The Hoya: Sept. 13, 2013

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

Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 95, No. 5, © 2013

friday, september 13, 2013

SOUNDING OFF

Long in the shadows of its past, WGTB is once again building a following.

COMMENTARY Yom Kippur offers everyone a chance to reflect and refresh.

GUIDE, B1

CUSTOM FIT An alum’s crowdsourced menswear company offers shirts in 50 sizes.

OPINION, A3

FOOTBALL Hoyas face off against Marist on Saturday under the lights.

NEWS, A7

SPORTS, B8

Housing Selection Moved to Spring Guthrie Angeles Hoya Staff Writer

ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

9/11 Remembered

American flags dotting the perimeters of Healy and Copley lawns honored those who died on Sept.

11, 2001. Tributes on the tragic day’s 12th anniversary occured across the country.

Poli-Sci Gender Gap Persists Elaina Koros Hoya Staff Writer

When government professor Angela Stent arrived at Georgetown in 1979, there were two senior female faculty members in her department. Thirty-four years later, that imbalance hasn’t changed much.

Of the government department’s 53 faculty members, 10 are female, and no women serve on the department’s executive board.

“Our numbers are getting better, but they’re still not there,” Michael Bailey, government department chair, said. “Even now, there will be times when we have a meeting, and there will be no women or there will be one woman, and I do think that if you’re just one of whatever category, it’s probably a little less comfortable.”

A recent article by Barbara Walter, a political science professor at the University of California, San Diego, found a particular gender

gap in citations in international relations. In a review of more than 3,000 journal articles published between 1980 and 2006, Walter found that articles by men were cited an average of 4.8 more times than articles by women.

The paper was covered by the Chronicle of Higher Education and discussed at the American Po-

“Our numbers are getting better, but they’re still not there.”

MICHAEL BAILEY Department of Government Chair

litical Science Association’s annual meeting in August, which also introduced a paper that found that women take on more committee appointments than men but that their assignments are of a lower stature and a study that found that

female professors were evaluated more negatively than male professors as class sizes increased.

At Georgetown, the issue of more work with lesser titles for female faculty is particularly salient.

“Because there are relatively few women in the faculty in general, women actually get asked to do a lot,” School of Foreign Service associate professor David Edelstein said. “There is a consciousness now that we should have women represented in leadership positions. But since there are not as many women as men, you can only ask them to do so much because you want them to be scholars and top-notch teachers and all the rest.”

Over the past decade, hiring female professors has been a departmental priority, according to government professor Andrew Bennett. Though there are few female faculty members, women are

The housing selection process for rising juniors and seniors will move from early fall semester to the spring, a change designed to reduce roommate conflicts and requests to change housing.

Housing eligibility will still be determined in October, and the points allocated to sophomores, juniors and seniors will remain the same, as will the housing selection process for rising sophomores in the spring. The exact dates for the spring selection have not yet been determined.

Housing points, which have been used only to determine eligibility, will now be used to determine selection times, with the intent of giving upperclassmen better housing options.

Sophomores receive two points, and juniors and seniors who did not live on campus the previous year receive four points, while seniors who did live on campus get three points.

The October housing selection date previously applied to both returning students and transfer students, who had to figure out who to live with and where less than two months after arriving on the Hilltop. Students and administrators hope that the delayed

selection date will help students by allowing them to choose living situations at a date closer to the beginning of that year.

Executive Director of Residential Services Patrick Killilee said feedback from students and residential living staff led to the decision to reevaluate the housing selection process. Since last spring, representatives of the Georgetown University Student Association and Georgetown University InterHall have been involved in the evaluation process.

“In surveying students over the past few years, we have asked students if they would prefer a spring selection or retain [the] fall process,” Killilee wrote in an email. “A majority of students have indicated they would prefer a spring selection process, [while] less students were interested in retaining the current model.”

While the administration has engaged students in changing the selection process, InterHall President Nicholas Adams (SFS ’14) highlighted suggestions that have not yet been implemented, including moving up eligibility determination from October, the ability to select housing in tandem with other groups and reallocating points.

See HOUSING, A5

CHANGES TO POLICY Housing selection for rising juniors and seniors will take place in the spring, rather than the fall.

Each class will complete the selection process simultaneously, with upperclassmen joining the sophomores in the spring.

Rising juniors and seniors will continue to vie for housing eligibility in October.

Housing points will determine selection priority in addition to eligibility, which was previously the sole criterion.

See GENDER, A5

Velvet Revolution Leader DC Bill: ‘Think Before You Ink’ Honored in Alumni Square Carly Graf

Hoya Staff Writer

Mallika Sen Hoya Staff Writer

To foster U.S.-Czech relations, Georgetown University, in conjunction with the Embassy of the Czech Republic, will honor the late Czech President Vaclav Havel with a memorial in Alumni Square.

The memorial and dedication Oct. 2 is part of the Czech embassy’s Mutual Inspirations Festival, now in its third year, which seeks to highlight the contributions of a famous Czech citizen in an effort to enhance relations between the two countries.

Construction in the northeast corner of Alumni Square began Sept. 9 and is set to

continue through next week.

Havel, who died in 2011, was a prominent dissident and human rights activist during the Communist rule of then-Czechoslovakia, authoring plays, poetry and essays. After the fall of Communism, he became Czechoslovakia’s last president before the dissolution of the state and was elected the first president of the newly formed Czech Republic.

He visited Georgetown on his first trip to the United States in 1990 and later returned, appearing at a speaking event in 2005. His close relationship with Georgetown professor and former Secretary of State See CZECH, A6

KAYLA NOGUCHI/THE HOYA

Construction of a memorial in honor of the late Czech President Vaclav Havel is underway in Alumni Square. The memorial’s dedication will take place Oct. 2.

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

Fewer District residents may wake up with regrettable tattoos if a D.C. Department of Health proposal to institute a 24-hour tattoo waiting period becomes law.

The DOH regulations, introduced Sept. 6, would govern the body art industry, including safety regulations regarding body piercings in addition to tattoos.

The proposed regulation has not found support among industry professionals like Stacey Gear, a tattoo artist at Champion Tattoos, located at 719 8th St. SE. “I can’t really comprehend how they would think that they could save people from what they’re perceiving as somebody making a mistake,” Gear said.

“It’s just so absurd. It’s hard for me to even verbalize it.”

Bobby Rotten, a manager at D.C. Ink on U Street, located at 1203 U St. NW, echoed that opposition.

“I think it’s crazy,” Rotten said.

“There is no actual reason for that. I can’t believe that it’s actually proposed.”

A Sept. 6 Washington Post website poll suggests that disapproval isn’t limited to those who stand to lose a profit. Among 968 respondents, 81 percent opposed the regulation, while only 19 percent supported it.

City officials say the proposal could prevent people from making impulsive decisions that

Published Tuesdays and Fridays

MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA

D.C. tattoo artists oppose a bill that requires a 24-hour waiting period for all tattoos. Pictured, Jinxproof at 3285 M St. NW. they may regret later.

“We’re making sure when that decision is made that you’re in the right frame of mind, and you don’t wake up in the morning … saying, ‘Oh my God, what happened?’” DOH Spokeswoman Najma Roberts told The Washington Post.

Tattoo artists, however, said that they already take care to confirm that customers recognize the consequences of their decisions.

“We have our customers sign a release form so that they’re well aware of what they’re entering into, and we remind them that, yes, this is a permanent decision they’re making,” Gear said. “It’s no mystery.”

Gear added that reputable tattoo artists often go beyond the waiver’s requirements to make sure customers are happy with their decisions.

“If somebody walks in the door, and they say, ‘I want a tattoo, but I don’t know what I want,’ I tell them to go home and think about it because it’s a permanent mark,” Gear said.

Nevertheless, some think the 24-hour waiting period would be a step in the right direction, especially in preventing drunken mistakes.

“When I first heard about the proposal, I thought it was a good idea. I’ve heard multiple stories See TATTOOS, A5

Send Story Ideas and Tips to news@thehoya.com

A2

OPINION

THE HOYA

friday, september 13, 2013

THE VERDICT

C EDITORIALS C Sensible Selection Changes C C C Founded January 14, 1920

The summertime sprint for rising seniors to secure a lease off campus is likely the most stressful time in Georgetown housing, but the October deadline for rising upperclassmen to determine on-campus housing is a close second. This year, however, students wishing to live on campus next fall can breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Under the new format, sophomores and juniors will be able to apply for housing eligibility in October, but won’t be obligated to select their housing — or roommates — until the spring. This new policy is a welcome improvement, serving as an effective step toward ensuring that students remain satisfied with their living situations by the start of the next school year.

Determining eligibility as early as October leaves enough time for seniors who may not receive it to secure housing off campus. Pushing selection to the spring gives students who will be living on campus more time to determine with whom they would like to live, which residences they would prefer

and whether they plan to spend a semester abroad.

This adjustment exemplifies how a seemingly minor policy change can result in a tangible improvement to a process that is important to almost every undergraduate. It will serve to minimize roommate disputes and residence changes, as well as remove the considerable pressure of having to prematurely decide — almost 10 months in advance — where and with whom one would like to live.

The change was pushed through in a joint effort by the administration, the InterHall Council and Georgetown University Student Association representatives after a campuswide survey of student preferences. We hope this method will be employed recurrently to address kinks in the system — the discrepancy in selection points awarded to those who study abroad in the spring versus the fall, for instance — and to explore other housing options, such as allowing groups of varied sizes to choose dorm rooms together. In such cases, a small change can go a long way.

Ticket to Ride — A study by AAA has revealed changes in D.C. speed limits have resulted in drivers getting fewer tickets.

Wizards in the Big Apple — J.K. Rowling announced she’ll be penning the screenplay to a “Harry Potter spinoff movie that will be set in New York City in the 1920s.

Still Juicing — Georgetown is currently working with Syracuse to secure a 10-year contract to continue their basketball rivalry outside of the regular season despite conference changes.

Stadium Scores Big — Mayor Vincent Gray, D.C. United investors and labor leaders have reached a deal to begin construction on the soccer club’s 20,000-seat stadium next year.

Run, Stop, Shop — Reebok will open a new location in Georgetown this October that will include both a store and a gym.

A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD US ... @GeorgetownTFA Sept. 11 Shoutout to @thehoya for this wonderful article on TFA!!! Don’t forget to APPLY TODAY! Second Deadline: THIS FRIDAY!! @Brendan62 Sept. 10 Movin’ on up! RT @thehoya GU jumped to 20th in the US News and World Report annual college rankings. @Sticka

Sept. 10 Great coverage from @thehoya on yesterday’s dueling press conferences re: potential satellite housing at Georgetown.

The Right to Stay Home The Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act was passed in the District of Columbia five years ago to accommodate ill employees and maintain workplace sanitation. Due to a collection of loopholes, however, 30 percent of D.C. businesses still do not offer paid sick leave.

This applies to 80 percent of workers in the restaurant industry. Out of these employees, 59 percent report having worked while sick — a statistic that should make workers and restaurant patrons queasy.

This issue of workers’ rights close to home.

Two years ago, a report by the Restaurant Opportunities Center found Clyde’s Group — whose holdings include local mainstays The Tombs, Clyde’s and 1789 — to be one of the District’s lowest-scoring restaurant employers. Clyde’s enforces the 2008 act by achieving the bare minimum: offering non-tipped workers 10 days of paid leave per year with no distinction between vacation and health. The 2008 law does not require paid leave in any

EDITORIAL CARTOON by Sania Salman

form for workers whose wage is predicated on gratuity.

Pushback against paid sick leave has traditionally come from business owners, who excuse their abuse of this policy because of financial implications. But a study conducted in San Francisco, where a a law similar to the District’s was passed in 2007, found that of the two-thirds of employers who now support the measure, 90 percent say they’ve seen little financial consequence for their business.

The act passed in 2008 was an important start, but the D.C. city council and restaurant employers can be more compassionate toward the sick and more protective of consumers. Tomorrow, Paid Sick Days for All, a coalition of more than 50 local businesses and nonprofits, will launch a campaign on Twitter to expand the 2008 law, something nine D.C. councilmembers are already behind. Without it, it’s hard to eat at a restaurant in the District with a clean conscience.

Floor Funds Come Up Short Every campus residence requests $25 or so from students in floor funds at the beginning of the year. Support for the method of retrieving that contribution, however, is not nearly so uniform.

Problems often arise in apartment-style dorms where upperclassmen are much less invested in residence hall community life than in a tightknit floor in Darnall. In upperclassman dorms, it becomes tough for resident assistants to collect optional floor funds and entice residents into partaking in planned activities.

Because floor funds are not included in tuition bills and therefore must be an optional expense, an unfair system has developed in which RAs are often urged to suggest that they are, in fact, mandatory. In freshman dorms, where new students often look to residence halls to foster a sense of community, this investment makes more sense.

But in areas like Alumni Square or Nevils that house upperclassmen who are often less committed to residence relationships, pestering stu-

dents about a $20 to $25 expense is unwelcome.

Some RAs do find meaningful ways to engage more students with events like Village A barbecues, but often this considerable sum of money goes unused. Instructing RAs to go door-to-door and pester their residents makes for an unnecessarily awkward relationship.

Instead of continuing with this method next year, RAs in charge of upperclassman dorms should instead present a calendar of activities to their residents at the beginning of the year – specific activities, on specific dates, with specific costs. If the residents are enthusiastic about participating in these activities, they could voice their preferences and feel motivated to contribute. If not enough residents pay, then RAs would either adjust or downsize their plans for the year. At this point, requiring a blind investment hasn’t paid dividends for anyone involved.

Editorial Board member Christopher Stromeyer, a resident assistant, did not participate.

Danny Funt, Editor-in-Chief Emma Hinchliffe, Executive Editor Hunter Main, Managing Editor Victoria Edel, Online Editor Eitan Sayag, Campus News Editor Penny Hung, City News Editor Laura Wagner, Sports Editor Sheena Karkal, Guide Editor Katherine Berk, Opinion Editor Alexander Brown, Photography Editor Ian Tice, Layout Editor David Chardack, Copy Chief Lindsay Lee, Blog Editor

Madison Ashley Mallika Sen Natasha Khan TM Gibbons-Neff Tom Hoff Dillon Mullan Will Edman Kim Bussing Margie Fuchs Lindsay Leasor Robert DePaolo Jackie McCadden Matthew Grisier Nick Phalen Chris Grivas Charlie Lowe Michelle Xu Claire Hong Kennedy Shields Karl Pielmeier

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

Contributing Editors

Editorial Board

Chris Bien, Patrick Curran, Evan Hollander, Sarah Kaplan, Braden McDonald, Hiromi Oka, Remy Samuels

Basil Bastaki, Alyssa Huberts, Hanaa Khadraoui, Sam Rodman, Christopher Stromeyer

Katherine Berk, Chair

Mary Nancy Walter, General Manager Mariah Byrne, Director of Corporate Development Jason Yoffe, Director of Finance Mullin Weerakoon, Director of Marketing Michal Grabias, Director of Personnel Michael Lindsay-Bayley, Director of Sales Kevin Tian, Director of Technology Natasha Patel Christina Wing Tessa Bell Nitya Rajendran James Church Dimitrios Roumeliotis Michael Taylor Nicole Yuksel Addie Fleron Preston Marquis Taylor Doaty Brian Carden Eric Isdaner Simon Wu Taylor Wan

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

Board of Directors

Evan Hollander, Chair

Kent Carlson, Danny Funt, Vidur Khatri, Braden McDonald, Samantha Randazzo, Mary Nancy Walter

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

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

Viewpoint submissions should be between 600-800 words.

Send all submissions to: opinion@ thehoya.com.

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

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

Corrections & Clarifications If you have a comment or question about the fairness or accuracy of a story, contact Executive Editor Emma Hinchliffe at (973) 632-8795 or email executive@ thehoya.com.

News Tips Campus News Editor Eitan Sayag: Call (301) 346-2166 or email campus@thehoya.com.

City News Editor Penny Hung: Call (973) 818-9888 or email city@thehoya.com.

Sports Editor Laura Wagner: Call (301) 800-1502 or email sports@thehoya.com.

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

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

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

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

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

The Hoya does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, disability, color, national or ethnic origin. © 1920-2013. The Hoya, Georgetown University twice weekly. No part of this publication may be used without the permission of The Hoya Board of Editors. All rights reserved. The Hoya is available free of charge, one copy per reader, at distribution sites on and around the Georgetown University campus. Additional copies are $1 each.

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

OPINION

friday, september 13, 2013

THE HOYA

VIEWPOINT • Magerman

CURIOUS BY NATURE

A UNIVERSITY FOR OTHERS

Phillip Dearing & Benjamin Weiss

Katherine Foley

Finding Fulfillment In Biology S A Fresh Start for a New Year L

ometimes, Jesuits are even ahead of the scientific community.

Two years ago on Sept. 16, Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., wrote a piece for The Hoya called “Using the Three D’s to Guide a Modern Life.” In it, he describes depth, distraction and discernment: three things necessary to understanding’s life’s meaning. O’Brien calls on students to strive to live deeply without distraction and to allow room for discernment for those that do. In other words, he calls on us to live with meaning for the greater glory of God. When I first read his words, they made intuitive sense; of course we should try to live fully and for others. It appeals to our morals. And while intuition may be enough for some of us, it is certainly gratifying when biology backs us up.

Professors at the University of North Carolina and the University of California, Los Angeles recently examined the white blood cells of 80 healthy volunteers and had the same volunteers fill out an online survey about their happiness.

These researchers decided to compare different types of happiness to gene expression. They found that depending on the type of happiness each person reported, they expressed different genetic traits. Those whose happiness was predominately based on buying new things — what we might call hedonic happiness — had more biological markers in their white blood cell DNA known to lead to more inflammatory immune responses.

On the other hand, those who reported finding happiness by serving others had lower levels of these inflammatory genetic markers. In a nutshell, this study indicates that the more we strive

Living deeply for others actually makes us healthier. for a deeper, activity-based happiness, the healthier our gene expression gets.

Of course the issue of correlation versus causation blurs our conclusions.

The National Academy of Science officially summarized the study by saying that those who live to serve others are significantly less stressed. And, given the negative side effects of living constantly under stress, I’d translate that to the surprising truth that living deeply for others actually makes us healthier.

Granted, it’s hard to pin down the exact relationship here, and perhaps there’s no relationship and we just found a fluke trend. And of course, there are those who will derive happiness from both buying the new iPhone and volunteering at D.C. Reads. Biology can be a fickle thing.

But there’s a part of me — my unscientific gut reaction — that believes that maybe there’s a difference in our physical bodies when we feel directed toward a higher purpose.

Think about it: If we’re not always consumed with the material costs of living, it’s easier to dismiss temporal misfortunes. As much as the little things in life add up — the money we have, the number of Facebook posts on our walls or the grades we get — our relationships ultimately matter more.

At the end of the day, it’s easier for me to forgive myself for a poorly written philosophy paper when I remember that my work to foster meaningful relationships has been more successful.

When I get into a fight with those who matter most to me, however, it’s much harder to excuse myself. A paper is has a temporary impact; these other things are more permanent.

It seems to me that whether or not we identify with religion, we can all benefit from taking O’Brien’s words to heart. If we live striving to do the work that matters — the kind that benefits others, forms lasting connections and is unmotivated by monetary distractions — our immune systems will respond favorably. As far as the current scientific literature shows, there’s no downside to trying.

Katherine Foley is a senior in the College.

Curious by Nature appears every other Friday.

A3

ast Wednesday, we celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the start of year 5774 in the Jewish calendar, and tomorrow will mark Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. As a kid, I always associated Rosh Hashanah with the New Year more than the “normal” New Year’s celebration of December 31. Nothing ever felt new on January 1. I was in the same grade, I was the same age; it was just more of the same. Not to mention, I was sick of falling for the classic teacher joke in December that there would be “no more homework for the year,” only to get piles more in January. Rosh Hashanah, on the other hand, was the end of summer, the start of a new school year and even — since I have a summer birthday — a new age.

Since then, the parties, fireworks and champagne of the January festivities have grown on me. But celebrating Rosh Hashanah still feels more appropriate because school — now Georgetown instead of elementary school — continues to determine the flow of my year. With all the new beginnings that Rosh Hashanah brings, it’s valuable to look forward, speculating about the different things to come and deciding what I want to do differently this year.

However, one of the best parts about the High Holidays — Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur — is the chance to look back at the past year. Every year on December 31, everyone makes a resolution — something they want to do, a place they want to go, a goal they want to reach —

but we never really look back at what we’ve already done, who we’ve met or what we wish we did differently.

The High Holidays give me a time to do that. Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are 10 days during which we are able to examine the year that has just come to a close and evaluate how we used it. That way, before you get started on

These days, apologizing to those I love brings me a sense of relief and refreshment. the upcoming 12 months, you know where you have been in the last ones. At the end of the 10 days, on Yom Kippur, we repent. This opportunity to recognize what you did wrong allows you to start fresh in the new year and get rid of emotional baggage.

When I was little, I hated repenting on Yom Kippur. In services, when everyone took a moment to apologize to loved ones for wronging them in the past year, I would stand quietly looking at my feet while my mom and dad apologized to me. I felt too uncomfortable admitting I had done anything wrong in the past year to own up to it, even in a general sense, or try to make it right. Since then, I have learned to embrace the tradition. I now understand that only by reflecting on what I did wrong, understand-

ing why it was wrong and trying to repent can I learn from the experience and grow. These days, apologizing to those I love brings me a sense of relief and refreshment.

Regardless of your religion, reflecting on what you have done in order to grow is a great way to start the year, relax and prepare for new experiences. If you are a freshman, that could be anything from meeting new people to taking new classes to learning how to live in a dorm. For the seniors, it could be finding a new job or internship as you prepare to leave Georgetown.

My fellow sophomores and I are picking majors and applying to go abroad. However, before you embark on whatever adventures await, take a few moments to reflect on the previous year — maybe even apologize for something if you feel so inclined — so that you have a stronger base to stand on as you go forward.

If this sounds appealing, I invite you to join Kol Nidre or Yom Kippur services. They will be in Gaston Hall on Friday night and all day Saturday and are always beautifully conducted by Rabbi Rachel Gartner. I will be happily taking advantage of the opportunity for adventures by going to a new restaurant with a friend for the traditional Break Fast meal. To everyone observing: Have an easy fast, and to everyone — observing or not — L’Shana Tova.

Max Magerman is a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service.

VIEWPOINT • Chardack

Construction Not Just for IAC

D

on’t get me wrong: I love Georgetown basketball. But I am disappointed when basketball feels like Georgetown’s highest priority.

Under University President John J. DeGioia, Georgetown has seen its largest expansion and renovation of facilities in recent history, with even more money to come from the $1.5 billion capital campaign, For Generations to Come. We all know that financial capital is limited, so we must choose which buildings we want to build carefully, and we need to consider why we are building them. In 2009, KMW Architecture drafted plans to remodel Lauinger Library. These plans included a full renovation of the existing building in addition to a 168,000-sq. ft. addition.

I am shocked, however, that instead of the much-needed Lauinger Library renovation, we now have chosen to build the Intercollegiate Athletic Center.

We don’t need a new basketball training facility; we need a new library.

“It’s more like a prison than a library,” some say. “What did Joseph Mark Lauinger do to offend us?” others often ask.

“Lau? I would never study in Lau.” And for good reason.

The library is in a state of disrepair. The shelves are falling apart. The brass doorknobs are polished clean from 40 years of use. The desks have been scratched and vandalized and polluted with gum. The book stacks are covered in tarps to

prevent water damage from the leaky pipes above. Lauinger is a textbook definition of a building that is overdue for a renovation.

That said, we should remember Lau’s potential as a center point on campus. In all its dilapidated glory, the second floor still manages to fill up every weeknight, bustling with chemistry and history majors; freshmen and Ph.D. candidates; singers and athletes. Be-

Basketball is a point of community for this campus, but we need to remember that we are a school before we are a sports team. cause Lauinger is the only large library on campus, it is a perfect common denominator for every member of the Georgetown campus. We often take it for granted that Lau is one of the only places on campus where every student has reason to go on a regular basis. Despite its unifying premise, students tend to avoid Lau because it is literally falling apart around us as we study.

For juxtaposition, consider some facts about what IAC will do for the student body. First, IAC is not a new stadium. According to current plans, we will still be trekking to Chi-

natown to see the men compete, and we will still use the McDonough Arena to watch the women compete. Second, IAC has no public access. Unless you play a Division I varsity sport, the state-of-the art training facilities, exercise facilities, basketball courts, sports medicine center, study lounges, etc. that Georgetown included in the plans will be completely unavailable for your use. Third, it’s expensive.

In addition to the $60 million price tag, IAC takes up valuable on-campus land. On principle, however, it blatantly separates the university into two unequal categories: Division I athletes first, everyone else second. Plain and simple, the facility takes rational Georgetown priorities and turns them upside-down.

The funds raised by the capital campaign are impressive, but limited. We need to make sure that we make the most of this opportunity to expand our campus. Basketball is already a point of community for this campus, but we need to remember that we are a school before we are a sports team. And as a school, we should ensure that we can be proud of the building representative of our academic life — the building which should bring students together from all years, schools, majors and backgrounds: the library.

David Chardack is a sophomore in the College. He is copy chief for The Hoya.

Privileged To Serve Our Community D

uring New Student Orientation training, we had the opportunity to participate in a workshop led by Kathy Obear, an organizational development consultant. In it, Obear engaged us in a dialogue on the topic of privilege and gave us a surprisingly inspired call to action.

Typically, such workshops discuss privilege with the explicit purpose of recognition. We are taught simply to understand the concept of privilege, recognize it if we have it in our lives and understand its role.

A common and effective practice in diversity education is to identify the daily effects of privilege, from assumptions about class to its representation in the media. These exercises are enlightening to see the many aspects of privilege, and to bring it to the attention of those who otherwise would not have noticed.

But while important, we believe that they should be seen as an intermediary step and not a conclusion. To end the conversation at this point is to leave the “privileged” individual with questions: What now? What are we supposed to do now that we have been exposed to our privilege? Should we just feel guilty? Apologetic? This approach leaves the education unfinished, and the student without positive direction.

Feeling guilty for benefiting from privilege accomplishes nothing of value. Guilt does not lessen privilege and recognizing privilege does not mean that one no longer reaps its benefits. Diversity education must move beyond the recognition of privilege to its positive applications in society. We believe that going to Georgetown is in and of itself a privilege. We are all therefore privileged, and we must use this to better the lives of others.

Of the world’s seven billion people, only 6.7 percent have a college degree. Of

We believe that going to Georgetown is in and of itself a privilege. those 469 million people, only 97,384 have had the opportunity to attend this heralded institution of higher learning. Within the next four years, we will join that .0002 percent. A Georgetown education is a privilege we have all been given; it is the responsibility of each and every one of us to use it. For instance, you should be the one to call someone out for making a racist or homophobic joke. You should be the one to step in if you see someone taking advantage of a fellow student. And you should be the one to keep perspective — not squander what has been given to you. Our Georgetown classrooms provide one of the best examples. We commonly hear students claiming that they are merely “surviving” or “getting through” their classes. This is not tragic or even unexpected. Most of us rarely encounter someone outside the Georgetown bubble, and it is easy to take that fact for granted. However, from outside the bubble, it’s clear that we need to revaluate our attitude. More than 1,000 of the world’s top thinkers teach at Georgetown almost entirely in order to aid our intellectual development.

To just get through your classes depreciates their value, to this institution and to yourself. While not every instructor is as life-altering as, say, Fr. Matthew Carnes, S.J. — who could engage a class of animals — all professors are meant to shepherd students’ self-exploration. The responsibility of engaging students should not fall entirely on the professor; it should come to the students in equal part. We must appreciate our classes as though they were a gift we’ve been given, exploring them fully and then using them as a means of bettering the world.

Our time spent here outside of the classroom is a privilege as well. We implore you to use this time for the greatest endeavors you can think of. Use it in whatever capacity you believe will contribute the most toward the betterment of others. It is in these free moments that your time on the Hilltop will be defined. It’s unrealistic to expect one student to do everything, but we feel reasonable in expecting each student to do something.

Benjamin Weiss and Phillip Dearing are juniors in the College.

A University for Others appears every other Friday.

A4

THE HOYA

PAGE FOUR

NEWS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2013

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE Georgetown marked the anniversary of the 1973 Chilean coup with a concert.

See story at thehoya.com.

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya.

IN FOCUS

verbatim

GIVES YOU WINGS

“

Why can’t everything in our closet have that same feeling?

”

Kirk Keel (MSB ’08), founder of a menswear startup, said about tailor-made suits.

See story on A7.

from

AMY LEE/THE HOYA

OLD MEMORIES, NEW MURAL It looks like Thirds left us one last gift. Head to 4E to see the uncovered mural discovered during renovation.

ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

Trial biker Thomas Oehler jumped over five students in Red Square on Tuesday in a demo promoting Red Bull. Oehler performed a few stunts before the Department of Public Safety stopped the performance. See story at paranoia.thehoya.com

blog.thehoya.com

AU to Cover GU Pride Adds Trans Representative Transition Surgery Costs *

MADISON ASHLEY Hoya Staff Writer

PENNY HUNG

Hoya Staff Writer

Student insurance at American University will now cover full transitional care for transgender students, including gender reassignment surgery, making AU the only Washington, D.C. university to cover such costs.

The new AU policy will cover 80 percent of the cost for gender reassignment at in-network providers and 60 percent at out-of-network providers, with a maximum of $500,000.

At Georgetown, it is not likely that these procedures will be added to university healthcare.

“We review our student health insurance on a regular basis, with a focus on meeting student needs, respecting our Catholic and Jesuit identity and adhering to local and national law,” university spokesperson Stacy Kerr wrote in an email.

Due to the small size of Georgetown’s transgender community, GU Pride President Thomas Lloyd (SFS ’15) said that it would be difficult to push for coverage expansion.

“I think that the recent hype over contraceptive care could be instructive — under directives from the federal government, Georgetown might change its policy — but Georgetown still has a ways to go on transgender issues,” Lloyd said. “The out transgender community is fairly small, so there isn’t a huge population calling for a change in policy. From a large student push, a change might be possible. … Helping someone be happier and healthier in their body needn’t conflict with the Jesuit mission at all.”

Lloyd added that the recent addition of a gender non-conforming representative seat to the GU Pride board was a step in the right direction, especially considering that an openly transgender student has never graduated from the university before. Lloyd said many students come out following graduation but keep silent during their studies at Georgetown.

Personally, Lloyd said he believed that the university should cover gender reassignment costs for transgender students.

“Personally, I say absolutely. This … is an established right in some countries,” Lloyd said.

“For some people who identify as transgender, the ability to transition is essential to their mental health and identity. They don’t feel at home in their person, so the ability for them to transition successfully and being supported is key to their health as an individual.”

GU Pride’s board will now include a representative for gender non-conforming students, a position formerly absent from the group.

The group voted unanimously to establish the position Tuesday. The newly elected board member, Celeste Chisholm (COL ’15), is an out transgender woman.

“Being the first student at Georgetown is interesting for me because I know more people in the past would have done it if there was any sort of precedent,” Chisholm said.

The position was created after GU Pride’s board decided to prioritize the rights of the queer students of color and transgender students in the coming school year. The only other specified position on the board is for an ally representative.

“It became clear to us that for the first time we have several out trans* students who might be willing to be on the board,” GU Pride President Thomas Lloyd (SFS ’15) said. “We thought this was the perfect time to recruit one of them and give the trans* community a chance to be more visible and prominent within Pride’s structure.”

Shiva Subbaraman, director of the LGBTQ Resource Center, said she was energized by the new position in light of how difficult it can often be for gender non-conforming students on Georgetown’s campus.

“That is something to celebrate.

The truth is, on this campus, it has been very difficult for gender nonconforming members,” Subbaraman said. “We have had gender non-conforming students before but often did not feel safe or empowered enough to take leadership on this campus.”

For Chisholm, this board position will mark the first time that she is putting herself into the spotlight as a transgender female.

“This is my first year really being involved in GU Pride. It’s tough being out there in the spotlight,” Chisholm said. “I’m just tumbling through my existence, and I just happen to be knocking into glass ceilings as well.

To me, it’s just a matter of having the

COURTESY GU PRIDE

GU Pride members elected Celeste Chisholm (COL ’15), center, an out transgender woman, to its board as the group’s first representative of the gender non-conforming community Tuesday. confidence to be yourself.”

Though no out gender non-conforming student has yet to graduate from Georgetown, two out transgender students ran for the position Tuesday night.

“This is the first time we have more than one non-gender-conforming person out on campus who are willing to share their lives with us,” Subbaraman said. “Having her and other students here who are out now give a face to this issue, which has been abstract until now.”

Lloyd said the election reflects a growing desire for gender nonconforming students to establish a place for themselves on campus.

“There being two out trans* students who both want to become more visible demonstrates that the community has definite needs and desires to change the university — it’s ready to move forward and organize to make being trans* at Georgetown easier for everyone,” Lloyd said.

Chisholm noted that, while she can often pass for a female, resisting complacency is an important part of representing the community of gender non-conforming individuals.

“There’s this false dichotomy of people that pass and people that don’t,” Chisholm said. “I quickly realized I was slipping into that habit of being someone that didn’t

want anything else but normalcy. I realized I had a responsibility to be there for other people, like paying it forward.”

For all that she hopes to accomplish as a GU Pride board member, Chisholm boils her goals down to raising awareness of the experience for transgender individuals on the Hilltop.

“Once a person is introduced to a transgendered person, people are pretty accepting once you have a face and a voice you can attach to the concept,” Chisholm said. “I think a lot of it will be putting it in people’s faces for the first time, allowing Georgetown students to see that this is totally normal and establishing a safe environment for us here.”

News

friday, september 13, 2013

THE HOYA

A5

Lasting Gender Housing Timeline Pushed Forward Gap for Female Professors HOUSING, from A1

GENDER, from A1 equally successful in earning tenure as men in the department.

“I’m not happy with the situation, but I really do think in the past couple of years there has been a big effort to try to recruit female faculty,” said Kathleen McNamara, an associate professor of government.

Two new female professors are set to join the government department: Diana Kapiszewski, who studies comparative law and Latin American politics, began in August, and Nita Rudra, who researches global political economy, will join the university in January.

But the lack of female faculty can be cyclical.

“The problem is when you have so few women, sometimes it’s harder to then attract women because there are implicit ways where they may not feel as welcome if they come to give a talk or when they interview,” McNamara said.

Bennett suggested that political science could be a lesserknown frontier for women.

“To some degree, if you’re the first generation of any demographic group that’s trying to break through the glass ceiling, academia isn’t necessarily the first place you’d think of,” Bennett said. “People who are really eager to break those glass ceilings might break through other glass ceilings first.”

“A department doesn’t get this way overnight, and it can’t change overnight either.”

DAVID EDELSTEIN SFS Associate Professor

Looking ahead, it seems that women may make advances in political science departments soon. Female students currently make up a majority of Georgetown’s Ph.D. program in government.

“I walked into my first session of my Ph.D. seminar last spring, and I looked around and I realized there were 11 women and zero men,” Bennett said. “We do have definitely a large number of [female] graduate students.”

McNamara expressed hope that this would eventually translate to more female faculty members.

“There is a very healthy pipeline of female Ph.D. students in political science, so it’s not that, somehow, there aren’t qualified women particularly at the junior level, coming through the system, so I think that if we keep chipping away at this, hopefully we can make a difference,” McNamara said.

But without female professors as advisors and role models, it can be difficult for female students to get ahead.

When Lise Howard, an associate professor of government, was studying for her Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, all of her advisers were men.

“They felt uncomfortable asking their female advisees to go for a beer or to go to lunch or dinner. It’s easier for men to ask their male advisees to go out,” Howard said. “My adviser would ask his male and female advisees to go out together, so there are ways of overcoming it. You just have to get creative. But you know that one-on-one beer at the bar between the guys, a lot can transpire in those conversations that are really important for one’s career.”

McNamara agreed and added that female role models at the undergraduate level are also important, especially when students are figuring out which academic path to follow.

“It is really important to have female role models in the front of the classroom,” McNamara said. “It’s good for everybody to see women on an equal footing with their academic male peers.”

Edelstein pointed to the role of history in shaping the department and in moving it forward.

“The important thing to keep in mind is that a department doesn’t get this way overnight, and it can’t change overnight either,” Edelstein said.

Rising seniors who study abroad during the spring semester of their junior year receive three points for housing, while those who study abroad in the fall semester receive four points.

“We feel that no discrepancy should exist and instead should be equalized,” Adams wrote in an email.

The changes allow students to determine whether they are eligible for campus housing in October, leaving time to also seek off-campus housing, though most students intending to live off campus sign leases by late September.

“We have advocated for moving the eligibility decision to an even earlier date so that students who are not awarded eligibility have more time to find off-campus housing and roommates with whom to live,” Adams wrote.

Megan Murday (SFS ’15), a member of the GUSA Campus Living Advisory Committee, has

participated in the discussions about changes to the housing selection system.

“When we were talking about moving the process, we were focusing on the benefits with regard to students,” Murday said. “We decided that having housing selection in the spring would allow sophomores and transfers … more time to make the decision for the following year of housing as to whether or not they want to live with that person.”

Murday suggested that in addition to giving students more time to make a decision, the changes could result in fewer conflicts between roommates and requests to change housing. Adams suggested that the changes will also help students make other decisions regarding study abroad, resident assistant positions or the decision to transfer.

Chris Rom (COL ’16) agreed with the decision to move housing selection.

“Housing arrangements are

ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

Rising sophomores, juniors and seniors will all select housing in the spring, pushing the process several months forward. volatile,” Rom said. “The less time between deciding where to live and moving in, the better. If someone decides to study abroad or take up an internship — those are decisions that could

be made in the winter [with the spring selection time] but not with choosing in the fall. But now these are the sort of changes that can be accommodated or planned for.”

Tattoo Artists Object to Waiting Period TATTOOS, from A1 about drunken tattoo decisions,” Galen Hiltbrand (COL ’14), who does not have a tattoo, said. “That’s not the type of mental state that you want to be in when making such a permanent decision.”

Nick Barkley, shop manager at Tattoo Paradise, located at 2444 18th St., NW, said that the 24-hour waiting period would not solve the issue. According to Barkley, regret does not always come days or weeks later — it often takes decades before people regret the decision to get a tattoo.

“A lot of people get tattoos at 18 that they don’t regret until they’re 40 or 50 years old,” Barkley said. “Twenty-four hours isn’t going to do anything.”

Gear said that people who are thought to be intoxicated are denied service, an impor-

tant issue when weighing the proposed waiting period.

The proposal includes other safety regulations, such as requiring all tattoo artists and b o d y piercers to receive hepatitis B vaccinations and to undergo biohazard training.

The regulations w o u l d also implement stricter guidelines on the use of needles, inks, gloves and other equipment.

While Rotten agreed with the safety portions of the regulations, he said that the 24-hour wait period was inappropriate.

“There’s definitely a place for

regulation. There are plenty of people out there who have no idea about cross-contamination or about how actually dangerous it is to get a tattoo,” Rotten said.

“But you shouldn’t be able to regulate how or when to get something on your body. … There is bobby rotten no safety D.C. Ink Manager issue that is resolved by waiting for 24 hours.”

The professional community expressed concern about the possible precedent this would set for future laws and regulations.

“They are going to need you to sign waivers before you get

“You shouldn’t be able to regulate how or when to get something on your body.”

that last slice of jumbo pizza, before you take that last shot and before you take home that girl at the bar,” Barkley said. “How far are you going to extend that?”

The proposal is open for public comment until Oct. 6. In the meantime, many body art professionals have organized to express their views.

“All my friends and I are going to proposals and board meetings to speak out against it,” Rotten said.

Some students thought that the District should have more pressing concerns.

“The D.C. government needs to focus on other things like nutrition, inequitable access and the unemployment rate, rather than honing in on what the youth may or may not do to their bodies,” Fahad Abdul (COL ’14), who does not have a tattoo, said.

GUSA Senate Election Rules Tweaked Annie Chen

Hoya Staff Writer

More than 30 students showed up at the Georgetown University Student Association senate election information session last night, preparing for the Sept. 19 campaign kick-off and Sept. 26 election.

GUSA President Nate Tisa (SFS ’14) encouraged attendees to review and campaign on current campus issues particular to their interests.

“Being a part of the student government will show you the best of Georgetown but at times show you the worst of it,” he said. “However, it will be a great chance for you to engage your passions and change things for the better.”

This year’s election, however, will run slightly differently than previous ones. In a bill unanimously passed by the transitional GUSA senate committee Sunday, districts with more than one seat will run under a single transferable voting system, instead of an instant runoff voting system, which was used in the past elections.

The new system uses preferential voting in multi-member constituencies, requiring candidates to reach a certain

share of quota votes instead of a majority of votes to be elected, as was the case under the old system. After a senator is elected by reaching the designated threshold, surplus votes are then transferred in accord to their ranking preferences to other remaining candidates.

Election Commission Chair Ethan Chess (COL ’14) stressed that altering the voting system will not lead to significant changes in election results.

“For the majority of the time, STV will produce the same results as IRV,” he said. “But when it doesn’t, it produces a better and more representative result.”

The alteration of the voting system follows up on the 2011 redistricting reform, which combined certain districts into jurisdictions with multiple member representation in order to ensure each district was a similar size.

“This is the last step for us to getting us our electoral map and procedures to where it should be,” he said.

Chess said that the old IRV system did not produce the most desirable results for districts such as Darnall and Harbin Halls, which is one district represented by three senators. Southwest Quad representation was similarly problematic.

“In single districts, [it] makes sense,” Chess said. “But in multiple districts, a better system to give more consistent result is STV, because IRV looks only for the one preferred candidate but ignores support relative to one candidate versus another, which is important in districts looking to elect three or four or more representatives.”

If the referendum petition on the university’s consideration of a satellite residence is deemed valid by the Election Commission, the referendum will be held concurrently with the senate election Sept. 26.

The referendum, proposed by the “One Georgetown, One Campus” campaign, is an up-or-down vote and asks students, “Do you support a satellite residence for Georgetown undergraduates?”

Because the referendum appears as the first on the ballot page, followed by candidates for at-large seats and candidates of the individual student’s own district, Tisa expects to see larger voter turnouts.

“What we’ve seen in the past years, when there’s a referendum question on the ballot is a boost on the turnout, which is good for our system, good for our participation and good for student engagement,” he said.

ERICA WONG/THE HOYA

Thirty students attended a Georgetown University Student Association senate election information session Thursday evening. The senate campaign kicks off Sept. 19, and the election will be held Sept. 26, with a slightly changed voting system.

A6

news

THE HOYA

friday, september 13, 2013

Memorial Set for Czech Leader DC Nonprofit Moves

To Local Landmark

MEMORIAL, from A1 Madeleine Albright, who was born in Czechoslovakia, introduced him to Georgetown and its environment.

“We were privileged to have welcomed Vaclav Havel to our campus throughout the years,” University President John J. DeGioia said.

“This was one of the first places in the U.S. where he spoke following the Velvet Revolution, which was fitting — he was devoted to the idea of the university as a place to foster discourse and the free exchange of ideas.”

The embassy approached the university in 2012, prompting a review by senior university colleagues, including Albright, to advise DeGioia moving forward.

“It became clear that there was a real connection here. This was a former head of state, this was someone who was devoted to freedom, this is someone who was an artist and, as the Czechs call him, a modern-day hero,” DeGioia’s Chief of Staff Joe Ferrara said. “There was an intersection between the values that he and his life represent and the values Georgetown represents.”

Ferrara said that Vaclav appreciated Georgetown’s open environment in comparison to the oppression he faced growing up in Czechoslovakia.

“What he appreciated about Georgetown was freedom: academic freedom, freedom of speech, the freedom to talk about ideas and have an open debate and discussion without the fear that someone was going to come throw you in jail because of what you said,” Ferrara said.

According to Embassy of the Czech Republic Cultural Counselor Barbara Karpetová, a special significance lies in dedicating the year 2013 to Havel, as it marks the 77th anniversary of his birth. Havel cowrote Charter 77, a document calling upon the Communist regime to recognize basic human rights that incurred the wrath of the government.

The university ultimately picked Alumni Square as the home for the memorial, with input from colleagues and the embassy, based on its high foot traffic and uncluttered setup.

Christopher Zawora

fic, the board of Zoning Adjustment and Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E originally faced concerns The Halcyon House — a Georgetown from the community about changing landmark built in 1787 — will enter the house’s zoning from residential the next phase of its history this year to nonprofit. Many of these concerns with the S&R Foundation, a D.C.-based were addressed by an agreement benonprofit. tween S&R, community members, The foundation, which supports tal- neighbors and ANC 2E commissioners ented individuals in the arts and sci- that was developed over the summer ences with a focus on international in preparation for last week’s ANC cultural collaboration, purchased the meeting. house — located at the corner of 34th By the terms of the agreement, the and Prospect Streets — to use as its new house will play host to a maximum of headquarters. The property was pur- 75 events per year, most of which will chased from sculptor John Dreyfuss for include small speakers and confer$11 million. ences for no more than 50 people. At Dreyfuss had inherited the house last week’s ANC meeting, S&R reprefrom his father, sentatives added architect Edmund “We look to be really good that they would Dreyfuss, who purplan large-scale chased it in 1966. stewards of the property events only when Halcyon House was students are out of built by Benjamin as well as good neighbors town, which would Stoddert, who was help alleviate trafto the community.” the first secretary fic and congestion KATE GOODALL of the navy, and concerns. There are S&R Foundation Chief Operating Officer Pierre L’Enfant, also plans to build who designed a vehicle turntable much of the Washington, D.C. street to prevent traffic congestion on 34th layout, designed its gardens.

Street. A vehicle turntable is a rotating The S&R Foundation plans to use platform that turns cars around so that the headquarters for Illuminate, a they can change direction quickly withsocial incubator program for young out needing to make three-point turns. entrepreneurs, as well as the InternaANC 2E commissioner Ron Lewis tional Institute of Global Resilience, a noted the high degree of cooperation start-up think tank founded in 2012 between S&R and the neighborhood to provide disaster management re- community. search and education.

“The S&R Foundation was very welS&R Foundation Chief Operating Of- coming of these discussions,” Lewis ficer Kate Goodall expressed excitement said at the Sept. 3 ANC 2E meeting. “We about working with Georgetown, thanks have successfully arrived at a very sigto the proximity between Halcyon House nificantly reduced in scope plan.” and the university. Goodall said that the S&R representatives, community foundation may provide educational and members and residents who live within research opportunities for graduate and Halcyon House’s vicinity all voiced their Ph.D. students. In addition, the Interna- approval of the revised resolution at the tional Institute of Global Resilience will ANC meeting. launch a fellowship program in October, “We are very aware that even though focusing on emergency management we are an international organization, and disaster communication, logistics we are embedded in the Georgetown and mitigation. community,” Goodall said. “We look “Georgetown University has been to be really good stewards of the propreally receptive and helpful,” Good- erty as well as good neighbors to the all said. “I can certainly see us doing community.” work with Georgetown University in Events at Halcyon House are set to bethe future.” gin in the spring, after the vehicle turnDue to the possible increase in traf- table is installed.

Hoya Staff Writer

COURTESY BOB DOUBEK

Former Czech President Vaclav Havel’s ties to Madeleine Albright inspired the choice of Georgetown for his memorial.

The design consists of a linden tree, the national tree of the Czech Republic, in the middle, surrounded by a bench with two chairs attached. The ground will be laid with pea gravel to avoid the accumulation of mud. Concentric circles of bricks, stone and grass will surround the installation, along with a plaque dedicated to the university.

The memorial is sponsored by the American Friends of the Czech Republic, the Embassy of the Czech Republic and the Vaclav Havel Library in Prague.

“We have basically taken charge of designing, constructing it and funding most of it,” AFOCR Founder and Corporate Secretary Robert Doubek (LAW ’74) said. “They look to us to manage the entire project.”

While the American Friends of the Czech Republic will pay the for the architect and contractor work, the Czech embassy is providing the tree and the Vaclav Havel Library in Prague is providing the chairs for the site.

Doubek estimated that the AFOCR’s contribution would measure $20,000, while the library’s provision of the bench would be around $5,000. The university will assume

future maintenance costs.

The programming on Oct. 2 will consist of a panel on Havel, moderated by Center for Eurasian, Russian and Eastern European Studies Director Angela Stent and featuring Albright and professor Tomáš Halík of Charles University, in Prague.

The panel will be followed by a procession to the memorial site led by Executive Director of People in Need Šimon Pánek, who was a student leader during the 1989 Velvet Revolution. The Czech embassy will pass out small Czech flags in remembrance of the peaceful demonstrations and freedom.

DeGioia will speak at the dedication, with the Czech Republic Ambassador to the United States Petr Gandalovič and Havel’s widow, Dagmar Havlová, in attendance.

Karpetová, from the Czech embassy, envisioned the site as a “living memorial.”

“The whole idea is that Havel was a man who believed in the truth and free expression,” Doubek said.

“It’s generally intended to be part of the university campus … and a lot of people, at least supporters of Havel, would like to come here and see it.”

News

friday, september 13, 2013

THE HOYA

A7

Gray Vetoes Alums Put a Twist on Menswear Living Wage Bill TM Gibbons-Neff Hoya Staff Writer

TM Gibbons-Neff Hoya Staff Writer

Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray vetoed the Large Retailer Accountability Act on Thursday, which would have raised the minimum wage for large retailers such as WalMart to $12.50 an hour in combined wages and benefits.

The legislation, also known as the Living Wage Bill, targeted retailers whose parent companies gross more than $1 billion per year and occupy more than 75,000 feet of retail space — namely, Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart was planning to build six stores in the District earlier this year, but pulled out of three of the projects after the LRAA passed the D.C. Council with an 8-5 vote in July. The 8-5 vote was one vote away from a veto-proof majority, and the council’s vote on the override will take place Tuesday.

“I have concluded that the bill, while well intentioned, is flawed and will fail to achieve its intended goals,” Gray wrote in a hand-written letter to D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson on Thursday.

Gray added that the bill would only increase wages for the small number of workers who were employed at super-market-sized stores and were not unionized, and that it would only affect a select few within the district while imposing costs on businesses throughout the city.

“The bill is not a true livingwage bill because it would raise the minimum wage only for a small fraction of the District’s workforce,” Gray wrote.

Instead, Gray proposed a compromise and called for an increase in wages that would affect all workers and employers equally.

“I look forward to putting this debate behind us and working with the council to do what President Obama proposed earlier this year and what several states and municipalities have recently done:

pass a reasonable increase to the District’s minimum wage for all workers,” Gray wrote.

Students have advocated for the passage of the LRAA on campus.

“We must support the LRAA and make it clear that if you intend to do business in the District of Columbia, you must treat its citizens with dignity and respect,” Erin Riordan (COL ’15), a member of the Georgetown Solidarity Committee, wrote in an online viewpoint for The Hoya (“Support LRAA for a Livable DC,” July 24).

GSC member Irene Koo (COL ’16) said that she was disappointed in Gray’s decision to veto and praised the D.C. Council’s efforts in supporting low-income workers.

“As one of the largest and highest-earning corporations in the world … Wal-Mart has the potential to impact the living conditions of thousands of families yet chooses not to,” Koo wrote in an email. “The mayor failed his constituents by giving in to a corporation that is notorious for its tendency to depress wages, drive out small businesses and mistreat workers.

D.C. residents need jobs, but more importantly, they need to be treated with dignity and respect.”

Wal-Mart Senior Director of Communications Steven Restivo, who responded to Riordan’s viewpoint with a letter to the editor in The Hoya in July, told The Washington Post that Gray’s veto prioritizes “Jobs, economic development and common sense over special interests.”

Carter Elztroth, a 24-yearold D.C. resident, voiced his support for the mayor’s decision against the bill. According to Elztroth, raising the minimum wage floor would decrease the number of employees a company could have.

“I’m glad Wal-Mart might keep expanding in D.C.,” Elztroth said. “It’s a great place to get cheap goods.”

BeWell Week Expands Focus Lily Westergaard Hoya Staff Writer

BeWell Week, which promotes healthy habits and wellness with a series of educational activities for the student body, will expand this year with its kickoff Monday.

The event, in its third year, is sponsored by Health Education Services in partnership with several other on-campus groups, including Yates Field House and Dining Services.

“We’re always looking for opportunities to mention health to students and to help them be aware of the resources we have,” Health Education Services Director Carol Day said. “The week is a fun and engaging way to keep mentioning health and remind them of things they can do that are fun and interesting, and healthy at the same time.”

This year’s BeWell Week will run from Monday to Saturday.

For the first time, each day of the week has been assigned a theme, such as “Breathe Well” or “Eat Well.” Most events will feature prizes and giveaways.

According to Student Health Center graduate assistant and part-time health educator Laura Marcucci, Student Health Services staff worked with 20 on-campus partners and five groups off campus to plan this year’s expanded event over the summer.

“In addition to the daily themes, we really wanted to take the events to the next level,” Marcucci said. “Last year, we had a regular 5k, and this year we are having a Crazy Run.” Other new events include a kickball game on Kehoe Field, a yoga class at Lululemon exclusively for Georgetown students, puppy playtime on Copley Lawn and an alcohol-free

BeWell Block Party.

“Many students, particularly freshmen or transfers, aren’t aware of the resources that Georgetown has to offer,” Marcucci said. “However, past evaluations have shown that BeWell Week has helped to increase awareness of these resources. By providing students with ways to take care of themselves and access help when they need it, we can ensure they have a great four years.”

Yates Field House will offer several free fitness classes, as well as free massages. According to Yates’ Assistant Director of Fitness and Wellness Meghan Dimsa, the gym has taken on a bigger role in BeWell Week this year, including making a donation to the event.

“We’re going to be all in this year,” Dimsa said. “It’s really important to give students an opportunity to get involved in fitness and recreation. It puts the focus on health and fitness, so some people who might be intimidated have an opportunity to experience it in a lot of ways.”

The Women’s Center is collaborating with RU Ready and the I Am Ready Campaign to co-sponsor a table that will provide information about sexual assault.

Georgetown Dining Services will also participate by offering tours of O’Donovan Hall and consultations with Georgetown’s nutritionist about eating healthy and meeting dietary needs at Leo’s.

“We want students and customers to be aware of all the healthful options we offer,” Dining Services Marketing Director Adam Solloway said. “We do highlight everything throughout the week as well.”

Online shopping is usually risky, with an endless cycle of shipping fees and returns. Kirk Keel (MSB ’08) and Matt Hornbuckle hope to solve that problem with Stantt, a new menswear start-up.

The company sells polo shirts and button-downs in 50 sizes, using a computer algorithm that analyzes the customer’s waist, chest and arm measurements to determine the best fit.

To develop these specific sizes, Keel and Hornbuckle partnered with a university to take billions of data points from 3-D body scans. They declined to give the university’s name because of potential competitors.

Keel and Hornbuckle, who met while working as marketers at Johnson & Johnson, had little knowledge of menswear or the apparel industry before developing the idea for Stantt in 2011. Stantt, whose name comes from the last five letters of “constant” and the final t in “improvement,” is supposed to signify constant advance in how menswear is worn and purchased. They described themselves as “lanky” guys who had trouble finding clothes that fit.

“Having no apparel experience has helped us greatly because we had no preconceived notions of the how the industry was,” Hornbuckle said. “We walked in and said ‘This is how we want a clothing company to work.’”

After two years spent developing their concept and methodology, Keel and Hornbuckle pitched their idea on Kickstarter August 11.

“You don’t know if you have something until you pitch it to the world,” Keel said.

“Stantt is unique because it runs counter to how the clothing industry works today,” Hornbuckle added. The pair set their initial goal at $60,000 dollars. In

COURTESY STANTT

A new menswear company, founded by a Georgetown alumnus, offers buttondowns and polo shirts in 50 sizes in an effort to rethink ready-to-wear sizing. the first week, they generated more than $30,000 from contributors around the world. As of press time, the start-up had garnered $44,795 from 372 backers. All donations serve as pre-orders for clothing, with a $68 contribution worth one polo shirt and a $98 pledge guaranteeing one button-down.

Button-downs are currently available for pre-order through Kickstarter in light blue, white and a navy gingham pattern.

Polo shirts are available in navy blue and white.

If the Kickstarter exceeds its $60,000 goal, Keel and Hornbuckle pledged to release additional colors: a grey buttondown at the $100,000 mark, a black polo shirt at $150,000, a pink button-down at $200,000 and a black button-down at

$300,000.

Keel likened the difference in Stantt clothing to the confidence felt when wearing a suit.

“Why can’t everything in our closet have that same feeling?” Keel asked.

Courtney Stecker (GRD ’14), who is 6 ft., 6 in. tall, voiced interest in Stantt.

“I fit into that category where nothing fits me,” Stecker said. “If it was cost-efficient without an insanely high mark-up, I’d buy clothes from them.”

With a little less than two weeks left on their Kickstarter and about $15,000 dollars to go, Keel and Hornbuckle already have their eyes set on the future.

“We would love to go beyond menswear, but it’s essential to have focus in the beginning,” Keel added.

CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

Kirk Keel (MSB ’08), right, and Matt Hornbuckle thank their 372 Kickstarter backers, who have pledged $44,795 of the pair’s $60,000 goal to Stantt, a new menswear company that offers 50 custom sizes. The Kickstarter campaign ends Sept. 22.

Syria Analyst Faked Georgetown PhD Penny Hung Hoya Staff Writer

Elizabeth O’Bagy (COL ’09, GRD ’13), a researcher whose analysis of Syria had been quoted by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Secretary of State John Kerry, was found to have falsely claimed to have a Ph.D. from Georgetown this week.

O’Bagy, who did earn a master’s degree in Arab studies, was fired from her position as an analyst for the Institute for the Study of War on Wednesday after the group confirmed she had lied on her resume.

“I believe that we, as an institution, have the responsibility to represent ourselves and our work accurately to one another and to the public,” ISW President Kimberly Kagan said. “That is why we publish long reports with documentation and biographies of our authors. And so, it is simply unacceptable to me that any employee should misrepresent his or her credentials.”

O’Bagy began as an intern at ISW while she was simultaneously earning her graduate degree from Georgetown. She was officially hired as an analyst last year after the alleged completion of her doctorate program.

According to ThinkProgress, O’Bagy originally told her ISW associates that she was in a combined masters/Ph.D.

program and writing her dissertation on “Female Militancy in Islamic Extremist Organizations, but ThinkProgress found that the professor who was supposedly advising her dissertation had never heard of her.

Moreover, at Georgetown, the master’s program in Arab studies partners with three departments for joint doctoral programs: government, history and Arabic language, literature and linguistics. There is no record of

“We have the responsibility to represent ourselves accurately.”

KIMBERLY KAGAN Institiute for the Study of War President

O’Bagy on any of the three websites.

Georgetown government professor Daniel Nexon, who served as the director of admissions and fellowships for all but one of the years O’Bagy could have applied for the program, told ThinkProgress that there was “no evidence that she is associated with [the government] department in any way.”

Kagan would not comment on how the falsified academic record was discovered, but the recent atten-

tion around O’Bagy’s work with Syria caused increased scrutiny on O’Bagy, particularly when her work was cited

by Kerry and McCain.

A discussion started Sept. 9 between a group of scholars, including Georgetown faculty members, regarding O’Bagy’s alleged Georgetown credentials, Think Progress reported. The experts were skeptical of her records, and a participant allegedly expressed the intent to contact ISW with the group’s concerns.

Kagan stressed that she was impressed with the fact that O’Bagy confessed to her in person.

“Elizabeth told me herself [Tuesday].

I confirmed, and I terminated her employment immediately,” Kagan said.

Kagan added that, despite O’Bagy’s deception, she still held a high level of respect for the researcher.

“I have an extraordinary degree of admiration for Elizabeth’s work ethic and her capabilities, and I sincerely hope that she will succeed,” Kagan said. “She is an outstanding researcher and incredibly hardworking analyst, and her work that she had published at ISW is extremely impressive and well-documented. I stand by her work.”

Following her termination, O’Bagy told Buzzfeed that she was no longer legally allowed to discuss her employment or affiliation with ISW.

Georgetown Jumps to 20th in Rankings RANKINGS, from A8 “It’s probably a lot more of an impact because they are a lot more removed from the process,” Deacon said. “Georgetown does have a strong name abroad from the early days of many graduates in the foreign service.”

The rankings were based on peer university evaluations, high-school counselor ratings, freshman retention rate, graduation rate, class sizes, faculty pay and credentials, admissions selectivity and financial resources.

Of all the categories, Deacon said that the high school counselor rankings were most

telling, in which Georgetown ranked 12th and received a 4.7 out of 5 point ranking. “[High school counselors] seem to have a better handle, in my opinion, on what this means for their high school senior class,” Deacon said. “We are much happier to see how they rank us than how the presidents and provosts rank us.”

Business FRIDAY, september 13, 2013

Georgetown Mounts Comeback in College Rankings ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 17

&

#

*

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

IAN TICE/THE HOYA

The Hoya tracked Georgetown’s progression in the U.S. News & World Report annual college rankings over the last 20 years. Georgetown appeared tied for No. 20 in the most recent rankings, which were released Tuesday. Schools highlighted in blue tied for the top ranking; for example, Washington University in St. Louis and Notre Dame tied for No. 17 in 1997, making Emory No. 19. In 1999 (&), Emory and Washington University in St. Louis tied for No. 16. In 2001 (#), Johns Hopkins, Brown and Washington University in St. Louis tied for No. 15. And, in 2002 ( ), Johns Hopkins and Brown tied for No. 16.

*

Christopher Zawora Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown moved up one spot to tie for 20th in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2014 college rankings, which were announced Tuesday.

After consistently moving up one slot each year for the last two years, Georgetown shares this year’s ranking with Emory University and the

University of California, Berkley.

This marks the first time Georgetown has placed in the top 20 since 1999, although the highest ranking Georgetown has held in the U.S. News report was 17th in 1989, 1993 and 1994.

“We are honored to once again be recognized among the leading universities in the nation by U.S. News and World Report,” university spokesperson Stacy Kerr said.

“While it is significant to receive strong rankings across all of our programs, we recognize that these studies are only one of the many factors that students use to select Georgetown.”

Although Dean of Admissions Charles Deacon said that the 20th place underestimates the university’s resources, he deflected the rankings’ importance on a larger scale.

COMMENTARY

Tips for Small Business Success M ore than 99 percent of all employers in the United States are considered small businesses — classified as having fewer than 100 employees — so it is almost guaranteed that you will be employed by one of these businesses throughout your career.

Current statistics show that about half of new small businesses do not last five years, and less than a third last more than 10 years. Sparkman and Stephens, a naval architecture and yacht brokerage firm where I work, has survived both the Great Depression and the Great Recession, and for most of that time it operated in the small business category — save for World War II when the company grew to more than 100 employees in support of the war effort. Whether working for a small business or starting your own, these next few items are part of what aid success.

The most important thing for small businesses is relationships — both intra-office and inter-office.

Treating clients with respect and honesty will help in developing long-term relationships, which will not only result in repeat business, but referrals as well. As many small businesses have limited marketing budgets, it is important to capitalize on the client network, which only grows with excellent customer service. When working with a small team, disagreements and personality conflicts can easily derail any momentum. Deal with these in the moment and move forward together.

While fiscal responsibility may seem like an obvious suggestion, many businesses go through the

tedious process of developing budgets and projections and then never monitor their progress against reality. Careful monitoring of progress can quickly reveal deficiencies in budget line items or false projections. Flexibility needs to be maintained to account for unexpected expenses or lack of projected income — and without knowing you are missing your marks, timely ad-

Jason Black

Few small businesses have ever succeeded without dedication and tireless effort. justments cannot be made.

An integral aspect of fiscal responsibility is controlled growth.

Small businesses need to maintain agility in order to react to a changing business environment; however, careless reactions can quickly cripple even a well-funded business. If production needs to be increased, management needs to look behind the increased demand and determine whether it requires a short-term solution or it

can support long-term growth. If short-term solutions are required, collaboration is a great way to handle spurts of demand. In addition to increased demand, a diversity of offerings should be handled similarly. Working with collaborators will allow you to focus specifically on your area of expertise and provide your clients with the level of service they have come to expect.

Additionally, the relationships you develop with collaborators will help cultivate additional business.

And finally, very few small businesses have ever succeeded without dedication and tireless effort. The lack of sheer volume of employees in small businesses means that each employee needs to carry a larger load than a similar employee working in a medium or large business would. A valuable trait for an employee in a small business is the ability to be a self-starter, which reduces the drain on management and allows them to focus more on big-picture items. The obvious benefit is that in small business your contributions directly affect the bottom line and your efforts are more easily recognized.

Working for a small business typically allows you greater access to management, autonomy and opportunity for self-growth. Ask questions, seek advice — use your relationships to your advantage.

Keep all these things in mind and you will have success in small business.

Jason Black is the chief operating officer of Sparkman and Stephens Naval Architect Firm.

“The bottom line is that it’s not a big deal, we tend not to make it a big deal,” Deacon said. “I think if we suddenly dropped off the list it would be an issue, but I don’t think it is a factor.”

Deacon added, however, that the increase would most likely affect prospective students coming from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

“I think it makes a difference, regrettably, for the least informed,”

INSIDER

Deacon said.

In addition, Georgetown’s strong international image is a major selling point for international students, who are also heavily influenced by the annual college rankings. According to Deacon, these students are not as familiar with U.S. universities and often rely on such rankings.

See RANKINGS, A7

TRADING

What has been the most valuable business class you’ve taken? “‘Organizational Management’ because it is most applicable to my intended career.”

PETER MACKELL is a sophomore in the MSB.

“‘Financial Accounting’ because it solidified that I was I going into the accounting program and that I wanted to stay in the MSB.” MICHAEL KNUTH is a sophomore in the MSB.

“‘Accounting’ because it gave me a foundation for the basic functions of a business.”

HOLLIS DANA is sophomore in the MSB.

“‘Advanced Financial Management’ because you can apply it almost everything business related, especially for finance majors.”

ALEX TESIRIERO is a senior in the MSB.

Visit us online at thehoya.com/business