The Hoya: March 3, 2023

GU Raises Tuition Yet Again Amid Frustration

Catherine Alaimo

Special to The Hoya

Georgetown University announced its decision to increase the annual undergraduate tuition rate by 4.9% for the 2023-2024 academic year, the second increase in the last two years.

In 2022, the tuition increased by 3.5% from the previous school year. Georgetown’s announcement coincides with hundreds of college students’ protests at the U.S. Supreme Court to pass President Biden’s student loan forgiveness legislation.

“The tuition rate reflects a balanced approach to managing rising costs, as well as providing the resources needed for academic and student priorities, new programs and initiatives, and our commitment to minimizing add-on fees,” Provost Robert Groves wrote in a Feb. 21 email to undergraduate students.

Groves said the university will continue to meet the

financial needs of all of its students by increasing funds as tuition increases, citing Georgetown’s record-high financial aid budget of $264 million for the 2022-2023 academic year as evidence.

“The university will continue to consider adjustments to financial aid packages when alerted to new family circumstances and to recruit deserving students regardless of their ability to pay,” Groves wrote.

Georgetown based their decision on several different factors, according to a university spokesperson.

“There are a variety of factors taken into consideration in setting tuition rates, including the costs of delivering a high-quality education, available sources of financial aid, projected costs for competitive faculty and staff salaries, student services, technology upgrades, maintenance and

‘Engaging Diversity’ Out, Social Justice In

Evie Steele GUSA

Desk Editor

Arevised “Pathways to Social Justice” requirement will replace Georgetown University undergraduate students’ “Engaging Diversity” core requirement, which has been in place since 2016. The new course will start with the Class of 2027.

The university’s main campus executive faculty approved proposed changes to the curricular requirement Feb. 24. Beginning in the Fall 2023 semester, undergraduates will be required to take

SFS Sophomore Wins Big, Returns to ‘Jeopardy!’

a one-credit, pass-fail seminar titled “Race, Power and Justice at Georgetown,” as well as two other classes in different departments meeting the pathways requirement to more deeply investigate social justice.

Students across all five undergraduate schools can currently choose from a wide array of courses like “Business Arabic” and “Issues in Environmental Justice” to meet their two-course “Engaging Diversity” requirement: one course for “Engaging Diversity: Domestic” and one for “Engaging Diversity: Global.”

Under the new requirement, the “Race, Power and Justice at Georgetown” seminar will teach students about Georgetown’s role in the history of enslavement and racism, according to the subcommittee’s proposal.

“This course will teach Georgetown’s history of enslavement of people of African descent and how that history intersects with national and global experiences of slavery and emancipation, settler colonialism, imperialism, and contemporary struggles for justice,” the subcommittee’s proposal reads. “It will develop a common

vocabulary for all Georgetown students to continue to engage in conversations about racial equity and justice and should be taken in the first or second year.” The 2015 creation of the diversity requirement mandated a five-year review of the curriculum’s efficacy. As part of this evaluation, since fall 2020, over 25 students, staff, faculty and administrators from the main campus’s Core Curriculum Committee, the Georgetown University Student Association and the See CORE, A7

Georgetown Student Groups Celebrate Black History Month

Emily Han

Academics Desk Editor

Georgetown University student organizations hosted projects and demonstrations throughout the month of February to commemorate Black History Month. The Black Leadership Forum (BLF), a coalition of clubs on campus that serves Black students,

largely facilitated the initiatives. The Black MBA Association (BMBAA), which aims to increase the representation of Black leaders in business, also organized opportunities for students to engage with Black History Month.

Saleema Ibrahim (SFS ’23), a BLF facilitator, said one goal of these events was to increase the presence of the Black student community at

Georgetown through a combination of academic, social and scholarship events. “We wanted to make sure that this month we were very visible on this campus and that we’re putting on events that we enjoy,” Ibrahim told The Hoya. “I enjoyed working with the other student leaders in the BLF, and I know See BHM, A7

@GEORGETOWNUNIVERSITY

Caleb Richmond (SFS ‘25) won nearly $30,000 at the High School Reunion Tournament March 2, five years after competing in the Teen Tournament in 2018.

Jack Willis

Graduate Desk Editor

Most people can only ever dream of competing on “Jeopardy!” At 19 years old, Caleb Richmond (SFS ’25) has already appeared on the show twice, so far accumulating total winnings of around $40,000 across both tournaments.

Richmond first competed in the “Jeopardy!” 2018 Teen

Tournament as a sophomore in high school, advancing to the semifinals and walking

NEWS

Black Homeownership

away with $10,000 in prize money. The reunion tournament, which brings back contestants who competed in various teen tournaments, featured Richmond in an episode that aired March 2.

Twenty-seven students competed in the tournament, and in his first round, Richmond faced off against two other college students and won to now move onto the semifinals. The winner of the tournament will receive a grand prize of

The District announced new initiatives connecting Black Washingtonians with homeownership assistance programs.

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Lawsuit Against DC Police

Protesters are suing the D.C. police over injuries they sustained due to police force during racial justice protests in 2020.

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OPINION

$100,000 and a place in the 2023 “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions, which will feature the most successful contestants from the show’s current season, all competing for a grand prize of $250,000.

Richmond said that while the competition itself is important, the highlight of his return to “Jeopardy!” was reuniting with the friends who he made during the high See JEOPARDY!, A7

Support Transfer Student

The Editorial Board urges the university to reform CALL and help transfers in the program stay connected to the Georgetown community.

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How to Support Ukraine

Tanya Tkachenko (SFS ’26) calls on the Georgetown community to take tangible action on the anniversary of the war in Ukraine.

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GUIDE

The Women of ‘Outer Banks’

The Guide had the chance to sit down with Madelyn Cline and Madison Bailey to talk about S3 of Netflix’s ‘Outer Banks.’

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Maman Debuts on Wisconsin

The New York-based cafe chain finally opened in Georgetown on Wisconsin Ave., offering delectable food and lattes.

B2

SPORTS

Play Like a Girl

Following Tiger Woods’ sexist tampon joke at the Genesis Invitational, Isabella Terry (SFS ’26) calls for uplifting women in sports. A10

Swam, Dove, Won

Georgetown’s swimming and diving teams finished their seasons with top finishes at the Big East championship Feb. 25. A12/11

GEORGETOWN

academic and social events.

EDITORIAL

A Call to Change The CALL

Every August, first-year students come from all over the world to join a pool of thousands of intelligent, motivated and competitive students, an experience that can be both exhilarating and incredibly intimidating.

Among the flocks of first-year students are transfer students, who often have an equally challenging transition to the Hilltop yet are commonly overlooked when discussing the struggles of adjusting to Georgetown University. And even among transfers, there are disparities in their transitions to the university.

While some transfer students matriculate directly to Georgetown’s main campus, others enroll in The Capitol Applied Learning Labs (CALL) program, designed for students interested in living and working in downtown Washington, D.C. Students can take classes at the Capitol Hill and main campuses, but they live at Georgetown’s 55 H St. NW campus, an almost fourmile walk from campus, or a 30-minute bus ride.

Although it is a worthwhile initiative, many students have reported dissatisfaction with The CALL, noting its social disconnection from the university and its lack of support for finding internships, a key piece of the program. Thus, the Editorial Board, which includes two members of the transfer community, calls on the university to support its transfer students by reforming the structure of The CALL program in a way that better connects them to the Georgetown community.

The CALL program, which is open to all undergraduates, offers a valuable experience for students looking to pursue professional opportunities. Transfers, when applying to Georgetown, are also given the option to be considered for one semester in the CALL program before a planned transition to the main Georgetown campus.

But for transfer students like Henry Crawford (CAS ’25), participating in the CALL program is not always their first choice.

“For reference, I and many other transfers didn’t choose the CALL over main campus, it was built into our decision letter,” Crawford wrote to The Hoya.

Many students have also expressed dissatisfaction with the CALL, particularly because of the university’s lack of support in finding internships.

“In my opinion, having to transfer directly into the CALL program was a less than ideal situation,” transfer student Julie Meneses (CAS ’25) wrote to The Hoya.

“The turnaround from when I found out I got accepted to Georgetown to moving into my apartment was extremely short,” Meneses added. “During this time period, it was almost impossible for me to obtain an internship, the focal point of the program.”

Beginning next summer, the window for transfer students to receive support in their internship endeavors will be extended, a university spokesperson told The Hoya.

“The vast majority of transfer students participating in the CALL have reported positive experiences. We know that a few students had difficulties finding a fulfilling internship in the late summer,” the

HOYA HISTORY

spokesperson wrote to The Hoya.

While the Editorial Board commends Georgetown’s plan to respond to student difficulties, there are still steps that must be taken to address another central issue for many transfers in the CALL: cultural isolation.

The gap between the main and downtown campuses is not only geographical, but social as well. For students who just transferred to a new environment and are looking to find a “home on the Hilltop,” theCALL program places a massive burden on their ability to do so.

“I was unfamiliar with the club culture here and felt an immense amount of stress that I was not ‘getting involved on campus’ as much as I should have been,” Meneses wrote. “If there were more avenues for CALL and Spring transfers to more easily commit to extracurricular activities, I think it would be beneficial to their adjustment to Georgetown.”

Crawford said living off-campus has made the already challenging process of adjusting to Georgetown as a transfer even more difficult.

“There have been new problems since moving onto the main campus,” he wrote. “Being a transfer already makes you an asterisk in every aspect of academia, but coming onto campus after the CALL made us a weird hybrid of first semester freshmen and second semester sophomores.”

The CALL is not inherently problematic. The experiential learning opportunities that it offers are extensive, and, particularly for students who have a specific career goal in mind, it could be an invaluable experience. Yet, for transfer students trying to adjust to a new environment, it often proves more difficult to do so when they are so dramatically severed from the main campus community.

The university often depicts the program as an easy way to adjust to Georgetown culture.

“The CALL transfer program is designed to help transfer students acclimate to Georgetown, through particular classes, experiences and wraparound services,” a university spokesperson wrote.

Yet this is not the experience of many transfers who have participated in the program, and unless significant adjustments are made, nothing will improve.

Georgetown must reform the CALL program and prioritize the needs of transfer students who are entering the Georgetown community yet often feel disconnected from it.

By improving its services for finding internships and offering more opportunities for CALL students to experience main campus life, the administration can better support transfers in their journey to find a “home on the Hilltop.”

Otherwise, transfer students may feel as if they were never accepted in the first place.

The Hoya’s editorial board is composed of six students and is chaired by the opinion editors. Editorials reflect only the beliefs of a majority of the board and are not representative of The Hoya or any individual member of the board.

The Challenge and Acceptance

March 07, 1957

Re: The Annual Senior-Faculty Basket-ball Game, Thursday, March 7, 1957, 8:00 p.m. in McDonough Gym.

From: The great and glorious SENIOR CLASS of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Attention: LOWLY DISCIPLES OF LEARNING, i.e., the faculty and administration of the College of Arts and Sciences.

WHEREAS, WE, the mighty Class of ‘57, seeking to add another jewel to our crown of glories, though this jewel be but a tawdry bauble, challenge you, the feeble befogged outcasts and professorially pedantic cherubs, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, to suffer total and ignominious defeat and frustration at our hands, and,

WHEREAS, WE are universally acclaimed as astute academicians in the art and science of “basketballus,” Cat. No. 999-000, and,

WHEREAS, you are famed for your great expanses of integumentary insulation, girth and assorted spare tired, etc., in your senile, flaccid, debilitated condition, WE the most humble and friendly class of the College of Arts and Sciences, have resolved to take advantage of your lack of skill, spirit, and “guts” in a game called “basketball.”

Said contest, if you hazard to accept our invitation, shall commence in the catacombs of McDonough Amphitheatre at 8:00 p.m. on March 7, 1957 wherein the redoubtable senior gladiators shall at their pleasure overwhelmingly crush the forces of the aforesaid enemy powers, feeding them piece-meal to the lions. It is understood by the great senior legion that should the faculty fail to send a representation to this “Rout of the Century,” it shall be interpreted as a lack of intestinal fortitude on the part of aforementioned faculty.

Sympathetically, RIP

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Send all submissions to: opinion@thehoya.com.

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 Adora Zheng at adora.zheng@thehoya.com or Executive Editor Clayton Kincade at clayton.kincade@thehoya.com.

NEWS TIPS News Editors Nina Raj and Michelle Vassilev: Email news@thehoya.com. Guide Editors James Pocchia and Nikhil Nelson: Email guide@thehoya.com. Sports Editors Oliver Ni and Carrie McDonald: Email sports@thehoya.com.

TO: Arrogant Members, Senior Class

FROM: Beloved Members, Faculty

SUBJECT: Read it- if you can.

We decry these expressions so haughty–

In fact we consider them naughty.

Your puerile pride

To curb we have tried

Though most of us now are past “faughty.”

Such conceit becomes boundlessly bolder

Though your characters we’ve tried to molder.

Such conceit becomes boundlessly bolder

Though your characters we’ve tried to molder.

We can’t put a head

Of forty years stead

On a juvenile twenty-year shoulder.

“Assorted spare tired and girth”

For you may be some source of mirth;

But in the alst inning*

You’ll get such a skinning

That you’ll rue the day of your birth.

It is with the greatest humility

We dispute our supposed senility.

So once on the floor

Just follow our score–

Be convinced of your own debility.

On March seven shall we then smite your Vanity

And attempt to restore your lost sanity.

When we’ve sauteed (that’s ‘fried’)

Your collective poor hide

Let there be no obstrep’rous profanity !

* Or is it “last chukker”?

JOHN V. QUINN Secretary of the Faculty

GENERAL INFORMATION

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Box 571065 Washington, D.C. 20057-1065

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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. © 1920-2022. The Hoya, Georgetown University 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.

Email: editor@thehoya.com Online at www.thehoya.com

Circulation: 3,000

Everyone talks about how Ukraine needs to win, but actions are what we need. There is only one battlefield. It is not economic; it is not informational. It is a real one, where people sacrifice their lives for freedom. And they need support. Not moral support, but tangible supplies.”

Tanya Tkachenko (SFS ’26) “Ukraine Needs More Than Words” thehoya.com

COMMUNITY OPINIONS

What is the most important change Georgetown administration can make to life here?

“Increase socioeconomic community diversity on campus.” – Jacob Brown (CAS ’26)

“Get rid of the rat problem.” – Nico Reyes (CAS ’24)

“Pay their workers more and invest in existing infrastructure rather than building new stuff.” – Allie Gaudion (CAS ’26)

“The GUTS shuttles have a huge issue. The times that the buses come and go and where they arrive are never consistent with the website.” – Meg Kurosawa (SFS ’23)

“Don’t ask questions when I say I need an extension.” – Bryce Sangricco (CAS ’26)

“Just like there are empty rooms in the career center for people to take zoom interviews, there should be empty rooms in CAPS for people to take zoom therapy or other telehealth appointments.” – Lauren D’Amico (SFS ’24)

“I think Georgetown administration should implement more activities or programs that foster community.” – Ellie Henes (CAS ’26)

“ADA accessibility is really bad here. It’s impossible to get into some Henle apartments if you are in a wheelchair. And medical housing is really complicated. It’s really hard to get approved for an accommodation.” – Maggie Riendeau (SFS ’24)

“Stop making us pay for laundry.” – Kevin Piraino (SFS ’26)

“Having a better forum for students to raise criticism towards the administration.” – Carina Medrano (SFS ’25)

“Making CAPS more accessible.” – Alaina McGill (CAS ’26)

“Start honestly listening to and taking action on behalf of all their students.” – Patty Robben (SFS ’25)

EDITORIAL CARTOON by Elli

Ahn

Founded January 14, 1920

Caitlin McLean, Editor in Chief

Clayton Kincade, Executive Editor Adora Zheng, Executive Editor Mary Clare Marshall, Managing Editor

Nina Raj, News Editor

Michelle Vassilev, News Editor

Annie Kane, Features Editor

Caroline Rareshide, Features Editor

James Pocchia, Guide Editor

Nikhil Nelson, Guide Editor

Ryan Thurz, Opinion Editor

Liam McGraw, Opinion Editor

Oliver Ni, Sports Editor

Carrie McDonald, Sports Editor

Naomi Greenberg, Science Editor

Cece Ochoa, Science Editor

Sophie Liu, Design Editor

Alan Chen, Design Editor

Miranda Xiong, Photography Editor

Hannah Wallinger, Copy Chief

Cate Meyer, Copy Chief

Sarah Sisto, Social Media Editor

Amna Shamim, Multimedia Editor

Editorial

Ryan Thurz and Liam McGraw, Chairs

Sriya Guduru, Sofia Wolinski, Teddie Wai, Jason Hepfer, Elena Martinez, Audrey Sun

Board of Directors

Jared Carmeli, Chair

Bay Dotson, Laetitia Haddad, Khushi Vora, Laura Kapp, Rushil Vashee, Timothy Goh

Sophia Lu Evie Steele

Julia Butler

Emily Han

Jack Willis

Brian Li

Christian Baldari

Amanda Hao

Austin Huang

Briana Sparacino

Henry Liu Minoli Ediriweera

Sahana Aruman

Sofia Wills

Emily Smith

Adriana Guzman

Extend Gratitude Beyond ‘Thank You’

These days, I go to Whisk for more than just tea.

As an avid, perhaps slightly obsessed tea drinker, I quickly became a regular at Whisk, stopping by after breakfast, in between classes and on the way to Lauinger Library for an afternoon study session. Last semester, I started going nearly four or five times a day, trying a different flavor each week until I found my monthly favorite.

The Whisk staff began to remember me with these visits, reaching for a large cup and writing my order on the side of it before I could tell them what I wanted.

I asked how to pronounce their names so that I could personally thank them each visit. Our previously 10-second interactions blossomed into longer exchanges of “How are you?,” “Any weekend plans?” and “Missed you yesterday!”

As our conversations expanded, so did our understanding of each other. I began to hear more about who they really are — from their hopes to spend time with family, to their interactions with other students, to their excitement for the approaching Friday afternoon. My trips to Whisk became highly anticipated parts of my day, and the workers became beacons of warmth and laughter in my otherwise overwhelming student life. This semester, our camaraderie has only grown; they continue to joke about my excessive tea consumption, even drawing hearts on my cup.

The Whisk staff is just one example of our campus’ backbone: the essential workers that are often overlooked. The person who plates your food at the dining hall, the one who cleans your bathroom and the facilities worker who responds to your work order are all critical members of Georgetown University’s community. Yet, in their interactions with these workers, many students fail to even say “thank you,” which is illustrative of the Georgetown community’s often blatant disregard for campus staff.

As members of a university that prides itself on being a “Community in Diversity” fostering “People for Others,” Georgetown students should recognize their interdependence with everyone on campus. Interpersonal interactions are not limited to a classroom or club setting, and they are not just for networking or making connections; every worker, from housing to dining to sanitation, composes an extensive network of unique and incredible individuals

who deserve our gratitude.

Expressing thanks is the bare minimum. Every time I run into a campus staff member –– whether it be at Whisk or in my dorm’s laundry room –– “thank you” can only begin to express my full appreciation.

Over time, I have grown increasingly disheartened while overhearing peers complain about staff members. The other day, I heard a student mocking a Leo J.

O’Donovan Dining Hall’s worker who had come off as “unpleasant.”

As they imitated the worker’s voice and movements, their friends began to laugh. Their insulting behavior reveals a distressing attitude of ignorance and lack of gratitude for some of the most underappreciated members of the Georgetown community.

Georgetown students often overlook the humanity of workers.

It is unacceptable for individuals to either ignore or unjustly criticize Georgetown’s hardworking staff, especially when they fail to thank them for their efforts in the first place.

Ultimately, university students should actively take steps toward expressing their gratitude. Whether it be complimenting workers or supporting them by completing a positive feedback survey, students have an important duty to acknowledge the hard work that Georgetown’s staff provides.

I was moved by the new “appreciation board” near the dish return station in Leo’s, where some students wrote notes recognizing their favorite staff members. Although there are only a handful of praises at the moment, this is a promising first step toward encouraging university students to extend their thanks to staff beyond just brief interactions.

At the end of the day, saying “thank you” truly goes a long way, but it’s only a first step toward expressing gratitude. Next time you find yourself face-to-face with a Leo’s employee or cleaning staff member, think about asking them, “How are you?” Appreciation can take a more meaningful form through conversation, interest and a willingness to reach out. Acknowledgethosewhosupportyou in every facet of your life, regardless of whether or not their influence on your life is explicitly apparent to you.

Ava Kawamura is a firstyear student in the College of Arts & Sciences. Relearning Life Lessons is published every third Friday.

VIEWPOINT • TKACHENKO

VIEWPOINT • LEE

Resist Desensitization to Asian American Hate

CW: This article discusses hate crimes and violence against Asian American communities. Please refer to this article on thehoya.com for onand off-campus resources.

On Jan. 21, the day of the Monterey Park mass shooting, a news alert popped up on my phone. It was The Washington Post covering the shooting, emphasizing how it had targeted Asian communities. The headline shed light on the timing as well: The shooting occurred during the weekend of Lunar New Year, a major cultural holiday for the Asian community.

Eleven were killed in the shooting, which took place in a Monterey Park dance studio that was a popular location for elders in the predominantly Asian neighborhood.

As a Korean American, this news should have alarmed me. An incident of violence against my own race should have been disturbing. I should have had burning questions: Why did people hate my culture? Could my family be the next victims?

But none of that happened. Instead, I muted the news alert. In fact, I swiped left on the notification to clear it from my phone.

It was a sign of numbness. I had become used to seeing news of anti-Asian hate. I had become immune to racism.

This immunity against Asian hate has affected not only me, but the Georgetown University community and the country as well. The United States is becoming dangerously comfortable with anti-Asian hate. Georgetown must do a better job of recognizing and resolving it.

I have a two-part definition for

Ukraine Needs More Than Words

On Feb. 24, 2022, I woke up to the sound of explosions in Lozova in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. “The war has begun” were the first words I heard that morning as my mom rushed to the military office where she works. Growing up in a military family in the eastern part of Ukraine, I was not afraid of war. But I did not realize this time was different.

For many foreigners, the war in Ukraine became a major issue a year ago. For many Ukrainians, however, it started in 2014 with Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the Donbas region. Many brave people — including my parents and my brother, who is now a prisoner of war — fought over the course of those nine years to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty and freedom.

Georgetown University has made admirable efforts to support me and my country, but I believe that what Ukraine actually needs right now goes far beyond class discussions. My personal experience makes me recognize that we must focus on more tangible necessities, such as ammunition, fundraising and supplies for soldiers in Ukraine.

Coming to Georgetown in August was probably not as exciting for me as it was for many other students. I had mixed feelings about achieving my biggest dream and leaving my home country during the war. My family, friends, mentors and the Georgetown administration were very supportive during my transition into the community and helped me follow my educational dreams, but it has still been hard for me to focus on school when the only thing on my mind is how to help my country and my family.

In my courses in the School of Foreign Service (SFS), the war in Ukraine is discussed in almost

every class. Sometimes, I have to step back in the discussion, as it is hard to stay unbiased when students discuss the similarity between Ukrainian and Russian cultures or the rationality of the occupants’ actions. My professors, however, are very supportive, and I appreciate how they present such sensitive topics. As for the Georgetown community in general, I can see that students are trying to learn more about Ukraine and the ongoing war; they are constantly curious about the historical context and modern-day experiences of the Ukrainian people.

As an Eastern European student at Georgetown, I have been exposed to many gaps between my culture and Western culture. It has been a fascinating experience as an international student, but being “the Ukrainian girl” sometimes makes it even harder for me to adapt.

I am not uncomfortable talking about the war like some of my Georgetown friends are, largely because I grew up hearing all the different stories of people affected by war in 2014, such as deceased soldiers and refugees from Donetsk and Luhansk. For me, it has been like this for most of my life. But I did not realize how it can sometimes be difficult to speak about it with people who barely know about these events.

When I meet people for the first time, they are always surprised when I say I am from Ukraine. They start awkwardly asking me questions in an effort to be polite, and the whole conversation turns into a discussion about the war and politics where I have to explain the history of Ukraine’s centuries-long fight for independence in just a few minutes. The history is especially relevant to the classes I take and the SFS in general, as students

“immunity” against racism. First, being immune, individually, is being unfazed when victimized by racism. Victims who are immune allow bias and aggression to seep into their daily life, which renders them unable to retaliate or speak out against injustices. Being immune as a society, on the other hand, permits indifference, bias and tolerance toward racism. Anti-Asian hate revolves around this immunity.

Victims of Asian hate also suffer from immunity through the “model minority” stereotype, which places restrictive cultural expectations on Asians. This myth depicts Asians as obedient, uncomplaining and immune to racism as previously described. The model minority tolerates racism to attain economic success or social status, often turning a blind eye to their own inequalities to appear “normal” and escape their minority status.

Societal indifference exacerbates this immunity and these stereotypes. Asian hate goes underreported, and aggressors are rarely punished for bias incidents.

A 2021 Department of Justice report on the underreporting of hate crimes reveals that, even though FBI data recorded a 70% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020, over 12,000 law enforcement agencies “reported zero hate crimes” to the FBI that year. Despite rising discrimination, there is declining social awareness, resulting in little structural change in addressing a pressing issue.

The #StopAsianHate movement is a perfect example of social immunity. The movement at its height proved the model minority myth wrong — rightfully. It showed that

Asian communities can speak out against racism and display solidarity. In the face of rising hate crimes, increased slur usage and even targeted shootings, there was a united front against Asian hate across all races — a universal acknowledgment of the sufferings of the Asian community.

Today, this momentum is nowhere to be seen.

Google Trends for “Stop Asian Hate” reveal sharply declining public searches for the topic since March 2021. Yes, this data might not perfectly represent recognition of Asian hate, but this suggests that the media and the general public are brushing aside news of Asian hate.

Similarly, my recent experiences at Georgetown have not been promising.

On Feb. 17, Georgetown community members received an email about an anti-Asian hate crime that had occurred on Wisconsin Avenue early the day before — and I once again found myself immune. The crime, to me, was simply another tally on a long list of Asian hate, just like Monterey Park. I barely skimmed through the email. The administration’s response was also unsurprising. For every act of discrimination — whether on- or off-campus — all that seems to happen is another email in our inboxes. “We strongly condemn,” the university says. But our diversity initiatives can be much more than just emails.

Georgetown has a long way to go to fully support the Asian community, and it can start by offering transparency on hate crime investigations. Students have a right to know whether the

crimes are being investigated — and what police investigations reveal. The administration must hold perpetrators of Asian hate accountable, combating immunity on its end.

When it comes to Asian hate on a national scale, Americans have continued to let immunity plague themselves. Amid everchanging news cycles and fluctuating public interest in violence, the country has moved on from Asian hate again. After Japanese internment camps during World War II, there was no governmental redress until decades later, when Japanese Americans launched a campaign. After the violence in Los Angeles’ Koreatown during the 1992 Rodney King incident, residents were denied insurance payments and government aid. Even the racism in Monterey Park is slowly being forgotten, with multiple other mass shootings overshadowing the issue of Asian hate.

I’ve spent the past several weeks reflecting on the roots of my immunity and how society has exacerbated it. Monterey Park has snapped me out of my immunity, motivating me to speak up. I implore the Georgetown community to do the same. Hold aggressors of Asian hate accountable and offer transparency. Save the dying spark of #StopAsianHate. Recognize your own immunity and overcome it.

Monterey Park has reminded me of a cold reality, one of indifference and tolerance toward hate. But I say there is a way out.

Haan Jun (Ryan) Lee is a first-year in the School of Foreign Service.

Recognize Signs of Burnout

here are very curious about politics, but I’ve found that they are often unfamiliar with the history of Eastern Europe.

Washington, D.C.’s response to the war has impressed me, though. I know the Ukrainian community here is enormous, and it is always heartwarming to see Ukrainian flags as I walk by buildings or attend Ukrainian events. On campus, Georgetown is also trying to highlight the events in Ukraine; I’ve noticed that the university has been hosting many guest speakers who come to campus to discuss the war, professors have been mentioning it often during classes and the administration has shown support for the efforts of Ukrainian students. For Ukraine, this is all a sign of support, and we are grateful for that.

On this issue, however, the Georgetown community can still do more. One of the ways to help would be to connect with the nonprofit organization Razom for Ukraine, which helps organize various advocacy events and fundraisers for helmets, armory vests and other supplies. Community members can also find more information about the ways to help at the official government website UNITED24, join daily rallies near the White House and share news about Ukraine on social media. It’s been a year already, and we need to finish this.

Everyone talks about how Ukraine needs to win, but actions are what we need. There is only one battlefield. It is not economic; it is not informational. It is a real one, where people sacrifice their lives for freedom. And they need support. Not moral support, but tangible supplies.

Tanya Tkachenko is a first-year in the School of Foreign Service.

The Jan. 19 resignation of Jacinda Ardern, the former prime minister of New Zealand, sparked a global discourse about the notion of burnout. News outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post and the BBC highlighted this idea of ‘burning out’ as the primary reason behind her decision.

“I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice,” Ardern said in her resignation speech. “It is that simple.”

According to Psychology Today, “burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress.” Burnout usually occurs alongside emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a diminished sense of personal accomplishment, according to the Maslach Burnout Inventory.

It can impact anyone — from key world leaders to college students. By understanding and acknowledging the signs and symptoms of burnout, students can take steps to curb its negative effects before it consumes them. It is also vital to ensure that the discourse surrounding burnout is productive and does not delegitimize its dangers.

This is especially important at an elite university like Georgetown, where hustle culture is ever-present for academics, internships and other professional endeavors.

Burnout emerges without us even realizing it, especially during midterms, internship application cycles and recruiting periods. Students in higher education institutions are particularly vulnerable to burnout, given the high stress and competitive conditions of university environments. The American Psychological Association’s Stress

in America study found that among Gen Z adults in college, 87% said their education was a significant source of stress.

When I think of burnout, I typically think of stressinduced burnout as a byproduct of spreading myself too thin and taking on too many responsibilities. But burnout is more long-term than stress — and it has greater impacts on our physical and mental health. When I am burned out, I tend to become more careless with the structure of my daily routine, call my family less often and feel tired more often.

Another sign of burnout is the struggle to complete tasks that would normally come easy to someone. One may find little interest in engaging in activities that normally excite them, which might lead to more irritability, anger and a sense of worthlessness.

While some believe that burnout only occurs when one takes on too many responsibilities, it also comes from doing too little of what someone loves and enjoys. Working toward a goal that does not resonate with someone can result in more feelings of disinterest and discouragement.

At Georgetown, if a student is participating in a club or pursuing a major that does not resonate with them, they could find themselves losing motivation and interest, eventually leading to burnout.

Ardern provides a powerful reminder of this: it is okay to take a break or quit when burnout becomes too extreme. She legitimizes the concept of burnout, demonstrating that it can be a valid reason to step away from a long-term commitment. Mental health issues impact individual performance just as much

(if not more) than physical health issues.

Mental health is very personal and subjective, and it is only up to the individual, their family and mental health experts to determine the scope of the issue. Use Georgetown’s mental health resources (such as Counseling and Psychiatric Service or HoyaWell) and take a break if you feel burnt out, stressed or unable to keep going — in the academic, extracurricular, professional and personal sense. It is important to understand how much you have in your “brain tank” to do a task properly. While time management and hard work are key to success, remember that it is always acceptable to take a break and ask for help.

When I notice that I may be feeling overwhelmed, stressed or on the verge of burnout, I like to reflect and change up my strategies. I try to prioritize my sleep, plan out my commitments on Google Calendar and focus on the activities that bring me joy. If you feel a continued sense of dread or exhaustion when thinking about certain activities, you might need to reevaluate your involvement in them.

Getting off of Georgetown’s campus also helps overcome periods of stress and burnout. With breaks like spring break, think about how going home or going to a new place can help heal any recent stressful episodes. Take time to evaluate your relationship with your responsibilities to ensure a sustainable and balanced lifestyle.

Priyasha Chakravarti is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. Mental Health

FEATURES

Back on My Feet: Breaking Through the Georgetown University Bubble

In partnership with Back on my Feet, a nonprofit organization that fights homelessness through running, the Georgetown Running Club is exposing students to new perspectives outside the front gates.

Lauren Doherty Deputy Features Editor

Adaunting 5 a.m.

wake-up call is enough to determost college students. But gleaming through the early morning darkness at the front gates of Georgetown University’s main campus is a bright white van filled with members of the Georgetown Running Club (GRC) on their way to the U.S. Capitol Building.

In collaboration with Back on My Feet (BoMF), a nonprofit organization that works to combat homelessness through running, GRC participates in Wednesday morning runs at the National Mall alongside homeless people, in pursuit of the Jesuit value of “People for Others.”

GRC members say the group is working to help expand its reach outside the Georgetown neighborhood and burst through its privileged socioeconomic bubble through its philanthropic opportunities and community service.

BoMF not only changes the lives of its homeless members but also its volunteers. The community and friendships fostered by BoMF create an environment of empowerment that helps BoMF members “get back on their feet.”

Soraya Bata (SFS ’24), a frequent volunteer for BoMF through GRC, said she enjoys the tight-knit community formed through early morning runs.

“Showing up at 5:45 a.m. every week to run or walk with the same group of people is hard, but it’s also reassuring and grounded in consistency,” Bata said in an interview with The Hoya “The hardship helps everyone bond with each other.”

The Ability to Change Lives

BoMF was founded in Philadelphia, Pa. in 2007 and now operates in 17 major cities. They have helped to employ and house over 7500 members and have over 150,000 volunteers, according to its website.

Mike Glover, a member of BoMF, began attending the runs in 2020 when he was in a drug addiction treatment program. After being encouraged by one of his friends to attend, he now participates in three different morning runs each week.

“I get to meet people that are going through what I am going through,” Glover said in an interview with The Hoya Glover will be three years sober March 11. He credits much of his addiction recovery to BoMF, which he said gave him structure and purpose.

“You can’t save all of them, but if you can save just one, that’s a blessing,” Glover said.

“Back on My Feet saved my life.”

Jim Perre is the core team member for Team Capitol Hill,

the BoMF group that GRC directly works with. Perre has been with BoMF for nearly a decade.

“A lot of people start off just walking, but a lot of them end up running and can run five miles or even a marathon,” Perre said in an interview with The Hoya. “That gives them back their self-confidence.

“I find it very spiritually empowering to go out and meet people from a very different walk of life and have a positive

in a biannual graduation ceremony. Perre said that it has been special when the quietest members of BoMF speak about how much the program changed their lives.

“That’s just amazing when you have no idea if somebody is getting anything out of the program, and then they suddenly start saying it’s moved their lives,” Perre added.

Helping Others Get Back on Their Feet

BoMF hosts morning runs three times a week beginning between 5:20 a.m. and 6 a.m in Washington, D.C.

Valerie Blaemire, development director for the mid-Atlantic region of BoMF, which includes chapters in Washington D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia, said running is only one aspect of the opportunities BoMF provides its members.

impact on their lives,” Perre added. “In return, they give me a positive impact on my life. The spiritual energy of the group keeps me coming back again and again.”

GRC first got involved with BoMF in spring 2011, and the two groups have since developed a close and lasting relationship. Georgetown students and BoMF members have a quick team meeting before the run begins. Everyone then sets off for a quick walk or run before returning to the starting line for a wealth of high-fives, according to Perre.

“Georgetown students bring a lot of energy, a lot of excitement,” Perre said. “They also bring youthful perspectives.”

Jane Doherty (CAS ’23), service and outreach chair for GRC, said witnessing one member run with BoMF for the first time ever in the fall of 2021 was an inspiring moment.

“The high-five chains at the end of that run were crazy,” Doherty said in an interview with The Hoya. “Like high school cheerleader energy coming from 60-plus-yearold-men just being so excited about having done something like that.”

Running countless miles with BoMF members has allowed Georgetown students in GRC to bond with people they might have never gotten the chance to know, Doherty said, including a run where she connected with a member over a mutual love of poetry.

“We had this lovely backand-forth of sharing poems,” Doherty said. “I feel like it just expedites getting close with people when you’re in pain or out of your comfort zone trying something new.”

When members graduate from BoMF, they participate

“Once members show up for a while, they get access to resources such as one-on-one mentorship, financial empowerment courses, workshops and financial aid,” Blaemire said in an interview with The Hoya “Members get gear to ensure they have the appropriate clothes for walking and running,” Blaemire added. “It’s really a great opportunity for folks who are in this transitional time of their life to get out there and get the support you may not typically get in a facility.”

Blaemire said members are considered alumni when they have achieved meaningful employment and housing.

“Once you are an alumni member, you are always welcome back. You are also encouraged to continue to attend workshops and anything else that is going to continue to make you self-sustainable,” Blaemire said.

Perre said that Team Capitol Hill meets on Wednesdays and Fridays at 5:45 a.m. at the Capitol, and they run around some of D.C.’s most wellknown landmarks.

“We’re running in the nation’s capital. We do loops around the Capitol. We run across the Mall, we run around the White House. There is a large amount of team spirit,” Perre said.

Perre said morning runs in the past have included up to 20 members, but this number has declined because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Perre said he hopes membership will rise in the coming years.

Team Capitol Hill did not fully resume runs until the winter of 2022. Many past BoMF members had graduated from the homeless facilities, making it harder to recruit new members, according to Perre.

“We’re still suffering the consequences of COVID because we used to rely on having members at the facility bring out new members,” Perre said. “So that’s one of the reasons why our numbers have gotten a bit

low lately.”

The Impact on Georgetown GRC runners return to BoMF each week for the friendships they’ve made, Doherty said. “I genuinely consider many of them friends,” Doherty said. “They know a lot of stuff about me, and I know a lot of stuff about them. I get excited to see them each week and I hope that is reciprocated.”

Sarah Loew (SOH ’23), former service and outreach chair for GRC from 2021 to 2022, said she values the connections and community facilitated by BoMF.

“It can be really inspiring to see people be like ‘I got really down in life, and I got to a bad place, but here are all the things I’m doing to work on myself right now, and here are all the ways I’ve acknowledged that I’ve had a problem, and I’m trying to get better,’” Loew said in an interview with The Hoya Loew said she also credits the stability and routine of BoMF as being the driving motivation for committing to the program.

“Once you get there and experience it a few times, it’s enough motivation to keep getting up and coming back,” Loew said. “But it is hard to make that first jump and wake up at five in the morning.”

Ava Wasson (SFS ’24), president of GRC, said that GRC also helped to raise funds through a bake sale last year for BoMF and other organizations such as Girls on the Run, a nonprofit organization that works

Students in the Georgetown Running Club participate in morning runs with members of Back on My Feet every Wednesday at the National Mall

to inspire young girls through running. Wasson sees these funding opportunities as ways to give back to others while acknowledging the privilege of many Georgetown students.

“We come from a very fortunate place to have a lot of resources, experience and support when running, and I think it’s nice to give that to people who don’t have the same community,” Wasson said in an interview with The Hoya

GRC also meets every Sunday through Friday at 5:00 p.m. at the John Carroll statue for group runs. The neighborhood exploration done through runs is a great step in bursting the bubble that often consumes Georgetown students, according to Wasson.

“The fact that we have all these different routes going into different neighborhoods definitely helps people to break outside of the bubble,” Wasson said.

“I also really love doing stuff like gelato runs because then you get to actually spend time in another neighborhood too.”

What defines the experience of the BoMF program is the ability to not only see outside the Georgetown bubble but to interact with those that are outside of it, Loew said.

“It’s one of the biggest ways I’ve gotten to just connect with a completely different aspect of the D.C. community,” Loew said.

“I think a lot of other ways you break out have more to do with seeing parts of the city than interacting with the people in them.”

“It’s always a nice way to start the morning just to talk

to someone from a completely different background, from completely different life experiences, and hear what’s brought them here,” Loew added.

Connecting with BoMF members can offer new views from outside of just the Georgetown neighborhood, especially for college students who come from areas outside of the District, Loew said.

“You get to talk to a lot of people who have lived in D.C. their whole lives and have a completely different perspective on living in D.C. and what the city is like than you do,” Loew said.

BoMF started with the goal to help people navigate the difficult experience of homelessness and get back on their feet, but it has also achieved the mission of inspiring volunteers, according to Bata.

“BoMF has reminded me to stay optimistic,” Bata said. “All of the participants in the program have made it through hard times in different ways, and coming to BoMF is only one of many ways they are working to meet their personal goals.”

It can be difficult to feel an impactful presence outside a gated campus community, but Georgetown clubs like GRC are working to make their presence felt.

“I am so glad that GRC has the infrastructure to foster these connections and have the weekly recurring time carved out in those mornings to run and chat and walk,” Doherty said. “It definitely helps to increase connections with the larger D.C. community.”

@RUN_GRC/INSTAGRAM

“Once you get there and experince it a few times, it’s enough motivation to keep getting up and coming back.”

SARAH LOEW FORMER GRC SERVICE AND OUTREACH CHAR

Back on My Feet provides members with resources such as one-on-one mentorship, financial empowerment courses, workshops and financial aid.

Kenneth Bond, who spent 27 years incarcerated for a murder he did not commit, is freed

prison after members of the Georgetown community helped to

Student Activist Raises Awareness for Genocide in Tigray, Ethiopia

Nina Raj and Michelle

Vassilev

Senior News Editors

CW: This article discusses genocide and violence. Please refer to the end of the article for on- and off-campus resources.

Every day is full of uncertainty for Daniel Hagos (GRD ’23), a Georgetown University student activist with family in Tigray, the northernmost state of Ethiopia currently in the midst of a statesponsored genocide.

Ethiopian government forces have killed more than half a million noncombatants in the Tigray genocide, which has quickly become the deadliest war of the 21st century. Hagos said looming threats of the ongoing violence in Tigray deeply impact Georgetown community members with ties to the region.

“You don’t know whether or not, at the end of all this, if you’ll have an entire family to go back to or whether they have been physically disabled because of violence or their health is completely compromised,” Hagos told The Hoya

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared war Nov. 4, 2020 on the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a leftwing rebellion organization seeking independence from the Ethiopian regime. Ahmed’s order of a military offensive came as a response to anti-government protests from TPLF, who feared that Ahmed intended to disempower the historically marginalized Tigrayans by decreasing their state autonomy.

The Tigrayan people continue to endure state violence even after reaching a peace agreement with the Ethiopian government in November 2022 two years into the civil war, resulting in a lack of access to medical care, starvation, sexual assault and media blackouts.

Despite the peace agreement

that the Ethiopian government and TPLF reached over four months ago, Hagos said his contacts in the region have not seen these diplomatic deals translate into tangible improvement on the ground.

“They will flat out tell you the material conditions really haven’t changed all that much,” Hagos said. “The bloodshed, that is the number of troops and the air bombardments? Yeah, that has slowed down, but you can still suffocate a population through other means.”

State military officials continue to commit mass atrocities and systematically persecute individuals because of their Tigrayan ethnicity, according to Hagos.

“They went home to home, gathered Tigrayans and slaughtered them, whether it was through bullets, whether it was gathering men and killing them and then tossing their bodies off the cliff,” Hagos said. “And then ultimately, if folks were spared, if they didn’t die, then they face profiling. So if you’re in the capital of Ethiopia, and you’re known to be of Tigrayan identity, they rounded you up and put you in the equivalent of a concentration camp.”

Melanne Verveer, the executive director for the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and former President Barack Obama’s appointee for the first U.S. ambassador for global women’s issues, said sexual violence is used as a tool of war against the women of Tigray to force its people into submission to the Ethiopian government.

“Their bodies were the battlefield,” Verveer told The Hoya. “The conflict-related sexual violence was horrific.”

Hagos is calling on Georgetown University graduates in governmental positions of power to take action against the ongoing genocide.

Due to the university’s strong influence in international affairs,

Hagos, who has worked with different members of U.S. Congress on legislation to hold Ethiopia accountable, said he believes Georgetown’s powerful graduates should be doing more to provide aid to Tigray.

“The one part that really hurts the most is that it’s former alums of Georgetown that sit in pretty prominent roles, either past or present, that could have definitely influenced the outcome of this war,” Hagos said. “And that’s been probably the most deeply upsetting part as it relates to my connection to this institution. There’s folks who have ties to this university that turned a blind eye or chose not to speak up.”

Georgetown graduates and faculty currently hold 28 seats in the 118th U.S. Congress. The university ranks first for the number of chiefs of staff serving in U.S. Congress and second as a producer of congressional members and staffers.

“Georgetown is so uniquely positioned to say something and do something and be a little bit more firm about it,” Hagos added. “But it hasn’t been the case.”

Although Georgetown has not issued an official statement on the genocide, some universityaffiliated institutes have engaged in efforts to raise awareness for the conflict, according to a university spokesperson.

“Many academic centers on campus have held programming on this issue over the last several years, including the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs and the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS),” a university spokesperson wrote to The Hoya Courses in the School of Foreign Service have also included the conflict in their curricula, the spokesperson said.

To read the full story, visit thehoya.com.

Podcasts are available to stream on The Hoya website, Soundcloud and Spotify.

Victoria’s Secrets: Emissary Coffee

In the first episode of Victoria’s Secrets, Victoria Freeman (CAS ’26) gives a review of Emissary Coffee, a coffeehouse located in Dupont Circle.

Brendan’s Opinion: If You’re A Chime

Over 30…

Is there an age limit to being at the Georgetown Chimes’ house on a Saturday night? In this podcast, Brendan Teehan (CAS ’25) wonders this out loud while recalling his experience at the Cherry Tree Massacre, the Chimes’ annual performance.

Georgetown Commemorates 1-Year Anniversary of Russian-Ukraine War

The Georgetown University Ukrainian Society (GUUS) hosted a series of events and protests this week to pay homage to the Ukrainian people one year after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

GUUS hosted the Feb. 24 event in the Intercultural Center, which featured a choir singing a Ukrainian hymn, prayers led by Peter Mansour and an art exhibit and speeches from Ukrainian students. GUUS students also gathered for a movie screening, marched to a vigil outside the Russian Embassy and rallied at the Lincoln Memorial over the course of the weekend.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has confirmed 8,006 civilian deaths during the Russian invasion as of Feb. 26. An additional estimated 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been either wounded or killed.

Members of the Georgetown student body and the graduates have stood in solidarity with Ukraine throughout the war, such as through educational speaker events and professors raising over $22 million in humanitarian funds. A $5 million donation from two Georgetown graduates in June 2022 established the Gracias Family Sunflower Current Use Scholarship Fund, which enabled four Ukrainian students to attend Georgetown University on full scholarships and supported several others with merit-based aid.

Kyryl Myronenko (SFS ’26), a Gracias Family Scholar and GUUS organizer, said that while many Georgetown professors focus on Ukraine in their classes, it is beneficial for students to also understand the crisis from a humanitarian perspective.

“Especially here at Georgetown, it’s so important that all the young students, all the future leaders, get an education of not only an academic perspective,” Myronenko told The Hoya. “Everything includes Ukraine, but also it’s important that we students, coming from Ukraine, are able to share our perspective and just spend this time together.”

Myronenko said that for Ukrainian students, being away from home during a time of crisis is a challenge.

The United States recently received intelligence that the Chinese government has considered supplying Russia with lethal assistance, such as drones and ammunition. Although China has not officially committed to this move, Chinese President Xi Jinping is rumored to be visiting Moscow next week to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Sofia Sulek (SFS ’23), a GUUS organizer who has been actively involved with advocacy efforts for Ukraine since the invasion began, hails from Slovakia, a country neighboring Ukraine.

Sulek said she still wanted to engage with the Ukrainian cause in any way possible, despite the emotionally stressful nature of the Russian invasion.

“My country, being neighbors with Ukraine, was affected in the fact that we had so many refugees pouring in,” Sulek told The Hoya. “I immediately, on a personal level, felt like I wanted to get involved and had a responsibility to help out. I was just trying to get to know other people that might be Ukrainian or Eastern European, or from any affected area.”

Olha Kovach (SFS ’26), also an organizer with GUUS and a Gracias Family Scholar, said she appreciates the community and university support, including assistance from the School of Foreign Service with the Feb. 24

event. As part of the event, GUUS set up an art exhibit to honor sixteen Ukrainian students who died fighting for their country.

Kovach said the exhibit and the stories shared by Georgetown students from Ukraine had a powerful impact on those who attended.

“The Ukrainian students shared their experiences and how war impacted them,” Kovach told The Hoya. “I think it was just really nice that people could hear that and understand what is going on from the students’ perspective.”

Kovach said GUUS plans to host a number of events, including a visit from the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova and a fundraising art fair throughout the Spring semester.

Myronenko said the Ukrainian community at Georgetown encourages the student body to start conversations and engage with GUUS activism efforts as the war in Ukraine enters its 13th month.

“Do anything you can when you have time, when you have an opportunity. Read the news, speak with us,” Myronenko said. “Even though it’s incredibly hard for us to speak about the war, hard to realize that we are here when everyone is in Ukraine, it’s really important, and we are always very open to tell you everything you would like to learn about Ukraine and Ukrainian society events.”

D.C. Aims to Increase Black Homeownership With New Resources

Lerome D. Jackson

Special to The Hoya

Mayor Bowser and Washington, D.C. Government announced on Feb. 15 new initiatives to assist Black Washingtonians with homeownership.

These efforts will spread awareness about current and new resources available to assist Black residents in securing homes, which tend to decrease racial disparities in homeownership and wealth. These new resources included a Black homeownership workshop, which took place on Feb. 18 at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library.

One of the workshop’s resources, Financially Fit DC, offers financial education tools and resources to help maintain daily finances. The workshop’s other resource, the Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP), provides interest-free loans and contributes to closing costs to help low-income individuals and families buy homes.

Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio said it is important to acknowledge the government’s past policies barring Black residents from homeownership while finding ways to reverse previous policies’ discriminatory effects.

“Our goal is the first step in acknowledging the implications of our past and the lasting impact it has on our Black community,” Falcicchio said in the Feb. 15 press release. “By closing the racial gap in homeownership, we are investing in the preservation of the culture and identity of the Black community in Washington D.C.”

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) created in June 2022 the Black Homeownership Strike Force (BHSF) — a consortium of government officials, experts and advocates — to address longstanding housing and other financial discrimination in the District and nationally. Bowser said that increased BHSF programming reflects one step towards the D.C.’s goal to increase Black homeowners.

“We set an important goal: to add 20,000 Black homeowners by 2030,” Mayor Bowser said in a Feb. 15 press release. “Now, we’re focused on making sure residents have the resources and support to find and complete their journey to homeownership.”

“When disparities are created through intentional action and discrimination, we must be just as intentional about reversing those disparities,” Bowser added.

“And that is what we are doing with homeownership in D.C. Homeownership is a path to generational wealth, it is stability, and it allows you to bet on yourself, your family, and your future.”

Black homeownership in Washington has decreased as home prices and property values have increased. Black homeowners comprised in 2005 about 46 percent of total D.C. homeowners. As of 2022, the percentage dropped to 34 percent, despite Black individuals making up around 46 percent of all D.C. residents. Over the same time frame, white homeownership in D.C. has increased to about 49 percent.

The impact of historic practices implemented to prevent Black homeownership are felt today, according to the BHSF’s October 2022 report which gave recommendations for increasing Black homeownership in the District.

“The combination of redlining, racial covenants, and discrimination in lending that barred Black residents from the government-backed mortgages available to white families deprived D.C.’s remaining Black households of the economic gain homeownership can bring,” the report read.

“These early policies continue to have reverberating effects.”

Redlining originated in the 1930s with discriminatory practices in new government homeownership programs. Government officials used maps to determine who was worthy of new loans and frequently marked predominantly-Black neighborhoods as “too risky” for assistance programs.

The mayor’s push to increase the amount of Black homeowners began with recommendations of the BHSF, which include finding more affordable housing locations, updating zoning and permit processes and streamlining the overall path to homeownership.

Falcicchio said that the resources provided by these new initiatives will have lasting positive and equitable impacts on District families.

“For every family that comes to a workshop and utilizes D.C.’s homeownership tools, that’s one more family that will call D.C. home for decades and will create generational wealth,” Falcicchio said in a statement shared with The Hoya. “What our housing agencies partners are offering is not simply a course and a certificate, but a fair shot and a pathway to the middle class and beyond.”

PRISONS AND JUSTICE INITIATIVE

Jack Willis Graduate Desk Editor

SCIENCE

Early Blooms Indicate Larger Climate Impacts for the District

Hoya Staff Writer

In recent weeks, Washington, D.C., has seen an earlier blooming of cherry blossoms compared to past years. Records show that over time, the trees have opened their buds earlier and earlier, a trend that is expected to continue for the heavily touristed Tidal Basin cherry blossoms in southwest D.C.

The 2023 Peak Bloom Forecast cites a “much warmerthan-normal January” and February as the likely cause of this divergence from the normal blooming time, which ranges from the last week of March to the first week of April. This year, peak bloom is predicted to last from March 22 to 25. The weather in early March will also have a crucial impact on this timeline, but climate change driving intense fluctuations in weather has left the future more unpredictable than ever.

D.C.’s recent weather has served as a prime example of the varying temperatures and warmer winter. The District set a new record of 81 degrees

for its highest temperature ever recorded on Feb. 23, surpassing the previous record of 78 degrees, which had been held since 1874. The District saw snowfall and a high of only 50.6 degrees two days later on Feb. 25.

Although increases in temperature may appear to be the only evidence of “global warming,” cold snaps are also an indicator of the weather impacts of climate change. Climate change pertains to a diversification and intensification of the climate, not just temperature increases due to the accumulation of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.

According to Gina Green, a professor of the practice at Georgetown’s Earth Commons Institute, this phenomenon may be due to La Nina, a climate phenomenon dictated by oceanic and atmospheric patterns in the Pacific Ocean that pushes the polar jet stream north, creating warmer winters for the District.

“Climate change has always been predicted to create this significant variability in temperature, without a shad-

ow of a doubt,” Green told The Hoya. “Because of the La Niña current, we don’t have a significant winter by any means.”

Unfortunately, this connection between weather and the environment has far more potential for damage than just the cherry blossoms. An overall lack of snowpack throughout the winter season likely means that the soil is drier than what this environment usually experiences.

“What does that mean for our rivers and what does that mean for water flow and what does that mean for potable water to drink?” Green said. “The other impact could be wildfires, now that there’s much more dryness in the soil and in the trees so the trees become much more vulnerable.”

The potential for wildfires due to this drier environment is a first-time concern in the D.C. area—and are part of what Green labels “non-visual” symptoms of climate change.

“Two days ago it was 80 degrees and today it’s snowing,” Green said. “What impact does this have on the birds? Does

The famous cherry blossoms are blooming earlier this year than in past years, reinforcing concerns about climate change and its impacts on the District.

this mean crops will fail? Does this mean our tulips or our flowers will fail? Collectively, we can come up with those answers.”

These symptoms are less tangible in contrast to the earlier blooming of the cherry blossoms, allowing them to slide under the radar, according to Green.

For example, anyone strolling around the Georgetown campus last Thursday would have thought they had just stumbled into a college brochure: Spikeball games on the lawn, students dressed in their best summer attire and

Hoya Harvest Sets Plans for New GU Garden

Allie Stevens Hoya Staff Writer

The Hoya Harvest Garden, a project that works in collaboration with a group of students and faculty, is ready for an exciting spring as they prepare for a new university garden on the Regents Hall fourth floor patio.

On Feb. 24, Hoya Harvest, a project sponsored by The Earth Commons, hosted a town hall outlining their plans for the garden. They hope to grow a variety of crops, from strawberries to leafy greens, as well as a section of plants dedicated to medicinal and spiritual use. Hoya Harvest plans to work closely with the Hoya Hub, a food pantry for students, and potentially with Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall and on-campus student groups in the future.

Shelby Gresch (SFS ’22), a postbaccalaureate fellow at The Earth Commons, is a major force behind Hoya Harvest. She saw the conversation surrounding sustainability on campus in her senior year thesis work and started the Hoya Harvest project in 2022.

“I sort of heard some of these conversations coming from Earth Commons leadership, and I said, ‘That’s something I really want to do. Is there any way I can help?’” Gresch said in an interview with The Hoya Sustainability is a major part of Hoya Harvest’s mission at Georgetown, and Gresch said creating a community centered around preserving the environ-

ment is essential to the growth and well-being of the planet.

“We are trying to create a sense of shared responsibility around sustainable food systems by putting a mini example, a micro urban farm at the center of campus,” Gresch said.

Gresch hopes that the garden can be an educational opportunity for students to use in their classes, including in biology, art and English classes, among others. The garden will also hopefully be an integral part of a future new Georgetown degree, according to Gresch.

“The Earth Commons is working on launching an undergraduate degree that is totally around environmental science sustainability and will have different tracks,” Gresch said. “There will be a food and water concentration that students can pursue within that.”

The primary Hoya Harvest team consists of Gresch and two student gardeners, Abby Rich (SFS ’25) and Charlotte Correiro (CAS ’24). Both students have an obvious passion for gardening, sustainability and all things nature, which makes their work with Hoya Harvest particularly meaningful.

“When I heard about the Hoya Harvest garden, I was very excited at the idea of using some of the green space at Georgetown productively in a way that would give back to students and the community,” Rich told The Hoya

Having a small team has been both a blessing and a curse for the Hoya Harvest project, according to Rich.

“We’re lucky enough to have a

Hoya Harvest prepares for a new garden on the Regents Hall fourth floor patio and plans to grow a variety of crops.

big support network, but a lot of the heavy lifting falls on a very small group of people,” Rich said.

Rich said she hopes the garden will inspire students to become more ecologically aware of their food sources in the same way it has inspired her.

“I plan to continue to work in the sustainable agriculture and environmental science spheres after graduating from Georgetown, either in the big picture, like agricultural policy work, or on a smaller scale, like in food tech,” Rich said. Georgetown is not the only university to recognize the importance of food sustainability. Other universities, including the University of New Hampshire, Washington University in St. Louis and Santa Clara

University, have all taken initiatives to create similarly prominent on-campus gardens.

However, the future expansion of the Hoya Harvest garden remains uncertain due to space constraints that come with the garden’s urban environment. Gresch hopes that, despite this limitation, the Hoya Harvest garden will spark a greater conversation about sustainable food sources.

“The dream would be to garden everywhere. But for now we’re just going to try and prompt some of those bigger conversations,” Gresch told The Hoya Plans for the garden are already in the works, and the Hoya Harvest group anticipates volunteer opportunities

Science Spotlight: Biology JEDI Committee

Eliza Zaroff Hoya Staff Writer

Since its foundation in 2020, the Georgetown University Biology Department’s Committee on Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (JEDI) has served as a catalyst for breaking class, race and gender barriers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at Georgetown.

The committee was created amid nationwide conversations about race and equality, with the goal of bringing these discussions to the attention of the university. The committee’s mission is to address obstacles that limit the full participation of underrepresented groups in the biology department, and to foster spaces where all voices are heard.

JEDI is the only department committee at Georgetown that features undergraduate students, graduate students, research faculty, non-tenure-line teaching faculty and tenure-line faculty. This wide age range allows for issues of equity and inclusion to be examined at all department levels.

JEDI’s biweekly meetings are split up by project, some of which are led by both undergraduates and graduates. Current projects include initiatives for equity in pre-professional opportunities and admissions and creating support systems for underrepresented biology students.

Giselle Rasquinha (CAS ’25), one of the first two undergradu-

ate members of the committee, is currently working on a project to make research opportunities more equitable to undergraduate students.

“A lot of the extracurriculars, like research, that are seen as necessary for getting into med school or being a STEM major are classbased,” Rasquinha told The Hoya

The application-based nature of many STEM clubs at Georgetown, as well as a general lack of awareness about research opportunities, also limits inclusivity, not to mention their often unpaid nature, according to Rasquinha.

In response to these barriers, Rasquinha and other undergraduate students on the committee are working on restructuring “Foundations in Biology I,” a required class for all biology majors at Georgetown. Their additions would include teaching students the “hidden curriculum,” or what often goes unsaid regarding navigating and gaining experience in the field of biology.

The committee’s proposed curriculum would also provide students with a toolkit for securing professional development opportunities in science. For instance, JEDI is working on a project to increase funding for the Regents STEM Scholars Program, which supports first-generation and lowincome underrepresented minority students in the natural and quantitative sciences. Graduate students on the JEDI committee are spearhead-

ing similar efforts.

Meghan Bullard, a Ph.D. student in Dr. Haiyan He’s lab, an assistant professor in neuroscience, is working on a project to make graduate student recruitment more equitable.

“Instead of directly asking about research experience, we are asking more general questions that gauge other characteristics that indicate success in grad school,” Bullard told The Hoya

This initiative will aim to change application questions to be broader, instead of focusing on experiences that often have class barriers like research, according to Bullard.

The committee also aims to have an adaptive, far-reaching influence on the biology department as a whole.

“JEDI’s work should not be something that only people on the committee work on. It should be central to everything we do in the department,” Professor Mun Chun (MC) Chan, assistant teaching professor of biology and one of the committee’s founding professors, told The Hoya JEDI’s committee members serve on graduate admissions, undergraduate admissions and hiring committees, which helps to further the organization’s goals. Additionally, faculty members on the committee are replaced every three years in order to make sure the group adapts. Last year, the committee was made a standing commit-

gorgeous cherry blossoms hanging overhead. However, as beautiful as the day was, a sentiment of “what is going on here?” loomed, according to Georgetown student Ina QC (SFS ’24).

“I think the quick changes and fluctuations in temperatures might upset our natural rhythms, like adding additional uncertainty into the day to day lives of college students, which will only add to our stress,” QC told The Hoya “The one thing we can be sure of and rely on are the seasons. This lack of consistency

might feed into existing anxieties honestly.”

Instead of seeing the change as a herald of doomsday, Green said it is important to emphasize the importance of positivity and hope in the fight against climate change.

“I am such an optimist, not a pessimist, but I do believe that we have to innovate,” Green said. “We are now feeling the impacts of climate, right here in this area, but when you emit carbon it impacts globally. That’s where collective action needs to take place.”

EVERYDAY SCIENCE

College Binge Drinking: Expectations vs. Reality

and different endorphins, by interacting with the reward system in one’s brain.

Nearly 53% of full-time college students ages 18 to 22 drank alcohol in the past month — and of those who drank, 33% engaged in binge drinking, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Binge drinking, which the National Institutes of Health defines as “consuming 4 or more drinks (female), or 5 or more drinks (male) in about 2 hours,” can result in both short-term and long-term physical and psychological consequences. But knowing how social expectations for binge drinking compare to the scientific realities of drinking’s impacts on our bodies can help us make informed decisions about when, and how much, to consume.

One expectation that many people have about college campuses is that everyone drinks or binge drinks. While 18- to 22-year-olds enrolled in college have higher binge drinking rates compared to their counterparts who are not enrolled in college, because of the “social camaraderie” it fosters, the perception that “everybody drinks” and that drinking above your comfort level is a good way to conform, is a fallacy.

The mood-boosting effects of alcohol become weaker, however, as one drinks more frequently or heavily. This may lead people to drink more in pursuit of this feeling, resulting in alcohol abuse.

Additionally, if someone is already suffering from depression, the alcohol is likely to amplify these negative feelings. Alcohol consumption ultimately causes a lack of “feelgood” neurochemicals because of a subsequent dopamine imbalance, leaving you feeling sad or anxious. The initial rush comes when alcohol releases dopamine, which the brain eventually responds to by producing less dopamine in an attempt to balance these levels.

Likewise, in the short term, alcohol causes a reduction in sleep quality, hindering information recall, attention and focus. Over time, binge drinking damages the brain’s cognitive functions, specifically “mental activities that involve acquiring, storing, retrieving, and using information.”

tee via a unanimous vote by department administrators.

Kimberly Nguyen (CAS ’23), one of the first undergraduates on the committee who is now pursuing a master’s in Global Infectious Disease at Georgetown, said that the biology department adequately respects and resources the committee.

“Whenever we need funding, the bio department is very receptive,” Nguyen said. This was echoed by other committee members, Bullard noted that “there is a lot of desire expressed by department professors to be more diverse and inclusive.”

The committee still faces challenges in securing assistance from the university as a whole despite department support. Nguyen said that there is a desire for the committee to be made an official club.

“Recognition as an official club would allow the committee to reserve spaces to meet in person and receive more funding.”

Professor Chan said he hopes the university ultimately brings together committees from different departments in order to enact cross-disciplinary initiatives.

“We should consider issues of equity and inclusion every time we make a change, whether we are hiring, trying to decide which speakers to bring to the university, or testing the abilities of students,” Chan said.

Full Disclosure: Rasquinha is a Science writer at The Hoya.

A 2019 study found that 84.8% of college students surveyed overestimated how much their peers drink. The “cognitive disconnect” between what we imagine our peers to be up to versus what they actually are doing is one of many reasons to engage in lower-risk drinking habits.

Another common expectation about drinking deals with “social rewards.” Maybe the social reward for you looks like shooting your shot with your class crush or getting out on the dance floor with your friends with the aid of alcohol.

In reality, alcohol increases the risk of adverse sexual experiences, including nonconsensual sex or other dangerous sexual behavior such as unprotected sex. The bottom line is that while you might be binge drinking to step out of your comfort zone, taking it too far can hinder your ability to function, consent or think through decisions as well as when sober. Instead of inspiring fun, exciting behavior, binge drinking can instead have negative consequences.

Another common expectation about drinking is that it can provide an “emotional escape or relief.” There is some truth that alcohol serves as a tool for relaxation, and the immediate effect of alcohol is typically a positive feeling. This is because alcohol triggers the release of “feel-good” neurochemicals, such as dopamine

Another expectation people have about drinking is that blacking out is normal, or a natural response to alcohol. Blacking out, or “gaps in a person’s memory for events that occurred while they were intoxicated,” happens when a person drinks enough alcohol to prevent memories from being transferred from short-term to long-term storage. This process, which takes place in the hippocampus of the brain, is called “memory consolidation.” The lack of memory consolidation caused by alcohol produces detrimental impacts, as poor decision-making influences the risk of anxiety and injury.

When we look at a college environment like Georgetown University, the “work hard, play hard” culture can lead us to overlook the realities of alcohol. Drinking is presented as a good way to establish balance between high academic achievement and a good lifestyle. However, drinking the night before studying can impede your ability to focus because “sustained attention, short- and long-term memory, and psychomotor speed” are vulnerable to hangovers. Removing the veil of expectations surrounding binge drinking leaves us with the reality that it might not be an ideal choice. It is imperative to make informed decisions when it comes to something that affects your mental and physical well-being. I’m not saying you need to stop drinking completely, but when it comes to binge drinking, tread carefully.

Claire Chou is a sophomore in the School of Health. Everyday Science publishes online and in print once every three weeks.

COURTESY OF SHELBY GRESCH

Erin Czelusniak

Claire Chou Columnist

Students Express Frustration to Yet Another University Tuition Hike

TUITION, from A1 improvements to campus facilities, and national price inflation and cost of goods,” a spokesperson wrote to The Hoya Shelby Powell (SFS ’26) said she believed the university’s explanation of the causes of the tuition increase was too vague.

“It’s just a blanket statement,” Powell told the Hoya “It doesn’t really explain the specifics of what’s getting more expensive, but I’m assuming it’s partially because of inflation.”

Powell receives financial aid to cover two-thirds of her tuition, but her family pays the other third. She and her family are worried about whether the same fraction of her tuition will be covered by aid next year, even though the university has pledged to continue giving out aid as needed.

“It’s kind of uncertain if the aid I’m going to get is going to be proportional to the higher tuition,” Powell said.

“Tuition might be increasing — but my mom’s salary is not increasing, so we still can’t pay more.” Moira Fitzgibbons (CAS ’91), a professor at Marist College and a long-time donor to Georgetown, has two daughters who currently attend the university.

Fitzgibbons said the in-

crease is substantial, but is a logical decision overall.

“It’s a rather large increase,” Fitzgibbons told The Hoya. “But Georgetown has done a good job of supporting its university students. And as a faculty member at a college, I understand people need to get paid.”

The tuition expenses for the 2021-2022 fiscal year were primarily distributed to instruction — 30% funded professor’s salaries and other class-related programs — followed closely by financial aid at 19.5%, according to the email. The rest of the expenses went toward building maintenance and IT, research and academic and support staff.

Fitzgibbons said that the tuition price and the amount of financial aid given out should stay at the same proportion in order to ensure Georgetown does not exclude students of lower income backgrounds.

“My priority as a member of the Georgetown community is always to be a part of the conversation on what is happening to recruit underrepresented communities to Georgetown — especially underrepresented financial students — so that it doesn’t become a homogeneous country club,” Fitzgibbons said. “If it does, it would lose outside perspectives. It’s

important to make sure the tuition price doesn’t scare people off from applying.”

MJ Morales (SFS ’26) is a Coca-Cola scholar and has a full scholarship to Georgetown that remains covered by the tuition increase.

Morales said that she thinks the tuition increase is justified if it goes toward improving undergraduate students’ day-to-day living.

“Georgetown has its fair share of housing problems,” Morales said. “Our hot water goes out a little too often. If the extra tuition is going to be put toward something like that, then I guess I wouldn’t mind it. But I can’t imagine a 5% tuition increase is going exclusively to that.”

Morales said the university administration should have conversations with its tuition payers before finalizing future tuition changes.

“I’m not saying there should be a forum with all thousands of the kids that go to the school and their parents, but there should be more transparency about what the needs of the school are and where tuition would be allocated towards with this increase,” Morales said. “And then gain people’s perspectives on it, as opposed to just sending an email out telling you that your bill is going to get bigger next year.”

Georgetown Student Takes Home $30,000 in ‘Jeopardy!’Tournament

CORE, from A1 College Academic Council have worked to review and revise the “Engaging Diversity” requirement as part of the Engaging Diversity Revision Subcommittee.

The subcommittee found that students would prefer to focus on understanding concepts of justice and power in today’s world for the diversity requirement, according to biology professor Heidi Elmendorf, a member of the subcommittee.

“Some of this was about balancing historical perspectives with modern day perspectives,” Elmendorf wrote to The Hoya

“Some of this was about tackling issues of structural inequities of power and privilege rather than relying too singularly on diversity as a standalone concept. And some of this was about looking at our own world — including Georgetown — when we examine these issues rather than always looking elsewhere,” Elmendorf added.

Amanda Yen (CAS ’23), the student co-chair of the subcommittee, said that the current “Engaging Diversity” requirement aims to allow students to recognize different perspectives, but the requirement’s vague language makes it overly broad and confusing.

“A lot of people didn’t understand what the difference between domestic and global

was,” Yen told The Hoya. “Because the language of the requirements itself was so vague and broad, it allowed a lot of different courses to count for the requirements.”

The “Engaging Diversity” requirement is intended to teach students about cultural diversity in both global and domestic contexts, according to the university’s website.

“The engaging diversity requirement will prepare students to be responsible, reflective, self-aware and respectful global citizens through recognizing the plurality of human experience and engaging with different cultures, beliefs, and ideas,” the website reads. “By fulfilling the requirement, students will be better able to appreciate and reflect upon how human diversity and human identities shape our experience and understanding of the world.

Alex Goodale (CAS ’26) finished the “Engaging Diversity” requirement as a first-year student and said the courses that met the “Engaging Diversity” requirements did not cover concepts she would associate with diversity.

“When I think of diversity, I think of doing something to interact with different communities,” Goodale told The Hoya. “And some of the classes, English classes, it’s like you read a book by a Black author, if you read enough books by Black au-

thors, it counts as ‘Engaging Diversity’ — but that’s not really engaging diversity.”

Yen said the two other courses for the pathways requirement will need to go through committee approval to count as pathways courses. Professors will need to demonstrate how the course curriculum meets three of the five pathways learning goals: inclusive scholarship, intersectional approaches to identity, historical legacies of inequality and their contemporary impacts, imagining justice, as well as national, regional and global comparisons.

“This requirement is interrogating structures of power, privilege and oppression rather than just recognizing the plurality of human experiences,” Yen said. Elmendorf said the new requirement would allow Georgetown students to be more prepared to tackle issues of social justice by learning from each other and from the past.

“We need to get better at understanding one another, at facing difficult truths with openness and honesty, and at creating societal structures that support — not thwart — thriving,” Elmendorf wrote. “That is the core of social justice. This is an issue about the deepest values of the university, about reckoning with our past, and about being the best we can be in our future.”

Black History Month Celebrated

BHM, from A1 know that every club was very intentional and was very successful in the events that they put on.”

Caleb Richmond (SFS ’25) returned to the trivia show “Jeopardy!” for the second time, competing in the 2023 High School Reunion Tournament.

JEOPARDY!, from A1 school tournament.

“I’m 19 now, and I’ve known these people since I was 15, and just getting to see them in person was what I was looking forward to the most,” Richmond told The Hoya. “Of course, everyone asks about the game and how that is, but really, what is most important to me is seeing the people.”

“Back then, it was all new, and we all kind of thought it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But this time, we were all so surprised that we were coming back,” Richmond added. “I think we just really took our time to take everything in, in a way that we didn’t get to the first time.”

Richmond said he views game strategy and trivia to prepare for the show.

“There’s an online archive of all of the old games, and I would look through and see what categories I was better at, what I was weaker at,” Richmond said. “Then I would take what I didn’t know, put it into a flashcard deck, and kind of go from there.” Molly May (CAS ’24), Rich-

mond’s close friend, said she enjoyed having a front row seat to Richmond’s development as a contestant.

“It has been incredible to witness Caleb continue his Jeopardy career,” May wrote to The Hoya. “I’ve seen him grow so much in his knowledge and self-confidence throughout the process.”

May said her faith in Richmond’s abilities helped encourage him as he prepared for his appearance on the show.

“I’ve watched Caleb practice his trivia knowledge for hours on end, often by watching old Jeopardy episodes,” May wrote. “I knew he would be a great contestant on the show, but sometimes Caleb just needs that last boost of self-confidence.”

Claire Sattler — a senior at Yale University, winner of the 2018 Teen Tournament and current competitor in the 2023 High School Reunion Tournament — told The Hoya that participating in “Jeopardy!” has been the source of unlikely but meaningful relationships.

“I really cannot imagine my life without my ‘Jeopardy!’ friends, which is crazy

considering that the things that brought us together was just these two whirlwind, random days in L.A. filming a TV game show when we were high school kids,” Sattler said.

Sattler said she and other contestants had not anticipated returning to the show.

“It felt like a weird homecoming, almost. Because we all really made peace with the fact that we were almost certainly never coming back,” Sattler said.

Sattler said time has brought Richmond and her closer to one another, as she has mentored him through his high school and college years.

“The friendship grew over the years,” Sattler said. “I’m two years older, and I think I definitely served somewhat of an older sister role in his life, which I’m really grateful that I got to do.”

On his part, Richmond said that, given the opportunity, he would love the chance to return to the show again in the future.

“If producers would like to have us back, I will come back instantly,” Richmond said. “I will come back right away.”

BLF required that every club within its coalition organize at least one initiative during Black History Month, according to Ibrahim. Eighteen student clubs were involved in planning 27 events throughout the month.

The Georgetown branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (GUNAACP) coordinated several initiatives around Valentine’s Day, including a panel on intergenerational wealth and a firstyear karaoke night.

GUNAACP also organized an educational event about Black health care in collaboration with the Georgetown University Minority Association of Pre-Health Students, a program dedicated to spreading awareness about ethnic health disparities and promoting professional opportunities for minority students pursuing pre-health and medicine.

Autumn Davis (CAS ’24), president of GUNAACP, said all of these events sought to support and elevate Black students through both recreational and educational opportunities.

“The goal of these events was to encourage Black joy and scenes of unity, which I feel are especially important in a world where that is a bit difficult to find,” Davis wrote to The Hoya. “This initiative was especially important during such a celebratory

and significant month.”

Arielle Prudhomme (CAS ’23), president of GU Women of Color (GUWOC), said GUWOC hosted dance classes that were a precursor to their annual event celebrating Black women called the BRAVE Summit, which stands for Black, resilient, artistic, vigilant and enough.

“The dance class was all about self love and expression,” Prudhomme wrote to The Hoya. “The theme for this year’s summit is Artistic (a never ending Renaissance), all about tapping in to the art inside all of us and breathing life into it. And I think we got a taste of that during the dance class.”

Prudhomme said GUWOC also hosted an event with Alpha Kappa Alpha, where participants discussed life as a Black woman at a predominantly white institution.

“It was heartwarming to see all the women come together and share our experiences, but it was concerning that the shared sentiment was that Black women do not feel adequately supported on this campus,” Prudhomme wrote.

Maesha Ulcena (GRD ’25), vice president of marketing for BMBAA, said each member of the group’s board selected a business to feature for a Black Business Highlight series on Instagram.

“From business owners we knew personally and wanted to celebrate, to individuals we looked up to in our professional industries, to businesses that spoke to our hobbies, the series was both

a great educational opportunity and a reflection of people that make up BMBAA,” Ulcena wrote to The Hoya Kilandra Bass (GRD ’25), co-president of BMBAA, said her group organized a number of projects open to both graduate and undergraduate students in the McDonough School of Business (MSB), including a food drive, a potluck night and a weekly happy hour event featuring a Black-owned winery. BMBAA collected 55 items through the food drive that it will donate to So Others Might Eat, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness through a holistic approach.

Bass said the potluck encouraged attendees to bring a dish that reminds them of home, which highlighted numerous Black diasporas.

“That was really cool, because we have people from all over — people from the African continent, people who are African American, people from the Caribbean and then members who aren’t even Black who are a part of our club,” Bass told The Hoya Ulcena said she was proud that BMBAA’s initiatives throughout Black History Month resonated with the organization’s values of diversity, social service and community.

“I was really proud of the events and initiatives we were able to put together for Black History Month because we got to carry out multiple core values of both Georgetown and BMBAA,” Ulcena wrote.

@CALEBRICHMOND_2003/INSTAGRAM

Panel Commemorates 10 Years of Pope Francis, His Legacy

Jack Willis Graduate Desk Editor

The Georgetown University Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life hosted its 10th anniversary discussion on the leadership of Pope Francis Feb. 28.

Initiative Director Kim Daniels and founder John Carr headlined the event, which began with an introduction by Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia (COL ’79, GRD ’95) before moving into a conversation with other Catholic leaders. The event probed the leadership and legacy of Pope Francis, the first Jesuit leader of the Catholic church, and participants discussed the Pope’s challenges, triumphs, shortcomings and message while looking toward his future aspirations.

Panelists included Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, D.C.; Sr. Norma Pimentel, a nun and humanitarian activist; E.J. Dionne, a professor in the Georgetown University McCourt School

of Public Policy and a columnist at The Washington Post; and Helen Alvaré, a Catholic social activist and professor at George Mason University’s Scalia Law School.

Daniels said a profound experience in her journey with Catholicism was during the announcement of Francis’ election in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City, a city-state located within Rome, Italy, that functions as the headquarters of the Catholic church.

“So many people from around our global church were there in St. Peter’s, and I can’t tell you how it was before that white smoke went up,” Daniels said at the event. “It was joyous; it was raucous; there were people singing.”

Gregory said he could see Francis’ character come through after his papal inauguration, when Francis ate lunch with employees in the workers’ cafeteria in the Vatican City.

“Early on in his ministry, he had lunch with some of the Vatican workers,” Gregory said. “He got his tray, and went and filled

Center for Social Justice Welcomes New Faculty and Research Director

Mia Streitberger

Special to The Hoya

The Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching and Service (CSJ) announced the appointment of Arjun Shankar as its new faculty and research director Feb. 22.

Shankar, a culture and politics (CULP) professor in the School of Foreign Service (SFS), researches neocolonial politics and racial capitalism. Shankar’s appointment to the CSJ — a social justice hub that connects Georgetown students and staff with volunteering, research and advocacy opportunities in Washington, D.C. — will enable him to expand his impact beyond current academic responsibilities.

In his new role, Shankar will lead the CSJ’s research efforts, which include organizing social change efforts, influencing public policy and meeting communitybased needs. Shankar will remain a professor in the SFS.

Shankar said his classes have always maintained a strong focus on race, capitalism, caste and labor, and that his advocacy efforts align with these academic interests.

“At CULP and the SFS, I’ve been really eager to help in the global anti-racism movements that have been happening, and I’ve been part of the facility committee on global anti-racism,” Shankar told The Hoya. “I’m excited about the SFS’ move to take seriously DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion — and hire more faculty of color, more faculty to work on race, gender and sexuality.”

Shankar plans to bring his existing advocacy to the CSJ in hopes of making the center a more diverse space. Shankar said one of his top priorities as the new faculty and research director will be to facilitate more inclusive collaboration among community members interested in the CSJ.

“One of the things about Georgetown is that a lot of incredible work in these areas is happening, but we don’t oftentimes talk to one another,” Shankar said. “I really see this new position as an opportunity to bring together all those faculty from across the university who are ready to lead really exciting work, studying inequality both historically and in the contemporary moment.”

Shankar said he also wants

his tray and sat down with the workers. I don’t think that’s happened with a lot of his predecessors. He demonstrates that accessibility that I think wins the hearts of a lot of people.”

While official writings from the Vatican and popes in particular are often hard to comprehend for readers outside of the church, Gregory said the writing of Francis is clear to the average reader.

“He writes in a style that people can understand,” Gregory said. “They don’t sound like prior Vatican documents. They are rich, but they are accessible and he’s accessible.”

Pimentel, who was recognized by Francis for her work aiding refugees at s border between the United States and Mexico, said Francis’ emphasis on hands-on activism speaks to efforts of inclusivity in the church.

“He said we have to be one church, and the only way to be one church is to kind of get messed up and dirty, and get out there,” Pimentel said. “Get out there and bring ev-

erybody in. I think his message of inclusiveness and encountering the other is really what we all must do.”

Alvaré said Francis promotes fellowship with underserved groups who need prolonged assistance, including immigrants, those in poverty and young people disillusioned by religion.

“When he asks for accompaniment, it’s not for an hour,” Alvaré said at the event. “He’s talking about people who need a long time and require us to change our way of life. You can’t live normally, according to our

Georgetown Vibe_ Hosts K-pop Dance Lessons for Students

to research mental health at universities, particularly focusing on the experiences of Georgetown students.

“For a number of years, I’ve been extremely interested in student mental health on university campuses and the epidemics of suicidal ideation, depression and stress that seem to be increasing in the student body,” Shankar said. “I’m hoping that as a member of CSJ, I’ll be able to work with students to really start to study how this phenomenon is impacting Georgetown students, and how it might be specific to this palace versus other campuses.”

Andria Wisler, the CSJ’s executive director and a teaching professor in the justice and peace studies program at Georgetown, said she is delighted to have Shankar join the CSJ because of his expertise on social justice, which ranges from the classroom to his involvements outside of academia.

“He is a dynamic educator, an exemplar as researcher for advocacy and activism, and a community builder,” Wisler wrote to The Hoya. “His commitments to decolonial pedagogies, multimodal ways of knowing, and the interrogation of capitalism align strongly with CSJ’s values and work.”

Anthony Pirrotti, an SFS associate dean, said he is excited about what Shankar’s commitment to advancing community service can bring to the CSJ.

“Not only is Professor Shankar a formidable scholar who complicates and challenges how we think about race, economics and globalization, but a dedicated teacher and mentor,” Pirrotti wrote to The Hoya. “This new role will provide Professor Shankar with a unique opportunity to merge scholarship with community engagement and make a significant impact on our community.”

Shiloh Krupar, an associate professor in the SFS, said that she has worked alongside Shankar to further develop curriculum and faculty knowledge about DEI principles and accessibility practices in the CULP program.

“He offers key CULP courses on global inequality, colonialism, humanitarianism, development and race, that empower students to question the universality of categories and position those categories within unequal power relations and hierarchy,” Krupar wrote to The Hoya Shankar said that he hopes students and faculty will begin to learn more about the CSJ’s work, identifying it as a place on campus that focuses on supporting students.

“I just want to make sure that students know to take advantage of those opportunities. I believe many students don’t know that it’s one of the few safe spaces on campus, especially for students of color, who don’t have that many spaces to go in the first place,” Shankar said. “They can talk about a lot of the issues that I know continue to circulate, continue to be part of what they’re trying to grapple with.”

Sophia Lu

Student Life Desk Editor

Georgetown Vibe_, a student dance group that specializes in Korean pop (K-pop) dance, hosted two open sessions to teach students of all experience levels new choreography Feb. 25 and Feb. 26.

The group, which was founded in 2018, serves as a social space for people enthusiastic about Korean dance and culture. Since its inception, Vibe_ has expanded its reach to the Georgetown community, and it now boasts multiple running dance crews and its own media production team.

Co-Presidents Becks Truong (CAS ’24) and Jimin Lee (CAS ’24) said they prioritize making all interested participants feel welcome. Truong said the club includes dancers of all levels in open sessions and embraces the diverse backgrounds of its members.

“I think the beauty of Vibe_ is that it doesn’t matter how into K-Pop you are, how good of a dancer or how involved you’ve been with us in the past – we always have a place for new members who are enthusiastic about good music and creating community,”

Truong wrote to The Hoya Quaylin Dang (SFS ’25), a Vibe_ performance director who helps lead the club’s open sessions, said the club designs open sessions as a way for prospective members to get involved with the club without a lot of pressure.

“Our open sessions provide a low-commitment, lowstakes way for people to learn more about the dance side of

our club and gain some experience dancing to K-Pop choreographies,” Dang wrote to The Hoya

In the open sessions, experienced members taught participants K-pop choreography step-by-step, practiced with them and then let participants showcase their routines and socialize with one another, according to Dang.

“At the end of each open session, we divide participants into smaller groups to give them an opportunity to get to know one another and spotlight their hard work while the rest of the participants cheer them on,” Dang wrote. “In this way, not only are our participants able to interact with other members of the K-pop community, but it also provides a way for our board members to interact with our general body members in a more intimate setting.”

Besides hosting open instructional sessions, the club produces official Vibe_ dance covers that are edited by the club’s media team.

“Every semester, we organize at least two different semester-long group projects where members of the group will learn an entire choreography together,” Dang wrote.

Vibe_’s covers have received hundreds of views on their social channels, and Dang said the covers help bridge Georgetown Vibe_ with the larger K-pop community across the world.

“Dance covers are a huge part of the fan culture of KPop, so these projects serve as a way to engage with K-Pop enthusiasts both inside and

American standards, and do what he’s asking us to do.”

Dionne said that the actions of Francis hold up when compared to the message of the late U.S. Representative John Lewis of Georgia, who was known for encouraging Americans to engage in good trouble, or trouble necessary for impacting social change.

“I think in the tradition of John Lewis — good trouble — he is a troublemaker,” Dionne said at the event. “He challenges all of us. He attacked the spirit of careerism in the church,

called it a form of cancer.”

Pimentel said that Francis taps into a human element that serves as a unifier in a time of staunch division.

“That’s why he speaks about breaking down barriers, coming outward and actually moving and bringing others in,” Pimentel said. “Bringing those who are at the peripheries, those who are at the margins, those who have been left out because we have become a church that is so comfortable in a little bubble that makes us okay, and we have left people out.”

outside of the K-Pop community,” Dang wrote.

Zoe Bushman (CAS ’25), the club’s director of marketing, said she found community at Georgetown through participating in Vibe_ after joining the summer before the pandemic started.

“I’ve never participated in dance groups and wasn’t looking for that in a K-Pop community, so when I got to Georgetown, I was drawn to the social aspect of Vibe_,” Bushman wrote to The Hoya “Being part of a club devoted to K-Pop is a new experience and one that I’ve deeply appreciated.”

Truong said the club’s name reinforces its focus on inclusion because Vibe_’s founders intentionally named it to reflect the members’ diverse values.

“A common misconception about Vibe_ is that we’re only a dance crew and that you

can’t join if you don’t dance, which is the opposite of our values,” Truong wrote. “The underscore in our name is similar to a ‘fill in the blank’ line to represent the spectrum of K-Pop enthusiasts and dancers who join our community.”

Truong said she plans to work toward building an even more inclusive environment and a stronger community at Vibe_. “We want to create a safe and inclusive environment for people to express their passion for K-Pop however they want to express it, whether that be through fun games, finding someone to attend concerts with or doing dance covers,” Truong wrote. “I hope that Vibe_ can continue to be a welcoming community on Georgetown campus for all K-Pop enthusiasts and newbies for years to come.”

Jazz Musicians Discuss Performance Tips

Sophia Lu

Student Life News Desk Editor

Georgetown University’s department of performing arts hosted three professional musicians in its “Jazz Combos” and “Jazz Ensemble” classes to workshop performance techniques with students.

All three guests — Donny Albrecht, Kelton Norris and Leigh Pilzer — specialize in jazz. Albrecht, a freelance trumpet player, performs at venues across the United States, including the Boston Symphony Hall and the Louis Armstrong Museum; the Washington City Paper awarded Norris, a percussion specialist, the title of “Best Drummer” in 2016; and Pilzer, a saxophonist, plays regularly with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Paul Bratcher, an adjunct lecturer in the department of performing arts who teaches the “Jazz Combos” and “Jazz Ensemble” classes, invited the three musicians to come

work with his students. During the class, students formed four groups — saxophone, trumpet, trombone and percussion — and the invited guests conducted master classes, or advanced seminar-style workshops, with each section.

Bratcher said the master classes focused on instructing students about a variety of different aspects of musical performance, from piece selection to stylistic interpretation.

“They worked on the music but also discussed more broadly how to approach playing different types of music,” Bratcher wrote to The Hoya. “After the master classes we got together and played the music and the look on the students’ faces said everything you needed to know about the impact these musicians had on our students.”

Lana Aguon (CAS ’24), a trombone player, said although she has played her instrument for over 15 years, the workshop taught her new techniques.

“Every musician is different and there’s always something new to learn. It’s very rare that one gets to learn from and play with people who have 30+ years of experience, and it’s always a great time to just listen to them play their instrument,” Aguon wrote to The Hoya

Jaron Berman (CAS ’23), also a trombone player, said the specifics that Albrecht, Norris and Pilzer focused on during the sessions improved his eye for detail and helped refine his performance.

“It’s always great to be able to work with talented music professionals because they have such a wealth of experience,” Berman wrote to The Hoya. “For myself and the other brass players we focused on a lot of articulation techniques as well as how to develop the right style of play. We also got help emphasizing dynamics to better punctuate the piece.”

Grace Nuri (CAS ’26), a baritone saxophone player, said she tries to stay involved in

music outside of Bratcher’s jazz classes because music plays an important role in her life.

“I have had a great experience with the Department of Performing arts as a part of Georgetown’s jazz ensemble,” Nuri wrote to The Hoya “I regularly jam with some of my friends and play sax, piano, and guitar with them. Music has played a major role in my life. I use music as my release and break from the busyness of everyday life at Georgetown.”

The professional musicians’ stories inspired her to continue pursuing her love of playing baritone saxophone in and out of class, she said.

Bratcher said he appreciated his students’ engagement with the musicians and is grateful to have had the opportunity to host Albrecht, Norris and Pilzer at Georgetown.

“We are lucky to live in an area with such a vibrant music scene,” Bratcher wrote. “People in the jazz community are always happy to come and work with our students.”

@GEORGETOWNVIBE_/INSTAGRAM

Georgetown Vibe_, a K-pop student dance group, hosted open dance sessions to teach students choreography.

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

The Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life held its annual panel Feb. 28 to discuss Pope Francis and his impact among Catholic leaders.

“I’m excited about the SFS’ move to take seriously DEI and hire more faculty of color, more faculty to work on race, gender and sexuality”

ARJUN SHANKAR CSJ Faculty and Research Director

DC Faces Lawsuit for Denying Access to Disabled Incarcerated Students

Olivia Macaulay Hoya Staff Writer

Two incarcerated students filed complaints against Wasington, D.C., Feb. 22 for failing to provide adequate special education accommodations for imprisoned students.

The School Justice Project, a legal services and advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring access to education for court-involved students with disabilities, will represent the students in their upcoming trials, along with the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, a committee of civil rights lawyers that works to fight inequity through legal battles, and law firm Nixon Peabody. Since D.C. does not have a long-term prison facility, those who are convicted for D.C. code violations serve time in Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities, which are federal prisons.

Sarah Comeau, lead attorney on the case and co-founder of the School Justice Project, said she hopes the lawsuit will bring students home to D.C. facilities, where education is more accessible than at BOP facilities.

“Because D.C. sends its young people to the Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities, they can’t access education,” Comeau told The Hoya. “That’s the whole point of the lawsuit. We want young people to be brought back home so they can enroll in school and access meaningful educational opportunities locally.”

According to a report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, almost 38% of state and federal prisoners had at least one disability in 2016, and Comeau said the District fails

to provide disabled students with the option to receive a diploma, access D.C. curriculum or attend special education classes while imprisoned in the BOP.

Comeau said the current system also lacks adult figures for young students to reach out to about their education.

“One of our clients has been working with me for years trying to get education, and the District is very much aware of these issues,” Comeau said. “But there’s no one that they could contact.”

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students with intellectual and developmental disabilities or impairments are entitled to an education on par with peers receiving general education.

“For over a decade, the District has deprived every eligible DC student with disabilities serving a sentence in the BOP the education to which they are entitled for the entire time they are incarcerated away from home,” the Washington Lawyers Committee said in a Feb. 22 press release.

Comeau cited Maya Angelou Academy, a public charter school for court-involved teens, as an example of an organization wellversed in providing education to incarcerated students.

The school’s model for education, which emphasizes students’ strengths in order to better their ability to build fulfilling lives, is now being rolled out in D.C. facilities and creating change for the better, according to Comeau.

“They understand the importance of providing a comprehensive and robust, meaningful education to young people,” Comeau said. “So, we hope that this lawsuit will bring young people home so they can access that

level of service locally.”

Marja Plater, an attorney with the Washington Lawyers’ Committee, said that under IDEA, students are entitled to transition services to help them adjust after their release if deemed necessary.

“For many people in this age bracket, they do need it, and they’re not receiving it,” Plater said. “And that can include vocational skills, training, and other support that would help them be able to integrate into the community.”

“Ultimately we want these young people to be educated,” Plater added. “They’re entitled to it, and their rights are being infringed upon at this time.”

Plater said studies show that receiving a high school diploma decreases the likelihood of recidivism and that students transitioning out of BOP facilities face long-term setbacks in their reintegration because of lack of access to adequate education.

“The District is denying young DC residents with disabilities in the BOP their right to an education – plain and simple,” Plater said in the press release. “Young people in the BOP want their education. Their rights matter and they deserve to return home with the skills necessary to reintegrate successfully into the community.”

The committee hopes the lawsuit will help create a system where young people imprisoned in the BOP are either educated at those facilities or housed and educated in D.C.

“Young D.C. residents who are eligible for special education and are housed in BOP should be receiving an education, and they are entitled to it,” Plater told The Hoya. “And that’s what we’re hoping to change.”

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle (GUTS) buses will now run on the weekends to Rosslyn and Dupont Circle Metro stations starting Feb. 25.

Evie Steele

GUSA Desk Editor

The Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle (GUTS) bus will reinstate its weekend service for the remainder of the Spring 2023 semester, according to an announcement by the Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA), the Georgetown University Graduate Student Government and Georgetown University.

Under the new schedule, buses from the main campus to Rosslyn and Dupont Circle will run between noon and midnight on Saturdays and Sundays — a change from the current schedule, which offers no weekend service on these routes. Bus service to the downtown campus at 55 H St. NW will run on Sundays, in addition to existing Saturday service.

GUSA and GradGov, the student governments representing undergraduate and graduate student bodies, respectively, worked with the university’s Division of Student Affairs and Office of Transportation Management (OTM) to establish the pilot program.

“The university, GUSA and GradGov have been working together this academic year to collect information and feedback on students’ transportation needs and preferences and to explore various options for improving transit accessibility,” the Feb. 23 statement read. “The weekend GUTS service pilot will provide another helpful opportunity for assessment and feedback.”

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, GUTS buses went to Dupont Circle on a limited six-hour schedule on Saturday afternoons, and never ran on Sundays.

GUSA President Camber Vincent (SFS ’24) said weekend service for the route stopped altogether following post-pandemic funding cuts.

He said GUTS weekend service will allow undergraduate students to more easily explore Washington, D.C.’s museums,

monuments and nightlife.

“Especially given college students’ schedules, the weekends are arguably the best time to go explore DC as a city and engage with all of its offerings,” Vincent wrote to The Hoya. “GUTS service on the weekend will hopefully allow students to take full advantage of all of the educational, experiential, and professional opportunities that DC has to offer.”

GradGov President Nadia Sarfraz (GRD ’23) said it took time for the organization to effectively advocate weekend service with the university administration. GradGov’s transportation and housing committee and executive board worked jointly to push for expanded service, culminating in a meeting with Vice President of Student Affairs Eleanor Daugherty.

“It took a lot of back-and-forth communication with higher admin to get them to listen to student voices,” Sarfraz wrote to The Hoya. “The delays in getting this done mostly came from the need for GradGov and GUSA leadership to actually identify where these decisions about GUTS were made.”

On the GUSA side, Vincent said he worked with university officials, including Daugherty, GUTS managers, Vice President of Planning, Facilities Management and Corporate Partnerships Lori Baldwin, Provost Robert Groves, OTM staff and the university’s board of directors to push for weekend GUTS service.

“The main challenge was just coordinating all necessary components of staffing, funding, planning, and communication,” Vincent wrote. “Ultimately we got back the route as funding became available from the Student Affairs office to pay for the route.”

Graduate students will particularly benefit from an easier weekend journey to campus, Sarfraz said.

“A huge win for all of us,” Sarfraz wrote to The Hoya. “Especially for graduate students, who often have to commute to campus on weekends for work,

studies, and activities. Graduate Ph.D. students who have to work on weekends will be able to easily access campus without additional financial burdens.”

The pilot complements the “Hoya Transit Pilot” program that launched in the Fall 2022 semester, which offers students a $100 semesterly credit to their Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority SmarTrip accounts.

In November’s GUSA Senate elections, several candidates made expanded GUTS service a key part of their campaign platforms.

Multiple first-year senators who ran on a platform advocating for weekend GUTS service said that it is critical for making the District more accessible for all students.

“Most students want to get off campus on the weekends but were previously restricted because of the lack of transportation options,” Senator Rhea Iyer (CAS ’26) wrote to The Hoya. “Now, students are able to travel off campus easily and for free. This is extremely important in expanding the ability for Georgetown to explore DC and gain opportunities off campus.”

“One of the things we hear about frequently is the so-called ‘Georgetown Bubble’ that keeps students secluded from the rest of DC,” Seth Edwards (CAS ’26), another senator who made weekend GUTS service a pillar of his platform, wrote to The Hoya “Expanding GUTS buses to the weekends means that the bubble will shrink, especially on days when students have the most free time from class.”

Sarfraz said the partnership between GradGov and GUSA strengthened their shared movement and made their advocacy for weekend GUTS service much easier.

“With the persistence of many students and student leaders, we finally had a breakthrough,” Sarfraz wrote. “Uniting grad and undergrad voices have power on this campus.”

Smithsonian

Museum Partners With Yemen for Artifact Repatriation

Karenna Warden Hoya Staff Writer

The Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) announced on Feb. 21 a historic partnership with the government of the Republic of Yemen to store important heritage artifacts. . NMAA manages over 45,000 artifacts and is one of the largest collections of Asian art in North America. The museum will store 77 cultural objects from Yemen for two years, after which the Yemeni government may either request a repatriation, a return of these items to the nation.

Ella Weiner, Research Assistant for Global Affairs in the Office of the Director at the NMAA, said the museum is honored to protect the artifacts.

“It is an immense honor to be entrusted with the temporary care and safekeeping of this historic collection of Yemeni heritage,” Weiner wrote to The Hoya “The preservation of cultural heritage is a core focus area at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA).”

The objects include a bronze bowl, folios from early Qur’ans and funerary tombstones. While most objects will remain in storage, some will join the exhibition “Ancient Yemen: Incense, Art, and Trade.” The museum curators aim to engage with the Yemeni community to better interpret the Yemeni objects displayed.

The Saudi Arabia-backed government and the Houthis, an armed rebel group, have attacked Yemen for the past eight years.

The conflict has taken over 200,000 lives—and cultural artifacts and infrastructure are fac-

ing looting and destruction.

The 77 Yemeni objects were taken out of the country illegally, according to Weiner. The United States obtained 64 of the forfeited objects as a result of investigative efforts by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection intercepted the other 13 objects amidst illegal transport to the United States.

Mohammed Al-Hadhrami, Yemen’s ambassador to the U.S., said he believes that these artifacts will not be safe in Yemen.

“With the current situation in Yemen, it is not the right time to bring the objects back into the country,” Al-Hadhrami said in a statement to Smithsonian Magazine. “The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art is a global leader in the field of cultural heritage and preservation. We are pleased to see these objects in their care.”

Weiner said the looting of artifacts robs communities of their history and culture

“The illegal looting and trafficking of cultural heritage is a huge global problem, and the US is one of the largest market countries where these objects are sold,” Weiner said. “So much of an object’s history and context are lost and communities are deprived of their heritage.”

Yen-Han Chen (COL ’25), who was born in Taiwan and is a member of Asian American Student Association (AASA), said that repatriation and the Smithsonian’s handling of the Yemeni objects is a multi-dimensional issue with no ideal response.

“The purpose of repatriation

is to ensure that the places that have been impacted by colonialism, by extractive institutions can regain what they had and make sure their cultural heritage is within their territory,” Chen told The Hoya. “That is, of course, the ideal situation, but if you have Yemen, a state that is by a lot of means, a very dysfunctional and weak state that cannot guarantee the safety of these artifacts, I think the arrangement we have right now is the best one we can have so far.”

Chase F. Robinson, the Dame Jillian Sackler Director of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and Freer Gallery of Art at the Smithsonian, said he hopes to make the partnership with the Yemeni government collaborative.

“Our partnership with the Republic of Yemen Government and its embassy is a powerful example of how shared stewardship of objects can build bridges and serve as a catalyst for learning and understanding, and we look forward to working with the Yemeni community to tell their stories,” Robinson said in a Smithsonian press release.

Chen said repatriation should be a collaborative process and acknowledges the importance of returning cultural items to formerly colonized nations.

“If you want to look at [repatriation] from a perspective that is productive and justice-oriented, then it should be a partnership,” Chen said. “It may not be the most popular solution, but I think it is the most productive one and it is the one that will bring the most good to a more just world — a world where nations that were formerly colonized, post-colonial nations, can regain their artistic possessions.”

Georgetown Ranked as Top Producer of Fulbright Scholars

Jack Willis

Graduate Desk Editor

Georgetown University ranked for the 2022-23 academic year as the top producer of students accepted to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for the third time in the past five years, according to a Feb. 14 announcement by the Department of State.

Forty-nine Georgetown students from the undergraduate to doctoral level received acceptances to the Fulbright program for the 2022-23 academic year, which provides funding for U.S. students seeking to further their academic pursuits abroad through studying, teaching English or conducting research. The latest class of Georgetown Fulbright students are serving on six continents and in 31 countries.

The 49 accepted Hoyas join the ranks of over 500 Georgetown graduates who have participated in the program since its inception in 1946, according to a Georgetown University press release.

Notable graduates of the program have gone on to become heads of state or government, Pulitzer Prize winners and Nobel Prize recipients.

Shivum Bharill (COL ’17), a Fulbright scholar from the 2022-2023 cycle in Hamburg, Germany, and Paris, said prospective Fulbright applicants should approach the process with excitement.

“Let your enthusiasm for your work and the program come through in the application process,” Bharill

wrote to The Hoya. “There’s a diversity of thought and experience that makes the environment electric.”

Georgetown students interested in applying for the award must first receive a nomination from the university’s Center for Research and Fellowships (CRF), which connects nominees with faculty and graduate mentors as students complete the various elements of the Fulbright application.

Myiah Smith (SFS ’20), a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Frankfurt, Germany, from the 2022-2023 cycle, said the program has enabled her to focus on achieving her international goals.

Smith also said the Fulbright program as a whole would benefit from increased efforts directed toward equity and inclusion.

“The program could stand to be a little more financially accessible,” Smith said. “Making sure the program is more accessible to people of color, people who come from diverse backgrounds and lower socioeconomic statuses.”

Just 6% of U.S. Fulbright scholar participants selfidentified as Hispanic, and only 6% self-identified as Black or African American in the 2021-22 cohort, according to Fulbright data.

The U.S. Fulbright Program outlines select diversity initiatives on its website, including the Fulbright Historically Black College and University Institutional Leaders Initiative.

Lavinia Clara Taumoepeau-Latu (GRD ’23), a Ful-

bright scholar conducting research in Tonga for its National Emergency Management Office during the 2022-23 academic year, said her inspiration to join the program was rooted in a long-standing desire to connect with her familial roots in the Pacific island nation.

“I had heard histories about my family in Tonga and it seemed to be a place that existed in my mind until I actually went to Tonga for the first time in 2011 on an internship,” Taumoepeau-Latu wrote to The Hoya “I felt inside that I would someday return to do more work eventually but where I am at in my life, I knew only an opportunity like the Fulbright could make it possible.”

Taumoepeau-Latu said the program has allowed her to explore her identity in a unique and profound way.

“Being back in Tonga now as a Fulbright recipient to do this labour of love work, on a project that connects my world as an American citizen and my cultural heritage as a Tongan, is something quite special that has changed me forever,” Taumoepeau-Latu wrote.

Taumoepeau-Latu said the impact of the Fulbright program extends beyond her to her children and her family.

“I am grateful to Fulbright for allowing me to show my children and those I love, how important it is to always move forward in life, but if they are ever given the chance, pay homage to those who came before you and remember your roots,” Taumoepeau-Latu wrote.

SMITHSONIAN

The Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art anounced a partnership with the Republic of Yemen government to provide care for 77 Yemeni artifacts.

SOFTBALL MEN’S LACROSSE

Georgetown No Match for Notre Dame Defense, Lose 15-8

Colin McLaughlin and Ben Resnicoff Specials to The Hoya

In a must-win matchup for the Georgetown Hoyas to get their season back on track, it was Notre Dame who dominated from whistle to whistle. Amid the snow falling on Cooper Field on Feb. 25, it was clear that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were one of the best teams in the country, and Georgetown could not keep up.

The Georgetown Hoyas (03) fell to No. 2 Notre Dame (3-0) in a 15-8 defensive showcase by the Fighting Irish. The Hoyas, ranked as high as No. 3 coming into the season, are now having their worst start to the season since their 2017 campaign, when they also fell in their first three games and ended up 4-10.

Notre Dame made a fast and surgical start, shooting three times and scoring the first two goals of the game within three minutes of the opening whistle. Graduate midfielder Declan McDermott responded with a strike goal of his own, giving the Hoyas much-needed life early on. McDermott has had an illustrious career on the Hilltop, and with his goal against the Irish, he brought his career goal tally to 105. Despite this initial competition, a Notre Dame win on the draw and a manup opportunity for the Irish swung the momentum right back away from the Hoyas, and the game would never be within a point for the rest of the afternoon.

By the end of the first half, Georgetown trailed Notre Dame 9-3, in large part due to a 17-7 shot on goal differential in favor of the visiting team that outweighed both an 8-4 save differential and

an 18-15 ground ball differential in favor of the Hoyas. Even with these advantages, the Hoyas struggled to maintain momentum.

Standout senior midfielder Graham Bundy Jr. accounted for Georgetown’s other two first-half goals. Last year, Bundy Jr. set a program record for most points scored by a midfielder in a single season. He is a two-time First Team All-American and was named co-captain of the U.S. National Team over the summer of 2022, and he sits in second on the team in points scored after finishing the game against Notre Dame with 3 total goals. In terms of offensive production, he trails only Tucker Dordevic, the All-Star graduate transfer from Syracuse. This season, Dordevic has produced 8 goals in upset losses to No. 15 Johns Hopkins (3-2) and No. 10 Penn (11), providing much needed offensive support to an offense that is still trying to figure itself out. Against Notre Dame, however, Dordevic had an uncharacteristically quiet showing. He had one assist in the first half and an impressive time-and-room goal to open Georgetown’s scoring in the second, but

Georgetown Hoyas Suffer Tough Streak of Losses at Tournament

Joe Moore Hoya Staff Writer

In the sixth inning of Georgetown University’s softball game against the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) this past Sunday, senior infielder Lorena Vasquez-Inzunza cracked a single up the middle that scored a runner and cut vdeficit to just 2 runs. However, this proved to be the Hoyas’ final hit of the match, as UNCW retired the next four batters consecutively to hold on to the win and cap off a disappointing weekend for Georgetown.

that comprised the totality of his scoring production for the day. His shooting percentage was his lowest since his senior season in a game that was also against Notre Dame, and he will look to return to his consistently-elite level of play in the team’s next contest.

As the second half continued, it became increasingly clear that the Fighting Irish were bound for victory with their stifling defense. They built upon their first-half lead with four goals, putting them up 13-5 at the end of the third quarter. In the final quarter, thanks in part to late goals by Bundy Jr., junior defensive midfielder Dylan Hess and first-year speedster and midfielder Patrick Crogan, Georgetown outscored Notre Dame 3-2. But it was too little, too late, and the Hoyas suffered their third straight loss.

The Hoyas are hoping to earn their first win of the season when they travel to New Jersey to take on the No. 5 Princeton Tigers (2-1) on March 4 in their third straight ranked game of the season. The Tigers will look to bounce back after their 5-11 loss to the No. 4 University of Maryland Terrapins (3-1).

Run Like a Girl, Play Like a Girl, Kick Like a Girl — And Be Proud

In Run like a girl. Throw like a girl. Play like a girl. These phrases might not seem harmful on the surface, but their negative connotations have followed female athletes for decades.

The implications of these statements are that women are not good at sports. It is true that there are quantitative differences in performances that can be attributed to the physical differences of various genders. However, the notion that women play sports with less intensity, passion and skill is false. These phrases are damaging for women — including nonathletes — everywhere.

Tiger Woods, the 82-time PGA Tour winner, recently reignited the conversation of what it means to be a female athlete.

Woods attended the Genesis Invitational Feb. 16 at the Riviera Country Club Course in Southern California. Woods has slowly made his grand reentrance into professional golf following a rocky few years, which included a near-fatal car accident. While Woods started off strong, Jon Rahm eventually won the tournament.

While Rahm asserted his dominance at the Riviera, I don’t think anyone remembers how the pros played because an unlikely object stole the show. No, the object was not an unknown Chinese balloon floating through the air — but instead a tampon.

On the ninth hole of the first day of the tournament, Woods slipped Thomas a tampon after Woods drove the ball farther than him down the tee. The meaning behind Woods’ joke?

Thomas was a girl — since he couldn’t hit it as far.

Woods did offer an apology after the joke received

backlash from sources like Sports Illustrated. “It was supposed to be all fun and games. And obviously it hasn’t turned out that way,” Woods told reporters. “We play pranks on one another all the time and virally I think this did not come across that way, but between us it was — it’s different.”

My initial thought was to wonder what Woods was doing with a tampon in the first place, anyway. My next reaction was to take offense.

Before anyone calls me sensitive, or says “take a joke,” I must offer my thoughts. I do sympathize with Woods because his

At the UNCW tournament in Wilmington, N.C., the Georgetown softball team (2-10) dropped all five of the games they played. They lost twice to both the Appalachian State Mountaineers (9-3) and the Eastern Kentucky University Colonels (11-5), and also fell to the aforementioned UNCW Seahawks (4-10).

On Friday, the Hoyas opened the tournament against the Mountaineers, and they came out of the dugout strong. Graduate shortstop Morgan Zamora started things off with a one-out single that was followed by a double by fellow graduate outfielder Cameron Kondo. Alas, the Hoyas were unable to capitalize on the two runners in scoring position, and this proved to be a theme throughout the weekend.

Despite five scoreless innings from Georgetown graduate pitcher Brooke Plonka, Appalachian State broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth with a

bases-loaded triple. The Hoyas were unable to muster up any offense of their own throughout the contest, and the game ended 3-0.

In the second game on Friday, Eastern Kentucky overwhelmed Georgetown. The Colonels generated considerable momentum after hitting a home run in the first, and though the Hoyas were able to create some offense and clutch hitting, they lost 9-3 after Eastern Kentucky added 4 runs in the sixth inning.

Saturday’s rematch against Appalachian State did not go better than the first game for Georgetown. Sophomore pitcher and first baseman Kayla Dunn hit a home run in the fourth inning, but this was the Hoyas’ only run of the game. They again fell to the Mountaineers, 3-1.

The Hoyas did hang with the Colonels for more than half the game in their second matchup, but Eastern Kentucky took the lead in the bottom of the fourth by spraying the field with singles, racking up 7 runs in one inning. Georgetown could not keep up, and Eastern Kentucky won the contest 7-2.

On Sunday, Georgetown fell behind 5-0 in the fourth against UNCW but rallied back in the sixth with a 3-run inning behind junior third baseman Samantha Miller, first-year first and third baseman Dayanara Campos and Vasquez-Inzunza. Unfortunately, the Hoyas fell just short and lost 5-3.

Hoya fan Charlie Phillips (MSB ’25) said he was disap-

pointed in the team’s performance but noted that a promising season lies ahead.

“They showed some good fight and should have momentum heading into the SLU game,” Phillips said in an interview with The Hoya.

The Hoyas were outscored 27-9 on the weekend and lacked offensive firepower in every game, dropping the Hoyas’ overall record to 2-10 on the year. Though the bus ride from Wilmington back to the District could not have been a satisfying one, the softball program showed resilience in every game that it played despite the mounting losses.

Head Coach Pat Conlan said she still felt positively about the team’s overall performance and pointed out some areas for improvement.

“We have a talented team. I thought we played so many great innings this past weekend, but we struggled to play a complete game from start to finish. Ultimately, we need some timely hitting,” Conlan told The Hoya.

Graduate catcher and captain Mae Forshey echoed Conlan’s sentiment in an interview with The Hoya.

“Our record doesn’t really show how competitive our games have been and how hard this team fights for all of our games,” Forshey said.

The Hoyas next face Southeastern Louisiana University (13-2) at 3:00 p.m. March 3 in Madeira Beach, Fla. The match will be televised on FloSports.

actions are closely scrutinized by the public, and at times, that must be overwhelming. We must still hold him to a high standard, however, because of all the people watching him.

Woods is especially worthy of scrutiny because he does not necessarily have a positive track record, specifically as it pertains to his character. Perhaps the public has even granted him forgiveness for actions and behaviors that would be condemned for people of non-celebrity status. Woods does not have a history of being particularly kind to women, as was seen through the media scandal regarding Woods’ divorce with his ex-wife. Woods’ actions are not isolated incidents. It is inadequate to play

Woods’ joke off as merely “fun and games.” As the saying goes, jokes are funny because they are rooted in truth — or at least perceived that way. If this incident was just a joke, it would still imply that at least some part of its meaning was true.

Since I know the title of my column is “Run Like a Girl,” I will connect this sentiment to running as proof that this tampon reference is blatantly false.

Union Athletics runner Sinclaire Johnson ran a blazing 8:37.83 over 3,000 meters at Boston University on Feb. 26. To put that in perspective, Johnson ran just under two miles in under nine minutes. Notably, Johnson is typically an 800m to 1500m runner, so for her to be running that fast over a long distance is incredible.

Likewise, Keely Hodgkinson, the 20-year-old British phenom, ran an indoor 800m in 1:57.18 at a Diamond League meet Feb. 25, matching her British record in just the indoor season. In a more fitting example, I look to Nelly Korda, a female golfer who is finding her stride in the LPGA. Korda finished tied for sixth in her most recent tournament in Thailand, and she hits with an enviable golf swing.

It’s simple: I would love to play golf like Korda, and I would love to run like Johnson and Hodgkinson.

I named this column “Run Like A Girl” because women can play sports and play them well, too, Tiger Woods. Words, even jokes, have impacts on all those who hear them. We have to make sure that women and girls feel like they belong in order to continue encouraging their participation in sport, starting at the top.

Isabella Terry is a first-year student in the School of Foreign Service. Run Like a Girl appears online and in print every three weeks.

GU Tennis Falls to Creighton Bluejays Despite Gritty Play

Carrie McDonald Senior Sports Editor

The Creighton Bluejays defeated the Georgetown men’s and women’s tennis teams Feb. 25 in the Hoyas’ second Big East matchup of the season. Neither contest was close: The women fell 1-6, and the men fell 2-5. Both teams dropped to a Big East record of 1-1 on the season with these losses.

The Hoyas traveled west to first face the University of Nebraska at Omaha on Feb. 24 ahead of this conference contest. The Georgetown men’s team (6-5, 1-1 Big East) suffered a 3-4 defeat at the hands of the Mavericks (8-4), while the Georgetown women’s team (5-4, 1-1 Big East) edged out Omaha (4-8) 4-3. Coming off of this victory, the women’s team sustained an early blow against the Bluejays (8-2, 1-1 Big East), dropping a closely fought doubles point. Senior Chloe Bendetti and sophomore McHaley Ho scraped out a close 7-5 win in the top doubles position, but Creighton rallied with a late surge on the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles courts. Initially down 4-3, the Bluejays won 16 of the last 18 points across the two courts to overpower Georgetown’s junior Morgan Coburn and senior Olivia Ashton 7-6 on court No. 2 and first-years Ashley Kennedy and Paige

Gilbert 7-5 on court No. 3.

Georgetown’s outlook did not improve as the women turned to the singles matches. Bendetti earned the only victory for the Hoyas as she defeated Creighton’s Katherine Krueger 6-2, 7-5 in second singles. On the top court, junior Avantika Willy fell 6-2, 6-2 in straight sets to Creighton’s star player Malvika Shukla, who earned Big East Female Singles Player of the Week honors for the second time this spring for her stellar performance.

Senior Agata Mikos, Kennedy, Gilbert and Coburn all fell to their respective Bluejay opponents in the singles. Mikos and Coburn managed to prevail in one set but ultimately lost their three-set battles 6-7, 6-0, 9-11 and 6-1, 3-6, 4-6 to Creighton’s Ana Paula Martinez and Leanne Kendall. Kennedy and Gilbert were downed by Creighton’s Valerie Negin and Bianca Rademacher in straight sets, losing 2-6, 3-6 and 5-7,-2-6, respectively.

Senior Kieran Foster and first-year Zamaan Moledina clinched the top doubles contest for the men, but their triumph ultimately proved to be futile. The Hoyas ultimately dropped the doubles point as sophomore Adhvyte Sharma and junior Derek Raskopf on court No. 2 and sophomores Akira Morgenstern and Jake Fellows on court No. 3 narrowly fell 4-6 to their Bluejay (5-3, 2-0 Big

East) opposition. Georgetown fared slightly better in singles play, as Fellows defeated Creighton’s Casey Ross 6-3, 6-3 and Moledina defeated Oscar Alvarez 6-0, 7-6 on the second and third singles courts, respectively.

However, Foster dropped his battle for first singles 7-6, 4-6, 2-6 to Creighton’s Matthew Lanahan. Sharma, Morgenstern and Raskopf followed suit, all falling to their Bluejay opponents. Although Sharma and Raskopf fell 0-6, 1-6 and 2-6, 4-6 in straight sets, Morgenstern displayed a valiant effort, narrowly falling 5-7, 7-5, 4-6 to Creighton’s Shin Inoue. Creighton’s victory marked the Bluejays’ fifth consecutive win after a rocky start to the season that saw them lose their first three matchups.

The Georgetown women’s team, currently undefeated at home (2-0), will stay local to take on some of its Washington, D.C. rivals. The Hoyas are scheduled to face Howard University (2-4) on March 3 at the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation at 1 p.m. Georgetown will then host friendly foe George Washington University (3-4-1) on March 5. vmen are slated to return to the court to face the Butler Bulldogs (8-5) on March 8 in southern California for another conference matchup, continuing their timid season.

Isabella Terry Columnist

“It’s simple: I would love to play golf like Korda, and I would love to run like Johnson and Hodgkinson.”

ISABELLA TERRY SFS ‘26

JOHN MATUSZEWSKI/THE HOYA

After grabbing an early lead, the Hoyas held strong through all four quarters to take out Loyola 14-7.

GUHOYAS

The Georgetown softball team displayed considerable determination while rallying from behind but were ultimately unable to secure a win in five matches.

TENNIS

GUHOYAS

Georgetown’s successes at the Big East tournament were in large part due to a strong, young core that significantly raises expectations for future seasons.

Top Three Finishes Showcase GU Ascent

SWIMMING, from A12 backstroke, while Baldini won second place in the 100 butterfly event.

Despite such strong performances in the first three days of the meet, the men’s title came down to the final relay event: the 400 freestyle relay. Leading by just nine points, the Hoyas needed a top three finish to secure their second consecutive Big East championship. The experienced team of Percin, graduate Andrew Babyak, senior Josiah Lauver and Baldini did exactly that, earning second place and scoring high enough to clinch Georgetown’s first-place overall finish over Xavier.

Georgetown’s women’s swim team also put together a very strong performance.

The Hoyas finished in third place behind Villanova, who won their 10th consecutive title, and the University of Connecticut Huskies.

The women’s team also started the meet off strong, led by the 200 medley relay team of sophomore Maddie Haley, firstyear Alex Breuer, sophomore Genevieve Youngman and junior Bella Wylie. The relay team took second, finishing at 1:41.13.

Over the course of day two and three, junior Erin Hood shined for Georgetown. Hood posted exceptional times in both the 200 and 400 IM

events, finishing in second and first place, respectively. Her 400 IM time of 4:14.78 shattered her own school record for the event.

Day three also saw firstyear Angelica Reali take first place and Wylie take second place in the 100 butterfly. Haley added a second-place finish in the 100 backstroke as well. Wylie and Hood capped the women’s meet on day four, finishing second in the 100 freestyle and 200 breaststroke, respectively.

As Saturday’s performance showcased, Georgetown appears to have a strong, young team that can continue to lead them to future successes. Of the 13 men who received all-Big East honors, four were first years and five were sophomores. Of the 11 women who received all-Big East honors, five were first-year students, three were sophomores and two were juniors.

With 13 combined seniors and graduate students on the 2022-2023 roster, Leavitt is not worried about losing key leadership pieces. Instead, he praised the current leaders for serving as mentors and putting their undergraduate teammates in a great position to lead in the future. “I think our sophomores and juniors are prepared to step into those roles,” Leavitt said. “I couldn’t be more excited about the group we have coming in next year.”

TRACK & FIELD

Five First-Place Finishes Highlight Meet

TRACK & FIELD, from A12 60-meter and 200-meter finals with times of 6.89 and 21.42, respectively. In the finals race for the 60, Paige finished in fourth place, shaving off 0.03 seconds from his qualifying time. In the 200, he went on to break his own school record of 21.07 and the Big East record with his 20.99 first-place finish, bringing in 10 points for his team.

By the end of the first day of the meet, the women’s team had earned 18 points to place them in sixth, while the men’s team placed seventh after earning 9 points.

The team’s strong performance continued with the women’s mile, where Riggins and graduate KatyAnn McDonald took first and second place, respectively. Riggins came in hot with a time of 4:37.07 and McDonald was not far behind her, clocking in at 4:37.42.

Starting the cross country season with a stress injury, Riggins said she is proud of the progress she has made this year.

“I’ve shifted a lot of pre-race nerves about my fitness to excitement about the opportunity in front of me,” Riggins said. “I was smiling on the start line of the mile, which if you know me, says a lot about how I approached this meet.”

Up next with the 3000-meter race, the Hoyas notched two more top-three finishes with junior Chloe Gonzalez and gradu-

ate Andrea Claeson coming in second and third place, respectively. Gonzalez was consistent, maintaining her second-place footing throughout the race and crossing the finish line with a time of 9:11.26. Claeson was able to secure third place after pulling away from the pack in the third lap, finishing right behind her teammate with a time of 9:11.33. Georgetown went on to sweep the podium for the 4x800-meter relay. The women’s team is made up of McDonald, senior Pippa Nuttall, graduate Grace Jensen and Riggins. The team

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ran a blazing time of 8:38.73, securing another first place victory for the Hoyas. The men’s relay team, which is made up of junior Owen Johnson, senior Parker Stokes, senior Matthew Payamps and their anchor, senior Matt Rizzo, also swept the board for first place. They ran an exemplary race with a time of 7:26.25.

“At the end of the day what really meant the most to me was being able to race with my best friends and accomplish something great together,” Riggins said.

The Hoyas will look to continue their success at the

NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M. the weekend of March 10-11. The Georgetown women’s distance medley relay (DMR) team of Riggins, Drayton, McDonald and Jensen also qualified for the championships at the Feb. 18 Alex Wilson Invitational — they are the first DMR team to qualify since Georgetown won the national championship in the event in 2016. In addition, Rizzo qualified for the mile at the Jan. 27 John Terrier Classic, as his 3:56.20 time notched him a top-16 national seeding.

Hoyas End Home Finale Frustratingly

Last issue’s solutions

PROVIDENCE, from A12 Heath knocked down another long-range bomb to cut the lead to 49-39 with 17:10 to play, Providence was forced to call a timeout.

The Friars stopped the bleeding out of the timeout with an easy floater from short range, stunting Georgetown’s momentum. The

BREAKING THE ICE

Hoyas looked out of control in transition, and Providence attacked, running its lead back up to 59-41 with 13:15 remaining. Heath and Spears continued to knock down shots, but Georgetown never found a way to make the game competitive again, as the Friars’ margin hovered around 15 for the rest of the game.

The Friars won in transition, scoring 23 fast-break points, converting 10-of-19 three point attempts and hitting around the basket, scoring 46 points in the paint to the Hoyas’ 20.

The game was a frustrating Georgetown performance in what has been a frustrating season. Georgetown went on

to lose against the Creighton Bluejays 59-99 on March 1 for its last regular season game and will have one more chance to surprise the fan base at the Big East Tournament. As the projected No. 11 seed, Georgetown will face the No. 6 seed in the first round at 8 p.m. on March 8 in Madison Square Garden.

Powerhouses Continue Bolstering Lines to Fuel Playoff Aspirations

CASEY, from A12 best defensive forward. Before his departure from St. Louis, O’Reilly recorded 12 goals and 19 points through 40 games this year, and he has already notched 3 goals and 5 points in four games with the Leafs since the trade.

O’Reilly’s instant impact is encouraging for Toronto, especially considering that he is coming off of a broken foot.

Dubas didn’t stop after O’Reilly, though. He also acquired defensemen Luke Schenn, Erik Gustafsson and Jake McCabe along with bottom six forward Sam Lafferty. Dubas’ activity before the deadline reflects a belief in the current core and a desperation to finally avoid a first round exit.

Revamped Top Six for New York

It was no secret that the New

York Rangers’ General Manager Chris Drury wanted to take a big swing at the deadline. Insiders reported for weeks that Drury wanted to make a move for a scoring winger; Meier, Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane were all on the table to some degree.

Drury acquired Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 9 along with defenseman Niko Mikkola. Then, on Feb. 19, Drury orchestrated a reunion between the Rangers and Tyler Motte, an effective two-way fourth liner. These two transactions depleted the Rangers’ salary cap space and seemed to block the team from making additional splashy moves due to financial constraints. However, that turned out not to be the case.

After Kane publicly expressed frustrations when news of the Tarasenko trade broke, the Rangers ultimately acquired the winger from Chicago on Feb. 28.

Kane has undeniable talent; he is one of the best — if not the best — American-born players to ever play on NHL ice. However, questions about his character continue to blemish his reputation.

In 2009, he pled guilty to disorderly conduct after a taxi driver accused Kane of physically assaulting him. In 2010, Chicago’s former video coach allegedly sexually assaulted former prospect Kyle Beach, and though Kane denies it, Beach said he believes that everyone in Chicago’s locker room knew about the abuse when it occurred and did not speak up

In 2015, a woman accused Kane of rape, and while he was never charged, it is important to consider that law enforcement makes an arrest in only about 5% of rape cases. Sports are part of our culture, and we should be ques-

tioning what we are giving up by letting people like Kane represent it. Sure, Kane makes the Rangers’ top six one of the league’s best, but at a much more significant cost than the draft picks or prospects New York sends to Chicago.

Playoff Implications

The Eastern Conference has found itself in an arms race; each improvement from one team pushes others to improve. Good teams are going to lose early, and the team to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals is going to have a long and hard path along the way, potentially making for one of the most exciting and unpredictable playoff seasons in years.

Erin Casey is a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences. Breaking the Ice appears online and in print every three weeks.

Sports

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FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2023

Georgetown is still in search for their first win of the season after losing 15-8 to No.2 Notre Dame.

See A10

TRACK & FIELD

Georgetown Makes Strong Run in Indoor Championships

Kate Berkery

Hoya Staff Writer

The Georgetown University men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams produced stellar results at last weekend’s Big East Championship, with five combined first-place finishes. The women’s team earned third place overall, while the men’s team notched sixth place.

Last season, both Hoya teams finished fifth overall, with five firstplace medals. Sophomore Melissa Riggins and junior Joshua Paige also took home the Women’s and Men’s Most Outstanding Performer in Track Events for their performances.

On the first day of the meet, which was hosted at the Dr. Conrad Worrill Track and Field Center at Gately Park in Chicago, the Georgetown women’s team shone in their events. In the 5000-meter, sophomore Chloe Scrimgeour came in five seconds ahead of her opponents with a time of 16:05.73.

She set the tone for the race right from the start, taking the lead and then showing everyone up by widening the gap even further in her final lap. Graduate student Sami Corman also had an excellent 5000 time, finishing in fifth place with a time of 16:35.73. Both of their 5000 times earned a combined 14 points to start the day for the Hoyas.

In the preliminary races, senior Maya Drayton qualified for the final 200-meter and 400-meter race with a 24.34 and a 55.15, respectively. Drayton shaved off 0.71 seconds from her qualifying time in the 400 final, clocking in at 54.44 to earn her the Big East Indoor title and gain 10 points for Georgetown. Paige qualified for both the

See TRACK & FIELD, A11

Georgetown (7-24)

Wednesday, 8 p.m.

Madison Square Garden

TALKING POINTS

Our record doesn’t really show how competitive our games have been and how hard this team fights.

Softball Graduate Captain Mae Forshey

NUMBERS

GAME

Georgetown men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams combined for 24 all-Big East honors. 24

GUHOYAS

The Georgetown swimming and diving team rebounded from recent losses and continued their winning ways at the Big East Championships on Feb. 25, as the men took home their second consecutive title and the women placed third.

Hoyas Dominate Big East Championships

Brendan Quill Hoya Staff Writer

Both the Georgetown University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams capped off excellent seasons with top finishes at the annual Big East championships on Feb. 25. The men’s team won its second consecutive conference championship, while the women’s team finished in third place.

Despite starting the season

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6-0 in dual meets, the men’s swimming team stumbled toward the end of the season, losing matchups against George Washington University and Seton Hall University. In spite of these disappointing performances, the team came into the weekend well-rested following a nearly month-long hiatus after the Seton Hall regular season finale.

Head Coach Jack Leavitt emphasized the difference between last year’s team and this

year’s team, even as the pressure of being reigning champions hung over the Hoyas.

“The message all year was not about a title defense, it was not ours to defend,” Leavitt said in an interview with The Hoya. “It was a brand-new journey with a brandnew group to try to accomplish something with a group of people who haven’t done it before.”

Georgetown started the meet, which was hosted at the Nassau County Aquatic Center in East Meadow, N.Y., exceptionally

GU Outscored, Outhooped in Finale

Austin Barish and Caden Koontz

Hoya Staff Writers

Georgetown The Georgetown men’s basketball team played from behind all game, falling to the Providence Friars 88-68 on Feb. 26. Sophomore guard Primo Spears was stellar in the loss, though, pouring in 26 points and dishing 4 assists while junior guard Jay Heath added 19 points on 5-of-8 threepoint shooting.

A somber air filled Capital One Arena on Sunday afternoon as the Hoyas (724, 2-18 Big East) hosted the Providence Friars (21-9, 13-6 Big East) for what was many Hoyas’ final home game. Seniors were honored before the game as Georgetown fans bid farewell to the final two members of the 2021 Big East Championship Team, centers Qudus Wahab and Malcolm Wilson — and potentially Head Coach Patrick Ewing (CAS ’85), too.

The real question is which non-seniors from this Georgetown team will step foot onto the floor at Capital One next season, a fear highlighted by the “Please Don’t Transfer” signs students held up in the sparsely-filled student section.

The game was competitive for all of five minutes.

The Hoyas started by playing some uncharacteristically good defense, marked by a forced shot clock violation and a fantastic block by senior forward Akok Akok, who finished the game with 4 blocks. Georgetown had serious reason for optimism when the Friars’ forward, Bryce Hopkins, a contender for Big East Player of the Year, picked up his third foul after just four minutes of play. The third foul forced a media timeout, during which Providence Head Coach Ed Cooley quickly pulled Hopkins from the game.

Following the timeout, Providence went on a run that the Hoyas would never recover from. The Friars quickly rattled off points on Georgetown, who were not doing themselves any favors by making careless turnovers and allowing several second-chance baskets. Such was the story of the game, as the Hoyas were dominated in the paint.

Perhaps the battle under the basket would have been different had the Hoyas had Wahab, who was unavailable due to illness. After the game, Ewing said Wahab might not have shifted the outcome, but could have made a significant difference. In his place, sophomore center Ryan Mutombo got a chance to prove himself, making the most of his limited playing time

GUHOYAS

After two consecutive seasons at the bottom of the Big East conference, the 68-88 loss to Providence felt like a fitting conclusion to a tough era.

might break through.

with a few steals.

Beyond the arc, Georgetown did not fare much better defensively as the Friars shot the lights out from deep. Providence started the game shooting 5-of-6 from three, seemingly sucking the life out of the arena every time it felt like the Hoyas

At halftime, Georgetown trailed 46-27. Out of the break, the Hoyas’ shots began to fall. Spears swished threes from the top of the key and corner. Sophomore guard Brandon Murray showed off his vision on the perimeter, swinging to Heath in the corner for a trey. When

well, leading after the first day of the four-day tournament. This excellent start was driven by a program-best performance in the 200-yard medley relay, where sophomore John McEachern, first-year Bailey De Luise, senior Michael Baldini and sophomore Connor Brennan finished with a blistering 1:27.60 to notch first place.

While Georgetown led by 19 points after day one, Xavier University cut the lead to just 0.5 points halfway through the meet.

However, Baldini continued his outstanding season for the Hoyas on day two, winning the 200 individual medley (IM) event and helping Georgetown keep a narrow hold on its tenuous lead. Day three of the tournament saw senior Sean Percin deliver a 1:37.68 performance in the 200 freestyle, landing him in third place overall. McEachern added a second-place finish in the 100 backstroke, while Baldini won

See SWIMMING, A11

BREAKING THE ICE

Mad Dash for Talent in Eastern Conference

Blue Jackets instead of the Devils over the summer. The Devils have only made the playoffs once in the last decade, but do not let their lack of postseason experience fool you — they are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.

CW: This article references sexual assault. Please refer to the end of the article for on- and off-campus resources.

As we near the National Hockey League’s (NHL) trade deadline and big names come off the board, one thing has become clear: the Eastern Conference’s top teams have gone from good to great.

A Scoring Winger

For New Jersey

On Sunday, Feb. 26, the New Jersey Devils acquired winger Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks. At 26 years old, Meier is probably the most valuable player to be traded at this year’s deadline.

After making his NHL debut with the Sharks in the 201617 season, Meier has excelled at combining size with skill. Meier creates and sustains offense by maintaining puck possession while capitalizing on the chances he gets.

Meier provides New Jersey with the kind of scoring talent they lost when Johnny Gaudreau unexpectedly signed with the Columbus

The Devils’ top-two lines are among the NHL’s best at creating scoring chances relative to their opponents, and they will only improve with the addition of Meier. It is hard to imagine that Jack Hughes could get even better than he already is, but adding Meier to his line might just do the trick this year.

Special Center Depth for Toronto

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ General Manager Kyle Dubas has built one of the most talented center cores in the NHL after acquiring former St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly, who has a resume that speaks for itself. The 32-year-old led the Blues to a Stanley Cup in 2019 and took home the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is awarded to the most valuable player during the playoffs, along the way.

In that same year, he also won the Selke Trophy, which is awarded to the league’s

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Erin Casey Columnist

SWIMMING