney caught a break. Talk of recruiting a last-minute GOP dark horse candidate is malarkey, but the conversation indicates the profound degree to which Romney is a damaged and imperfect future nominee, who enjoys lukewarm

conservative support at best.

It is difficult to see where Santorum will go from here. If there were anywhere for him to make a stand and show his strength, it would have been in Michigan.

The coming days, however, have the potential to shake up this race even more. Tomorrow’s caucuses in Washington state are unpredictable. Next week, on Super Tuesday, 10 states will be on the line. While Romney will dominate primaries in his other home state, Massachusetts, along with neighboring states Vermont and Virginia (where only he and Ron Paul have made the ballot), the map is daunting elsewhere.

Newt Gingrich has been staking out a last stand in the Bible Belt: Georgia, Oklahoma and Tennessee. A competitive Santorum could conceivably knock Romney into third in those states. But the big prize will be Ohio, with similar demographics to Michigan. A stumble there could hurt Romney immensely.

I’m afraid that the longer this goes, the more we will see a race to the bottom. Gingrich and Santorum appear to be waging kamikaze campaigns against Romney from the right. Unless the party can salvage some maturity, discipline and character, it could be heading toward an epic electoral implosion at a time when President Obama should be eminently beatable. Hopefully this will not be the case, and the coming primary results will introduce some clarity into this political nightmare.

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

ime is running out for the only way does not change its fundamental outto end the Israeli-Palestinian con- look, a Palestinian state will remain flict. With each passing year, hope inconceivable.

The continued expansion of settlefor a two-state solution fades.

While the continuation of this seeming- ments in the West Bank poses another ly never-ending conflict can be dishearten- great threat. Over the past two decades, ing, it is more important than ever to push the number of Israeli settlers in the area for peace. has more than tripled, which makes drawThe Israel-Palestine conflict isn’t ing the contours of a Palestinian state even black and white; one of its biggest more difficult. problems is that it has been oversimComplicating the issue further, the plified. The Israeli government is not United States has a moral and strategic infallible, and neither is the Pales- imperative to play a major role in the tinians. Mistakes have been made on peace process. both sides. We have to look beyond Take Newt Gingrich’s statement in a the self-defeating blame game and to- recent GOP debate that there is no such ward the future. thing as the Palestinian people. Such As a Zionist, I believe in the right offensive comments illustrate how the to self-determination for Jewish as debate on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict well as Palestinian people. Not only in the United States has become more is it moral to ameliorate the plight toxic than productive. of the Palestinians, a Efforts to cut U.S. two-state solution is aid to the Palestinin Israel’s undeniable ian Authority proself-interest. The crevides yet another ation of a Palestinian example of such state is the only way shortsighted behavthat Israel can retain ior. Without such its Jewish and demoaid, the PA would be cratic identity. significantly weakTo support the creened and Hamas ation of a Palestinian would be emboldstate is to affirm Israened. In essence, the Scott Stirrett el’s founding values.

United States would Giving up on the twobe destroying the state solution means It is more important than Israeli’s best chance conceding that the of a partner for ever to push for peace in peace, which is why only path forward is a binational entity. the Netanyahu the Israel-Palistine conflict. even This binational governmen opstate would have a posed the proposal.

Palestinian majority, and Israel would Nevertheless, the debate is gradually lose its fundamental Jewish identity. beginning to change in Washington.

The only way that Israel could remain President Obama courageously outJewish under such a scenario would lined his support of a two-state solution be to disenfranchise Palestinians, cre- in May 2011, a plan based on the 1967 ating two levels of citizenship, which borders with mutually agreed-upon would undermine Israel’s democratic land swaps. Being pro-Israel means prefoundation. Those who advocate for serving a Jewish and democratic Israel, policies that reduce the likelihood not necessarily supporting every policy of a two-state solution actually work of the Netanyahu government. against Israel’s fundamental longAmericans are beginning to rally beterm interests. hind groups such as J Street, an organizaMoreover, the day a two-state solu- tion with over 170,000 supporters that tion is finally realized will hopefully advocates for a two-state solution. In only a be the day that Israel’s enemies lay few weeks, J Street, in which I am involved, down their arms. True, the creation of will hold a national conference of over a two-state solution becomes a divorce 2,000 activists, demonstrating the political between two peoples. But sometimes, power of a movement that was founded recognizing a fundamental disagree- only three years ago. ment can be a good thing. As countless Theodor Herzl, the father of Zionism, families can attest, sometimes taking once said, “If you will it, it is no longer a this difficult, dividing step forward dream.” It’s time to transform the twois the only way to achieve peace and state solution from a dream to reality. rebuild. A shared binational country would be a disaster for both groups.

Scott Stirrett is a junior in the School Unfortunately, the two-state so- of Foreign Service. He is the former lution is under attack on all sides. chief of staff of the Georgetown UniHamas continues to promote virulent versity College Democrats and former anti-Semitism and refuses to even rec- chair and co-founder of D.C. Students ognize Israel’s right to exist as a state. Speak. A CANADIAN CONTENTION apAs long as Hamas controls Gaza and pears every other Friday.

A4

NEWS

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PAGE FOUR

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

ONLINE ONLY Watch footage of President DeGioia’s speech at the signing of the Mayor’s College and University Sustainability Pledge at thehoya.com.

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Author and financial analyst Steve Cortes (COL ’94), a Baker Scholar Trustee and panelist on the CNBC program “Fast Money,” spoke about China’s role in the international economy in White-Gravenor Hall Thursday evening.

BEST STAYCATION EVER Staying in D.C. for spring break doesn’t mean you have to stay on campus. See our list of what’s going on in the city this week. blog.thehoya.com

Beyond ASB: Trips GUSA Prepares 2013 Draft Budget Cross DC, Borders ANNIE CHEN

Hoya Staff Writer

KELLY CHURCH

in the District.

“It was very authentic the Hoya Staff Writer whole time we were there,” she While the Alternative Spring said, describing a ride on a rickBreak trips through the Center for ety ferry during which she was Social Justice attract hundreds of sandwiched between two women students, a handful of Hoyas will holding chickens. “You’ve just traverse the globe with other pro- never seen anything like it before.” grams next week.

For students who want to stick Through an Outdoor Education trip to Nicaragua, 14 students and a little closer to home, Teach two guides will help build irriga- for America and Deloitte offer tion canals in local schoolyards as a spring break trip to Memphis. well as climb volcanoes, surf and In the four-day program, four Georgetown students will work horseback ride.

According to Lindsey Doyle (SFS with school children in low-in’13), who will serve as a guide on come areas to address education the trip, the program is a chance inequity.

The program also serves as a for many students explore a new recruitment tool for Deloitte. Acculture and ecosystem.

“One of the things that Outdoor cording to the company, it has Education offers to students is the hired 127 trip participants since high adventure, Outdoor [Educa- 2008.

Four students won’t leave camtion] aspect,” she said. “It gives them exposure to a place they pus at all for break, and instead will join 46 students from other might not otherwise get to see.” universities Twelve stuon the Urban dents on this “It was very authentic Plunge spring year’s trip to break trip sponRwanda will wit- the whole time we sored by Interness the rebuild- were there. ... You’ve Varsity. The proing of a postgram, which conflict country just never seen anywill explore first-hand. The Southeast D.C., program, or- thing like it before.” focuses on urganized by the ALEX MORAN (SFS ’13) Participant in a spring ban issues from African Studies break trip to Rwanda a faith-based Program and perspective. the Internation“We’re trying to give students al Development Certificate, was started by professors Maria Louise an integrated world view of doWagner and Scott Taylor last year. ing social justice from a Bible“It’s an opportunity to examine based perspective,” Kate Perkins, development broadly conceived,” an InterVarsity staff member and Taylor, who will lead the trip this trip coordinator, said.

According to Perkins, the trip year, said. “Rwanda is unique in terms of the progress that it has includes community service, made in the 18 years since the speakers and travel in the District. One of the issues the progenocide.”

According to Alex Moran (SFS gram will discuss this year is ra’13) who went on the trip last year, cial division within the church.

For Joanna Foote (SFS ’13), a Rwanda was a perfect case study past participant, Urban Plunge for economic development.

“It’s really stable, especially con- was an eye-opening experience.

“I went on the trip my freshsidering what countries surround it. I think more professors should man year, and it was a great optake students on trips to do re- portunity to both learn more about D.C. and see how my Chrissearch,” she said.

Moran added that the trip pro- tian faith relates to urban issues,” vided an experience unavailable she wrote in an email.

The Georgetown University Student Association Finance and Appropriations Committee released a draft budget Thursday allocating its $960,000 in student activities fee money for the coming school year.

The amount of available funds increased by $160,000 from last year, allowing the Fin/App Committee to meet about 64 percent of the requests it received.

“Our goal was to give the most support to clubs and minimize the impact of the budget cuts,” Fin/App Chair Colton Malkerson (COL ’13) said. “From here on, there will be no substantial increase in student activities fee, so we expect this draft to serve as a precedent, a template for future budgets.”

All of the funding advisory boards, with the exception of the Advisory Board for Club Sports, saw their funding increase for fiscal year 2013. However, the ABCS was allocated $228,087, the largest amount within GUSA’s budget at nearly 24 percent. Although the allocation falls nearly $50,000 short of the board’s request, Malkerson justified the cut based on the large

amount of funding for club sports in fiscal year 2012.

“We overshot on them, and we need to cut back to a more reasonable figure this year,” he said.

The Center for Social Justice received $180,000, the second-highest allocation of all groups.

“The fact that the Student Life Report indicated that the CSJ programs are one of the notable strengths of Georgetown makes me think we should fund them as much as possible,” Fin/App Committee member Bridget Power (COL ’12) said.

The Student Activities Commission will receive $150,000, a 67 percent increase from last year’s allocation. According to Fin/App Committee members, the increase should help SAC to fund newly formed student groups.

The commission will also no longer have to allocate money to the Georgetown University Lecture Fund and SAC Fair, which were both regarded as independent entities in the draft budget.

The Lecture Fund, which turned to GUSA for funding because of SAC’s stipulation on its budget, was allocated $60,000, a 37 percent increase in funding for programming over what it received from SAC.

The Performing Arts Advisory Council was allocated $45,000, although the committee denied funding for a new air conditioner in Poulton Hall Theater for the second consecutive year. Committee members believed such capital improvements are the responsibility of University Facilities and Student Housing.

The Freshman, Sophomore and Junior Class Committees, which did not receive any funding from either GUSA or SAC in fiscal year 2012, will now be funded by the student activities fee money as well.

GUSA itself was the only group that received more funding than it requested. Fin/App committee members said the additional funding should be allocated to the GUSA Fund, which will in turn fund groups whose requests were denied. These include the Walsh Exchange, the Georgetown Office of Leadership Development and Illuminate Lauinger, a recipient of the 2011 ReImagine Georgetown grant.

The draft budget will be open to public critique and appeal until March 15. The Fin/App Committee will finalize the budget and send it to the GUSA senate for ratification after spring break.

Student Rights Pamphlet Released MARIAH BYRNE Hoya Staff Writer

The Georgetown University Students Association released its Student Rights Pamphlet Thursday, drawing to a close an initiative that has been in the works for over a year.

The guide is intended to be a digestible resource for navigating the policies of the Department of Public Safety, the Code of Student Conduct, the Student Neighborhood Assistance Program, Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Services and the Metropolitan Police Department.

Work on the initiative began in the GUSA senate last February. While the process took off this academic year, it was slightly delayed as Director of Student Conduct Judy Johnson, Director of Student Affairs Anne Koester and other university representatives reviewed the language.

“We wanted to make sure that we weren’t putting in anything that was

misleading,” GUSA Vice President Greg Laverriere (COL ’12) said. “We were … just waiting on having that information.”

Efforts to create the document were spearheaded by GUSA Chief of Staff Michael Barclay (COL ’12) and Laverriere, as well as Student Advocacy Office Directors Ace Factor (COL ’12) and James Pickens (COL ’12).

Factor and Pickens used the knowledge gleaned from their experience with the SAO to ensure the pamphlet addressed the most pressing student rights issues, like how to appeal Student Code of Conduct violations.

The document will be printed and distributed in the SAO and Students of Georgetown, Inc., locations after spring break.

“It’ll be one of the final things [GUSA President Mike Meaney (SFS ’12)] and I do as executive,” Laverriere said.

Meaney and Pickens, however, will

continue to serve on the Disciplinary Review Committee as GUSA representatives until July 1.

In addition, all of the student responsibilities set forth in the proposed changes to the Student Code of Conduct and Bill of Students Rights and Responsibilities released in November have been finalized, according to Laverriere.

However, the university has yet to agree to codify the changes to student rights in the code. By the end of their term on the review committee, Meaney and Pickens hope to further outline the burden of proof and failure to comply standards for code violations.

Overall, GUSA hopes to make the Student Code of Conduct easier to navigate and use as a resource, although it is not focusing on one specific issue within the code, according to Laverriere.

“I don’t think [that] with the Code of Conduct there is only one silver bullet,” he said.

News

friday, march 2, 2012

THE HOYA

A5

GUSigns Green Pledge LivingSocial a Questionable Deal Lily Westergaard Hoya Staff Writer

President John J. DeGioia and other D.C. area university presidents signed on to Mayor Vincent Gray’s College and University Sustainability Pledge Wednesday.

The pledge, a voluntary public agreement between the D.C. government and its institutions of higher education to support a more socially, economically and environmentally sustainable District, was publicly launched at a ceremony at American University.

Signatories agreed to adopt policies and develop projects that will enhance the District’s overall sustainability in exchange for support from the D.C. government.

Gray said he hopes the agreement will help make D.C. the greenest college town in the United States.

“We are the first in the nation to have this kind of university collaboration for sustainability,” he said. “If we don’t do this, we will have participated in destroying the planet.”

The signatories, which include American University, The George Washington University, Trinity Washington University, Gallaudet University, Catholic University, Howard University,

the Corcoran College of Art and Design and the University of the District of Columbia, in addition to Georgetown, will create sustainability plans with specific targets and must report their results by August 2014.

Many of the participating universities have already made efforts towards greater sustainability. According to a statement from Karen Frank, assistant vice president for facilities and student housing, the university recycled over half the campus’s waste last year and has reduced its carbon footprint by 17 percent since 2005.

The statement added that several buildings on campus, including the Rafik B. Hariri Building, the Southwest Quadrangle and the soon-to-be-completed Regents Hall have received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification for their environmentally friendly features.

DeGioia, who is president of the D.C. Consortium of Universities, also spoke at the event Wednesday.

“Through our work together, we’ll be able to strengthen our commitment to sustainability in the universities and the city,” he said. “We are honored to take a leadership role in advancing the mayor’s pledge.”

Laura Zhang Hoya Staff Writer

While many local Georgetown businesses are increasingly using LivingSocial as a way of boosting sales, business owners described mixed experiences with the site.

Launched in 2007 by Georgetown alum Tim O’Shaughnessy (MSB ’04) and three others, LivingSocial is a social buying website that offers discounted vouchers for restaurants, movies and other activities.

Most Georgetown businesses that use LivingSocial are small-scale local takeout and delivery restaurants. Avocado Cafe, Wisey’s, Kitchen No. 1 and Wingo’s are among the restaurants that have chosen to place their menus on LivingSocial, often at heavily discounted prices.

According to Joey Chen, owner of Kitchen No. 1, a Chinese restaurant on O Street that offers takeout and delivery, LivingSocial has helped improve business significantly. “We needed more business … and LivingSocial made a positive contribution overall. More and more people have started looking at our great deals on LivingSocial, especially Georgetown students,” Chen said. “It has helped us a lot.”

But across the street at Wingo’s, Assistant Manager Bold Obi said that LivingSocial lacks the customer service and experience provided by online ordering sites such as GrubHub and

LEONEL DE VELEZ/THE HOYA

O Street eatery Kitchen No. 1 described a positive experience with LivingSocial, but other area businesses have given the website less positive reviews.

Campusfood.

“LivingSocial is trying to do too much at once. They are trying to compete with Campusfood, but they haven’t been in the field as long as Campusfood has, so they don’t have as much experience,” Obi said. “To us, the system is too complicated, inconvenient and not user-friendly.”

Several D.C. businesses were upset

by LivingSocial’s recent construction of a “pop-up” hosting venue at 918 F St., featuring such events as art classes and temporary restaurants.

“LivingSocial bases its business off of smaller businesses … but now they’re cutting out the merchants,”

Michael Clements, chief creative enabler at Dupont Circle’s ArtJamz, said.

“We wouldn’t have given them money or helped them build up their demographics if we knew that a year later, they would be our competition.”

But Doug Miller, LivingSocial’s senior vice president for new initiatives, told The Washington Post that the website’s goal is to foster local companies.

“Our space supports area business,” he told The Post in response to the criticism. “It’s really designed as a platform to bring local merchants together with members in a new way to create unique experiences.”

DPS BLOTTER Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012 Theft, Reiss Science Building, 12 a.m.

A student reported that his secured bicycle was stolen from the bicycle rack.

Harassment, Intercultural Center, 6:30 a.m.

A student reported that she is receiving unwanted text messages and faceto-face contact from an ex-boyfriend.

The case is under investigation.

Friday, Feb. 24, 2012 Simple assault, Prospect Street and Potomac Street, 2 a.m.

A student reported that she was struck in the face by another student at the listed off-campus location.

Threats to do bodily harm, 3700 Block of N St., 3:50 a.m.

Department of Public Safety and Met-

ropolitan Police Department officers who were investigating a disturbance made contact with a distraught, inebriated student who made felony threats against several officers. The student was arrested by MPD. Arson, Red Square, 4:16 a.m.

An unknown person set fire to a sheet/sign which was hanging on the wall. The case is under investigation.

Burglary, Reiss Science Building, 7:20 a.m.

A faculty member reported stolen property and forced entry in two offices within her suite. The case is under investigation.

Theft, Davis Performing Arts Center, 2:20 p.m.

A staff member reported that his laptop computer was stolen from the listed location. The case is under investigation.

Drug violation, New South, 9:30 p.m.

While responding to a suspicious odor complaint, DPS officers retrieved drugs and drug paraphernalia from the residents at the listed location. The case has been referred to Student Conduct.

Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012

tended coat at the listed location.

Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012 Sexual assault, 3600 block of N St., 2:15 a.m.

A student was sexually assaulted at the listed location. The case is being investigated by MPD.

Theft, 1300 block of 36th St., 12:50 a.m.

While attending a party, a student reported that her cell phone was stolen from her unattended purse.

Public urination, Healy Hall, 2:34 a.m.

A DPS officer observed a student urinating outside the building. The case has been referred to the Office of Student Conduct.

Theft, 1300 block of 36th St., 2 a.m.

Two students reported that their property was stolen from their rooms at the listed location.

Theft, Copley Hall, 12:30 p.m.

A student reported that a universityowned projector was stolen from an unsecured room.

Theft, 1300 block of 36th St., 2 a.m.

A student reported that her Blackberry was stolen from out of her unat-

Theft, ICC, 9 p.m.

A faculty member reported that his secured bicycle was stolen from the bike

rack. The case is under investigation.

Armed robbery, 3300 block of N St., 9:30 p.m.

Two students reported that they were robbed at gunpoint and their personal items were taken. The case is being investigated by MPD. Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012 Theft, St. Mary’s Hall, 12:35 p.m.

A student reported that her laptop was stolen from the listed location.

Bias incident, New South, 3:30 p.m.

A student reported that unknown person(s) attached a flyer to his door which contained disparaging comments about his sexual orientation.

The blotter is compiled weekly by the Department of Public Safety.

PUZZLES BRAIN TEASERS John and Bill were on vacation and driving along a deserted country road from the town of Kaysville to the town of Lynnsville. They came to a multiple fork in the road. The sign post had been knocked down and they were faced with choosing one of five different directions. Since they had left their map at the last gas station and there was no one around to ask, how could John and Bill find their way to Lynnsville?

What is a word that is 9 letters long, begins and ends with S, and contains a single E as its only vowel? Hint: This word does not contain the letter Y.

JUMBLE

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

CRATT _ _ _ _ _

BATCH _ _ _ _ _

RUSHOC _ _ _ _ _ _

NUPWOT _ _ _ _ _ _

What the designer said when the garment was finished: _ _ _ _ ’ _ A “_ _ _ _”

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS BRAIN TEASERS:

“If we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find we have lost the future.”

- Winston Churchill

SUDOKU:

“Insanity in individuals is rare - but in groups, parties, nations, and epochs, it is the rule.”

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Kate Sciamanna/THE HOYA

A6

news

THE HOYA

friday, march 2, 2012

Meaney and Laverriere Reflect as They Transition REVIEW, from A1 Student Advocacy Office. The initiative was the focus of Factor and Pickens’ campaign platform and is intended to provide a resource for students faced with disciplinary violations.

MIKE AND GREG’S CAMPAIGN PROMISES

P P

Reinstate the College Readership program GUSA Ambassadorship Program

Create GUSA Rides

P P

Reform Student Code of Conduct Create a Student Satisfaction website Hoya Housing Finder

P

Expand the subsidization of LSAT and GRE prep classes

Hot Leo’s Grab ’n’ Go

CATERING TO THE STUDENT Following through on the Student Activities Fee Endowment reform would have been a significant issue for any ticket that won the 2011 election. In a student body referendum passed in January, $3.4 million was allocated to Georgetown Energy, the Social Innovation and Public Service Fund and the New South Student Center renovation effort. While the GUSA Senate Finance and Appropriations committee led the reform, the executive also played a part.

“We wouldn’t have been able to get the necessary coordination of the student body or even get the reforms through without Mike and Greg’s knowledge and commitment,” Senate Speaker Adam Talbot (COL ’12) said.

While running for office, the two also promised to create a website allowing students to submit ideas and vote on other suggestions related to university issues of concern. An online forum allowing interactive user feedback, called Hoya Ideas Community, was launched Tuesday.

Meaney and Laverriere also proposed changes to Georgetown dining options in their campaign, but an idea to institute hot Grab ‘n’ Go meals proved unsuccessful. According to Meaney, the project was dropped after GUSA ran into issues with sanitary regulations.

TAKING GUSA TO THE STREETS As promised in their campaign, Meaney and Laverriere made efforts to improve neighborhood relations by pushing for the M Street shuttle, offering Georgetown residents tickets to campus events and testifying at neighborhood commission meetings. But neighbors have continued to voice their complaints about Georgetown students and

LEONEL DE VELEZ/THE HOYA

GUSA Vice President Greg Laverriere (COL ’12) reflected on his term before the GUSA Senate Sunday as he and President Mike Meaney (SFS ’12) prepare to leave their positions after spring break.

the 2010 Campus Plan process has been drawn out much longer than expected.

“If Georgetown was running a convent, these neighbors would say we were praying too [loudly],” Senior Counselor Sam Ungar (COL ’12) said.

Meaney and Laverriere also placed particular campaign emphasis on the creation of a GUSA Rides program to supplement SafeRides with extended hours of service on weekend nights. During their administration, they ran into funding difficulties that prevented the implementation of the idea. Instead, the executives refocused their efforts on expanding the number of GUSA volunteers driving SafeRides vans and instituted the Snack Cab

Panel Addresses Religious Freedom and Contraceptives Nicholas Fedyk Special to The Hoya

The Georgetown University Knights of Columbus sponsored a panel Tuesday night in response to the controversy surrounding the Obama administration’s new regulations governing contraception coverage.

The panelists, four of five of whom represented religiously conservative groups, expressed concern that the announcements from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services violate the freedom of religion protected by the First Amendment.

“The media tries to frame this issue in terms of birth control and sexual rights, but it’s really much bigger than that. This is about the government failing in its duty to protect our freedom of conscience,” said panelist Kellie Fiedorek, staff counsel for Americans United for Life and Advocates for Life.

Monsignor Charles Pope, the pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian Church in Washington, D.C., also a panelist, argued that the Catholic Church is being specifically targeted by the legislation. He and other panelists urged the Church’s laity to resist the measure and voice their concerns to government representatives.

“We can’t rely on the courts to keep saving us,” Thomas Peters, the founder of Catholicvote.org, said. “Catholics have great social power because of our institutions, and we must do everything we can to protect them.”

Timothy Shah, associate director of the Religious Freedom Project at the Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, agreed that religious freedom is a central topic in the discussion surrounding the federal policy.

“In many ways, religious freedom is the issue of our time. In the First Amendment, the first words of the Constitution, religious freedom is enshrined,” he said.

Emile Doak (COL ’14), the warden of Georgetown’s chapter of the Knights of Columbus, said he thinks many students don’t agree with the panel’s opposition to the new policies, which require that all employers, including religiously affiliated institutions, provide health insurance cover contraceptives or offer an alternative insurance provider that will.

“I feel that there’s a lot of opposition to our Catholic movement on college campuses,” Doak said. “We’ve got to be more informed so that we can defend ourselves better and expose all sides of the issue.”

Alum Escaped Banned Group BAN, from A1 Hunter said that she does not blame the university for her negative experience with the ICOC, but feels that Georgetown needs to make students better aware of its existence and that of groups like it.

“I was 21. I was young. I was naive. I never would have believed that there were these predatory groups on campus,” she said. “Had I been informed that there were groups that you should be very careful about … I think I would have never gotten involved with them.”

Hunter first encountered members of the group at a meeting held at an on-campus apartment. Drawn to the companionship and spirituality she perceived in the church, Hunter began attending daily Bible studies and spending four to five hours each day trying to recruit new members.

“I hate to even think of the number I could put on how many hours I spent with them,” she said. “I had been a very good student, very passionate about what I was studying, but that just became secondary.”

Three days after graduating from Georgetown, Hunter moved to California — against her parents’ will — to join the group’s ministry there.

“I threw away everything for this one dream that they had. I was totally willing to do anything for this group,” Hunter said.

During Hunter’s 12 years with the church, its leadership controlled every aspect of her life: whom she could marry, where she could work, whom she could contact.

“I totally, completely bought in to what we were doing,” she said. “I was so under their influence that I thought anything they wanted to do was God’s will.”

In 2004, Hunter left her position in the church’s ministry and cut herself off from the church completely the following year. She divorced her husband and moved to Virginia, where she runs a nonprofit called the Alliance for Cult Recovery and Education.

Drew Bratcher, a reporter for Washingtonian Magazine who wrote a July 2008 feature about Hunter’s experiences, will also speak at the event, which is slated for March 20.

Hunter said she hopes the discussion will prevent other students from having the same experience she did.

“The biggest gift I could ever do for someone is share my sad story, and if I could help any young 21-year-old not walk down the path I went down, then that’s made my 12 years [in the ICOC] worth it,” she said.

prize program.

Meaney and Laverriere also promised the creation of a Hoya Housing Finder for students seeking off-campus roommates. Although some initial research was conducted, the plan never came to fruition.

Over the summer, GUSA’s scope expanded beyond the Georgetown neighborhood with the “Do We Have A Deal Yet?” campaign. Meaney spearheaded a coalition of more than 140 university student body presidents that demanded a compromise in the federal debt limit negotiations.

Although the effort had little to do with the university, Laverriere defended it saying that a failure to compromise on the debt ceiling debate could have reduced funding for

Pell grants, a form of federal financial aid.

In his final address Sunday, Meaney asserted that Georgetown’s place in the nation’s capital gives it the opportunity to have a voice in federal issues.

“Our location allows us to put students, and our generation more broadly, at the heart of the national conversation,” he said.

In his speech, Meaney advised GUSA members to focus on projects aligned with GUSA’s strengths.

“Moving forward, I hope GUSA can capitalize on the tremendous foundation that has been built over the last four years,” he said. “I hope that it realizes its limitations and continues to build on its strengths.

I am happy to have played my part.”

news

friday, march 2, 2012

THE HOYA

A7

Speaking at Capitol, Fluke Calls for Contraceptive Coverage FLUKE, from A1 going to pay for your contraceptives and thus pay for you to have sex, we want something. We want you to post the videos online so we can all watch.”

Fluke responded with a statement, saying that remarks like Limbaugh’s would not silence her or her fellow advocates.

“This language is an attack on all women,” she said. “The millions of American women who have and will continue to speak out in support of women’s health care and access to contraception prove that we will not be silenced.”

The hearings were convened to address a mandate set by President

Obama last month, when he announced that most religiously affiliated employers would be required to provide contraceptive coverage for employees under the new health care legislation.

Obama then modified his position to allow institutions to apply for an accommodation that will allow them to outsource contraceptive coverage to independent insurance providers.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the committee chairman said that Fluke’s name had been submitted too late to be considered for the Oversight Committee’s hearing two weeks ago. The panel Fluke wanted to be a part of ended up consisting entirely of men.

Two of the committee’s female

members, including the District’s non-voting representative, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), walked out of the hearing to protest the absence of women on the panel.

The Democratic hearing that convened a week later was intended to be a response to the Oversight Committee panel and an opportunity for Fluke to give her testimony.

“I think it was definitely a useful thing,” Fluke told The Hoya. “The legislators I met with privately, outside of the hearing, were very interested in hearing about it. They weren’t aware of some of the issues.”

Though the debate surrounding the mandate has circulated primarily around the use of contraceptives as birth control, in her testimony Fluke

stressed that many women require contraceptives for medical purposes.

Speaking before the Democratic Steering Committee, Fluke told the story of a fellow student who needed prescription birth control for polycystic ovarian syndrome but was denied coverage under Georgetown’s health insurance plan. According to Fluke, her friend was unable to pay for the prescription out of pocket and ultimately had to undergo surgery to remove her ovary after a cyst developed.

“These denials of contraceptive coverage impact real people. In the worst cases, women who need this medication for other medical reasons suffer dire consequences,” she told the committee. “When you let university administrators or other

employers … dictate whose medical needs are good enough and whose aren’t, a woman’s health takes a back seat to a bureaucracy focused on policing her body.”

Tanisha Humphrey (SFS ’12), the outreach coordinator for H*yas for Choice, hopes that the attention paid to Fluke will help bring the contraception coverage issue to the forefront for students.

“We have been working very hard with getting people to notice this issue to show that Georgetown students are invested in this. I am glad that media attention has been brought to it,” she said. “It just feels [like] the decision is being made by other people that aren’t being affected by it.”

Georgetown Students Finalists Veterans Seek to Improve For 2012 Truman Scholarship Resources, Promote Dialogue Matthew Strauss Hoya Staff Writer

Two students, Joanna Foote (SFS ’13) and Shea Houlihan (SFS ’13), have advanced to the final round in this year’s competition for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship.

The juniors are two of 191 finalists for the award, which provides students who demonstrate a strong record in public service with $30,000 toward graduate studies. This year, more than 580 students nationwide applied for the award, which was created to honor former President Harry Truman.

Houlihan, who is currently studying politics, philosophy and economics at St. Peter’s College of Oxford University, has always anticipated a career in public service. He believes that his academic focus has made him particularly competitive in the selection process.

“I work in migration studies, which offers ample opportunity to earn scholarship and service experience. Equally important, I received intensive feedback and support from Georgetown’s Office of Fellow-

“They said that the person the program is looking for sounded a lot like me.”

JOANNA FOOTE (SFS ’12) Truman Scholarship Finalist

ships and Awards,” Houlihan wrote in an email.

Foote’s passion lies in immigration law and reform, a field she hopes to study at Stanford University after graduating from Georgetown. She took a leave of absence during the

fall of 2011 to advocate for immigrant rights along the U.S.Mexico border.

Foote originally became interested in applying for a Truman Scholarship after receiving several recommendations from faculty and peers in the Carroll Fellows Initiative.

“They said that the person the program is looking for sounded a lot like me,” she said.

Georgetown has produced 25 Truman Scholars, with the last recipient, Sebastian Johnson (COL ’10), winning in 2009.

The scholarship’s selection committee will ultimately award 60 scholarships after interviewing all of the applicants this month.

“I’d be perfectly happy losing at this point because the application process has taught me so much about myself and my passion for immigration reform,” Foote said. “That is more important to me than winning.”

VETERANS, from A1 remained a priority for him. “[The] George Washington [University] was the most logical choice because it was close to work, it was on the Metro line, I knew people who went there [and] they had a good veterans program,” Horton said. “I never even considered [Georgetown] as an option.”

A few days before the deadline, Horton decided to apply to Georgetown. To his surprise, he got in.

One major problem for Horton was Georgetown’s requirement that traditional undergrads take a full course load. Only seniors are permitted to take fewer than 12 credits; other undergraduates wishing to attend part-time must do so through the School of Continuing Studies.

For a veteran working 40 hours per week, taking at least four classes was a hard sell. But swayed by the prestige and quality of a Georgetown education, Horton ultimately made the choice to study on the Hilltop.

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE For T.M. Gibbons-Neff (COL ’15), the lone veteran in the current freshman class, being a member of the boxing team and working as treasurer for Georgetown University Student Veterans of America helped to smooth a tough transition into academia.

“A lot of people don’t understand that when you leave the Marines, you’re not just leaving a job, you’re leaving a family,” he said. “It’s kind of hard to relate to some of the younger kids here, but you know, it’s a challenge and it’s fun.”

Horton often struggles with how open to be with other students about his experiences.

“The day you introduce yourself is the hardest day for me,” Horton said. “It all goes back to how much I want to reveal.”

Horton said that sometimes he feels like other students try to distance themselves from veterans.

“It’s hard to know what’s a generational thing and what’s an experience thing,” he said.

GUSVA President Colby Howard (SFS ’12) agreed.

“Some of the challenge [is] merely age,” Howard said. “Also, the type of experience and intensity of experiences you’ve had overseas.”

He added that some students tend to have preconceptions about veterans.

“The overarching stereotype is that a service member isn’t smart,” Howard said.

But Howard, Horton and Gibbons-Neff agreed that the interactions they have had with other students and faculty have been overwhelmingly positive.

“I was ready to not like students in class,” Horton said, “but a lot of them turn[ed] out to be insightful and smart.”

SEEKING SUPPORT Veterans face a very specific set of concerns when adjusting to college: juggling course schedules and financial aid while making a shift from military life to civilian life.

INDEX MISCELLANEOUS

“You’re going from something very structured, very regimented … to this university,” said David Shearman (SFS ’11) who served in the Army for six years in Kosovo, Iraq and Germany and now heads Georgetown’s Veterans Office. “If you don’t have someone … lead you through it the first time or at least show you how to navigate it … it can be very overwhelming.”

Until recently, Georgetown did not have an office to accommodate incoming veteran students, aside from a single employee who handled GI Bill-related paperwork among several other responsibilities.

Shearman applied to take the helm of the fledgling Veterans Office when it was established in February 2011. In the year since, the university has promoted Shearman from a part-time to a full-time employee while he pursues a Master’s degree in security studies.

Currently, the office works with 425 students, including students on active duty, veterans who have left active duty and dependents and spouses of veterans. This year, 18 students from that group are enrolled in a traditional undergraduate program.

According to Howard and Shearman, the number of student veterans will likely increase this year as active duty military members return from Iraq and potentially from Afghanistan.

In the future, Shearman hopes to increase programming activities.

“There’s a lot of opportunities, I think, in the academic departments, working with faculty, working with … the Women’s Center, [the] LGBTQ center and other campus resources to really use the veteran experience to expand … the richness of the environment on campus,” he said.

INCREASING PRESENCE AND PERSPECTIVE Howard and Shearman agree that veterans add diversity to the campus.

“In the times that we’re in with all the world conflicts, [there are] always questions about defense policy, national security policy, foreign affairs,” Shearman said. “[As] the number of student veterans at Georgetown increases, you’re going to have a richer dialogue on those things.”

The two also said that Georgetown has begun working toward more active recruitment, traveling to military bases and veterans’ organizations to increase awareness of the university there and get more veterans to apply to Georgetown.

Plans to accomplish this goal are already in the works under the banner of the Georgetown Veterans Admission Project, which is being coordinated by GUSVA and will eventually be run by the Office of Admissions. Though the project is still in its beginning stages, its aim is for veterans to compose 1 percent of every incoming freshman class.

Howard also hopes to add a veteran perspective to Blue and Gray’s campus tours as well as have a certified guide printed by the Office of Admissions to help veterans during the application process.

“I think student veterans could definitely stand to have a little more exposure on campus,” Shearman said.

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sports

THE HOYA

friday, MARCH 2, 2012

The bleacher seats

woMEN’S LACROSSE

Regenokine Injections Give Athletes Unfair Advantage

W

hat if I told you that there’s a way to remove an athlete’s blood and manipulate it before injecting it back into the same athlete so that it is much more effective in fighting arthritis in joints? Is this blood doping? Or is it just a natural solution to aging in sports?

While not condoned by the FDA, the process known as the Regenokine injection procedure by the well-known doctor Peter Wehling has taken off in Germany. Athletes such as Alex Rodriguez, Kobe Bryant and marathon world-record holder Paula Radcliffe have all benefited from the injection.

In his procedure, Wehling, a former physician for Pope John Paul II, boosts the proteins in a patient’s blood to increase his or her ability to fight certain agents that cause joint damage.

The results of being injected with the boosted proteins back into the body are described as “miraculous” and can add years to an athlete’s career.

But even though this procedure, dubbed “the end of pain,” is miraculous, is it right?

In an era of heightened restrictions on what athletes may put into their bodies, there is a gray area when it comes to injections. On the one hand, cortisone shots are widely accepted in sports as a medical treatment. However, blood doping (adding oxygen-rich blood to an athlete before an event) is, unequivocally, cheating.

Many of the lines drawn in sports seem arbitrary. Athletes are allowed to wear contact lenses or braces, while Oscar Pistorius is not allowed to run in the Olympics with a prosthetic leg.

The sporting world has yet to rule on whether Wehling’s procedure is ethical. But while the Re-

genokine procedure is dismissed as a facelift for older athletes, it should be ruled as an unethical advantage, along the same lines as the sporting world’s view on blood doping.

For starters, since the FDA doesn’t allow this procedure to take place in the United States, athletes like Kobe and A-Rod must go to Germany to seek help from Wehling. As a general rule of thumb, if the procedure isn’t allowed in the United States, it shouldn’t be allowed in American sports.

Further, the incubation of the

Corey Blaine

But even though this procedure, dubbed the “end of pain,” is miraculous, is it right? blood samples for an entire day before being turned into serum and injected back into the athlete’s body goes further than any natural process — it artificially boosts the performance of the athlete’s blood. This treatment is not similar in any way to an athlete working harder to strengthen his body. Instead, it employs outside mechanisms to increase performance.

I recognize that I’m a traditionalist when it comes to sports. I’ll never agree with instant replay and I despise the shootout in hockey. However, when it comes

to treating an athlete’s blood, the majority of the population would agree that Wehling’s process sounds like an advanced form of doping.

Unfortunately, the conversation concerning the German procedure is not around whether the treatment should be allowed in sports, but rather the miraculous qualities of his work. In an era where many are quick to cry foul on issues like recruiting violations and steroids, the public remains ignorant — and leagues have remained silent — on a blatant case of blood doping.

Of the athletes who have visited Wehling, 90 percent have experienced a decreased level of pain in their joints, making this a pretty remarkable procedure. The medical advances made in the German lab may hold promise in a cure for arthritis in the future, but for now, the sporting world must view the procedure the same way it disdains human growth hormone usage or the use of any other sort of banned substance.

Rather than reacting to the problem later, Major League Baseball and the other three major sports should act quickly to prevent the procedure from becoming commonplace among older athletes looking to gain a competitive edge. If the lessons of the steroid era in baseball have taught sports anything, it is that passively allowing doping problems to escalate is the worst possible strategy.

Now that A-Rod has undergone this procedure, we can only expect more athletes to follow his lead. It is up to the governing bodies of each sport to act quickly before the next generation of unfair advantages becomes an epidemic.

Corey Blaine is a junior in the McDonough School of Business. THE BLEACHER SEATS appears every Friday.

CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

Junior midfielder Kelsi Bozel had two goals and two assists in Georgetown’s 16-7 win over Delaware Wednesday. The Hoyas play at Villanova Saturday afternoon.

GU Gets Big Win Before Hoyas Likely to Face West Virginia Beginning Big East Play women’s basketball

In Big East Championship Opener Leonard Olsen

offense but still play at a high level, and she’s kind of working herself into that role.”

Still, Jackson and her teammates’ fierce reaction to Delaware’s early lead didn’t do much to quell the visitors, who responded with two more goals to cut the Georgetown lead to three.

Junior midfielder and Tewaaraton Award watch list member Sophia Thomas, who had been uncharacteristically quiet in the first half, stopped the bleeding for the Hoyas with her first goal of the year. Sophomore attack Jody Cumberpatch and senior midfielder Erin Lovett followed Thomas with goals of their own, transforming a once-precarious lead into a comfortable sixgoal cushion.

“I thought the players did a really nice job of not reacting to their momentum and just continued to plug away. Even when

Hoya Staff Writer

It’s tournament time in the Big East, and the Georgetown women’s basketball team heads up to the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., for the annual Big East tournament this weekend. The Hoyas earned the fourth seed and a coveted double-bye in the tournament thanks a strong regular-season performance.

Head Coach Terri WilliamsFlournoy and her team had a solid end to the season, winning six of their last nine games. However, the team suffered a disappointing seasonending loss to St. John’s Monday in the season’s final game at McDonough Arena.

The Blue and Gray could end up facing Providence, Syracuse or West Virginia in their quarterfinal matchup on Sunday.

Georgetown is a combined 4-0 against these teams during the regular season, having beaten archrival Syracuse twice.

Providence and Syracuse will face off in the first round on Friday, with the winner taking on West Virginia on Sunday.

The Orange boast a better overall and league record than the Friars, who come into the tournament having dropped their last four games. Most predict Syracuse to win the game, but the teams sit right next to each other at the 12th and 13th seeds.

Regardless of the winner of Friday’s game, West Virginia figures to be the most likely opponent for the Hoyas. The Mountaineers enter the tournament winners of seven of their last nine, and one of those wins was a big upset of then-No. 2 Notre Dame on the road. But the Big East tournament is one of the least predictable events in all of sports, and the Hoyas cannot afford to set their sights on one team.

Regardless of its opponent, William-Flournoy’s squad has made a living on the defensive

DELAWARE, from A10

things weren’t particularly going great for us, they stayed true to the game plan,” Fried said.

Attempting to answer back, Delaware put three in the net before a 6-0 run by the Blue and Gray ended all hopes of a comeback.

The Hoyas chalked up 53 shots on the game (33 on goal) to Delaware’s 22, but Fried felt that his team still left a few potential goals out on the field.

“We really moved the ball well. Easy opportunities opened up for us,” he said. “And while I thought their goalie played well, I think we could have stuck a few more of those shots [in the net],” Fried said. “Obviously, we feel very good, coming away with a victory.”

The Georgetown women’s next test — and first Big East action — of the season awaits Saturday, as they travel to Villanova, Pa., to take on the Wildcats. The action is slated to start at noon.

TENNIS

Georgetown Women Face Undefeated Lynn on Trip FILE PHOTO: CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

Senior forward Tia Magee is Georgetown’s second leading scorer and will be crucial in the Big East tournament. side of the ball this year. They are ranked fourth overall in total defense in the Big East, allowing a meager 52.4 points per game.

Much of the Hoyas’ defensive success is attributed to their trademark full-court press.

They have frustrated countless teams this year, and thanks to the press, own the best turnover margin in the league.

In their loss to St. John’s, the Hoyas’ defense softened in the second half, partially leading to their defeat. Another major factor, however, was that junior guard Sugar Rodgers was completely shut down in the game.

Rodgers is the top scorer in the conference and the of-

fensive catalyst for the Hoyas.

When the start guard is off, the scoring burden falls mostly on the Georgetown seniors.

Point guard Rubylee Wright and forwards Tia Magee and Adria Crawford are all crucial to Georgetown’s success on both sides of the ball, but often struggle to put points on the board if Rodgers isn’t hitting.

Georgetown seems to have assured themselves a fairly high seed in the NCAA tournament, regardless of their performance in this weekend’s tournament.

However, a strong showing would not only give them a higher seed but would also provide the all-important factor of momentum going into the Big Dance.

TOURNAMENTS, from A10 against Rutgers, the women will have to brace themselves for an even tougher contest against Lynn.

“I booked this match to get them [the women’s team] ready for University of South Florida next week,” Ernst said. “It’s going to be a challenge.”

While Georgetown’s women are looking to rebound, the men’s team (7-14, 2-1 Big East) is hoping to keep their momentum rolling.

Coming off a close victory over Navy, the Hoyas will take on Lehigh (6-3) Saturday. In a suspense-filled contest, sophomore Andrew Dottino clinched the win over the Midshipmen.

The No. 2 doubles team of Dottino and freshman Alex Tropiano and the No. 3 pair of freshman John Brosens and sophomore Casey Distaso helped the Blue and Gray win the doubles point. Senior Andrew Bruhn and junior Charlie Caris won at No.1 and No. 2 singles, respectively.

The Hoyas then dropped three singles matches, leaving Dottino to battle at No.

4 singles. Despite the pressure, Dottino held on for a three-set win after losing the first set in a tiebreaker.

The Blue and Gray hope the momentum from the win over Navy will carry over when they face the Mountain Hawks, in a match played just across the river in Alexandria, Va. “The guys are super confident right now. When you win a match like that it boosts the whole team,” Ernst said. “[Dottino] was down six match points, but he fought for the win.”

However, Georgetown will face a Lehigh team looking to break a slump. The Mountain Hawks started the season with a six-game win streak, but dropped their last two matches to Stony Brook and Binghamton.

Despite long odds —particularly against Lynn — the Hoyas are hoping to push their season forward with successes this weekend and early next week. The men’s match is Saturday at 4 p.m. in Alexandria.

The women play Sunday at 2 p.m. and Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in Davie and Boca Raton, Fla., respectively.

sports

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

women’s Basketball

THE HOYA

A9

SAILING

Defense Anchors Georgetown All-American Returns to GU In Rollercoaster Campaign In Time for Spring Season Michael Liu

Special to The Hoya

file photo: CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

Junior guard Sugar Rodgers leads the Big East in scoring at 19.1 points per game.

SEASON, from A10 opponents throughout their notoriously rigorous schedule, defeating two, and all seven of their losses came at the hands of then-ranked opponents. Beginning the season with much fanfare and a No. 11 ranking, the Blue and Gray proved deserving of the pollsters’ respect, remaining in the top 25 for the entirety of the regular season.

The season was not without its ups and downs, however, as Georgetown found itself on both sides of lopsided outcomes on several occasions. The Hoyas fell by 19 points to local rival Maryland in mid-November as part of a 1-2 start to the year but rebounded with 11 consecutive victories to close out 2011, including a 71-46 drubbing of No. 7 Miami on Dec. 21. Conference play was highlighted by a 54-36 lockdown of then-No. 12 Rutgers at McDonough Arena, but less than two weeks later, the Blue and Gray produced their worst performance to date — an 80-38 defeat at the hands of No. 4 Connecticut.

“We performed well against some teams and not so well against others,” Head Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said. “I think we could have done better at home, but to end 11-5 isn’t bad.”

Due in part to a schedule that placed most of Georgetown’s most difficult games on its home court, the Hoyas’ record was relatively poor at McDonough Arena and above average on the road. The Blue and Gray finished 10-4 on the Hilltop, 10-3 at opposing arenas

and 2-0 on neutral courts.

Rodgers provided one of few bright spots for a Georgetown offense which sputtered throughout the season. The Virginia native remained perched at the top of the Big East scoring charts for much of the season, finishing with an average of 19.1 points, 5.3 rebounds per game and a team-high 65 total steals.

On Thursday, the sharpshooter received her third consecutive appointment to the all-Big East first team, making her the first ever Hoya to receive the honor thrice. Rodgers broke the program record for career three-pointers during the course of the season and moved into second place on the Blue and Gray’s all-time scoring chart.

Senior forward Tia Magee was awarded an honorable mention to the all-Big East team, the first time she has received an allleague accolade. A co-captain alongside senior guard Alexa Roche, Magee produced her best season on the Hilltop, averaging a team second-best 11.1 and a team-leading 6.1 rebounds.

Following Georgetown’s uninspired 64-61 home loss to thenNo. 15 Louisville on Jan. 22, Magee emerged to lead the Hoyas in a crucial four-game win streak that thrust them back into the running for a top-four finish.

Unfortunately, Georgetown was plagued throughout the season by the league’s secondworst field goal percentage, a mediocre 35.6 percent. The Hoyas managed just over 60 points per game but broke the sixty-point barrier in just one

of their seven losses. Free-throw percentage ranked 13th in the Big East at 66.5 percent, while the success rate from threepoint range hovered just under 30 percent.

But while Georgetown’s shooting form seemed to desert the team, Williams-Flournoy’s trademark pressure defense wreaked havoc on opponents throughout the season. The Blue and Gray’s turnover margin of +6.69 per game was tops in the conference, largely due to a league second-best 22.4 turnovers forced per contest.

In the event that the opposition found a way into its halfcourt offense, good looks were few and far between. Georgetown held its unfortunate foes to 33.9 percent shooting from the field and just 52.4 points per game — the third- and fourthbest defensive marks in the Big East.

The Hoyas are now preparing for a third consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament, which tips off on March 17. After last season’s gut-wrenching defeat in the Sweet 16, the Blue and Gray will be hungry for another late-season run.

But first is a trip to Connecticut for the conference tournament, where Williams–Flournoy’s team is entirely focused on the task at hand.

“Just like we’ve said all season, we take one game at a time,” Williams-Flournoy said.

“We are focusing on our next opponent and the next step.

We can’t look beyond the next game, because that is the most important one.”

SOFTBALL

Hoyas Travel to Citrus Classic Rachael Augostini

“Everyone in the lineup is swinging the bat well,” Head Coach Pat Conlan said. “We This weekend, the George- need to continue to choose town softball team (7-5) kicks good pitches, be aggressive off spring break with a trip and have quality at bats.” south to Kissimmee, Fla., to The Hoyas’ pitching rotaparticipate in the Citrus Clas- tion is also shaping up after sic tournament. The Hoyas, last weekend’s tournament. who are off to a good start Much of the team’s pitchthis season, face five oppo- ing success can be attributed nents in the three-day tour- to freshmen Megan Hyson nament. and Lauren O’Leary, who After 12 games, the Hoyas have both given strong perfind themselves with a win- formances on the mound ning record heading into a in their first few games as tournament that will cer- Hoyas. Senior Mackensey tainly test whether or not Carter has also done good the team has potential to go work for Georgetown in the far in the Big East. The level circle, with a record of 2-1. of competition at the Citrus “Progress is being made Classic should be more chal- every time they step on the lenging than anything the mound,” Conlan said. “We Blue and Gray have faced need to continue to improve thus far. on spinning the ball and loComing off its perfor- cating pitches.” mance at the N.C. State WolfGeorgetown’s opponents pack Challenge tournament, this weekend come from all in which the team won two over the map. The Hoyas will and lost three, Georgetown is first take on Ohio State (9-5), searching for consistency in which has won seven of its the tournament ahead. last eight games. The Hoyas In some games, the Hoyas’ will need to come out strong offense has overwhelmed in the opening game of the opponents, but in others, tournament to take down the team has struggled to the momentum that the even get on base. The Hoyas Buckeyes have going into this currently have two players game. hitting over .400, including The Hoyas will then play junior catcher Shikara Lowe, Temple (2-3), whose inexpewho was recently named to rience this season may leave the Big East honor roll. Lowe them vulnerable to the more perfect timing for was instrumental in the battle-tested Georgetown. If team’s two wins last week- the Hoyas’ offensive can peryour holiday specials end and will need to come form like it has at times in out with the same verve this the past, they should have contact sales@thehoya.com weekend. no problem taking down the

Hoya Staff Writer

Owls.

Next up for the Hoyas is Longwood (11-3), who has the best record of any Georgetown opponent so far this season. The Lancers will be the toughest opponent for the Hoyas this tournament, as they boast five players hitting over .350 and two strong pitchers in junior Brooke Short and freshman Libby Morris, whose records stand at 5-1 and 6-2, respectively.

The Red Birds (7-8) of Illinois State follow. The Red Birds, who started off the season strong by winning six of their first seven, have since lost five straight. Georgetown will have to hang tough against a team that will be striving for a win.

The Hoyas’ final opponent is South Alabama (6-5), which has had a mediocre season thus far. Like the Hoyas, the inconsistent Jaguars are capable of both winning by a large margin and failing to have anyone cross the plate.

Georgetown will have to watch out for the long ball against South Alabama, as the team’s total of 11 home runs dwarfs the Hoyas’ six.

“This tournament will be very competitive. Every team competing is strong,” Conlan said. “These teams all bring power, speed and good pitching to the table.”

The Hoyas kick off the Citrus Classic today at 12:15 p.m. against Ohio State in Kissimmee, Fla.

Although it has two regattas coming up this weekend, the Georgetown sailing team is perhaps most excited to welcome back senior Evan Aras, an All-American who has spent this past year away from sailing.

The Blue and Gray will be splitting into two groups this weekend, as some Hoyas will travel to Charleston, S.C., for the Charleston Women’s Invitational and others will head to Annapolis, Md., for the Graham Hall Team Race at the Naval Academy.

But Aras, who earned ICSA All-American honors in the 2009-2010 season, is making his return to sailing after taking last season off.

“A former All-American is coming back to sailing after taking a year off, and it’s going to be important for him to get back out there and sail his first college event in a while and hopefully get back in the swing of things,” Head Coach Michael Callahan said.

The Hoyas hope for better weather this weekend, as they are coming off a pair of races in tough conditions. Despite the elements, the Hoyas fared well, and they will look to build on those performances this weekend. Adjusting to the team mentality will be the main concern, though.

“It’s a team race and probably one of the most important early season regattas of the year. We’ve got a couple sailors that haven’t been doing so well,” Callahan said.

“In team racing, it’s a different discipline in sailing, where you have three boats on one team versus three on another. And so it’s very intricate, and there are a lot of

set plays, and you really have to work as a team on the water.”

As part of the team racing, the Georgetown sailors will also have to adjust to new pairings on the water. The Blue and Gray lost several sailors from last season, including four-time All-American and twotime sailor of the year Charlie Buckingham (COL ’11).

“I think one of the issues we have is the group that will be sailing this weekend has never sailed together as a team before,” Callahan said. “It’ll be their first time, and so I think working out the kinks and the communication — and just everybody getting used to each other and the other person’s sailing habits — will be important.”

Seniors Rebecca Evans and Sydney Bolger, previous All-Americans, will have to take up leadership roles for the Blue and Gray. Junior Chris Barnard, who received a national sailing honorable mention his freshman year, will also need to step up.

Because of the need to acclimate to the new lineups and gain experience on the water as teams, Callahan doesn’t have high expectations for this weekend.

“We’re not going out there expecting to win. We just want to go out there and get better each race. But it will be an important early season test for us to see where we are against the top 10 or 15 teams in the country,” Callahan said. “It will be a good barometer regatta for us. If we win and do well, that’s great, but we have a lot of work to do, and chances are, we will lose our fair share and realize what we need to work on.”

The Charleston Women’s Invitational and the Graham Hall Team Race take place March 3 and 4 in Charleston, S.C., and Annapolis, Md., respectively.

Top of the key

Conference Tournaments Make Magic of Their Own

F

or hoops fans among us, the next four is one of the most dramatic weeks in basweeks will offer some of the most ex- ketball, and the pressure of the bubble — citing times of the year as conference with some teams needing strong confertournaments and the NCAA tournament ence tournament showings to make the Big begin to take center stage. But the likely Dance — makes it all the more exciting. contenders in this year’s Big Dance show And just as eliminating conference tourthat further expansion beyond the current naments wouldn’t serve the game, popping 68 teams is misguided. the bubble by expanding the tournament Although the conference championships field is a bad idea. don’t make me as giddy as they did in grade Joe Lunardi, the ESPN analyst whose onschool when my teachers would show Lou- line examination of the changing picture isville or Kentucky in daytime first-round of the NCAA tournament field becomes a matchups instead of teaching class, they must-read for sports junkies this time of still play an important role in the college year, predicts that South Florida, Saint Jobasketball postseason. seph’s, Virginia Commonwealth and ColoUnder the current setup, the winners of rado State will be the first four teams out of each conference tournament (except the the NCAA tournament.

Ivy League, which doesn’t hold one) are Of those four squads, St. Joe’s, South given an automatic spot in the Big Dance. Florida and Colorado State have wins over The remaining 36 spots are selected by the ranked teams. Those wins, for the Hawks NCAA’s selection committee. against Creighton and Temple, for the Bulls For years, former Indiana and Texas against Louisville and for the Rams against Tech coach and current ESPN analyst Bob New Mexico and San Diego State, came Knight has argued that conference tourna- against teams that are on the periphery of ments — and the automatic bids given to the top 25. each tournament winner — should be done In the national tournament, especially as away with, and the field for the NCAA tour- one of the last teams in, you have to play nament considerably against – and beat – the expanded. likes of Baylor, Florida In 2011, the NCAA ador Ohio State, if not Kenopted a half-baked vertucky, Syracuse and sion of this idea when Michigan State. Nothing they created the “First from the regular season Four,” a first round suggests any of Lunardi’s from which the winners bubble teams could conenter into the field of 64 tend with the upper echteams. This expanded elon of the Big Dance.

Evan Hollander the field to 68 teams in Knight and other NCAA total. Although mostly critics do make one very a naked money grab, it strong point about field Championship week is was partially explained selection, however. The as an opportunity to one of the most dramatic system of automatic take more teams off the bids, which kowtows to weeks in basketball. bubble, where teams the NCAA’s real constituwith solid credentials ency — the conferences — may be excluded by the lets some of the nation’s selection committee. worst teams into college But unless all 348 schools in the NCAA’s basketball’s championship.

Division I are allowed to play in the tournaFor example, Long Island University ment, there is always going to be a bubble. Brooklyn, a team very few people have Sentimentalists might say that expanding ever heard of, will get an automatic bid to the field would allow for more Cinderella the first round if they win the Northeast stories, but those touching tales don’t often Conference’s tournament. They will travel come from teams that suddenly explode in to some far-off city and be pitted against postseason after a mediocre year. a Hall of Fame coach with a team of NBA Conferences, even in this era of instability, prospects. are the backbone of college athletics. Most If they are lucky, they may hang with of a team’s rivals are in their league. League their rivals in the first half. Assuming it’s matchups create excitement and the race for even still a game in the second frame, the seeding in conference tournaments gener- power conference team will put on a show ates even more attention. after the intermission, rout the Blackbirds Just watch the Big East this week: Now that and send them back to Brooklyn.

Syracuse has clinched the top spot, five teams Those kinds of matchups degrade the are dueling for the remaining three double- tournament, and if a good system needs byes into the conference tournament’s any tinkering, it might be stripping some quarterfinals. Georgetown Head Coach John leagues of their automatic bids. Expanding Thompson III says he’s not sweating the dou- the tournament — or eliminating league ble-bye, but the fans of the teams in conten- tournaments in the power conferences — tion for the spots certainly are. shouldn’t be on the table.

Knight argues that the main purpose of conference tournaments is to create more Evan Hollander is a sophomore in the School of revenue, but conference tournaments re- Foreign Service and deputy sports editor of The ally do make magic. Championship Week Hoya. Top of the Key appears every Friday.

SPORTS

MEN’S LACROSSE Hoyas (0-1) vs. Detroit Mercy (2-3) Tomorrow, 1 p.m.

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FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

ONLINE AT THEHOYA.COM Check back in over break for coverage of the Big East men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.

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Notre Dame 72 Connecticut 59

Syracuse vs Providence Today, noon

Cincinnati DePaul

51 73

Maruqette Rutgers

58 69

USF vs Pittsburgh Today, 2 p.m.

Villanova vs Seton Hall Tonight, 6 p.m.

“As a basketball fan, he’s fun to watch. As the head coach of Georgetown basketball ...

Men’s basketball Head Coach John Thompson III on Marquette guard Darius Johnson-Odom he’s hell.”

MEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Hoyas Look to Snatch No. 2 Seed From Eagles MICHAEL PALMER Hoya Staff Writer

In a season filled with surprises, fans of Big East basketball will be treated to a top-tier matchup Saturday afternoon when No. 11 Georgetown travels to Milwaukee, Wisc., to face No. 8 Marquette with the No. 2 seed in the Big East tournament hanging in the balance.

“I’ve tried not to pay attention to the seeding. I have to fess up: I did look last night,” Head Coach John Thompson III said. “I spend most of the season thinking ‘prepare for the next game,’ and the end result is the same: You have to win your next game.”

When Thompson III peeked at the standings, he saw that Georgetown (22-6, 12-5 Big East) is currently third in the Big East. He probably also knows that Marquette (24-6, 13-4 Big East) missed a chance to wrap up the second seed on Wednesday night when unranked Cincinnati spoiled the Golden Eagles’ early celebration with a surprising 72-61 win.

With that development, Georgetown is now in a position to control its own destiny.

If the Hoyas win, they will share a 13-5 re-

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

Freshman forward Otto Porter will likely match up against Marquette’s Jae Crowder.

cord with the Golden Eagles. Because of the league’s tiebreaker rules, Georgetown’s two wins against Marquette would allow the Hoyas to hopscotch Marquette and capture the No. 2 seed as well as a double-bye into the quarterfinals.

If Georgetown loses, however, the Hoyas will be at the mercy of South Florida, Notre Dame and Cincinnati. If the Bulls, Fighting Irish and Bearcats win their final games — against West Virginia, Providence and Villanova, respectively — Georgetown will be left with the sixth seed and only a single-round bye. Various combinations of wins and losses by the aforementioned squads could land the Hoyas anywhere from third to sixth.

The Hoyas’ win against the Golden Eagles came on Jan. 4, when then-No. 9 Georgetown rallied from a 17-point deficit midway through the second half to defeat then-No. 20 Marquette, 73-70. Junior forward Hollis Thompson hit a game-winning three-pointer with just 24 seconds remaining.

“We weren’t playing defense at all. We started getting stops [and] that led to scoring,” senior guard Jason Clark said. “That was a huge comeback. It showed us that if we defend the whole game, we’ll never be in those types of positions.”

Since that loss, however, Marquette has been stellar. The Golden Eagles have won 12 of 15 games, with their only losses coming on the road at Cincinnati, Syracuse and Notre Dame. The Blue and Gray will have to contend with a squad that is celebrating Senior Day in a raucous home environment.

“They’re always a good team. [Head Coach] Buzz [Williams] gets them to play as hard as they can,” Clark said.

The Golden Eagles are led by a duo of seniors both in competition for Big East player of the year. Guard Darius Johnson-Odom leads his team in scoring at 18.3 points per game and three-point percentage at 40.5 percent.

“He can score in a lot of different ways. As a basketball fan, he’s fun to watch. As the head coach of Georgetown basketball preparing for the last game of the season, he’s hell,” Thompson III said.

Then there is power forward Jae Crowder, who has 17.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Crowder is also stellar on the defense, leading his team with 70 steals and sitting second with 31 blocks. The 6-foot-8 big man is the only Marquette player to have started all 30 games.

“He is so versatile. And he has been doing that since he’s been there. Without a doubt, when you start talking about other players of the year in the conference, he’s right there,” Thompson III said.

Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday.

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Junior attack Dina Jackson (14) scored three goals in the Hoyas’ season-opening win over Delaware.

Georgetown Trounces UDel RYAN BACIC

Special to The Hoya

The Georgetown women’s lacrosse team opened its season against Delaware in dreary weather on Thursday afternoon, but the result for the Blue and Gray was a bright one.

The No. 18 Hoyas (1-0) topped the Blue Hens (2-2), 16-7, to start their highly anticipated season off on the right foot. Still, the final score only tells a small part of the story.

Delaware, already playing its fourth game on the season, unsurprisingly looked more

poised than the Hoyas following the opening whistle. The Hens nabbed two quick goals in the opening minutes that put the Blue and Gray in an early hole.

“We probably had a little jitters coming DELAWARE 7 in, just because GEORGETOWN 16 it’s the f i r s t game,” Georgetown Head Coach Ricky Fried said. “[When you] put the uniform on, things change a little bit.”

Georgetown didn’t panic, though. And once the butterflies disappeared, the Hoyas went to

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

work, closing out the first half on a dominant 7-0 run to go ahead by five at the break.

Three of the Hoyas’ seven goals during that stretch came courtesy of junior attack Dina Jackson. A second-team all-Big East selection last season and a preseason all-Big East pick this year, Jackson began her junior campaign with a bang. She added to her first-half hat trick with one more tally in the second.

“Dina’s our offensive leader,” Fried said. “We rely on her to step up and not only call the See DELAWARE, A8

TENNIS

Veteran GU Squad Enters Postseason Hoyas Head South for Spring Break Tourneys BENO PICCIANO Hoya Staff Writer

Less than a year ago, the Georgetown women’s basketball team celebrated its first-ever Big East tournament victory, riding a second-round slaying of Syracuse into the program’s debut appearance in the event’s quarterfinals.

This time around, the No. 12 Hoyas (22-7, 11-5 Big East) are back in the conference tournament’s quarterfinals before even tipping off their postseason campaign, thanks to a double-bye that rewards the Blue and Gray’s fourthplace finish in the regular-season Big East standings.

Despite a disappointing home loss to St. John’s in Monday night’s season finale, Georgetown concluded an impressive 2011-2012 campaign for a veteran squad featuring seven seniors, the Big East’s fourth-ranked defense and the conference’s leading scorer in junior guard Sugar Rodgers.

The Hoyas faced five top-10 See SEASON, A9

LAURA WAGNER

Madeline Jaeger and No. 2 team of junior Vicky Sekely and sophomore Tina Tehrani won their matches to Georgetown men’s and women’s clinch the double point for the Blue tennis teams will be busy in the next and Gray. several days, as they take on oppoIn singles, Greco and Jaeger picked nents that include a squad that has up points at No. 1 and No. 5 singles, yet to lose a match. respectively. However, the Hoyas After dropping a dropped the other close match to Big four singles matches East foe Rutgers, the “Obviously it would to lose the match 4-3. women’s team (4“It’s just the way be better to win 3, 1-1 Big East) will it goes. The Rutgers travel to Florida for both matches, but I match was at the the first weekend of exact same time as Georgetown’s spring couldn’t be prouder the Navy match and break. The Hoyas will of both teams.”

I was with the boys. take on Nova SouthObviously, it would eastern on Sunday be better to win both in Davie, Fla., and [the men’s and the GORDIE ERNST Lynn University (9-0), women’s] matches, Tennis Head Coach ranked No. 3 in Divibut I couldn’t be sion II, on Tuesday in prouder of both Boca Raton. teams,” Head Coach Gordie Ernst said.

In the match against the Scarlet And after facing such a struggle Knights, the No. 1 doubles pair of seSee TOURNAMENTS, A8 nior Lauren Greco and sophomore

Special to The Hoya

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

Senior point guard Rubylee Wright is averaging 7.4 points and a team-best 4.5 assists per game this season. She is also Georgetown’s all-time assists leader.

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