The Hoya: November 14, 2014

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Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 96, No. 22, © 2014

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2014

BASKETBALL

The Hoya’s magazine previews the men’s and women’s seasons.

COMMENTARY After protests, reconciling the history of Hong Kong with its future.

RED SQUARE

CONCERT FOR VALOR Photos of headliners Rihanna, Bruce Springsteen and other guests.

NEWS, A7

OPINION, A3

Center Consolidation off the Table Jack Bennett

cut resources,” Olson said. “So I wanted to be clear about that. We want to enhance, to optimize, to The university is no longer be attentive to this balancing act considering a consolidation of of what are the treasures here the Center for Multicultural Eq- that have been developed that uity and Access, LGBTQ Resource we need to preserve and what Center and Women’s Center are new directions and possibiliafter overwhelmingly negative ties that we want to explore.” student feedback, Vice President An event coordinator passed for Student Affairs Todd Olson out slips of paper and pens for said during a town mall meeting students to anonymously submit Tuesday. questions to Olson, and the event “I want to be clear, we will do also featured two sign language this with great respect for the translators for hearing impaired traditions, the students. Stuhistory, the disdents were tinctive roles also able to ask that each of questions into those centers a microphone. play,” Olson Some stusaid. “I want dents asked to assure you questions up front as we about the poTODD OLSON engage with tential creation Vice President for Student Affairs students, you of a disability have my comcultural cenmitment and our commitment ter, and Olson said that he had that as we talk about the future, heard of this suggestion and crethat future will include distinc- ated a Disability Justice Working tive, named, identifiable CMEA, Group in response.

Women’s Center, LGBTQ Center.

“We are not ready to commit Those will not go away. We’ve to a concrete timeline about also heard loudly and clearly any of the action steps there but the importance of physical safe we’re serious about all the posspace for those centers.” sibilities,” Olson said.

Olson also said that the uniOlson also said that he places versity does not intend to cut the a high priority on accessibility budgets or other resources pro- on campus during construction, vided to those centers. and that he hopes to create a “You have my commitment campus disability website to althat in this process we will not low students and administrators

Hoya Staff Writer

Hoya Staff Writer

vated assaults and 24 burglaries, which do not involve force, in 2013.

According to Public Safety Alerts sent to the university community, on Nov. 7, two students were assaulted and robbed at the corner of 34th and N streets at 11:40 p.m., and on Oct. 31, a group of male and female subjects assaulted a student in an attempt to JAY GRUBER GUPD Chief of Police steal the student’s purse.

In addition to the assaults, there have been four other off-campus burglaries that did not result in violence and two other on-cam-

Questions raised this week surrounding the university’s handling of former student Daniel Milzman’s March arrest for making ricin in his dorm room and the aftermath for those involved on campus have been met with silence from the administration, while gaining support among students.

After Milzman was sentenced Monday to one year in prison, 400 hours of community service, a mandatory mental health treatment program and 36 months of supervised release following his sentence, with a deal that means he could secure a January release, Thomas Lloyd (SFS ’15), the resident assistant who first reported Milzman’s possession of ricin to the university and the police, wrote a viewpoint in The Hoya (“Reflecting on the Ordeal of a Mishandled Ricin Case,” A3, Nov. 11, 2014) raising concerns about both the university’s handling of the incident and its lack of support for Lloyd as a university employee in the weeks that followed.

In his viewpoint, Lloyd recounted the night that Milzman showed him the ricin, detailing the delayed response of Counseling and Psychiatric Services when he first called them to report the incident, as well as the lack of a support system for him from the university — particularly, the Office of Residential Living — after Milzman’s arrest.

“It made me very cynical about when the safety net was activated, and what situations we actually support students. The university attempts to keep a story exploding at the expense of giving those traumatized the space to process emotion,” Lloyd said after the viewpoint’s publication.

As an RA, but not Milzman’s direct RA, Lloyd described how his involvement in the situation, and whether or not he was considered a university employee at the moment he turned in Milzman, was further blurred. He raised concerns about how RAs are treated by the university as both employees and students, which have since been echoed by other RAs on campus.

In response to questions regarding the handling of the ricin incident, Assistant Dean of Residential Life Stephanie Lynch, Residential Education Director Ed Gilhool, Associate Director of Residential Ed-

See CRIME, A6

See RICIN, A6

DANIEL SMITH/THE HOYA

Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson said the university is no longer considering a consolidated diversity center at a town hall. to express concerns and find solutions.

“Let me just say — and some people may glare at me for this — before this academic year is over I think we can have a website presence that focuses on disability issues that’s more coherent and front-facing and broad and accessible than what we have now,” Olson said. “That’s an area that I think is ripe for some action.”

Kshithij Shrinath Hoya Staff Writer

M Street Restaurants Lose Out to Retail Maureen Tabet Hoya Staff Writer

Restaurants have historically colored the history of the Georgetown neighborhood: John F. Kennedy proposed to Jackie in Martin’s Tavern, and Barack took Michelle out for a birthday dinner at Café Milano. However, the recent rise of retail stores over the last decade has forced Georgetown’s traditional restaurant scene to take a back seat to the neighborhood’s new retail presence.

At least that was the story told

by Joe Sternlieb, chief executive officer of the Georgetown Business Improvement District, and Anthony Lanier, founder of real estate development company EastBanc, in a presentation to the Citizens Association of Georgetown at their monthly meeting Nov. 5.

Bars and restaurants, which used to populate the area, have increasingly been forced to sacrifice space for the newer storefronts. This year alone saw the closures of two bars: Modern on M Street and Chadwicks on K Street. Furthermore, Mr. Smith’s moved from M Street to K Street in September due to rising rent costs.

“My perception is that there’s more apparel and a lot more home furnishings over the last 10 years than there was in 2004. There’s

been a fair amount of displacement for restaurants and pubs that have been around for a long time.

Some have been replaced by newer restaurants and others have been replaced by apparel,” Sternlieb told The Hoya.

With the development of highquality dining as a result of citywide gentrification, Sternlieb noted that the demand for Georgetown restaurants from city residents had fallen, though the neighborhood still boasts comparatively more old restaurants than other regions of the District.

“With the emergence of more high-quality dining destinations in neighborhoods around the city … a larger percentage of the overall sales and business in Georgetown will be generated by folks from the suburbs and tourists and will be a little less dependent on city residents,” Sternlieb said. “We’ve got more old restaurants in Georgetown probably than in any other part of the city despite the fact that we’ve lost a few.”

Sternlieb also attributed the decline in restaurants in Georgetown to the relatively low quantity of alcohol licenses available in the neighborhood. While 14 percent of Georgetown restaurants possess liquor licenses, Adams Morgan, for

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

See RETAIL, A6

Ricin Response Questioned Suzanne Monyak

Another student asked about confusion over the differing narratives and shifting answers in regard to the school’s handling of the diversity centers.

“A lot of the other points, in terms of where offices are located, how they interact with each other are not decided,” Olson said. “We don’t have clarity on that. We’re in the process of See CONSOLIDATION, A6

Recent Rise in Crime Prompts Concerns

DANIEL SMITH/THE HOYA

GUIDE, B1

Response time, treatment of RAs criticized

“We’ve heard the importance of physical space for these centers.”

Georgetown Business Improvement District discussed the neighborhood’s shift from restaurants to chain retailers at its November meeting.

STUDY ABROAD Students share experiences from India, Tanzania and Argentina.

Armed robberies have risen around the Georgetown neighborhood over the past few weeks, prompting a campus-wide email from Georgetown University Police Department Chief of Police Jay Gruber urging safety precautions.

“There have been a few armed robberies around Georgetown. Two of those armed robberies involved our students,” Gruber said in an interview.

According to the 2014 Annual Crime Statistics report, there were no robberies, two aggra-

“Two of those armed robberies involved our students.”

Corp Opens First Store in 11 Years Xinlan Hu

Hoya Staff Writer

After two years of planning, The Hilltoss, The Corp’s new salad and smoothie storefront and its first new storefront in 11 years, will open in the Healey Family Student Center today.

The Corp’s last new store was Hoya Snaxa, with the opening of the Southwest Quad in 2003.

The new restaurant will provide students with a range of healthy food options including salads, snacks and drinks from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. The opening of The Hilltoss marks a milestone for The Corp as its first proper restaurant, according to Corp CEO Sam Rodman (MSB ’15). Rodman said this change brought new challenges in quality control.

“The big leap for us is to think about new regulations, new product quality and there’s a lot more preparation that goes into it, like fresh ingredients,” Rodman said. “It really folds into this idea of ensuring product quality, especially when we have a lot of strong competitors in the area that offer something similar. So that’s probably the biggest Published Tuesdays and Fridays

MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA

The Hilltoss in the Healey Family Student Center is The Corp’s first new storefront since Hoya Snaxa in 2003 and its first restaurant. challenge, making sure we control the product quality. It’s something that we’ve been working very hard to achieve.”

Rodman said he believes The Corp will push through these obstacles, as it did when opening its first coffee

shop, Uncommon Grounds, in 1994.

“It’s not the only big jump that we’ve made,” Rodman said. “We have a similar option to open coffee shops first time in 1994 when our products See CORP, A6

Send Story Ideas and Tips to news@thehoya.com

A2

OPINION

THE HOYA

friday, NOVEMBER 14, 2014

THE VERDICT Founded January 14, 1920

EDITORIALS

A Keen Eye for Crime This week, students, faculty and staff received an email from Georgetown University Police Department Chief of Police Jay Gruber warning the community of a recent increase in crime as noted by the Metropolitan Police Department.

GUPD and MPD are currently working to proactively monitor and control this regrettable trend, but students should take note that preventing crime is not the burden of solely police officers, but that it is also our responsibility to be vigilant regarding crime prevention measures.

Although emails from the Public Safety Alert Listserv seem to be piling up, now is the time more than ever to stop ignoring those emails. It’s easy to assume that a walk from Prospect Street to campus will be brisk and safe, but at night, students should take care to travel in groups, remain on well-lit paths and keep phones and watches in their pockets — just as GUPD has al-

ready reminded us.

GUPD, too, can work with MPD to commit more resources to areas where students are being targeted. Although the weekend’s crowded Village A rooftops pose their own concerns to GUPD, sacrificing some officers on party patrol to maintain police presence along Prospect Street and other late-night thoroughfares where students might be targeted would be a good investment of GUPD’s manpower, at least for the time being.

While there is little chance for the Georgetown community to stamp out this increase of crime in our neighborhood overnight, there are certainly steps we can take to prevent it and ensure that students receive the proper resources and protection. Increased student awareness and attention to safety measures, along with support from GUPD, will go a long way toward making Georgetown less of a target for these robberies and burglaries.

The Right Cause for Delay When the Office of Residential Living undertook a pilot renovation project last year in Henle Village, hopes were high that sorely needed renovations would take place.

Residential Living was correct in its assessment that conditions could be improved, and when they reported the project went well, it seemed an upgrade was well within our grasp. Residential Living, however, was also correct in its recent assessment that an upgrade will have to wait, as anything that has the potential to detract resources from the variety of construction projects on campus should be sidelined until they are finished.

New kitchens and lights in Henle, no doubt, would be welcome additions to the living spaces of all Henle residents.

But the impact of these renovations pales in comparison to the impact of current construction projects like the Northeast Triangle and old Jesuit residence, which affect all students — especially the nearby Henle residents.

The merits of these projects — and their goal of bringing student living

back on campus — have been explored by this editorial board at length, and just as they are of a high enough priority to warrant the obvious inconveniences they inherently present, they are also of a high enough priority to overshadow any potentially detracting projects.

It is not that Henle apartments do not need renovations — they do. And it is not that Residential Living should approach renovations with less urgency than these new constructions — it shouldn’t. But the legal requirements relating to housing a threshold number of students on campus by fall of next year are serious, and all resources that can be devoted to the cause should be devoted to the cause.

This commitment takes the shape, no doubt, of continued due diligence to prevent further delays with the Northeast Triangle and the renovations of the old Jesuit residence and the hotel. If, in order to meet the requirements of the 2010 Campus Plan agreement, other projects like Henle renovations must be put on hold, then this certainly represents the best of the bad options.

C C C C C

to students, regardless of the school’s religious affiliation.

Pursuant to its identity as an institution of learning and understanding, Fordham is obliged to explore contemporary issues of social justice and to inspire the wide-eyed leaders of tomorrow, who are able to make judgment calls regarding what is appropriate, inappropriate, ethical or unethical entirely on their own.

While Georgetown’s model is far from perfect, acknowledging that some students do not adhere to every tenet of the Catholic faith or, even, to the faith at all — and should, therefore, have access to contraception — is an important distinction that allows for more personal freedom. Hopefully, Fordham will take this petition seriously and see that it is possible to adhere to and promote Jesuit identity without imposing impossibly strict regulations on an entire campus.

Emma Hinchliffe, Editor-in-Chief Mallika Sen, Executive Editor Robert DePaolo, Managing Editor Ian Tice, Online Editor Molly Simio, Campus News Editor Suzanne Monyak, City News Editor Sam Abrams, Sports Editor Jess Kelham-Hohler, Guide Editor David Chardack, Opinion Editor Michelle Xu, Photography Editor Zack Saravay, Copy Chief Emma Holland, Blog Editor

Contributing Editors

Zoe Bertrand, TM Gibbons-Neff, Penny Hung, Nicole Jarvis, Hanaa Khadraoui, Sheena Karkal, Jackie McCadden, Sean Sullivan, Laura Wagner, Emory Wellman

Katherine Richardson Deputy Campus News Editor Deputy City News Editor Kshithij Shrinath Deputy Business News Editor Kim Bussing Deputy Sports Editor Andrew May Sports Blog Editor Max Wheeler Deputy Guide Editor Allison Hillsbery Deputy Guide Edtior Hannah Kaufman Opinion Blog Editor Jinwoo Chong Deputy Opinion Editor Ben Germano Deputy Photography Editor Julia Hennrikus Deputy Photography Editor Daniel Smith Deputy Photography Editor Natasha Thomson Acting Layout Editor Zoe Bertrand Acting Layout Editor Emory Wellman Deputy Copy Editor Gabi Hasson Deputy Copy Editor Katie Haynes Deputy Copy Editor Sharanya Sriram Deputy Blog Editor Emily Min

Beautiful Bears Born — The Smithsonian’s National Zoo has reason to celebrate as two of its Andean bears, 8-year-old Billie Jean and 21-year-old Cisco, produced two cubs. This is especially good for the Andean bear, which is considered vulnerable in North America.

Facelift for the Mall — The Smithsonian unveiled a $2 billion plan to renovate museums and gardens along the south side of the National Mall on Thursday.

Pay With Your Phone — A new experimental Metro payment system using smartphones is set for a trial run in the near future.

Ending a Homophobic HHS — A panel of experts at Dept. of Health and Human Services is set to recommend for the first time since 1985 that the ban preventing gay men from donating blood should be partially lifted.

A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD US ... @MegBodz

Nov. 13 I just solidified my SWUG status by expressing my sadness over the end of @The_Tombs Wine Night to @thehoya @fordhamSAGES

Nov. 11 Great article written by @thehoya in support of our campaign! http://www.thehoya.com/fordham-students-protest-condom-policy/ …

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Why I’m Proud I Changed My Last Name To the Editor: I read Jasmine White’s “Why I Won’t Ever Change My Last Name” [The Hoya, Nov. 7, 2014] with curiosity … and indignation. I am a Class of 2014 alum and have been married a whopping five months. So clearly, I have lots of life experiences to speak to some of the issues in White’s article.

I must first say, Jasmine, that I completely respect, even admire, your decision to keep your last name, and I also apologize for the pushback you may experience in doing so. However, to condemn with such assuredness the large majority of married women who have changed their names is mistaken because you don’t seem to realize the commitment a marriage entails.

When I changed my last name (from Reavis to Volz), it felt like a sacrifice. My name is no longer my own.

But, you see, my husband’s name is no longer his own either, but ours. A commit-

This week on

Free Choice for Fordham It has long been policy at many Catholic universities that condoms may not be sold or distributed on campus.

For Georgetown, this means that any group with access to benefits cannot distribute or sell condoms, although organizations like H*yas for Choice still may make free condoms available even within the front gates. However, at a peer Jesuit school, Fordham University, the administration does not permit people — affiliated or unaffiliated with the university — to hand out condoms on campus, claiming the defense of Jesuit identity.

A petition at Fordham demanding progress in the areas of contraception and sexual health was recently presented to Fordham President Fr. Joseph McShane, S.J., with 1,100 signatures. This petition is a laudable move by students to demand the free choice and free judgment that universities should give

Christmas Comes Early — Snow is expected to touch D.C. grounds as early as late this week to next week.

encourages being selfless by committing your education and endeavors to others, something that I found to be incredibly applicable in the realm of marriage as well.

For me, marriage has been a valuable lesson in learning to live life for something besides yourself. I still have personal aspirations, but I am so extremely fortunate to have another person in my life to both encourage and humble these goals. And I do the same for him. We critique and celebrate each other, and come out stronger.

So, go, Jasmine, go. Yes, embrace your feminist side.

Yes, claim your name as your own. Yes, explore your individuality to the fullest extent. But, don’t be afraid to try giving some of yourself up sometime. Volunteer.

Donate. Serve others. Realize that changing your routine, changing your focus, even changing your name can be the good kind of scary.

Amy Volz COL ’14

[ CHATTER ]

Be sure to check Chatter, The Hoya’s online opinion section, throughout the week for additional opinion pieces.

SEamus guerin (COL ’16) reflects on returning home to the United States from Spain in just a few short weeks:

“

I return stateside with a new outlook on life and new values, as anyone who travels for 4 months would certainly say. And whereas I doubt that they will remain as they are forever indefinitely, I am sure that they will influence the way I approach life in the coming three semesters and there after. The spirit of adventure and making the most, the lack of reason to rush (especially when it comes to meals) and an appreciation of the unknown have all defined my time abroad, but these are values too that I see being applicable in any circumstance.

This is a place where I hope to adjust very little.

Find this and more at

thehoya.com/chatter

CORRECTIONS The article “Rutgers Hosts Start to Conference Play,” [The Hoya, A9, Nov. 7, 2014] previously stated that freshmen Bailey Page and Dan Ross are divers. They are swimmers.

Michal Grabias, General Manager Jason Yoffe, Director of Accounting Brenna Muldrow, Director of Corporate Development Nicole Foggan, Director of Marketing Addie Fleron, Director of Human Resources Brian Carden, Director of Sales Janet Zhu, Director of Technology Tessa Bell Laura Tonnessen Joseph Scudiero Monika Patel Tessa Guiv Catherine Huber Christine Cha Sarah Hannigan Gregory Saydah Lena Duffield Matthew Da Silva

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Editorial Board

Consultants

David Chardack, Chair

Nick DeLessio, Kevin Tian

Celeste Chisholm, Kit Clemente, Ben Germano, Johnny Verhovek, Christopher Wadibia

ted relationship does not require a name change, but it will have to change you in some way, which you don’t seem prepared for: “I don’t want to be known as someone’s wife or someone’s mother. I want to be known as Jasmine White, the coolass chick who just happens to be a wife and a mother.”

Marriage and parenthood are not checklist items.

But why should you be prepared to let go of some of yourself? Georgetown culture is a breeding ground for love of the name, love of self and love of branding.

Who are you wearing? What internship do you have?

Which famous politician is in your profile picture? Do you do things because you are genuinely passionate about them, or are your passions a facade that simply makes for a good resume under your name?

There is an aspect of Georgetown that speaks the opposite: Jesuit values.

College may be a time for the self, but our university

Board of Directors

Sheena Karkal, Chair

Michal Grabias, Emma Hinchliffe, Hanaa Khadraoui, Hunter Main, Zach Singer, Laura Wagner Letter to the Editor & Viewpoint Policies The Hoya welcomes letters and viewpoints from our readers and will print as many as possible. To be eligible for publication, letters should specifically address a recent campus issue or Hoya story.

Letters should not exceed 300 words.

Viewpoints are always welcome from all members of the Georgetown community on any topic, but priority will be given to relevant campus issues. Viewpoint submissions should be between 600-800 words.

Send all submissions to: opinion@thehoya.com.

Letters and viewpoints are due Sunday at 5 p.m. for Tuesday’s issue and Wednesday at 5 p.m. for Friday’s issue. The Hoya reserves the right to reject letters or viewpoints and edit for length, style, clarity and accuracy. The Hoya further reserves the right to write headlines and select illustrations to accompany letters and viewpoints.

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OPINION

friDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2014

As This Jesuit Sees It ...

THE HOYA

A3

VIEWPOINT • Berk

In Hong Kong, Reconciling Old and New T Fr. Howard Gray, S.J.

Patience is Key to SelfDiscovery I

’ve been on the road a great deal this academic term, a temporary inhabitant of the terminals in various cities on the East Coast, the West Coast and sites in between. In those journeys it has become clearer and clearer to me that waiting remains a major part of contemporary life.

For all our mastery of distances and for all our ability to collapse time, we moderns still spend time “in between where we’ve come from and where we want to end.” Within that in-between time of waiting, there are plenty of diversions, of course: quickfood stalls, upscale bars and restaurants, magazine racks galore, now and then a bookstore, salons of one kind or another and, of course, the seemingly indefatigable colony of texting connoisseurs. The enduring game of waiting invites diversion.

But there is another side of waiting, one that invites engagement.

Primarily, engagement with oneself — a contemplative time to explore where my life is going. The leisure to appreciate the friends that populate my memory with their affection and care, with their humor and their challenge; the time to review and to enjoy how my mind has grown. The time to cherish what I’ve learned in class and from good teachers, what I’ve read that has captured my heart and challenged my set ideas. Even time to take a look at the people around me — their wild and wonderful divergence in ages, dress, moods — and to be overwhelmed with this underexplored diversity that ordinary life gathered together in this place and in this time.

That kind of contemplative moment, a pause from the tyranny of self-competition that so often drives me from one task to another so that I can feel never quite caught up, this precious moment of reflection, of dreaming anew, of simply remembering with a fondness of heart that there are good folks who love me — this special recollection in tranquility that poets from Wordsworth to Read have honored — is part of my spiritual inheritance too. In other words, waiting can become a search for grace transcending the search for diversion.

Waiting for grace is at the core of every religious pilgrimage. If you are hospitable to grace — that illusive reality that the essayist Brian Doyle celebrates as the core in every good story, saving us from isolation and reuniting us to the human family — or if you appreciate grace as the gift of attentiveness that Mary Oliver honors as the beginning of prayer, then the waiting we do is an opening to grace, to the discovery of love lurking in the inconvenience of delayed flights and rescheduled trains.

Waiting can morph into a moment of self-discovery with God. This self-discovery with God comes when love and not boredom takes over our consciousness, when, forced by circumstances beyond our control, we can learn to appreciate what we are and let go of what we should be.

There is a kind of surrender in learning how to wait in peace and serenity.

Here at Georgetown, this waiting for something that I cannot hasten is what many of our friends and colleagues learn in retreats, in prayer experiences and in liturgies. Self-discovery before God is not hard and buried in the trips you’ll soon be making for Thanksgiving, Christmas and the longer semester break. But, more profoundly, it is the invitation to carve out time in schedules that become crowded with deadlines to insert lifelines of self-discovery with God. Waiting can become a habit of the heart.

Many of us stand on the threshold of Advent, the Christian Church’s season of waiting. That season, which begins this Nov. 30, should be an ecumenical invitation to make waiting time, discovery time. For our hectic hearts, which are so often caught in timetables and schedules and deadlines, need their sweet revolts as well as forced compliances.

After all, we who wait so much in this life need the grace to tell a demanding world that, now and then, it will have to wait for us to reclaim our souls, the abodes of grace. Such a peaceful revolt is one way to beat the waiting game.

Fr. Howard Gray, S.J., is the special assistant to the president of Georgetown University. As This Jesuit Sees It … appears every other Friday.

he approximately 50 percent of students at Georgetown who elect to study abroad look forward to many of the same cliches: an abundance of local delicacies, a daily schedule suddenly not measured in carefully planned 15-minute increments and a nightlife no longer dependent on the quality of your fake identification. But when my 16-hour flight to the teeming city of Hong Kong took off in August, all I knew to expect was the unexpected.

And in the first weeks, that’s just what I got — typically “unexpected” Chinese fare, awful smells wafting from traditional medicine shops, an unimaginably high concentration of humans and the enduring mystery of why anyone enjoys nibbling the meat off of boiled chicken feet.

Then, in late September, the city awoke to some headlines that were truly unexpected. Hundreds of thousands of Hongkongers took to the streets for weeks to protest a Beijing vetting process that would be imposed on their upcoming election.

A British colony handed back to China in 1997 as a Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong is guaranteed by its constitution a “high level of autonomy” in all matters other than defense and diplomacy. Resentful of any Beijing restriction on their traditional British-Cantonese culture of political openness, freedom of expression and laissez-faire capitalism, many Hong Kong people risked the threat of a crackdown to protest further integration with the mainland.

As images of tear gas and symbolic umbrellas dominated international news coverage, I became more curious about the tensions that define Hong Kong. The city, like much of China, faces a deep generational divide, with deeper conservatism and hesitance toward dissent on the part of the older generation.

Although my university was plas-

Generational differences in Hong Kong relate less to the medium of discontent and more to the content. tered with black and yellow Umbrella Revolution paraphernalia and saw its common spaces packed with protest rallies, all of our Hong Kong professors — indeed, everyone over 30 with whom I’ve talked — opposed the movement. My political science professor predicted damaging effects on the economy. My middle-aged Mandarin teacher called it reckless and disruptive. Even my idealistic film professor admitted that, while he had attended many protests in the past, this one felt too futile to warrant investment.

Even as protests waned, the age gap became more apparent. At the think tank where I intern, my coworkers called their older boss — a top adviser to the pro-Beijing Chief Executive of Hong Kong — an underground communist. On the other hand, they protested for weeks against that same

chief executive from 8 p.m.until 3 a.m. the next day, before running home for a few hours of sleep before work.

In another political realm, fierce anti-Japanese sentiment leftover from World War II continues to rage in much of the elderly Chinese population. But of the younger Hongkongers, about 30 percent elect to learn Japanese in university; Japanese pop culture and tourism opportunities overshadow past military conflicts.

What made this younger generation so different? Why was the older generation so pessimistic about the protest’s prospects? Surely, the same 1989 crackdown on student protesters in Tiananmen Square, which stifled nearly an entire generation’s political dissent, has some effect on those in Hong Kong who are old enough to remember it.

VIEWPOINT • Anchassi

After doing some research, I realized that Hong Kong’s history is actually rich with civil disobedience that rarely appeared on CNN. Protesters filled the streets twice in the 1950s, and a year of pro-Communist rioting left hundreds dead in 1967. An even larger crowd protested the government’s inadequate response to the SARS epidemic in 2003, and thousands take to the streets on June 4 each year to commemorate the Tiananmen Square massacre.

It turns out that generations in Hong Kong differ less on the medium of discontent and more on the content.

More than 50 years ago, the British government had its hands full subduing thousands of Communist student protests — but now the student masses are fighting against Communist Party power.

Reflecting so much on China’s age gap, however, almost made me forget the United States’. On a weekend trip to Hanoi, a group of elderly American women approached us in the airport.

During the course of our small talk, one of them seemed baffled by my appreciation of Vietnamese culture.

“I find them highly communistic,” she said. “And you know, they actually call it the American War here. As though our soldiers were doing something wrong. But we were right. I’m sorry but I’m too American to think otherwise.”

Despite also calling ourselves American, most of my friends and I disagree with her views on the Vietnam War. But, I bet my 93-year-old Ohioan grandmother would agree with her, and the conversation made me realize that the generation gap does not just create tension in the PRC. It makes me wonder what crazy ideas my future children will deem worth fighting for — or what they’ll dismiss about my own worldview as hopelessly antiquated.

Katy Berk is a junior in the College. She is a former opinion editor of The Hoya.

OF PROGRESSIVE PERSUASION

Cultivating a Sense of Obama’s Leadership, Home From Abroad Not Policy, Failed Dems

A

s I walked into the movie theater with my friend, I found myself surrounded by all sorts of people whispering and shouting in Lebanese; we were all sharing in that pre-movie excitement, and rumor had it that the director was apparently in the theater.

For me, the experience seemed quite random. Where else would I have found this instance of Lebanese culture if not at home? For a brief second I forgot that I was in Washington, D.C., and I remembered the comfort and fun of a typical night out in Beirut.

My friend had suggested we go watch the North American premiere of “Ghadi,” the Lebanese movie that I never got the chance to see when it came out last year.

Its screening was part of the 19th Annual Arabian Sights Film Festival in Washington, D.C. They were showing different Arab movies throughout these first nine days of November, including movies from Algeria, Palestine, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Tunisia. It has been about four months since I said my goodbyes to family and friends, left my home country for the first time, boarded my first flight and headed to D.C.; yet for the first time, I felt like I was home again.

When moving from a different country with a different culture and language, it’s hard to gauge how the transition is going to feel.

I’ve been exposed to American music, television and books almost my entire life, so I thought I had a pretty good idea of what the United States was going to be like. I expected a friendly and organized country with political stability, where people cross the streets according to light signals and drivers follow traffic regulations, where common transportation is well-planned and where there is never an end to opportunities.

Still, I harbored the small insecurity — as any international student does — that I was bound to face some form of culture shock.

In my mind, I felt that it was going to hit me any day; I’d be walking down the streets and BAM, there it would be. However, it shocked me in a way that I never anticipated.

There was a gradual series of small and random observations, which seemed to compound and compel me toward the one thing that I did not expect to occur so suddenly: homesickness.

I started to notice cultural differences that were overshadowed by the “honeymoon phase.” Why do

people not use WhatsApp? Why are all the portions supersized? Why can’t I find Kinder Surprise? Where are the Eastpak backpacks? Why doesn’t the theater ticket include my seat number? And the weirdest of all: Why flavored hummus?

Homesickness is an inevitable feeling that all international students experience. But although I don’t think I can possibly miss home more than I do now, I can’t imagine not being a student here in D.C. I am meeting great people and having an amazing educational experience. The opportunities and resources are endless. I’m part of a diverse, brilliant, passionate and talented student body, and I would not trade this opportunity for anything else.

The homesickness has had a positive effect as well; I feel more connected to my culture now than ever before. Previously, I had only thought about my culture from one perspective, which unfortunately emphasized the flaws of my country: political instability, corrupt government, electricity going off three hours a day, chaotic traffic and so on. While these factors might be negative, I miss the normality of mixing Arabic, French and English while talking, the dabke, having labneh or knafeh for breakfast and adding laban (like the unsweetened Greek yogurt) to almost every Mediterranean food.

I’ve been listening to Arabic music like Fairouz, watching Lebanese series like “Shankaboot,” reading books about the war in Lebanon and the region and craving foods I’ve never craved like falafel and kishk, all of which are new habits that I’ve adopted recently.

I appreciate that being exposed to other cultures has helped me to develop a newfound pride in my own culture. But I can’t say that I’ve settled in completely; I am still adapting to this new and exciting lifestyle. I can’t talk about the weather with other people because I haven’t gotten a grip on the Celsius-Fahrenheit conversion; I get confused about the date because I’m not used to the month-beforeday format yet; I still can’t measure using feet or pounds.

Even so, I understand that this is a progression, a transition that I am going through. One day, I’ll find myself fully integrated. Until then, I will continue to appreciate the wonders that a Skype conversation can do when homesickness strikes.

Tala Anchassi is a freshman in the School of Nursing and Health Studies.

Homesickness is a feeling all international students experience.

T

he losses suffered by the Democratic Party in last week’s midterm elections were catastrophic. From North Carolina to Alaska, voters explicitly indicated that they were dissatisfied with the status quo.

However, in an era of political disillusionment, simply casting a vote for an individual does not constitute a whole-hearted endorsement of his or her policies. Rather, it indicates that out of two choices, the voter found the candidate he or she chose more palatable.

Then what factors led to the Democratic Party’s defeat last Tuesday evening? Were votes cast based on ideological disagreements with the Democratic Party’s platform? Or was this defeat sparked by the Obama administration’s inability to achieve meaningful objectives? And, more importantly, for progressives like myself, what does this mean for our influence in the 2016 elections and beyond?

Results on ballot measures, such as the defeat of the Personhood Amendment in Colorado and the striking percentage of Floridians who supported medical marijuana legalization, indicate that many voters supAbby port the Democratic Party’s platform on social issues, yet opted to support Republican candidates for office.

This leads me to believe that the 2014 midterm election results do not constitute a rejection of progressive policies and priorities — they were instead a rejection of President Barack Obama’s lack of leadership. While it is not entirely fair to blame the president’s leadership abilities for the results of congressional elections, it is reasonable to say that Americans’ dissatisfaction with the president inherently affected how they approached the elections.

As much as it pains me to say, these concerns with the Obama administration are not unfounded. The administration’s inability to solve the harrowing immigration crisis, and its decision to draw, then erase, red lines in Syria’s weapons arsenal has made them vulnerable to scandal and has only further incentivized the opposition.

In retrospect, Obama’s 2008 narrative of hope and change verges on laughable. With more deportations than all previous administrations combined and a health care policy that still leaves thousands of impoverished Americans without access to basic medical care, Obama’s legacy will be far from what he envisioned when taking his oath of office.

This undistinguished legacy will be directly attributed to Obama’s willingness to flinch when faced with a

volatile right wing. Rather than backing down as he did on multiple occasions, Obama should have resolutely stood by the progressive promises he committed to during his initial bid for the 2008 Democratic nomination.

Justifiably so, the American public largely perceives the Democratic Party to be spineless and ineffectual. However, this does not doom progressive policies to fall by the wayside in the 2016 election cycle. Instead, this opportunity for rebuilding creates an opening for bona fide Progressives to take charge of the Democratic Party’s future trajectory.

In the upcoming year, the Democratic Party will be looking for a strong figurehead that is capable of transcending the failures of the Obama presidency. While many posit that Hillary Clinton will take up this mantle, progressives would be remiss if they did not seek to present their own candidates to fulfill this role.

Although Hillary might be the most experienced candidate seeking the nomination in 2016, true progressives have an obligation to present some sort of opposition — if only to press her on the issues and clarify where she really stands. Notwithstanding that primaries have the potential Grace to be destructive, they also give political parties a unique opportunity to determine what their base is truly passionate about. Presenting progressive alternatives to typical, mainstream Democratic candidates must be a priority in this upcoming cycle.

Additionally, progressives cannot stop at the White House. In order to effectively engage with the American public as a whole, progressive candidates should run in primaries determining the candidates for congressional, state house and municipal races.

Showing that progressive policies are relevant on the local level contextualizes a national debate that, at times, still seems all too distant.

Given the United States’ growing domestic income disparities and unclear role in a rapidly shifting global order, the American people’s demands for strong leadership are well warranted. However, this demand for leadership should not disqualify the Democratic Party from holding a position of power. In order to ensure that a desire for leadership does not stand in the way of policies that advocate for every American, regardless of their background, progressives must seek to fill this vacuum within the Democratic Party.

Voters rejected the president’s leadership.

Abby Grace is a junior in the School of Foreign Service. Of Progressive Persuasion appears every other Friday.

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NEWS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2014

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Palestinian students spoke about their experiences of getting an education in the West Bank. See story on A8.

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya.

IN FOCUS

MASS FOR MARTYRS

verbatim

“

Ice skating is pretty chill — no pun intended.”

Nick Zeffiro (SFS ’18) on the opening of the skating rink at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden.

See story on A8.

from

MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA

DAN GANNON/THE HOYA

Fr. Charles Curriee, S.J., and Fr. Joseph Lingan, S.J., celebrated mass Thursday in Dahlgren Chapel in memory of six Jesuits, a housekeeper and her daughter, who were killed 25 years ago in El Salvador during the Salvadoran Civil War.

SALAD PREVIEW The Hilltoss opens today in the Healey Family Student Center. Plan your order in advance with our reviews of its eight salad options. blog.thehoya.com

GERMS Adjusts to Construction Detours ANDREW WALLENDER Hoya Staff Writer

FILE PHOTO: ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

The Tombs will no longer be holding Sunday wine nights after the Clyde’s Restaurant Group instructed its restaurants to cancel this weekly event in a directive released last Friday.

Tombs Cancels Wine Night

KSHITHIJ SHRINATH Hoya Staff Writer

The Tombs has indefinitely cancelled its Sunday wine nights upon a directive from the Clyde’s Restaurant Group.

“I don’t know why exactly it was cancelled, but the reasoning behind it — I know it came down from our corporate office — we’re part of the Clyde’s Restaurant Group, and that it was a company-wide decision,” General Manager Rich Kaufman (SFS ’05) said.

The directive was handed down last Friday and went into effect for the first time on Sunday. Kaufman hoped the decision would be temporary but could not say for sure. He hypothesized that it could be for the safety of the restaurant’s guests, but he was unable to provide any further detail.

The Tombs, along with the other restaurants in the Clyde’s Restaurant Group, which include 1789, Clyde’s, Old Ebbitt Grill and The Hamilton, held wine night once a week. For The Tombs, this night fell on Sunday, a night when patrons could buy bottles of wine for 10 dollars,

half the regular price, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Students expressed their disappointment at the end of the promotion.

“I always used wine night as a chance to catch up with my friends at the end of the weekend,” Meghan Bodie (SFS ’15) wrote in an email. “I loved it because the environment was low key and the wine deal was sweet.

RIP wine night.”

Kaufman said that the restaurant was in the process of finding another promotion for Sundays.

“We have specials every night of the week. We’re hoping within a week or two to have something that could replace Sunday nights, but we haven’t made any plans yet,” he said.

The statement about wine night from the management group was coupled with a directive prohibiting the use of vertical IDs in Clyde’s establishments, causing some Georgetown students to be denied access to the restaurant last weekend.

“When I arrived, the bouncer checked my ID (a vertical Pennsylvania driver’s license) and asked if I had any other form of identification, explaining that

he was no longer allowed to accept any vertical driver’s licenses as valid form of ID,” Audrey Utkus (COL ’15) wrote in an email.

“When I told him I had nothing else, he called the manager over to see if there was any way I could get in.”

The restaurant discussed the vertical ID directive with the corporate offices and had the decision reversed the next day.

“I think that someone maybe got some erroneous information,” Kaufman said. “We talked to the people in corporate, and the decision was reversed within a day, which is good.”

Utkus was pleased with the way the restaurant handled the situation.

“The Tombs staff was very nice despite the circumstances and seemed frustrated with the policy,” she wrote.

Kaufman hoped that, despite the difficulties, customers would recognize the efforts of the restaurant to serve them.

“I hope everyone sticks by us.

We’re definitely going to do right by the guests,” he said. “We’re going to come up with the best thing possible if we can’t do wine night anymore.”

The Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service has cited slight increases in response times related to the closure of Library Walk and Tondorf Road because of the construction of the Northeast Triangle Residence Hall and the renovation of the former Jesuit residence.

GERMS has had to reroute its traffic on the now closed Tondorf Road to West Road, which runs parallel to Tondorf.

All patients from south campus now reach MedStar Georgetown University Hospital via West Road.

“Though the construction has proved to be a minor inconvenience, we are FILE PHOTO: CHARLIE LOWE/THE HOYA still able to respond to calls and transport all patients to the hospital in a Construction detours caused GERMS timely manner,” GERMS Captain Brian to develop new ambulance routes.

Monahan (COL ’15) and GERMS President Kathryn Stefos (COL ’15) wrote it doesn’t affect the safety and security of in an email to THE HOYA. “Our night re- the campus or our community on camsponse times have increased slightly, pus.” but our response times during the day GUPD has the ability to make any of and response times to double dispatch- the closed roads accessible to emergenes remain close to our normal average.” cy services within minutes, according Monahan and Stefos also said that the to Gruber. Because of this Gruber said construction of Village C West has been that the construction would pose no a small inconvenience, since GERMS obstacle to a major campus emergency. ambulances are usually parked in front GERMS, GUPD and the Department of the residence hall. of Emergency Management and Opera“Most construction activities have tional Continuity have been in regular simply altered our normal procedures communication with Planning and slightly,” Monahan and Stefos wrote. Facilities Management regarding clo“We have been given notice when we sures. Additionally, GERMS meets twice would need to move a week to receive our ambulances.” updates from The Georgetown DEMOC. University Police In the event Department and of a major camthe Department of pus emergency Emergency Managesuch as a fire or ment and Operationshooting, DEal Continuity both MOC has drafted said that the cona response plan BRIAN MONAHAN (COL ’15) AND struction and road titled “Initiative KATHRYN STEFOS (COL ’15) closures have had on Life Safety,” GERMS Captain and President almost no impact on which details their operations. dozens of potential emergency response GUPD relies primarily on foot officers issues, according to Vice President for who are able to easily bypass any con- Planning and Facilities Management struction detours. Only a few vehicles Robin Morey. The plan offers specifics are on patrol at any given time while on how the university would give D.C. the majority of patrols are on foot or emergency services such as the D.C. bike, according to GUPD Police Chief Jay Fire Department and the Metropolitan Gruber.

Police Department access of closed conGUPD’s response time of one to two struction areas. minutes for all emergency calls has re“DEMOC has worked closely with ... mained steady even with the construc- campus partners and external emergency tion closures, Gruber said. responders to develop detailed campus “Response times haven’t been affected maps and floor plans with up-to-date and because the officers can still access the accurate site drawings that incorporate areas around the construction pretty campus access routes, construction activeasily,” Gruber said. “The construction ity, and critical infrastructure informais an inconvenience for the campus, but tion,” DEMOC Director Thomas O’Regan as far as my department is concerned, wrote in an email to THE HOYA.

“Most construction activities have simply altered our normal procedures slightly.”

news

FRIday, NOVEMBER 14, 2014

THE HOYA

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New South Email Yearbook Faces Unclear Future Misleads Students Ashley Miller Hoya Staff Writer

Katherine Richardson Hoya Staff Writer

The Georgetown University Police Department will not be patrolling New South Hall during weekend nights, despite an email sent out to New South residents Tuesday afternoon that stated that officers would be posted on weekend nights in the freshman residence hall.

“Since we are so fortunate, in the next weekend and those following, we will have GUPD officers within the building to make sure that all is well,” New South Community Director Jasmin Bush wrote in an email to New South residents. “They will specifically be around for the weekend and hours between 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. to ensure that the policies of the building are being followed given recent acts of vandalism (within New South) and theft (mainly in and around the community).”

GUPD Chief of Police Jay Gruber said that the email stemmed from confusion about GUPD’s community liaison program, which has existed since 2008. The program connects officers with students in each residence hall to develop a closer relationship between GUPD and the people it serves. Gruber said that community liaison officers at New South wanted to interact with more students and decided to host a meet-and-greet as a part of GUPD’s Personal Safety Week.

“It really came down to the fact that the campus liaison officers said they would give a little extra attention to New South, but we’re not going to do what the community director has here, be there for weekends and hours between 9 p,m. to 2 p.m., ensuring policies of the building are being followed. That’s not something that campus liaison officers wrote that they said they would do,” Gruber said. “So I’m not quite sure where this is coming from.”

Director of Residential Education Ed Gilhool said that this officer meet-and-greet came after a few minor acts of vandalisms in New South.

“Out of that, and the community policing model GUPD strives for, they had a conversation about the building and the fact that there had been some vandalism, and in partnership they decided this would be a good opportunity for the officers to spend some time in New South and be there to get to know the students, to introduce themselves and to just be there to be helpful and respond to concerns students may have about vandalism and other issues,” Gilhool said. “This is not an ongoing, sustained patrol of New South.”

According to Gruber, recent crime in New South has not been significant enough to warrant any sort of GUPD patrol.

“I’m trying to think what recent crimes have been in there,” Gruber said. “I don’t know of any. We have vandalisms here and there on campus or a burglary here and there, but I’m not aware of any sustained incidents of crime or any sustained incidents of student conduct that would warrant us spending an inordinate amount of time in New South.”

Gruber said that GUPD rarely patrols residence halls on a sustained basis due to lack of resources.

“It’s just an odd thing because although we will give special attention to certain areas that are experiencing problems or an elevated incidence of crime, but it’s not something that we would do on a sustained basis,” Gruber said. “We generally do not walk through residence hall hallways on a regular basis unless there’s a problem.”

According to Gilhool, community liaison officers will occasionally host meet-and-greets in residence halls including New South in the future to communicate with students.

“We’re not creating a patrol of New South, but really trying to bolster an opportunity for our staff, GUPD and students to make sure our students are safe and well in their building,” Gilhool said.

Bush declined to comment on the misleading email.

After 100 years of continuous publication, Ye Domesday Booke, Georgetown’s undergraduate yearbook, may not be published this year after the graduation of its two editors this coming spring.

In the 2011-2012 academic year, the yearbook only had one editor and was dropped from the Media Board, moving under the direct purview of the Center for Student Engagement. Director of the Center for Student Engagement Erika Cohen Derr said that the decision was made when the Media Board no longer saw the publication as an opportunity for student involvement.

“During the 2011-2012 academic year there were transition issues for the student organization Ye Domesday Booke and the organization didn’t transition new students to become editors,” Cohen Derr wrote in an email. “The Media Board at the time considered the role of the yearbook as a student organization, and ultimately determined that it had become less of an involvement opportunity for students to serve as organizational leaders and more of a service for students — primarily seniors — to capture their senior year,” This transition into the CSE was in large part due to financial issues.

“It wasn’t making money, there wasn’t a staff. The staff had died off. There wasn’t someone to step up as editor,” Ye Domesday Booke’s Editor-in-Chief Emily Coccia (COL ’15) said. “There was a threat that it would not exist anymore.”

After joining the publication as an editor in 2011 and working with just one other student in producing the yearbook, Coccia was left with the task all to herself with no assistance the following year.

“So it was a lot of sort of sitting alone in Starbucks and stuff like that trying to sort through pictures,” Coccia said.

In large part, this effort was unappreciated due to the general lack of awareness on campus of its existence.

“Sophomore year — that was the year I ended up doing the whole thing alone and telling people that and people just still not knowing that it existed was a hard thing,” Coccia said, “It was hard. It sort of had to be a self-deprecating sense of humor type of thing.”

The lack of visibility is the cause of many issues the production faces. The yearbook’s sports editor, Caroline Egan (COL ’15), expressed her difficulties in getting student groups to send in photos.

“I think what happens too often is that we reach out to clubs and we’re like, ‘Hey, can you send in photos?’ And they basically tell us, ‘Oh we had no idea you were a thing. We don’t have any photos.

Sorry,’” Egan said.

After efforts in the past two years to increase visibility, there has been a slow

growth in recognition.

“Last year we got [photos] from some of the groups that we had never gotten photos from before. We were able to get their photos rather than sort of reaching out just to individuals we knew,” Coccia said.

The yearbook’s popularity has declined throughout the past decade because of the rise of social media, which allows students to access photos and keep in touch with their classmates for free.

Sales increased by about 100 yearbooks last year, though, with sales of around 1,100 to 1,200 books last year, which marked the first time the yearbook has turned a profit in recent years.

Students can purchase yearbooks for $85.

“Admittedly it’s sort of been a one- or twoperson show, but we turned a profit starting my sophomore year,” Coccia said.

According to Egan, part of the growth can be attributed to the appeal of owning a hard copy in the digital age.

“One thing that I think is awesome is that sales are going up and we are increasing our visibility at least to some extent. And I think also in this age of everything being online, people are realizing how it’s nice to have a physical object to remember their time at Georgetown,” Egan said.

In addition to senior portraits, the yearbook includes photos and information about clubs and teams.

However, with only 35 likes on the yearbook’s Facebook page, this visibility continues to be limited, although seniors receive email notifications and fliers in the mail.

Because of the visibility problems, the yearbook may not have an editor for production this year, which will take place during the summer. Its continuation will depend on involvement from new members. Applications are available at all times throughout the year, and anyone in the Georgetown community, including alumni and faculty as well as students, is permitted to join.

“Spring and summer is really where we do the bulk of our work. So we have a few freshmen and a few underclassmen who had mentioned that they would really like to get involved, and if we can train them this spring and help them with it this summer, I think that would really be what we need to keep it going,” Egan said.

Since its transition to CSE, Ye Domesday Booke has received financial and other administrative support.

“The university pays for the book and then the university gets money back with the revenue, and we also have ads and parents can buy pages for their kids in the back of the book, so all of that revenue goes through CSE. I don’t end up dealing with any of it,” Coccia said.

The CSE also helps the editors with coordination, which can be difficult for an understaffed publication.

MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA

Ye Domesday Booke has been published for over 100 years. “[Cohen Derr] is really helpful about coordinating stuff with the Senior Class Committee, sending out calls for pictures to the senior class,” Coccia said.

There is a $40 fee for senior portraits, which is waived for students who purchase the yearbook.

Coccia and Egan said that they are hopeful the continuation of the yearbook, especially after its 100th anniversary last year.

“It’s a tradition that has gone on through the generations of Hoyas that I really hope will be continued,” Egan said.

Ye Domesday Booke also functions as a sort of time capsule for each student, according to Coccia.

“I think there is something to be said for also having sort of memories, even if they are not yours, getting to read about what other people were doing when you were at college … and really getting a snapshot of what your life was like for those four years,” Coccia said.

Pauline Huynh (MSB ’15) said that she does not feel the need to purchase a yearbook because of how large each class is.

“In high school you kind of know everyone and there are a lot less clubs but in college you’re not going to know all 7,000 students and you’re realistically only going to be involved in maybe two or three activities out of the hundreds on campus,” Huynh said.

Cristina Fletcher (SFS ’15) said that she would like to get a yearbook if it is reflective of the individuals that make up the senior class.

“I think it’s a good investment for those who have strong ties to Georgetown and who really loved their college experience. I think it’s a tangible memories of the experiences,” Fletcher said.

“But that being said, I don’t know the specifics about the yearbook and how much space each student gets. If it’s just your picture and that’s it, then I’m not sure I’d buy one.”

Bike Insurance Bill Postponed Kristen Fedor Hoya Staff Writer

A D.C. Council vote on a bill that would make it easier for cyclists and pedestrians to collect damages in road accidents was delayed for a second time Wednesday evening, facing increasing opposition from the insurance industry and several council members.

The Bicycle and Motor Vehicle Collision Recovery Amendment Act of 2014 would protect vulnerable road users by establishing a comparative negligence standard to replace the current provision. Under the current system, termed “contributory negligence,” if one party of a collision is found to be at all responsible, that party cannot collect any damages. The change to a comparative standard would allow for injured parties to receive damages in proportion to each party’s negligence.

D.C. Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large), one of the bill’s sponsors, said he does not believe the bill will pass this year, attributing the resistance to the bill to the long history of contributory negligence standards in the city and in neighboring states. Although 46 states have already adopted the updated comparative standards, Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia all still have contributory negligence laws on the books.

“It’s a matter of justice when it comes to incidents where somebody has been injured or something has happened that you make sure people are covered for their injuries,” Grosso said. “To say that 1 percent on your part would totally preclude you from anything is a huge mistake.”

Washington Area Bicyclist Association Advocacy Coordinator Greg Billing called the current D.C. law antiquated, as most other states switched over to comparative negligence between the 1960s and 1980s. He stressed the importance of looking to the success of the rest of the

nation when considering this specific bill.

“We’re definitely not leading. We’re trying to catch up,” he said. “Why that’s helpful is that it gives the lawmakers 46 other states’ histories of what laws they changed and how that affected the jurisdiction.

We can pick the best model out there that protects some things that trial lawyers want to protect, but still moves us to a fairer standard.”

Despite the widespread comparative negligence laws, the insurance agencies still oppose the bill, since they considerably benefit from contributory negligence as they can deny coverage to any person found at least somewhat responsible for a collision

“We’re going to push for this change because it’s an important one.”

GREG BILLING Washington Area Bicyclist Association Advocacy Coordinator

Vice President of the American Insurance Association Eric Goldberg told The Washington Post that a system of comparative fault results in higher insurance costs, which could be problematic for lower-income D.C. residents.

“When costs go up, people who are most affected are people with few means. They are the ones who are least able to afford these cost increases and they may drop the coverage and that doesn’t benefit anybody,” Goldberg told The Washington Post.

According to the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2012 saw a 6.4 percent increase in pedestrian fatalities and a 7.1 percent increase in motorcycle rider fatalities from 2011.

Billing said that that even if the specific bill fails to pass

the council, the problem of protecting vulnerable road users must be addressed.

“Those numbers are trending upward, so the problem is not going away, and the number of people that are in crashes and have their claims denied are not going away, so we will continue to pursue solutions to this problem,” Billing said. “We’re going to push for this change because it’s an important one.”

Grosso said in negotiations and amendments to the bill moving forward, he will focus on broadening the legislation to include all road users, as the narrow focus on bicyclists and pedestrians was a cause of concern for several council members. Future versions of a comparative negligence bill will likely cover all types of collisions.

“When I introduced it, I probably should have been more cautious about making sure I included everybody from the beginning — all vulnerable users of our roadway,” he said.

Alyssa Kasher (COL ’15), captain of Club Triathlon, said she often feels unsafe riding her bike in the Georgetown area, particularly with the heavy traffic, though there have not been any accidents with the club’s members this semester.

“A lot of popular cycling routes have road signs that warn drivers to yield or watch for cyclists, but many drivers ignore these warnings. There have been many instances, especially over the summer, where I’ve been pushed off the road by a car that didn’t want to make space as it passed,” she said.

Kasher urged the city to take more steps to protect cyclists, starting with the comparative negligence bill.

“Increased protection would definitely be better for the team,” she said. “Everybody on the team should be comfortable riding on the roads in D.C., and the current reality is that driving behavior makes it difficult for all levels of cyclists to feel safe.”

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THE HOYA

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2014

Ricin Response Criticized Diversity Center RICIN, from A1 ucation Andrew Erdmann, CAPS Director Phil Meilman and the Office of General Counsel, which provides legal services to the university, all deferred comments to Rachel Pugh, the university’s director of media relations.

“We are grateful for the students and professional staff who worked to respond to this incident. We also recognized that there is always room for improvement and we are constantly evaluating our practices and learning from each experience. Feedback from all those involved in any incident helps to improve our processes,” Pugh wrote in an email.

Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson echoed Pugh, expressing gratitude toward RAs. “We appreciate the great work of our resident assistants across campus. We know that RAs often make use of their extensive training in supporting their friends, as well as in working with students on their floors,” Olson wrote in an email, in response to request for comment on the university’s handling of the incident.

Pugh praised the university’s response time.

“In March 2014, the university reacted quickly, thoughtfully and responsibly to respond to an incident of ricin on our campus,” Pugh wrote. “The successful implementation of our protocols resulted in keeping our university community safe during this unprecedented incident.”

Lloyd and fellow RAs expect that Lloyd faces possible termination from his position as an RA for coming forward and

violating the confidentiality agreement that RAs must sign.

“They’re going to fire Thomas, but they haven’t yet,” Tim Rosenberger (COL ’16), also an RA and a friend of Lloyd, said.

“Word is something’s coming.”

According to Pugh, RAs are “trained and expected to protect the privacy of students.” She did not respond to requests for comment on whether this rule of confidentiality applies to an RA’s interactions with all students or just with his or her specific residents.

RAs, who remained anonymous for fear of being fired, shared their stories of mistreatment by the university on the Voice’s website Thursday. Students shared the accounts using the hashtag #yesallRAs. One RA shared an experience being sexually assaulted by a resident, but feared that reporting the incident would result in loss of employment.

“I never officially reported the assault because I did not want to start any trouble. After hearing the stories of my fellow RAs who experienced indirect punitive measures in the rehiring process as a result of reporting incidents of sexual assault, I am glad that I never officially reported the incident.

If I didn’t have this job, I would not be able to pay for tuition,” the RA said to the Voice.

Another RA also questioned the university’s treatment of residential living student staff.

“No one said anything about what to do if one of us in our capacity as an RA was assaulted. I don’t know whether I’m guaranteed equal protection as an employee of this university.

I don’t know my own rights. It makes me very, very scared,” another RA said.

Afraid of the possible legal repercussions resulting from his involvement with Milzman, with whom he’d had a relationship, Lloyd asked at a meeting with Lynch, Gilhool and University Counsel Adam Adler whether or not he could receive legal protection as an employee of the university.

According to Lloyd, Adler told him that because he was not Milzman’s designated RA, it would be unlikely that he would get legal protection.

However, Erdmann had told him previously that, as an RA, he was not permitted to speak about the incident to his friends or to faculty, only to CAPS or to his chaplain.

“I would sort of hope that if my position was being leveraged to keep me quiet and to really prevent who I could speak to, then at the same time I would have been offered legal protection, but that’s not what happened,” Lloyd said.

Rosenberger said that he believed that the university wanted to keep those involved quiet so as to control the story.

“The reason that they were really invested in us not talking at the time was the information coming out of Residence Life was deliberately false,” Rosenberger said. “I mean, the story they were spinning was ‘Danny Milzman was depressed. He came to his RA with depression, and his RA handled the situation.’ It wasn’t ‘Danny Milzman happened to be [involved with] an RA in a different building, may or may not have tried to poison him and/or other people, this kid spilled, and thank God we’re all safe.’”

Robberies, Burglaries Rise CRIME, from A1 pus burglaries this month alone.

Gruber could not point to a particular reason for the recent rise in robberies.

“From being in law enforcement for almost 30 years, there’s always ebbs and flows to these types of crimes,” he said. “I think we’re just in that period of time now where there’s been an increase. We really can’t put our fingers on it. There’s no new gang activity that’s in this area.”

As the robberies have occurred off campus in the Georgetown neighborhood, the Second District of the Metropolitan Police Department retains jurisdiction over the incidents.

“We’re in regular communication with the supervisor from

our [police service area] in the Second District,” Gruber said. “I know that the Second District is doing things to help combat it. I can’t discuss the things that they’re doing, but I know they’re well aware of it, and they’re really supportive.”

Despite the increase in crime off campus, Gruber said he did not expect to see a similar increase in crimes on campus because of the concentration of police officers, noting that the burglaries that occurred on campus were crimes of opportunity, a result of people leaving doors unlocked.

“The campus is well-lit, there’s usually lots of students walking around at all hours of the day and night,” Gruber said.

“The opportunity on campus for a successful armed robbery

is a whole lot less than at some intersection in West Georgetown where nobody’s around.”

To keep students alert to the increase in crime, Gruber sent out the campus-wide email on Monday to urge students to take precautions when walking around the neighborhood.

The email asked students to download the LiveSafe app, use SafeRides, walk in groups and on well-lit routes and not fight the perpetrator if faced with an armed robbery situation.

“If students will follow the simple steps that I put in my email, they’ll put themselves in a much safer situation,” he said.

“Not to say they can’t be a victim of violent crime, but if they take certain precautions, they really lessen that opportunity.”

Retail Takes Over M Street RETAIL, from A1 example, boasts a rate of 60 percent.

This can primarily be attributed to the Georgetown’s alcohol moratorium, in place since 1989, which limits the number of alcohol licenses that are permitted in the Georgetown area. Restrictions within the Georgetown ABC License Moratorium Zone, which extends about 1,800 feet in all direction from the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and N Street, dictate that no tavern or nightclub in Georgetown may be issued a new retailer’s license class C or D, which permits establishments to sell and serve beer, wine, and/or spirits. No more than 68 of these licenses may be issued to restaurants within the moratorium.

As the bars have disappeared, so has open space, prompting Lanier to question the future of the neighborhood.

“We’ve seen a lot of the traditional bars in Georgetown get depleted and we’re going to work on replacing them with something that is more fitting to Georgetown going forward.

Slowly but surely all remaining pieces of open land in Georgetown have vanished with the exception of two that are on their way out,” Lanier said.

Acknowledging this flight of restaurants from the neighborhood, Lanier emphasized the need to bring food back into the landscape to keep Georgetown vibrant, pointing to the rise of specialty restaurants in the region and the relative dearth of fast food options.

“Now we need to replace restaurants, which are an important component of a vibrant retail environment, with food outlets that fit the current demand better and it certainly has

been demonstrated that it’s not fast food,” he said. “I think that the restaurant side has changed to more specialty restaurants.

It’s not pastry shops anymore, it’s cupcakes.”

The push is complicated by the rising rents throughout the Georgetown neighborhood that have made it difficult for small businesses to afford space. As a result, even the retailers flooding the Georgetown area have primarily been national chains, including Forever 21, Rent the Runway, DSW and Alice + Olivia.

“The rents have gone up all over the city including in Georgetown and so the types of businesses that can afford those higher rents are driving the change in the retail landscape very visibly in Georgetown,” Sternlieb said. “The trend has been towards more expensive rents on M Street with more national brands and national credit tenants flocking to M Street.

That’s been the most noticeable change in the last 10 to 15 years.”

With reduced space and increased rent, storefronts, previously clustered exclusively on M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, are now turning to the side streets in the neighborhood.

“I think you’re going to see a proliferation of retail into the side streets and alleys going forward, which is going to be really exciting for the look and feel of Georgetown,” Lanier said. “One of them is the development of the parking lots in front of Café Milano. That is an interesting development because it will bring retail off M Street onto Prospect Street.”

The state of flux of the storefronts and restaurants has not affected the vibrancy of the neighborhood. Lanier attributed the vitality to the nearby student population and their entrepre-

FILE PHOTO: NATASHA THOMSON/ THE HOYA

Forever 21 at 3222 M St. neurship.

“One of the exciting components that influences Georgetown is not simply the residents, but is arguably the amount of students that embrace Georgetown. … The exciting thing about these two universities is that we have 30,000 people that are in some form or shape innovators because they are young; they are looking at things differently than the existing population and that brings something to Georgetown that makes it always current,” Lanier said.

Unlike other neighborhoods in the District, Georgetown is not projected to add a substantial amount of residential units, putting the impetus on the existing population to jump-start the neighborhood’s development. “[Students] are not willing to buy into yesterday’s values, they are bringing tomorrow’s values and I think Georgetown has to learn how to adapt to that,” Lanier said. “You have 30,000 people who are thinking about tomorrow who are going to influence our shops, our restaurants, our traffic, our eating habits and so on.”

Consolidation Abandoned CONSOLIDATION, from A1 really listening to students and engaging with other colleagues around campus, means by nature, some moving back and forth some differing views. Some of which some may perceive as confusion, I think that’s a feature of a process that attempts to be inclusive.”

GU Pride President Thomas Lloyd (SFS ’15) spoke out in favor of restructuring student focus groups in order to better communicate with the university.

“In defense of focus groups — I was in one of the first ones — some of the questions weren’t all that, just sort of went in with proposals and presented in the not best context,” Lloyd said. “I think one thing that we’re not doing enough of is having the students identify what their needs are first.

So the focus group was great at saying ‘we could do this, we could do this,’ but it’s not a lot in terms of what don’t you have.”

Lloyd said that students are able to keep up with social change within each diversity group.

“These groups change,” Lloyd said. “By the time this meeting is done, there will be a Tumblr post with a new definition of a new part of the LGBTQ acronym, so we need an active process of students who are more entrenched in this work to identify those needs.”

Olson said that he saw students as an integral part of cross-center communication, but raised questions about the creation of a student committee.

“I think there’s an important creative tension here,” Olson said. “Should the cul-

tural groups have their own distinct advisory board separate from the Student Activities Commission? It’s a question raised by students that we’re talking a look at. That’s just an example of another way we’re trying to activate students.”

Another topic that students mentioned was the lack of office space for each diversity center. The LGBTQ Resource Center and the Women’s Center are located on the third floor of the Leavey Center and the CMEA is on the fifth floor of the Leavey Center.

“What I’d say to that is I think that in terms of this exercise, the Leavey Center floors three, four and five are part of the conversation,” Olson said. “Floor two, which is our pretty good size career center, and we probably don’t mess with floor number two.”

Sarah Rabon (COL ’16) said she came to the event due to her involvement with the Women’s Center.

“I think it was really great,” Rabon said.

“I think there are a lot of different students from a lot of different groups here representing a lot of different, important interests.”

Despite this, Rabon said that she was unsure if any actual progress had been made at the meeting.

“What I feel was being discussed was the idea that more things are being taken into consideration, conversations are being had, focus groups are being had, working groups are being created, but that has not necessarily corresponded to real progress or real change, or any real programming or solutions,” Rabon said.

Hilltoss Opens in HFSC CORP, from A1 had really been focusing on the groceries, something that was more service related. … From a historical perspective, though I consider this leap a bigger leap than from the groceries [to the coffee shops], I still think that we have confidence that it’s something we can push through a lot of obstacles.”

Hilltoss General Manager Monish Sabnani (MSB ’15) identified consistency as the biggest challenge in daily operations, and said that Hilltoss staff has trained for months to practice food preparation.

“As The Corp has a lot of different employees who change every semester, consistency is something that we, as upper management, have made the number one goal,” Sabnani said. “We spent tons of hours into training. … We are going for the idea that if you come in for a salad today, it’s going to be exactly what we get tomorrow, regardless of who’s working that shift.”

According to Rodman, the university reached out to The Corp in the HFSC planning process and offered them a storefront location to cater to future student needs.

“When the Healey Family Student Center was developed, it was more than a building,” Rodman said. “The university wants to ensure that students are as involved as possible in all the big decisions and developments of it. … They just want us there, knowing The Corp above all really understands student needs.”

HFSC Director Patrick Ledesma said that the location was carved out specifically for The Corp’s new business and was funded by The Corp during construction.

“We knew that we wanted The Corp’s location in the building.” Ledesma said. “Their location was funded by The Corp. That’s why it looks great and has a nice wood feel to the whole thing, which complements the building with natural elements.”

The Corp signed a contract with Auxiliary Services with confidential terms determining the operations of The Hilltoss and the relationship between two parties.

“From a qualitative perspective, the university was incredibly supportive in terms of answering questions, working with us in the process and essentially being a great landlord, but from a financial perspective, we funded the entirety of the project and are paying,” Rodman said.

Rodman said that the opening of The Hilltoss would not divert resources from other businesses The Corp currently runs.

“We financed and hired for The Hilltoss separately from our other businesses,” Rodman said.

“The Hilltoss has been a strong focus this year, but we have also grown our company in other ways — Kickback, new scholarships, mobile app development, and renovations to our existing services.”

Rodman said that The Hilltoss will initially only operate on weekdays due to the current size of its staff. During the next two semesters, The Hilltoss will hire additional employees. Rodman said that after making these additional hires, The Hilltoss will likely expand to seven days a week and increase its hours of operation on a day-to-day basis.

“We try to keep our hiring classes in a manageable amount, so we’re not making any single hiring class have too many people,” Rodmand said.

“At Hilltoss, we were shooting for about 15 to 20 people. We were hiring that amount so we require three shifts for new hires, and that comes out to about five days a week for shift coverage.”

The restaurant currently can accommodate between 30 and 36 customers, but plans to expand seating in the future.

“The goal is to make it the next new study spot on campus and we want to fill it up with lots of new seating. We are expecting to seat anywhere between 200 and 400 students a day,” Sabnani said.

According to Dana Mitchell (MSB ’15), Director of The Hilltoss, The Corp chose salad and smoothies as the main products of The Hilltoss based on a campus-wide survey.

“The Corp set out a campus-wide survey asking students if they wanted a deli, a salad shop, a smoothie shop, an ice-cream stand, another coffee shop or another grocery store,” Mitchell said.“The whole point of The Hilltoss is to communicate with students and to see what their needs are.”

Associate Vice President for Auxiliary Services Joelle Wiese said that The Corp should evaluate the success of The Hilltoss based on student feedback.

“For any places that open any restaurant, the success is whether students like it,” Wiese said.

“You have to be a place where the students want to go to. You have to support the community in many ways, have the hours of operations that students want and have the menus that students want. It has to be a place that students are happy with. And if you meet those needs of students, then you will always have people coming back.”

Jordan Sabourin (SFS ’18) welcomed the healthy food concept as a new alternative to O’Donovan Hall.

“Leo’s is not awful if you want to eat healthy,” Sabourin said. “But if you are trying to eat light, it’s very constraining to eat at Leo’s. … The healthy things tend to be the things that stay the same. It will be nice to have a bit of a change.”

news

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2014

THE HOYA

A7

Wisconsin Housing Eligibility Confuses Juniors Student Arrested for Ricin Xinlan Hu

Hoya Staff Writer

Suzanne Monyak Hoya Staff Writer

A student at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh was charged with possession of ricin on Tuesday. Kyle Smith, 21, is now on interim suspension and is barred from campus, WSAW, a local news source in Wausau, Wis., reported. If convicted of possession of a biological toxin, Smith could serve up to 10 years in prison and face a fine of $250,000.

WLUK-TV, a Fox news station located in Green Bay, Wis. reports that two of Smith’s professors called the police after they grew suspicious that he was making ricin in his off-campus residence. His roommate told police that Smith had made the ricin with three castor plants he grew in his backyard.

Smith’s attorney told the court Monday that Smith is not a danger to the public.

Daniel Milzman, a former Georgetown student, was charged with possession of a biological toxin last March, after he made ricin in his shared McCarthy Hall dorm room with materials from a Maryland plant store. Milzman was placed on rigorous suicide watch, and has spent seven-and-half months in jail in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day, with one hour of recreation time.

Milzman pled down the charge and was sentenced Monday to a year and a day in prison, with time already served in jail credited to his sentence.

Changes to housing eligibility have caused confusion among students seeking university housing for a fourth year, as juniors currently studying abroad no longer receive preferences for senior housing eligibility.

Previously, juniors spending a semester abroad were given priority in senior housing eligibility, in addition to other special interest groups. Under the new housing rules, only students with high financial need and junior transfer students are given preferences in the eligibility process, while students studying abroad are no longer prioritized.

Executive Director for Residential Services Patrick Killilee said that this change came in response to student feedback.

“Based on recommendations from a student working group, with representatives from Georgetown University Student Association and InterHall, extra points for seniors studying abroad in the fall was discontinued this year,” he said.

Allison Blankenship (COL ’16), who is studying abroad in Copenhagen this semester, was placed on the eligibility waitlist. Blankenship said she is unhappy with her housing result and she considers the system unfair for juniors studying abroad.

“I’m not happy with my housing result because I have the highest amount of points possible, but still can’t seem to get on-campus housing,” Blankenship wrote in an email. “It doesn’t seem fair to me.

The people who studied abroad in the fall should have some sort of priority in choosing on-campus

housing since we weren’t part of studying abroad, with other the previous housing selection juniors also expressing concerns about a confusing system. process.”

Blankenship said that the eligi- Joseph Laposata (COL ’16), who is bility process’s randomness and living on campus his junior year, lack of transparency have become also received waitlist status. He said that the university did not exfrustrating for her.

“The eligibility system is like a plain its policies well and that the numbers game that you can never system is misleading.

“The university has set up an inwin,” Blankenship wrote. “People always try to put together the best centive that makes us want to live group that will (hopefully) get on campus. If we applied for housthem the greatest amount of points ing, we are likely to get apartments and give them eligibility, but no or townhouses. Those are wonderone really knows their chances. We ful housing options that we would try to outsmart this system that no definitely want,” he said. “But we don’t know one truly that we can even undereven get stands.” eligibility Violet to get those Wey (SFS excellent ’16), who is points. So currently it’s hard to studying make this a abroad in plan if it’s Shanghai, not guaranreceived eligibility for ALLISON BLANKENSHIP (Col ’16) teed to all.”

Killilee on-campus h owe ve r, senior houssaid the Ofing, but said that her financial aid status fice of Residential Life has not rehelped to secure this. She said that ceived this negative feedback.

“We make every effort to make despite her success in the eligibility process, there is a lack of ac- the process as simple and transparcess to information for students ent as possible. We have involved students and student leaders from abroad.

“I didn’t think the application GUSA and InterHall over the past process was extremely difficult,” few years to review these processes Wey wrote in an email.“I was just a and make recommendations for bit confused or unsure about some improvement,” Killilee wrote. “We things, and the time difference have not received any real combeing abroad made it difficult for plaints. We receive a lot of quesme to ever contact anyone over at tions about individual situations.

Georgetown for help, so that made We try to work with students to me nervous and hesitant when it resolve those individual concerns.”

After the university changed came time to actually submit for its housing policy this spring, reeligibility.”

Issues regarding senior hous- quiring three years of on-campus ing extend beyond students housing beginning with the Class

“The people who studied abroad in the fall should have some sort of priority in choosing oncampus housing.”

of 2017, Laposata said that current juniors became confused about their eligibility and options for senior year.

“This is just causing mass confusion,” Laposata said. “For one thing, I have no idea if my number is good. I have no idea if I should expect to receive eligibility.”

Killilee said he believed that the three-year housing requirement would only help rising seniors receive better on-campus housing.

“The third-year mandate should not make much of an impact on students requesting senior year housing,” Killilee wrote. “Rising seniors with eligibility will have first pick of townhouses, apartments and residence halls during selection. In the past, juniors had first pick. More seniors will be able to live in townhouses than in the past.”

While acknowledging the university’s limitations, Laposata said he remains dissatisfied with the current eligibility system.

“I realized that this is just a messy interim period,” Laposata said. “The university isn’t trying to disadvantage seniors. ... But also it’s worth acknowledging that it’s incredibly inconvenient and there are mixed incentives because they want us to live on campus but they can’t tell us if they will let us live on campus.”

Killilee said that the Office of Residential living does not have plans to make major policy changes for senior housing in the future.

“Due to limited housing capacity, we are not able to guarantee or require four years of campus housing,” Killilee wrote. “Historically, about 25 percent of seniors have lived on campus. That number will increase slightly as we add more housing in the next two years.”

800,000 Gather on Mall for Concert Honoring Veterans Kshithij Shrinath Hoya Staff Writer

The National Mall hosted the Concert for Valor to honor veterans on Tuesday, drawing a crowd of over 800,000 people.

The event, sponsored by Starbucks and broadcast live by HBO, featured performances by Jennifer Hudson, Dave Grohl, the Black Keys, Metallica, Zac Brown Band, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna and Eminem. Other celebrities, including Jamie Foxx, Meryl Streep and Bryan Cranston, appeared as well, thanking veterans for their service and, in Cranston’s case, sharing his family’s relationship with the military.

Attendees began lining up at the Seventh Street NW entrance well before police began letting people onto the Mall at 10 a.m., though the concert did not start until 7 p.m.

Around 12,000 tickets were set aside for members of the military, who were situated right in front of the stage.The crowd stretched from the stage near the Capitol building to the Washington Monument.

Students who attended were awed by both the celebrities and the patriotism at the concert.

“There were a lot of people there, but they had a lot of screens and speakers so everyone could hear and enjoy the music,” Bianca DiSanto (MSB ’17) said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in a more patriotic crowd.”

After each set, a short video would play on the screens to tell the stories of specific veterans.

“The story that resonated the most with me was the story of a veteran, Cedric King, who had both of his legs blown off, and he decided afterward to become a triathlete.

He completed an Ironman competition. His story touched a lot of people,” Haley Florsheim (SFS ’18) said.

Though he was not interested in all the artists performing, Will Wrotniak (SFS ’18) praised the event as a must-see.

“I went because I wanted to see Bruce, to be honest,” Wrotniak said.

“But more importantly, I thought it was an opportunity I couldn’t miss.

Those are the experiences that make college. You’re going to look back 40 years after and say, ‘I went to that concert, and it was awesome.’”

Hoya Staff Writer Tom contributed reporting.

Garzillo

MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA

Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl and Zac Brown performed “Fortunate Son” together following the Zac Brown Band’s set. Springsteen later performed a full acoustic set by himself.

MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA

Jessie J performed “Bang Bang” and “Titanium” and the Zac Brown Band performed “Chicken Fried” and a medley of patriotic songs. Meryl Streep spoke at the concert.

MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA

Metallica performed “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “Master of Puppets” during their set at the Concert for Valor and brought a crowd to stand behind them while they performed.

MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA

Carrie Underwood performed her hit songs “Something in the Water” and “Before He Cheats.” The show’s final three performances were Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna and Eminem.

A8

NEWS

THE HOYA

Friday, November 14, 2014

Daily Dog Fetches News Highlights for Freshmen Tom Garzillo Hoya Staff Writer

A group of freshmen began publishing a one-page news source called The Daily Dog in early September, intending to offer a quick, printed source for a breadth of news.

The paper, which features headlines about campus, national and world news in one sentence or less, is distributed to four freshman residence halls, the Southwest Quad, Village C East and Copley Hall, as well as the Intercultural Center and the Healey Family Student Center.

The newsletter, created by freshman Luke Gile (SFS ’18), is run by a staff of 26 students and maintains an online presence with a website, Facebook page and Twitter account.

The Daily Dog has garnered over 270 Facebook likes and 36 Twitter

followers thus far.

“It started off as a really small thing,” Gile said. “We printed 20 copies on the first day, Sept. 9, and it just grew from there. We just kept up with demand.”

Although Gile prints The Daily Dog in his VCW dorm room, he credits the entirety of the newspaper’s staff for its success and expansion to additional residence halls.

“I do what I can, but the team is fantastic,” Gile said. “I couldn’t get this done without them. It would still be 20 pages a day in Village C, just on my floor.”

Gile said that since The Daily Dog is free, student staffers base the development and growth of the paper off student feedback.

The Daily Dog currently staffs four contributing writers and seven columnists. One of the writers is Jeremy Silas (COL ’18), who is re-

sponsible for city and campus news, which falls under a “Georgetown” heading. Silas said he was drawn to The Daily Dog because of his love of news and the simplicity of the paper’s format.

“It’s everything you need to know, within a couple of seconds,” Silas said.

The Daily Dog does not currently receive any university funding or support, and is entirely studentproduced and printed. According to Gile, Student Activities Commission Gile said Chair Patrick Musgrave (COL ’16) reached out to the paper and offered expedited club status and funding, but the Daily Dog turned down this offer.

“We don’t need that right now,” Gile said. “If it ever becomes unsustainable, that we do need funding, an office and club status, then we might go to that.”

According to Musgrave, though, he only offered advice to Gile, and did not offer access to benefits.

“I told him that if he ever wanted to try and get access to benefits, I could provide advice,” Musgrave wrote in an email. “The Daily Dog wouldn’t be under SAC, it would be under the Media Board. … All new organizations must go through the same new club development.”

The distribution team began by taping the paper to announcement boards on each floor of VCW, but transitioned to sliding copies of each edition underneath students’ doors.

After distribution expanded to Harbin and New South, the team began placing copies of The Daily Dog at each freshman dorm’s front desk, instead of putting them under the doors, due to the increased workload.

Gile said that he has heard supportive feedback from the student body, and that their response has contributed to The Daily Dog’s expansion from VCW to the rest of the campus.

“We wouldn’t be this big, and we wouldn’t have grown this much in such a short time, if people didn’t like it,” Gile said. “When we stopped doing under-the-door delivery every day, people started to ask where it went.”

Marco Cull (SFS ‘18) said that he appreciates the creativity and convenience of The Daily Dog. “I think it’s a cool concept,” Cull said. “I think a lot of people don’t read it, but it has plenty of potential for spreading information. It’s convenient, more than anything else.

Unfortunately, I don’t read it often.

But when I have read it, I haven’t regretted it. It’s well-written, relevant

Panel Reflects onJesuit Martyrs Matthew Larson Hoya Staff Writer

A panel moderated by Fr. Matthew Carnes, S.J., discussed issues surrounding violence in El Salvador in an event sponsored by the Office of Campus Ministry in Healy Hall on Thursday evening, as part of a series of programs commemorating the 25th anniversary of the murders of six Jesuits in El Salvador.

The panel included Rev. Ismael Moreno Coto, S.J., a human rights activist in Honduras, National Advocacy Office of the U.S. Jesuit Conference Policy Director Shaina Aberand and Georgetown Global Politics and Security Chair Mark Lagon.

DANIEL SMITH/THE HOYA

A panel discussed the martyrdom of six Jesuits.

The panelists referred to the deaths of the Salvadoran Martyrs to frame their discussion of current violence in El Salvador.

The murders were perpetrated by the El Salvadoran military at the Jesuits’ residence on the campus of the Jose Simeon Cañas Central American University.

“This is a region that is the size of Oregon,” Aber said. “You can imagine how violence and a coup that destabilizes one country can have a profound impact on the other nations as well.”

Aber also discussed the increasing rates of murder and sexual assault in the region, noting that all three countries experienced more than a 200 percent increase in murder rates since 2005. She stressed that children are also major victims of violence. “[There are] vigilante death squads that go into communities that are known to be sites of gang activity and just pick off children because youth are admitted into gangs, youth are thought to be the problem,” Aber said.

Lagon attributed this increase in violence to greater levels of human trafficking and displaced people. He blamed this increased violence on the inaction of the El Salvadoran government towards gangs and the corruption of the local police over the past decade.

“The way in which the poor in many countries are unable to thrive because of their lack of access to justice,” Lagon said.

“They have rights that exist on

paper, laws, or treaties that their countries have ratified, but in truth, people don’t have land rights … and no confidence that law enforcement will protect them.”

Coto, who personally knew the murdered, tied the violence in Honduras today to the brutal massacre 25 years ago.

“Those assassinations 25 years ago stood out because they were irrational and brutal,” Coto said.

“Now, if you look at the violence inside Honduras, it is increasingly brutal and increasingly violent and irrational in a way that is somewhat similar.”

Carnes noted the importance of the discussion and how the situation of violence in El Salvador has not improved in recent years.

“We spoke in a powerful way in underlying questions of justice, of dignity, which arise over and over again,” Carnessaid.

“I’m struck by [how] we began and continued with and ended with destroyed bodies.”

After the panel concluded, a memorial mass was held to commemorate the Salvadoran Martyrs in Dahlgren Chapel.

The rose garden of the chapel was blessed afterwards.

Will Rogers (COL ’18) said that it was important for a serious dialogue to be held on the issue.

“It was insightful. …What [Aber] had to say, was the most acute for me,” Rogers said. “The more you understand about different events in the world, you get a better picture of everything.”

Palestinians Talk Education Ashley Miller Hoya Staff Writer

Students from Birzeit University in the West Bank spoke about violations of the right to education under Israeli occupation in an event sponsored

by Students for Justice in Palestine on Tuesday.

The students visited Georgetown as a stop on their U.S. Right to Education Tour, a two week trip to U.S. college campuses during which they have discussed their experiences as students in the West Bank.

The students emphasized that the conflict between Israel and Palestine affected them due to Israeli occupation.

“It’s not the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, it’s the occupation. They are occupying us, our lands,” Hala Khalil, one of the students on the tour, said.

Ahmad Shwieki, another Birzeit student, said that one major violation of the right to education comes as a result of roadblocks that make it difficult for students to travel to school.

“Israel’s consistent policy is building road blocks, checkpoints, which are almost 600 by the U.N. stats,” Shwieki said.

“So this consistent cutting of Palestine areas also affect Palestine students’ ability to get mobility and to reach their schools and universities.”

According to Shwieki, roadblocks restrict the schools that students can attend, and often make it difficult for particularly promising students to attend the best schools. He also claimed that the long travel times that result from the roadblocks impact students’ ability to spend a full day at school.

“Parents should be allowed to decide what school their kids go to, until the age of 15, by the international law,” Shwieki said. “We see that Palestinians don’t get to choose

JULIE HENNRIKUS/THE HOYA

Palestinian students discussed their experiences of going to college in the Israel-occupied West Bank. their school. They only find it possible to go to the nearby school because they cannot go to further schools.”

The speakers also discussed how the Israeli army’s breakins at the university impact their quality of life.

“Occupation violates Birzeit University by breaking into the university,” Khalil said. “By breaking in, they made the campus empty by 2. Students go home at 2. The campus closes at 4. So we can’t stay on campus after 4. The library closes at 4 o’clock too so we can’t have a social life, we can’t see our friends after 4.”

Shwieki added that Israeli censorship of books permitted in Palestinian schools harms his education.

“We see that Israel controls the kind of books that get in Palestine,” Shwieki said. “Israel does not allow any book from Lebanon, does not allow any book from Syria, almost does not allow any philosophy books in Palestine.As a person who’s interested in philosophy,

I rarely find books in Palestine that talk about philosophy.”

After giving their first hand accounts of experience, the students asked the audience to assist in boycotting Israel.

“Just know that supporting the oppressors is kind of being an oppressor with them,” Shwieki said.

Students for Justice in Palestine Treasurer Matt Martin (COL ’16) noted the large discrepancy between life as a Georgetown student and one at Birzeit.

“Beyond their front gates of their school are checkpoints and armored trucks. Beyond our front gates here is Washington, D.C. and everything it stands for,” Martin said.

Attendee Kathleen Bouzis (GRD ’15) felt that the right to education should be seen as a universal necessity.

“I think just the right to education is universal, no matter what your citizenship is and that no matter what the political situation is, people should have the right to be educated,” Bouzis said.

ISABEL BINAMIRA/THE HOYA

The sculpture garden at the National Gallery of Art will feature an ice-skating rink, set to open this weekend. The rink will stay open through the winter months.

Skating Rinks Open at National Gallery, Waterfront Sarah Smith Hoya Staff Writer

As the weather takes a turn toward the chillier side, the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink on the National Mall and the Washington Harbor Ice Rink in Georgetown will be open to the public starting this weekend.

An annual Washington, D.C., winter tradition, the Sculpture Garden ice rink will give visitors the opportunity to skate while surrounded by sculptures displayed by the National Gallery of Art. The rink, which opens today, will remain on the Mall until March 16.

Since it opened to visitors in 1974, the National Gallery of Art Ice Rink has been a staple of winter in D.C. Though the widely frequented rink has always been on the National Mall, the construction of the Sculpture Garden in 1999 offered an ideal location for the rink each winter.

National Gallery of Art Chief of Press and Public Information Deborah Ziska said that the Sculpture Garden ice rink’s location provides a unique experience for visitors.

“The experience of skating in the Sculpture Garden, surrounded by the grand architecture of national museum and monuments, is enhanced by the splendid views of large-scale sculptures by modern and contemporary artists including Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Roy Lichtenstein, Roxy Paine, Tony Smith and others from the Gallery’s renowned collection,” Ziska wrote in an email.

According to Ziska, the ice rink also features a distinctive scenic backdrop in addition to the sculptures.

“Visitors may enjoy spacious seating and walking areas amid the Native American canopy and flowering trees, shrubs, ground covers and perennials,” Ziska said. “The majestic fountain at the center of the garden gives visitors a chance to rest and reflect on the works on view.”

This year, the gallery’s guest services will offer both skating and ice hockey lessons.

Students can register individually or with a group.

Tickets for the rink are $7 for students, and a season pass that covers unlimited access to the ice rink is $195. In celebration of its opening, visitors to the ice rink on Saturday and Sunday will receive a complimentary cup of hot chocolate from the Pavilion Café at the museum.

This winter, the Georgetown neighborhood will offer its own annual skating rink, set to open this Saturday.

The Washington Harbor Ice Rink at Georgetown is the largest ice-skating venue in D.C. Skating lessons will also be offered, in addition to event planning services for private parties. Though normally tickets are $10, college students will receive a special entry rate, saving $2 off from the original price, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursdays.

Georgetown students praised the two ice rinks as an opportunity to go off campus and partake in the city’s culture.

“That sounds like a fantastic time. It would be great to get off campus for a few hours and just enjoy some of the unique experiences D.C. has to offer. Ice skating is pretty chill — no pun intended — so it is definitely something I would be interested in doing,” Nick Zeffiro (SFS ’18) said.

Kathryn Shortsleeve (NHS ’18) said that the prospect of ice skating helps remind her of winters at home in Massachusetts.

“Ice skating was something I loved to do at home, so it’s awesome that they offer it here in D.C. as a fun winter activity,” she said.

For students like Kris Muzzi (COL ’18) who haven’t mastered the ice, the skating lessons provided by the ice rink are a great opportunity.

“I don’t know how to ice skate, but I know that you can have lessons there, and what better place to get ice skating lessons than the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden?” Muzzi said.

VETERANS DAY ART MEMORIAL

MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA

In honor of Veterans Day, Nevada Schadler (COL ’15) set up an art installment as part of her senior thesis. Students were encouraged to write on the project.

news

Friday, November 14, 2014

COMMENTARY

Making Sense Of Falling Prices sullivan, from A10 a much more cash-strapped position than any of its oilproducing neighbors to the West. Finally, the price slump hits Russia and its consumers at a particularly inopportune moment. Already experiencing a price drop caused by Western sanctions, the falling price of oil could cause a gradual slowdown in its economy. Russian inflation stands at 8 percent, meaning that Russia is at risk for stagflation as growth slows.

With all the talk of how the price change in oil is affecting governments and economies — fairly large and abstract terms — how does the price of oil affect the average Georgetown student?

To begin, anyone with a car on campus will get to keep a few more dollars in his or her wallet at the pump. The savings at the pump are not uniform across the country, so Washington, D.C., may still have a markedly higher average price than, say, New Jersey,

but savings will still be noticeable. Joe Hoya can also expect relatively steady prices on his weekly trip to Safeway. Fuelcost savings mean that food distributors can hold their prices steady or even decrease them, in sharp contrast to the post-crisis era when prices shot up dramatically in correlation with oil prices. Finally, if any Hoyas hold stock in major oil producers or related companies, they will have seen the negative effect of the price drop in their portfolio. Royal Dutch Shell has fallen to $68.89 from a summer high of $83.12, while BP’s shares are trading at $41.18, a drop from their summer high of $53.38 — a roughly 23 percent drop in value.

So, while the expression goes, “A rising tide lifts all ships,” a falling one in this case is a bit more complicated.

Sean Sullivan is a senior in the McDonough School of Business. This is the final appearence of 37th and Wall Streets this semester.

DANIEL SMITH/THE HOYA

Alice + Olivia, located at 3303 M St., opened in Georgetown on Nov. 8. This is the brand’s first D.C. location.

Alice + Olivia Opens on M Street ALICE, from A10 wear options. She said these items appeal to college-aged shoppers stopping by, in addition to their interest in party dresses for more formal events.

Cothran said she thinks Georgetown students will be attracted to the Alice + Olivia style, whether they are searching for more formal wear or wardrobe basics.

“Today’s student is a savvy and grown-up shopper,” Cothran said. “It’s sophisticated, but it also has a youthful tone.”

Elizabeth Borowiec (COL ’17) is a fan of Alice + Olivia, but said she does not regularly shop the brand due to its high price point.

“A $200 blouse, no matter how gorgeous it is, just isn’t quite in my budget,” Borow-

as a team … in a workplace setting which is light and airy and safe,” Kline said. “I have in my head pictures of other factories that I have visited which are so dramatically different and it makes me happy to see that these workers have this type of opportunity. If we can play any role in telling that story that will help give other workers that opportunity, then work is more than worth it.”

The Alta Gracia model has the potential to be truly transformative to the clothing industry.

“If the model is recognized for what it’s showing, it’s going to be hard for industry executives and economists to say that paying a living wage is impossible,” Kline said. “The impact that it has is enormous in changing people’s lives for a very small additional amount of money that isn’t even passed on to the consumer and is offset

by the gains in productivity, worker retention and quality control.”

In the context of Georgetown, Alta Gracia already has a large presence that is increasing with the success of the company. Students have gotten involved in a variety of capacities.

“In August, the New Student Orientation staff ordered 1,800 NSO T-shirts from Alta Gracia to distribute to all first-year students arriving on campus,” Watson wrote.

“The Georgetown community should consider supporting Alta Gracia when shopping in the bookstore or online this holiday season.”

Soule praised the support University President John J. DeGioia has given to the project.

“The university has the ability to express its values through research, and it’s important that our commitment to social justice can be translated into business and research,” Soule said.

A9

Bakery Prepares for Launch David Brown Hoya Staff Writer

Dog Tag Bakery previewed its upcoming grand opening — doors will be officially open in December — with an open house and a special screening of the veteran edition of the popular TV show ABC’s “Shark Tank” last Friday.

The bakery, located just off the intersection of M Street and Wisconsin Avenue on Grace Street, is an entrepreneurial effort focused on education and employment for veterans with disabilities and their spouses. Dog Tag Bakery has partnered with the Georgetown School of Continuing Studies and will offer veterans the opportunity to complete a program that provides both substantive work experience and a Georgetown education. Veterans will work at Dog Tag during the day and take Georgetown courses, focusing on small-business administration and entrepreneurship, at night. “[We’re] proud to work with Dog Tag Bakery,” Blue Star Representative Kathy Roth-Duquet said. “Through self-employment and entrepreneurship, veterans are changing the business world, and we are excited to see what they can accomplish. Working with Dog Tag Bakery lets us serve our top priorities — disabled veterans and military spouses — even more effectively.”

The bakery’s name is derived from a unique donation system in which bakery supporters purchase a dog tag that is engraved and dedicated to a veteran of his or her choosing for $125. Dog Tag Bakery also has more traditional donation methods.

Dog Tag has partnered with Blue Star Families and the Small Business Administration to further its work for veteran support. Blue Star Families connects active duty, National Guard, reserve, wounded and transitioning service members and their families to civilian communities.

“We are the voice for the small business-community, and what Dog Tag Bakery [is doing] is taking that to the next level,” Small Business Administration Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet, said. “There have been 56 months of consecutive job growth in the US, and one out of 10 of those jobs being created is directly related to the entrepreneurial work of veterans. The SBA looks forward to working with Dog Tag Bakery to further improve the entrepreneurial efforts of our vets as they work to better our community.”

The event, which prefaced the upcoming opening — the exact date is yet to be announced — served largely as a

DAVID BROWN/THE HOYA

Top: Dog Tag Bakery hosted networking, speeches and a “Shark Tank” screening. Bottom, from left: Fr. Rick Curry, S.J., Kathy Roth and Maria Catreras. networking opportunity for veterans with entrepreneurial ideas to meet and share their future goals, as well as listen to speeches.

Fr. Rick Curry, S.J., a professor of theology and theater at Georgetown University and the director of the Academy for Veterans, is one of the founders of Dog Tag. “Everyone should make the most of this opportunity. All of you veterans have great business ideas and you may find someone here with a similar idea and the means with which to make your dream come true,” Curry said during a speech at Friday’s event.

Roth-Duquet and Contreras-Sweet also made presentations during the event.

Following the speeches, attendees were invited to watch a special episode of ABC’s “Shark Tank” that showcased four veteran entrepreneurs who presented their ideas to the show’s investors, who make investment decisions to help finance the company in return for some percentage of shareholders’

iec said.

However, Borowiec added that she does invest in the label’s pants, explaining how it is one of the few brands that has a long enough inseam for tall girls. She stops by the store for special occasions or to scout out sales.

“While it doesn’t exactly suit student needs like the upcoming Forever 21 down the street would, most stores on M Street don’t already,” Borowiec said. “But, I do think it could be a great resource for formal dresses if someone wants to invest in a new one for one of the several Georgetown formal events, like [the Diplomatic] Ball.”

To celebrate its arrival, Alice + Olivia is hosting a grandopening party this Saturday, Nov. 15 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., complete with a DJ and other attractions for the public.

Living Wage Model Works GRACIA, from A10

THE HOYA

equity of the company.

The episode was part of the Small Business Administration’s national Veterans Small Business Week and featured a special appearance from first lady Michelle Obama.

Entrepreneur Marion Cain and his wife Parham both attended the event.

Marion, an ex-army veteran, now works with the Department of Defense in order to find jobs for veterans in partnership with the SBA, while Parham created a company that helps veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder to gain skills and re-enter in healthy relationships. The company, Next Mission LLC, is part of the large movement of veterans to help other veterans rejoin the work force.

“As a wife of a veteran, I think this is very important,” Parham said. “Our younger veterans need a job opportunity in a welcoming community that is surrounded by other businesses that are also welcoming them. I think they have a place in our society that is important and growing.”

NATASHA THOMSON/THE HOYA

Andrew Scott Cooper, a specialist in U.S.-Iran relations at the Middle East Institute, spoke about the history of the relationship between the United States and Iran and the two countries’ views of each other in an event Thursday evening.

Specialist Talks US-Iran Relations Giovanna Azevedo Hoya Staff Writer

Andrew Scott Cooper, a specialist in U.S.-Iran relations at the Middle East Institute, spoke about the troubled relationship between the two countries in an event co-sponsored by the Center for Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Studies and the Center for Security Studies Thursday.

Cooper, who has previously worked in the United Nations and the Human Rights Watch and is currently a columnist for PBS/Frontline’s Tehran Bureau, discussed the role of the United States in the Iranian revolution.

“The revolution might be over inside the country,” Cooper said. “But as far as historians are concerned, the revolution has just started. We have now 35 years out of the revolution, Carter administration documents have just started to come out in the last 12 months and this is going to be a very rich time for people such as myself, who are wanting to go back and look at the U.S response inside Iran and how this affected repercussions and relations today.”

In terms of Iranian sentiment toward the United States, Cooper reminded the audience about the events which occurred during World War II. “When we talk about the U.S. and

Iran going to war, it is important to keep in mind that the U.S. invaded Iran and occupied it in 1943,” Cooper said.

“Given that they have done that, the Iranians will say that they sent tanks during World War II, together with the British and the Russians. People haven’t forgotten that, they have memories of the occupation by the great powers.”

Cooper also talked about his specific perspective as a historian who researches topics that are most commonly debated by political scientists.

“Why am I here? Why am I not a political scientist? We historians have, I think, a really important role because we are neutral, we are coming at this from decades down the line, we are going back, we are trying to perform a critical evaluation of any surviving principles,” Cooper said. “What I try to do is build a picture of what is going and it is a very exciting frontier of research for to me involved, looking at this poisoned relationship, as I’ve defined it myself.”

Cooper said that U.S. citizens should look at Iran now with a more modern point view instead of being caught up on past events.

“When I read The Washington Post, The New York Times, I’m so discouraged,” Cooper said. “I’m so discouraged to see that people are still living in the world of 1979. This needs to change and

I hope that I’m one of the new generations of younger scholars that will help make that change happen.”

Madeline Westrick (SFS ’18) said she was was intrigued by Cooper’s perspective on so many pivotal details that shaped U.S.-Iran relations into what they are today.

“I think that the talk given by Dr. Cooper really stands out from everything that I have ever read before on Iran. I really appreciated how he did not focus on the issue of nuclear weapons, which I feel is always the main focus when it comes to Iran,” Westrick said. “”His focus on historical facts gave me a much more indepth understanding of how things came to what they are. It was very interesting to see a talk by a historian instead of the usual political scientist. I think that was very refreshing.”

Marcela Gelhoren (MSB ’18) said she was also captivated by the talk because of her interest in international politics.

“Cooper’s historical background taught me a lot about Iran and made me greatly appreciate the importance of looking at the past in order to understand the present and even prospects for the future,” Gelhoren said.“I really liked how he emphasized areas which scholars usually choose not to, but which are extremely important in order to understand the full picture.”

BUSINESS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2014

BUSINESS BITS

FUTURE OF BUSINESS EDUCATION

McDonough School of Business Dean David Thomas, along with the deans of the American, Howard, George Washington, George Mason and University of Maryland College Park business schools, discussed the future of business education within the D.C. metropolitan area at a panel hosted by the Greater Washington Board of Trade in October. The deans discussed how the area attracts students interested in business and how this trend will continue in the near future. Dean Thomas specifically noted the desire for students to find purpose in their careers and that this can be achieved with the meaningful interactions between businesses and governments in the area.

COURTESY JOHN KLINE

MBA PROGRAM CLIMBS RANKINGS Jumping from the 30th to the 24th position in the Bloomberg Businessweek ranking of top full-time MBA programs, the MSB advanced six positions since 2012, the last time the ranking was published. The ranking considers student satisfaction, employer feedback and intellectual capacity of faculty. Student satisfaction and employer feedback were the driving forces behind the rise in rank, satisfaction moving from 27th to 16th and feedback from 35th to 29th.

MBA MILITARY ASSOCIATION HONORS VETERANS

The McDonough Military Association (MNA) travelled to Arlington Cemetery to lay a wreath at one of the graves of an alumni veteran. The MNA honored Major General John Liu Fugh, (SFS ’57), for the ceremony. Planned by MNA members Brendon Baker (GRD ’15) and Ryan Ordway (GRD ’16) and MNA copresident James Zakar (GRD ’15), the three students delivered thoughtful remarks to a group of 14 MBA students and MBA Career Center Associate Director Lawrence Verbiest to honor the legacy of the alumni.

2014 ROCKET PITCH

Next Thursday, teams from across Georgetown will present two minute elevator speeches before a panel of judges. Four winning teams, based off of judge’s score and audience reaction, will split $2500 in prizes. A networking session will follow, and the teams and audience members can network with top entrepreneurs.

COURTESY JOHN KLINE

COURTESY ED SOULE

Alta Gracia workers stand outside their factory in the Dominican Republic. John Kline (top), a professor in the School of Foreign Service, and Ed Soule, an associate professor in the McDonough School of Business, announced that Alta Gracia broke even on profits this September.

Business Promotes Living Wage Model CHARLOTTE ALLEN Hoya Staff Writer

Founded in 2010, Alta Gracia now produces apparel for over 800 university bookstores, including Georgetown’s. Praised for its workers’ rights-focused model, this Dominican Republic-based clothing factory is the only one in the developing world that pays employees a living wage equivalent to more than three times the minimum wage, placing a large emphasis on premium working conditions and the health, general happiness and well-being of its workers.

John Kline, professor of international business diplomacy in the School of Foreign Service and Ed Soule, associate professor in the McDonough School of Business, both served on the University’s Licensing Oversight Committee that supported the company from the beginning.

The group has tracked its progress through independent research with funding provided by Georgetown, producing three separate reports over the past four-and-a-half years.

“The LOC advises university leaders on labor rights issues related to Georgetown’s trademark licensing program, which includes apparel

licensees like Alta Gracia,” Cal Watson, director of Business Policy and Planning in the Office of Public Affairs, wrote in an email.

In the most recent report, released September 2014, Kline and Soule announced that Alta Gracia broke even on profit margins this year and will be ready to turn a profit next year, a revolutionary accomplishment for a young company with such an unusual business model.

According to Kline, the September report presented three interrelated stories. The first was the impact Alta Gracia has had on people’s lives, which included individual summaries of 12 to 14 individual workers. The second was how reaching profitability illustrated the viability of their business model and finally, the failure of the current system of monitoring codes.

In Kline’s initial involvement, the business faced a large amount of criticism about whether a business model built around the idea of a living wage could be feasible.

“People were saying it was an impossible task. Sitting on the licensing committee, I learned more about the failure of the current system and this offered a different approach,” Kline said. “I wanted to see

37TH AND WALL STREETS

Oil Prices Depict Global Fiscal Trends A

t the time of this column’s writ- tries that are not as large or do not ing, the price of a barrel of Brent have as much stability and cannot suscrude oil — the international tain falling prices, like Iraq and Russia. benchmark for the commodity’s glob- Other winners include the average al price — stands at $79.74. This price consumer in the developed world. As point is down from a high of approxi- oil prices drop, transport costs, agriculmately $127 in 2011. Common intu- tural costs and building costs all drop ition would suggest that lower prices as well, meaning there is a clear effect on the prices consumwould be a universal ers pay. On the whole, benefit, but the reality in addition to any indusof the price drop is more try that uses fossil fuels, complex. There are some most oil importers stand clear winners and losers, to gain. For example, Chiso let’s start with those. na is estimated to save The global economy, $2.1 billion for every $1 taken in aggregate, is drop in the price of oil. the clearest winner. The India, too, is positioned Economist estimates Sean Sullivan to receive significant benthat about a 10 percent efits from the price drop. change in oil price leads to a correspondingly in- The global economy, Oil is the largest Indian import, but its exports verse 0.2 percent change in world GDP. The savings taken in aggregate, is are diversified to such an effect functions slightly the clearest winner. extent that its economy will be largely insulated differently depending on whether the fall in price is due to sup- from a price drop. The government ply or demand, but this slump is due to will be able to reduce expenditures on both, and thus will benefit the global subsidies for farming and energy, thus liberalizing the market for those two economy.

The proliferation of energy efficient industries.

In terms of losers, there are quite a vehicles, equipment, and building and farming practices has reduced the de- few — with the potential for even more. veloped world’s usage of fossil fuels. First, there are the obvious losers: the Concurrently, increasing oil produc- oil producing countries that have mistion in the United States coupled with managed their historical revenue. VenSaudi Arabia’s recent announcement ezuela holds a significant amount of that it will not reduce production debt, and in order to maintain a budget means that there is a relative glut. surplus and stay solvent, they need to While it may not make much sense maintain an oil price of at least $120, in the short term for Saudi Arabia to according to a Deutsche Bank estimate. keep producing in the face of falling Iran, in a similar position, is even more prices, it’s actually a particularly stra- exposed to oil market risk because of tegic long-term game. As the world’s the political sanctions levied against it biggest oil producer with strong cur- by Western nations. Without access to rency and commodity reserves from reliable capital markets to buy governyears of saving, it can afford this dip ment or private debt, it finds itself in and by pushing it further, can attempt See SULLIVAN, A9 to take market share from other coun-

what the impact was on people and whether it could be profitable.”

To produce their reports, Kline and Soule made almost 10 trips down to the factory in order to speak with workers and assess conditions and levels of productivity.

“By being involved in this from day one, we have been able to dispel some of the myths,” Soule said. “We can say that just like in every other business that we know of, when you treat people humanely and when you compensate them fairly, they are more productive.”

Joe Bozich, the current CEO of Knights Apparel, Alta Gracia’s parent company, expressed gratitude towards the work done by Kline and Soule.

“I think it is incredible that they have invested so much of their time and effort to report on the factual aspects of the AG initiative,” Bozich wrote in an email. “It is the real stories they reported on regarding the real life-changing positive impact this initiative has had on the employees and their families and the AG community.”

Kline, Soule, Bozich and Watson all expressed confidence about the future of Alta Gracia and its potential to develop and expand.

“I see it continuing to grow outside the college bookstore industry into traditional retail and other brands and properties,” Bozich wrote. “The NHL has recently licensed AG to manufacture and supply AG NHL apparel.”

While permanent change across the industry is still far away, Soule hopes Alta Gracia’s example will have profound impacts.

“It’s going to take more scale and demonstrable profits for real change to happen, but in the mean time, it’s a great story and example to counter public debate about status quo in the apparel supply chains,” Soule said.

The effect that Alta Gracia has had on the lives of workers extends far beyond the factory itself. The results of the most recent report serve to discredit myths about the clothing industry, including how factories must pay a low wage to be profitable, how effective systems are already in place and how high labor costs increase consumer cost.

“It’s walking into the factory itself, seeing the atmosphere with the music playing and the people smiling at their work and working See GRACIA, A9

Luxury Chain Opens Its Doors KRISTEN FEDOR Hoya Staff Writer

The luxury women’s retailer Alice + Olivia opened in Georgetown this week as the newest addition to downtown’s bustling shopping scene. Located on M Street, the 2,400-square-foot boutique replaces the closed Qdoba.

Since its 2002 debut at Barneys New York, Alice + Olivia evolved into a worldwide name in the fashion industry with everything from ready-to-wear basics to elegant gowns. Under CEO and Creative Director Stacy Bendet, Alice + Olivia offers a wide range of apparel, shoes and handbags for women.

The Georgetown location is the label’s 15th boutique nationwide and the first in Washington, D.C. Other Alice + Olivia boutiques can be found in New York, California, Greenwich and Chicago. Additionally, two seasonal pop-up shops in East Hampton and Southampton, N.Y. are open during the summer months.

The majority of the brand’s exposure, however, comes from its prominence in department stores across the globe, including Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Georgetown store manager Ashley Jolliffe said Bendet is selective when choosing where to open boutiques in order to maintain a sense of exclusivity. Joliffe added that Georgetown fits that mold due to strong customer demand in the area. In the final days before opening last Saturday, Jolliffe said numerous interested shoppers tried to come in, expressing their excitement for the arrival of Alice + Olivia.

“They know the brand. They’re so familiar with it, and they’re just happy we’re in their backyard now, and not in depart-

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DANIEL SMITH/THE HOYA

Alice + Olivia, an upscale retail chain, recently opened in Georgetown. The store is located in Qdoba’s former space. ment stores only,” Joliffe said.

Jolliffe said the store reflects Bendet’s personal style, which she described as fun and with flair. She said this elevates the existing shopping community.

Other nearby high-end women’s brands include Calypso St. Barth and Intermix.

“Alice + Olivia will make [M Street] more of a destination,” Jolliffe said. “People are going to want to come here, where they can get all of Alice + Olivia’s product and work with us, her hand-picked stylists. We’ll just help bring that fabulous customer into D.C. and help expand their wardrobe.”

Georgetown Business Improvement District Communications Director Rachel Cothran echoed

Jolliffe, adding that Alice + Olivia fits in with the feel of the Georgetown community.

“People go to the White House, the monuments and the museums, but when they shop, they come to Georgetown,” Cothran said.

Currently, Alice + Olivia is most well-known for its selection of dresses, from casual sundresses to party frocks and black-tie gowns. However, the brand originated with Bendet’s designs for pants, which is still reflected in the boutique’s merchandise.

Jolliffe pointed to the selection of layering sweaters and new suede leggings as some of the line’s most popular ready-toSee ALICE, A9