The Hoya: Nov. 6, 2012

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

Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 94, No. 18, © 2012

tuesDAY, november 6, 2012

JERSEY BOUND

After beating St. John’s, men’s soccer is headed to the Big East semifinals.

COMMENTARY Columnists Scott Stirrett and Sam Dulik give their final views on the election.

APPLICATIONS GU Law’s early assurance program lets students opt out of the LSAT.

ELECTIONS Students on both sides of the aisle invested their time in presidential campaigns.

OPINION, A3

NEWS, A6

NEWS, A6

SPORTS, A10

On ANC, Students Strive to Define Role Michael Donnay Special to The Hoya

As Peter Prindiville (SFS ’14) and Craig Cassey (COL ’15) prepare to become the likely student representatives on Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E, it is apparent that they will confront many of the same challenges faced by decades of student commissioners before them.

Justin Kopa (COL ’03) served as commissioner from 2001 to 2003 alongside Justin Wagner (COL ’03), marking the last term during which there were two student representatives on the commission. This year, after a recent redistricting of ANC 2E’s jurisdiction, two single-member districts are allotted to areas almost entirely occupied by students.

Both seats are likely to be oc-

Adjuncts Consider Unionizing

cupied by students, as Cassey and Prindiville are each running uncontested.

According to Kopa, the biggest challenge he and Wagner faced as new commissioners was trying to establish themselves on the committee.

“We had to work hard to gain credibility,” he said. “It took a lot of time and work to do that.”

Several past commissioners said that the most substantial ongoing challenge during their terms involved forging productive and friendly relationships with fellow commissioners while remaining focused on representing students.

Brett Clements (COL ’07), who served as an ANC commissioner from 2005 until 2007, highlighted this dilemma.

Citing low pay and limited benefits, some adjuncts look to join a DC-wide union Braden McDonald Hoya Staff Writer

press.

“Technically, they should [have paid us more] because you could call this a hazardous duty pay,” the employee said. “There were hazardous conditions, and we had to brave the elements to come back down here to go back to work and make sure everything was running smoothly for the students.”

According to Aramark Director of Communications Karen Cutler, the 25 dining services workers who chose to work through the storm were provided with overnight accommodations at the Georgetown Hotel and Conference Center. The workers served 7,600 meals during a six-and-a-half-hour

Building on its success in unionizing adjunct faculty members at The George Washington University and American University, officials of the Service Employees International Union Local 500 Coalition of Academic Labor have begun marshalling support for a similar union at Georgetown.

According to Kip Lornell, vice president for higher education at SEIU Local 500, the union has begun discussions with interested Georgetown faculty and hopes to develop a presence on campus in the coming months.

The union has drawn interest among adjunct faculty at Georgetown, who cite unsatisfactory wages and working conditions as compelling reasons to form a union.

Pablo Eisenberg, a senior fellow at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute and adjunct member of Georgetown’s faculty for 12 years, supports the unionization effort.

“Adjunct faculty throughout this country … are basically what I’ve called … the ‘untouchables’ of our higher education caste system,” he said. “They are grossly underpaid, have no benefits, no academic rights [and] are badly treated in many cases by tenured faculty who look upon them, in some sense, as third-class teachers.”

Eisenberg said he fears that low wages for adjunct faculty, which he claims average in the thousands of dollars per course and are below minimum wage if divided by the number of hours involved in teaching, preparation and grading, may have adverse effects on the quality of teaching at Georgetown.

“If adjunct faculty are not taken care of, not treated better, not given the wherewithal that classroom teachers require, their students are going to suffer as much as they do,” he said. “There’s a link

See COMPENSATION, A5

See UNION, A5

See ANC, A5

PARTY TIL IT’S 2012

ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

Aramark Higher Education gave O’Donovan Hall employees the option to work Monday but paid those who did standard wages.

Aramark Paid Storm Workers Regular Wage Elaina Koros

Special to The Hoya

OLIVIA HEWITT/THE HOYA

“Apocalypto,” this year’s Reventón Latino dance festival, showcased Latin American culture in Gaston Hall Friday night. See story on A7.

While Georgetown University Facilities workers and Department of Public Safety officers were compensated at twice their usual rate for hours they clocked during Hurricane Sandy last week, dining staff who continued to work through the storm say they were not paid overtime by their employer, Aramark Higher Education.

Aramark gave O’Donovan Hall employees the option to work during storm days or go home with no penalty, according to an employee who works on the lower level of the dining hall.

The employee spoke anonymously because he was instructed by his managers not to talk to the

Slow Progress on Disability Access Penny Hung

Hoya Staff Writer

Students may complain about the inconvenience of the university’s hills and stairs, but for Whitney Weldon (COL ’15), getting around campus is a daily challenge.

Weldon navigates campus in a motorized wheelchair, which she says prevents her from reaching some dorms and facilities.

“I feel like it’s not really fair that people like me can’t visit their friends or just hang out with their friends in Henle or Village B,” Weldon added. “It’s not like you can control or choose to not be disabled, and the school should make a better effort to accommodate us.”

For Weldon and a number of other students with physical disabilities, the Georgetown campus can be difficult to traverse, even with the addition of elevators and ramps. Henle Village and Alumni Square do not have elevators, and in older buildings such as the Edmund A. Walsh Building and Lauinger Library, many accessibility features are in need of an update.

“I feel that some of the older elevators on campus are particu-

larly difficult or scary to use,” Cody Williams (SFS ’15), who has cerebral palsy and uses crutches, said. “For instance, I’m slower in getting into the elevator because of my condition, but the elevators in the Walsh Building and Lau, they don’t have sensors. I’ve had situations where I’ve had to have people hold the door open with their own strength just so I can

“Some people … donate scholarships to the university.

I’m going to donate elevators.”

EVAN MONOD (COL ’14) Student with cerebral palsy

get in the door.”

Weldon agreed, pointing to the Leavey Center elevator. She said that the elevator platform often does not align with the floor, making it impossible for her to use it.

“I need to go back down and through the parking center to take the elevator to right outside Starbucks,” Weldon said. “It’s re-

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ally a hassle sometimes.”

Evan Monod (COL ’14), who also has cerebral palsy, joked about the lack of working elevators on campus.

“Some people, when they graduate and are successful, donate scholarships to the university,” he said. “I’m going to donate elevators.”

According to Director of Media Relations Rachel Pugh, Georgetown makes a concerted effort to accommodate disabled students and improve disability access around campus, and Weldon acknowledged that the university has made some strides since her freshman year.

Chief among these is the implementation of public door access clickers. Every student who needs one can receive a handheld clicker device that opens doors on campus through a radio signal. Formerly, these clickers only opened the doors to a student’s residence hall and dorm room.

This year, they were upgraded to open doors to main campus buildings, such as Lauinger Library and Leavey Center.

Weldon said she had a hard See ACCESSIBILITY, A5

CYBER SECURITY

LEONEL DE VELEZ/THE HOYA

Richard Weiner (MSB ’15) spoke with a representative of LoJack, which provides computer tracking devices, at an information session in Lauinger Library Monday.

Published Tuesdays and Fridays

Send Story Ideas and Tips to news@thehoya.com

A2

OPINION

THE HOYA

tuesDAY, November 6, 2012

THE VERDICT Founded January 14, 1920

EDITORIALS

More Than a Horse Race On Friday, students will crowd around televisions, cheer victory, boo defeat and inevitably drink a fair amount of alcohol in the process. The same will happen tonight. The problem is that Friday features the men’s basketball team’s season opener, tonight, the U.S. presidential election.

The media have a tendency to depict the presidential campaign as a horse race, and it is true that this election may be decided by a nose. But as we cluster around our televisions tonight, popcorn and beer at the ready, we should take pause to ensure that passion for our preferred candidate is rooted in an appreciation for the gravity of the issues at stake. Our country is at war, millions are unemployed and energy policy is at a crossroads. Whoever wins this election will dramatically affect the nation’s future, and we shouldn’t let the drama and

emotions of election night obscure that important fact.

It’s true that the time for electioneering has passed, and those who have endured this exhausting process are certainly entitled to crack open a beer or whatever else helps them enjoy the culmination of a hard-fought campaign. Balloons, music and laughter are commonplace at victory celebrations; many political nerds enjoy the chance to bet on electoral maps. All of that is good and fun, but it should also be tempered to reflect the magnitude of this moment.

Georgetown is often commended for having a politically astute student body. Let us demonstrate that not only with our festivities on Election Day but also with our awareness of what awaits this country in the days after.

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A Unique Debut — The men’s basketball season kicks off Friday with a game on a naval ship against the University of Florida.

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Election Bites — Luke’s Lobster on Potomac Street will be offering a 30 percent student discount today on all menu items.

Rug Pulled Out from Night Owls — Rugby Cafe, a restaurant and sports bar on Wisconsin Avenue, announced plans to close by 2013.

Making Sense of Preregistration — GUSA will be holding office hours to answer students’ questions on the preregistration process every weekday evening from 7 to 10 p.m. until Nov. 15 on the second floor of Lauinger.

A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD US ... @thirstygecko Nov. 2 Wow. My undergraduate alma mater gets $20 million for a new Georgetown University Environment Initiative. @GTWNJACK Nov. 5 Women’s soccer punched their ticket! RT”@thehoyasports: Georgetown is in! The Hoyas will travel to Virginia Tech in the first round.” @GU_DEMOC Nov. 2 Read @thehoya’s article on @Georgetown’s response to and recovery from Hurricane Sandy!

New No. 1 for Class Reviews For many years, it was almost as difficult to find course evaluation results during preregistration as it was to make sense of them.

The inclusion of this information on MyAccess this semester in a concise and accessible manner is a terrific addition, and with it, we urge students to say goodbye to the flaw-ridden RateMyProfessors.com.

The shortcomings of this private website are well documented: It attracts polarized students; the reviews are often dated; statistical feedback does not have an appropriate sample size and many professors are not listed. But students have long been attracted to RateMyProfessors.com for the simple reason that there was no better alternative.

Now that we have more reliable data at our fingertips, however, the usefulness of RateMyProfessors.com has been reduced to the chili pepper next to an instructor’s name on the site that denotes his or her “hotness.”

Course evaluations, which are now accessible at the click of a button, provide ratings for important categories such as “hours spent studying,” “effectiveness of readings and research” and “classroom presentations stimulating.” Many students have participated in

these surveys, and data are presented for previous semesters, providing an interesting illustration of trends in students’ perceptions of a professor. Some courses also include a tab that lists the number of exams and papers required, although these represent a small minority of the total number of classes offered.

That said, the course evaluation information posted online could be expanded.

When students visit RateMyProfessors.com during preregistration, they usually have one issue in mind: the easiness of a course.

While it might sound like the concern of an underachiever, it is a legitimate point to take into consideration for students who are looking to balance the challenges of their schedules. Georgetown’s course evaluations would be improved if they included more content about the rigor of a course’s content and grading.

RateMyProfessors.com has filled a void for many years, but as Georgetown’s course evaluations supplant it, the website loses its value to students. Feedback from peers that is orchestrated through the university is more relevant and reliable, and students should make the switch.

Hannah Miller (COL ’14) on the takeaway of this campaign cycle: The fabric of our electoral system and political culture is not unchangeable; it can and should be tailored to the needs and expectations of its participants. The tone and character of our candidates, campaigns and elections are within our control. It is a simple matter of supply and demand.

Daniel Pierro (COL ’15) on the ways in which election night could play out: Imagine the outcry that would come about if a candidate loses the popular vote but wins in the Electoral College. With changed voting procedures in Virginia and Ohio, tight races in many battleground states and a harsh political climate, there would be outcries for a change in our electoral system and political disenchantment from the side that loses this election.

For more on the election from Miller and Pierro, check out thehoya.com.

SCRIBBLES OF A MADMAN by Ben Mazzara

Penny Pinching on Profs The title “Georgetown professor” carries a prestige that everyone associated with this university ought to preserve and protect. It garners admiration from outsiders, respect from insiders and reflects Georgetown’s legacy of excellence in education. In short, it is essential to the backbone of the university’s academic character.

It would be deeply concerning both for the well-being of professors and for the image of this university if Georgetown has used the designation of adjunct professor as a way to pay faculty members lower salaries. It may be a national trend, but that does not mean it should be tolerated within the front gates.

Adjunct professors at Georgetown are paid an average of $5,000 per course. Because they are classified as part-time professors, they are also denied benefits such as health insurance and often require a second job to afford basic costs of living.

They are usually contracted by the university for just a year, though some are signed on for even shorter periods.

This situation would perhaps be acceptable to someone who saw serving as a professor as a secondary or side job. However, many adjunct professors hold doctorate degrees and wish to ultimately become full-time professors. They are employed part time not by choice but because more and more universities are hiring adjunct professors in the interest of cutting costs.

Adjunct professors at Georgetown have doubled to 200 in the past decade, mirroring a nationwide trend.

This development is harmful to everyone associated with this university. The use of adjunct professors may bring in experts in niche fields, but designation should not be used maliciously. It may cut costs, but it also cheapens students’ educational experience.

Connor Gregoire, Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kaplan, Executive Editor Steven Piccione, Managing Editor Sarah Patrick, Campus News Editor Braden McDonald, City News Editor Evan Hollander, Sports Editor Victoria Edel, Guide Editor Danny Funt, Opinion Editor Leonel De Velez, Photography Editor Emory Wellman, Layout Editor Hunter Main, Copy Chief Michelle Cassidy, Blog Editor

Contributing Editors Mariah Byrne, Patrick Curran, Kavya Devarakonda, Katherine Foley, Bethany Imondi, Upasana Kaku, Samantha Randazzo, Ashwin Wadekar, Lauren Weber

Emma Hinchliffe Hiromi Oka Kelly Church Sam Rodman Arik Parnass Ryan Bacic Nicole Jarvis Sheena Karkal Emily Manbeck Shannon Reilly Jamie Slater Sean Sullivan Hanaa Khadraoui Chris Grivas Erica Wong Zoe Bertrand Kyle Hunter Jessica Natinsky Nikita Buley Martin Hussey

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

Editorial Board Danny Funt, Chair Kent Carlson, Sidney Chiang, Patrick Gavin, Hanaa Khadraoui, Laura Wagner

CORRECTION The article “DPS Staff Learns on the Job” (A1, Nov. 2, 2012) incorrectly stated that Department of Public Safety officer Erica Lumpkin has a gun. No DPS officers carry guns.

Jonathan Rabar, General Manager David Hanna, Director of Corporate Development James Church, Director of Finance Erica Hanichak, Director of Marketing Kent Carlson, Director of Personnel Mary Nancy Walter, Director of Sales Michael Vu, Director of Technology Glenn Russo Martha DiSimone Kelsey Zehentbauer John Bauke Molly Lynch Sheena Garg Esteban Garcia Michal Grabias Keeley Williams Suzanne Fonzi Michael Lindsay-Bayley Ryan Smith

Special Programs Manager Accounts Manager Operations Manager Statements Manager Treasury Manager Marketing Research Manager Public Relations Manager Human Resources Manager Institutional Diversity Manager Professional Development Manager Online Advertisements Manager Web Manager

Board of Directors

Lauren Weber, Chair

Patrick Curran, Connor Gregoire, Dylan Hunt, Jonathan Rabar, Mairead Reilly, Sam Schneider

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Send all submissions to: opinion@ thehoya.com.

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OPINION

TUESDAY, NOVEMber 6, 2012

THE HOYA

A3

ELECTION DAY COMMENTARY RE-ELECT BARACK OBAMA

MITT ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT

Vote to Continue Forward It’s Time for a True Leader I T

remember the exuberance that surrounded the election of Barack Obama as president four years ago. Even though I was living in Canada, I recall going to school the next day and hearing everyone talk exclusively about the election. My headmaster devoted a school assembly to talking about the meaning of Obama’s victory.

The 2008 election generated unprecedented levels of hope and optimism for an incoming president, even among non-Americans. These unrealistic expectations were so high that even a combination of Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan would not have been able to meet them. What’s worse, President Obama inherited an economy that was shedding 600,000 jobs a month as a result of what was possibly the most severe economic contraction since the Great Depression.

This combination of extremely high expectations and very poor economic conditions created significant challenges for Obama. In the end, even with these difficult circumstances, the administration has been able to add almost five million jobs over the past 30 months.

On the foreign policy front, Obama brought Osama bin Laden to justice and ended the Iraq War. His administration has pushed to increase the United States’ trade interests abroad by Scott signing free trade agreements with South Korea and Colombia.

The president has shown great courage in civil rights by publicly declaring his support for marriage equality, becoming the first sitting president to do so. The Obama administration ended the discriminatory “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which had barred gays from the military. Now, LGBTQ youths facing discrimination across the country know that their nation’s leader stands with them, even if the schoolyard bully does not.

Obama has demonstrated his support for women through his continuous advocacy for women’s health and reproductive rights. For example, the first bill signed into law by the president was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which mandated that men and women receive equal compensation in the workplace.

I have to admit that I made the switch from Republican to Democrat relatively recently. I knew the Republican Party had left me when, in September 2008, John McCain selected Sarah Palin as his running mate. The GOP’s increasing conservatism on social issues, coupled with an abandonment of true fiscal prudence, also caused me to make the switch.

I believe in a balanced budget and a government that gives equal opportunities to all citizens. This means investing in education and instituting progressive tax rates that would require that those with more contribute more to the provision of public goods.

Mitt Romney is not at all a bad man. In many ways, it is hard to relate to him because he is so perfect. His family looks like they came out of a catalog, and he has had a wildly successful and commendable career as a businessman and politician. But my issue is not so much with Romney but with the rest of the Republican Party.

There is a problem when demagogues such as Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain can rally such large portions of the Republican base.

By contrast, thoughtful Republicans such as Sens. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) are being increasingly pushed out of the party and being replaced by Tea Party reactionaries.

It is with this in mind that I proudly support President Obama’s reelection for a second term.

Four more years will allow the administration to help make the United States fairer and more prosperous. I look forward to a United States where one can marry who he or she loves, where children who have lived their entire lives here yet happen to be undocumented can go Stirrett to college and where anyone, regardless of his parents’ backgrounds, can become president. On all of these counts, electing Romney would send America backwards.

But beyond the important moral issues of our time, Barack Obama will continue to put the United States back on track. His administration will continue job growth and push for the only real way to decrease the deficit, which is to cut spending and increase taxes.

Andrew Sullivan, one of the great political bloggers, has written extensively on a “conservative case for Obama.” As someone who identifies as a conservative in my native Canada, Sullivan’s message definitely resonates with me. I support Obama because he embodies true conservative principles, like levelheadedness and pragmatism.

In the end, both my heart and head tell me to support the re-election of Barack Obama.

The current administration may not have been perfect, but the United States desperately needs four more years of movement in this direction.

SCOTT STIRRETT is a senior in the School of Foreign Service.

LETTERS OF THE LAW

oday, Americans elect a president after a rigorous and exhilarating campaign. Your voting decision should be predicated on three straightforward questions. First, which candidate has the qualities and experiences that make a strong leader? Second, which candidate lays out a substantive, realistic and compelling governing agenda? Third, which candidate would move America forward, not backward?

On all three counts, the answer is clear: Mitt Romney deserves your vote for president.

The term “leadership” is applied far too frequently in our politics. Yet, when we think critically about what the concept implies, the ability to exercise leadership is the most salient metric for evaluating presidential contenders.

Leadership is concrete. It means articulating a clear vision, effectively communicating with those you lead, building consensus, implementing meaningful results and leaving your enterprise better off than when you assumed control.

I take no joy in concluding that Barack Obama has failed as a leader. But I know Mitt Romney would be an exemplary one.

I know this because Romney has done it. The man has founded and led a business with phenomenal success. As president and CEO of the 2002 Winter Olympics, he took an epic debacle and turned it into one of the most powerful and moving games in memoSam ry. Serving as the governor of Massachusetts, Romney cut taxes and balanced his budget, all while creating jobs and overseeing America’s top-performing public schools.

Inauguration Day 2009 was the first time Obama assumed executive leadership, and it shows. President Obama’s temperament, focus and record of accomplishment in the White House demonstrate that he is not familiar with what it takes to be chief executive. Americans deserve more than a president whose administration is a journey of self-discovery. Romney will hit the ground running with comfort and serious results, thanks to his sterling record of leadership.

Furthermore, our elections should be forums for the evaluation of competing governing agendas. As an active participant in our democracy, I am disappointed and angered

by Obama’s failure to submit any sort of intelligible policy proposals to the voting public.

Short of his claims to “help the middle class” and make sure the “rich” pay “their fair share,” I cannot identify a single piece of legislation he would champion, initiative he would advance or agenda he would pursue in his second term.

Criticize Romney’s proposals if you will, but at

least he has some. Romney would immediately implement measures to improve the jobs climate, including reforming taxes and regulations to give confidence and foresight to job creators.

He would then address the structural challenges that underlie the health of our economy: energy independence (he would approve the Keystone XL pipeline), deficit reduction (he would cap federal spending), trade policy (he would create a Campaign for Economic Opportunity in Latin America) and education reform (He would actually side with parents and students, not unions).

Romney would fight for more jobs and better paying jobs for all Americans. Obama’s record has been disgraceful: the levels of poverty, homelessness, hunger and unemployment are far too high. Family income, meanwhile, has plummeted. People talk a lot about compassion in this race. Romney knows that the best social welfare policy out there is a job, and that our government should be only as compassionate as it can afford to be. We owe ourselves a change of course.

I strongly agree with one principle on which Obama has campaigned: his slogan of “Forward.” He’s right — this election is about moving forward. It’s about implementing real, lasting change that improves the quality of life for all Americans at home and restores our leadership and strength overseas. Romney would be a conservative Dulik president, but in this sense he would be progressive. He does not seek a return to the administration of George W. Bush, but the Democrats certainly seek a prolongation of the pain incurred under the Obama administration.

It is time to move beyond the malaise and torpor of the Obama economy. This president promised to unite Americans, but we have been more divided and vitriolic than ever under his watch. Romney has a consistent record of working across the aisle for meaningful results. He is a wonky nerd who is fixated on the nuts and bolts of policy, and we need that.

Mitt Romney would make a terrible prom king. He’s awkward and dorky at times, and his sense of humor leaves much to be desired. But you know what? He would make a damn strong president. I have confidence that he will work tirelessly to bring Americans together around a substantive, forward-looking agenda of liberty, security and prosperity for all. In America, now is the winter of our discontent. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I am hopeful, and I am proud to support Mitt Romney for president. Join me.

SAM DULIK is a senior in the School of Foreign Service.

AGGIORNAMENTO

Fate of High Court at Stake Catholic VPs a Split Decision T I

he current Supreme Court is among public schools. He also supplied the fifth vote the most radically conservative courts in 2005’s Roper v. Simmons, which struck down in American history. Between recogniz- the death penalty for minors. A more conservaing corporations’ rights to spend unlimited tive Court could easily overturn that precedent, amounts on elections and rejecting equal pay allowing the United States to join Nigeria, Saudi for equal work claims, the Roberts Court has Arabia and China in legally murdering 16-yearrolled back civil liberties, disastrously deregu- olds. The Court’s prohibition of the death penlated the U.S. political system and heightened alty for mentally disabled people also stands at inequality for millions of Americans.

5-4, as does its proscription against sentencing And if Mitt Romney wins today’s election, juveniles to life in prison for non-capital crimes. things are about to get a whole lot worse.

More recently, Kennedy has functioned as There is little doubt that the next president the guardian of habeas corpus, rejecting the will appoint between one and three justices. Bush administration’s attempts to deny GuantaRuth Bader Ginsburg, the last liberal firebrand, namo Bay detainees council or trial. If President is 79. Antonin Scalia, the archconservative, and Romney were able to replace him (or Breyer or Anthony Kennedy, the right-leaning swing- Ginsburg) with a Scalia-like conservative, these voter, are both 76. Stephen detainees would be stripped Breyer, a moderate liberal, is of all rights and subject to in74. If President Romney were definite detention. given the chance to replace And what of minorities? either Ginsburg, Kennedy Chief Justice John Roberts, or Breyer, the results would Clarence Thomas, Alito and be nothing less than cataScalia have firm ideas about strophic for our country and the 14th Amendment’s Equal our Constitution.

Protection clause: They beYou won’t hear this from lieve it should be ignored. either candidate — both The Court’s decisions overObama and Romney strenuturning anti-gay sodomy laws Mark Joseph Stern ously avoid mentioning the and overturning a state-wide Court — but much of Ameriprohibition of anti-discrimcan jurisprudence hangs by ination laws for gays were the barest of threads: Justice The next president will likely authored by Kennedy. Both Kennedy’s vote. If Kennedy appoint between one and stand at 5-4, meaning a single or any liberal were replaced Romney appointee could three justices to the Court. help reverse them. Moreover, by a conservative, the farright wing would have the same-sex marriage will likely power to reverse almost evsoon come before the Court. ery progressive landmark decision of the past While Kennedy’s vote is still unclear, there is half-century. virtually no chance that the four conservatives Consider the cases that currently stand 5-4, would ever affirm a fundamental right to marwith Kennedy joining the liberals. The most riage for gays. prominent of these is, of course, Roe v. Wade, A second term for Obama, on the other hand, which was last reaffirmed 20 years ago in would, at the very least, prolong the current idePlanned Parenthood v. Casey. In that case, Ken- ological split on the Court, and very possibly tilt nedy made a dramatic behind-the-scenes switch, it back toward the left. The elder justices simply joining a plurality opinion to uphold abortion cannot live forever. The justice who will replace rights. Since then, Sandra Day O’Connor has them — a moderate liberal in the mold of Elena been replaced by Samuel Alito, which leaves Kagan, or a radical conservative like Alito — may abortion rights at a projected 5-4 vote today. be decided by the next president.

The recent proliferation of anti-abortion state The future of the Court depends on the presilaws ensures that the issue will reappear soon; a dent. If Romney wins today’s election, our most single switched vote could doom legal abortion cherished civil liberties stand little chance of throughout the United States for a generation. survival.

The list of progressive causes in peril does not end with reproductive rights. Kennedy provided Mark Joseph Stern is a senior in the College. the decisive vote in the 1992 Lee v. Weisman LETTERS OF THE LAW appears every other decision, upholding the illegality of prayer in Tuesday.

n last month’s vice presidential debate, Vice the most fundamental common ground to politiPresident Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan (R- cal debates. No longer living exclusively in workWis.) were asked about how their Catholi- ing-class ethnic enclaves in the Northeast and cism impacted their decisions on political issues select Midwestern cities, Catholics are present in like abortion and contraceptives. The candidates’ all ethnic, political and socioeconomic classes, answers were relatively evasive and not very sub- from poor immigrants in California to wealthy stantive — a surprise to no one who followed the businesspeople in the Northeast. They bring difcampaigns this election cycle. ferent parts of the American experience to their But despite the predictable responses, this decisions, and they vote for different candidates “who-is-more-Catholic?” showdown was a high- and hold allegiances to different parties. light of the campaign for many American CathoBut individual Catholics’ compromises don’t lics. Never before have several minutes of a nation- reflect whether these people are “good” or “bad” ally televised debate for a presidential election followers, as some observers might claim. In our been dedicated specifically to Catholic faith and view, reasonable, faithful Catholics can in good public service. Attention to Catholicism at the conscience vote for either party, not only this debate reflects the historic aspects of today’s elec- year but in most, if not all, elections. Catholic tion: For the first time in American history, both voters’ choices come down to what parts of the major political parties are fearich Catholic tradition they turing Roman Catholic canchoose to weigh most in their didates on their ticket. decisions. Voters who emphaBut the vice-president size the importance of aborshowdown also demontion — and, more specifically, strates the difficulties of votthe idea that abortion must ing for many Catholics, who be illegal — may vote Repubare forced to compromise lican, and their choice would between two seriously imperbe justified. But some Cathofect parties. In our view, conlics also emphasize care for temporary partisan politics the marginalized and poor Alex Honjiyo & Pat Gavin have failed to align entirely and for women and members with Catholic beliefs. Neither of racial groups that face instiof the vice presidential canAmerican Catholics are not tutional disadvantages. They didates, nor their running may vote Democratic, and a coherent voting bloc and their vote, too, would be sufmates, nor their collective party platforms effectively haven’t been for some time. ficiently in line with Catholic embody the complexity of teaching. How ironic that, Catholic social teaching, with even in an election year that its central call for all people to respect the dignity gave tremendous validation to the Catholic faith of life, from conception to natural death. and its adherents, Catholic voters will split their Examples of this abound. Ryan supports a gov- votes almost exactly down the middle. ernment ban on abortions; Biden does not. Ryan But just as pundits should avoid talking about supports cutting government funding to social “Catholic voters” as a voting bloc, Catholic observprograms aimed at helping the poor and mar- ers shouln’t base their judgments about other ginalized; Biden does not. The list goes on — from Catholics on their brothers’ and sisters’ voting drones to contraceptives to the death penalty, the decisions. Unless American partisan politics untwo parties are split in such a way that no dedi- dergoes a major makeover in the near future, cated Catholic can vote for either ticket. dedicated Catholics will continue to split their So Catholics are forced to compromise, and votes. Hopefully, the resulting discussions among their difficult decisions are reflected in their vot- disagreeing Catholics — about the relative imporing behavior. In a late-October poll conducted by tance of the illegalization of abortion, subsidiarity the Pew Center for People and the Press, support and the death penalty — will be more informative was split. President Obama held an unconvincing and fruitful than the vice presidential candidates’ two-point lead, with 48 percent of the vote com- fluffy answers in mid-October. pared to Gov. Romney’s 46.

American Catholics are not a coherent voting Alex Honjiyo and Pat Gavin are seniors in bloc and have not been for some time. Perhaps the School of Foreign Service and College, now more than ever, they take different ap- respectively. AGGIORNAMENTO appears every proaches to their faith and sometimes bring only other Tuesday.

A4

THE HOYA

PAGE FOUR

NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2012

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE Bioethics researchers spoke about the morality of organ donation and transplant Thursday. See story online at thehoya.com.

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya.

IN FOCUS

PEACEFUL PROTEST

verbatim

“

It’s kind of a do-or-die situation.

”

Jonathon Espinoza (COL ’16) on volunteering before Election Day. See story on A6.

from

FAUXSOCIETY.COM

MADISON ASHLEY FOR THE HOYA

Representatives of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network protested Autism Speaks’ focus on preventative research and lack of autistic leadership at the “Walk for Now” Autism Speaks event Saturday morning. See story online at thehoya.com

GONNA POP SOME TAGS Only got $20 in your pocket? Make like Macklemore and hit up the closest thrift shop — we’ve got your guide to the goods on 4E. blog.thehoya.com

Event Raises $5K in Aid to Syria GUSA Fund May

Shift Focus

TIA BAHERI

Special to The Hoya

With speakers, dancing and food, the NAS Arab Society aimed to bring the plight of Syrians affected by the nation’s civil war to Georgetown students Friday night.

The event, titled “One Night for Syria,” took place in Sellinger Lounge and raised $5,000 for the Syrian Sunrise Foundation.

“Our goal was twofold,” NAS president Yomna Sarhan (SFS ’14) said.

One, to raise awareness about what is happening. Two, to raise money to send.”

The event, which was co-sponsored by THE HOYA, focused on providing educational information and promoting humanitarian relief.

“This event is very apolitical,” Sarhan said. “Of course individuals here might have their own political opinions, but we want to make it clear that the fundraiser is only focusing on the people who are suffering.

This is about the people.”

NAS, which means “people” in Arabic, is an organization that aims to develop understanding and appreciation of Arab culture on campus.

The educational portion of the program featured three reflections from Syrian student speakers, who spoke about their personal experiences in the civil war, the struggles of protesters and the government treatment of youth involved in protests.

Two of the speakers, Ali Alsayed and Hadi Al-Shammaa, were detained by Syrian security forces as a result of their political activities.

Alsayed, 17, moved to the United States with his family a year ago, and Al-Shammaa, 16, emigrated a few months ago. Alsayed now attends Hayfield Secondary School in Virginia and Al-Shammaa goes to J.E.B. Stuart High School in Virginia. Both used a translator in order to address the crowds.

“I was afraid to sleep in my own house. I was afraid they would come and take me from my bed, so I would sleep in various locations in Damascus with my friends,” Al-Shammaa said.

Al-Shammaa said his involvement with the protests began with handing out pamphlets for the revolutionary cause. He witnessed firsthand the escalation of government response toward protesters.

ANNIE CHEN

Hoya Staff Writer

AlEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

Syrian-American activist Mhyar Alzayat spoke about the turmoil his home country faces at the “One Night for Syria” event Friday.

“We saw how it spread to other cities, and the regime started to put down the revolution in other cities. We saw that with our own eyes. And then the security forces started to use live ammunition against the protestors,” Al-Shammaa explained.

Al-Shammaa was released after three weeks. He said that his American citizenship made a difference.

“They did not release him after they found out that he was American, but they could not hurt him,” Al-Shammaa’s translator explained.

“Calls were made to the Syrian government, but they denied that they had him. They said, ‘If we have him, you’ll know when he’s released.’”

Alsayed was released after two months of detainment without explanation or going through a formal judicial process.

Mohammad Abu Ghazali, a freshman at George Mason University and an active member of the Syrian American Council, said that the values of the U.S. Constitution should compel Americans to help the Syrian people.

“We can’t even imagine what it

would be like to go without those freedoms, but oppression is the everyday reality in Syria,” Abu Ghazali said. “Once a government loses its legitimacy, the people have not only the right but the responsibility to abolish that entity.”

According to Khweis the event was conceptualized during the first NAS meeting of the year.

“We wanted it to be educational, but we also wanted it to be fun,” she said.

Organizers of the event, titled “One Night for Syria,” said they were pleasantly surprised by the turnout.

“We were very worried that we wouldn’t have enough food. I think we used every chair in [the Leavey Center,]” event coordinator and NAS member Juman Khweis (SFS ’13) said.

NAS will donate proceeds from the event to the Syrian Sunrise Foundation, which helps families, children and widows in the civil war.

“We heard of this organization that had boots on the ground and was really Syrian and decided it would be better to donate to them,” Khweis said.

Two years after its founding, the GUSA Fund is rethinking its role on campus.

Given changes in sources of funding for campus groups, the fund is looking to alter its mission from providing supplementary funding for existing groups to helping kick-start new organizations and working with groups that are not recognized by the university.

The fund, which is a branch of the Georgetown University Student Association, was established in 2010 to aid student groups that were not allocated sufficient funding by their advisory boards.

Organizations can apply directly to the fund, which is allocated a portion of student activities fee revenue, to receive additional funding for events and programming.

“It is sort of a funding of last resort.

Groups come to us when they have pursued all of the other options,” GUSA Fund Chair Cody Cowan (SFS ’14) said.

During the 2011-2012 school year, the fund gave out about $32,000; this year, it will allocate about $16,000.

According to Finance and Appropriation Committee Chair Sheila Walsh (COL ’14), whose committee approves the fund’s allocations each week, the GUSA Fund’s role has changed as advisory boards receive increased funding due to last year’s Students Activities Fee Endowment Reform. This, in turn, allows advisory boards to allocate more money to their student groups.

According to Walsh, the number of requests submitted to the GUSA Fund has not fallen, but the amount of money requested on average has decreased.

Walsh said that this presents an opportunity to refocus the fund’s purpose.

“Post-SAFE Reform, we’ve opened up hundreds of thousands of dollars for student groups through their advisory boards, so clearly, it’s time to take a second look at GUSA Fund and determine if there’s still that need for this supplementary funding,” Walsh said.

According to Walsh, the group is not looking to alter its charter but will instead approach its job from a new perspective. GUSA Fund members, along with the Finance and Appropriations

Committee, have explored options to allow the GUSA Fund to pursue a different mission. According to Walsh, options include focusing on philanthropy, building new businesses off the ground or allocating funds to groups without access to university funding.

“Our hope is that we can still help out clubs, but perhaps this year, [we can put] more of an emphasis on soliciting applications from individual students or groups that don’t receive access to benefits,” Walsh said.

Both Cowan and Walsh emphasized that the GUSA Fund can play an important role for new organizations.

“It’s really important that the fund remain as a support system for individuals who want to do something but don’t know how,” Cowan said.

Cowan pointed out that the cofounders of the Georgetown University Farmers Market were succesful because they were able to supplement funding from a Reimagine Georgetown grant with support from the GUSA Fund.

“We were able to give them money.

But, more importantly, [also] access to benefits that university student groups have,” Cowan said.

Another potential focus for the fund would entail helping student entrepreneurs gain recognition from the university. Currently, groups like H2Bro and Buyback Brothers are banned from campus. Partnering with an official student group with access to benefits, however, would allow them to operate at Georgetown, according to GUSA Director of SAFE Reform Implementation Colton Malkerson (COL ’13).

“There are a lot of students with good ideas for events, programs and initiatives, but they need funding and access to benefits,” he wrote in an email. “The GUSA Fund should provide that funding and access to benefits.”

However, SAC Chair Jack Appelbaum (COL ’14) pointed out that SAC still struggles to fully fulfill funding requests.

“Even after SAFE reform, the total funding requests for SAC groups still exceed our available resources,” Appelbaum wrote in an email. “Because we cannot fund the full needs of our student organizations, alternative funding sources [like the GUSA Fund] are certainly necessary to supplement SAC funding and help SAC groups put on excellent programming.”

News

tuesday, november 6, 2012

Union Faces Array of Obstacles UNION, from A1 between the treatment of adjuncts and the quality of teaching in the classroom.”

According to a June 2012 report by the Coalition on the Academic Workforce, the median compensation per course for adjunct faculty nationwide was $2,700 in fall 2010. In contrast, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that the annual median salary for full professors in the same year was about $116,000, equivalent to about $20,000 per course assuming each professor taught three courses each semester.

Eisenberg added that a growing proportion of instructors at Georgetown are adjunct professors rather than full-time, tenure-track professors. The Hoya previously reported April 28 that there are about 200 adjunct faculty members at Georgetown, a figure that is almost double that of a decade ago.

Those numbers reflect a nationwide trend. According to a study by the New America Foundation, the proportion of teaching positions filled by adjunct faculty rose from 36 percent in 1985 to 48 percent in 2005.

This, in part, explains the growing movement for faculty unionization at D.C. colleges. Adjunct faculty at The George Washington University unionized in affiliation with SEIU Local 500 in 2000, and, according to Lornell, adjunct faculty at American University should have a union in place by Jan. 1 of next year.

Barbara Wien, an adjunct professor in the justice and peace studies program and supporter of the SEIU movement, said that in addition to low wages, adjunct faculty suffer from job insecurity and insufficient access to the university’s resources.

“The big thing is that … you never really know if you’re going to be teaching from semester to semester … because [adjunct] faculty can be laid off at any time,” she said. “We’re not really supported very much as professors in terms of our book orders in the bookstore, and there are occasions where I have not been paid for weeks on end because payroll got screwed up. … We kind of fall between the cracks.”

Wien added that the university does little to facilitate collaboration between adjunct faculty, a reality that she hopes would be overturned by the formation of a union.

“I’ve never really met my counterparts because we’re so scattered,” she

said. “I’ve met five other adjuncts, and they’re all positive about unionization.”

The university sent an email to faculty Sept. 28 signed by Provost Robert Groves, Executive Dean of the School of Medicine Howard Federoff and Dean of Georgetown University Law Center William Treanor acknowledging that SEIU Local 500 has begun to corral adjunct faculty to unionize and encouraged those faculty members to explore their options.

“Our university respects employees’ rights to freely associate and organize, which includes voting for or against union representation without intimidation, unjust pressure, undue delay or hindrance in accordance with applicable law,” the email read.

“Georgetown encourages adjunct faculty members to gather information about SEIU Local 500 and the process by which a union can become the exclusive bargaining representative for a group of employees under federal labor law.”

Both Eisenberg and Wien acknowledged the university’s strong track record in negotiating with the newly formed union of Aramark workers within the last year as a promising sign of its willingness to cooperate with a union of adjunct faculty.

“We do have a precedent at Georgetown in terms of cafeteria workers … so hopefully the administration will be open to this union as well,” Wien said.

According to Lornell, this attitude marks a significant shift from the resistance adjunct faculty at GWU faced in 2000 from their administration.

Lornell said that the university tied up the union in various appeals processes for 18 months before agreeing to enter negotiations. “[GWU] was carried into this kicking and screaming, [but] I think they rather like it now in some ways because it gives them a sense of control,” he said. “The union has standardized things. … Unionization is not the devil that has come out from behind the tree.”

Lornell said that the GWU union has guaranteed its members greater job security because its contract with the university forces the administration to guarantee the renewal of contracts except in specific circumstances, including curriculum changes and national disasters.

Despite the potential benefits of forming a union, however, not all adjunct faculty members are behind the

movement. Though Sarah Stiles, a visiting assistant professor in the sociology department, agreed that adjunct faculty face inferior working conditions, she is not interested in joining a union.

“My feeling is that I hate that it has come to this. The only reason that people unionize is because they’ve been pushed to the point that they can’t take it any longer. I think it’s an embarrassment that higher education would do this to our own,” she said. “I personally don’t want to be part of a union, but I know it is necessary for many people.”

Eisenberg recognized that convincing enough adjunct faculty to sign the authorization cards necessary to form a union will be a challenge moving forward.

“I think that because so many adjuncts at Georgetown are basically well-off people who are professionals … that love teaching and want to get a little more experience, they’re sort of among the elite and they don’t care about the money as do adjuncts as a whole. So it’s tougher at Georgetown to unionize than at other comparable universities,” he said. “But it’s not just how you’re faring. It’s about how the mass of adjuncts are faring, and I urge people to think about that and not their own little private concern.”

According to federal labor law, at least 30 percent of employees must sign a petition to the National Labor Relations Board declaring their interest before a union can be formed.

Though Lornell and Eisenberg could not give exact figures as to the number of adjunct faculty now enlisted, they stressed that the movement at Georgetown is only in its beginning phases.

Lornell and Eisenberg both said that unionizing under SEIU Local 500 is ideal because it has the potential to change the standard for hiring adjunct faculty District wide. He hopes the formation of a union at Georgetown will also inspire similar movements at Catholic University of America, Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia.

“The basic tenet is that there is strength in numbers,” Lornell said.

“Once we have close to half the folks who are adjuncts in the Washington area in a union — and once we have a contract at Georgetown we will have a clear majority of people — the bottom line will be that if you want to hire part-time faculty in D.C., you have to meet our requirements.”

THE HOYA

A5

Commissioners Recall Challenges ANC, from A1 “It’s easy to get swept up in the relationships with the other commissioners, but it’s important not to forget that your goal is [to make] the university better,” he said.

For Michael Glick (COL ’05), who served on the ANC from 2003 until 2005, it was his obligations to students that dominated his agenda.

“I think that there is a tendency to make it students versus the community — and there was certainly some of that — but by and large [for] most of the issues we tackled, we were one big community working together,” Glick said. “But one of the bigger challenges was prioritizing and compromising and trying to work with my fellow commissioners to make sure the student voice and perspective [were] heard.”

Outgoing student commissioner Jake Sticka (COL ’13) said that building strong relationships with fellow commissioners was particularly challenging during his term because he served amid the often-toxic negotiations related to the 2010 Campus Plan and area redistricting.

“The personal relationships I was able to build [differ] from commissioner to commissioner, and some of them will tell you that given the constraints of the Campus Plan period, that was difficult,” Sticka said. “But I feel as though they respect me and I respect them. Our interactions have always been professional and some of them … have been very helpful as mentors [whom] I think I will be able to speak to for years to come.”

Sticka added that his successors are set to join the commission amid a new era of cooperation — facilitated by the newly established Georgetown Community Partnership — and should therefore have a less difficult time forging relationships with fellow commissioners.

Apart from this overarching

challenge, past commissioners dealt with issues unique to their terms.

Kopa recalled a fight over a district-wide moratorium on issuing new liquor licenses that took place during his time on the ANC. “To get [a license], you had to buy one from someone who already had one,” Kopa said.

“In Georgetown, we leveraged that to limit local bars and the types of drink specials aimed at college students and young people.”

Clements used his position on the commission to lobby the university about its proposal to ban kegs from campus.

“I was able to get the other commissioners to support my opposition to the keg ban.

Neighbors realized that banning kegs in on-campus housing would push parties off campus,” he said.

And when Daniel Rigby (MSB ’05) perished in a townhouse fire in 2004, Clements joined with the other commissioners in calling for more housing inspections.

“Basically, a lot of the off-campus housing was not up to code and was not properly inspected to rent to a large number of people. We tried to make a big effort to get those inspections done at all of the houses,” Clements said.

Sticka added that while he made the most of his status as the lone student commissioner during his term, he is enthusiastic about the possibilities available to Prindiville and Cassey.

“Throughout my term, I did my best to voice student opinion in a respectful manner. On the commission where there’s one student and six non-students, my ability to … win votes by myself was limited,” he said.

“In terms of redistricting, we ultimately got a compromise plan where there’s going to be two students elected just about every year … and that’s certainly a better one than we’ve had in the past 10 years.”

GU Staff Worked Through Storm COMPENSATION, from A1 period on Monday. Leo’s closed at 4 p.m. Monday and reopened 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

“In a situation like Superstorm Sandy, our first priority is the safety and well-being of our employees,” Cutler wrote in an email statement. “We are very proud that our team was able to serve the campus.”

Employees said they remained on campus out of concern for students.

“As long as I was safe, it was OK. I know I was motivated by helping the students,” Leo’s employee Martina Hamilton said.

Cutler did not comment on why dining staff were not paid more than their normal rate.

Dining hall workers were not the only university employees to continue working during the storm. Facilities employees

were expected to come to work during the hurricane and were paid double wages for doing so.

“In general, non-salaried workers who are covered by bargaining agreements are paid according to the agreement at twice the rate of regular pay [during emergencies],” university spokeswoman Stacy Kerr wrote in an email.

Kerr confirmed that workers designated as essential employees were also expected to work during the storm. She said that many employees worked their usual eight-to-10-hour shifts, while some took on extra hours.

According to Kerr, the number of staff who came in to work varied by department.

For example, she said, 100 percent of utilities staff came in.

“You always have to come in to work. They expect you to come in no matter how [bad

it is],” facilities employee José Ivan Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez estimated that about half of the facilities workers came in on Monday and Tuesday. He said that the university offered these workers free parking and lodging, and according to Kerr, about 10 employees chose this option.

The Department of Public Safety also maintained its usual operation.

“With the exception of command staff, DPS had normal staffing allocations,” Kerr said.

Though DPS officers are typically not allowed to work more than 16 hours in a 24-hour period, this prohibition is lifted during emergencies. Kerr said that several officers did work a full 24 hours during the storm, and, like facilities employees, these officers were also compensated at twice their normal rate.

Disabled Students Seek Resources ACCESSIBILITY, from A1 time getting into buildings her freshman year because she can’t reach buttons for the automatic doors.

“It’s better now with the clickers that we have to be able to open almost all of the doors on campus in addition to my hall and my dorm room,” she said.

But this project was spearheaded by Weldon’s father, who had to pay for all students to receive the clickers in order to get the university to make the public doors clicker accessible.

“I’m not sure how much it was in total, but it was very expensive,” Weldon said. “I’m just very lucky that my father was able to foot the bill.”

For Williams, the advancements in newer buildings such as Regents Hall have shown a movement toward a more disability-conscious campus.

“On the more modern and newer buildings, the university has done a good job,” Williams

said. “These recent innovations let me know that they’re working on accommodating our situation and innovating the way we conceptualize the campus and that the university really puts us as a priority.”

However, problems still remain. Both Williams and Weldon said that ramps and walkways intended for those with wheelchairs or trouble with stairs are sometimes blocked by other traffic, preventing those who actually need the route from using it.

“Sometimes, people misuse things that are supposed to make accessibility easier,” Williams said. “In particular, bicyclists make it hard for me to use the ramp out of Red Square to Leavey.”

According to Williams, the Academic Resource Center has helped him navigate campus.

“When I first got to campus, I got an accessibility map that the university had drawn up for disabled people,” Williams said.

“It showed me what elevators to take, which buildings connected to which ones, where the ramps were and where to avoid. It’s really just about using your resources and developing an intuition about the problem spots.”

Monod agreed that the ARC is a valuable resource but lamented a lack of greater university support. For some students, trial and error is the most effective way of figuring out how to get around campus.

“It’s sad that at a school like this, we only have three or four people working in the disability office,” Monod said.

Weldon stressed, however, that disabled student life on campus is what students make of it.

“It’s about having the confidence to ask for help when you need it,” she said. “I let myself do whatever I really want. If it involves asking someone to help, such as asking someone to help carry me up a flight of stairs, I ask.”

A6

news

THE HOYA

TUESday, november 6, 2012

Top Students Can Bypass LSAT Faulty Machinery

Sounds Leo’s Alarms

Lily Westergaard Hoya Staff Writer

For 25 years, the Georgetown University Law Center’s early assurance program has admitted a select number of Georgetown undergraduates without requiring them to complete the LSAT. For many prospective undergrads aspiring to careers as hotshot lawyers or august judges, the program is among the most appealing features of a Georgetown undergraduate education. But it can also be the most elusive.

Applicants are required to submit only a transcript with five semesters of grades along with two letters of recommendation, but they must also boast an undergraduate GPA of 3.8 or higher.

Georgetown Law Dean of Admissions Andy Cornblatt said that although all law schools have seen a decline in applicants in recent years, the program has remained competitive.

“It’s pretty steady,” he said. “We haven’t seen a significant drop.”

According to the Law Center’s website, 21 of the 52 Georgetown applicants for the class entering in fall 2013, or 40 percent, were admitted in that cycle. That reflects a more competitive pool than in the 2012 cycle, when 50 percent of applicants were accepted, but a less competitive pool than in 2011, from which only 26 percent were admitted. The accepted pool has had an average GPA of at least 3.9 since the 2008 cycle, with the figure peaking at 3.93 for the class entering in 2009.

“It’s a very difficult program to get admitted to,” Cornblatt said. “Many students don’t get in through early assurance but are admitted through the regular process.”

Laura Brayton (MSB ’13) applied to the early assurance program last winter but was ultimately accepted as a regular decision applicant this fall.

Nonetheless, she expressed enthusiasm about the program.

“I think it’s a great program for students to have the opportunity to get into law school in the spring semester of their junior year,” she said.

“It provides a stress relief and makes applying to other schools for regular decision easier, as you are already guaranteed to go to a top 14 law school

Emma Iannini

Special to The Hoya

MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA

The Law Center’s early assurance program remains competitive.

About 40 percent of Georgetown applicants for fall 2013 were admitted. and have a personal statement already written.”

Cornblatt said that the purpose of the program, which is non-binding, is to allow top students to make the most of their senior years by taking less conventional course loads. Cornblatt said he considers the program, which is unusual among law schools, a success.

“It’s helped us to attract and keep some of the very best students from our terrific undergrad school,” he said.

“For many top students … it makes it that much easier to say yes back to us.

It allows us to keep many of our stars in the Hoya family.”

Though such early assurance programs are common among medical schools throughout the country, Georgetown’s program is unique among law schools. According to The Wall Street Journal, another university to offer early assurance to a select pool of its undergrads is the University of Michigan.

Monica Perrigino (COL ’12), who was admitted to the early assurance program but ultimately chose to attend the New York University School of Law, had a generally positive opinion of the program.

“Having only thought of law school for the first time the prior September, it was pretty surreal to know that I secured a spot in a school without even starting senior year and without having begun studying for the LSAT,” Perrigino said. “There is also a nice calming feeling as you study for the LSAT and know that, should you

totally bomb it, you can still go to a great school.”

However, Perrigino said she feared that students admitted under early assurance would have difficulty gaining the respect of their peers because they had not completed the LSAT. “I’m not sure how fellow law students would look at you if they knew about your ‘special’ admission process.

I have explained it to some friends [at NYU], and they are truly baffled at the idea of attending … one of the best law schools in the country without even having touched an LSAT question,” she said. “That does not at all mean you did not earn your spot there or you got in through some sketchy backdoor entrance, but a lot of people will see it that way, and that’s something that one should prepare for.”

Perrigino also cited frustration at the Law Center’s requirement that accepted applicants make a sizeable deposit before hearing from other schools.

“If I had known what my fate would be elsewhere, it would have been nice to avoid essentially wasting so much money, but of course I wanted to know that there was still a place for me [at the Law Center], so I made the payment even though I ultimately ended up at a different school,” she said.

The Law Center begins accepting applications for the early assurance program Feb. 1 and the deadline for submissions is April 10 for the fall semester.

Student Campaigners Reflect On a Defining Experience Penny Hung

Hoya Staff Writer

As campaigns draw to a close and millions of voters head to the polls today, many Georgetown students have a reason to be particularly invested in the results.

During a time when most students are focused on midterms, Alyssa Peterson (COL ’14) has dedicated 10-15 hours per week volunteering for Barack Obama, on top of a campaign internship and weekends spent canvassing.

“It’s kind of a do-or-die situation, and I know if I don’t do my all, I’m going to wake up on Election Day and feel regret if he doesn’t win,” she said.

Jonathan Espinoza (COL ’16) , a member of the College Republicans who spent an average of 64 hours a week recently campaigning for Mitt Romney, agreed with the sentiment.

“I feel very strongly about a lot of Romney’s ideas, and I think we need someone who knows what he’s doing in the White House,” Espinoza said.

Espinoza and Peterson are two of many students on campus who have dedicated time, effort and money this election season to helping the candidate of their choice take the White House.

According to Georgetown University College Democrats President Joe Vandegriff (COL ’14), students who limit their involvement in politics to voting are missing an opportunity to have a greater impact on the country.

“If you are a strong Democrat or a strong Republican, you clearly have a view on the way politics should be run in this country,” he said.

“If you don’t volunteer, then you don’t have the right to complain, as you had a chance to impact those viewpoints and you chose not to.”

Students have traveled as far as Boston, Mass., to canvass, dedicating significant amounts of time to campaign for their candidate. But those involved say the experience is worth the time and effort they put in.

“I’ve learned an enormous amount from this campaign: what it means to be working on a campaign, what it means to have a campaign and, really, the amount of personal effort that goes into these campaigns,” College Democrats Speakers Co-Director Audrey Denis (SFS ’15) said. “It just shows me how much of a campaign relies on real people, individuals, the grassroots — real people spending their own time. It made me realize that every vote in these battleground states is a hard fought, hard won vote.”

Some have even experienced unique opportunities to impact the campaigns. College Republicans member Tim Rosenberger’s (COL ’16) voice was briefly used as the recording for the Romney campaign’s automated calls in Pennsylvania.

“At one point, the voice recording for calls in

Pennsylvania was somehow erased, and I got to record the new one,” Rosenberger said. “So for a little while, at least, I was the robo-voice for Romney in Pennsylvania.”

College Republicans and College Democrats have both encouraged their members to participate in various events such as phone banking, canvassing and voter registration.

According to College Republicans Chair Maggie Cleary (COL ’14), a member of the group leads a trip to a phone bank once a week, and members participate in canvassing every weekend, especially in the swing state of Virginia.

College Democrats Events Leader Jayme Amann (SFS ’15) added that members of College Democrats have attended canvassing trips every weekend since September.

“We’ve been on the ground in all the key swing states around the D.C. area,” she said.

“And in this last push before Election Day, we’re leading four trips over the weekend to try to do as much as possible.”

Vandegriff said the impact of the election results could be greater for students than they realize.

“Policies about the economy, education, climate change, Medicare, Medicaid, retirement, etc. We’re the people who will feel the effects of these problems, so we have the most at stake.”

Espinoza agreed.

“There are policies that the older generation, people who are no longer going to be with us in a couple years, are putting in place, and they’re hurting us [students],” he said. “Those are policies that worked during their generation, [but] those policies will not necessarily work for our generation.”

But balancing campaign work with academics can be a challenge for some, and Denis said numbers at College Democrats’ campaign events have dropped since midterm season began in full swing — a situation she found frustrating.

“Honestly, I have been a little disappointed with the superficial relationship Georgetown students have with political activism,” she said.

“A lot of people are willing to put a T-shirt or a sticker on, but it’s a big battle to get some of them to pick up a phone or to knock on a door — but that is the way voters are won.”

But Amann said that College Democrats tries to help students strike that balance.

“We try to give our members as many options as possible,” Amann said. “We’ve noticed that our numbers have been dropping as compared to other schools, and we really want to get more of our members out to these events.”

Amann also stressed the importance of voting above all else.

“You have to be knowledgeable about who you are voting for … but I always tell people: ‘I don’t care who you vote for, I just care that you vote.’”

O’Donovan Hall has been evacuated three times this semester after fire alarms have sounded due to faulty equipment.

According to university spokeswoman Stacy Kerr, the most recent fire alarm went off Oct. 31, when a faulty heater started to smoke in a storage room that is connected to the Southwest Garage.

“When we all heard the alarm go off, we were told there was some sort of grease fire and that we had to get out of the building,” said Ronald Lowery, who has worked at Leo’s for three years. “We and some students waited outside for 30 to 45 [minutes] while DPS checked out the facility. I never

saw anything to imply that an actual fire had taken place, though.”

The two previous incidents occurred in mid-September and early October. The first was caused by a bad sensor in the fire alarm system, the second by a faulty food warmer in the lower-level kitchen.

“Generally, there have been more alarms here this fall than usual. I’m not sure if it’s just a coincidence or not,” said Capricia Lorick, who began working at Leo’s in February. “All I know is that none of them have been the result of any major problems. We just all have to follow the evacuation order — that’s mandatory.”

Kerr said that each issue that caused a fire alarm in the dining hall has been subsequently repaired by University Facilities.

Athletic Center Plans Advance Slowly Kelly Church Hoya Staff Writer

Updated plans for Georgetown’s Intercollegiate Athletic Center will move forward after being approved by the Old Georgetown Board Oct. 4 and the Commission of Fine Arts Oct. 18.

The approvals came after the university adopted the April recommendations of both boards.

According to university spokeswoman Stacy Kerr, the plans have since undergone significant changes.

The new facility’s athletic courts will be stacked to form a taller building, maintaining McDonough Arena’s southern facade.

In addition, a tower on the east side of the new building will mark the main entry and link Harbin Field, the IAC and McDonough.

OGB agreed to approve the most recent design submission Oct. 26, but recommended that the designers specify their stylistic intent.

This approval is just one of several steps remaining before the facility can be built. Kerr said that the university plans to continue working with the designs, which are only in the schematic phase, and must still have the final drawings approved.

“The details will be worked out as the project continues its natural course through design,” she wrote.

Kerr added that the next required clearance would be for the full building, but the university expects to return to the boards prior to seeking approval for the final design. The timeline for future such meetings is uncertain.

According to Kerr, the project will be funded entirely by donations, so work on the facility moves forward as funds trickle in. While the university has already raised $12 million, the total cost of the project is estimated at $60 million.

“Construction [will] not begin until we have the fundraising commitments secured,” Kerr wrote in an email.

NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2012

THE HOYA

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Alum’s Site Reventón Unites Cultures in Dance Eases Event Parking CAROLINE WELCH Special to The Hoya

MATT WALTERS

Special to The Hoya

Basketball game attendees will be able to use Parking Panda, a service founded by Nick Miller (COL ’10) that allows users to reserve parking spaces in private lots and garages, at the Verizon Center this season.

“The idea is that you plan the rest of your life — [you] buy a ticket on Ticketmaster [and] make a reservation on OpenTable — [but] parking is always that unknown case,” Miller said, “We allow drivers to go online or to their mobile phone [and] find and reserve a place to park, so you know exactly where you’re going, what you’re paying and that you have a guaranteed space when you get there.”

Parking Panda can be used to secure spots in commercial lots and garages, but the company cannot reserve metered street parking areas. The service also allows local residents to rent their driveways to interested customers by creating an account on Parking Panda’s website and listing their spot with a description and set price.

Miller was inspired to start Parking Panda by his childhood in Baltimore, when he often saw local residents holding up cardboard signs to rent their available parking spaces during major events.

While a student at Georgetown, Miller said that his driveway in his off-campus house was wasted, as none of his roommates had a car. A parking spot reservation site seemed like the perfect way to solve this problem and navigate the chaos that often surrounds the Verizon Center on game days.

Though originally launched in Baltimore and the District, Miller has expanded Parking Panda to Philadelphia and San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area, and Miller has high hopes for the future of the company.

“Every major city on the map is the goal,” he said.

Prices for parking at Georgetown basketball games range from $5 to $7, and customers can currently reserve spaces months in advance, with parking available for every game until the game against Syracuse in March.

Parking Panda also offers spaces for Nationals baseball games, D.C. United soccer games and concerts at the 9:30 Club.

Georgetown’s Latin American Student Association is clearly committed to dancing til the world ends.

LASA presented “Apocalypto,” its sixth annual Reventón Latino dance bash in Gaston Hall Friday night.

The event, which showcases international dance and culture, was first established in 2006 as a way to foster a Latin American presence in the Georgetown community through artistic expression. To date, the event is the only Latin American artistic showcase on campus.

“What [Reventón] is all about is to show the culture, to promote the energy that we share as Latin Americans with Georgetown and to bring the region to the Georgetown community,” LASA President Alma Caballero (SFS ’13) said. “We want to engage the Georgetown community, and we think the best way to do this is by dancing and having fun and sharing the spice and energy that we all bring.”

Reventón’s scope has become broader since its founding, transforming from an expression of Latin American pride to a celebration of worldwide culture. This year, members of Irish and Middle Eastern dance groups were invited to perform alongside the Latin American dance group.

“It was really telling that we incorporated other cultures, because Latin America is not only a region that is composed of people from one heritage. It is a combination of many,” Caballero said. “All of us are bringing our own cultures here, and as a way of bringing it here, we share our culture with others.”

This year’s theme, Apocalypto, was based on the Mayan prediction that the world will end on Dec. 21, 2012.

“The theme came about by accident,” Reventón co-chair Yasmin Serrato (SFS ’13) said. “The year 2012 and the end of the world happened to fit with Latino and ancient history,”

OLIVIA HEWITT/THE HOYA

Dancers performed at the Latin American Student Association’s sixth annual Reventón Latino event in Gaston Hall last Friday. The event raised funds for Students Helping Honduras and Mentores Solidartes.

Caballero agreed.

“What we want to do is celebrate and dance our message as if it was the last day we had to celebrate. It’s a way of bringing history and heritage together,” she said.

Reventón Masters of Ceremonies Julian de la Paz (SFS ’15) and Sophia Stid (SFS ’14) asked the audience for suggestions about ways Latinos and the broader Georgetown community could unite to prevent the impending disaster.

The audience’s answers included dance, travel and celebration, but education — with a focus on service to the broader Georgetown and D.C. community — arose as the fundamental

solution.

Reventón doubled as a fundraiser, and all ticket and afterparty proceeds will be donated to Students Helping Honduras and Mentores Solidartes — organizations that fund schools in Honduras and Nicaragua, respectively.

While a total has not yet been calculated, Serrato said she believes the event surpassed last year’s total of $4,000.

“We are hoping to match it,” Serrato said. “The show was more expensive this year since [student technical crew] Strike Force no longer exists, forcing us to contact outside vendors” Sam Dulik (SFS ’13), LASA vice president of public affairs, praised the event’s accessibility.

“[Reventón] is for people who share an interest in communicating culture through the arts,” Dulik said. “I think the message is very clear: You can know nothing about Latin America — you can never have travelled to Latin America before — but Reventón is something that everyone can enjoy.”

Fr. Matthew Carnes, S.J., who attended the event, said he enjoyed the wide array of performances.

“I especially appreciated the way the show highlighted the diversity within the Latin American and Latino communities,” he said. “The feeling of celebration extended to all, from those on stage to those at the back of Gaston.”

BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2012-2013 AVAILABLE FRIDAY. ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

Georgetown’s Cawley Career Education Center helps students prepare for internships and job interviews by providing resume workshops, interview practice sesssions and job search advice.

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Sports

THE HOYA

tuesday november 6, 2012

women’s soccer

GU Draws Virginia Tech Arik Parnass Hoya Staff Writer

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS GRIVAS/THE HOYA

Redshirt freshman goalie Emma Newins ranks second in the Big East in goals-against average, but she let up one late in her team’s loss to Marquette Sunday.

Hoyas Unable to Capitalize On Second Half Chances MARQUETTE, from A10 was bumped by a South Florida player in the box and lost control of the ball, which Bulls junior forward Sharla Passariello gathered fired into the top corner of the goal to give the Bulls a 1-0 lead.

“It was very windy in the first half, and it was very difficult for us to get the ball moving because we were playing against a pretty tough breeze,” Head Coach Dave Nolan said.

“So at halftime … I just told the girls that we needed to step up the intensity a little bit and we would have the wind with us and thought that would help turn the tide in the game and, thankfully, it did.”

The Blue and Gray though were able to respond in the second half and outshoot the Bulls, 6-4, with a 5-1 advantage in corner kicks. But Georgetown was unable to score the equalizer until the 83rd minute.

That was when senior defender Christina O’Tousa sent a free kick into the box, which junior forward Kaitlin Brenn passed to sophomore midfielder Daphne Corboz. Her ensuing shot was blocked, but she headed the rebound into the back of the net, tying the game at 1-1.

Both teams had opportunities in the closing minutes of regulation but neither could finish, leading the squads into overtime. The Hoyas threatened in the first overtime period, as Brenn was able to get off two shots, but her first shot was blocked and the second sailed just high.

“By the end of regulation and overtime, we were definitely the team that was more likely to score. We had two really good chances, [but] their keeper made two really good saves.

While I don’t think we played our best game of the season against South Florida, we did enough to win,” Nolan said.

After both overtime periods ended without the scoring budging, the game went to penalty kicks. Both the Hoyas and the Bulls converted on their four of the first five penalty kicks, which led to a sudden death period. Junior Colleen Dinn connected on the next penalty kick while Newins saved the Bulls’ attempt, giving the Hoyas a 5-4 win in penalty kicks.

“The lineup was exactly the same, and the South Florida players shot to the exact same side as they did against Louisville,” Nolan said. “That is how Emma was able to save two and probably should have saved two more.”

With the win, Georgetown advanced to

their ill-fated matchup Sunday against Marquette. Both the Blue and Gray and the Golden Eagles entered the final looking to seize their first Big East tournament championship, and a late goal by Marquette ultimately propelled them to the title.

“We knew it was going to be a very difficult game. All along I have felt that Marquette is the best team in the conference,” Nolan said.

“I definitely felt that we were a close second.”

Georgetown had the first scoring chance for either team in the opening minutes as a shot from freshman forward Sarah Adams was blocked — but Marquette soon took control of the game after that. The Golden Eagles were able to keep possession in Georgetown’s final third, but timely saves from Newins kept the game scoreless.

In the second half, Nolan’s side was able to find more space and generate more opportunities. Their best chance came in the 57th minute off of a Daphne Corboz set piece from about 10 yards outside the box, but her shot was saved by Marquette freshman keeper Amanda Engel.

The Hoyas then continued to dominate for the next 25 minutes, but one big lapse would cost them. Marquette picked up a loose ball and, with just over 2:30 left, fed it to junior forward Taylor Madigan, who fired a low shot past Newins.

“I think there were three or four minor breakdowns that led to them being in the position to cross the ball, which they do a lot of.

Emma made a great save on the first shot and the ball happened to rebound to the girl in the only place she could score,” Nolan said. “It could have gone anywhere, and it happened to rebound to the only place where she had an angle to the goal.”

Despite two good opportunities in the closing minutes, Georgetown was unable to tie the game, and the Golden Eagles walked away with the win and the Big East tournament title.

“I was very pleased by how well we played, and, if anything, I felt that on the day we were the better team,” Nolan said. “The goal was always going to be either a moment of genius, a scrappy goal or a mistake. It turned out to be a scrappy goal.”

The Hoyas will look to rebound after the disappointing loss as they begin the NCAA tournament. Georgetown opens the tournament against the Hokies at Virginia Tech Sunday at 5 p.m. in Blacksburg, Va.

more than a game

Religion Central to South Bend’s Football Identity CATHOLICISM, from A10 the statues and monuments on campus, in the curfews and in the curriculum, in the demographics of the faculty and students.

Obviously, religion is a very polarizing issue, and it is one of the main reasons why South Bend attracts so much attention.

When it comes to the Irish, there is more love than like, more hate than dislike. Everyone seems to have a strong opinion.

On the surface, people hate the football team. They envy their vaunted history, their gold helmets and their giant contract with NBC. They are sick of everyone always talking about the Irish, even when they have consistently underperformed over a series of years.

But there is also love because of what Notre Dame stands for: the independent, re-

ligious institution that separates itself from the crowd. Notre Dame could not be more different from the public, religiously unaffiliated state schools that dominate college football.

It is the only Catholic school consistently in the rankings year in and year out, and it proudly wears its identity as a badge of honor. When you root for Notre Dame, you are not just rooting for a football program.

You are cheering for a university culture, one that is passionately independent and uniquely religious.

Sure, it looks a lot like football on Saturdays in South Bend. But Touchdown Jesus is always watching, looming over all.

Nick Fedyk is a junior in the School of Foreign Service. MORE THAN A GAME appears every Tuesday.

One year ago, the Georgetown women’s soccer team was kept waiting by the NCAA selection committee, and when the last names were called, the Blue and Gray found itself on the outside looking in.

From the beginning of this season, Head Coach Dave Nolan and the Hoyas have made it their goal to overcome last season’s snub and make the tournament field. And Tuesday afternoon, the team achieved that milestone.

In a selection show streamed live Monday afternoon, No. 13 Georgetown (15-3-3, 8-1-1 Big East) learned that it will travel to Blacksburg, Va., this weekend to take on No. 24 Virginia Tech in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The Hokies (13-5-1, 4-5-1 Atlantic Coast) are in the tournament for the fifth consecutive season. Last year, they made the Sweet 16 for the second time in program history, defeating West Virginia and Texas A&M before falling to Virginia.

It is perhaps unsurprising that Georgetown drew such a tough matchup, following recent 1-0 losses to Villanova at the conclusion of the regular season and to Marquette in the Big East Championship game.

“First and foremost, we are just happy to get a bid,” Head Coach Dave Nolan said.

“Second of all, I actually had a feeling that is where we would be going. It isn’t an open draw — there are a lot of conditions and stipulations on how the draw is set up, and I even said it on the bus coming down [from the Big East tournament] that we would end up going to Virginia Tech.”

Despite its impressive record as well as resume wins against fellow tournament squads Notre Dame, Rutgers and Hofstra, a bid was anything but a certainty. Even though this year’s squad overcame a similar record and strength of schedule, Nolan remains bitterly disappointed about last season’s denial.

“Nothing will ever make up for last year,” Nolan said.

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS GRIVAS/THE HOYA

Sophomore midfielder Daphne Corboz was named Big East offensive player of the year Thursday.

Following the loss at Villanova two weeks ago, Nolan had expressed his uncertainty regarding the school’s NCAA prospects.

“I feel like we’ve got more on our resume than we did last year,” he said on Oct. 25.

“But in that room, on that day, deals are made. … Nobody went to bat for us last year, and there were other people getting significant representation.”

For the second straight year, Notre Dame’s reputation as a women’s soccer power may have helped it.

Last season, according to Nolan, the Irish’s status as defending champions resulted in their taking the Blue and Gray’s spot.

“Should we have gone over them? I think so,” Nolan said. “But they were defending national champions, and people in the room felt it was more important that the defending national champions get in [rather than] the team

that’s better get in.”

This year, despite a 2-0 loss to the Hoyas and a Big East tournament semifinal loss — also to Marquette — the Irish were awarded a home game while the Hoyas must travel, though Nolan does not necessarily see this as a negative.

“Sometimes it is good to get away, to get your team away.

There are no distractions of friends, no distractions of — dare I say it — school, so they can focus solely on the game.

And we have been very good on the road all year,” Nolan said. “I don’t really feel like it will be that big of a factor.

If anything, I feel that there will be more pressure on Virginia Tech.”

Georgetown’s road to the national championship in San Diego, Calif., will go through Virginia Tech and then possibly No. 14 Baylor, No. 11 North Carolina and No. 4 BYU. The Hoyas take on the Hokies Sunday at 5 p.m.

sailing

Barnard Leading Repeat Bid Josh Simmons Hoya Staff Writer

Although the season is still young, the No. 1 Georgetown sailing team is so far excelling in its bid to repeat as national champion. A victory in the MAISA Coed Conference Championship on Oct. 27 and 28 in Kings Point, N.Y., brought it one step closer to its goal.

The coed team, ranked atop Sailing World’s collegiate rankings since the beginning of the season, appears to have kept up its pace despite the loss of Sydney Bolger, last season’s female sailor of the year, to graduation.

This past weekend, individual Blue and Gray sailors participated in the ICSA singlehanded nationals in Long Beach, Calif., a competition that features the top 18 male and female sailors in the country.

The Hoyas were represented by senior Chris Barnard — the reigning male sailor of the year — and freshman Nevin Snow at the event. Barnard finished second, and Snow ended up in eighth as the College of Charleston’s Juan Maegli, a senior, took first place.

Junior Nancy Hagood was the only woman representing the Hoyas, but she also held her own, racing to a fifth place finish.

While those individual results were good, it was the results from the previous weekend that have helped validate

the Blue and Gray’s ranking.

Georgetown was the favorite going into the Coed Conference Championship, which included the top 18 teams in the conference and is a qualifier for the Fall Atlantic Coast Championship.

The event, also known as the War Memorial Regatta, was split into two divisions.

In the A division, Barnard was paired variously with seniors Hilary Kenyon and Leslie Cowen and freshman Sean Golden. In the B division, freshman Nevin Snow split time being paired with senior Tory Lynch and Hagood.

The Hoyas got off to a slow start in the contest, with windy conditions making the races somewhat unpredictable and boding ill for Georgetown. In the A division, Barnard and Kenyon led at the first mark, but they struggled to remain in the top five across all the day’s races.

It was the B division pairing of Snow and Lynch that fared better, showing outstanding consistency and placing in the top five in almost every race. Those mixed results gave the Blue and Gray a 10-point lead over No. 14 Hobart at the event’s halfway mark.

On Sunday, the weather raised an even larger concern, as Hurricane Sandy hastened the start of the day’s 17 races early to avoid further complications.

That was no trouble for the Hoyas, however, since

they looked dominant from the onset on the second day.

Barnard — racing with Cowen and Golden — finished in the top two of the day’s final eight races.

Snow and Lynch also had a stellar day, winning the first four races of the morning and finishing fourth place or better in the rest. At the end of the afternoon, Georgetown cruised to victory with a score of 124 points.

Finishing behind the Hoyas in second place was No. 8 St. Mary’s with 173 points and No. 13 Navy, which ended the regatta in third place with 205 points.

Those scores were high enough for the Blue and Gray to wrap up the victory with three races remaining.

Georgetown’s coed sailing team also was the winner of the Top 9 Regatta at the New York Maritime the same weekend. The event features the top nine schools from the conference but generally contains second-string racers, as the starters compete at War Memorial. The Hoyas eked out a win after battling Navy and St. Mary’s throughout the weekend, only taking control of first place with two races remaining.

Georgetown will look to build on its success so far this season with two regattas next weekend: the Coed Atlantic Coast Championship once again in Kings Point, N.Y., and the Women’s Atlantic Coast Championship at New London, Conn.

tuesday, november 6, 2012

sports

candid canadian

THE HOYA

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volleyball

Capital One Comeback GU Familiar With Huskies Proves Fans Should Stay O LOUISVILLE, from A10

ne of the greatest aspects of sports is a top team at the time, there was a sense of imtheir unpredictability. It has turned mense aggravation. We had paid good money cliches like “anything can happen” to be here, and we didn’t deserve to be repaid into expressions like “anything can happen with this type of embarrassment. Never once, … and often does.” On a regular basis, we however, did I consider leaving the arena. But see 20-point comebacks, three-goal swings many did.

By the time Montreal scored its first goal late and five-run ninth innings. Being down to a last strike or a final down, needing a buzzer- in the period, there were enough empty seats beater or a stoppage-time shocker to prevail, that the message was clear: Spectators felt that is a sports fan’s dream. We live for drama. We a team that had been this pitiful through 30 minutes of game time didn’t stand a chance. crave the impossible.

Turning on their radios and televisions upon It makes no sense, therefore, when one sees arriving home in the hours fans leave a game, no matter that followed, these viewers the sport, before the clock has would have surely expected to struck zero. It is, to me, the see that the Habs had lost — most nonsensical thing a fan maybe 5-0, maybe 7-2, maybe can do — more so than any even 10-4. Instead, they heard superstitious ritual, game-day about a 6-5 shootout victory tradition or unwavering beand a once-in-a-lifetime — or, lief in the sporting gods. in this case, once-in-a-century In a Capital One Cup — experience that they had match between English socArik Parnass missed. cer teams Arsenal and ReadThere is a certain euphoria ing last Wednesday, fans The minute you miss that sports can provoke that is were seen leaving the stands unlike anything else, a sense less than 40 minutes in, as could feature that of intoxication without intoxthe former were already trailing 4-0. There are con70-yard field goal or icants. I wouldn’t have traded that night for a hundred years flicting reports as to exactly 500-foot home run. of reduced post-game traffic how many of these fans were or a thousand more hours leaving and how many were of sleep. I’m sure this is how simply getting concessions, those Arsenal fans that stayed but I’ve been to enough such events to know that at least some were head- last week feel now.

After all, if you knew what was going to haping for the exits.

For those few, an early drive home resulted pen beforehand, would it even be worth goin missing a comeback to 4-4, including goals ing? Would you shell out hundreds of dollars if in the 89th and 90th minutes, followed by an there were a guaranteed outcome, even if that exciting extra-time period that culminated in outcome was favorable? If unpredictability a 7-5 final, with Arsenal miraculously claim- is what reigns, then leaving a sporting event ing the win and advancing to the next round. early shows ignorance about the power of posI wasn’t in Reading for this game, but I sibility present at any moment.

The minute you miss could feature that 70know exactly how the visiting fans that stayed yard field goal, 500-foot home run or greatest felt, as well as what those who left missed.

I was at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Feb. goal of all time. If it’s the final minute, it could 19, 2008, when the hometown Canadiens contain the apex of a bright spot in a francompleted the biggest comeback in their il- chise’s recent history or an exploit that hadn’t lustrious 103-year history against the New been seen in a century of records.

You just never know, and that is why a sports York Rangers. Down 5-0 early in the second period, many fans, myself included, took out fan owes it to himself to stay the 90 minutes, our frustration following a sequence of seem- the three periods, the nine innings or the four ingly undeserved penalties by tossing free quarters: Anything can happen and it’s special banners — distributed before the game — onto when it does. the ice.

The game had to be delayed several minutes Arik Parnass is a sophomore in the College. while the mess was cleaned up. Despite being CANDID CANADIAN appears every Tuesday.

On Sunday, it perhaps would have been too much to ask Georgetown to pull off a shocker against conference leaders Louisville. Like many would have expected, the Cardinals trounced the Hoyas to the tune of a 25-10, 25-18, 25-12 thrashing. Louisville star senior outside hitter Lola Arslanbekova dominated by recording 21 kills, and — perhaps affected by the raucous crowd in the KFC Yum! Center — the Hoyas could not keep up.

“Louisville is an amazing environment. They have all the bells and whistles and a band and cheerleaders,” Williams said. “It’s a wow factor we’ve never seen, and our young players needed to experience that. It bodes well for us being able to look past that when we come back in the future.”

Williams sat sophomore outside hitter Alex Johnson, the team’s kills leader, for both games last weekend; the reason she cited for Johnson’s benching was the solid play of Georgetown’s other outside hitters, such as redshirt sophomore Elizabeth Riggins and junior Brooke Bachesta.

Immediately after returning from Louisville, the Blue and Gray began preparations for its final home game of the 2012 campaign, a rare midweek clash against Connecticut (17-11, 8-5 Big East) Wednesday.

“The hardest thing was coming home late [Sunday] night and the quick turnaround for the players, with

FILE PHOTO: ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

In their two remaining games this season, the Hoyas, shown here against Syracuse, face difficult conference rivals. practice at 7:30 a.m. Monday,” Williams said.

Despite this inconvenient scheduling, Williams said that her team would be ready for the Huskies in the second meeting between the two teams this season. In the first match, UConn prevailed in a five-set nail-biter back on Sept.

23.

“When we played UConn at UConn, there were some things we didn’t do that we’d like to do this time around,” Williams said. “We know what

they bring, and our experience that we [have from the] last time we played them will help.”

While UConn has already clinched a spot in the eightteam Big East tournament in mid-November, Georgetown cannot reach the tournament and must instead play its final three games for pride. Wednesday’s match, which will mark the final home game of senior middle blocker Lindsay Wise’s career, will be played in McDonough Arena at 11:30 a.m.

men’s soccer

CHRIS GRIVAS/THE HOYA

Freshmen centerback Cole Seiler (14) won the vast majority of his aerial challenges Saturday to help limit St. John’s offensive chances.

Gomez’s Heroics Preserve Win TOURNEY, from A10 Freshman central defender Cole Seiler was dominant in the air to help maintain that advantage until the break.

Just over two minutes into the second half, though, sophomore goalkeeper Tomas Gomez cut out an oncoming Red Storm attacker in the box and was called for a penalty, which was coolly converted to even the score.

“The team could’ve fallen apart after you [allow] the goal. You see [St. John’s has] got momentum, they’re pushing, they’re going, it’s 1-1,” Wiese said. “But [we] keep going.”

And in the 65th minute, Georgetown’s perseverance paid off.

A nicely struck free kick from senior midfielder Ian Christianson was turned aside by the St. John’s keeper, redshirt junior Rafael Diaz, but senior left back Jimmy Nealis collected the rebound near the right corner flag

and sent it back into the box. Amidst a sea of gray and red, freshman forward Brandon Allen bundled the cross home from close range to put his team ahead, 2-1.

“The play [came from] Nealis’ not panicking in that moment, and he puts a smart ball into the mix,” Wiese said. “The ball stays alive, and Brandon somehow gets another goal out of it.”

The work was far from done at that stage in the game, however, as it was up to a workmanlike effort from Georgetown’s defense to preserve the team’s narrow edge.

The Red Storm fired off five shots in the second half, but Gomez was all heart when called upon.

The sophomore’s biggest moment came with only a minute and change remaining, when he acrobatically denied an attacker near-post from inside the six-yard box to keep the game from going to overtime.

“Tomas makes a great save

[at the end],” senior defender Tommy Muller said. “You have to have a good keeper to win games and to go places.”

As if it weren’t clear enough before, Gomez — who’s appeared in several games for the United States U-20 national team — is better than good. And Georgetown is already going places too, beginning with the trip to Harrison, N.J., on Thursday.

“We’ve been talking about how this has been our goal all year, and to finally get it done is good, but we definitely need to keep working,” Neumann said. “We’re looking forward to the opportunity to keep going in this tournament.”

So while Red Bull Arena may have been the expectation on the Blue and Gray’s roadmap since the start of season, it is clear that it will not be the final destination.

The next game will be against Marquette Nov. 9 at 5 p.m.

SPORTS

VOLLEYBALL Hoyas (7-19) vs. Connecticut (17-11) Tomorrow, 11:30 a.m.

McDonough Arena

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2012

WHAT’S INSIDE

TALKING POINTS

After bitter disappointment last season, Georgetown earned a bid to this year’s NCAA tourney.

See A8

“

NUMBERS GAME

6 ”

In that room, on [NCAA selection] day, deals are made.

Women’s soccer Head Coach Dave Nolan

MEN’S SOCCER

Shots by freshman striker Brandon Allen on Saturday, including the game-winning goal.

Hoyas Headed to Red Bull After Win Over St. John’s RYAN BACIC

Hoya Staff Writer

CHRIS GRIVAS/THE HOYA

A bending free kick from junior forward Steve Neumann gave the Blue and Gray a 1-0 lead 25 minutes into its Big East quarterfinal game on Saturday.

Since this season began, the Georgetown men’s soccer team has had one goal in mind: to reach the Big East tournament semifinals at Red Bull Arena. If they got there, the Hoyas knew, anything would be possible.

With Saturday’s 2-1 quarterfinal win over No. 13 St. John’s (10-4-4), the No. 4 Blue and Gray (16-2-1) is headed to New Jersey — and can now set its eyes on even bigger goals.

“If you can win the league, you can win the whole thing,” Head Coach Brian Wiese said. “In fact, it may be harder to win this league than to win the NCAA [championship].”

Georgetown will have its chance at the first of those two crowns next weekend thanks to a fitting bit of revenge over the conference’s top program in the Red Storm. St. John’s claimed its seventh Big East tournament title last year, putting an end to Georgetown’s season in the first round.

Buoyed by a decent traveling contingent, the visitors forced the usu-

WOMEN’S SOCCER

ally tidy Blue and Gray into some uncharacteristic giveaways in the early going Saturday and looked as if they might put on a repeat performance.

But in the 13th minute, the hosts’ first well-worked combination led to a rip of a shot by junior forward Steve Neumann that went just wide right.

It was clear at this point that Wiese’s side had woken up. Twelve minutes later, that awakening would result in the game’s first goal.

Following a foul just outside the opposing box, Neumann was again at the center of the action, taking the ensuing free kick and sending a beautiful, curling shot off the underside of the crossbar and over the line.

It was a bit of deja vu for the Pennsylvanian, who had hit nearly the exact same shot last week against Seton Hall only to have that goal go unrecognized by the linesman.

This time, there was no mistake.

“Again, I wasn’t sure if they were going to count it, but this one looked a little bit more obvious than the last one,” Neumann said. “It just felt great to take the lead.”

See TOURNEY, A9

MORE THAN A GAME

GU Comes Up Short in Tourney Faith Looms Large Over Notre Dame Traditions

CAROLYN MAGUIRE Hoya Staff Writer

G

The No. 13 Georgetown women’s soccer team (15-3-3, 8-1-1 Big East) entered last weekend looking to extend what’s already been a recordbreaking season and capture its first Big East tournament title in the process.

But despite a semifinal win over South Florida (12-5-4, 6-2-2 Big East) Friday, the Hoyas faltered in the finals when they were handed a heartbreaking loss by No. 15 Marquette (16-2-2, 9-0-1 Big East) in the 1-0 championship game.

That defeat was all the more disappointing because of the Blue and Gray’s thrilling win over the Bulls, who got off to a hot start and scored in the 15th minute.

USF had a free kick that redshirt freshman goalie Emma Newins came off of her line to save, but she See MARQUETTE, A8

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS GRIVAS/THE HOYA

Senior defender Christina O’Tousa (foreground) set up the Hoyas’ first goal against South Florida in a game ultimately won on penalty kicks.

VOLLEYBALL

Ohio Valley Trip Ends in Defeat WILL EDMAN

Hoya Staff Writer

FILE PHOTO: ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

Sophomore Dani White (9) is sixth in the league in blocks.

The hard-luck Georgetown volleyball team (7-19, 1-12 Big East) knew that this past weekend presented two opportunities for it to pull off an upset over a Big East heavyweight. Unfortunately, both Cincinnati (11-16, 9-4 Big East) and No. 12 Louisville (23-3, 12-1 Big East) proved too much for the Big East cellar dwellers, as each defeated the Hoyas in three sets.

“We played well for short periods of time this weekend, like in the second game against Louisville and the third set against Cincinnati,” Head Coach Arlisa Williams said. “Our passing was excellent at times, but we just weren’t consistent enough.”

On Friday, the Blue and Gray fell to Cincinnati by a score of 25-22, 25-16, 25-22. The Bearcats, led by senior middle blocker Jordanne Scott — who had 14 kills and hit .433 in the match — swept aside a Georgetown team that could not close out

the first and third sets.

These late-set collapses came as a particular disappointment to Williams, who has put the team through several different pressuresituation drills in practice throughout the season.

“We were tied at 18 in both sets, and at the end, they just pulled away both times,” Williams said.

“Part of it was that they are more physical than we are, but we also committed a lot of unforced errors. In the first set, we had four unforced errors in the last seven points [we lost], and in set three, we had six unforced errors in the last seven points [we lost]. You can’t win like that.”

Redshirt junior right-side hitter Annalee Abell had one of her best matches of the season in the loss, contributing 12 kills. Sophomore middle blocker Dani White, who has cemented herself as Georgetown’s most consistent hitter this season, added 11 kills on .429 hitting.

See LOUISVILLE, A9

od and football — those are the reasons why I love Notre Dame.

The relationship seems strange: I do not go to school there, I am not from the Midwest, I am not Irish nor am I a huge college football fan. And the team has been seriously jinxed in recent years, always tripping over its own feet and choking in close games.

Nonetheless, I somehow feel strongly attached to the school.

Three years ago, I went on a campus tour in a February blizzard, and it immediately felt like home.

I remember walking past the Golden Dome, looking up at the gothic arches of the Basilica, posing in front of “Touchdown Jesus” and standing in awe outside the massive iron gates of the football stadium.

The pageantry was overwhelming.

At the bookstore, I bought a bright green Notre Dame shirt with one of those boxing leprechauns on the front. I was accepted early action, and it felt like a school of destiny.

Alas, it was not meant to be. I wisely turned to GeorgeNick town for academic reasons, and my dad turned my beautiful green shirt into a grease rag.

But I still feel the emotion every Saturday going through three-hour periods when I pretend to be one of the many students screaming wildly in historic Notre Dame Stadium.

Anxiously standing in front of the TV with my fingers crossed, I cracked a huge smile this weekend as Notre Dame scored the game-winning touchdown over Pittsburgh. In the most exciting game of the weekend, the Irish pulled off a stunning, come-from-behind, triple-overtime victory despite a missed extra point and a fumble in the end zone.

With that most recent win, Notre Dame continued its improbable run for the BCS Championship. Winning by the skin of their teeth on numerous occasions, this year’s

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Irish finally have what it takes. Escaping tight games through goalline stands and missed field goals, the cards seem to be in their favor; no longer the perennial disappointments of college football, the close calls are actually going their way.

They score points despite being led by an inexperienced, jittery redshirt freshman quarterback; they win games even when they’re overpenalized and outplayed.

For the first time in years, Notre Dame is relevant in the BCS rankings. But if it were all about success, fans would have jumped off the bandwagon years ago. Since Lou Holtz retired in 1996, the Irish have been mediocre at best.

It could be about the tradition: The school is decorated with 11 national championships, and having famous alumni like Joe Montana and Tim Brown certainly contributes to the prestige of the program. But these legends are long gone, and many of us are too young to even remember watching them play.

A plastic sign that says “Play Like a Champion Today” means nothing unFedyk less the Irish actually fulfill that calling.

There must be something more.

Notre Dame is not just about football.

It is about God. It is about that Touchdown Jesus that casts its image over the stadium like a beacon of hope. It is about the 57 chapels scattered throughout the campus. It is about the giant carving of the Last Supper in the dining hall.

It is about the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes that makes the school look like a pilgrimage site.

You do not have to share the faith to realize that — as the bastion of Catholic education in the United States — the university is intertwined with God. While there are students at the school that are not Catholic, the drum that it beats is still in many ways a religious one. You can see it in

Notre Dame is not just about football. It is about God.

See CATHOLICISM, A8