The Hoya: September 2, 2016

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

Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 98, No. 2, © 2016

friday, september 2, 2016

STRANGER THAN FICTION

Declassified CIA documents reveal a link between “Stranger Things” and the Hilltop.

EDITORIAL More focused actions must follow the sexual assault survey results.

FROM EL SALVADOR TO DC Luis Rosales (MSB ’18) describes trials of his immigration status.

OPINION, A2

NEWS, A4

GUIDE, B1

Ward 3 Sues District MATT LARSON Hoya Staff Writer

Twenty-one Ward 3 residents in Washington, D.C., have sued Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and the D.C. Council in order to stop the building of a homeless shelter in the area, alleging they were not consulted in the planning process.

“We are asking the court to devalidate that choice until it is done properly.”

DAVID BROWN Lawyer for the 21 Ward 3 Residents filing the lawsuit

The lawsuit encompasses the complaints of 21 citizens living around the McLean Gardens and Cathedral Heights neighborhoods. It claims the District did not give advanced notice of its plan to residents living around the proposed site and how it would impact nearby government facilities.

In addition, the suit, filed under the name “Neighbors for Responsive Government” in the D.C. Superior Court, alleges Ward 3’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission was not allowed to give input to the mayor’s office or D.C. Council regarding the design of the shelter located on Idaho Avenue NW, which is to house 50 apartment-style units.

The idea to open a new homeless shelter in Ward 3 is a result of Bowser’s decision in February to close the D.C. General Family Shelter, a building notorious for its unsanitary and dangerous conditions, and to open eight new, smaller ones throughout the city.

Ward 3’s shelter is marked to start construction in June 2017 along with the shelters in Wards 4, 5 and 6. In February of 2017, construction of shelters in Ward 7 and Ward 8 are scheduled to begin.

Bowser’s original plan to address homelessness, announced in February alongside the decision to close D.C. General, faced backlash from the D.C. Council due to high costs and the decision to lease private land for shelters rather than use cheaper public property.

The D.C. Council agreed to a new plan earlier this year after a long negotiation process with the mayor’s office and a public hearing under the condition that the See CITY, A7

featured

STEPHANIE YUAN/THE HOYA

Hours after the release of the report by the Working Group on Slavery, Memory and Reconciliation, President DeGioia gave an address to discuss how the administration would take steps to acknowledge the university’s slaveholding past and its debt to the descendants.

Georgetown Seeks to Make Amends for 272 DeGioia addresses the working group’s report on how to reconcile with slaveholding history IAN SCOVILLE Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown will undertake a series of efforts in order to reconcile with its slaveholding past, including providing descendants of the 272 slaves sold by the university in 1838 an advantage in admissions applications.

The measures, announced by University President John J. DeGioia at an event in Gaston Hall

yesterday afternoon, come after a year of work by the Working Group on Slavery, Memory and Reconciliation charged by DeGioia last September.

DeGioia said the working group’s progress over the past year and the university’s future actions reflect the important role of Georgetown as a university.

“Every so often we are reminded of why we chose a life in the academy. Ours

institutionally is a life directed by purpose, a mission. We are committed to the formation of young people, to the inquiry of our faculty and through our institutional agency to contributing to the common good,” DeGioia said.

“We recognize that we share responsibility of this place.”

The admissions advantage is one of a series of recommendations included in the working group’s re-

port submitted to DeGioia in June; he announced the approval of a series of recommendations yesterday.

In a campuswide email sent Thursday morning, DeGioia said the university would formally apologize for its slaveholding history in a Mass of Reconciliation held with the Archdiocese of Washington and the Society of Jesus in the United States.

The university will also rename Freedom and

Remembrance Halls as Isaac Hall — named after the first enslaved person named in records of the 1838 sale — and Anne Marie Becraft Hall — named after a Catholic sister and educator in the Georgetown neighborhood during the 19th century.

Within 24 hours of a student-led demonstration last November, DeGioia approved the working See SLAVERY, A6

Director of Hindu Life Joins Campus Ministry molly cooke Hoya Staff Writer

Brahmachari Vrajvihari Sharan joined Georgetown this fall as the university’s first full-time director for Hindu life and the first Hindu priest-chaplain in the United States.

Sharan’s studies and ministry have taken him from his birthplace in the United Kingdom through South Asia and back, earning his master’s degree and completing his doctoral thesis at the University of Edinburgh with stints at the University of Delhi and Oxford University, before going on to teach at Cardiff University and the University of London. In an interview with The Hoya on Wednesday, Sharan discussed the importance of spirituality in his life and his new role at Georgetown.

It seems as though your career and your life have taken you all over the world in this whirlwind journey.

Has your journey of faith matched up with that? Is there anything that being in a particular place or having different experiences does for you?

By a lot of good luck, I’ve been able to see a lot of the entire scope or the entire spectrum of human life on this planet, from the extremely needy to the other side. I love being with the needy people, because I think I am just as needy but in a different way.

It is refreshing always to see that even in the midst of their suffering or in their poverty or in their neediness, that they’re always so open-hearted, whereas the other end of the spectrum seems to be the reverse: They have everything, but they have a very cold, closed heart.

Do you see any specific need here that you are hoping to fill?

When I came here, the campus ministry were interested in providing a resource for the students, the Hindu students specifically, that was able to deepen their knowledge of their own religion and their own spirituality. Luckily for them, I suppose, I taught Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism as well as Hinduism. So the few Jain students that are here, the few See HINDUISM, A7

COURTESY GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

Brahmachari Vrajvihari Sharan is Georgetown’s first full-time director for Hindu life, joining campus ministry after previously working in the U.K. and South Asia.

NEWS

NEWS

OPINION

GCP Files Campus Plan The 2017-2036 Campus Plan prioritizes renovations of upperclassman residences.

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Politics Advisory Board Grows GU Institute of Politics and Public Service expanded its advisory board by seven members.

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The Trump Effect Even if Trump loses the election, his opening the door for racist rhetoric will continue on.

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NEWS Students Protest Tuition Hike

NEWS Campus Apartment Complaints

OPINION Editorial

A group of students have started a Facebook group asking for a townhall on the tuition increase.

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Students returning to on-campus apartments found mold, broken furniture and leaks.

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Published Tuesdays and Fridays

The cost of campus meal plans means that more work must be done to address dining options.

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Send story ideas and tips to news@thehoya.com

OPINION

THE HOYA

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Founded January 14, 1920

EDITORIALS

Working Beyond the Survey C

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Back in the Ring — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was featured in boxing gear on the cover of Marvel’s “Civil War II”.

Bumper to Bumper — Traffic delays in D.C. are projected to increase as the summer draws to a close.

Cheap Eats — Chipotle will offer free meals to children under 12 on Sundays in September.

Historical Debut — The National Museum of African American History and Culture will open on Sept. 24.

Power Down — Samsung delayed its first shipment of the Galaxy Note 7 to conduct additional quality tests, delaying deliveries of one of the fall’s most popular phones.

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Zooming in — Instagram announced on Wednesday an upgrade that will allow users to zoom in on photos.

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and advertisements to the survey itself.

The university could also partner with University Information Services to set up designated loaner laptops in Red Square. Students walking by could sit to complete the survey and receive a free T-shirt or reward. Incentivizing students to participate is key when it comes to gathering survey data.

While there is a variety of ways to increase student participation in the next survey, effectively addressing issues of sexual assault and misconduct across our campus comes down to individual students working to create a and culture poised to combat sexual violence on college campuses.

Awareness is key, and while putting up posters with survey findings can help the cause, students must initiate their own agency when it comes to reviewing important information elicited by the survey results.

It takes individual care and initiative to educate oneself on how to be an effective bystander and stop a potentially dangerous situation. Every student must take the responsibility to be prepared enough and willing to do the right thing for fellow Hoyas, whether it be a friend who is a survivor or if they see a possible sexual assault taking place or a stranger in a dangerous situation.

A survey can only reveal issues and how prevalent they are. It will take each one us — student, faculty, staff or administrator — to address them.

Such a conscious awareness will allow each one us to serve each other more faithfully in the future.

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the need to address the threat of sexual assault.

The university has already begun taking admirable and appropriate steps to better address sexual assault and misconduct for current and future Hoyas. With the hiring of a full-time Title IX coordinator even before the survey’s results and the formation of an active working group, our community can see how the right resources are being invested in to assist survivors and victims. Additionally, bystander intervention practice employed during residential assistant training and during New Student Orientation allows an opportunity to teach students how to approach high-risk situations, showing the level of care our community wishes to express toward the issue.

Such steps should have an impact when it comes to combatting sexual misconduct.

However, the administration will not be able to create the most effective policy initiatives without accurate data. Therefore, the climate survey must become an annual obligation for our student body and increasing the student participation rate must be a top priority.

With only 51 percent student participation as of its first release, a higher than average rate compared to other university’s that conducted similar surveys, it will take a great deal more advertising and effort by the university to raise this mark. Putting up banners and posters in dorms and buildings is not enough. A massive social media campaign encourages a wider audience to complete the survey because students see friends, followed pages and accounts sharing direct links

THE VERDICT

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In January, the university launched the Sexual Assault and Misconduct Climate survey in order to gauge the pervasiveness of sexual assault at Georgetown and gather the statistics necessary to develop informed policy reform. With students arriving back on campus, posters line many building walls advertising the findings of the survey, released June 16, but it is important to list again exactly what the summer’s report found.

Only 19.6 percent of respondents reported being “very” or “extremely” knowledgeable about how our community defines sexual assault and misconduct; 18.9 percent of respondents claimed to be at least “very” knowledgeable about where to find help if they, or a friend, are victims of sexual assault. Most significantly, among female undergraduate respondents, 21.3 percent freshmen reported nonconsensual sexual contact.

Sexual assault is one of the most prevalent problems on college campuses around the country. Georgetown is hardly an exception to the pattern, as the results show. Therefore it is valuable and important to note that since the release of the results, Georgetown administrators and student leaders have, on both the institutional and community level, enacted initiatives and policies to combat prevalence in sexual assault, from bringing bystander intervention into various training programs to hiring a full-time Title IX coordinator.

In the long term, however, it is upon each one of us, as individual students, faculty, staff and community members, to create a culture that prioritizes

Friday, SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

Assault Charge — Singer and songwriter Chris Brown was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon on Tuesday.

Life is a Beach — A couple married at The BEACH, the National Building Museum’s ballpit, on Wednesday.

Presidential Press — President Barack Obama will guest-edit the November edition of Wired, to be released Oct. 25, a first time for any sitting president.

Heat Wave — D.C. experienced a record 45 days with temperatures over 90 degrees this July and August.

EDITORIAL CARTOON by Noah Taylor

Finding Flexibility in Dining Through efforts spearheaded by the university and the Georgetown University Student Association, students’ meal exchange swipes and Flex Dollars have expanded to more locations on campus beginning this year. Instead of having students bottleneck at O’Donovan Hall during rush hours, students can now use their meal swipes at a variety of places including Cosi, Elevation Burger, Salad Creations and Subway. Along with this development, mobile ordering and pickup now make it easier than ever for students to pick what they want and take it on the go.

For much of the campus community, such advancements and programs are a step in the right direction, providing students with more dining options. However, even more efforts can be made to increase accessibility to meal programs and help students keep to their budgets.

Our dining services and options remain troublingly the same — particularly the block meal plans available to sophomores and other upperclassmen. The 60 block plan, which comes with 60 flex dollars, costs $976, which means that each meal costs $15.26.

Meanwhile, the 75 block plan costs $1,096, with each meal

costing $14.61. The 115 block plan comes down to $14.44 per meal.

Put this in the context of what one receives when spending a swipe at Subway, for instance. One swipe gets a 6-inch sandwich, medium drink and a bag of chips or fruit. Such an order hardly comes close to the pricing of even the 115 block plan, and in fact, over $6 is being wasted.

When the math is calculated, swipes come at a loss for students most of the time, as they could have paid much less for the same food at another location off campus. While the university has expanded dining options on campus, greater initiative should be taken to expand the meal plan swipes and Flex Dollars to establishments outside of our gates, where students can actually take advantage of the most bang for their buck.

Imagine if a student could spend their flex dollars and meal swipes at Booeymonger and Wisemiller’s Grocery and Deli. The student would cut back significantly from their budget. This would also be highly beneficial to these businesses, which would receive an influx of new customers. Other establishments that could potentially sign up for this partnership

include Good Stuff Eatery, Sweet Green, Pizza Movers, Chipotle, Simply Bahn Mi and Wingo’s.

The best partnership would be with the grocery store Safeway on Wisconsin Street, which could create a system that allows students to use swipes at the establishment or use their Flex Dollars to purchase produce and groceries. Georgetown could also follow Loyola University Maryland’s example; the university saw a need to serve its commuter students and opened its own grocery stores on two ends of its campus, thus allowing options to purchase produce closer to where they spend a majority of their time.

There is certainly no shortage of possible partnerships that our university should consider. What is most important, however, is to shift our conversation from praising our newly updated system to what improvements need to be made in order to serve the parts of our community that need assistance. Avenues for improvement clearly exist and as the conversation surrounding our dining services continue, it may be time to look past our front gates for greater, and possibly more affordable, options.

Jess Kelham-Hohler, Editor-in-Chief Toby Hung, Executive Editor Matthew Trunko, Managing Editor Ian Scoville, Campus News Editor Aly Pachter, City News Editor Paolo Santamaria, Sports Editor John Miller, Guide Editor Syed Humza Moinuddin, Opinion Editor Naaz Modan, Photography Editor Jesus Rodriguez, Layout Editor Jeanine Santucci, Copy Chief Elizabeth Cavacos, Social Media Editor Meg Lizza, Blog Editor Jarrett Ross, Multimedia Editor

Editorial Board

Syed Humza Moinuddin, Chair Jack Bennett, Jesse Jacobs, Naaz Modan, Anthony Palacio, Ashwin Puri

Christian Paz Tara Subramaniam Lisa Burgoa Owen Eagan William Zhu Emily Dalton Sean Hoffman Darius Iraj Ryan McCoy Tom Garzillo Kate Kim Vera Mastrorilli Sarah Santos Noah Taylor Caroline Borzilleri Alyssa Volivar Danielle Wyerman Yuri Kim Joyce Song Emma Wenzinger Kelly Park

Deputy Campus News Editor Deputy Campus News Editor Deputy City News Editor Business Editor Deputy Business & News Editor Deputy Sports Editor Deputy Sports Editor Deputy Sports Editor Paranoia Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Opinion Editor Deputy Opinion Editor Cartoon Editor Deputy Layout Editor Deputy Layout Editor Deputy Layout Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Social Media Editor

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The Rostrum

erhaps no number can fully capture the multi-century plunder of black people in America. Perhaps the number is so large that it can’t be imagined, let alone calculated and dispensed. But I believe that wrestling publicly with these questions matters as much as — if not more than — the specific answers that might be produced. An America that asks what it owes its most vulnerable citizens is improved and humane. An America that looks away is ignoring not just the sins of the past but the sins of the present and the certain sins of the future. More important than any single check cut to any African American, the payment of reparations would represent America’s maturation out of the childhood myth of its innocence into a wisdom worthy of its founders.”

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TA-NEHISI COATES, “THE CASE FOR REPARATIONS,” THE ATLANTIC, JUNE 2014

Evan Zimmet, General Manager Selena Parra, Director of Accounting Emily Ko, Director of Corporate Development Nicky Robertson, Director of Human Resources Daniel Almeida, Director of Sales

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Contributing Editors & Consultants

Madeline Auerbach, Kara Avanceña, Nick Bailey, Isabel Binamira, Jinwoo Chong, Deirdre Collins, Cleopatra Fan, Gabi Hasson, Shannon Hou, Charlie Kelly, Daniel Kreytak, Catherine McNally, Naaz Modan, Suzanne Monyak, Jesus Rodriguez, Zack Saravay, Molly Simio, Emily Tu, Andrew Wallender

Board of Directors

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OPINION

Friday, september 2, 2016

AS THIS JESUIT SEES IT

THE HOYA

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VIEWPOINT • Boling

Trump Taps Into Simmering Distrust

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Fr. Gregory Schenden, S.J.

Deep Silence Spurs Reflection

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ow does the whirlwind that is New Student Orientation at Georgetown conclude? Not with cries and cheers, nor with blaring horns. Rather, it concludes in a sustained hush, in great silence.

Allow me to recount NSO’s final moments in McDonough Arena this past Tuesday night.

The 1,600 new members of Georgetown sat together in the gym, just as during a variety of previous events and programs. This time, however, it was later — close to 10:30 p.m.

— with the lights lowered.

In these final moments together as new students, one of our student leaders, Reed Howard, guided the community through a cornerstone of Ignatian spirituality culled from “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola” — the “Examen.”

The Examen is a spiritual practice of reflection open to different faith and nonfaith expressions. It is a means to reflect on one’s experiences so as to cull deeper meaning from all that one has been experiencing. It has been said that we can have the experience and miss the meaning; the Examen assists in discovering a deeper meaning in the midst of our day-to-day experiences.

As we reflected on the maelstrom of experiences over the course of the preceding days, what struck me was the enveloping silence within McDonough Arena. Here we sat, new members of the Georgetown community, and the only sound other than our Examen guide was the drone of air conditioning: a miraculous and graced occurrence, to be sure.

What was even more striking than this grand communal silence was how our new students were embodying and living out key, foundational elements of a shared Ignatian heritage that I had spoken about moments before being brought into the silence of the guided Examen. Only minutes prior, I had identified three key dispositions found in “The Spiritual Exercises” that are

foundational in our life here at Georgetown: Indifference. In an Ignatian understanding, indifference is not akin to not caring, nor is it passive. It is an engaged openness in seeking greater meaning in all of life: wealth as well as poverty, joy as well as sorrow, the noise of our busyness as well as the silence of our communal contemplation. In those beautiful moments of silent reflection, our newest Hoyas embodied that indifference, that openness, to discovering deeper meaning in the midst of a new experience.

Presupposition. St. Ignatius insisted that the foundation of a relationship between a retreatant and spiritual director presupposes the best in the other’s words or actions, referred to as “the Jesuit plus sign.” It means listening with authentic love. In the guided Examen, it was most evident that new students were already presupposing the best in all this new experience of contemplation had to offer.

Magnanimity. For St. Ignatius, magnanimity is a prerequisite for one desiring to make the spiritual exercises. It is approaching life with an open heart and a generous, deep spirit, literally with great soul.

That evening in McDonough, our 1,600 new students were approaching life on the Hilltop and its range of new experiences with soul and spirit.

Indifference. Presupposition.

Magnanimity. These foundational dispositions reside in the virtue that is the core of St. Ignatius’ worldview — gratitude.

It is with gratitude to our newest Hoyas that I write this. They have reminded and shown me the lived experience of who we are at and as Georgetown.

As we commence this new academic year, may we all be mindful of these foundational Ignatian dispositions, and to live more fully out of them each day, in all that we do and in all that we are.

Fr. Gregory Schenden, S.J., is the Roman Catholic chaplain. As ThiS Jesuit Sees It appears every other Friday.

e have done it.

After over 400 days since Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president and one of the most incredible elections in a recent history, we have arrived at a fabled “Peak Trump.” Unless there is an unprecedented reversal of fortunes, Nov. 8 will see former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton elected as the 45th president of the United States, and allow those of us who loathe the Republican presidential nominee to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Yet now we must understand how Trump happened. Some Georgetown students do not often encounter the people drawn to Trump beyond news stories and posts on Facebook feeds. These students do not frequently interact with Trump supporters because, regardless of how they identify, they are members of an amorphous group: the elite. The elite send children to college, have generally stable families, grow up in cosmopolitan areas and have access to professional networks that land jobs.

But there is another America, one far less visible and glamorous. We catch glimpses of it in statistics of heroin overdoses, suicide rates and factory closures. We know it as the white working class, con-

centrated in Appalachia and the Rust Belt: communities tied together by God, college football and a deep-seated faith that they live in the greatest country in the world. Media outlets from The Economist to Fox News make the case that this group exists across the population.

If Trump loses the race in the fall, his views, now popularly known as Trumpism, will not disappear.

This faith is, however, undermined by a feeling that the American dream is broken. Unlike any other demographic in the country, hard work and good choices will not enable members of this white working classes’ next generation to achieve greater financial success than their parents. The jobs providing ladders of opportunity have fallen under the tide of globalization and automation. A sense of fear and hopelessness, coupled with an anger at the political establishment in Washington, D.C., make fertile ground for paranoia and conspiracies. An atmosphere that has allowed Trump’s rhetoric to thrive capital-

izes on long-simmering resentment within the white working class.

Undoubtedly, Trump is a racist and horrifies anyone who believes this country exists as a place of opportunity for everyone, regardless of identity and background. If our only takeaway from his popularity is that there are more closeted racists and sexists in the country than thought previously, then we have missed the point.

In an age of scripted speeches and political correctness, Trump’s spontaneous remarks and sexist overtones sound authentic even though many of his statements are blatantly false. He taps into a desperate feeling that toughness will return America to more prosperous times.

Xenophobia and his TV entertainer’s charisma have brought racism and misogyny into mainstream politics, de-emphasizing the few policy objectives he has made.

The media’s attempts to explain Trump’s rise have been mostly disconnected from reality. With every racist remark or sacred political rule broken, many predicted Trump’s immediate demise, only to be dismayed a few weeks after.

Many media outlets, from CNN to Al Jazeera to The New York Times, failed to broach the divide between their world and Trump’s

because, as members of the elite, many newsroom employees cannot comprehend the working class’ feeling of hopelessness for its economic prospects that makes it side with Trump.

Consider where this election leads. If Trump loses the race in the fall, his views, now popularly known as Trumpism, will not disappear. They will remain with those who are anti-trade, love populism and nationalism, but possess younger, more appealing faces. We heard a hint of what that platform might look like with Donald Trump Jr.’s speech at the Republican National Convention, which advocated for America’s success over that of other nations and the abolition of public services with the potential to favor the elite.

It is easy to look at Trump voters and conclude that they are simply racists to whom we should not listen. But as Georgetown students and future leaders, we owe it to ourselves to take a more nuanced look at why such a flawed candidate appeals to many.

If we do not learn these lessons, they will return to haunt us and threaten our dream of a better tomorrow sooner than the next election cycle.

Andrew Boling is a junior in the School of Foreign Service.

With every racist remark or sacred political rule broken, many predicted Trump’s immediate demise, only to be dismayed a few weeks after.

VIEWPOINT • Nenninger

USE YOUR WORDS

Seeing Home in ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Struggling to Uphold Free Speech

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didn’t read “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” by J.D. Vance because of its No. 1 ranking on The New York Times’ bestseller list. I read it because of its setting in Middletown, Ohio, a Rust Belt city, where I attended school and worked. I read Vance’s memoir because it tells a story that is very close to home — my home.

I know the author Vance, personally. I have gone out to dinner with Vance and his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance, stayed at his home and met their rowdy dogs. Honestly, I would have read this book out of loyalty even if it were less than stellar.

Luckily, the book is wellwritten, informative and hits home. Vance’s coming-of-age tale in Middletown deals with particular values, family struggles and issues of cyclic poverty that I am all too familiar with. I am not a hillbilly, a term generally used for white working-class Americans of Scots-Irish descent from the Appalachian regions, nor does my family live below the poverty line. Yet growing up in an area alongside such families has impacted my values and experience. I’ve had the luxury of never having to worry about food on the table, but the same cannot be said for some of my neighbors.

When I came to Georgetown University, I joined the minority of people who ventured outside my town, and the transition has not always been seamless. During a conversation in a New South common room two years ago about a competition with a $100,000 prize, I exclaimed, “You could buy a house with that,” eliciting dumbfounded

stares from my floor mates from New England, New Jersey and California.

As someone who comes from an area where you can in fact buy a house for a hundred grand, and sometimes less than that even, I had no idea this was very different from anywhere else in the country.

I’ve always considered my background typically American. That is, until these conversations occurred.

I’ve had the luxury of never having to worry about food, but the same cannot be said for some of my neighbors.

This leads me to one of Vance’s most salient themes that I personally grapple with: identity. Ethnically I am German, Irish and English, but my family, spread out across the country, has no lasting traditions from these roots and does not share the strong Appalachian ties of other residents in my hometown.

Even my identity as a Midwesterner and Ohioan has failed me; most people in my area never leave or move to a nearby town due to poverty or strong familial ties. I am grateful my dad is from Cape Girardeau, Mo. and my mom is from Louisville, Ky., since their experiences have contributed to a confidence that I too would leave town one day.

Yet at the same time, I feel like less of an Ohioan because of my own decisions to leave and I struggle when reconciling my humble roots with

being an undergraduate at an elite university. I love Georgetown, but as mentioned in “Hillbilly Elegy,” there is something inside me that instinctively sees the elite as “the other.” Those who are less than upper class simultaneously wish they were and detest those who are, which Vance refers to as “primal scorn” in his memoir. Such people are everywhere at Georgetown.

Perhaps the hardest part to come to terms with is that I am now is that I am now one of them.

I may not have the money some of my friends do, but on the Hilltop we are peers in every sense of the word. It does not matter who can afford the entire tuition price, or how many of us still struggle even with aid and scholarships.

What matters is that we are all Hoyas who are each unique in origin, experience and potential.

I am not the only one who sometimes feels out of place here, but I turn this into pride rather than discomfort. I can bring new perspectives to my daily interactions and provide insight into a singular culture with which I am familiar.

Quite frankly, we cannot afford to take for granted the vast diversity of individuals on this campus.

We all have work to get back to, but I encourage everyone to sit and peruse “Hillbilly Elegy.”

College is not just classes, but also about learning from one another and about ourselves in the process. As my greatgrandmother said, echoing Mark Twain, “Don’t let schoolin’ interfere with your education.”

CLAIRE Nenninger is a junior

in the College.

I

n 1840, a Frenchman returned to his homeland from his journey to America and later published “Democracy in America,” a modern classic on the American political system. That young man, Alexis de Tocqueville, forever changed the way Europe viewed a former colony and the way that former colony viewed itself. Tocqueville was impressed by what he saw but warned: “If ever freedom is lost in America, that will be due to the ... majority driving minorities to desperation.”

Today, on America’s college campuses, the opposite seems to be true, whereby a small, vocal minority of the student population is driving majorities and those with differing viewpoints to silence based on rhetoric alone. Small groups of students take control of public discourse and prevent debate and the free exchange of ideas.

You have heard this before, but I will say it now: Political correctness is threatening free speech on our college campuses. George Washington said it best: “If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”

This is important, but not just for the sake of defending our constitutional right to free speech. Whatever his faults, this year’s Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump articulated a frustration many are feeling but are too afraid to vocalize, and this has given him a boost in popularity. He correctly identified a huge problem in our higher education institutions: political correctness and safe spaces are endangering our first amendment right to say what we believe, even if it offends others. To quote Trump

directly,“I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct …”

I am not writing a blank check for racists, homophobes, misogynists or presidential nominees to insult people just for the sake of it. I am, however, arguing for the right of those who have unpopular opinions to defend them.

I came to Georgetown from France, a place that culturally holds free speech as a cornerstone of society. We believe that every opinion has value, and it should be no one’s prerogative to dictate which opinions are heard based on offending public sensibilities.

Annabelle Timsit We are confident in our free democracy, and free expression is an integral part of this, even if we have to pay a heavy price for it. No one knows this better than the journalists at Charlie Hebdo, murdered last year by Yemen’s al-Qaida affiliate for their caricatures of the prophet Muhammad. I proudly sport a “Je suis Charlie” sticker on my laptop, not because I approve of the paper’s disrespectful renderings of every faith, including my own. Like Evelyn Beatrice Hall, I “disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

It is hard to add something to this debate about free speech without sounding like a broken record. However, I

can’t help but try to implore students to be a little more open-minded. When I heard that students on campus, wellmeaning as they were, tried to stop Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson from speaking at the commencement ceremony in May 2016 because of his affiliation with deporting people who were in the United States illegally, I was horrified.

The letter UndocuHoyas, with support from Hoyas for Immigrant Rights, delivered to the School of Foreign Service Dean’s Office warned that his speech would “create an unsafe environment.” I found myself disturbed not by his policies, but students’ attempts to curtail what and to whom we were allowed to listen.

Over my years at Georgetown, I have heard from people I completely disagree with.

I was challenged by speakers who believe that a woman’s right to choose is a mortal sin.

I was challenged by speakers who believe Israel is an apartheid state. I was challenged by people who said France is no longer relevant, and the European Union is a failed enterprise.

These views challenge the core of who I am, but I appreciated hearing them nonetheless. If you solely listen to people who think the same as you, it puts you in an echo chamber, hearing your own words and opinions reverberated back at you. You begin to believe everyone thinks the same way as you do.

Guess what, though? Not everybody does. If you are going to learn that anywhere, it should be on a college campus.

Annabelle Timsit is a senior in the School of Foreign Service.

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NEWS

THE HOYA

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

PAGE FOUR

INSIDE THIS ISSUE The Washington Monument, which has currently been closed since Aug. 17, is set to close for nine months. Story on A9.

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya.

IN FOCUS RANGILA ARRIVES

verbatim

“

I received early move in to help with new student move in and it soon became apparent that the kitchen had severe water damage and black mold.”

Katie Schmidt (SFS ’18) Story on A8.

from

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The 21st annual Rangila dance, which will take place in November, organized by students in the South Asian Society, announced its sign-ups, to take place Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 9 p.m. in the ICC Auditorium.

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Immigrant Student Receives Merit Grant CECIA SOZA

Hoya Staff Writer

When El Salvador was facing violence and economic turmoil in the late 1990s following a bloody civil war, a 9-year-old Luis Rosales (MSB ’18) was brought to the United States by his parents.

“There was a lot of violence and economic turmoil. A lot of the times, they read cases where young kids were recruited to gangs. They didn’t like what was happening there, so to seek a better life and chase the American dream, they came to the U.S.,” Rosales said.

This Wednesday marked Rosales’ first day of classes at Georgetown, which he attends on a full-ride scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. An immigrant who was brought to the United States illegally, Rosales transferred to Georgetown from Montgomery College in Maryland.

“I cried when I got it. Getting into Georgetown was one thing, but paying for it was another.”

LUIS ROSALES (MSB ’18)

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation provides 75 financially struggling community college students with scholarships worth up to $45,000 annually to transfer to four-year universities. The foundation received more than 2,300 applications before making a final decision.

In addition to providing scholarships to transfer students, the foundation also provides scholarships to middle school students, high school seniors and graduate students.

According to Rosales, his family had a difficult time building a better life in the United States due to the family’s lack of a legal immigration status.

“Being undocumented

immigrants, they couldn’t really work, so for a little while my family struggled economically. I didn’t think I could go to school at all. I didn’t think I could afford it or go through it,” Rosales said.

In 2012, President Barack Obama passed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which shields young people who were brought to the United States at a young age from deportation and gives them the ability to work and go to school legally.

Thanks to DACA, Rosales was able to obtain a full-tuition scholarship to Montgomery College, where he attended the honors business school and received his associate degree.

Despite the obstacles he faced, Rosales has a long list of notable personal and academic achievements. Upon entering Montgomery, he was very involved with student government and the honors business program, and he established a chapter at the League of United Latin American Citizens, an organization dedicated to advancing the Hispanic population in the country.

During his sophomore year in 2015, he was appointed by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) to Montgomery College’s board of trustees as the student representative, where he represented over 60,000 students.

“At the end of my sophomore year, I applied for Jack Kent Cooke after having done all of these things,” Rosales said. “It’s very competitive, so I cried when I got it.

Getting into Georgetown was one thing, but paying for it was another, so it made my dreams a reality.”

Cooke Foundation Executive Director Harold O. Levy said the scholarship provides opportunities for students of very high caliber, like Rosales, who otherwise would not be able to attend four-year colleges.

“The Cooke Foundation’s undergraduate transfer scholars have a long record of success at the most selective colleges and graduate schools, such as the Ivy League in the United States and the University of Ox-

ford in Great Britain,” Levy said in a statement. “These extraordinary young people have proven repeatedly and conclusively that top community college students have the ability to thrive in top four-year colleges. They deserve equal educational opportunity.”

In recent years, the Georgetown community has made a growing effort to welcome students who lack legal immigration status to the university. In December of 2010, University President John J. DeGioia spoke out and expressed his strong support of the DREAM Act on WAMU, an NPR-affiliated radio station.

“At Georgetown, students who meet the DREAM Act criteria are campus leaders and role models for their generation. They are pursuing challenging majors, are actively engaged in campus organization and regularly participate in community

service,” DeGioia said.

More recently, Georgetown launched a website in April officially institutionalizing support for these

“At Georgetown, students who meet the DREAM Act criteria are campus leaders and role models.”

JOHN J. DEGIOIA President, Georgetown University

students and the resources available on campus.

In a letter sent in August to incoming freshmen and transfer students, UndocuHoyas, a campus organization dedicated to serving undocumented students since 2010, expressed its support for these students.

“Getting to college is difficult, but not as difficult as it is for undocumented students. Whatever hardships you have had to endure, you made it this far now. You should be proud of your accomplishments and strength. Your perseverance is admirable and an incredible addition to the Georgetown community,” the letter reads.

Rosales’ roommate James Linn (MSB ’18) said he is inspired by his story.

“Moving into my sophomore year, I was inspired

by Luis’ attitude and I learned of his background and story. Being the humble guy he was, I had not previously known that he had overcome a great deal of adversity to be able to attend Montgomery College,” Linn said. “Despite that, he made a point to encourage and support me as a friend. Now at Georgetown, I couldn’t have asked

for a better roommate. I’m excited to be entering this chapter of my life knowing I’ll have a friend to encourage, support and inspire me along the way.”

For Rosales, coming to Georgetown is more than just a personal achievement — it is also a responsibility.

“To me, [coming to Georgetown] means that not only can you achieve the things that you work hard for, but also that I — and all other undocumented students who have gotten the chance to attend a four-year university — have a responsibility to voice the issues of those who weren’t as fortunate as we were and speak for them because there are many other students who work hard but didn’t get these opportunities and would have loved to,” Rosales said. “So, it gives me a sense of responsibility to use my education to help others.”

DANIEL KREYTAK/THE HOYA

Luis Rosales (MSB ’18), a student who immigrated from El Salvador, received a full-ride scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, allowing him to transfer to Georgetown from Montgomery College this year.

news

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THE HOYA

A5

GU Politics Names Georgetown Finalizes Campus Plan Advisory Board Gaia Mattiace Hoya Staff Writer

Marina Pitofsky

“Like last year’s board, this dynamic and diverse set of professionals will The Georgetown Univer- continue to help us shape sity Institute of Politics and our programming and Public Service announced the future of GU Politics,” Monday the addition of Elleithee wrote. “We exseven new members and panded our Advisory Board an expansion from 15 to from 15 to 18 members in 18 members to its advisory hopes of doing more and board, a team made up of better programming for professional political and all Georgetown students. policy experts who plan We are grateful to each of out the organization’s di- them for their service.” rection and provide supIn addition, Elleithee port for current projects. said GU Politics ensured New members of the ad- members were added in visory board include a for- the spirit of bipartisanship mer aide to Vice President in order to reflect the varyDick Cheney, Mary Cheney, ing political identities of who also served as manag- Georgetown students as a ing partner of the public whole. policy firm New Troy Strat“Not all Hoyas are cut egies; former White House from the same political Deputy Director of Politi- cloth. We wanted to bring cal Affairs and Special As- on advisers of all political sistant to President Obama stripes – Democrats, RePatrick Dillon (COL ’99); publicans and those who Funny or Die D.C. Manag- lean more independent or ing Director and Executive neutral, like journalists,” Producer Brad Jenkins; Elleithee wrote. “Their CNN Senior Political Cor- unique political positions, respondent Brianna Keilar; experiences, and networks Co-Founder and Former will help us form programChief Operating Officer ming that aligns with of Politico Kim Kingsley; the interests of as many Americas Tax Policy Lead- Georgetown students as er at propossible.” fessional Dillon, services one of the firm Ernst new mem& Young bers of Cathy Koch the board, (GRD ’94); worked as a Airbnb’s GU Politics Head of Spring 2016 G l o b a l fellow last Communis e m e s t e r. cations and Dillon said Strategic he is excited MO ELLEITHEE Engageby what lies Executive Director, GU Politics ment Kim ahead for Rubey (COL him as an ’96) and Clark Hill PLC advisory board member.

Chair Charlie Spies (LAW “I’m excited to be a part ’98). of it,” Dillon said. “It’s reGU Politics, founded last ally been a great experiyear as a part of the Mc- ence. In fact, one of the Court School of Public Poli- real highlights of my curcy, serves as a political hub rent career was to be in for Georgetown, regularly the Institute as a fellow hosting speakers and other last semester, and so now policy-based programs. to get a chance to continue Executive Director of GU working with a great team Politics Mo Elleithee (SFS at the Institute and the re’94) said the advisory board ally amazing students is a members were chosen really special opportunity based on their dedication and something that I feel to connecting students to honored by but also enerpolitics through a lens of gized by.” community service.

Connor Maytnier (COL “We’re always looking ’17), who served as a confor top names in politics, vention ambassador for government and media GU Politics at the Republithat share our commit- can National Convention ment to engaging young in July, said he is eager to people about improving work with the organizaour political system and tion’s new additions and encouraging them to see the diverse group of policy politics as a noble vehicle experts. for public service,” Ellei“The announcement of thee wrote in an email to the new advisory board The Hoya. members has been very Elleithee said extra seats exciting.” Maytnier said. were added to the board in “The composition of the order keep up with the fast advisory board shows that pace that GU Politics set politics and public service in its first year and to help come in many forms and support a growing agenda that there are many roads throughout the upcoming for us as students to exacademic year. plore.”

Hoya Staff Writer

“We’re always looking for top names in politics, government and media.”

After months of deliberation, the university filed the finalized version of the 2017-2036 Campus Plan with the District of Columbia Zoning Commission for its consideration and approval yesterday, solidifying a plan that prioritizes upperclassman student housing renovations, allows the renovation or construction of academic spaces in four different parts of campus and permits the renovation or replacement of Yates Field House and Kehoe Field.

The plan also includes commitments to sustainability in new constructions and allows for expansions of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, including a new surgical pavilion.

The Georgetown Community Partnership — consisting of university administrators, neighborhood representatives and students — approved the final iteration of the plan July 25 after reviewing approximately 75 edits suggested by the public.

The plan, which is the District’s formal structure for universities in residential areas to predict their future enrollments and developments, was published June 6 and available for a month long period of review until July 15.

During the period, the university asked students and community members to submit questions and comments through a formal, online feedback system and held several meetings to discuss feedback.

The period for public comment was extended from July 6 to July 15.

The campus plan will take effect after the D.C. Zoning Commission holds hearings in January.

Vice President for Government Relations and Community Engagement Christopher Murphy (GRD ’98) said a plan to demolish a wing of St. Mary’s Hall was eliminated due to concerns raised during the evaluation period, but that most of the other alterations made to the plan were clerical in nature.

“The changes made to the draft plan were fairly modest,” Murphy wrote in an email to The Hoya. “This is a real credit to community, university and student leaders on the Georgetown Community Partnership whose work drafting the initial draft of the plan contemplated many of the concerns and priorities of the numerous stakeholders.”

The GCP was formed in 2012 as part of the implementation of the 2010 Campus Plan, following a lengthy legal battle between various Georgetown community associations

and the university during the plan’s negotiations. The 2010 plan put into effect various policies unpopular with students, including a three-year on-campus housing requirement, the Student Neighborhood Assistance Program to monitor off-campus noise violations and construction of new residences — including Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Residence Hall — instead of prioritizing existing housing renovations.

The Georgetown University Student Association formed the “Let’s Not Get Screwed Again” petition in an effort to rally student support in spring 2015 around a new campus plan.

GUSA Chief of Staff Ari Goldstein (COL ’18), who helped negotiate the campus plan, said he is confident the final version of the plan will be approved because it was written through a consensus-based process.

“I expect the commission will be very happy to see that it’s a consensus document, submitted jointly by all the parties,” Goldstein said. “I’m not personally a part of the zoning commission process, but from what

“Students will also benefit from planned renovations.”

Robin morey Vice President of Planning and Facilities Management

I understand it’s going to be smooth-sailing going forward.”

Goldstein said another significant change Georgetown made to the campus plan was codifying the role of two to three student leaders in the GCP steering committee so that it will be permanent over the next 20 years.

GUSA President Enushe Khan (MSB ’18), Reed Howard (COL ’17) and Mara Goldman (SFS ’19) currently serve as student representatives to the steering committee.

“It ensures that all the hard work we’ve put into the campus planning process over the past two years will be codified for the next twenty years,” Goldstein wrote in an email to The Hoya. “I’m confident that we won’t be shut out of the room again like we were during the process leading up to the 2010 Campus Plan.”

Khan said the plan solves many problems that arose from the 2010 plan.

“With the last campus plan, the biggest issue was the construction of the new dorms to accommodate ad-

ditional students on campus,” Khan said. “We spent north of $70 million on the construction of those dorms and as a result, we have accumulated quite a large deferred maintenance log to the point where some of our upperclassman housing options were abysmal.”

Vice President of Planning and Facilities Management Robin Morey said the campus plan ensures that students will be part of the conversation in years to come and will also benefit students by elevating housing options.

“Students played a critical and constructive role in the development of the campus plan which commits to continued student engagement in ongoing conversations about campus and neighborhood life,” Morey wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Students will also benefit from the planned renovations in the existing residential housing stock making on-campus housing an attractive and competitive choice.”

Vice President of the Citizens Association of Georgetown Jennifer Altemus Romm said the plan received major support because of the engagement of the Georgetown neighborhood in the plan’s formulation.

“I was able to actively participate in drafting the new Campus Plan so there were no surprises when the plan was released in June,” Altemus Romm wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Through the GCP, the university was able to

work with the community, the students and MedStar to address all issues. And in this same group we can collegially resolve problems as they arise. CAG is excited to move forward with the plan and we fully support it.”

Morey said the plan received the unanimous endorsement of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E, ANC 3D, the Citizens Association of Georgetown, the Burleith Citizens Association and the Foxhall Community Citizens Association.

“Since the draft plan was released in early June, response from community members from the neighborhoods surrounding campus has been overwhelmingly positive,” Morey wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Khan said successful cooperation on the plan between neighbors, administrators and students demonstrates how effective the GCP model is.

“I think certainly that this could be a model for other universities that are struggling with their process, American University being one for example,” Khan said. “Ultimately, we didn’t get screwed again.

The students were really treated as partners in the process, and as a result we were able to come to a consensus agreement that benefited all parties, as opposed to one over the other.”

Hoya Staff Writer Christian Paz contributed reporting.

lauren seibel/The Hoya

Georgetown filed the finalized the 2017-2036 Campus Plan yesterday after months of deliberation.

Students, GUSA Protest Projected Increases in Tuition Christian Paz Hoya Staff Writer

Students concerned with the university’s 4 percent tuition increase this year have rallied around a social media campaign to raise awareness about the costs of yearly hikes and to pressure the administration to increase transparency about expenses.

The Facebook page “Hoyas

Against the Hike,” has accumulated over 170 likes since it launched in late August and bills itself as a movement “to foster open student dialogue about the recent tuition hike.”

Hoyas Against the Hike Leader Joe Picozzi (COL ’17) said the group’s primary goal is to pressure university President John J. DeGioia to host a town hall to explain the

Daniel smith/the hoya

Students concerned with projected tuition hikes have joined together with GUSA to protest.

rationale behind the projected increases in tuition.

“We want to give DeGioia an opportunity to explain the hike and explain where this money is going to, because there are resources on campus that do need more funding and I understand the financial pressures we are faced with given the size of our endowment,” Picozzi said. “Our first step is going to be to ask the university to be open and to bring DeGioia to speak to students.”

Picozzi partnered with the Georgetown University Student Association and other student groups to demonstrate to university administrators that students from various backgrounds share concern for tuition increases.

GUSA President Enushe Khan (MSB ’17) and GUSA Vice President Chris Fisk (COL ’17) wrote a viewpoint in The Hoya on Tuesday (“To the President’s Office of Georgetown,” The Hoya, Aug. 30, 2016, A3) asking for DeGioia to participate in a town hall with students addressing the hike.

“I think what is amazing is that we have students from all different sides from campus politics,” Picozzi said. “This hike really does affect a lot of students in the middle group who are well-off enough that they don’t qualify for programs like [Georgetown Scholarship Program] but aren’t wealthy enough to pay for it.”

The university announced the 4 percent tuition increase in February as a part of the financial plan for fiscal years 2017-2020. The financial plan lays out the university’s projected financial growth and estimates sources of income and anticipated expenditures, as well as predicting any future tuition increases.

Tuition rose at a slower rate than last year’s 4.3 percent hike, and is anticipated to grow at a steady 4 percent for the next four years.

Picozzi said the hike demonstrates a nationwide trend and believes Georgetown should take a stand against future tuition rate increases.

“We want to change the process to help curb the tide of rising tuition costs nationwide. The university says that Harvard increased the tuition by 3 percent. This is a national trend,” Picozzi said. “My view is that Georgetown is a leader nationwide. It prides itself in producing leaders. And I believe that this is an opportunity for Georgetown to show some leadership in pushing back the tide of rising costs.”

Khan said the biggest issue with the latest increase is the lack of transparency in how funds are disbursed.

“The announcement was made in February immediately after the winter board of directors meeting. However, most students were not made aware of the increase until they received their tuition

bills this summer,” Khan said.

“Students saw this increase as coming out of left field.

Transparency is clearly an issue here.”

Khan said the university owes students an explanation of where funds are going.

“Aside from the stress this puts on middle class students, transparency is the problem that needs to be addressed immediately, and the university needs to speak for itself on the matter. We recognize the strain the 4 percent increase in cost of attendance puts on students who pay full freight.

Ultimately, there is great ambiguity about the allocation and purposes of the increase — where exactly is this money going?” Khan said.

Khan said that even though part of the tuition hike will fund the university’s 8 percent increase in financial aid funding — the largest investment in financial aid resources in the school’s history — the university must clarify the nuances of the financial plan.

“The 8 percent expansion of financial aid resources is definitely something to be proud of, but generally, funding and allocation of resources is clearly a nuanced process at Georgetown, and something the university needs to include students in and clarify,” Khan said.

Christopher Grocki (MSB ’17) said he understands why the university might need to

increase funds, but thinks the university should examine whether it is spending money efficiently.

“It’s a classic example of bait and switch. If they were selling you a car and this happened, it would be illegal,” Grocki said. “The reality is that there is nothing wrong with increasing tuition, but if you looked around, you would find a lot of money being spent at this university that is not necessarily spent in such a prudent way, while there are other things that are being neglected.”

Nick Scrimenti (COL ’18) said the university must recognize the significant real-world harms tuition increases cause.

“I talked to one student whose family literally sold their apartment and moved to a smaller home to pay for college tuition. I know people taking out home equity loans, selling precious assets and taking out second mortgages to help pay for college tuition,” Scrimenti said.

“When you think about the struggles some people have to go through to get an education, it defeats the purpose and spirit of a Georgetown education.”

Senior Director for Strategic Communications Rachel Pugh was not available to provide comment on Hoyas Against the Hike as of press time.

A6

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THE HOYA

FRIday, september 2, 2016

courtesy jerry johnson

lauren seibel/THE HOYA

University Reveals Slavery Reconciliation Efforts SLAVERY, from A1 group to change the names of then-recently opened Mulledy and McSherry Halls to Freedom and Remembrance Halls, respectively. The halls were previously named after former University Presidents Fr. Thomas Mulledy, S.J., who authorized the sale of the 272 slaves to a Louisiana plantation in 1838, and Fr. William McSherry, S.J., who served as Mulledy’s lawyer in the sale.

As part of efforts to engage the community and raise awareness, the university will establish an Institute for the Study of Slavery and its Legacies to research and teach about slavery and engage with descendants of the 272 slaves.

Other measures announced by DeGioia yesterday include developing formal memorials on campus recognizing the 272 slaves, increased engagement with descendants of the 272 and increasing diversity at the university.

In an interview with The Hoya, DeGioia swaid the recommendation in the report to increase diversity is a continuation of work the university has already begun.

“We’ve been doing that intentionally for more than 40 years. [The report] reminds us how important it is to sustain this,” DeGioia said.

The recommended timeline for completing these recommendations is unclear, according to history professor Fr. David Collins, S.J., who led the working group. However, a director for the institute has already been appointed.

The working group has been disbanded since the report’s submission.

According to DeGioia, establishing the institute and memorials is part of a larger effort to engage the Georgetown community with its slaveholding past.

“The biggest surprise … when I sent out the let-

ter informing people we were going to establish this Working Group on Slavery, Memory and Reconciliation is that people were surprised,” DeGioia said.

“There were folks who did not know that history. And for me, we’ve got to ensure that this history — it’s alive, it’s living here.”

“The Working Group makes these recommendations to the president of Georgetown University, pursuant to its mandate and for the University’s continuing.”

WORKING GROUP ON SLAVERY, MEMORY and RECONCILIATION REPORT

DeGioia said the university’s decision to provide descendants of the slaves sold

by Georgetown with an admissions edge, rather than special financial support, is rooted in the university’s existing admission policies.

The admissions advantage will operate similarly to admission for legacy students.

“We give care and attention to members of the Georgetown community, faculty, staff, alumni. We have an enduring engagement with the university,” DeGioia said. “We will give that same care and attention to the children of descendants, but our policies on scholarships are guided by the university commitment to need-blind admission and meeting full need.”

The working group also suggested a scholarship eligible for descendants of the 272 slaves in its report.

Patricia Bayonne-Johnson, a descendent of one of the 272 slaves, said she questions whether if the gesture will have the desired effect.

Bayonne-Jonson said other universities should follow

Georgetown’s lead.

“Some of them, it’s an offer but it’s something they could not or would not take advantage of. I think probably it would serve them better if this edge could be extended to people who want to attend any institution, say Xavier University,” Bayonne-Johnson said.

Adjunct professor Richard America, who is an expert on reparations, said the university’s recognition of the descendants as members of the Georgetown community is welcome, but that the greatest potential lies in the institute.

“That’s a microgesture,” America said. “What we really have an opportunity to do is impact big-level thinking on the whole race problem that affects 350 million people in this country, in one way or another — and by the way, globally, so 7 billion people around the world — because the same concepts apply.”

“The Working Group desires that the naming of two buildings at the heart of our campus after Isaac and Anne Marie Becraft be understood as a form of exhortation.”

WORKING GROUP ON SLAVERY, MEMORY and RECONCILIATION REPORT

Collins said Georgetown’s role as a university made the development of an Institute for the Study of Slavery and its Legacies a natural response on how best to engage with troubling parts of the university’s history.

“We’re a university, so if we’re going through this process as a university, and in the manner of a university, what are the resources

that are intrinsic to a university as a university that give us prompts in to how to engage with this archival?

Well, to have an institute for the study of slavery,” Collins said.

“We further recommend that the building once known as McSherry Hall and now called Remembrance Hall be permanently renamed Anne Marie Becraft Hall.”

WORKING GROUP ON SLAVERY, MEMORY and RECONCILIATION REPORT

Financing Steps

the

Next

Georgetown will rely on philanthropic support to fund the recommendations — including the new institute — according to DeGioia.

“There are substantial investments that are going to be required here. And I’m very confident that the philanthropic community, that I know very well, will be of support to us as we move forward in this work,” DeGioia said.

Some of the recommendations will require significant financial investment by the university. But Collins said some of the least expensive recommendations stand to make the greatest impact.

“In one sense it’s the one with the smallest price tag but it’s the one that could be potentially the most meaningful and that’s the apology,” Collins said.

An Apology

Collins said the working group spent substantial time considering what it would mean for the university to make an apology.

“How do you figure out who’s apologizing to whom? How do you ensure

that you can’t just spout an apology into the breeze — you want it to be in the context of a relationship — how do you build a relationship?” Collins said.

Symbolic gestures, like the apology, will be just as substantive as more concrete actions, according to DeGioia.

“We want to offer an apology in a manner that is consistent with our Catholic resources available to us in seeking reconciliation, so a symbolic moment, there will be a mass, but it will also be a living moment,” DeGioia said. “So I don’t want to be too locked into symbol and substance.

Some of the symbols are deeply substantive, and some of the substance is deeply symbolic.”

“This has been an issue for several years in a row. The university should be paying for a lot of these things and it’s not.”

WORKING GROUP ON SLAVERY, MEMORY and RECONCILIATION REPORT

In June, DeGioia met with Bayonne-Johnson in Spokane, Wash., in a private meeting, making history as the first reported university president in the United States to meet with a descendant of one of the slaves who worked at or was sold by the university. Since then, DeGioia has met with more than 50 descendants of the 272 slaves — one of the symbolic efforts recommended by the working group. These meetings have played a significant role in his response to the report, according to DeGioia.

“Any words you hear me say, including what we’ve talked about today, have been in some way informed by conversations with descendants,” DeGioia

said. “They’ve also been informed by scholarship and conversations with a broad range of folks.”

Georgetown’s actions are more extensive than any other university — including Brown University and the University of Virginia — confronting a similar history, according to The New York Times. However, Collins said the knowledge that the working group’s work could influence the action of other universities had little impact on the working group’s discussions.

“With the dimensions that are particular to the way that universities can engage with this for the first time, I guess I could never have predicted other universities would find our experience helpful, but they have,” Collins said.

Connor Maytnier (COL ’17), who was one of the students in the working group, said he hopes Georgetown’s work sparks similar efforts at other universities.

“Georgetown is really dedicating itself as a force for change in our current world and in our current environment and looking at these modern manifestations of the institution of slavery,” Maytnier said.

“I think that you can only hope that this sparks a movement and that you have these other leaders particular in education from some of these elite university that could latch on to this.”

But for descendants like Bayonne-Johnson, Georgetown’s efforts may have a much more personal impact.

“I was very moved by Dr. DeGioia’s speech,” BayonneJohnson said. “It gave me great hope and faith that something will come of it.”

Hoya Staff Writer William Zhu contributed reporting.

courtesy georgetown slavery archives

University President John J. DeGioia announced a series of efforts by the university to reconcile Georgetown’s history with slavery Thursday, including a formal apology to descendants of the 272 slaves sold by Georgetown in 1838 and an admissions advantage to the descendants similar to that of legacy students.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

News

THE HOYA

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Sharan Becomes First Ever US Hindu Priest Chaplain HINDUISM, from A1 here, I’ve enjoyed interacting with them as well.

It seems that deepening spirituality is one thing, but also interfaith relations, providing a presence for the South Asian religions or the Dharmic traditions as they’re called, finding a presence for the Dharmic traditions at the table of interfaith here, was desired for so long and has finally come about.

It is clear that this is a huge step for Georgetown toward that goal of having interreligious understanding, which is such a great part of our Jesuit tradition as well. Are there any specific plans that you have for that this semester?

There are a lot of interfaith opportunities as it stands built into the programming of Georgetown and I say that’s a testament. Some people, especially people in the U.K., have a very negative view of the Catholic Church. I think that when people are trying to change, it’s not helpful to keep bringing up negativities. It’s very important that if somebody’s making an effort to change, you support their change.

I have received quite a heavy criticism for joining a Catholic institution, but I believe that if people are trying to change, you should always try to help and support them in any way you can. That’s true selflessness. That’s true humanity.

The programs that are definitely more interfaith, I’m always going to be at them, and there are a few interfaith things that I’m already planning regarding basically talking. Dialogue is how interfaith works, but dialogue that’s held in an open arena so that people can see that we are getting along very well.

Each of the different faith traditions actually gets along very well and when you come to Georgetown. You can see that all the faith traditions are operating in the same space — under the Catholic umbrella, but we’re all faithful to our own traditions. It’s a good example for everybody else outside who does not see religion working together

well. This is how it’s supposed to work and we want this example to be out there as much as possible.

Would you say that the interfaith aspect is one of your favorite things about coming to Georgetown?

I do. I’ve done a lot of interfaith work in the U.K. and the interfaith work also gives me a particularly vested interest being a Dharmic tradition adherent. Dharmic traditions have not received a positive representation. Part of that is our own fault. There are unhelpful political situations that are taking place in South Asia at the moment, which does not help, but then there are a lot of good things that unfortunately have not been recognized due to whatever sort of climate, politically, or however it has been throughout the years. I believe, as change is the order of the day, we can do something about it.

What is your favorite thing about coming to Georgetown that is not related to school and work?

What I find about Georgetown that is particularly alluring is its ability to be this big, old faith center, an institution built on faith that still has people coming to it who are not aligned with any particular faith. To see how they are engaging with a religious institution in the way that they do, it gives me a lot of hope because there are other places in the world where if you profess any sort of faith, you’re viewed as if you come from some ancient dimension and you’re obsolete and you’re basically a fool for believing in anything else other than what is accepted as rational.

To see that there is this engagement, it really is a very heartening thing because for the Dharmic traditions, we kind of pride ourselves on our ability to remain very scientific, which is why we still have a lot of people who are science-based following our practices even if they don’t subscribe to the whole theology of it. They do still adhere to the practices because they make a difference.

himalayan academy

Brahmachari Vrajvihari Sharan, center, was appointed as Georgetown’s first full-time director for Hindu life in August, when he also became the first ever Hindu priest chaplain in the United States.

Ward 3 Residents Oppose New Shelter Development CITY, from A1 new homeless shelters would be built on public land.

David Brown, the lawyer for the 21 residents who filed the lawsuit, said the lawsuit’s reasoning stems from the council’s decision to switch locations from private property to public land, which in the case of Ward 3 is the Second District Police Department.

“The citizens are basically trying to uphold their right by protesting the law to have input into the governmental decisions that have a significant effect on property owned by the government. They were denied that opportunity when the Council suddenly switched location from private property to a location on the Second District Police Station,” Brown said. “And all we are asking the court to do is to de-

validate that choice until it is done properly.”

Bowser’s office and Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh (D) declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing the District General Counsel’s policy, which is to refrain from commenting on ongoing litigation.

General Counsel Ellen Efros confirmed that the counsel is defending the D.C. Council and refused to comment further.

“I think all I can say at this point is that we will defend the lawsuit on behalf of the Council and we otherwise do not comment on pending litigation,” Efros wrote in an email to The Hoya.

According to Amanda Brouillard (NHS ’18), copresident of Georgetown’s Homeless Outreach Programs and Education, a student organization dedicated to addressing issues of hunger and homelessness in the District, the

issue is complex because most residents agree with the decision to close D.C. General but not necessarily to build new shelters in their wards.

“It’s obviously a very controversial issue for some of the wards. I think the sentiment about closing D.C. General is pretty unanimous — most people agree that that shelter needs to close because conditions are very poor,” Brouillard said. “The issue is that a lot of people don’t want a new shelter in their own backyard, which is kind of an oversimplification.”

Brouillard also said that residents in Ward 3 could be concerned about the close proximity of the new shelter and various stereotypes of the homeless population.

“Some of the concerns are definitely legitimate.

A lot of people are concerned about the cost, whether it’s cost-effective

to build some of the shelters in the areas the mayor proposed. I think a lot of people are concerned about crime and people are also concerned about how people living and using the shelters will be able to adjust to the environment because some of them are affluent areas,” Brouillard said.

Brown conceded that some of the reasoning for the lawsuit can be attributed to the “not in my backyard” mindset of the plaintiffs. However, he contended that the residents have a right to provide input into the decisions of where to place the shelter.

“It is certainly true that they are concerned about having this in their backyard,” Brown said. “But in the dialogue process, those concerns will prove to be real or they will be answered.”

Advisory Neighborhood

Commission 3C Chairman Carl Roller said he is not against the idea of a homeless shelter in Ward 3.

Rather, his concerns stem from the fact that D.C. has been unresponsive and indifferent toward his and other residents’ ideas.

“The issue is that a lot of people don’t want a new shelter in their own backyard.” amanda brouillard (nhs ’18) Co-President, HOPE

“I’m not against it, per se,” Roller said to The Washington Post on Aug. 24. “I just think we need those answers. Every time

we ask a question, we get a nonanswer, which leads us to think they don’t have any answers.

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) defended the city’s planning process for the homeless shelters, saying residents had more than three months to voice their concerns over the shelter’s locations during public hearings. Mendelson is confident the city will win in court.

“The process we followed is the process we follow with all legislation,” Mendelson said to The Washington Post. “In fact, the bill and discussion about the different sites was in the public domain for three and a half months.

There were community meetings.”

According to Brown, the defendants have 60 days to answer the complaint from the date at which it was filed, Aug. 23.

washington post

Ward 3 residents have filed a lawsuit against Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) protesting the planned development of a homeless shelter as part of the mayor’s plans to end the homelesness by removing D.C. General and building eight new homeless shelters in the District’s wards.

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NEWS

THE HOYA

friDAY, september 2, 2016

Students Face Move-In Issues Taylor Harding Hoya Staff Writer

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

Interim Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Studies Patricia Cloonan was made dean of the school for a three-year term, according to an email sent to the Georgetown University Medical Center in May.

Cloonan Appointed NHS Dean Tara Subramaniam Hoya Staff Writer

Interim Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Studies Patricia Cloonan was appointed as the school’s dean for a three-year term.

Executive Dean of the School of Medicine Dr. Edward Healton announced in an email to the Georgetown University Medical Center on May 19.

In the email, Healton said Cloonan has been a distinguished and vital member of the Georgetown community for over 20 years.

“Pat has provided exceptional leadership as the school enhanced current academic programs and launched new ones,” Healton wrote.

During her two-year tenure as interim dean, Cloonan led the development of the school’s strategic plan, which outlines its areas of focus for the coming years.

Following Healton’s email, Cloonan announced her new position as official dean in the school’s summer e-newsletter sent out to NHS students, faculty and alumni June 14. According to Cloonan, her appointment by University

President John J. DeGioia was not announced in an email to the entire university because she was not a new addition to the Georgetown community.

“The nature of my appointment is a little different,” Cloonan said. “Since I had already been an interim dean, we made the decision that I would announce to the Medical Center because that’s organizationally where NHS lives.

My colleagues on the main campus were all made aware as well.”

Going forward, Cloonan said the NHS is focusing on health equity in the Washington, D.C. area.

“We’re very focused on the D.C. community,” Cloonan said. “Our capacity to look at it from the pre-med, health administration, human science and global sides puts us in a unique place to develop programming with the community around this issue of improved health.”

According to Cloonan, the NHS is building upon its past efforts to draw greater attention to the issues facing those living in the broader D.C. community.

“In terms of our upcoming year, we really want

to capitalize on the work we’ve done in a particular way,” Cloonan said. “The President’s Office asked our office to conduct a report assessing the health disparities of the District of Columbia. We’re organizing a variety of our internal activities, guest speakers, etc. around health equity.”

“Pat has provided exceptional leadership as the school enhanced current academic programs.”

EDWARD HEALTON Executive Dean, School of Medicine

Cloonan said the strategic plan will also focus on experiential learning, including undergraduate research, studying abroad and community engagement. In particular, Cloonan highlighted the Discovery Center, a teaching and research laboratory established at the NHS in 2006.

“We want to continue to work to develop our experiential learning capacity,” Cloonan said. “Another ad-

dition we will focus on is strengthening our Discovery Center. We’ve worked on that over the past year, and I intend to continue to do that.”

Cloonan said she is optimistic about the future of her tenure in terms of what the NHS will achieve.

“We really anticipate a great couple of years,” Cloonan said. “We have lots of energy and a real focus with respect to the strategic plan that all the faculty and staff worked on together.”

Andrea Dressel (NHS ’19) expressed excitement about Cloonan’s continued leadership, highlighting the former interim dean’s efforts to connect with students on an individual level.

“She’s a great dean. It helps that the NHS is kind of a smaller school, so she is able to get to know all the students more personally,” Dressel said. “I remember the first time I talked to her was during NSO. I didn’t know at first she was the dean. When she spoke later at an event, I was surprised because she had been very interested in how move in went and made sure I felt welcome and comfortable.”

Students returned to uncleaned apartments, water leaks, mold and broken furniture during the early move-in period last week, which left some students in temporary housing as they waited for their accommodations to be prepared.

Beginning with students who moved in early for preorientation programs, New Student Orientation advisor training and other activities, the Office of Residential Living received reports from multiple residence halls. The office dispatched personnel from its department, and from the Office of Planning and Facilities Management to address students’ problems as quickly as possible.

Common problems included air conditioner leaks and unclean rooms. According to Executive Director for Residential Services Patrick Killilee, more students had issues with rooms not yet being cleaned this year than in past years. A similar number of students reported facilities issues this year compared to past years.

Upon entering their Henle Village apartment, Marco Garcia (SFS ’19) and his roommates immediately found signs of black mold. Garcia and his roommates were placed in temporary housing — first, in Darnall Hall prior to the start of New Student Orientation, and then in Village C East.

“The Henle was in a bad condition [upon arrival]. For how much we pay you’d think housing would at least be presentable upon move in,” Garcia said. “The university looked at the apartment and eventually deemed it safe, and they cleaned it very thoroughly.”

The Office of Residential Living responded promptly to their report of black mold, sending in a certified applied microbial remediation Technician to inspect the apartment and treat the mold within a few days. After a week of measures taken by the Office of Planning and Facilities Management to eliminate the mold and the associated safety hazards, Garcia and his roommates were told they could move into their apartment.

Katie Schmidt’s (SFS ’18) kitchen in her Village A apartment was entirely gutted once Schmidt and her parents realized that a massive water leak and black mold had overtaken the area during the summer.

“I received early move in to help with new student move in and it soon became apparent that the kitchen had severe water damage and black mold.

It was unusable,” Schmidt said.

This proved especially problematic as Schmidt did not sign up for a meal plan this semester.

“Georgetown treated the apartment like it was ready to move in when in reality the kitchen needed a week of renovation,” Schmidt said.

Killilee acknowledged the problems returning students

experienced on their respective move-in days.

“We did have students impacted by facilities that were not cleaned or ready for movein, especially during our August Transition period,” Killilee wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“In most cases, rooms and apartments were cleaned immediately, but would delay move-in for an hour or so. In a handful of instances some students were given temporary housing while more extensive work was completed.”

Killilee said the Office of Residential Living and the Office of Planning and Facilities Management is looking at ways to reduce the increased reports of unclean rooms during student move in.

“We have seen more apartment cleaning issues that we typically do. Residential Living and Facilities will be looking at how we improve the cleaning, maintenance and inspections process in the future. The August Transition program will also need to be reviewed to allow for more time in units before academic year occupancy can begin,” Killilee wrote.

“While [we] will not be able to prevent all facilities issue that could arise, no student should move-in to a room that has not been cleaned.”

Killilee explained the difficulties both offices face in working together to ensure that all housing is ready for students arriving early to campus.

“Ideally, no student would move into a room that was not ready for them. The Office of Residential Living and Facilities Management work closely on preparation of rooms and apartments for fall move-in,” Killilee wrote.

Killilee said the Office of Residential Living and the Office of Planning and Facilities Management are pressed for time during the summer to maintain clean residences, and are challenged by older buildings that require more maintenance.

“There is a very compressed calendar from the end of summer school and summer conferences to when students start returning for the academic year. We have over 1,900 students arrive prior to the official move-in weekend,” Killilee wrote. “In some cases there is less than a week to clean a room and make repairs. Second, we have aging facilities which need more time to clean and repair, than new facilities.”

Although the housing issues came as a surprise to students upon move in, many students expressed their appreciation toward both the Office of Residential Living and the Office of Planning and Facilities Management for their work in making the necessary repairs in a timely and satisfactory manner.

“It’s important to mention that after the issue with my kitchen was identified, facilities did a great job to get the renovation moving,” Schmidt said. “I really appreciate all of the work that residential living and facilities are currently doing on our apartment.”

MPD Assistant Chief Steps Up as Chief Departs Simon Carroll Staff Writer

Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Chief Peter Newsham will begin his term as interim chief of the MPD on Sept. 17 following the retirement of Chief Cathy Lanier, as announced

by Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) on Aug. 23.

This announcement comes one week after Lanier declared she would step down after 10 years as chief of Washington D.C.’s police force in order to serve as the new senior vice president of security operations at the National Football League.

Lanier marked the first permanent female chief.

Bowser highlighted Newsham’s 14 years of experience as the MPD’s assistant chief and his decades-long commitment to serving the District as qualifications for his new role.

“Like Chief Lanier, Peter has deep roots serving the District and believes in the power of building relationships with communities as the best way to deter and solve crime,” Bowser said in a statement. “I have known him for more than a de-

cade; he is a police officer of the highest caliber and is extremely qualified to serve as the interim chief of police while we conduct the search for a permanent replacement.”

“Peter has deep roots serving the District and believes in the power of building relationships.”

Muriel BoWSER (D) Mayor, Washington, D.C.

MPD Public Affairs Specialist Alice Kim added that Lanier and Newsham have shared experiences and visions for the department.

“Chief Newsham and Chief Lanier have worked together for many years and Chief Lanier has welcomed the news of Chief Newsham’s appointment,” Kim wrote in an email to The Hoya. “With

the transition as Chief Lanier retires and Chief Newsham takes command as interim chief, his plans and priorities are to build upon MPD’s successes.”

Lanier’s retirement comes a year after the D.C. Police Union released the results of a survey which found 98 percent of the 1,150 MPD officers who participated in the survey indicated they had “no confidence” in Lanier’s ability to lead the department. Lanier frequently clashed with the police union, which questioned her management style and the speed at which she hired new staff.

Though crime rates have decreased substantially during Lanier’s tenure, the number of homicides in D.C. increased by 54 percent from 2014 to 2015. Similarly, though the number of homicides at this point in 2016 is 14 percent lower than it was in 2015, the District is on track to have a homicide rate approximately 20 percent higher than it did in 2014.

Kim asserted that Lanier’s resignation was unre-

lated to the majority vote of “no confidence,” saying relations between the Police Union and MPD have improved in the past year.

“Chief Lanier and management at MPD have seen improved relations with the Police Union since the change in leadership, and have worked together closely to resolve issues that have come up in the past,” Kim wrote.

Newsham, who graduated from the College of the Holy Cross with a degree in political science, joined the police force in 1989 after initially seeking work on Capitol Hill.

After being named the assistant chief of police in 2002, Mr. Newsham has overseen various offices in the police department, including the Office of Professional Responsibility and the Investigative Services Bureau.

“Like all good political science majors, I came down to D.C. looking for a job on Capitol Hill,” said Newsham in an interview with NBC Washington. “I was living on my own at the time and the salaries on the Hill weren’t really

enough to support myself.

So I saw that the police department was advertising for police officers in the paper, and I took that opportunity. And I got to tell you, truly and honestly, that was the best decision I ever made in my life.”

Kim said Newsham’s plans for the department are focused on community relations and the individuals on the force.

“He strongly believes that the assets MPD has are the people who carry forth the job and responsibilities.”

ALICE KIM Public Affairs Specialist, MPD

“Going forth, Chief Newsham believes that 1. the cornerstone of a successful police department is in the relationship that it has with the community it serves, and 2. those success-

es aren’t possible without a productive, happy, healthy members in the force,” Kim wrote. “He strongly believes that the assets MPD has are the people who carry forth the job and responsibilities.”

The mayor’s office will continue to search for candidates for MPD chief both in and outside the District with the hopes of selecting the next chief of police from D.C.’s law enforcement elite. Though the mayor may nominate whoever she chooses for the role of MPD Chief, her choice must ultimately be approved by the D.C. Council.

In her resignation letter, Lanier said she believes she is leaving the MPD in capable hands.

“After 26 years with MPD I have decided to submit my papers for retirement,” Lanier wrote in a resignation letter. “I came to this difficult decision with mixed emotions, but in the end, I am confident that MPD has the most exceptional police officers and leadership that will continue to move this agency and the city forward.”

NEWS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

THE HOYA

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Students Launch News App OWEN EAGAN Hoya Staff Writer

Bitter and defeated after a long, losing night of poker, freshman roommates Anthony Marshi (COL ’18) and Michael Fiedorowicz (COL’18) returned to their room in Darnall Hall on a chilled night in December 2014. As the two began conversing while scrolling through their Facebook newsfeeds, they saw that an article shared by a friend was buried among other trivial posts.

The two had no idea that this casual winter night of bad luck would propel them to create a startup that would come to fruition during their third year at Georgetown.

From there, the two roommates’ collective intuition was unleashed in a flurry of inspired deliberation.

By 9 a.m. that morning, after over six hours of discussion, the idea for NewsRoom — a social networking news mobile app officially launched earlier this week — was born.

NewsRoom’s platform allows its users to create profiles on which they seek out, post, react to and comment specifically on news articles alongside their peers.

According to Marshi, who is now CEO of NewsRoom, the app, which garnered approximately 100 users within its first 24 hours online, is made for people who wish to explore and debate current events without the added distraction of other media that appear on a Facebook newsfeed.

“If you’re going to talk about news, you come to NewsRoom,” Marshi said. “If you want to find your news, come to NewsRoom, and if you want to share news, come to NewsRoom.”

The user interface of the new app can be compared to that of Instagram, where new members create a profile within which they can post their own content with commentary, “follow” friends and others to see their posts and “like” and comment upon the posts of others.

NewsRoom’s distinguishing feature lies in the fact that instead of sharing and reacting to pictures and short videos, users are socializing over news articles drawn from more than 300 publications.

Pulling from the RSS feeds of media outlets from CNN to THE HOYA and The Onion, the app allows its users to access a vast collection of thousands of articles, which they can easily filter by topic and issue areas for streamlined browsing.

“If you want to find your news, you come to NewsRoom, and if you want to share news, come to NewsRoom.”

ANTHONY MARSHI (COL ’18) Founder, NewsRoom

Currently, only users from three universities — Georgetown, Harvard University and Babson College — are allowed to create profiles. Marshi and Fiedorowicz collaborated with students from Harvard and Babson to develop the app.

Marshi explained that this university-only policy is a concerted effort to create an organic foundation of users within NewsRoom based on the social circles naturally formed by college students.

“We want to scale at universities because a university has a lot of kids who already know each other,” Marshi said. “So when one downloads the app it’s going to more likely spread by word of mouth.”

Similar to Twitter and other sites, the app also features a verification component by which certain qualified users like professors and organizations within universities are granted the status of NewsRoom “anchors.”

“They’re supposed to act as the experts — the news experts — the people who can give you good insight on news,” Marshi explained. “So we highly encourage NewsRoom profiles to follow anchors.”

On Georgetown’s campus, organizations such as The Caravel and GU Women in Leadership hold “anchor” status. Associate professor of government Matthew Kroenig serves as entrepreneurship advisor

to the NewsRoom team and is the only professor verified by NewsRoom at press time. However, Fiedorowicz, now the Chief Operating Officer of NewsRoom, hopes that other professors will soon join the app and recommend that their students do the same.

“We’re also reaching out to professors in the hopes that … they can start using the app and getting their students on it,” Fiedorowicz said.

Along with two other co-founders who entered the partnership after the inception of the NewsRoom app and three other auxiliary partners, Marshi and Fiedorowicz compose the entire NewsRoom team. From its small beginnings, Marshi expressed his ambitions for the app, with plans to expand to other universities and to Google Play and eventually Android systems if the app takes hold where it has been introduced.

While NewsRoom is not yet profitable — having been funded in development from the savings of its founders — Marshi said he hopes to profit from the app one day, but that money is not his first priority.

“Obviously, we do eventually want to find a way to monetize that app,” Marshi said. “That’s certain. But we’re thinking: grow audience first, then business plan second.”

Marcos Melendez (NHS ’19), who reads the majority of his news on Facebook, said that NewsRoom appeals to him as a way to keep informed and that it seems to hold promise because it caters to an unfilled niche in the market.

“I can see that it will probably go somewhere,” Melendez said. “It seems like an idea that hasn’t really been done before, but at the same time it feels like … there’s space for it, but no one has really filled it yet.”

Editor-in-Chief of The Caravel Andrea Moneton (SFS ’18) said she believes in the possibility of NewsRoom’s success due to the increased coverage that it provides her.

“I think it has a lot of potential,” Moneton said.

“I really like the idea. At least for me, it fills kind of a gap in the way that I read the news.”

ERICK CASTRO/THE HOYA

The Washington Monument will close for nine months while it undergoes a $2 to $3 million dollar renovation to repair its elevator system.

Monument Faces Closure LISA BURGOA Hoya Staff Writer

Following persistent elevator outages, the Washington Monument, which has been closed since Aug. 17, is to remain closed until mid-September, before a more complete repair plan will shutter the 555-foot obelisk for nine months.

The repairs, estimated to cost between $2 million to $3 million, aim to tackle a spate of problems including a broken cable below the elevator, which spurred the National Park Service’s decision to close the monument on August 17.

National Mall and Memorial Parks Superintendent Gay Vietzke said the elevator was last modernized in the 1990s and is now pushing the limits of the device’s 20year lifespan.

“We are finding ourselves at the end of the life of this system,” Vietzke said in a news conference August 24.

“We know we have to modernize the system.”

The repair was initially slated for 10 days but extended for weeks longer after the repairs proved more timeconsuming than initially estimated. The National Park Service did not say when the nine-month closure would begin.

Many of the issues stem from unresolved damage from a 2011 earthquake, which closed the monument to the public for three years.

The NPS has encountered a vocal critic in Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), who expressed her frustration about the persistent closures, which she said would prove detrimental to the local economy during a vital tourism season.

Norton chastised the NPS for not taking more decisive steps in fixing the elevator following the 2011 earthquake.

“I believe NPS erred in not

rehabilitating the elevator when the monument was closed for renovations following the 2011 earthquake,” Norton said in a statement. “When an elevator seems to be in good shape, but is a one-of-a-kind elevator that operates 13 hours per day from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and eight hours per day thereafter, the elevator’s lifespan must be uniquely measured.”

Norton met with NPS officials Aug. 29 for a briefing to discuss the repairs. Vietzke said the meeting clarified the importance of modernizing the structure.

“We very much appreciate the congresswoman’s support and interest in the Washington Monument,” Vietzke said. “We share her frustration in its continued closure and are working diligently to determine the causes for the recent problems and to develop a longterm solution to modernize the elevator.”

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