The Hoya: September 20, 2019

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

Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 101, No. 3, © 2019

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

Taking Space

Discover the student groups forging the way for artists to express themselves and celebrate their passion.

EDITORIAL Georgetown must assert the importance of improving campus facilities to its donors.

MAINTAINING PROGRESS Asian American student activists are pushing for more curricular recognition.

OPINION, A2

FEATURE, A4

Climate Forum Launches Day 2, Disputes Emerge

GUCR Forum Rebuttal Incites Sanders Embraces Urgency, Yang Electrifies Audience Protests, GUPD Intervenes RILEY ROGERSON Hoya Staff Writer

Dozens of students chanted, raised posters and interrupted speakers in organized protest of the Georgetown University College Republicans event Thursday night, leading the Georgetown University Police Department to stop and restart the event.

GUCR invited five climate policymakers and climate scientists, criticized by some as climate change skeptics and deniers, to deliver a conservative perspective on climate change at an event in the Reiss Science Building. The event, titled “Climate Forum: A Rebuttal,” was in response to the two-day MSNBC Climate Forum 2020, at which 11 presidential candidates are addressing environmental policy in Gaston Hall on Sept. 19 and 20, according to the GUCR Facebook page.

After GUCR leadership introduced the first speaker, Marc Morano, a protestor entered the room, loudly providing further background attempting to discredit his career.

Simultaneously, audience members started laughing, coughing and shouting while some cellphone alarms began

intentionally sounding, causing a disruption.

Another protestor, Eric Perez (COL ’23) entered wearing a clown costume and honking a horn as Morano began to present his address, “‘Climate Emergency’ Cancelled! Politicians Cannot Legislate Weather, Storms, and the Climate.”

Morano is the communications director of the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, which advocates for free market strategies to address environmental concerns.

“Saying what I had to say is not me oppressing their freedom of speech.

It’s me exercising me own.”

ERIC PEREZ (COL ’23) Protester

“I’m so sorry I’m late. Is this the clown convention?” Perez loudly asked while entering the room.

The protestors were exercis-

ing their rights to free speech by interrupting the presenters, not infringing upon the free speech of the scheduled speakers, according to Perez.

“Saying what I had to say is not me oppressing their freedom of speech. It’s me exercising my own. So they might say, ‘Oh, the left never lets us speak our dialogue’ — that’s because that dialogue is fundamentally harmful,” Perez said in an interview with The Hoya. “People are actually going to die and that’s more important to me than civility and listening to the other side.”

After Perez took a seat, other students stood up and started talking and clapping over Morano. Minutes later, GUPD officers arrived in the room and requested that some of the protestors exit the classroom.

As protesters refused to leave, a chant broke out among the crowd, “What do we want?

Climate Justice! When do we want it? Now!” GUPD eventually instructed everyone in attendance to exit the room. After about 15 minutes of break, Geoffrey Bible, the university deputy director of protocol and events, announced the GUCR See REBUTTAL, A6

THE HOYA STAFF The two-day Climate Forum 2020, hosted by Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service, Our Daily Planet, MSNBC and New York Magazine, kicked off in Gaston Hall on Sept. 19.

Thursday’s schedule for the forum included Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), currently polling second for the Democratic nomination, and entrepreneur Andrew Yang, who interacted with students at Yates Field House the night before the forum.

While candidates throughout the day agreed climate change is one of the most pressing issues for young voters and frequently highlighted the shortcomings of the President Donald Trump administration, their views split on topics such as nuclear energy and carbon capture technologies.

MICHAEL BENNET

In the first session of the climate forum, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) emphasized the need for a moderate, bipartisan solution to the climate crisis, while acknowledging the severity of the issue.

“Obviously we have a huge, unbelievably urgent existential problem on our hands, and we have lots of problems on our hands, and this generation of Americans has a lot to be re-

SUBUL MALIK/THE HOYA

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) hailed renewable energy as an important measure in combating climate change. ally angry at us about,” Bennet stated.

In addressing the need for bipartisanship to solve the issue, Bennet touted his record in the Senate representing Colorado, a state that is evenly split down party lines, according to The Denver Post.

A shift has occurred within political parties on the issue of climate change, according to

Bennet, who pointed out previous Republican support for the issue.

“The Republican Party used to have a fairly honorable environmental record,” Bennet said. “Richard Nixon created the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] and signed into law the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water See FORUM, A6

Right-Wing Speaker Halted

By Petition ASHLEY ZHAO Hoya Staff Writer

LEFT: JULIA ALVEY/THE HOYA, RIGHT: NATALIE ISE/THE HOYA

2020 Democratic presidential candidates captivated the audiences in Gaston Hall throughout the day Thursday, the first day of the two-part climate forum. Andrew Yang, left, welcomed the crowd with high-fives, and Julián Castro, right, discussed his record in sustainable infrastructure.

Forum Spurs Student Engagement MYROSLAV DOBROSHYNSKYI AND AMY LI Hoya Staff Writers

Crowds of enthusiastic students excited to catch a glimpse of seven 2020 Democratic presidential candidates waited in line outside Gaston Hall for the first day of the Climate Forum 2020 on Sept. 19.

On Thursday morning, the queue of students waiting outside the auditorium grew, especially as Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) time slot approached.

Nareg Kuyumjian (SFS ’21), a board member of the Georgetown Renewable Energy and Environmental Network, went to wait in line early in the

FEATURED

morning to secure a coveted spot to see Sanders.

“I was super looking forward to the event,” Kuyumjian said.

“I lined up from four o’clock in the morning.”

The event was hosted by The Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service at the McCourt School of Public Policy in collaboration with MSNBC, Our Daily Planet and New York Magazine. Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Andrew Yang, Marianne Williamson, Sanders, former Rep. John Delaney (LAW ’88), Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro were in attendance. Candidates

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D), former Gov. Bill Weld (R-Mass.), Gov. Steve Bullock (D-Mont.) and billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer will speak at the forum tomorrow.

Tickets for the event, which was also livestreamed and broadcast on MSNBC, were made available to students at Georgetown and other Washington, D.C.-area universities, including The George Washington University, The Catholic University of America and American University. Entrance was first-come, first-served, and students began lining up outside Healy Hall at midnight Wednesday night in anticipation of getting a seat in the au-

ditorium.

Andrew Yang, the second presidential candidate featured at the event, was given a warm welcome from the audience in Gaston.

After being welcomed in by moderator Chris Hayes, Yang jumped off the stage and ran down the front row, high-fiving students in the front row. At the end of his talk, Yang jumped off the stage again and ran down the center aisle with his hands outstretched.

For many Hoyas, Yang was a familiar face: On Wednesday night, Yang played a game of pickup basketball with students in Yates Field House.

See REACTIONS, A6

Over 100 students and campus groups released a statement condemning an event planned to feature Indian right-wing activist Sunil Ambekar and demanding transparency from the university following the event’s cancellation.

Ambekar canceled his appearance at the India Initiative event, “RSS: Roadmaps for India’s Twenty-First Century,” on Sept. 17, according to Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications Meghan Dubyak.

Ambekar was initially invited by a faculty member to address students enrolled in the class “India Innovation Studio,” and the event was RSVP-only.

When the event was canceled, the change was not formally announced; the student statement notes the event’s web page disappeared Sept. 15. Given the lack of clarity, students released the anti-Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad statement denouncing the speaker’s agenda and his affiliation with ABVP on Sept. 16.

Ambekar is the national organizing secretary of the ABVP, a right-wing, Hindu-nationalist Indian student organization with

more than three million members. ABVP is affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a larger paramilitary volunteer organization widely regarded as the parent organization of the ruling political party of India, the rightleaning Bharatiya Janata Party.

Both the ABVP and the RSS have been accused of fostering violence and intolerance against non-Hindu Indians, particularly Muslims, through their preaching of Hindutva, which refers to “Hindu-ness” and the ideology of Hindu nationalism.

Groups including the AsianPacific Islander Leadership Forum and Georgetown University Student Association signed the statement, which argued that Georgetown should not provide Ambekar a platform to speak to students. The statement cited examples of violence committed and encouraged by the ABVP, including multiple accusations of assault against students and teachers at Delhi University in 2017.

“By bringing Ambekar to campus and promoting the ABVP’s viewpoint to students, Georgetown stands in direct contrast to its moral backbone and Jesuit See SPEAKER, A5

NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

Latinx Heritage Month The sixth Georgetown Latinx Heritage Month kicked off last Friday and will include and instructional folklorico dance event.

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Remembering History Fr. Matthew Carnes, S.J., calls for reflection on Georgetown’s history 400 years after the first slaves arrived on America’s shores.

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Scores Galore Men’s soccer scores four in a victory over UConn, improving the Hoyas’ record to 5-0-0.

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NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

GUSA Senate Campaigns Twenty-one students launched their campaigns for the GUSA senate last Wednesday.

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Preserving Eden Haley Talati (COL ’20) urges progressives to use Biblical passages to redefine the conversation around climate change.

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Ground Game Rolls Football rushes for 353 yards and five touchdowns on 48 carries in a 69-0 blowout victory over The Catholic University.

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Published Fridays

Send story ideas and tips to news@thehoya.com

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OPINION

THE HOYA

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

THE VERDICT

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Yang Field House — Democratic presidential primary candidate Andrew Yang played basketball with Georgetown students at Yates Field House ahead of Thursday’s Climate Action Forum. Yang reportedly dunked on freshmen in preparation for dunking on his opponents at the forum.

Prioritize Maintenance Donations C

Yak’s Away — A yak, scheduled to be slaughtered, escaped to a nearby mountain range in Virginia despite attempts by authorities and trainers alike. The yak, named Meteor, has not been spotted since Wednesday and, we imagine, is living peacefully in the mountains.

Founded Jan. 14, 1920

EDITORIALS

As students on Georgetown University’s campus face constant health and safety hazards from crumbling infrastructure, pervasive mold and archaic lead water pipes, donations to the university continue to be directed toward luxury projects that do little to improve student life.

To better address student well-being, Georgetown should emphasize the importance of maintenance when soliciting donations, and university donors should strongly consider donating to improve infrastructure rather than to fund a shiny new building.

Last fall, repeated reports of mold caused health problems for students. In February, 85 top-floor residents of Alumni Square were relocated because of structural concerns. Just two weeks ago, graduate students reported that multiple buildings across campus contained elevated levels of lead in drinking water, including White-Gravenor Hall and the Office of Planning and Facilities Management.

Complaints about maintenance deficiencies that threaten student well-being are not a new phenomenon on campus. In 2010, The Hoya reported fire and floods across campus due to facilities issues. Since then, infrastructural problems have only worsened.

In the meantime, however, alumni and parent donors have funded renovations and new buildings, including the Maria & Alberto de la Cruz gallery, which opened in 2018, and the ongoing Cooper Field renovation after a $50 million donation from the Cooper family.

On the other hand, the university’s board of directors approved $75 million over five years for deferred maintenance in February, taking a belated and lackluster step in alleviating infrastructure issues.

“Investments in new facilities are much more appealing than renovations and maintenance,” university spokesperson Rachel Pugh wrote in an email to The Hoya in February 2018. “As a result, we tend to focus our fundraising efforts on new building projects and rely on university resources to address other needs.”

While high-profile construction dona-

tions are understandably more attractive to donors, Georgetown should emphasize to donors the importance of campus maintenance. If Georgetown presents its maintenance and facilities struggles to donors, they may be more likely to contribute to funds that will increase infrastructural integrity and student safety.

Students would much rather see our ceilings fixed and mold eradicated rather than have an upgraded sports field or a new gallery. The pleas from students for a safer campus should be heard by donors, and the Office of Advancement, the body that manages donations, should amplify our voices.

Currently, Georgetown Giving’s website offers a wide range of causes to which donors can contribute, including campus ministry, undergraduate financial aid and research programs across schools. But the website makes no mention of maintenancerelated donations and neglects to encourage donors to contribute toward infrastructural maintenance.

In soliciting donations, Georgetown should make maintenance contributions as important as — if not more important than — donations for research, athletics or the arts. Students must be able to live and study in a mold-free and lead-free campus before they can perform to their full potential as researchers, athletes and artists.

Instead of pursuing more glamorous but less impactful new projects, donors, many of whom are alumni and parents of students, should recognize the value of contributing to student well-being. Donors should read the numerous reports about inadequate facilities on campus and empathize with students who have suffered negative health consequences.

After years of documented facilities issues, Georgetown should more actively push for funds to address its crumbling infrastructure. The university and its donors cannot continue to pursue fancy new projects while students suffer substandard housing conditions.

C C C

Beer Beggar — A recent study has found that squirrels can learn the meaning of bird calls in order to recognize when they have been spotted. Researchers spent hours in parks playing audio recordings of specific bird calls but the pragmatic implications of this study are still unknown.

Feline Frenzy — A sports fan who brought a sign to the taping of ESPN’s college gameday soliciting donations for beer has raised almost $43,000. He says he will be donating the money to the University of Iowa’s Stead Family Children’s Hospital, and both Venmo and Busch Beer have tweeted that they would match his donation.

Monk-ey Business — The monks of St. Joseph’s Abbey created a controversy when they released a pumpkin beer, called “The Monkster Mash,” for the first time. It turns out pumpkin addiction plagues all edges of society, from tweens to religious figures.

EDITORIAL CARTOON by Advait Arun

Diversify Mental Health Resources As stress and other mental health concerns continue to affect students on campus, Counseling and Psychiatric Services remains woefully underprepared and many students lack access to the mental health care they deserve from Georgetown University.

Georgetown should, in addition to allocating greater resources to CAPS, invest in other mental health support systems such as off-campus therapy stipends, student well-being courses and student groups dedicated to peer counseling.

CAPS is currently unable to provide individualized mental health care for many students because of high demand for their services and insufficient staff, as The Hoya’s editorial board noted in January (“Dedicate Resources to CAPS,” The Hoya, Jan. 25, 2019, A2). Last year, CAPS at times had a wait time of two to three weeks, according to CAPS Director Phil Meilman.

Nine months later, CAPS still lacks sufficient staff to provide adequate mental health care for students. After years of student calls for greater resources, Georgetown must prioritize building up support systems that are both sufficient and accessible for students.

As the university looks to address issues of mental health, however, better funding for CAPS is only part of the solution. Georgetown should expand its off campus therapy stipends program, which helps students finance visits to off-campus mental health care providers.

In February 2018, after sustained activism from students, the university allocated $10,000 to pilot an off-campus therapy stipend program.

A committee of three health care professionals administer the fund to students with demonstrated financial need.

Six months after the pilot’s launch, Georgetown now has two funds, one for graduate students and one for undergraduates, according to Meilman. The university should continue to help students access professional counseling by continuing to provide funds for the off-campus mental health stipend.

Moving forward, the administration should increase funds to the stipend to allow all students,

regardless of socioeconomic class, to access professional counseling. Additionally, Georgetown should advertise this option and encourage students to use it.

In conjunction with bolstering mental health funding, Georgetown should also strengthen existing programs, such as classes and student groups, to provide diverse options for mental health support.

Last year, Georgetown’s Health Education Services first piloted “Intro to Hoya Studies: Thriving at Georgetown,” a noncredit course aimed at helping students navigate the stressful environment at Georgetown.

The students who took the course enjoyed it, and many students have expressed interest in taking the course for credit, and HES is exploring that option for the future, according to HES Director Carol Day. Last fall, the university also launched “Mastering the Hidden Curriculum,” a course designed to help low-income, first-generation students deal with stress at Georgetown.

Courses like these can be an effective means to teach students techniques to handle stress and other mental health issues. Georgetown should continue improving the programs and offer more sections so more students can benefit from access to systematic education on how to navigate the Hilltop.

The university should also help advertise student groups that have a mission of providing peer mental health support. Project Lighthouse, a student group created in consultation with CAPS and HES, provides a platform for students to speak anonymously to their peers. With more university support and advertising, Project Lighthouse will be able to expand its network of peer support.

While the university looks for permanent solutions to adequately fund CAPS and provide professional mental health support for all students who need it, Georgetown should invest in alternative programs, including the off-campus mental health stipend, well-being courses and peer support groups.

Maya Gandhi, Editor-in-Chief Madeline Charbonneau, Executive Editor Kiera Geraghty, Executive Editor Amber Gillette, Managing Editor Katrina Schmidt, News Editor Cady Stanton, News Editor Henry Mihm, Sports Editor Jake Wexelblatt, Sports Editor Timothy McNulty, Guide Editor Doris Zhang, Opinion Editor Will Cassou, Features Editor Meena Morar, Features Editor Subul Malik, Photography Editor Samuel Nelson, Design Editor Katherine DeMatteo, Copy Chief Sheel Patel, Social Media Editor Jenna Ryu, Blog Editor Hector Herrera, Multimedia Editor

Editorial Board

Doris Zhang, Chair

Faris Bseiso, Bianca Corgan, Joshua Levy, Joseph Yacovone, Grant Zangwill

Myroslav Dobroshynskyi Academics Desk Editor Amy Li Graduate Desk Editor Sana Rahman Campus Life Desk Editor Riley Rogerson Campus Life Desk Editor Connor Thomas City Desk Editor Joanna LaCoppola Deputy Sports Editor Steven Botsoe Deputy Guide Editor Michelle Brown Deputy Guide Editor Allan Navarro Deputy Guide Editor Zain Sandhu Deputy Guide Editor Max Hamid Deputy Opinion Editor Rebecca Stekol Deputy Opinion Editor Afua Nyantakyi Deputy Features Editor Karena Landler Deputy Features Editor Yolanda Spura Deputy Features Editor Julia Alvey Deputy Photography Editor Margaret Fouberg Deputy Photography Editor Natalie Isé Deputy Photography Editor Kiki Schmalfuss Deputy Photography Editor Tarika Kumar Deputy Design Editor Mina Lee Deputy Design Editor Eloise Owen Deputy Design Editor Janis Park Deputy Design Editor Madeline Broderick King Deputy Copy Editor Chau Le Deputy Copy Editor Victoria Lei Deputy Copy Editor Nora Ma Deputy Copy Editor Grace Jaworski Deputy Social Media Editor Alexandra Matthews Deputy Social Media Editor Isabel Roemer Deputy Blog Editor

Contributing Editors

Susanna Blount, Will Cromarty, Erin Doherty, Harrison Hurt

HOYA HISTORY: Sept. 24, 1970

McIntire Organizes Ky Speech The facts are these: Fundamentalist preacher Carl McIntire has again demanded Washington as his pulpit of verbal violence, coordinating yet another “Victory in Vietnam” rally. To a country sorely aggravated over the always bitter but stagnant Vietnam debate, the incision might be deep. Worse, he has promised a star attraction who will “out Agnew Agnew,” a personage no less than Vietnam’s ostentatious Nguyen Cao Ky. Such ingredients are of the same formula that McIntire feeds to his widely syndicated radio and newspaper audiences — fire and brimstone.

An ensuing political holocaust is a likelihood that has been well established as a precedent.

Groups on both ends of the unstable Vietnam seesaw have increasingly favored counterdemonstration as a tactic. Washington knows well that now every rally implies a conflict.

Despite the frightening masses of the Moratorium and Mobilization programs late last year, isolated groups of the far right braved bad weather and imagined violence to wave their own flags. But the politically adept Vietnamization policy began to work its magic, temperatures leveled off and the winter was cool. Early in spring, American army boots trudged across Cambodian fields. Political party crashing suddenly became a more seriously organized effort.

NEWS ANALYSIS April 4 gave the far right its first significant opportunity for open display. The Reverend Carl McIntire, longtime peddler in the war issue, emerged in Washington with a show attracting several thousands to hear several Southern congressmen and a few willing unknowns crank out their total victory line. This time, radi-

cal students, leaving for home or elsewhere and poo-pooing McIntire’s efficacy, were willing to let them have their pep rally in peace. However, the biggest extravaganza, three months to the day later, was hardly received with the same disinterest. July 4 was to be “Honor America Day,” a spectacularly patriotic display, parading forth countless aging entertainment personalities, legions of military bands, and a conglomeration of July 4 paraphernalia.

Claiming no political affiliation, the “Honor America” festivities were an obvious magnet for extremists of both sides. Rennie Davis made some generally anticipated demands, having established the Emergency Committee to Prevent a July 4 Fistfight.

Louis Palmer and Bob Conrad Hoya Staff Writers

For letters to the editor and more online content, visit thehoya.com/category/opinion.

Mitchell Taylor, General Manager Sarah Mihm, Director of Human Resources David Towell, Director of Sales Brian Yoffe, Director of Financial Operations

Board of Directors

Will Simon, Chair Dan Crosson, Maya Gandhi, Anna Kooken, Yasmine Salam, Mitchell Taylor, Hannah Urtz LETTER TO THE EDITOR AND VIEWPOINT POLICIES The Hoya welcomes letters and viewpoints from our readers and will print as many as possible. To be eligible for publication, letters should specifically address a recent campus issue or Hoya story. Letters should not exceed 300 words.

Viewpoints are always welcome from all members of the Georgetown community on any topic, but priority will be given to relevant campus issues. Viewpoint submissions should be between 600-700 words. The Hoya retains all rights to all published submissions.

Send all submissions to: opinion@thehoya. com.

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CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS If you have a comment or question about the fairness or accuracy of a story, contact Executive Editor Madeline Charbonneau and Executive Editor Kiera Geraghty by email at executive@ thehoya.com.

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OPINION

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

VIEWPOINT • VOLZ

THE HOYA

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AS THIS JESUIT SEES IT

Grow After Graduation

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ive years ago, in fall 2014, I wrote an opinion piece for The Hoya that I regret. I wrote it to defend my decision to change my last name from Reavis to Volz when I married the love of my life. I had written it in a knee-jerk response to Jasmine White’s original article on why she would never change her last name. I was defensive when I read it because I had just gotten married and interpreted her stance as a critique of my decision and maybe of my marriage.

I grew a lot in college.

Originally, I’m from Montana.

Navigating Washington, D.C. public transit from Dulles to the Hilltop felt like my first college exam, and I certainly failed it. While I learned many things during my four years at Georgetown University, one thing I never learned was that my education shouldn’t be over when I graduated. My late introduction to feminism taught me that.

I hadn’t ever considered not changing my name when I got married. All my foremothers had changed their names when they married. Feminism, and particularly the history of women changing their names, wasn’t something I came across frequently in Montana or in the courses I chose to take at Georgetown.

After graduating, I had grown complacent in learning. In a way, I felt like my learning was capped off since I wasn’t in school anymore. I questioned what I could learn outside of a formal, instructional setting.

Perhaps gaining knowledge was dangerous in that way. I got comfortable. I didn’t have the full picture, but I felt like I did because I saw so much more of the picture than I used to before college. I knew a lot about some things, like English Romantic poets, but I certainly didn’t know about much about feminism and women’s equality — issues that so intimately affect my life and my decisions.

My complacency eroded over the five years I spent working for an antiviolence organization after graduating.

We advocated for survivors of domestic and sexual violence and worked to prevent violence in our community.

We dove deep into examining root causes of violence. It was there that I was first introduced to the deep and wide world of feminism. Women of color, old and young women, the

LGBTQ community, survivors of violence and my coworkers all lent me their voices and their knowledge.

At home, Roxane Gay, bell hooks, Gloria Steinem and other powerful feminists were my new professors.

Their books were my new classroom. They taught me that my decision to change my name when I got married was rooted in a history of women as property — property of their fathers, then property of their husbands. Under the historical doctrine, a woman took her husband’s name and then her property was her husband’s and she had no legal right to appear in court or do business. I came to realize that in changing my name and in writing that defensive article, I had been complicit in a history of oppression of women.

That was not an easy thing to realize. I struggled to reconcile my prior belief that my learning was capped with the fact I had missed such an important lens through which to view the world. My education hadn’t given me the full picture after all; there were still so many things I didn’t know.

I don’t think I will ever fully understand the nuances of going through the world as a woman, or the full implications of intersectional feminism, but it doesn’t mean I won’t try to learn. It was a mistake for me to cap my learning when I graduated. Now I try to approach new topics with caution and curiosity. I read and listen as much as I can.

I’ve considered changing my name back. I haven’t yet because I wrestle with the fact that I would still be squarely in a patriarchal system, carrying the name of my father.

Feminism is about dismantling that patriarchal system with a systemic response. Name keeping might be a part of that. Or not. I’ve still got some figuring out to do.

So, this article is just my gentle reminder to students: Learn lots now, but don’t stop there. You can change viewpoints and values after college. In fact, you should be alarmed if you find that you aren’t learning after college.

Leaving Georgetown shouldn’t mark the end of your growth. It should mark the beginning.

AMY VOLZ graduated from Georgetown College in 2014.

Like the new nation that took shape on this continent, they did not invent the practice of slavery or bring it to these shores, but they did over the ensuing decades adapt to it and become enslavers themselves.

Remember Georgetown’s History of Slavery

Fr. Matthew Carnes, S.J.

T

he bells of Healy Hall and Dahlgren Chapel departed from their normal rhythm on the afternoon of Aug. 25. For four long minutes, beginning at precisely 3 p.m., they joined bells across the nation to toll in memory of the four centuries that have passed since the arrival of the first ship carrying enslaved African people to Port Comfort, Va. Given that the commemoration came in the midst of New Student Orientation, with all the rush and excitement of convocation and goodbyes to parents, it was a moment that could easily have gone overlooked. Yet, if we have the ears to listen, the quiet, steady tolling of those bells ought to set the tone — the backdrop — for all we will do in this coming academic year.

A few of us were gathered there in Dahlgren Quadrangle, Jesuits and campus ministers and other members of our

university community, to silently listen, reflect and pray.

It was a spectacular late summer afternoon, and the clouds billowing over the steeple and towers added to the sense of greater meaning of the day.

The bells insistently called us to remember a history that we neglect, one that began in 1619 with a foundational sin, an act of brutality that was repeated innumerable times and defines our nation and its institutions to this day.

The bells made me think, too, of another date 15 years later, in 1634, when Jesuits first arrived in these English-speaking colonies in the Americas. Like the new nation that took shape on this continent, they did not invent the practice of slavery or bring it to these shores, but they did over the ensuing decades adapt to it and become enslavers themselves. Some even adopted and developed elaborate defenses of the practice, and collectively they engaged in one of the largest mass sales of enslaved persons of their era.

This history of enslavement in our nation is truly our history here at Georgetown University, and it is personal. Our records provide the names and ages of enslaved persons and their children, as well as of the Jesuits who owned, bought, managed

BETWEEN THE LINES

and sold them. We can trace out the self-serving lines of reasoning that were used to justify these actions, and we can see countervailing voices that were raised but failed to carry the day when it mattered most. And we can trace out the long legacy of forced labor, separations of families, discrimination and harm, the effects of which persist to this day.

Yet remembering takes work, and the rush of the semester and the pressures of the day can too quickly become excuses for letting our painful history fade from our attention. Talking about hard truths, and how to engage with them, can make us deeply uncomfortable. Too often in the past, we as a nation and as a university community have remembered but then moved on.

It is for this reason that one of the central recommendations of the Working Group on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation is to we ensure our historical involvement in the practice of slavery never again drops from our attention. Many members of our extended community have actively taken up this charge — descendants of the enslaved persons, Jesuits at Georgetown and beyond, faculty, students and administrators — but the call extends to all of us.

How will we hear the bells as

we begin this academic year? For they are truly urgent, and they embed us in both the injustices and dehumanizations of our past and of our present. How will we interrogate our history, and how will we question our current national divisions across political, economic and social lines? How will we let the hard facts of persistent inequalities shape our decisions about how we spend our time, both individually and as a community? When will we raise our voices, and when will we fall silent and truly listen, especially to those whose voices have been ignored? And how will we ensure that this world, which we did not personally invent but has profoundly shaped us and to which we can adapt too easily, becomes more just and more inclusive through our choices and actions?

The bells of Healy Hall will continue to sound, persistently and insistently, every 15 minutes.

Will we have the courage and commitment to hear them?

Fr. Matthew Carnes, S.J., is an associate professor in the department of government and the School of Foreign Service, and he served on the Working Group of Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation.

AS THIS JESUIT SEES IT appears online every other Tuesday.

SACRED SPACE

Biblically Justify Environmentalism Encourage Religious Celebrations

Haley Talati

“I

n the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,” humanity’s troubled relationship with the environment began in earnest. (Genesis 1:1) 2020 presidential hopefuls flocked to the university this week to participate in a town hall-style climate forum. The event is as a timely reminder that many young progressives cite climate change as a top priority in the upcoming elections — yet some conservative voters and politicians deny climate change.

Most environmentalists rightfully turn to scientific evidence to advocate for climate action, but skeptics’ tendency to dismiss such evidence as bad science or even propaganda limits the effectiveness of this approach. and suggests that it’s time to introduce other strategies. More specifically, Progressives should cite the biblical mandate for environmentalism as an additional call to action in the climate change conversation, particularly when addressing Christians who reject science-based arguments.

At first glance, the Bible’s first creation story looks unpromising from an environmentalist standpoint, since God grants humanity “dominion” over the earth. However, God’s labeling of other parts of creation as “good” hints at a theme made more explicit in the second creation story: the obligation of environmental caretaking.

In Genesis 2, God establishes an intimate symbiotic relationship between humanity and the environment by creating the first man from the ground, in-

structing him to “till and keep” the Garden of Eden, and permitting him to eat from most of the garden’s trees. From the outset, humanity and nature are codependent. God also puts intentional care into the creation of both entities by breathing life directly into the first man and then personally planting the garden.

Far from establishing a relationship in which humanity dominates nature, this series of events places them on equal footing.

Contrary to the stance occasionally adopted by conservatives that the Bible grants humans authority to exploit the earth, God demands stewardship and imposes limitations on humanity’s contact with the environment.

Adam, the first human, receives two primary directives from God: to till and keep the garden and to avoid eating the fruit of one particular tree.

When Adam and Eve eat this fruit, they breach the divine line between humanity and nature by infringing upon a part of the environment that was not intended for their use – much like humanity continues to do today. Adam and Eve are consequently expelled from Eden, and while the stated reason for this expulsion is God’s concern that humans might acquire immortality, the event is unavoidably connected to their unsanctioned environmental transgression.

These elements of the creation stories point bluntly to humanity’s obligation to the environment. Even traditionally conservative evangelicals recognize that their religion mandates environmental stewardship, according to a Yale and George Mason universities study.

Meanwhile, in a shameless violation of these values, the President Donald Trump administration has taken steps to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and to repeal the Clean Power Plan. By loosening regulations of carbon dioxide emissions, these measures will severely reduce

the United States’ contribution to global efforts to halt climate change. With intergovernmental organizations warning that limiting global warming to manageable levels will require immediate and drastic action, people concerned about climate change should not overlook unconventional arguments, like this very accessible one in the biblical text, that could help persuade others of the issue’s importance.

Conservative Christians who are reluctant to accept scientific arguments may be more sympathetic to a reminder of the Bible’s environmentalist mandate. Convincing this part of the population that we should act as caretakers of nature regardless of whether climate change is real would be a critical step in reducing future exploitation of the environment.

If we can successfully frame our duty to nature as permanent and essential rather than as something that only arises in the face of environmental disaster, then our ability to take responsible action on climate change will not rely on our capacity to convincinge everyone that it exists. Progressives should point to God’s instructions in the creation stories to amplify humanity’s inherent obligation to act as environmental caretakers, which may mean adjusting the arguments they use in addressing the religious right. When scientific arguments that favor climate action fall short, we should try turning to biblical ones.

We are running out of both options and time when it comes to climate action. Progressives should lean into biblical analysis if it can contribute even marginally to ensuring that the United States does its part to combat climate change. The Bible’s creation stories can serve here as an ally not just for political progressives, but for the longevity of the environment itself.

Haley Talati is a senior in the College.

BETWEEN THE LINES appears online every other Thursday.

Yumna Naqvi

L

ast Tuesday, millions of Shia Muslims spent their entire day at the mosque to commemorate Ashura, a momentous day of grief and reflection. But at Georgetown University, I was pressured to choose between my faith and my schoolwork.

For Georgetown students that ascribe to a faith besides Christianity, commemorating a religious occasion is exhausting. Classes are still in session and a flawed absence policy for religious observances prevents students from fully engaging in their worship.

To allow non-Christian students to practice their faiths, Georgetown should extend its absence policy to reduce the burden of missed work. However, the policy should only be a necessity for less-celebrated religious holidays.

For non-Christian holidays widely celebrated on campus, school should be closed.

Georgetown’s absence policy stipulates that students who are unable to attend class to observe a religious holiday will not be penalized and can make up missed work. Though the policy seems reasonable, it dissuades students from taking an absence and piles deadlines on those who do.

Currently, the policy states that a student can only request an extension for assignments due on the day of the absence. However, students are still expected to meet deadlines for their classes the very next day. As a result, students who miss class often need to cram work after services, turning the holiday into a headache.

Georgetown should amend its religious observance policy to

allow students more flexibility in requesting extensions around holy days. Christian students enjoy days off before and after Christmas; non-Christian students at least should be allowed to breathe, as they simultaneously attend classes after holidays and attempt to meet accumulating deadlines.

Additionally, the current policy only “encourage[s]” professors to accommodate these holidays; professors can — and have — scheduled critical exams on these dates. For example, Jewish Student Association board member Melinda Blumenstock’s (COL ’22) professor assigned a midterm on Yom Kippur, the exhaustion from which prevented her from attending services that evening.

Even if students were to make up the exam, they would still have to take it shortly after the holiday or take it early and be at a disadvantage compared to their peers. Professors should be required to avoid non-Christian holidays when scheduling exams.

By extending its policy to increase deadline flexibility and prevent exams around holy days, Georgetown could allow nonChristian students to fully engage in their worship and celebrations.

However, the university should only apply such an absence policy to less-celebrated religious occasions on campus. Classes should be canceled for widely celebrated holidays.

Despite its Catholic identity, Georgetown has historically served as a leader in facilitating the worship of other faith traditions; the institution became the first American university to hire a Muslim chaplain in 1999 and a Hindu priest in 2016.

Georgetown should continue its leadership and become the first American university to close school on non-Christian holidays.

While other universities have also failed to take this step, high schools have taken initiative.

Most notably, New York public

schools close on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Eid-al Fitr, Eid-al Adha, Diwali and Lunar New Year.

If high schools can recognize the importance of non-Christian holidays, Georgetown — an institution that purports to place high importance on religion — has no excuse.

Moreover, holding classes on non-Christian holidays is isolating for students of other faiths and cultivates a culture that treats these occasions as inferior to Christian celebrations.

For example, the first day of training for Georgetown residential assistants this past summer was held on Eid-al Adha — the Muslim equivalent of Christmas — despite the date being posted on Georgetown’s religious holy day calendar. However, when I requested the day off, the Office of Residential Living asked me to justify why I couldn’t split the day between training and celebration.

Critics of closing school on nonChristian occasions argue that canceling class for one holiday would mean closing school for every occasion. However, Georgetown should examine its demographic and only close for religious holidays widely celebrated on campus.

The demographics of the two largest faith minorities on campus — 450 Jewish undersgraduates and 400 Muslim undergraduates — are not negligible.

Additionally, Georgetown is in session for 14 more days than Yale University and 10 more than the University of Notre Dame.

The university can afford to close school for a few non-Christian holidays, without diminishing the value of its education.

Georgetown’s efforts to foster religious inclusivity are meaningless if students cannot equally celebrate their faith.

Yumna Naqvi is a junior in the School of Foreign Service. SACRED SPACE appears online every other Wednesday.

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE Jon Ossoff (SFS ’09) announced he will run for Senate in Georgia in 2020 against incumbent Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.).

Story on A7.

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya.

IN FOCUS HIGH SCHOOL FREE SPEECH verbatim

“

It was a good job because I was interacting with people, and people who are nice.”

Express distributor Hassan Nezhadessivandi on The Washington Post’s free commuter paper ceasing production. Story on A9.

from our blog

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Sommer Ingram Dean, staff attorney at the Student Press Law Center, which works to protect student press freedom, spoke on the suppression of free speech in high schools at The Free Speech Project’s first monthly discussion session held Sept. 16.

STOP BRAGGING ABOUT YOUR SAT SCORE And other subtle tips as our blog breaks down the ~quirks~ of your fellow Hoyas that you definitely, really, don’t do yourself. Stop pretending Epi quesadillas are good and read this article instead. blog.thehoya.com

APILF Fights Against ‘Institutional Amnesia’ ANGELA PEREZ Hoya Staff Writer

Sitting in the living room of their Magis Row townhouse with the word “HOME” emblazoned on the wall in large, twinkle-light strewn letters, Heejin Hahn (COL ’20) and Jennifer Sugijanto (COL ’20) muse about their final year at Georgetown University.

Hahn and Sugijanto were freshmen when they helped create the Asian-Pacific Islander Leadership Forum, then a burgeoning committee of the Asian American Student Association in 2016.

Two years after its establishment, the forum recently fulfilled the goal of creating a residential space for Asian American students on campus through the establishment of the Asian American Hub for Organizing, Movement and Empowerment, the Magis Row house that was first opened at the beginning of the 2019-20 school year.

While APILF has made significant progress over the last few years, however, students still see a need for establishing a permanent house for Asian American students, developing an Asian American studies program and putting constant pressure on the university to ensure such initiatives are always visible and accessible to all Asian American students.

THE CURRENTS OF “INSTITUTIONAL AMNESIA”

APILF founders sought to differentiate it as a more social justice-centric organization in its own right, focusing on creating a proper space for Asian American students on campus and filling a niche for activism within the community.

The underlying fear of this student-led activism, however, is the effect of “institutional amnesia,” or the tendency for initiatives or campaigns to dissipate as key campus leaders depart.

The transitory nature of the university often leads to a nonstop cycle of reworking, according to Sugijanto.

“Students want this thing, but because of this institutional amnesia, these students graduate and the campaign doesn’t really live on,” Sugiijanto said. “It’s so transient. You’re here for four years and then you’re out.”

Georgetown students pushed for an Asian American studies program nearly a decade ago, but the movement seemed to lose momentum, according Christopher Shinn, an English professor who began teaching “Asian Americans and the Public Sphere” this year.

“In the 12 years, I’ve seen students raise the issue maybe nine years ago, and that activism raised consciousness when students were demanding courses in Asian American studies,” Shinn said. “But only recently has there been a resurgence.”

As a Magis Row house, the Asian American HOME faces the possibility it will be an installment for just one year.

As long as the house remains one of the Magis Row Living Learning Community that rotate on an annual basis, rather than a permanent establishment, it will need to seek approval for its continued existence each year.

For Sugijanto, the process of having to apply and justify the presence of a house sometime feels counterproductive.

“With the house, we have to prove to the university that this space deserves to exist for a reason,” Sugijanto said. “But at the same time, it forces us to get into the conversation of like, ‘Well, what is the purpose of this affinity space, and why is it a space that has to exist for Asian Americans specifically?’”

In many ways, APILF looked to the past efforts of the Black Leadership Forum and the Latinx Leadership Forum when molding their own place on campus, according to Hahn. However, APILF differentiates itself from other respective affinity organizations in its scope and purpose.

“It just didn’t make sense for us to replicate that model because we couldn’t,” Hahn said. “There weren’t enough Asian American social justice spaces for us to be able to collaborate. So, we realized that we needed to create a new space.”

La Casa Latina and The Black House are two institutionalized spaces housed by the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access that aim to host programming and provide a permanent on-campus gathering space for their respective communities.

However, more than sim-

GEORGETOWN ASIAN PACIFIC ISLAND LEADERSHIP FORUM/FACEBOOK

APILF members and alumni sit in front of the Asian American Hub for Organizing, Movement and Empowerment house. ply seeking permanent establishments on campus, APILF leaders hope to create structures that Asian American students at Georgetown want to see preserved for years to come.

FULL CLASSES, HIGH DEMAND

Beyond carving out spaces for cultural dialogue and community building, members of APILF have also worked to promote greater visibility for Asian Americans through the development of an Asian American studies program.

Asian American students made up 7.2% of the university’s population in 2016, according to Data USA — nearly one-tenth of the entire student body. Ye, only in the last year have courses on Asian American studies begun to appear in the university’s course catalogue.

“The irony is that the largest minority population at Georgetown is the Asian American population, and for this largest group we haven’t seen the establishment of an Asian American studies program or a department,” said Shinn said.

Of the hundreds of classes in the course catalog this semester, the university currently offers three classes on Asian America, according to APILF’s “2019-2020 Academic Year Asian American Class Guide,” in the English, history and anthropology departments.

By building relationships with several professors who encouraged their activism, Sugijanto found an instructor to help her design Georgetown’s first “Intro to Asian American Studies” class: English professor Christine So. After fielding initial student interest through surveys, drafting a comprehensive syllabus and working directly with So, Hahn’s efforts to create the class reached fruition last spring.

The course offerings seemed to have sparked a greater awareness among the Georgetown community about Asian American studies as a whole, according to Sugijanto.

“The most inspiring thing for me to see is that people actually talk about Asian American studies like it’s a thing,” Sugijanto said. “Two years ago, when we first started it, people were like ‘Oh, Asian American studies at Georgetown. What does

that mean?’ And now, people are talking about it and asking more questions.”

Shinn’s course currently has 30 students enrolled, but he expanded the original classroom capacity for the class to accommodate others wanting to take it.

“The fact that there are students who are interested and wanting to enroll in large numbers is a sign that the demand is there,” Shinn said. “We have to build on this.”

Despite Shinn’s efforts to include more students than initially allowed, many students still find themselves unable to enter the limited selection of courses that currently focus on Asian Americans. Though both have publicly advocated and worked for the creation of an Asian American studies department, Leina Hsu (COL ’22) and Gina Kang (SFS ’22), co-chairs of the AASA Political Action Committee, were waitlisted for Shinn’s and were unable to enroll.

In February 2019, APILF and AASA PAC partnered together for “Georgetown Doesn’t Teach Me,” a photo campaign to highlight the dearth of Asian American studies courses on campus.

AASA PAC, which similarly seeks inclusion for Asian Americans, takes a different, more person-to-person approach from the more activist-rooted APILF, focusing on informal discussion sessions, programs and articles about and by Asian American students on campus.

BUILDING SOMETHING THAT LASTS

Though obstacles still exist, this iteration of student activism for greater Asian American representation in Georgetown’s curriculum has inspired hope in many community members on campus.

Recent curriculum developments to diversify course offerings have also displayed the power student-led initiatives can wield.

The African American studies department, for example, was converted from a program into a permanent department in 2016, with a unanimous vote from the board of directors after significant pressure from students. Before that, the department had existed as an interdisciplinary program since 2003.

“I feel much more optimistic, because in the past there wasn’t a sort of precedent,” Shinn said. “Now, there has been a will to really establish African American studies as a field that people can major in. The reason why I’m optimistic is [that] we’ve seen progress, and now it’s time for an expansion of that diversity and inclusiveness initiative to honor the sacrifices and the efforts made by Asian American students at Georgetown.”

Moving forward, the fate of the Asian American HOME and its state of impermanence stands as a testament to current and future Asian American Hoyas’ will and desire to maintain it, according to Sugijanto.

“I feel like something we’re trying to do is set up a good institutional framework for students to move forward. I hope that at least what we can leave behind is a more accessible archive for people to be able to tap into and move forward in organizing,” Hahn said.

Within this challenge, however, comes the task of crafting a message that will resonate throughout the diverse identities that make up the Asian American community at large, according to Hahn.

“There’s always debate about what ‘Asian’ and ‘Asia’ include,” Hahn said. “It’s a race that’s socially constructed in a way that doesn’t really make a lot of sense, but because we have already been politically grouped together, there is still some sense in politicizing it together.”

Hahn and Sugijanto’s efforts have helped bring about tangible change in the organization’s early years of existence, but challenges persist, both in the form of campus administration and within the Asian American community itself.

While Shinn remains optimistic about student efforts to improve Asian American representation on campus, he acknowledges that the onus still lies on the university to realize the aim of these movements.

“Asian Americans who have contributed so much to the life of the school do not have a curriculum that reflects their history, cultures and traditions,” Shinn said, “[so that] means that we have a ways to go. Hopefully the university will fulfill that promise.”

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Student Petition Denounces Hindu Nationalist Speaker SPEAKER, from A1 values by normalizing a group that has a violent history of abusing minorities in India,” the statement reads. “This event should not be taking place and we cannot, in good conscience, allow it to happen.”

The India Initiative, a program in the Office of the Vice President for Global Engagement that works to promote dialogue about India’s role in world affairs, organized Ambekar’s visit. The initiative promoted the event as a conversation about his upcoming book on the RSS and its vision for India — including the role of other faiths in India, Hindutva and caste politics, and LGBTQ rights.

The “Indian Innovation Studio” course is taught by Irfan Nooruddin, the director of the India Initiative, and Mark Giordano, a professor of geography.

The event description, however, does not accurately reflect the values that Ambekar and the ABVP stand for, according to Sonali Mirpuri (COL ’20), who drafted the statement with the South Asian Working Group of APILF at Georgetown.

“The event as it was marketed says that he’s going to come to promote his new book,” Mirpuri said. “Simply Googling his name, so many things come up about crimes against humanity, crimes against college campuses, and it just confuses me why Georgetown would sponsor such a figure to come to campus.”

On Sept. 17 Ambekar chose to cancel his visit to Georgetown, according to Dubyak. Ambekar’s in-

vitation to speak was in line with the university’s policy of allowing free speech even if a speaker’s views are highly controversial, according to Dubyak.

“Georgetown does not prohibit speech based on the person presenting ideas or the content of those ideas, even when those ideas may be difficult, controversial or objectionable,” Dubyak wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Though the event was initially available on the India Initiative’s website, the statement claims that the event page was silently taken down Sept. 15 and no information on the event could be found. However, some students were told by staff members that the event was still occurring, but closed to the public, according to the statement protesting Ambekar’s visit. The visit ultimately did not occur.

The university needs to be clearer with students about what events are held and the purpose of these events, according to Mirpuri.

“I feel like the event was put on with very little transparency in terms of like no one knew it was happening, it was a very underthe-radar thing,” Mirpuri said.

Events like Ambekar’s uplift racist and Islamophobic voices rather than highlighting minority perspectives in India, according to Jamal Jaffer (COL ’21), the academic chair for South Asian Society.

“These should be a reexamination on our position on India and relations with India,” Jaffer said.

“We’re highlighting a lot of voices that are quite Islamophobic in the India space and in the political

space, and we’re not really supporting a lot of the minority interests involved in these politics.”

Both Dharmic Life and Hindu Students Association released statements to their members addressing Ambekar’s event. The organizations condemned violence while acknowledging the right to free speech and debate.

In the wake of this controversy, students should take advantage of campus resources to learn more about India’s culture and politics, according to Hindu Student Association President Darshil Shah (MSB ’20) “As a Georgetown student myself, I encourage others who are interested in the topics of Hinduism vs Hindu nationalism to read more about it and have meaningful conversations about the two and challenge the beliefs and arguments offered by both,” Shah wrote in an email.

Though the event was not highly publicized and was ultimately canceled, the fact that few students understood the event’s implications or even knew who the speaker was shows a pressing need for greater university recognition and discussion of non-Western issues, according to Mirpuri.

“Our lack of knowledge and our ignorance as an institution in promoting non-Western values has clearly shown through this event,” Mirpuri said. “It’s important to know about these things because we essentially, by having this event, would prop up someone in another country that has not just university effects, but long-term international effects.”

21 Students Announce Fall GUSA Senatorial Campaigns HARRISON MCBRIDE Hoya Staff Writer

With a focus on facilities issues, expanding dining options and improved representation for minority students, 21 students announced their candidacy for Georgetown University Student Association senate Wednesday ahead of next week’s election.

Fifteen candidates are running for seven positions in the Class of 2023 senate, one student is running unopposed for a vacant Class of 2020 position and five candidates are running for four at-large spots, according to a series of GUSA elections tweets announcing the initial round of candidates early Wednesday morning. Matthew Buckwald (COL ’20), former senator and transition finance and appropriations chair, resigned from the senate Aug. 30, creating a vacancy in the Class of 2020’s representation.

Charlie Wang (SFS ’22), who is running for an at-large seat, is among the candidates who launched their campaign Wednesday by hanging posters throughout campus.

Wang is running to ensure that students can provide direct suggestions and proposals on how to solve campus issues, he wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“I want to run for senate because I want to make sure students with all political perspectives, nationalities, backgrounds, and physiques can have their voices and concerns heard during the decision-making process of the school,” Want wrote.

The formal election campaigning period started Wednesday morning with the release of the initial list of candidates. The official election is set for next Wednesday, Sept. 25, with a candidate town hall scheduled for Sept. 23 ahead of the election.

A large gender imbalance characterized the fall 2018 senate elections results. Male students won all seven seats for the Class of 2022 and one female student, Hayley Grande (COL ’21), won an at-large seat.

Kwan Hopkins (COL ’23) also launched his campaign Wednes-

FILE PHOTO: JULIA ALVEY/THE HOYA

Unregistered senatorial candidates have until 11:59 p.m. on Sept.

20 to gather 100 student signatures to appear on the ballot. day for a freshman senate seat.

Hopkins released a document outlining his platform, including plans to offer free feminine hygiene products in all-gender bathrooms, alongside his campaign announcement.

“My number one priority is guaranteeing feminine hygiene products are offered in Georgetown’s all-gendered bathrooms for free,” Hopkins wrote. “Secondly, we need more 24-hour dining options on campus.

When we as a community identify problems on campus, we’re going to need bold leadership to enact real change. I believe I’m the candidate to do that.”

Prospective senators who are not officially registered to run still have until 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 20 to collect 100 undergraduate student signatures and petition to run for a seat, according to GUSA Election Commission Chair Justin Rich (SFS ’22).

Chris Ziac (COL ’22) also announced his campaign for the at-large seat Wednesday, hanging up flyers and posters in residential halls and public campus

SUBUL MALIK/THE HOYA

Candidates are running on platforms around diverse student representation, improved facilities and campus accessibility.

spaces. Ziac is focusing on improving facilities, socioeconomic advocacy and sustainability in his platform, his posters said.

“I want to know what issues students care most about so I know how I can make their lives better on campus,” Ziac wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Whether as a candidate or a Senator, I want the student body to know that my first priority will always be serving as an accessible advocate for their well-being.”

Lucy Sonsalla (SFS ’23) launched her campaign Wednesday for one of the seven seats open to the Class of 2023. Sonsalla is running a campaign based around residential life issues, she wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“I am running for senate in order to improve the quality of Georgetown’s residential life.

Many of the problems at Georgetown were immediately obvious to me within days of arriving,” Sonsalla wrote. “I believe that by educating the student body on taking care of themselves and our facilities, we can improve health, lower stress, and boost morale across campus at minimal expenses.”

The freshman candidates currently running include Brandon Yusuf (MSB ’23), Leo Rassieur (COL ’23), Eric Bazail Eimil (SFS ’23), Zach Volpe (SFS ’23), Kelvin Doe (COL ’23), Eddie Galvan (MSB ’23), Eric Lipka (COL ’23), Tyler Bates (SFS ’23), Zumanah Mahmud (MSB ’23), Cyrus Morrell (COL ’23), Trey Di Bona (SFS ’23), Andy Serrano (COL ’23), Jair Pearsall (COL ’23), Sonsalla and Hopkins.

Juliana Arias (SFS ’20) is running unopposed for the Class of 2020 position.

Henry Dai (SFS ’22), Hal Rogers (COL ’22), Alexandra Mucher (COL ’22) and Ziac are all seeking at-large senate seats.

FILE PHOTO: KIKI SCHMALFUSS/THE HOYA

A Georgetown oncology professor published an article in British Medical Journals days before the Trump administration called for a flavored e-cigarette ban after vaping-related hospitalizations.

GU Professor Publishes Study On Juul Company Merger RILEY ROGERSON Hoya Staff Writer

An article examining the motivations behind the pending merger between cigarette company Altria and e-cigarette company Juul Labs was released by Georgetown University School of Medicine professor of oncology David Levy on Sept. 4 amid national conversation surrounding the possible dangers of flavored e-cigarettes.

In the merger, Altria, the producer of Marlboro cigarettes, would purchase 35% of Juul Labs, an e-cigarette company, providing Juul with potential legal and regulatory experience and guidance, improved market prospects and increased sales, according to Levy’s article published in the British Medical Journals. However, much remains unknown about the deal’s impact on future cigarette use and Juul. The acquisition should trigger careful oversight of the nicotine delivery market on the part of the Food and Drug Administration, according to the article.

The merger shines light on the urgency of an oversight on the nicotine industry, Levy said in a phone interview with The Hoya.

“Regardless of one’s views on harm reduction, the Altria-Juul Labs deal should serve as a wakeup call on the need to carefully monitor competition in the nicotine delivery market, and evaluate how regulations and policies impact cigarette and noncigarette firms selling alternative nicotine delivery products,” Levy said.

Juul Labs caused harm in their initial marketing strategy in targeting young consumers by marketing a variety of flavors.

However, the full health effects of vaping remain unknown and require further research, according to Levy.

“I think vaping is a concern, especially Juul because Juul is really high in nicotine and therefore has more potential to be addictive,”

Levy said. “At the same time, we don’t yet know how addictive Juul is, and so I think we need to study what’s going on now.”

The journal published Levy’s article just days before the FDA condemned Juul Labs in a Sept.

9 press release for their marketing practices, including those targeted toward students. President Donald Trump also announced that his administration would pursue a national ban on most flavored e-cigarettes, excluding tobacco flavors, Sept. 11.

To address health concerns around vaping, the government should raise the age to purchase all nicotine products to 21 instead of limiting flavor access, according to Levy. Restricting flavor access might discourage those trying to quit cigarettes from switching over to other less harmful e-cigarettes, he said.

“Until we know more we should be careful, for example, limiting the flavors can do more bad than good but these are things we need to understand better before the government makes policies,” Levy said. “I think the government needs to present better information that vaping is potentially addictive, that is is much less harmful than cigarettes but at the same time, nicotine has more of a harmful effect on youth and young adults.”

Last year, Georgetown University officials announced that smoking and other tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, will be prohibited on university-owned buildings and grounds effective Aug. 15, 2020. The commitment to a tobacco-free campus came after years of student advocacy to ban the products on campus that led to a 2016 schoolwide referendum on the topic, in which 49.6% of participating voters cast a ballot in favor of the ban.

Although the university should not expedite its tobacco ban, Georgetown should educate students about vaping health risks, said Casey Kozak (NHS ’20), the

Georgetown University Student Association policy chair for student health.

“I think students should be aware of the possible risks and false advertisements related to vaping, as mentioned above,” Kozak wrote in an email to The Hoya. “I think the vaping industry should be closely monitored and regulated, and that users should stay informed with news and emerging data related to vaping.”

Georgetown’s tobacco ban initiative, which remains set for next August, aims to support the health of the entire university community, according to Associate Vice President for Benefits, Payroll and Wellness and Chief Benefits Officer Charles DeSantis.

“Our concern is for the whole of our student body, faculty, staff and visitors and the new policy encompasses a place that is free of tobacco and smoke including ecigarettes like the juul,” DeSantis wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Last year, 5 million minors reported recent e-cigarette use, and approximately 25% of American high school seniors reported vaping in the past 30 days, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar II, up from 20% last year. In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found about 380 confirmed and probable cases of vaping-related illnesses in 36 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Many of those deaths and illnesses might be connected to ecigarettes that also dispense marijuana THC and cannabis-related substances, according to health officials in California. Marijuana is more of a health concern than vaping for students, according to Levy.

“I, for one, view vaping as quite low risk,” Levy said. “Marijuana has addictive aspects also.

It is inhaled into the lungs so it is not good for a health standpoint there either and it has clear effects on people’s cognitive abilities than vaping does.”

Student Guards Encounter Scheduling Complications JAIME MOORE-CARRILLO Hoya Staff Writer

Disorganized scheduling and unclear communication from student guard management contribute to frequently unmanned guard posts in campus residential spaces, according to student guards.

Student guards, who are employed by the university and managed by the Department of Public Safety, have not had permanent shifts this semester, resulting in scheduling complications and assignment confusion.

The scheduling system switched from a permanent, consistent shift assignment system to one in which guards are scheduled on a daily, as-needed basis.

During the first weeks of the academic year, private security guards from SecTek, a security contractor based in Virginia, sporadically filled guard posts or the posts were left unattended, according to several student guards.

Student guards send their daily availability to management to organize the day’s schedule, according to a student guard who requested to remain anonymous for fear of employer retribution.

The daily schedule caused confusion about scheduling, the guard said in an interview with The Hoya.

“I’ve been giving them my availability trying to be flexible,” the guard said. “A shift is four hours, but I’ve been scheduled for six hours a day for the last three days.”

Student guards play an essential role in protecting the campus community, according to the university student guard website. The guards sit in residential hall lobbies and Lauinger Library

for four-hour-long shifts and scan ID cards before permitting students to enter the building between 8 a.m. and midnight.

Student guards receive semesterly training and work with public safety officers to identify potential issues and respond to incidents that may arise.

The Georgetown University Police Department is about 20% behind in their recruiting schedule this semester because there are more students taking classes in the middle of the school day, less interest in weekend morning shifts and students’ commitment to studies and social activities, according to Georgetown Chief of Public Safety Jay Gruber.

These roadblocks, in addition to a strict I-9 policy and restrictive human resources hiring dates, have led to open positions.

Some student guards have also not shown up for their assigned work hours, Gruber wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“We have had some student guards not show up for shifts and had to quickly backfill,” Gruber wrote. “For shifts we know are left unfilled we backfill in advance with our contract guard service.”

Although last semester open posts were not consistently unguarded and the permanent shift assignment system ran smoothly, the student guard program faced other organization problems, according to Kristin Rabil (COL ’22), who served as a student guard in spring 2019.

“I’d say at the beginning it just seemed very unorganized compared to some of my other jobs,” Rabil said in an interview with The Hoya. “It was kind of slowpaced, but I think that was because they were trying to work

with so many students, trying to get them organized.”

Last year’s more consistent work schedule made the transition to daily, more flexible assignments confusing, the current guard said.

“I was given three shifts, and so I assumed that those were my shifts, so I put them in my calendar and everything,” the guard said. “When they asked for availability the next week, I assumed that those shifts were already mine, so I didn’t send them my availability because I figured it was for nonpermanent shifts, but then I was not scheduled.”

The scheduling chaos deters registered guards from picking up shifts and the unscheduled slots have remained empty, according to the guard.

“They send us an email the next day saying, ‘These are the open posts — sign up for them,’” she said. “Some people do but some people don’t.”

Although scheduling problems have prevented student guards from effectively working throughout the day, the university hired a comparable number of students this year and last year, the guard said.

“There are 130 guards in the group chat,” she said. “I think it’s an organizational thing right now because the number of guards we have right now is not very different from last year.”

However, the guard program has yet to reach full capacity and is still actively recruiting more guards, according to Gruber.

“We have seen this trend for the past year with less students either interested in working on campus or not interested in becoming student guards,” Gruber wrote.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

Candidates Draw Long Lines REACTIONS, from A1

RILEY ROGERSON/THE HOYA

Protesters, including one student dressed in a clown costume, interrupted the Georgetown College Republicans Climate Rebuttal Thursday evening after day one of the climate forum.

Protesters Disrupt Forum Rebuttal NEW BUILDING, from A1 events, announced the GUCR program would resume and students could not reenter the room with signs.

Bible also warned that any further disruptions would lead to immediate removal from the event

by GUPD officers as well as a student code of conduct violation charge. Students were also subject to a bag check upon reentry.

Morano then resumed his presentation. Following the disruption, the event also featured Paul Driessen, the CFACT senior policy advisor, Caleb Rossiter, the executive director of the CO2 Coalition, which seeks to educate the public about the value of carbon dioxide in the environment; and Patrick Michaels the former director of the Center for the Study of Science at the Cato Institute. Kenny Stein, the director of policy for the Institute for Energy Research, a global energy market research organization, closed the event.

At least one student was later asked to leave for interrupting the speakers following the restart of the event.

Though GUCR Director of Campus Affairs Dalton Nunamaker (COL ’22) disagrees with some of the speakers’ perspectives, he was disappointed the protestors initially prevented the

speakers from delivering their message, he said.

“Personally, I think it is really disappointing that people are so committed to free speech that they won’t let other people express views that they disagree with. I think it is pretty contradictory,” Nunamaker said in an interview with The Hoya. “I think, as a college Republican, I try to introduce a variety of opinions and allow people to decide for themselves what’s best by hearing everything.”

Morano’s presentation highlighted what he sees as contradictions in media coverage on climate change that he said spoke to the invalid evidence of the phenomenon. He also rebutted the Democratic presidential candidates’ remarks at the MSNBC climate forum earlier Thursday.

Until sustainable energy becomes more accessible to the public, other energy sources should not be banned, according to Morano.

“The day we can go to Walmart, buy a solar panel, put it on a house and get off the grid is the day we can stop having an argument over climate policy. Until that happens, don’t ban everything that works for energy that’s not ready to take over,” Morano said.

Rossiter’s presentation:

“There’s No Climate Crisis, Just an Energy Crisis: How Fossil Fuels Save Lives in Africa & America” focused on environmental statistics from his career as a research professor at American University. Climate change is completely linked to cyclical changes in the Earth’s orbit around the sun rather than human intervention, according to Rossiter.

“There is not enough evidence to support high confidence that humans’ carbon dioxide are the has affected tempure enough to change the overall trend,” Rossiter said.

While Georgetown should engage with conservative ideas about climate change, climate change denial should be shunned, according to Georgetown Students Fighting for our Futures, a group of students who helped organize the counterprotest.

“Conservative perspectives on climate change are welcome on this campus, but climate change denial is not this,” the group wrote in a statement to The Hoya.

“Inviting to campus speakers such as Marc Morano, who has said climate scientists should be publicly flogged, is not a right leaning perspective; it is a message of violence.”

Specials to The Hoya Sophia Haber and Grace Buono contributed reporting.

Students flocked to Yates and crowded around the candidate, lining up to take a photo with Yang.

Patrick Milito (MSB ’23), who challenged Yang to a one-onone game of basketball, said he enjoyed having the rare opportunity to engage with the presidential candidate on a personal level.

“It was my distinct honor and privilege to ball out with frankly one of the most energizing basketball players I have witnessed,” Milito wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Yang also visited Georgetown’s campus in February to advocate for his flagship policy platform, a guaranteed social security payment for all U.S. citizens over the age of 18. Sanders previously visited campus in 2015 ahead of the 2016 presidential election, speaking on his foreign policy strategy in response to terrorist attacks in Paris, Beirut and Baghdad that week.

The Climate Forum also marked Delaney’s return to campus. When he took the stage, the Georgetown alumnus spoke fondly of the university, sharing that he met his wife April McClain-Delaney (LAW ’89) as a student at the Georgetown University Law Center and mentioned that his daughter, a current freshman, was in the audience.

Outside of Gaston, various activists were stationed across campus, hoping to bring candidates’ attention to certain issues.

Williamson was approached outside Old North by a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals activist wearing a cow costume and holding a sign reading: “Go vegan or we all die.” Williamson stopped to take a picture with the activ-

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Students lined up as early as 4 a.m. to see candidates, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), speak on Gaston Hall’s stage. ist and said she was trying to adopt veganism into her diet.

The moment was captured and tweeted by New York Magazine Washington correspondent Olivia Nuzzi.

Well-known political strategist and pundit Kurt Bardella was arrested early Thursday morning after getting into a brief physical altercation with a Georgetown University Police Department officer who tried to bar him from entering the forum, according to The Daily Beast.

The GUPD officer attempted to stop Bardella from entering a stairwell and requested to see his credentials. When Bardella tried to walk past the officer, the officer blocked the entrance, and Bardella slapped the officer’s arm and began to run up the stairs to Gaston Hall, the police report said.

Bardella has been vocally opposing the arrest on Twitter.

After the first day of the forum wrapped, student opinions of the candidates and their performances began circulating throughout campus.

The candidates successfully explained the importance of tackling climate change and

proposed original policy ideas to address the issue, according to Laura Rockefeller (SFS ’22), president of the Georgetown chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, an international climate advocacy organization.

“Bernie Sanders and Marianne Williamson in particular really drove the urgency message home,” Rockefeller wrote in an email to The Hoya. “I was most pleased to hear Senator Sanders speak specifically about the necessity for a carbon fee and dividend bill.”

CCL Georgetown supports the “Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act,” a bill introduced in Congress in January that would put a fee on carbon emissions and pay the dividend out to U.S. citizens.

Kuyumjian said the forum allowed him to become more educated on each candidate’s platform.

“I was excited to see Bernie Sanders and how his policy adapted from the 2016 campaign,” Kuyumjian said, “and to see what other candidates have to say about their policies on climate change, other candidates that I was less familiar with.”

7 Presidential Candidates Speak on Day 1 of Climate Forum FORUM, from A1 Act. Ronald Reagan closed the hole in the ozone layer. Both Bushes said, you know, we need to do something on climate, and my friend John McCain ran on climate change. What changed?”

ANDREW YANG

Many of the effects of climate change are irreversible, and our efforts to combat climate change have begun far too late, according to entrepreneur Andrew Yang, the second speaker of the day.

Nonetheless, we must still work toward a more sustainable future, Yang said.

“I’ll stand by the fact that we are too late to curb some of the warming we’re seeing around the country and the world right now,” Yang said. “We should have been doing this work 20 years ago, but the second-best time is now.”

Many Americans think shifting toward more environmentally friendly living is too expensive and burdensome, according to Yang. However, supporting initiatives to combat climate change can actually be economically beneficial, Yang said.

“This does not have to be a matter of cost and inconvenience,” Yang said. “We can actually create hundreds of thousands of opportunities around the country if we make the move towards a sustainable economy.”

Yang said he strongly supports nuclear power as a potential green energy source and questioned why other presidential candidates would oppose the initiative.

“I don’t know why other candidates are shying away from nuclear,” Yang said. “It’s a responsibility of a leader and manager to consider every alternative, and

nuclear is one of the most viable ones.”

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON

Author Marianne Williamson addressed economic injustice, intersectionality and nationwide morality, connecting the issues to climate change at each juncture during her session at the forum.

In the opening of her hour, Williamson endorsed big-picture perspectives on the issue of climate change.

“I think in many ways when we talk about climate change we talk about the trees, but we need to take a step back and talk about the forest,” Williamson said.

Williamson highlighted her “Environmental Crisis Plan,” which would create a mandatory year of service for young adults similar to the military draft, through which individuals would participate in efforts to help repair the environment. The idea was met with mixed audience reactions.

When a student voiced concerns about the safety of her policy of using hydrogen fuel in airplanes, Williamson responded that the protection of individuals should be at the forefront of climate change policy.

“I don’t buy that we’re going to have to make a choice between climate reversal and safety,” she said.

BERNIE SANDERS

Citing examples of corporate influence and criticizing President Donald Trump, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) emphasized the importance of tackling climate change and standing up to the fossil fuel industry in his Climate Forum slot.

Trump should be taking more seriously the problem of climate change much more seriously, ac-

cording to Sanders.

“We are facing an unprecedented global crisis,” Sanders said. “It disturbs me very, very much that we have a president who believes that climate change is a hoax.”

Sanders has been vocal on the campaign trail about climate change as a global emergency, proposing plans to make large investments in renewable energy and create 20 million jobs.

Sanders also specifically spoke about the disproportionate effect that climate change can have on individuals from low-income socioeconomic backgrounds as opposed to affluent communities.

“We include in our proposal, many, many billions of dollars for prevention, and to do everything that we can to protect those communities, who time and time again have been hit hard by extreme disturbances,” Sanders said.

Sanders also focused on the effect certain industries have had preventing action against climate change. The fossil fuels industry has served as a major obstacle to concrete action against the issue, according to Sanders.

“We have got to stand up to the greed and corruption. I know those are strong words,” Sanders said. “The time is now to save the planet and transform the system away from fossil fuels.”

Sanders responded to criticism of some of his proposals to fight climate change by reiterating the time sensitivity of the issue.

“This is going to be administratively very, very difficult, but no one has given me an idea of what the better alternative is,” Sanders said.

JOHN DELANEY

During his time on stage, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney

MEREDITH MILLER/FOR THE HOYA

Former Maryland Rep. John Delaney (LAW ’88) spoke on the need for bipartisan policymaking to effect climate reform, as well as the potential benefits to new businesses.

(LAW ’88) focused on his bipartisan record as well as his previous stances on environmental and trade issues from his tenure in Congress.

The Keystone XL — a controversial extension of the Keystone Pipeline that runs through Canada, Montana, South Dakota and several other Midwestern states — was a mistake in the United States’ environmental record, according to Delaney.

“It was a terrible symbol we were sending to the world,” Delaney said.

Despite his stance on the pipeline, Delaney was seen as a moderate while in Congress, ranking 36th according to the McCourt School of Public Policy’s Bipartisan Index. Delaney promised to bring bipartisanship into the climate change conversation if elected.

“The best way to pass big, transformative laws is to get bipartisan support,” Delaney said.

Additionally, Delaney discussed the potential economic gains that he sees from the renewable energy industry as an entrepreneur, including from electric cars and carbon capture. Though Delaney says carbon capture technologies should only be used as a last resort, he mentioned the potential he sees for the technology, comparing it to renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind power.

Delaney criticized Trump’s actions, referencing the ongoing United States and China trade dispute and the president’s isolationist trade policies as a barrier to addressing climate change on a global scale.

“You can’t tariff your way to solving climate change,” Delaney said. “You have to innovate.”

TIM RYAN

Similar to Delaney, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) focused his conversation on industry, innovation and bipartisanship.

Climate change should not be framed as a partisan issue, according to Ryan.

“Let’s get away from the left and right conversation and get into the newer and better conversation,” Ryan said.

Ryan focused his discussion on the manufacturing industry and the potential he sees for a green economy in the United States, particularly if the profits made from initiatives like carbon taxes are used to stimulate the economy.

Although Trump is not to blame for every issue, Trump is at fault for not putting enough attention toward environmentally friendly industrial policy, according to Ryan.

“I don’t blame Trump for every problem,” Ryan said. “But I blame him for not having urgency and for not having a green industrial policy.”

Ryan expressed interest in using natural gas as a bridge to a long-term goal of renewable energy and working with U.S. corporations to combat the impacts of climate change.

“Ultimately, the way you beat them is to move them off of what they’re doing,” Ryan said. “At some point, we’re working with them to get from where we are to where we need to be.”

JULIAN CASTRO

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro touted his record on developing sustainable infrastructure while at HUD and earlier in his career as mayor of San Antonio.

Much of Castro’s climate platform draws on his economic and infrastructure-focused experi-

ence, and investing in sustainability will benefit the future of the American economy, he said.

“Maybe it’s the mayor in me, maybe it’s the Texan in me, but I believe there’s a huge economic opportunity there,” Castro said.

Though enacting strong policies with clear timelines is a key part of his plan for combating climate change, Castro also called for accountability on past missteps on climate policy, including recent appointments of policymakers at the Environmental Protection Agency who support Trump’s plan to roll back environmental regulations in favor of business freedom.

“I’m going to appoint people to the EPA and other departments who actually believe in science and believe in climate change,” Castro said. “We need to be forward-looking with this while holding people accountable for the past.”

The historically Republican state of Texas will vote Democrat in 2020, Castro predicted, to cheers from the audience. Probusiness and environmentally friendly policies are not mutually exclusive, according to Castro.

The areas of Texas that have been home to traditional sources of energy like coal and natural gas will easily transition to sustainable energy sources like wind farms and solar panel factories, Castro said.

“I do believe that [by] embracing the right kind of climate action plan that reflects the urgency of this problem, you can still win in Texas and do that,” Castro said.

Special to The Hoya Elizabeth Brenneman and Hoya Staff Writers Myroslav Dobroshynskyi, Amy Li, Harrison McBride, Meredith Miller and Katrina Schmidt contributed reporting.

SUBUL MALIK/THE HOYA

Author Marianne Williamson during the climate change forum spotlighted her “Environmental Crisis Plan,” which would include a required year of service to help improve the environment.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

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GU Alum Seeks US Senate Seat GU Disability Alliance Pushes In Competitive Georgia Race For University Recognition HARRISON MCBRIDE Hoya Staff Writer

Jon Ossoff (SFS ’09) announced his decision to run in the upcoming 2020 Georgia Senate elections Sept. 10, joining three other Democratic candidates who are vying to unseat incumbent Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.).

Ossoff ran for Congress in 2017 in the special election in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District. Ossoff lost the race, which became the most expensive House of Representatives race in history, according to The New York Times. Republican Karen Handel, who beat Ossoff in the runoff, lost the seat, however, in the 2018 midterms to Democrat Lucy McBath (D-Ga.).

Ossoff’s campaign is focused on combating political corruption, which he claims threatens our republic and the future of the planet, according to a statement on his campaign website.

“We’re building a movement to mount an all-out attack on corruption in Washington — starting with President Donald Trump and Georgia Senator David Perdue,” the statement reads. “I believe we are all called to stand up to the abuse of power. And when we stand up together, we will win.”

Before the 2017 election, Ossoff faced a series of attacks from a Republican-funded super PAC that focused on an incident during Ossoff’s time at Georgetown when Ossoff mocked the university’s alco-

hol policy and sang a rendition of Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl,” changing the lyrics to “Georgetown Girl.”

Hrithik Saride (NHS ’22), an Atlanta native and former volunteer for Ossoff’s 2017 congressional campaign, expressed his strong support of Ossoff’s candidacy, while acknowledging that Ossoff’s chances of winning seemed slim. “[I’m] extremely excited to see Jon contest the position of Georgia Senator and I really do hope to engage in any way possible to help with this campaign run as well,” Saride wrote in an email to The Hoya. “However, from the viewpoint of [a] Georgia resident, Ossoff really is fighting an uphill battle as he goes against incumbent David Perdue.”

Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), civil rights leader and longtime Georgia congressman, announced his support for Ossoff’s Senate bid. Ossoff plans to launch a campaign to increase voter registration with Lewis later this month, according to Politico.

Former Chief of Staff for the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service Hanna Hope led a three-day student trip organized by GU Politics to observe the 2017 special election campaign in Georgia. The six students on the trip attended a debate between the top five Republican contenders for the party nomination and also met with Ossoff.

During his time at George-

town, Ossoff was roommates with Michael Tyler (SFS ’11), according to The Atlanta JournalConstitution. Tyler presently serves as the chief of staff to chair of the Democratic National Committee, Tom Perez.

One of the stated goals of Ossoff’s campaign is to help Democrats gain control of the Senate. Republicans currently hold a 53-45 majority in the Senate, with two Independents caucusing with the Democrats.

In order to flip control of the Senate, Democrats must gain at least three seats if they win control of the presidency and vice presidency. Many political analysts have listed Georgia and its two special elections as elections predicted to be some of the most competitive during the 2020 election cycle, according to NBC News.

While Georgetown University College Democrats does not support any particular candidate in primary elections, the group acknowledges the importance and competitiveness of the race, according to GUCD Chair Rebecca Hollister (COL ’21).

“We of course wish all the Democratic candidates the best, as our goal is to win the election in order to help achieve a Senate majority,” Hollister wrote in an email to The Hoya. “We will put our full weight of support behind whoever wins the primary as we work to elect a Democrat to Senate in Georgia--a feat that hasn’t been accomplished in two decades.”

Former Quarterback Releases Book About Quest for Cure RACHEL FRIEDMAN Hoya Staff Writer

Former Georgetown University football quarterback Dr. David Fajgenbaum (NHS ’07) published a memoir Sept. 10 that follows his struggle with Castleman disease and his efforts to pioneer a cure.

In “Chasing My Cure: A Doctor’s Race To Run Hope into Action,” Fajgenbaum recounts his experience being diagnosed with Castleman during his third year of medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, his five near-fatal hospitalizations and ultimately his discovery of a drug to treat his disease.

Castleman disease is a rare disorder in which the body’s lymph nodes, an integral part of the immune system, overproduce cells, causing excessive inflammation which can lead to problems like organ failure and internal bleeding. Around 6,500 to 7,700 new cases are reported each year, and there are no known causes for the disease, according to the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network.

After reviewing his own medical charts, Fajgenbaum hypothesized that the immunosuppressant Sirolimus, which was already Food and Drug Administration-approved for use during kidney transplants, could counteract the damaging immune system response that Castleman triggers.

His doctor prescribed him the drug in 2014. So far, the drug has worked for Fajgenbaum and hundreds of other patients suffering from Castleman dis-

ease.

Football head coach Rob Sgarlata, who coached Fajgenbaum during his time at Georgetown, said this dedication and talent were clear in Fajgenbaum both on and off the field.

“David was the consummate student-athlete: premed, top of his class,” Sgarlata said in an interview with The Hoya.

Fajgenbaum was diagnosed with Castleman in 2010, following an autoimmune attack that landed him in the hospital for five months. Over the next three years, Fajgenbaum was hospitalized four more times, according to CNN. Despite his illness, Fajgenbaum graduated from medical school and co-founded the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network, a global initiative dedicated to accelerating research and treatment for Castleman disease.

Fajgenbaum redefined the meaning of patient support, going above and beyond to help those with rare diseases, according to Megan Fisher (NHS ’21), who interned for the CDCN this past summer.

“David’s relentless pursuit for answers combined with his overwhelming compassion for Castleman patients is what makes the CDCN’s model so powerful,” Fisher wrote in an email to The Hoya. “He truly flipped the traditional research model on its head and was able to make incredible breakthroughs in a very short amount of time by traditional research standards.”

In addition to being a var-

DAVID FAJGENBAUM/FACEBOOK

David Fajgenbaum (NHS ‘07) was diagnosed with Castleman disease, a rare disorder in which the body’s lymph nodes overproduce cells.

sity athlete, Fajgenbaum was the student commencement speaker for the School of Nursing and Health Studies and a student governor on the Board of Governors, a group elected to manage Georgetown University Alumni Association’s strategy and affairs, according to his Linkedin. He was also a member of the Carroll Fellows Initiative, a selective program designed to prepare undergraduates for prestigious fellowships, jobs and other exit opportunities.

Fajgenbaum’s impressive and diverse involvement on campus reflected a level of maturity that surpassed that of his peers, Sgarlata said.

“He had a perspective on things that you don’t get from every college student that you encounter,” Sgarlata said. “He was a very unique student-athlete for us.”

Fajgenbaum was also the president of Students of Ailing Mothers and Fathers, now called Actively Moving Forward, a grief support network and national nonprofit organization he founded after the death of his mother Anne Marie Fajgenbaum during his sophomore year at Georgetown. Since its founding, AMF has worked with over 3,000 students on over 200 college campuses throughout the United States.

Fajgenbaum was awarded with the Lena Landegger Community Service Award, an annual award created to honor those in the Georgetown community that have made a distinguished contribution to community service, according to the Georgetown football website.

Fajgenbaum now works as an adjunct assistant professor of hematology and oncology at the University of Pennsylvania and runs a laboratory which is currently enrolling patients in a clinical trial for a drug to treat Castleman disease. Fajgenbaum was also named to Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 list in 2015.

Fajgenbaum is continuing his work with Castleman disease at the CDCN. By establishing a strategic research plan, building a collaborative network of Castleman researchers and raising awareness for the disease, Fajgenbaum has made it his life’s work to help the scientific community reach a better understanding of the causes of and treatment plans for Castleman disease, according to the CDCN website.

Fajgenbaum spoke at Georgetown’s 2017 senior convocation.

In his speech, he expressed his hope that each student also finds something important one day to which they want to dedicate their lives.

“Find that thing that motivates you, that makes you passionate, and run after it,” Fajgenbaum said in his speech.

MEREDITH MILLER Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown Disability Alliance, a developing student organization, will encourage education on disability issues and advocate for on-campus accessibility and awareness of both physical and mental disabilities in its conception, according to a Sept. 7 announcement.

Co-founders Anna Landre (SFS ’21) and Kenna Chick (SFS ’20) are founding the student organization to draw attention to issues affecting students with disabilities on campus. Specifically, the alliance plans to advocate for increased funding and staffing for the Academic Resource Center, which provides academic assistance for students with chronic health conditions, learning disabilities and psychological/psychiatric disorders, according to Landre and Chick.

The Georgetown Disability Alliance is not currently recognized by the Student Activities Commission, but Landre and Chick plan to undergo the new club development process next semester to be fully recognized and receive Access to Benefits status.

Georgetown student culture creates stigmas that perpetuate the notion that mental health problems and learning disabilities conflict with one’s ability to achieve, Landre said.

“At a school like Georgetown, disability is not something you really talk about because it’s seen as incompatible with your success here, with fitting in here, especially when it comes to learning disabilities and mental health issues,” Landre said in an interview with The Hoya.

Despite the stigma surrounding those living with disabilities, as many as 1 in 8 Georgetown students are registered with the ARC, according to Landre. The club plans to work on expand-

ing the ARC’s resources to better accommodate these students. Additionally, Landre and Chick plan to potentially work toward creating an Americans with Disability Acts Compliance and Advocacy officer within the Georgetown administration.

The club also hopes to create an environment where students can relate to one another’s stories and experiences with disabilities. As a student with disabilities, finding a community of others with similar experiences on campus has been difficult, according to Landre.

“I have felt a pretty big lack of community,” Landre said.

“It’s been kind of on an individual basis with meeting random people.”

“We all share and have a responsibility to foster an inclusive environment.”

ROSEMARY KILKENNY Vice president for Institutional Diversity and Equity

Georgetown launched its Disability Studies program in 2010, allowing students to minor in the study area.

The Georgetown Disability Alliance will add to a lineage of steps taken on campus to bring more awareness to members of the Georgetown community living with disabilities, according to Sylvia Önder, a Disabilities Studies faculty member.

“We have a long way to go, but we have also, over time, improved awareness of the problems by teaching a variety of Disability Studies classes here at Georgetown,”

Önder said in an interview with The Hoya. “I am impressed by our students’ willingness to listen and learn, and by their impulse to take action and get things done to make this a better place for us all.”

Requests for accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act are currently referred to Rosemary Kilkenny, the vice president for Institutional Diversity and Equity for the university. Creating an inclusive community for students with disabilities through language and actions is important on campus, according to Kilkenny.

“It is incumbent upon us to recognize that as members of this community, we all share and have a responsibility to foster an inclusive environment in our verbal communications and actions,” Kilkenny wrote in an email to The Hoya.

The student organization is an opportunity to better articulate the needs of students with disabilities and provide them with a more fitting support system that expands past medical accommodations, according to Chick.

“A lot of the times when people think about disabilities, they think about it in terms of more accommodation and medical needs,” Chick said in an interview with The Hoya. “But we’re finding more and more the case of students wanting and needing additional support when it comes to navigating society as a person with a disability.”

The club will further serve to educate Georgetown students through conversations on how disability relates to identity, according to Chick.

“People don’t view disability as a social identity, even though it is and that’s kind of where a lot of difficulty comes in when we try to have conversations with people to talk about diversity and inclusivity,” Chick said.

MSB Now Accepts New Standardized Test for Flex MYROSLAV DOBROSHYNSKYI Hoya Staff Writer

The McDonough School of Business now accepts a new standardized test for its admissions application to the Flex MBA Program, a first for graduate business programs in Washington, D.C., Georgetown University announced Monday.

Applicants with seven or more years of work experience can apply to the Flex MBA Program, the part-time master’s program in the MSB, using the Executive Assessment test instead of the traditional Graduate Management Admissions Test or Graduate Record Examination. The EA takes 90 minutes, rather than the three hours required by the other two tests. The EA also does not have an Analytical Writing section and includes an Integrated Reasoning section, which is not present in the GRE. Adding this test option helps recognize the value of work experience, according to Associate Dean for MBA programs Shelly Heinrich.

“Extensive work experience is a huge asset to the experience in analyzing case studies and group projects,” Heinrich said in an interview with The Hoya. “We wanted to provide an option that’s more geared towards experienced professionals.”

The EA exam is administered by the Graduate Management Admissions Council, the same organization that administers the GMAT. The EA exam originally targeted executives and included sections similar to the GMAT exam, and launched in March 2016, according to the Princeton Review. The EA exam requires less preparation time from candidates, shortens the time needed to complete graduate program applications and provides a more professionally diverse pool of candidates for consideration by graduate business programs, according to the GMAC. After seeing that other top business schools, including the University of Chicago, Columbia University and Yale University, accept the EA for their part-time MBA programs, the MSB decided to expand its application to include the shorter

YICHU HUANG FOR THE HOYA

Applicants with seven or more years of work experience can apply to the Flex MBA Program using scores from the Executive Assessment test. test, according to Heinrich.

“The mission at McDonough is constant innovation,” Heinrich said. “So we look at everything, everything from our programs to innovate, to our admissions process to innovate, to our career center to innovate, and this was just a new innovation that we wanted to apply this year.”

The MSB offers the first parttime MBA program in the D.C. region to accept the EA exam, according to Heinrich. Applicants cannot use the EA exam to apply to full-time MBA programs through the MSB. “By accepting the EA, we want to provide more flexibility in how we assess academic preparedness and believe this exam better aligns with our experienced populations,” Heinrich said in an MSB news release.

Students who have more professional experience can bring knowledge to classroom discussions that enhance the learning experience for the whole MBA class, according to Heinrich.

“One of the best values from more experienced applicants comes from their professional background rather than the

academic discipline they chose at the undergraduate level or their GPA,” Heinrich said in the news release.

The comprehensive application process for the Flex MBA program will weed out candidates that are not qualified for the program regardless of standardized test results, according to TJ Fleming, a first-year Flex MBA student.

“I think the MBA program has a good understanding of the type of student they want to bring in and if that’s the test that gets them here, I think the interview and the application and the essays — if they’re not supposed to be here, that will be clear,” Fleming said in an interview with The Hoya.

Increasing the diversity of the applicant pool to include perspectives of students who have a lot of professional experience enhances the entire MBA program, according to Fleming.

“If it allows more intelligent people with interesting diverse backgrounds into the MBA program, I think that’s a good thing,” Fleming said. “The more options, I think the better.”

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THE HOYA

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

CSJ Tutors Now Face Stricter 6th Annual Latinx Heritage DCPS Clearance Requirements Month Expands Programming HARRISON MCBRIDE Hoya Staff Writer

Tutoring organizations under the Center for Social Justice now require volunteers to undergo FBI background tests, tuberculosis testing and fingerprinting to comply with preexisting District of Columbia Public Schools policy.

The new requirements, which have not been required of CSJ tutoring organizations before this year and are now being implemented for undisclosed reasons, will affect at least 10 organizations on campus who tutor at DCPS schools, including D.C. Schools Project and Jumpstart. These organizations’ members are not allowed to tutor until they have been fully cleared by DCPS. Although students may get their TB test from any institution that conducts the test, including the Student Health Center or CVS Minute Clinic, all students must get fingerprinted at the DCPS Central Office, located in Northeast D.C., according to an email obtained by The Hoya.

Enforcing these policies for Georgetown University tutoring organizations follows DCPS’ policy of prioritizing DCPS tutee safety, Ashlynn Profit, deputy press secretary at DCPS, wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“At DC Public Schools, the health and safety of our students is our top priority,” Profit wrote. “As a part of our clearance process, all DCPS employees, volunteers, and contractors are required

to pass a robust clearance process including fingerprinting, an FBI background check, and proof of a negative TB test before providing services.”

DCPS did not provide any further explanation as to why the policy was implemented with CSJ tutoring organizations starting this year.

The order of steps that students must take to be fully cleared to tutor at DCPS schools begins with getting a negative TB test, filling out the DCPS clearance application online and bringing the negative TB test to the DCPS Central Office to get fingerprinted. Once a student successfully completes these steps, they will get an official DCPS clearance letter that the CSJ must receive prior to the student being able to tutor, according to an email obtained by The Hoya. Once students satisfy all DCPS requirements, their clearance is valid for two years.

The CSJ is working to support organizations and students by making the clearance process streamlined and affordable, according to Associate Director of CSJ Raymond Shiu.

“It is a priority for CSJ to make the process straightforward and affordable as possible, so we are providing no-cost options for students in our programs, and CSJ Advisory Board for Student Organizations demonstrated leadership to do the same for student organizations,” Shiu wrote. “We remain committed to best serving the

interests of and responding to requests from our school partners, families, and youth.”

The ABSO, which votes on funding within CSJ organizations, voted to provide $8,500 to cover the costs of TB tests as part of the nocost option, according to an email obtained by The Hoya.

Students in the Class of 2023 can use the TB test given to the university upon their enrollment for the clearance process. Additionally, the CSJ is providing student organizations vans to transport students to the DCPS Central Office.

The new compliance process creates a short timeline for student organizations to satisfy all DCPS regulations that could potentially decrease membership in tutoring organizations, according to Jinia Sarkar (NHS ’20), co-president of Georgetown University Math and Science Hands-On Enrichment. CSJ assistance and ABSO funding, however, have made the process simpler, Sarkar said.

“Though the volunteer background checks are timeconsuming and have the potential to reduce our roster, we strive to work with the CSJ and ABSO to make the process as simple as possible,” wrote Sarkar in an email to The Hoya. “We will be using our funds and support to offer reimbursement for the TB tests, transportation for the fingerprinting at the office, and an incentive for our tutors to complete the entire process!”

RILEY ROGERSON Hoya Staff Writer

The sixth annual Georgetown University Latinx Heritage Month commenced last Friday and features newly expanded programming such as an instructional folklorico dance event, Latinx jeopardy and a pupusa making workshop this year.

The 2019 Latinx Heritage month started Sept. 15 with a kickoff party hosted by La Casa Latina, a residential community for Latinx-identifying students. Other events this upcoming month include a welcome dinner, discussions about anti-blackness within the Latinx community, immigration and the media, a lotería night, a film night and a leadership forum.

This year’s heritage month programming will emphasize intersectionality as one of its themes in discussions of Latinidad, which refers to the various attributes shared by Latin American people and their descendants, according toTy Padilla (COL ’20), La Casa Latina financial coordinator.

“It is a time to really delve into topics that we normally don’t think about just because in general Latinx identity is painted with a very large brush and sometimes people feel left out of that,” Padilla said in a phone interview with The Hoya. “Latinx Heritage Month is a way for conversations or celebrations of certain cultures that aren’t really highlighted when people generally think of Latinidad.”

The events are all coordinated by the Latinx Leadership Forum, a group of 16 student leaders from different organizations at the university who share a passion for Latinx culture and community. The LLF leaders intend to organize, celebrate and advocate for Lati-

nidad on campus, according to its Facebook page. The LLF started Latinx Heritage Month at Georgetown in 2014 in collaboration with a Provost-run committee and the University President’s Office.

This year, the LLF underwent significant restructuring and adopted a new charter, according to La Casa Latina and the LLF. They are excited about the new opportunities for various campus groups to come together for the month of events, Juan Martinez (SFS ’20), LLF acting chair wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“Being able to bring together so many Latinx organizations to coordinate a month dedicated to our community has been truly empowering,” Martinez wrote. “Particularly after a summer replete with degrading rhetoric and violent actions toward Latinxs in the U.S. and abroad, it feels great coming together and producing a month of celebration and healing for our community.”

The groups represented in the LLF will be represented at the month’s signature Latinx Welcome Back dinner, set for Sept. 20 in the Healey Family Student Center Great Room.

The dinner, which was spearheaded by LLF Programming Chair Joshua Marin-Mora (SFS ’21), will support local Latinxowned community vendors as opposed to more corporate restaurants, according to Carmen Mata (SFS ’20), Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Georgetown LLF representative. The various organizations will each have their own specially decorated table to introduce themselves to students in attendance.

Although BMFG has historically performed solely at the Welcome Back dinner, this year they will additionally teach folklorico dance, a traditional Mexican dance that emphasizes local folk culture,

to interested Georgetown community members in a separate event from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sept. 20 in the Healey Family Student Center, according to Mata.

“A lot of people are interested in folklorico but they don’t necessarily want the commitment of it and so we’ve decided to put on this event just kind of like, ‘Hey, come on, test the skirts out!’” Mata said in an interview with The Hoya.

Hermanas de Georgetown, a student group that strives to support the professional and personal development of its undergraduate members, will be hosting a game of Latinxthemed jeopardy Oct 3. In addition, the Central American United Students Association will be hosting an Oct. 9 pupusa making workshop, where students will make the El Salvadorian flatbread.

Latinx Heritage Month gives BFMG an opportunity to share their culture with the broader community and complete the goals of the dance group’s first members, Mata said.

“It is something fun. It is something simple, not something that is like really heavy, besides the skirts, those are actually really heavy sometimes,” Mata said. “It is just something just that kind of gets a lot of people to dance — this is just a very specific kind of dance.”

Although the events are tailored to the Latinx community on campus, all Georgetown students are welcome and encouraged to attend the programming, Padilla said.

“Our events are geared toward people who are of the identity but we also don’t want to be just limited to that,” Padilla said. “I would encourage anyone who is even remotely interested to attend one of the events to just see what’s out there.”

Holy Trinity Fosters Inclusion Among LGBTQ Members MOIRA RITTER Hoya Staff Writer

KIKI SCHMALFUSS/THE HOYA

Volunteers working at the Center for Social Justice this semester must now undergo new compliance requirements to participate in programs such as Jumpstart and DC Reads.

Professor Publishes Paper, Opposes Taxes on Wall Street GRACE BUONO

Special to The Hoya

The implementation of financial transaction taxes by the federal government would put a strain on savings and investment accounts of middleincome Americans, according to a paper written by Georgetown University professor James Angel published through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Monday.

Angel, an associate professor of finance in the McDonough School of Business, rebuked the idea of FTTs in a report partnered with the Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness. If adopted, FTTs would tax transactions on financial securities such as stocks, derivatives and bonds by imposing a small fee whenever someone buys or sells the security. The policy has been endorsed by some 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.).

The proposed policy is misleading and would not achieve its stated purpose of raising revenue by taxing wealthy individuals, according to Angel.

“Financial transaction taxes are these ideas that sound great from a distance. You know, put a tiny tax on Wall Street, and we’ll generate huge amounts of money for all kinds of worthy purposes,” Angel said in an interview with The Hoya. “But when you look at them a lot

closer, it turns out it’s a tax that really misfires.”

The implementation of FTTs would produce more losses than gains, and the Congressional Budget Office projects that a 0.1% FTT would lead to a $43.9 billion loss in revenue in its first year, according to the paper.

The U.S. has tried to implement these taxes in the past, with drastic consequences, according to Kathleen Ward, a senior manager for strategic communications at the Chamber.

“In 1914, the U.S. imposed an FTT and in 1932 it was doubled, sending the stock market to its lowest point in the Great Depression,” Ward wrote in an email to The Hoya.

FTTs aim to generate revenue that could go towards programs including free four-year public college, according to Sanders’ campaign website. Sanders, who has been vocal about his opposition to Wall Street, has proposed using FTTs as a way to tax wealthy individuals, arguing that the tax will raise $2.4 trillion over the next decade.

Sanders’ plan, however, would impact the finances of not only the ultrarich but also average people’s savings and retirement funds, according to Angel.

“If you look at the average mutual fund turnover, apply the tax to that,” Angel said. “What you find happening is that worker is going to see by the time they retire, they’ve got $20,000 less in their IRA, that’s 8.5% less of their

entire retirement savings gone to the tax.”

The tax on investments will affect not only businesses and individuals, but finances on a state and local level, according to the paper.

“The FTTs collected on the trading of the over one million outstanding municipal issues will be offset by the higher rates that municipal issuers will have to pay to access the credit markets,” the Chamber’s paper argues. “Every state, city, town, school, and water and sewer district is affected. Indeed, every person in the United States is affected.”

For the average Georgetown student, if a policy similar to Sanders’ were to be implemented, they would see sizable changes in their retirement savings, according to Angel.

“When you go to retire, your nest egg will be 8.5% smaller than it might otherwise be,” Angel said. “In other words, you might have to work an additional year or two to get the same retirement income.”

As an alternative to FTTs, the government should implement policies that can generate revenue in a sustainable way, according to Angel.

“I think we should tax things we want to get rid of — like carbon dioxide pollution,” Angel said. “There are a lot of things we can do that will improve our health, raise needed funds and won’t screw up the economy at the same time.”

Holy Trinity Catholic Church hosted its first “Day of Reflection,” an event meant to create a more inclusive church environment for LGBTQ individuals, friends and family, on Sept. 14.

The event was the product of a small group of church members meeting over the past year to discuss ways to create an inclusive environment for the LGBTQ community. “Day of Reflection” featured the experiences of three LGBTQ and Catholic community members, according to Holy Trinity Pastor Rev. Kevin Gillespie, S.J. The church held the “Day of Reflection,” which included a prayer service meant to encourage discussions about what can be done to best address the needs of church members in the LGBTQ community, according to church’s bulletin.

Gillespie shared that both the parish and church community have expressed support for the church’s efforts.

Georgetown professor Emilia Ferrara (COL ’10), a parishioner at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, shared her personal approval for the day as a member of the church and Georgetown community.

“I am exceedingly encouraged to see Holy Trinity not

only welcome but embrace all the sheep in its flock, especially those who identify as LGBTQIA+,” Ferrara wrote in an email to The Hoya. “I could not imagine practicing my faith at a place that does not feel that LGBTQIA+ Catholics are just as vital a part of the body of Christ as anyone else.”

Talks of being more explicitly inclusive with the LGBTQ community have been going on since 2017 when Fr. James Martin, a vocal Jesuit author, came to the church to speak about the LGBTQ community’s role in the church, according to Gillespie.

The “Day of Reflection” was led in part by the LGBTQIA+ ministry, made up of several church and staff members that have worked together this year to bring more awareness to the LGBTQ community.

The success of the “Day of Reflection” shows its importance as a stepping stone for future discussion opportunities, according to Ferrara.

“Our first meeting was very successful, full of reflection and self-discovery, and I look forward to seeing the ways we empower our LGBTQIA+ members also enrich our parish as a whole,” Ferrara wrote.

The need to further increase support for the LGBTQ community came after

FILE PHOTO: AMBER GILLETTE/THE HOYA

Holy Trinity Church held a “Day of Reflection” on Sept. 14, including a prayer service and a series of discussions.

the clergy sexual abuse crisis in 2018, which led to discussion of areas of improvement within the church, Gillespie wrote.

“In June of 2018, prompted by the renewed clergy sexual abuse crisis, the parish began a Season of Discernment, one result of which was that parishioners identified a need for more LGBTQIA+ visibility and support,” Gillespie wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Having the parishioners voice a need for this visibility and support moved the staff to more actively engage the LGBTQIA+ members in conversation.”

Since the event took place last Saturday, church members have expressed their approval of the event in the church more publicly and have explicitly shown their support for the LGBTQ community, according to Gillespie.

“Parishioners have pointed out that the LGBTQIA+ community is a part/has been a part of our faith community all along,” Gillespie wrote. “Parishioners have expressed support and happiness that Holy Trinity is making our commitment more visible.”

The church mentioned its plans to expand programming to facilitate discussion with members of the LGBTQ community in a May newsletter. In a column within the newsletter, Judith Brusseau, pastoral associate for religious education and faith formation at Holy Trinity, reaffirmed that LGBTQ individuals are a part of the universal church and the local parish and proposed that a ministry focused on the LGBTQ community can foster a vision of a more welcoming church.

Pastoral staff and involved church members have already begun thinking of how to further highlight the LGBTQ community’s contributions and needs through programming in the future, according to Brusseau.

“Interested parishioners and parish ministers have begun exploring what other parishes are doing and discussing what activities and events might be appropriate to make the LGBTQIA+ community’s needs and gifts more present in our church community,” Brusseau wrote in the column.

NEWS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

THE HOYA

A9

Washington Post Ends Capital One Café Grand Daily Metro Express Paper Opening Set for Saturday CONNOR THOMAS Hoya Staff Writer

Twenty staffers were abruptly laid off from The Washington Post’s free commuter paper Express when the tabloid permanently ceased production Sept. 12.

The paper laid off the Express staffers with little prior notice when Executive Editor Dan Caccavaro called an unplanned meeting of the whole Express staff Wednesday, Sept. 11, to announce for the first time that the paper would be closing the next day. Included in the meeting were Washington Post Human Resources Vice President Wayne Connell, HR Director Jennifer Legat and Managing Editor Tracy Grant, according to one staffer who requested anonymity.

The Post shuttered Express because it was not making the company enough money to sustain its production, according to the anonymous staffer.

“Basically they told us they’ve decided to shut Express down.

They said that it was a financial decision, and that that day, Wednesday, was our last day,” the Express staffer said in a phone interview with The Hoya.

“So, the article, the press release that they had, they went up while we were in that meeting which was kind of crappy.”

Express, which had been running as a subsection of The Post for 16 years, served Metro commuters across Washington, D.C. Commuters will miss the Express and the more than 70 people that were employed to pass it out to Metro riders each morning. District residents have been using GoFundMe to raise money for the distributors, who received no severance or advanced notice about their termination.

The goal of the fundraiser is to express support for the Express distributors, who were similarly caught off guard by the paper’s sudden end, according to the page.

“In order to help these kind-hearted individuals who brightened the day of thousands of commuters for many years, we would love to see

the greater community come together and offer support in order to keep them on their feet while they look for new opportunities,” the GoFundMe reads.

Laid off staffers have received an outpouring of support from the community, many of whom say Express was a staple part of Washingtonians’ commutes on the Metro, according to the staffer.

“I loved working at Express because it was a part of people’s daily routines, and I loved seeing people on the Metro reading it and getting emails from readers whenever they would catch us in a correction,” the staffer said. “I loved — didn’t love getting corrections — but I loved seeing how invested our readers were and that if we did some small little thing they would always notice it.”

Though The Post did not give them prior notice of their firing, staffers did receive severance, and The Post’s union, The Washington Post Guild, has provided support, according to the staffer.

“We got a pretty decent severance package, so I don’t think any of us feel in imminent economic trouble,” they said. “But also the guild has done a really good job of sharing us.”

The Washington Post Guild condemned the shutdown and layoffs in a tweet that same day and petitioned The Post on Sept. 16 to rehire the staffers in other departments. Employees who are members of the guild receive preferential hiring at The Post when it hires for other positions, but this privilege does not automatically extend to Express staffers, who were excluded from the paper’s union agreement, according to a statement released by the guild.

“They were excluded from a union contract that would have protected them only by legal and bureaucratic fictions that labeled them a different entity within our company, though Post Express and The Washington Post are both owned by Jeff Bezos, the richest person in the world,” the statement said.

Express distributor Hassan

Nezhadessivandi learned about the closure Thursday, the day of the last issue, from reading the news online rather than from his supervisors at The Post.

Distributors established close ties with the commuters they served, according to Nezhadessivandi.

“It was a good job because I was interacting with people, and people who are nice,” he said in an interview with The Hoya. “But it affected me because I don’t get to see those people any more, and second, I’m out of a job. I don’t have money.”

The lack of notice by The Post has put him in financial jeopardy as distributors did not receive the same severance package, Nezhadessivandi said.

“It happened at a time when I was trying to catch up on my expenses because I have so many bills to pay,” he said.

Members of the community posted a GoFundMe on Sept. 12 to help support him, and it has already raised over 11,000 dollars, surpassing its 5,000 dollar goal. One commuter posted a sign at a Metro entrance thanking Nezhadessivandi and encouraged other riders to donate to his GoFundMe page.

The Express’ closure reflects a larger trend of print news publications struggling and shutting down across the country with weekday print circulation of newspapers in the United States decreasing by 12% between 2017 and 2018, according to the Pew Research Center. In light of this trend, the closure of Express is saddening, but not surprising, according to Georgetown University journalism professor Ann Oldenburg.

“I’m not surprised to hear that it’s closing up shop, but I am a little sad about it, just as I’m sad to see the size of many print newspapers shrinking and many local news publications suffering in cities across the country,” Oldenburg wrote in an email to The Hoya. “As we all turn to our phones for information, print just doesn’t seem a viable option. The cover of the last issue of Express lets us know that.”

MARGIE CULLEN Special to The Hoya

The new Georgetown Capital One Café will hold its grand opening on the SE corner of M Street and Wisconsin Avenue on Saturday, Sept. 28. The cafe will serve as a space to blend banking, coffee shop and communal working space concepts.

The Georgetown location is the second Capital One Café in Washington, D.C., following the opening of one in Chinatown in 2018.

The banking company purchased the space for $50.2 million, according to The Georgetowner.

The first cafe is one of 38 located in the United States and aims to attract a younger set of customers in appealing to Georgetown students, according to Capital One spokesperson Patrica Winston.

“The Cafés hum with community events, are frequented by local students looking for a place to study and neighborhood associations hosting networking and development events that give other members of the community the opportunity to grow and prosper,” Winston wrote.

Despite the grand opening taking place at the end of the month, the cafe has been open to the public for business since Aug. 28, and is located only six blocks from Georgetown’s campus.

The cafes intend to combine a workspace with the opportunity for financial education, according to Winston.

“Our Capital One Cafés are intentionally designed to empower people to feel more confident in their relationship with money,” she wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“Part of the cafe experience is also focused on helping people stressless through programs and information to help make their lives easier.”

The cafe has many aspects of a normal Capital One bank, including ATMs and associates prepared to help customers. Cafe locations, however, also include special additions that go beyond a traditional bank, such as a money coach, touch screen information panel and events like money workshops and all-day coffee happy hours.

Besides operating as a fully

@CAPITALONECAFE/INSTAGRAM

Capital One hopes to attract a younger generation to its cafés, which feature comfortable, open study spaces and Peet’s coffee. functioning bank, the cafe serves Peet’s coffee, with baristas and a menu featuring espresso and other caffeinated drinks. Past the bar, the cafe provides study spaces on all three of its levels.

The location now offers another spacious study spots in Georgetown, according to Colin Petzold (MSB ’20), a Georgetown student who has studied in one of the private spaces in the cafe.

“I like the fact that it has these study rooms — upstairs, downstairs, you can usually find a good place to study,” said Petzold.

“There’s more space than Peet’s and Starbucks.”

At Capital One’s Chinatown cafe, customers have focused more on working and buying coffee than on banking, according to Washington Business Journal. Most patrons spent time working on their computers instead of talking to the bankers, which Capital One calls “ambassadors.”

The Georgetown Capital One Café, similar to other locations for the company, will also be a community driven through its choice of partnerships, including Baked & Wired, Bullfrog Bagels and

Good Company Doughnuts, according to Winston. The location also plans to enlist local artists to provide the decorative artwork and furniture for the cafe.

Georgetown University Alumni and Student Federal Credit Union leadership does not expect Capital One Café to draw customers away from the on-campus bank, according to GUASFCU CEO Kuran Malhotra (MSB ’20).

“GUASFCU is confident that its businesses will remain strong here on campus,” Malhotra wrote in an email to The Hoya “GUASFCU does remain the only full service branch on campus, and offers tailored services to Georgetown students, alumni, and their families that can only come from a not-for-profit financial institution like ours.”

While the location may not become everyone’s new bank, the Capital One Café can act as the next hot study spot when other established places are filled, Petzfold said.

“One of these has been open every time I’ve come,” Petzold said. “I’d say in terms of coffee shops it’s probably one of the best places to study.”

New App Offers Ride-Share Price Comparisons in DC CONNOR THOMAS Hoya Staff Writer

Bid2Ride, a new ride-share comparison app that allows users to place bids on prices for ride-share options, launched its flagship service in Washington, D.C., on Sept.

17 despite lacking an application to operate through the D.C. Department of For-Hire Vehicles.

Bid2Ride lets riders set a destination and shows them the average cost of a ride to that location across various apps. Riders then “bid” a price that they want to pay and drivers from different ride-hail apps can choose to accept or reject the bids. If a rider’s bid is not accepted, they can continue to bid or view a list of the cheapest rides to their destination from Uber, Lyft and other local ride-hail apps.

The app launched in various mobile app stores with availability in the District first but plans to expand to other major cities at a future date, following the anticipated approval of its application to operate.

Bid2Ride could help cut costs for Georgetown University students if the bidding system works as promised, according to Ellie Farrell (COL ’22), who uses Uber and Lyft frequently to travel around D.C..

“For college students, it sounds like a great way to save money and take control over the sometimes crazy pricing of these apps,” she said.

The company says that the bidding process ensures riders will pay the least amount of money possible. The app launched with over 1,000 participating D.C. drivers, according to Mashable.

While DFHV has jurisdiction over ride-sharing in the District, Bid2Ride’s application to operate as a digital dispatch service is technically still under review, according to DFHV. In order to operate a DDS, companies like Bid2Ride must complete an applica-

@BID2RIDE/INSTAGRAM

Bid2Ride lets riders bid a price they want to pay for their ride. Drivers from different ride-hail apps can choose to accept or reject the bid. tion with DFHV, according to DFHV spokesperson Neville Waters.

“Bid2Ride’s application is still under review by DFHV,” Waters wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Thus, the company does not currently have operating authority.”

Companies applying for a DDS permit must submit an application fee, a surety bond of $250,000 and a link to their website and screenshots showing the method of fare calculation and rates and fees charged, among other documents, according to Waters.

The District continues to back ride-share startups, according to DFHV Agency Director David Do. “The Bowser Administration supports innovation in the for-hire ride services industry,” Do wrote in an email to The Hoya. “The District is known as a leader in leveraging new technologies and platforms to ensure our residents and visitors have access to safe, accessible and affordable transportation options.”

Ride-share apps have transformed transit in D.C., with ride sharing apps and scooters becoming more and more utilized and taxi-

cabs less so. Skip Scooters resumed operations in D.C. this month after safety concerns about their scooters spontaneously combusting caused District Department of Transportation to suspend Skip’s permit in June.

Lime recalled thousands of scooters in 2018 because of similar fire safety concerns.

Capital Bikeshare, whose parent company is Lyft, recalled its electric pedal assist bikes in April after faulty brakes caused riders traveling at high speeds to fall over the front of their handlebars.

The bikes are expected to return to D.C. streets at an undisclosed date this fall, according to WTOP. Bid2Ride has the potential to succeed in a crowded rideshare market, according to Farrell as a potential user of the app, but she is not without her reservations.

“Although it sounds like a great idea, I’d feel pressure to bid higher to ensure a ride, especially if I’m in a rush. Being given a price makes the process less complicated,” Farrell said. “I wouldn’t be opposed to trying it out, but it would be on casual terms first.”

A10

SPORTS

THE HOYA

CROSS COUNTRY

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

FIELD HOCKEY

Georgetown Defeats Rider Before Falling at Lehigh HENRY DAI

Hoya Staff Writer

GUHOYAS

Graduate student Madeline Perez, left, makes her move on an opposing runner during the Spiked Shoe Invitational. Her performance won her Big East Cross Country Female Athlete of the Week.

Hoya Women Prove Victorious At Spiked Shoe Invitational JOANNA LACOPPOLA Hoya Staff Writer

The Georgetown men’s and women’s cross country teams excelled at the Penn State Spiked Shoe invitational in State College, Pa., where the women finished in first place in the 6k race, while the men finished in second place in the 5.2-mile run last Friday.

The women’s team finished with a total of 25 points and posted strong showing against four other schools, with five of their 14 runners finishing in the top 10. It was a huge accomplishment to take down Penn State, who is No.1 in the region and a highly-ranked team nationally.

Graduate student Madeline Perez finished first for the Hoyas and second in the race with a time of 20:53.4. Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Julie Culley told GU Hoyas about her satisfaction with Perez’s performance.

“Madeline ran a fantastic race and ran a personal best on that course by over 30 seconds and was a great low stick for us,” Culley said.

Sophomore Alyssa Aldridge came in fourth place with a time of 21:11.6, followed closely behind by fellow sophomore Katherine Modrall, who finished in 21:13.0 to come in fifth place.

Sophomore Sami Corman finished in sixth place and freshman Maggie Donahue rounded out the Hoyas’ top 10 finishes, coming in eighth place overall.

Director Culley expressed her confidence in the great potential of the freshmen and sophomores on the team in coming years.

“We put nine runners in the top 15 and showed great depth as a program,” Culley said. “We are young with three sophomores and one freshman rounding out the top five, but it's easy to see how good this team is and will be in the next few years.”

On the men’s side, the team earned a total score of 40, finishing behind only Penn State to end in second place out of five teams. Three of the Hoyas’ 11 runners finished in the top 10.

Graduate student Spencer Brown was the first Hoya to finish, coming in second place overall with a time of 25:39.8.

Junior Ty Brownlow followed close behind, finishing in fourth place with a time of 25:47.3.

Sophomore Price Owens earned third place with a time of 25:59.3.

Head Coach Brandon Bonsey of the men’s team told GU Hoyas of his satisfaction with the team’s top three finishers, especially recognizing their ef-

fort in a very difficult race.

“I was really happy with the effort from our front three consisting of Spencer Brown, Ty Brownlow and Price Owens,” Bonsey said. “They put themselves in a great position all race and hung tough over the very challenging last mile of the course.”

Senior Jack Salisbury came in 12th place overall, followed directly behind by sophomore Quinn Nicholson in 13th place.

Sophomore Maazin Ahmed finished in 14th and senior Eion Nohilly finished 15th to help the Hoyas.

Coach Bonsey told GU Hoyas he is excited for the squad’s next performance, which will be improved with the help of sophomore Rusty Kujdych, fifth-year student Nick Wareham and seniors Jack Van Scoter and Matthew Bouthillette, who are all returning to the course to compete.

“We now head into a threeweek training block headed into Notre Dame, so I'm excited to see how much we can improve during that time span,” said Bonsey.

The women will next race in the Paul Short Invitational in Lehigh, Pa., on Oct. 5, while the men will travel to South Bend, Ind., on Oct. 4 to compete in the Joe Piane Invitational.

The Georgetown field hockey team faced Rider and Lehigh last weekend, adding a win and a loss to their record. In contrast to the five-game undefeated start to the 2018 season, the Hoyas have started slower this year, but hope to storm into Big East action strong starting next week. With the increased importance of the upcoming conference play, these games were valuable tune up games for the journey ahead.

The Hoyas (3-3) traveled Friday to Lawrenceville, N.J., where they faced off against the Rider Broncs (3-2) in what became a fierce defensive battle.

Although Rider attempted 10 shots, sophomore goalkeeper Ciara Weets’ six saves proved critical, paving the way for a 1-0 victory after junior midfielder Kylee Cunningham’s late second quarter goal. This matchup was the Hoyas’ fourth-straight game to be decided by a single goal, getting the team lots of experience with close games, a trait which becomes a necessity if the team looks to perform

well in the very competitive Big East.

Georgetown took four penalty corners compared to Rider’s eight, proving the significance of the defensive effort. The Hoyas have been consistently effective on the defensive side this season, conceding one or zero goals in half their games. In just the first five games, Weets totaled 32 saves. These saves earned Georgetown’s first-ever win against the Broncos.

Riding the high of Friday’s victory, the Hoyas went Sunday to Bethlehem, Pa., to face off against a strong Lehigh team with a 3-1 record and a stout defense. The Hoyas dominated this matchup last season, winning 7-1. The year proved to make a difference, however, and Lehigh’s defense caused this drastic change.

While Weets again made several critical saves, recording seven saves over the course of the game, increasing her total to 39 saves over the season, the seven were not enough to fuel the Hoyas to victory. Lehigh’s formidable offense snuck in the crease enough times to pull away. Although the Hoyas

would attempt 12 shots, with six hitting on target, the Mountain Hawks conceded nothing.

Lehigh had five penalty corner opportunities, compared to Georgetown’s four. After Lehigh’s forward Drew Pecora took the early lead in the second quarter, the Mountain Hawks ran away with two late goals.

With five minutes remaining in the second quarter, midfielder Maddie Monahan made it 2-0. In the third quarter, Pecora got her second goal of the day, making the final score 3-0.

Next weekend, the Hoyas will return to the Hilltop, resuming Big East action against Villanova on Sept. 20. Georgetown lost 2-5 to their Pennsylvanian rival last year. This time, the game will be played on the Hoyas’ home field, and Georgetown hopes to avenge last seasons’ 5-2 loss and start a winning streak to set the team up well for the Big East tournament. After Villanova, the Hoyas play two more games in Cooper Field against La Salle, which Georgetown defeated 3-2 last season, on Sept. 22 and Quinnipiac, a Big East opponent who topped the Hoyas 2-1 last season, on Sept. 27.

GUHOYAS

Senior midfielder Michaela Bruno, center, tracks the ball as she prepares to bring it upfield. So far this season, Bruno has recorded one goal and one assist through six games for the Hoyas.

GOLF

FROM THE SPOT

David Rogers Shines as GU What Happened to the Most Struggles at VCU Invitational Competitive Soccer League?

KELTON MILLER Hoya Staff Writer

The Virginia Commonwealth University Invitational, occurring Sept. 16 and 17, was an unpleasant affair to start the season for Georgetown men’s golf. The Hoyas put out a poor showing, finishing the two-day tournament tied for last place along with Villanova at 25 strokes over par. Old Dominion won the tournament after finishing 28 strokes below par.

The struggles started quickly for Georgetown all throughout the lineup, as the team had already fallen to last place by the end of the first day. The round consisted of two rounds of 18 holes. The Hoyas shot a collective 293 in the first round and a 294 in the second.

Freshman David Rogers was one of the few glimmers of hope for the Hoyas. Rogers entered Georgetown as the 75th ranked player in the national high school class of 2019. Rogers joins the team as a very highly ranked recruit, placing the burden of high expectations on his shoulders, a weight which did

not phase him last weekend.

In his first ever college tournament Rogers lived up to the hype, outplaying his upperclassmen teammates. He would end his debut round with a 3-under par 69. Despite his efforts, the team finished the day at 11-over par 587.

Rogers continued to lead the team into the second day, finishing as the highest placed Hoya at 32nd overall in the tournament of 75. His next closest teammate was fellow freshman Pieter DeGroot, who came in 50th place overall.

Old Dominion would win the tournament, shooting an impressive 28-under par 836. Trailing closely behind was Virginia Tech at 27-under par 837 and James Madison with a score of 24-under par 840.

The first tournaments for both men’s and women’s golf have seen the Hoyas display few reasons for optimism, as both teams came in last. While both teams may have just stumbled out of the blocks, these losses could point to a more troubling issue within the Georgetown golf program. An early last-place

finish means both squads have a lot of ground to recover in their upcoming tournaments.

However, last season, the men also struggled out of the gates before a handful of strong performances in competitive tournaments later in the season.

Georgetown struggled in some of its tournaments against more competitive teams after stumbling from the start, though looking to last season shows that there is still time for the Hoyas to right the ship.

On the horizon for the men’s golf team is the Villanova Wildcat Invitational starting on Monday, Sept. 30, in Malvern, Pa. This event will be a good opportunity for Georgetown to grow from its rocky first tournament.

The women’s next tournament is the Nittany Lion Invitational this weekend at Penn State. This tournament, along with the men’s tournament the following weekend, is a potential turning point for Georgetown. A good finish for either has the ability to significantly ameliorate their slow start and build momentum as the season progresses.

GUHOYAS

Senior Taso Scilaris follows through on a pitch attempt, watching the ball approach the green.

Scilaris finished in a tie for 47th place, shooting a three-over par 147, the team's second finisher.

Vikram Sud For years, fans of the English Premier League have taken pride in the competitiveness of the league and scoffed at the lack of parity in the other top European leagues. However, the past few seasons have seen the glory of the Premier League slip away to the point where it is just another league among many impressive leagues throughout Europe, with many of the perennially great teams losing their prior glory.

The league would annually feature five or six teams in close competition for the title, but the past few years have seen one or two dominant teams annually, leading to an underwhelming finish to the season.

Whether it be a two-team race in Spain, only occasionally challenged by Atlético, or one team winning every year like France, Italy and Germany, the other top European leagues, with only one to three great teams over the past decade, do not have as many competitive teams as the English Premier League in a given season.

The Premier League, which produced a new champion for nine seasons in a row until Manchester City became the first repeat champion since Manchester United in 2009, has consistently led to better competition and rivalries with more great teams on an annual basis.

However, the point totals and goal-scoring totals made Manchester City the clearly dominant team within the Premier League, which created a strong sense of inevitability about each of their past two

titles. In the 2017-18 season, Manchester City won the league by 19 points with 100 points total, a margin usually reserved by teams like Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Bayern Munich who win their league almost every season.

Last season, Manchester City put up 98 points while being pushed by runner-up Liverpool, who finished only one point behind in a title race.

This close finish is reminiscent of ones in La Liga in recent years between Real Madrid and Barcelona, a sharp contrast from 2016, when Leicester City managed to win the title.

Meanwhile Barcelona, in a supposedly less competitive league, has only reached the 100 point total in the Messi era, and won the last two titles with 93 and 87 points.

As these totals suggest, perceptions of the Premier League being the most competitive league in the world should be questioned by analysts and fans around the world. These perceptions were a result of the top teams in England being a tier below the top teams in other leagues, especially those in Spain and Germany, as demonstrated by disappointing performances in the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League.

However, in recent years, Manchester City and Liverpool have closed the gap and perhaps even surpassed teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona to become serious Champions League contenders and favorites. While this progress may be exciting for fans of English teams in Europe, it is creating a less exciting Premier League.

Even the perception of the league’s established Big Six, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, is starting to feel like more of a Big Two of Manchester City and Liverpool after multiple seasons atop the table together with the other teams markedly

behind. This season, for the second time, has the feel of a two-team race, with Liverpool off to a perfect start, making the five dropped points by Manchester City feel more consequential than they would in seasons past.

While fans in England may bemoan the decreasing suspense each Premier League season brings, the success of Manchester City and Liverpool is actually an encouraging sign for English fans who want their league to be the best in the world. Liverpool was the first English European Champion since Chelsea in 2012 when they beat another English team, Tottenham, in the final.

This season, Manchester City is the tournament’s betting favorite, showing that there is a chance for the Premier League to continue its latest run of Champions League success.

Fans cannot expect a league campaign full of 38 competitive matches where all 20 teams have unique budgets, while also seriously contending for the Champions League — something fans of teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona have realized.

Fortunately for the Premier League, however, the top six, with possible exceptions of Tottenham and Arsenal, have roughly similar budgets, which is not the case in any other leagues. Therefore, teams like Manchester United and Chelsea have the opportunity to replicate the success of Liverpool and Manchester City with better management and planning.

While fans may not enjoy watching Premier League games as much as they used to, the increased domination of the top teams in England is a sign that the quality of play across the Premier League is actually improving.

Vikram Sud is a junior in the College. FROM THE SPOT appears in print every other Friday.

SPORTS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

Defense Pitches Shutout in GU Victory CATHOLIC, from A12

GUHOYAS

Sophomore midfielder Zach Riviere looks to find an open teammate against UConn on Shaw Field last weekend.

Hoyas Score 4 Goals in Strong Win Over UConn curling effort with his left foot that tucked in the far corner of the net. This gave the Hoyas a 2-0 lead, one which they would hold into halftime.

When the second half began, UConn came out of the gates firing and quickly got a goal back when Felix Metzler fired a shot into the far corner in the 47th minute, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Following that goal, UConn continued putting pressure on the Hoyas’ defense as they searched for an equalizer.

Men’s soccer Head Coach Brian Wiese was quick to recognize the hard work required by his team to manage the gameplay following UConn’s score.

“To UConn’s credit, I thought the second half they were really really good until maybe we scored,” Wiese said. “Obviously, they got a goal in it, which changes the game. They get more excited and we lost a lot of our rhythm and our pop.”

In the 68th minute, Georgetown was able to add to its lead courtesy of junior midfielder Jacob Montes. After dribbling into the box down the left, Montes cut inside and hit a powerful shot that found the far corner, giving the Hoyas a 3-1 lead.

The final goal of the game happened about 10 minutes later, when junior midfielder Foster McCune found Nealis streaking down the right wing.

Nealis played a cross on the ground and found Dodson in the box. Dodson calmly hit a one-time finish into the corner and gave the Hoyas a 4-1 lead.

After the game, Dodson seemed pleased with the Hoyas’ collective effort.

“It feels good to score. But I thought the team played really well tonight,” Dodson said.

“We had a few lapses of focus but I thought we had an overall good game and putting 4 in on UConn is always a good thing.”

With their 4-1 victory, the Hoyas improved to 5-0 on the season and have had 10 different players get on the scoresheet in their first five matches.

Wiese summed up the highlights of the day very succinctly, focusing on the team’s scoring depth and adaptability.

“At the end of the day we have guys that are very capable of taking a scenario and solving it,” Wiese said. “And today was a good example as we had four different goal scorers.”

Georgetown outshot UConn 23-7, and sophomore goalkeeper Giannis Nikopolidis earned his third win of the season in net. Nealis had two assists in the match, which brings his total up to three for the season.

The Hoyas will look to stay undefeated as they travel to Indianapolis next Saturday to face Butler in their first Big East matchup. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.

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pass to Edwards for the wideout’s second receiving touchdown of the game. With time winding down, the defense was able to give the offense one more opportunity before the half. However, the Hoya special teams made another play as Tomas took a punt return 66 yards to the house and gave Georgetown a 53-0 lead at the break.

With the game out of Catholic’s reach in the second half, Georgetown slowed the pace, but was still able to execute in all three phases of the game.

In the third quarter, Hurst nailed another field goal, this time 35 yards out. This would be the team’s only points of the quarter. In the fourth, Georgetown spread the workload around, as freshman running back Joshua Stakely scored the first touchdown of his career on a 50-yard burst to the endzone. Similarly, ju-

nior running back Jay Tolliver scored from three yards out for his first rushing touchdown of the season.

In the 69-0 rout, Georgetown managed 353 yards on the ground and 214 through the air. Georgetown featured a number of players in its rushing attack, not one of whom totaled over 100 yards. The 353 rushing yards is the team’s most since the 2000 season.

Individually, Tomas’ performance was good enough to earn him Patriot League Honorable Mention for the week. Defensively, Georgetown’s shutout of Catholic marks the first time the Blue and Gray have held its opponent scoreless since 2006.

The Hoyas suffocated the Cardinals on the ground, as Catholic totaled -8 rushing yards for the game.

Defensively, sophomore linebackers Justin Fonteneaux, Palmer Nix and David

KIRK ZIESER/THE HOYA

Sophomore defensive end Ibrahim Kamara raises junior linebacker Xavier Reddick into the air for a celebration.

Owens led the way for the Hoyas with six, five and five total tackles, respectively.

Georgetown’s next matchup does not come until Sept.

28, as the team has a bye next

week. The Hoyas will head to New York for their next two contests against Columbia and Cornell before returning to Cooper Field on Oct. 12 to play against Fordham.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

GUHOYAS

Sophomore forward Boo Jackson makes her way past a West Verginia defender. Jackson has been a terror on the field this season, recording one goal and three assists, the most recent of which came off a corner kick against West Virginia.

Offense Powers 2 Consecutive Wins PRINCETON, from A12

the win but noted defensive failings on the Hoyas’ part.

“We gave up three goals and I didn’t think they scored any good goals, it was more just bad defending on our part,” Nolan said in an interview with GUHoyas. “That has to get better because right now we are leaking too many goals in our games.”

Georgetown (5-2-1) next faced twenty-third-ranked West Virginia (3-3-1) at Shaw Field on Sunday, Sept. 15. Both teams began with some promising chances early that were invalidated by offsides calls. In the 13th minute, the Blue and Gray

began dominating possession, recording four unanswered shots and two corners in the subsequent 10 minutes.

Georgetown finally broke the scoring drought in the 42nd minute when Royson finished off an assist from senior defender Meaghan Nally.

In the 62nd minute, freshman midfielder Julia Leas headed the ball off of a corner by Johnson to score the Blue and Gray’s second goal of the match. The goal was Leas’ first of the season. In the 83rd minute, Leas and GerminoWatnick combined to send a ball through to Carolan up top, who dribbled the ball past the West Virginia goalkeeper and easily passed it into the open net. Caro-

lan’s second goal of the week secured Georgetown’s 3-0 victory.

The Hoyas found success in their second match by playing the ball through and over the top, and they were also effective attacking down the sides of the field. Leas recorded her first shutout of the season after successfully playing off her line for several breakaway opportunities by West Virginia, recording three saves overall. The Hoyas combined for a total of 13 shots with five on goal, compared to the Mountaineers’ 12 with three on net.

After the Hoyas conceded three goals in the previous match, No lan was pleased with the team’s improved defensive showing against a talented

Mountaineers squad.

“Today, our defense was tuned in and I think they were committed to supporting each other on the field and having each other’s backs,” Nolan said.

Carolan’s game-winning goal and assist in Royson’s game-tying goal in the Princeton game, as well as her goal against West Virginia on Sunday, earned her the title of Big East Offensive Player of the Week. Royson was recognized on this week’s Honor Roll for her two goals and defensive efforts in the two matchups.

The Hoyas return to action Friday, Sept. 20, when they host the Ohio Bobcats on Shaw Field for a non-conference matchup.

Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m.

TAILGATES AND TRADITIONS

SEC Hierarchy Begins To Take Shape TRAVIS, from A12

decent game against No. 17 Texas A&M, a team still seeking to relive their Johnny Manziel days. If someone does not have a home team and are looking to get into college football, then most fans hoping to see their team win on a consistent basis would be wise to become a fan of the Crimson Tide.

The Crimson Tide’s first competitive game comes against No. 4 LSU, which seems to have finally found a sufficient quarterback in Joe Burrow. The past few seasons have shown LSU to be consistently good but not nearly good enough to overcome Alabama to reach the SEC championship. However, LSU’s new passing attack might finally push them over Alabama and give them a chance at the title, which they haven’t won since 2011.

The other SEC team in the top five is the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs. At this point in the season, they are 3-0, but this record has been earned so far against mediocre teams. That situation changes next week as they play No. 7 Notre Dame, who need the win if they have any hope to make it to the

playoffs. This matchup should be the first chance to see if this Georgia team is a legitimate title contender or simply bound for the New Year’s Six bowls, representing 12 of the best teams in the country who fell short of qualifying for the College Football Playoff.

They are led this season by the deepest running back core in the country, a group that should give the Notre Dame defensive line a lot of trouble next week. Furthermore, Jake Fromm, Georgia’s quarterback, is one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the country, with NFL caliber skill and loads of experience from the past two seasons as Georgia’s starter, to make the attack even more threatening. While the defense is not as strong as years past, they should be able to control the Notre Dame offense which is facing struggles of their own.

With their defense, we should expect to see Georgia come out on top, poised to once again win the SEC East.

The only real competition is No. 9 Florida, even with its starting quarterback Feleipe Franks out for the rest of the season with a dislocated and fractured ankle. However, the Gators looked sharp with back-

up Kyle Trask stepping in for their past two games. While Florida is still expected to lose, it might not be as big of a loss as it seemed initially.

No. 8 Auburn has looked good the past three weeks since a season opener win against No. 16 Oregon. They have a rough three weeks coming up as they go from Texas A&M to a formidable but unranked Mississippi State before coming up against Florida. If Auburn hopes to make the SEC Playoff they need to win all three games. Barring any Alabama upsets, they can only afford to lose one game to keep their playoff hopes alive before playing them, and LSU and Georgia are still later in the season.

The conference’s next best team, Mississippi State, was upset by Kansas State this past Saturday, but they must quickly turn the focus to Kentucky in order to avoid another untimely loss. This squad still has enough skill to compete against anyone and the season is not over for them. Two weeks from now they play Auburn in a game that should indicate how they’ll perform against future matchups with Alabama and LSU. As always, the SEC West is a real strug-

gle to the top with Alabama blocking the path to the title game. Ole Miss and Arkansas are both dreadful this season, so the most exciting action all season for each team will happen at the tailgate before each game.

Looking ahead to the televised games this weekend, one of the two games to watch is Texas A&M versus Auburn to see who strengthens their spot in the SEC West. The other is Georgia versus Notre Dame to get insight into how Georgia will likely play into the postseason. Each of these games features two highly ranked teams with playoff aspirations which should feature wellplayed football with implications for the SEC title game and bowl games beyond that.

With no major upsets in the SEC thus far, one is bound to happen soon. The conference has five quality teams that will begin to face strong opposition in the near future. This weekend will see Auburn and Georgia take on real threats from outside the conference.

James Travis is a junior in the McDonough School of Business.

TAILGATES AND TRADITIONS will appear online and in print every other Friday.

Sports

Women’s Soccer Georgetown (5-2-1) vs. Ohio (5-2-0) Friday, Sept. 20, 4 p.m.

Shaw Field

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

At Spiked Shoe Invitational, women win their race while men come in second place in their own race.

See A10

“

Hoya Staff Writer

GUHOYAS

Sophomore midfielder Zach Riviere blows by an opponent as he dribbles the ball upfield during a recent Georgetown victory.

Georgetown Stays Perfect With 4-1 Win Over UConn Coming off a two-game road trip to the West Coast, the No. 5 Hoyas (5-0-0, 0-0-0 Big East) returned home to host future Bi East conference foe, the University of Connecticut Huskies (2-3-0, 0-0-0 American).

Georgetown put in a dominant performance at home and defeated UConn by a final score of 4-1 on Sept. 16.’

The Hoyas did not wait long to get on the scoreboard following a set piece play in the 10th minute. Junior midfielder Paul Rothrock chipped the ball to the back post toward senior defender Dylan Nealis, who was able to send a cross into the middle. A scramble ensued as the ball landed loose in the

Men’s Soccer Head Coach Brian Wiese

-8

Rushing yards gained

by The Catholic University against Georgetown football

GU Trounces Catholic in 69-0 Shutout BRENDAN DOLAN

Hoya Staff Writer

At the end of the day, we have guys that are very capable of taking a scenario and solving it.”

FOOTBALL

MEN’S SOCCER

DREW SEWALL

NUMBERS GAME

TALKING POINTS

CROSS COUNTRY

box, but freshman midfielder Dante Polvara was able to get a foot on the ball and put it in the back of the net to give the Hoyas a 1-0 lead.

As the half wore on, Georgetown continued to dictate the pace of play and put UConn’s defense under immense pressure. Junior forward Derek Dodson had a solid look on net that was saved by the Huskies’ keeper. Minutes later, Nealis had a header that hit the post.

I n the 38th minute, the Hoyas were able to double their lead following a great individual effort by junior forward Jack Beer. Beer took the ball up the field and found himself in space just outside the box before hitting a See UCONN, A11

After hanging 43 points in the home opener against Marist just a week ago, the Georgetown football team once again decisively beat its opponent by shutting out Catholic 69-0.

The Hoyas (2-1) controlled the game from start to finish, but exploded in the second quarter for 35 points to effectively put the game away by halftime. The team’s domination came from both sides of the ball, as the Hoyas outgained the Cardinals (02) 567 to 72 despite splitting the time of possession.

Moreover, Georgetown tallied a total of 26 first downs on the afternoon, while Catholic managed just four.

The Blue and Gray improved to 2-1 on the season after the consecutive victories and sit atop the Patriot League standings.

The Hoyas set the tone defensively by stopping the Cardinals in the game’s opening series and forced a punt, which sophomore defensive back Zaire Webb managed to block. Georgetown then took advantage of this good field position by scoring just over a minute later when junior running back Jackson Saffold punched it in from a yard out to give the Hoyas a 6-0 lead.

Senior defensive lineman Khristian Tate then lined up in the backfield and took the handoff in to convert the two-point attempt.

Georgetown would get the ball back shortly thereafter and go nine plays before calling on senior kicker

Brad Hurst for the field goal.

Hurst converted the 44-yard attempt to give the Hoyas the 11-0 advantage. However, the team was not quite done yet for the quarter, as Saffold once again found the end zone from five yards out to make it 18-0 after one.

The second quarter featured the success of Georgetown’s two-quarterback system for the second consecutive week as junior quarterback Joseph Brunell got his turn under center.

Brunell quickly took advantage of the opportunity by finding junior wide receiver Max Edwards and sophomore wide receiver Joshua Tomas for back-to-back scores for the Blue and Gray.

Tomas’ touchdown came on a 40-yard strike from Brunell just five minutes into the quarter.

Moments later, Georgetown again made quick work on defense and forced another punt. Special teams came up big as Tomas returned

the kick to the Catholic 19yard line. Sophomore running back Herman Moultrie III then added to the Hoya lead by rushing for his third touchdown of the season to put the Blue and Gray out in front 39-0.

The Hoya offense did not relent, however, on its next possession. Senior quarterback Gunther Johnson reentered the game and launched a season-long, 76-yard touchdown See CATHOLIC, A11

KIRK ZIESER/THE HOYA

Sophomore running back Herman Moultrie III forced his way through a Catholic defender last Saturday.

Moultrie helped power the Hoya rushing attack with eight carries for 37 yards and one touchdown.

TAILGATES AND TRADITIONS

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Hoyas Top Princeton and WVU RACHEL GAUDREAU Hoya Staff Writer

When the whistle blew in the 90th minute to signal the start of overtime, No. 15 Georgetown (4-2-1) put Princeton (2-2-1) on the defensive Thursday, Sept. 12, at Shaw Field. Less than a minute after kickoff, senior midfielder Sarah Trissel passed it to sophomore forward Boo Jackson, who touched the ball into the six-yard box where graduate forward Amanda Carolan powered it into the back of the net. The golden goal propelled the Hoyas to a 4-3 victory over the Tigers after 91 minutes of play.

Earlier in the game, Georgetown struck first against Princeton when junior de-

fender Kelly Ann Livingstone headed the ball into the net off of Jackson’s corner in the 10th minute. The Tigers notched a goal of their own in the 17th minute off a cross into the box. The Hoyas would respond with two opportunities from Trissel in the coming minutes, but the midfielder sent both shots just high and wide of the net. Freshman keeper Anna Leat made one save in the half in the 31st minute.

Sophomore midfielder Devon Lis added to the scoring in the 37th minute from inside the box. Junior forward Jenna Menta and Trissel assisted Lis in putting the Hoyas up 2-1. Despite a trio of shots from freshman forward Gia Vicari and Lis in the last seven

minutes of the first half, the Hoyas could not find another goal and headed to the locker room leading by one.

Princeton tallied two unanswered goals in the first 11 minutes of the second frame to claim the lead. The Tigers’ second goal came off of a ball from inside the box and their third found the back of the net off of a free kick, putting them up 3-2. The Hoyas continued offensive pressure after losing their lead, recording 10 shots to the Tigers’ three in the second half. The Hoyas finally found an equalizer in the 77th minute, when sophomore defender Jenna Royson capitalized off of an assist from senior forward Paula Germino-Watnick and Carolan.

Drawn at three goals apiece, Georgetown and Princeton battled for the remaining 13 minutes of regulation time without either tallying a goal.

The Blue and Gray had a promising chance for the win in the 88th minute when a header from Livingstone off of a Jackson corner hit the post. Nevertheless, Georgetown went on to secure their fourth win of the season just a minute into overtime with Carolan’s goal.

Overall, Georgetown had 18 shots on the day, with eight on goal, while Princeton tallied six shots with four on frame. The Hoyas earned seven corner kicks to the Tigers’ one. Head Coach Dave Nolan expressed satisfaction with See PRINCETON, A11

MAGGIE FOUBERG/THE HOYA

Senior forward Paula Germino-Watnick fights her way through an opposing defender. Germino-Watnick had a clutch assist on the game-tying goal against Princeton to force overtime and another assist in the following matchup against West Virginia.

Visit us online at thehoya.com/category/sports

James Travis

SEC Contenders Prove Themselves In Week 3 Games Going to college in the nation’s capital is a truly inspiring feeling. Every time l lean over the Village A rooftop railing and look out at the Washington Monument or the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, I am filled with a surge of patriotism that makes me reflect on the things that make me proud to be an American. The one thing that is unequivocally number one is the prevalence of college football in our nation.

However, much like housing on our campus, not all college football conferences are created equally. And, like securing a Nevils apartment, only the most blessed call themselves a fan of a Southeastern Conference, or SEC for short, school. Like it or not, the SEC has been the reigning conference in college football for at least the lifetime of a freshman, winning seven national championships over the past 19 years, not to mention the constant flow of highly drafted National Football League players. The level of talent exhibited in the conference

gives credence to the conference’s slogan, “It just means more.”

I am from Starkville, Mississippi, home of Mississippi State University, so, naturally, I have been into college football, the SEC, in particular, my entire life. With this column, I will be explaining to the Georgetown University community what is happening in the SEC in detail, helping the community understand the highest levels of college football, as well as explaining what will happen in the near future. Hopefully, this column can lead to people being more excited about the big games to come.

Following this past weekend’s results, we can better analyze and profile the conference’s elite teams.

No. 2 Alabama continued to be their undefeated selves and dominate South Carolina 47-23 to move to 3-0.

The Alabama Crimson Tide’s schedule is quite easy for this stretch of the season so expect to see them cruise to 8-0 with only a potentially See TRAVIS, A11