The Hoya: September 12, 2014

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

Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 96, No. 5, © 2014

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

NEW PERSPECTIVES

International students share their views on their home countries’ news.

COMMENTARY Georgetown should do more to mark the anniversary of 9/11.

GUIDE, B1

Alumni Association Fixture Dies at 65 Kshithij Shrinath Hoya Staff Writer

John Christopher Courtin (CAS ’70, LAW ’78), a 2014 recipient of the John Carroll Award and former executive director of the Georgetown University Alumni Association, died after a prolonged illness at the age of 65 on June 29.

Born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y., where he went to Canisius High School, Courtin graduated Georgetown with a degree in psychology.

After graduation, he worked in the university’s Office of Admissions and coached the men’s lightweight crew team. While working at the university, Courtin began attending law classes at the Georgetown University Law Center at night, earning his J.D. in 1978. Courtin later served as an adjunct professor at the Law Center.

Courtin met his wife, Sharon (NHS ’74), while at Georgetown, and the two were married in 1974.

After briefly moving back to Buffalo, Courtin returned to Georgetown in 1984 and worked as the executive director of the Alumni Association, a position he held until 1990. Under his guidance, the association constructed the Reed Alumni Residence at the corner of 36th and O streets, across from the Wagner Alumni House, to serve as a meeting place for alumni.

“When John conceived of and led the charge to build the Alumni House at 3601 O St. in Georgetown, it was only partly about the house. It was really about so much more — it was about the community of Georgetown, it was about building a place to celebrate all those former students who had benefitted from this great inquiry into faith and reason,” Paul Stebbins (CAS ’79) said in his eulogy at Courtin’s memorial service.

Stebbins recounted his first meeting with Courtin when Courtin conducted his admissions interview for Georgetown. Stebbins was a 17-year-old high school student at the time, and Courtin was 25. Stebbins described how Courtin managed to immediately put his nerves at ease and even invited him to dinner at the Tombs. Courtin later told him that he had fought for his acceptance into Georgetown; he called him a “non-traditionally credentialed candidate.”

“John had taught me a life-long lesson and I have built an entire global company by looking for and hiring ‘non-traditionally credentialed candidates,’” Stebbins said in the eulogy.

OPINION, A3

NORTHEAST TRIANGLE This week’s re-piping sets the stage for the beginning of construction.

MEN’S SOCCER Two late VCU goals sink the No. 9 Hoyas at home.

NEWS, A4

SPORTS, B10

GU Drops to 21 in Rankings Best for veterans; average socioeconomic accessibility ranking Laura Owsiany Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown fell out of U.S. News and World Report’s annual top 20 university rankings, released Tuesday, and was also named the best university for veterans. Georgetown also placed 46th among the 90 schools ranked in The New York Times’ first ever socioeconomic college-ranking poll, released Monday.

JOHN COURTIN MEMORIES TUMBLR

John Courtin (CAS ’70, LAW ’78) Courtin and his family moved back to Buffalo in 1990, where he worked at a law firm until 1998, leaving to become the executive director of the Martin House Restoration Corporation. Allison Courtin, his older daughter, said that even after leaving Washington, her father maintained his connection with the Hilltop.

“He stayed involved with the crew team, he stayed involved with the admissions office. I remember we were constantly having prospective students over to the house for interviews. He was always talking to people about going to Georgetown,” Allison said.

She described her father as having an active mind, constantly reading books. Although not formally educated in architecture, he loved studying design, which played into his work later in his life.

“He would read anything and everything that crossed his path. He was a very active person. He never liked to sit around. He was always outside, doing something, going for a run, going hiking. He was just kind of a curious person. He always wanted to know more,” Allison said.

Courtin was integral in starting the restoration of the Martin House Complex, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Buffalo, to its original state from 1907; the project is now in its final phase. Additionally, he spearheaded a project to build an unbuilt rowing boathouse, designed by Wright in 1905. The boathouse was finished in 2007, and it is located on the Buffalo waterfront See COURTIN, A6

U.S. News and World Report The popular U.S. News and World Report National University ranking placed Georgetown at 21, tied with Emory University, one place lower than last year’s ranking of 20, also tied with Emory. Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Charles Deacon said he was unconcerned.

“Whatever tiny decimal point might have separated [the 20th school] out, we’re essentially all in the same place as we were before and I don’t think it has any significant difference,” he said.

University Director of Media Relations Rachel Pugh agreed, adding that she did not anticipate any change in donations to Georgetown now that the university is no longer in the top 20.

“I am not aware of this being an issue. We are pleased to be recognized with strong ratings across all categories,” she wrote in an email.

Georgetown has never fallen below 23 or risen above 17 in the U.S. News rankings.

“You shouldn’t really change very much at all, unless they change the metrics,” Deacon said. “And unless they reduce the impact of dollars, of endowment per student, faculty endowment in the ranking, we’re never going to rank much higher than 20, unless we suddenly raise

Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown will host the IgnatianQ Conference, a national conference that explores LGBTQ issues in the context of Jesuit values, in March, after GU Pride received approval to host the event from the Office of Mission and Ministry and the Office of Student Affairs this week.

The inaugural conference was held at Fordham University last April and attracted about 120 LGBTQ students from a quarter of all Jesuit universities across the country, including Georgetown, the University of San Francisco and the University of Seattle. GU Pride President Thomas Lloyd (SFS ’15) said that he expects to nearly double the number of attendees this year.

“We really need to network because there’s a huge disparity in how LGBTQ students are treated in each of their universities,” Lloyd said. “And it’s not necessarily about changing the policies of those universities, but this weekend itself will provide an outlet for students who don’t have access to the number of resources that we have access to.”

After attending the conference

See RANKINGS, A6

Ashley Miller Hoya Staff Writer

reach.

“Moving forward, what we’re going to do is establish a national advisory committee for the conference, pulling from student leaders at each of the schools who attend the conference this year,” Lloyd said. “Whereas last year, it was Fordham-directed, part of bringing the conference to Georgetown is making it more sustainable and raising its national profile.”

At Fordham, the conference was entirely student-run. According to Lloyd, funding for Fordham’s conference came primarily from academic departments, rather than from the university’s Student Affairs. “[IgnatianQ] was wonderfully organized by Fordham students and was well-attended by our own students and by those from other Jesuit colleges and universities across the country,” Fordham’s Vice President for Mission and Ministry Msgr. Joseph Quinn wrote in an email. “We all saw it as a graced opportunity to evidence Fordham’s active commitment to creating and sustaining a campus environment that is truly open to and welcoming of LGBT students and their allies.”

O’Donovan’s Hall limited its lowest and least expensive meal plan options this year, among other dining changes including adding two new meal plans, barring freshmen from purchasing the 10-meal-a-week plan and altering how Flex dollars can be used on campus.

The two new meal plans include a default 18-meal-per-week plan that comes with 220 Flex dollars and a 60-meal block plan that includes 60 Flex dollars. These plans replaced the 24-mealper-week plan and 45-meal block plan, respectively.

The 45-meal block plan, previously the lowest option for a semester-based meal plan, used to cost $641. The 60meal block plan, now the lowest offering, costs $885 per semester.

The limited 10-meal-per-week plan costs $1,958 per semester. The closest option available to freshmen is the 14meal plan, which costs $2,238.

Marketing Manager of Aramark at Georgetown University Adam Solloway said the decision to limit the 10-meala-week plan to sophomores and upperclassmen was based on nutritional concerns for freshmen who had opted for the lower plan. Freshmen and sophomores who live in dormitories are required to purchase meal plans for Leo’s.

“Our nutritionist recommends firstyear students to go no lower than 14 meals per week so they’re receiving well-balanced meals throughout the week while they transition into their new college lifestyle,” Solloway wrote in an email.

Solloway said that the university receives many concerns from freshman students’ parents about their children’s nutrition.

“Parents have told us that they don’t want their child to worry about not having the nutrition they need. College is a transition. Our goal is to provide a program so neither parents nor students have to worry about nutrition, and can focus on education. The 10-meal plan provides less than 50 percent of the meals for a week for students,” Solloway wrote.

Solloway also said Leo’s is limiting the meal plan to help freshmen transition to college socially.

“The first year is very important for

See CONFERENCE, A6

See PLANS, A6

DANIEL SMITH/THE HOYA

College Republicans and College Democrats lined campus walkways with American flags in honor of the 13th anniversary of 9/11.

last spring, Lloyd spoke with LG- March, the theme will be “Forming BTQ Resource Center Director Contemplative Communities to IgShiva Subbaraman and Vice Presi- nite Action.”

“The joke is that, at Fordham, dent for Mission and Ministry Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., about bringing they were looking for God. At IgnatianQ to Georgetown, and both Georgetown, we found God. He’s administrators expressed their sup- here. Now, it’s about what we do port. According to Lloyd, GU Pride next and how we go forward. And faced no pushback from the uni- it’s drawing upon Georgetown’s versity, and O’Brien and Vice Presi- rich history of student activism and programming dent for Student around LGBTQ isAffairs Todd Olsues,” Lloyd said. son offered their Fr. Gregory blessings.

Schenden, S.J., “[Fr. O’Brien] a Catholic chapIprovided some lain at Georgeguidance about town who has what Campus worked with GU Ministry would Pride in organizlike us to address ing IgnatianQ, in the conferTHOMAS LLOYD (sfs ’15) said that the ence, which he GU Pride President conference will identified as the notions of faith and justice, and in- reflect Jesuit values.

“The purpose of this student-led terreligious understanding, which Georgetown does particularly conference is to help students from Jesuit universities grow in their well,” Lloyd said.

A board of Fordham students faith and appreciate their worth selected the bidding committee to as human beings. These values are choose the next university to host central to the Jesuit commitment the conference. The committee se- to cura personalis — care for each person in their uniqueness,” Schenlected Georgetown in July.

Last spring’s conference theme den wrote in an email.

Lloyd said that one of his goals was “Finding God in the LGBTQ Jesuit Campus Community.” Next for the conference is to expand its

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

Number One for Veterans Georgetown’s U.S. News top rank among the Best National Universities for Veterans comes after a comprehensive university push to increase resources for veterans.

To qualify to be ranked, the university must be certified by the G.I. Bill and registered with the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Jack Schumacher (MSB ’15), a vet-

Meal Plan Options Limited

NEVER FORGET

University to Host Jesuit LGBTQ Conference Molly Simio

lots and lots of money.”

“It’s drawing upon our rich history of student activism around LGBTQ issues.”

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OPINION

THE HOYA

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

C Founded January 14, 1920

EDITORIALS

More Than a Ranking Georgetown fell a spot outside the top 20 in this year’s U.S. News and World Report college rankings, but another set of rankings released this week put the university far outside its top schools.

The New York Times released a list ranking colleges by their accessibility to a socioeconomically diverse population. Georgetown fell 46th in the College Access Index, which the Times calculated using the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants, the net price of attendance and the endowment per student for each college. By this metric, Georgetown performed worse than most Ivy League universities, but better than all the Catholic universities that the Times assessed.

The most prudent angle in considering this assessment of the Hilltop is to understand how we measured up against what we often consider to be our peer institutions, and what can be done to achieve a more diverse campus.

First, it is impossible to achieve a true comparison with many of the other listed schools without considering the qualifying parameter of endowment per student, which often enables institutions of higher education to fund scholarships that improve accessibility to those who cannot afford a full tuition bill. Georgetown has a shockingly low ratio in this respect, at $80,000 per student, which is as much as 20 times less than the most competitive Northeastern schools, like Yale and Harvard.

Another influential factor taken into account for the Times’ list was the percentage of stu-

dents receiving federal Pell Grants. In this criterion, Georgetown sits at a remarkably average 14 percent, squarely between the most impressive schools — like Susquehanna University — where 25 percent of students receive Pell Grants, and Washington University in St. Louis, where 6 percent receive them.

Because Pell Grants are typically given to students with lower-class to middle-class socioeconomic backgrounds who graduate from public high schools or GED programs, this metric might be seen as a reliable indicator of a university’s ambition to attract and retain students from diverse socioeconomic environments. But, as Dean of Admissions Charles Deacon pointed out, only a small percentage of those Pell-eligible students meet Georgetown’s admissions standards. As such, only a small share of applicants fall into both categories and can receive Pell Grants once at Georgetown.

These rankings present an important counterperspective on the U.S. News and World Report rankings that send colleges into a tizzy every year.

As Georgetown works to do more with its relatively small endowment — but certainly with more resources than many of the institutions on The New York Times’ list — these rankings can help administrators and admissions officers make sure socioeconomic diversity is among the types of diversity they are seeking when building each freshman class.

C C C C

THE VERDICT Impeding Access — In the wake of police overreach in Ferguson, Mo., D.C. Metropolitan Police officers prevented a Washington Post employee from filming an arrest, which D.C.’s police chief acknowledged was a breach of conduct.

Granted “Gilmore Girls” — All seven seasons of Gilmore Girls will be available on Netflix beginning Oct. 1.

Defending “Gilmore Girls” — Several online platforms including Netflix, WordPress, Tumblr and Etsy displayed artificially lengthened loading speeds Sept. 1 to protest impending laws that would endanger net neutrality, which allows consumers to stream shows like Gilmore Girls at fast broadband speeds and affordable prices.

An Inelegant Pose — An Arlington, Va. yoga studio chose to commemorate the 13th anniversary with its less-than-graceful “9+11 = 20% OFF! PATRIOT DAY SALE on Bikram yoga” tweet.

Left Behind — A recent class action lawsuit alleges that the District’s emergency plans fail to adequately serve disabled citizens.

A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD US ... @LiveSafeApp

Sept. 10 Great article about our partnership with @ Georgetown in @TheHoya: ow.ly/Bippn Be sure to get the app! @gtowndps #HoyaSaxa @allie_vandine

Sept. 9 Great piece by @TimJRJR in @thehoya --superb advice!

EDITORIAL CARTOON by Michelle Xu

Protection in Policy and Person Starting this fall, Georgetown’s Code of Student Conduct clearly defines punishments for cyberbullying and online harassment. After extensive changes, the code clearly defines harassment, hazing and bullying to include “physical, electronic or verbal” acts that “can be reasonably expected to inflict fear, to intimidate, to incite violence or to force someone to do something against his/her will or self-interest.”

These policies are certainly an excellent step that will hopefully deter episodes like the one last spring in which a student received a death threat via the anonymous Georgetown Confessions Facebook page. At the time, Georgetown could offer only protection against the death threat, but the school had neither the administrative nor investigative tools to punish the person who sent it or the Facebook page administrator who posted it.

Georgetown was vulnerable to this form of hate speech, and it seemed there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Late last semester, this editorial board called for changes that would make the university’s posi-

tion on cyberbullying clear, and that is something that has certainly been accomplished by these recent amendments. Admittedly, however, university disciplinary procedures interfering in student social media is dangerous territory and a step that both students and the Office of Student Conduct would be right to be wary of.

In order to prevent progression of university cyberbullying policy that could cross the line into undue monitoring of students’ online presence, students should carefully consider social media posts and their effects on the community at large.

School policies can deter bigoted, threatening and offensive posts only to a certain extent. At some point, the burden lies with students to remain responsible and respectful online.

It is promising that these code of conduct policies meant to protect and benefit students have been improved. As long as these changes are treated as a work in progress and revised when a path to navigating the faceless issue of cyberbullying becomes clearer, the policy change represents a step forward.

A Textbook Definition of Greed Given the outrageous — and rising — costs of textbooks, it would be reasonable to assume that universities across the country are making a concerted effort to work in students’ best interests and keep prices down.

Sadly, this assumption would be wrong.

Universities, in fact, generally have exclusivity contracts with companies like Barnes & Noble and — in Georgetown’s case — Follett that guarantee campus bookstores a monopoly on the oncampus textbook market. These longstanding deals prevent competitors from operating within a certain radius of campus grounds, and, until recently, have prevented students from the benefits of a competitive market.

Enter online venues like Chegg and Amazon to afford students a fighting chance. The merits of these companies need not be expounded upon, but the danger they are in, on the other hand, is certainly of note.

Beginning to take note of their diminishing monopoly, campus bookstores and their corporate overlords have started to contest the legality

of advertisements from companies such as Chegg and Amazon on campuses.

This is particularly troubling for Chegg, which sends promotional buses in the vicinity of campus to advertise itself as an alternative to the campus bookstore. Universities’ challenges to these advertisements, the Chronicle of Higher Education reports, take the form of cease-and-desist letters and mandate that Chegg cover its logo with masking tape. While the Chegg bus has yet to make its way to Georgetown, universities such as Southern Connecticut State University have already sided with bookstores by issuing cease-anddesist orders to anyone advertising for Chegg on campus.

As textbook prices keep rising, however, rather than joining the universities that have fought Chegg’s presence on their campuses, Georgetown should look to lower the costs of textbooks for its own courses and support students who seek an alternative to bookstore prices. If Chegg comes near Georgetown’s front gates, we hope there will be no masking tape in sight.

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 Kit Clemente 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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Fighting Leo’s Tyranny To the Editor: The recent restriction of weekly plans to one swipe per meal period is an affront to student life, an abuse of power and should be reversed immediately.

Before I get too riled up, I must admit that, as a junior, I am happy with my 75-block plan. I consider it an efficient and economic complement to my cooking at home.

However, I see this change in Leo’s as detrimental to something I hold dear: club bonding.

A common practice among clubs is for underclassmen with excess meals — a side effect of extortive meal plans — to swipe in upperclassmen, who wisely lack such plans.

The mentorship I received around the dinner table has been critical in my development as a Hoya.

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

Senior Accounts Manager National Accounts Manager Alumni Relations Manager Special Events Manager Institutional Diversity Manager Local Advertisements Manager National Advertisements Manager Systems Manager

Editorial Board

Consultants

David Chardack, Chair

Nick DeLessio, Kevin Tian, Christina Wing

Celeste Chisholm, Kit Clemente, Ben Germano, Johnny Verhovek

As a result of the exploitation of the new one-swipe policy, I must make three requests: 1) To my fellow students, please remember that Suru, Anna and the other swipers are not the bad guys.

They deserve our courtesy.

2) To the Leo’s management, the contractual protection afforded to you is an enormous privilege in the hyper-competitive food service industry. Please stop abusing that privilege.

3) To the campus administration, please look into alternatives.

If I may speak on behalf of freshmen and sophomores: Give me liberty, or give me a meal plan that’s worth it.

Chris Rom COL ’16

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.

Corrections & Clarifications If you have a comment or question about the fairness or accuracy of a story, contact Executive Editor Mallika Sen at (310) 918-6116 or email executive@ thehoya.com.

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OPINION

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Students F Deserve DC Voice W

TREVOR TEZEL and OMIKA JIKARIA are seniors in the School of Foreign Service. They are president and vice president of the Georgetown University Student Association.

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VIEWPOINT • Clemente

VIEWPOINT • Tezel and Jikaria

e students often forget the strong influence we have on local politics and on the community beyond the campus gates.

In just under 50 days, Washington, D.C. residents — including many Georgetown students — will go to the polls to elect the District of Columbia’s next mayor. And while the next mayor will have a long list of important priorities, one important initiative we hope to see implemented is a Mayor’s Task Force on Students in Higher Education.

The task force, originally proposed more than a year and a half ago by Rory Slatko, an American University student, was nearly implemented by the administration of outgoing D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray (D).

The task force would have been composed of student representatives from different universities across the District and was to be responsible for identifying issues facing students in Washington, potential policy solutions and a long-term mechanism for dialogue between students and the city.

While we were encouraged to see a focus on the development of a relationship with university students by the mayor’s office, after 15 months of hard work, the initiative was shut down with no explanation. With the impending election of a new mayor, we are presented with another opportunity to revive this important initiative.

Students and the city need to work together to build this connection. A direct line of communication to the mayor’s office only makes sense. D.C is home to more than 85,000 student residents. Although the student presence in District politics continues to grow through representation on Advisory Neighborhood Commissions and activism on issues likes D.C. statehood, this task force is crucial to a strong, working relationship between the city and its university students — both at Georgetown and at other universities across the city.

We face unique problems as students, and those challenges require an innovative partnership between our community and the city. Last year, students created the Georgetown Student Tenant Association, the first of its kind in the District, to help protect the rights of students living off campus.

It’s not just Georgetown University that is being impacted by decisions made in the local political sphere. Students from every university in the District are impacted by unnecessarily adversarial campus planning processes, Advisory Neighborhood Commission redistricting, noise ordinances and other policy concerns.

By failing to enact this task force, the city is diluting its own responsiveness to so many important issues. Why should its liaisons and staff have multiple conversations with student leaders across the District when they could be partaking in a single, coordinated discussion? A single task force on D.C. student issues is the most effective way to enhance our relationship with the city and ensure that our voices are being heard.

For some reason, students are and always have been a flash point in D.C. politics. We’re told we aren’t invested in our communities; yet when we try to be, we’re told that we don’t have a stake.

We’re told that we can’t partake because we “don’t vote here” and we “don’t pay taxes here.”

However, the fact of the matter is that D.C. students are an integral part of the Washington, D.C. community. We live here, contribute to the economy and give back to the community in so many ways. We love living in the District, and many of us choose to stay long after our college years.

We encourage the next mayor to implement this Task Force on Higher Education. We aren’t asking to be the city’s priority. We’re asking for a forum to speak to one another, an effective way to communicate directly with the mayor’s office and the ability to improve our neighborhoods and communities.

THE HOYA

Bringing Our Attention Back to 9/11

or students and faculty members alike, every day of September seems to get harder as school gains momentum and the first real assignments are doled out.

But for me, no day is harder than Sept. 11.

Having grown up in southwestern Connecticut, I knew many of those loved and lost in the attacks on that day in 2001, and I know the families and friends that survive them.

Every year when I wake up on 9/11, I can only somberly think of my friends’ parents, friends and other brave souls who died in such a gruesome, detestable act of terrorism.

Each year I also make what I know to be the worst phone call — the call to my best friend who lost her father on 9/11. When I pick up my phone to call her and hear her voice on the other line — thick with sorrow and the unbearable weight that comes with accepting and living with the aftermath of this tragedy —I know there is nothing I can possibly communicate to help.

Instead, every year, I pretend to be brave, despite the fact that I’m often choking back tears, to tell her that I love her very much and that I’m thinking of her that day.

Last 9/11, the first one I spent here at Georgetown, I couldn’t help but feel absent as my mind solemnly contemplated and remembered the events of that day and its effects, among the hustle and bustle of what seemed like just another average day on a busy college campus. But the fact of the matter is, it wasn’t just another day.

Both last year and this year, I cannot help but feel there is no room to properly function on this anniversary without devoting recognition to the attacks. I know the university observes Sept. 11 in certain ways — both last year and this year,

In the future, I hope Georgetown will find a way to more fully and substantively recognize 9/11. students planted American flags on the front lawn and held a mass in remembrance — but I cannot help but feel this is insufficient.

I understand that, with the goal of moving forward, some find it counterintuitive to dedicate the whole day to reflecting on what has happened, but something more has to occur.

I don’t want to walk through cam-

pus hearing the same complaints about homework, getting no sleep and an overload of extracurriculars.

I don’t want to attend class and feel that, even though the material being taught is important, no real substantive discussion is going on that day.

I want to hear support; I want to hear discussion; I want to hear

HOYA HISTORIAN

something that makes me feel I’m not alone in remembering those loved and lost; and I want to do so vocally by hearing the experiences of others.

Just like that phone call, I know conversations cannot suddenly solve everything, but even a silent understanding of what each other is going through can make a world of difference. This is surely not a day where feeling alone helps anyone.

In the future, I hope Georgetown will find a way to more fully and substantively recognize 9/11. Celebrating Mass is surely a good start, but something all students can fully appreciate, like a campus-wide moment of silence or vigil, would go a long way in helping promote support and reflection within our community.

Three years ago, Georgetown recognized the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 by hosting an interfaith prayer vigil, a 5K remembrance run and academic panels. Although the 10year anniversary marks an important date, it does not eclipse every other anniversary that passes, even as the years pile on.

I also recognize that the responsibility for these remembrances does not fall entirely upon the university and its administration. If student organizations held support groups, talks or even simple ceremonies, I think it would go a long way toward making the Hilltop feel more like home on a day where it feels one can find little solace.

Supporting our fellow Hoyas does not simply apply to the sports field or classroom. Reminding each other that, as a community, we are there for each other emotionally during a tragic time goes a long way.

KIT CLEMENTE is a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service. She is a deputy opinion editor and a member of the editorial board for The Hoya.

THE SENSIBLE CENTRIST

In Response to AIDS, The Inescapability of Georgetown Fell Short Race in Today’s World

T

o the students who were unaware If HFC was the troublesome child, that Stephen Plumb was dying, Georgetown convincingly played its part his physical condition would have as the patronizing parent. quickly revealed the truth. Upon his 1991 In 1991, Students of Georgetown Inc. return to the Hilltop, Plumb weighed 50 attempted to sell condoms at its now depounds less than he did at his graduation. funct Saxa Sundries location. An informal He coughed frequently, with his halted GUSA poll found that The Corp had the speech on display that day as he shared backing of students by a margin of 11-1. his experience.

But that did not persuade the university.

Stephen Plumb had AIDS, and he was Addressing a GUSA meeting on the isdying. sue, DeGioia let his impatience flicker.

AIDS had claimed victims among “[I cannot] accept that the campus is Georgetown’s students before Plumb and really far removed from condoms, when continues to plague our communities they’re only an eighth-mile walk away,” today. But when Plumb arrived at George- he said. “Nobody complains about walktown in 1984, AIDS did not sit nervously ing to Dixie’s to get alcohol, but they on the tongues of students, tainting even can’t walk [the same distance] for concasual encounters. The menace only un- doms?” masked itself to Georgetown in November Those words worked to diminish the 1986, when an investigaseriousness of the public tion by The Voice rehealth threat, and they vealed that two students implicated the victims of had died of AIDS the preAIDS in their own suffervious year. ing. They also provided Many students exan early signal that Peer pressed shock that AIDS Education occupied an — a disease marginalimperiled position. ized alongside the LGIn 1998, this position BTQ communities with would become even Matt Quallen which it was associated more precarious. A — had found a place at group of students conGeorgetown. They had Stephen Plumb had cerned that the single misunderstood the crisis instance of condom disAIDS, and he was severely. tribution taking place If AIDS still could shock at Georgetown injured dying. students, it could not inGeorgetown’s Catholic still the same surprise in heritage formed the medical professionals. Early on in the cri- Committee to Reform Peer Education. sis, the Centers for Disease Control had be- Although that distribution was geared gun pushing aggressively for widespread specifically to protect students from AIDS condom use and availability. Georgetown and other STIs, the committee began a administrators moved with less vigor. campaign to halt condom distribution When The Voice revealed the presence through Peer Education. of AIDS on campus in 1986, then-Dean By way of a letter from a concerned parof Student Affairs John J. DeGioia admit- ent, the committee’s campaign drew the ted that the university’s Catholic identity attention of the Archdiocese of Washingimpeded his understanding of what steps ton. At the urging of then-Cardinal James the university would take to combat AIDS Hickey, who had previously convinced beyond the ongoing formation of an edu- Georgetown to bar a gay Catholic group cation plan. from using university space, the univerSome students moved to take mat- sity decided to bar condom distribution ters into their own hands. In a 2001 at Peer Education. The only exception interview, longtime Director of Student to the university’s longstanding policy Health Education Services Carol Day crumbled. recalled being approached by students While this decision wounded many, it who had found previous presentations surprised few. Those suffering from AIDS on AIDS unpalatable. Alongside the had always felt Georgetown’s response Georgetown University Student Associa- inadequate. The undergraduate whose tion and the Office of Residential Living, death exploded the issue in 1986 had these students would pilot the program hidden his illness, not checking into the that ultimately became Georgetown’s hospital until the day of his death.

Peer Education program.

Stephen Plumb had a chance to offer Throughout the 1990s, Peer Education his perspective more publicly. counselled students on sexually transmit“I appreciate that Georgetown is a Cathted infections, sexual assault and condom olic university,” he said. “I understand use and demonstrated proper contracep- that university’s concern over selling contive use, even making condoms available doms, but I consider condoms protection, to students during the sessions. not birth control.”

The first peer educators were not the Georgetown had inflicted a stigma only students to attempt to supplement upon Stephen Plumb. what they viewed as inadequate univer“[Most] victims aren’t proud of their sity response. One Friday night in 1993, disease,” Plumb, who would succumb to H*yas for Choice, the unofficial result of AIDS in 1992, said, “but at least they aren’t Georgetown’s steadfast refusal to provide made to feel guilty about it.” contraceptives on campus, sprang into action at popular spots on campus, passing Matt Quallen is a junior in the School out condoms to Salt-N-Pepa’s “Let’s Talk of Foreign Service. HOYA HISTORIAN appears every other Friday.

About Sex.”

‘O

Yet, Chief Justice John Roberts, nly racist when I’m at Walmart.” “So, could you and many others, don’t want to talk rap for us?” “Mexican men about it.

In “Lean In,” Sheryl Sandberg, writes tend to frighten me.” “No, I’m not on a scholarship.” “But I voted for about the struggles of women workBarack Obama.” “I feel uncomfort- ing in corporate America. Sandberg able with you here.” “People, this discusses personal anecdotes and academic studies that highlight the misogisn’t your grandfather’s racism.”

Four years ago, Michelle Norris ynist actions of both men and women founded “The Race Card Project” toward women in the workforce. Her with the goal of making it easier to entire book is devoted to exposing and talk about “that difficult subject.” understanding our implicit and explicThe project invites people to share it biases toward working women and their thoughts on race and cultural how we can overcome them. It was well identity in just six words. Submis- received for rekindling the conversasions, like the ones above, have al- tion around modern sexism. lowed for candor on a subject that is But why is it OK to talk about sexotherwise uncomfortably avoided. ism and not about race? Why do we In the 2007 Supreme Court rul- accept studies showing that the maing that struck down jority of teachers tend a school desegregato favor boys over girls tion program, Chief in the classroom, but Justice John Roberts search for flaws in wrote, “The way to studies showing that stop discrimination police act differently on the basis of race toward minorities? is to stop discrimiIn April 2014, the nating on the basis Supreme Court upof race.” Effectively, held Michigan’s ban Tricia Correia Roberts proposed on using affirmative that we suppress all action in college adconscious thoughts missions decisions in It is impossible for of race and presuma 6-2 split. Although I someone to truly be agree with this ruling ably expected that a world where race is in principle, I share “colorblind.” no longer an issue the frustration of Juswould result. tice Sonia Sotomayor The problem with this argument in her dissenting opinion when she is that humans are flawed creatures. wrote, “The way to stop discrimination We are host to a plethora of uncon- on the basis of race is to speak openly scious and conscious thoughts and and candidly on the subject of race, behaviors that are shaped by both and to apply the Constitution with biology and society. The vast major- eyes open to the unfortunate effects of ity of us exhibit bias toward others centuries of racial discrimination.” based on factors such as race, reliI do not think that the outdated gion and age; it is impossible for process of affirmative action is the someone to truly be “colorblind.” best method of overcoming racial One only need look to the Implicit discrimination in admissions or in Association Test, which measures the the workplace. But, I am not sure strength of automatic associations in that we should stop that process people’s minds, as evidence. Results while we refuse to have the conversafrom this test show that 88 percent of tion necessary for us to work toward whites, 75 percent of Asians and, most overcoming the flaws of both our husurprisingly, 50 percent of blacks ex- man nature and our society. hibit a bias in favor of whites.

As someone who received a sumWe can readily find instances of mer internship last summer by aphow these implicit biases affect be- plying through a program for womhaviors and outcomes. In 2005, a en and minorities, I can say that I felt black kindergarten student was ar- uneasy applying to a program that rested and put in handcuffs by three automatically championed me over white police officers after she threw other applicants. a tantrum in school. A 2009 report I don’t want to get a job just befound that, although whites and cause I’m a woman. I don’t want be blacks use drugs at similar rates, overlooked for a job just because I’m blacks were 3.6 times more likely to a woman either. Rather, I want to get be arrested for drugs than whites. a job because I deserve the job.

A 2013 federal study found that, We must bravely discuss what acwhile black students made up only tions are needed to make this hap18 percent of the students in their pen for me, for all women and for milarge sample, they accounted for 39 norities. I want people to challenge percent of students expelled and 36 my view on this. I want to instigate a percent of students arrested on cam- dialogue about these issues. pus. And recently, these biases seem It’s about time we talk about race. to have led to tragedy on Aug. 9, 2014, when Michael Brown, an unarmed Tricia Correia is a senior in the Mcblack teenager, was shot and killed Donough School of Business. THE

by Darren Wilson, a white police of- SENSIBLE CENTRIST appears every ficer in Ferguson, Mo. other Friday.

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THE HOYA

PAGE FOUR

NEWS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

INSIDE THIS ISSUE GUSA sponsored a screening of “After the Fire” followed by a dialogue about fire safety on campus. See story on A9.

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya.

IN FOCUS

verbatim

ART EXHIBIT

“

Most people are peaceful. But too few speak up when necessary.”

Former Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mustafa Ceric on the role of interfaith dialogue and creating peace See story on A8.

from

MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA

JULIA HENNRIKUS/THE HOYA

Students admire Sangram Majumdar’s collection of paintings, titled “just like,” at Georgetown’s Spagnuolo Art Gallery, located in the Walsh Building. The exhibition will be on display from Sept. 10 until Oct. 12.

RIP, REISS PATHWAY As construction takes one of our favorite campus routes out of commission, we look back at our fond memories of convenient travel. blog.thehoya.com

NET Dorm Construction Blocks Pathway CHRIS BALTHAZARD & MOLLY SIMIO Hoya Staff Writers

Preliminary site work has commenced for the Northeast Triangle,as the university places new electrical gear near Reiss and White-Gravenor Halls, resulting in the closure of Tondorf Road.

“Right in the middle of [the Northeast Triangle] site is an electrical transformer that serves other buildings on campus, so you can’t just dig that site out, you actually have to install new gear,” Vice President for Facilities and Management Robin Morey told THE HOYA. “Once that happens, then we can decommission it and de-energize it in the demolition and excavation of this site.”

Morey said that the Reiss pathway will close at the end of the month.

Vice President for Mission and Ministry Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., will bless the future site of the Northeast Triangle Residence Hall on Friday, Sept. 26 at 3 p.m.

Construction will begin with the trenching of the area between Reiss and the site at the end of September.

Excavation will start in January and the foundation and floor should be in place by the end of March.

The university is also continuing to develop various other housing

projects, including the conversion of the former Jesuit residence into student housing and the temporary conversion of two floors of the university hotel into dorms.

Jason Wilcoxon, project manager with Ayers Saint Gross for the conversion of the Jesuit Residence, spoke at length at an open house in the Healey Family Student Center’s social room Tuesday evening about the renovation of the former Jesuit Residence. Wilcoxon outlined decisions such as the incorporation of lofts because of abnormally high ceilings and the restoration, as opposed to replacement, of two staircases.

“Our job is to restore what we can and repurpose what we can,” Wilcoxon said. “So our goal is to get 148 student beds into the project, and to make it a really innovative and interesting space for the residents, and to give the students back some spaces that they can use and share and collaborate. But they’ll be mostly controlled by the students. So the spaces in this building, including the dining hall, will be for the students’ use.”

According to Wilcoxon, the old Jesuit dining hall will not have the same function in the new building, but will instead serve as a more general student space. Administrators have not decided what will be done

MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA

Senior University Architect Jodi Ernst revealed designs for the Northeast Triangle at a housing forum Tuesday evening. Construction for the Northeast Triangle is expected to commence in October. with that space, but it is expected to resemble the main area of the new HFSC. Construction will begin on the repurposed Ryan and Mulledy Halls, which do not yet have permanent names, toward the end of 2014.

“We are now complete with all of the first phase of [demolition] and abatement of the building.

So basically, the building is pretty much gutted right now, and it’s

MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA

Construction of the Northeast Triangle will commence after new electrical gear is placed near Reiss and WhiteGravenor Halls. An electrical transformer is currently located at the site of the future residence hall.

been cleaned, and right now we’re getting ready to start the next phase of construction, which is the structural demolition,” Greg Davis, project manager at Manhattan Construction Company, said, “Over the next couple of months we’re going to be focusing on the structure of the building and getting it ready to build back the interior partitions and put the finishes back in the building.”

Apartments, which will constitute the majority of living set-ups in the building, range from fourbed semi-suites with lofts to eightbed apartments with balconies to a nine-bed ground floor apartment.

Architects also highlighted that, upon completion of the renovation, the area will become more handicapped accessible, since the cutthrough to Dahlgren Quad and new access to Old North Way by Gervase will actually aid the overall accessibility of the campus.

Morey told THE HOYA that the renovation of the hotel will likely start in May and is expected to take about two months.

“The construction is minimal,” Morey said. “The concept now is that we’ll enter from the esplanade level to try to separate the normal hotel clientele from the students. If that’s the case, then we’re talking about making some renovations on the esplanade for how the students get in, probably some laundry room type things for the students.”

Two floors of the hotel will be repurposed as student housing for only one year before being reverted back for hotel use. Morey said that he was not sure of the financial impact of the hotel construction and the revenue loss from losing two floors of hotel space for a year.

“We know that there is financial impact. I don’t know that we know the exact details of that,” Morey said.

Other spaces around campus will also be optimized for the 2015-2016 academic year. Morey said that plans for space optimization will not be finalized until the university determines how many students can be housed in the hotel.

“I thought the presentations were really informative, and it really seems like a lot of thought has gone into making sure both new housing projects reflect what students want in a living space,” Patrick Sullivan (SFS ’17), who attended the open house, said. “Both students and administrators raised valid concerns about the projects, and these concerns were more than adequately addressed or noted by the architects and construction managers.”

Sullivan, who heard noise from the construction of the HFSC while living in New South last year, still has doubts about the university’s expectations.

“Both of these projects seem to have really demanding timetables.

Looking at the delay in opening the HFSC, I wonder whether they will actually be completed on-time and under budget,” Sullivan said. “Also, with these timetables and the sheer amount of construction going on around campus, I think we will see noise problems no matter what. The university should take efforts to minimize these as much as it can, but at the end of the day it’s pretty much unavoidable with these sorts of projects. I just hope a better job is done than with the New South construction last year.”

news

friday, september 12, 2014

THE HOYA

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Policy Safeguards Visiting Minors Katherine Richardson

tors, legal entities and peer institutions with similar programs.

According to Stephanie Lynch, The university announced a assistant dean in the Office of new Protection of Minors Policy Residential Living, the new polithis week, stating that the policy cy will help make campus more will ensure the safety of non-stu- minor-friendly. dent minors on campus who par“Georgetown University is comticipate in Georgetown programs mitted to constantly strengthor activities. ening our ‘culture of care’ on The policy states that any minor campus, and an important part who is 16 or 17 years old may sleep of this work is creating a safe enovernight in university housing, vironment for minors who spend provided that they bring a per- time here,” Lynch wrote in an mission slip signed by a parent or email to The Hoya.“The protection guardian. Minors under the age of of minors is a responsibility that 16 cannot enter university housing all members of our campus comunless accompanied by a parent munity share, and one that we or guardian take very seriand cannot ously.” sleep over on Lynch said campus. If mithat the crenors come to ation of the campus unacpolicy was c o mp a n i e d also guided by a parent by the univeror guardian sity’s moral and without a ideals. signed permis“We’ve sion slip, they taken a commust report prehensive stephanie lynch to the Georgeapproach to Assistant Dean, Residential Living town Univerthis work, sity Police Department. prompted by changing times and Georgetown hosts many pro- situations, and always with an eye grams for minors, which Univer- towards continuing to uphold the sity President John J. DeGioia said moral principles that have guided will remain active. The policy re- us as a Jesuit institution throughquires leaders of such programs, out our history,” Lynch wrote. including summer programs Sara Carioscia (COL ’17) has for high school students, to par- three younger siblings aged 17, ticipate in extensive background 14 and 10. Although she hopes checks and training to ensure a her siblings will visit, she besafe campus environment. lieves the policy will effectively “Programs and activities that provide a safe campus environinvolve minors are integral to ment for children.

Georgetown’s mission and iden“I don’t dislike the policy,” Caritity,” DeGioia wrote in a state- oscia said. “The safety of children is ment. “At the core of all of these really important so I like knowing programs is a commitment to that the kids are accounted for.” providing a safe environment Shannon Duffy, the 17-yearand a positive experience for all old sister of Megan Duffy (COL participants.” ’17), said that the stricter policies Student who are hosting mi- could make it harder for visitors nors may face disciplinary ac- to get a feel for the campus tion if they allow their guests to “I feel that this new rule will commit a violation of the Code result in less visitors and ultiof Student Conduct. Hosts are mately less applicants because also responsible for ensuring many of these potential applithat their guests have submitted cants are under 16 and will not permission forms and obtained be able to get the whole Georgeminor guest passes. Hosts are re- town experience,” Duffy said. “It quired to stay with their minor will be harder for my younger guests at all times. sister to visit Megan since she is The policy was developed over still 9. She is bummed that she the past year with input from will never be old enough to stay various minor program direc- with Megan.”

Hoya Staff Writer

“The protection of minors is a responsibility that all members of our campus community share.”

MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA

Georgetown’s campus bookstore, which possesses an exclusive contract with Follett Corporation, has introduced rental and buyback programs to combat the challenge posed by alternative, affordable online vendors.

Bookstore Fights Online Vendors Kshithij Shrinath Hoya Staff Writer

The rise of online bookstores offering students textbooks at lower prices has prompted universities to launch rental and buyback programs in order to compensate for the loss of revenue. Despite their best efforts, however, Georgetown students still view the bookstore as the more overpriced option.

Georgetown’s campus bookstore has entered into an exclusivity contract with its manager provider, Follett Corporation. According to this contract, other rival textbook-selling businesses, such as Amazon and Chegg, are barred from selling or advertising on campus.

“We are the exclusive provider on campus, and we understand that there’s competition and that people have the right to make choices. But we also definitely support the university and the educational mission. We’re very involved with a lot of things on campus,” Georgetown University Campus Bookstore Director Janet Uzzell said.

The tension between online bookstores and campus bookstores reached its peak at Southern Connecticut State University when the university sent a cease-and-desist letter Aug. 29 to Chegg for illegally advertising on its campus.

Chegg Vice President for Communications Usher Lieberman said that the company was founded to create a “disruption” in the textbook industry by giving students more options, which has threatened campus bookstores.

“Simply put, the model that campus bookstores have operated under for

a very long time has been put under significant strain because the Internet gives students lots of choices. Students are no longer a captive market, which is great news for the wallets of students and their families,” Lieberman wrote in an email to The Hoya.

According to Uzzell, Georgetown’s bookstore instituted the rental program in 2010 in response to a dip in revenue. Now constituting approximately 45 percent of the bookstore’s sales, the rental program has successfully boosted revenues since.

“That’s why we came up with rental,” Uzzell said. “I think it’s been a benefit for students.”

Uzzell maintained that the bookstore remains an attractive option for students because of the easy availability of books on campus.

“We’re pretty much in stock right now 100 percent,” she said. “If the professor communicated to us what the textbook was, we have the book.”

Shannon McNulty (COL ’16), however, said that the bookstore has not always had the books she needed in stock.

“Sometimes I have books that I can only get at the bookstore because they’re specially ordered, and they’ve gone out of stock, and that’s been a real hassle, because it takes a long time to get them back,” she said.

Despite the presence of their lowercost options, students still voiced their dissatisfaction with the prices of books offered on campus as well.

“I buy the absolute minimum I can from the Georgetown bookstore, not because of the store itself, but because of the prices. The prices are, frankly,

offensively high, like there’s a definite markup,” Ben Card (COL ’17) said.

McNulty agreed.

“The bigger ones, I buy online …

They’re really expensive at the bookstore, and you can find them online cheaper,” she said.

Card noted that though he tried to buy as many books online as possible, some books were specific editions he could only obtain through the university.

“Some books — for instance, my Spanish textbook — the bookstore has a definite arrangement with the Spanish department, the administration and the textbook companies, so that’s a special Georgetown University Spanish book, and I have to spend $170 at the bookstore for this book. I can’t shop around,” he said.

Lieberman critiqued this practice as a common tactic used by bookstores to compete with online retailers.

“These custom editions are typically available only in the campus bookstore and again are not materially different than what can be found online for a fraction of the cost,” Lieberman wrote.

“In our opinion, this is a shameful practice as it serves only to bolster profits on the back of financially struggling students.”

Hannah Shushtari (COL ’17), said that in her experience, the bookstore prices tend to not vary much from those sold by online sellers, especially paperbacks.

“Honestly, a lot of times, they end up being pretty similar,” Shushtari said.

“In terms of paperback novels, the prices don’t really vary.”

MAYORAL RACE

DCPS Lines Divide Hopefuls Suzanne Monyak Hoya Staff Writer

As D.C. Public Schools reopen for this school year, the issue of redistricting public school boundaries has emerged as a hot-button topic for the D.C. mayoral candidates.

Last week, current mayor Vincent Gray approved a new D.C. Public Schools redistricting plan, intended for the 2015-2016 school year. By making the call to redraw the public school boundaries for the first time in 40 years, Gray spares the next mayor from having to make such a politically unpopular decision.

“I don’t have any political motives at the point, obviously,” he told The Washington Post. “The ball got punted down the field repeatedly. No more punting.”

In addition to redrawing the boundaries, Gray also included a provision in the plan that will give at-risk students preference in the lotteries for out-of-boundary spots.

Democratic mayoral nominee and D.C. Councilmember Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) voiced her opposition to the plan, 10 months in the making, on the grounds that there remains a high polarization in educational equality between D.C.’s public schools.

“The mayor’s plan on school boundary changes is not ready,” she said in a press statement. “His plan serves to exacerbate educational inequality and does little to move school reform forward faster.”

This position places Bowser at odds with the current mayor and with DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson (SFS ’92, GRD ’07), who has supported the redistricting plan.

D.C. Councilmember David Catania (I-At Large) (SFS ’90, LAW ’94) echoed Bowser’s sentiment.

“I have maintained all along that I cannot support a plan that moves students from higher-performing schools to

lower-performing ones. Yet the final recommendations do just that. In addition, the recommendations are silent as to how we intend to improve those lower-performing schools,” Catania said in a press release. “Asking parents and guardians to take this leap of faith without more is asking too much.”

Instead, he calls for a oneyear delay on the redistricting to allow the city to improve some of the District’s lowerquality schools. Appointed chairman of the D.C. Council’s Education Committee 18 months ago, Catania has faced criticism from both Bowser

“Somebody has to lose with redistricting.”

NORA GORDON Public Policy Professor

and Henderson for his plan to delay reform.

Associate professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy Nora Gordon, who specializes in the economics of education, said that while that plan would be great in theory, she did not think that Catania could realistically make too much of a change in only a year.

“I think that would help that issue but I don’t think he’s going to do it in a year. I think that people have been trying to make those schools better for a long time,” she said.

Catania also stressed the importance of creating a sense of accountability within D.C. schools, specifically through the employment of objective evaluations of public schools, something Gordon said has already been happening over the past few years.

“I think a lot of the things that DCPS have been doing are moving in the right direction, trying to increase accountabil-

ity,” Gordon said.

Bowser, however, has yet to provide specifics on her solution to D.C.’s long-standing overcrowding problem.

Two-term Board of Education member Carol Schwartz, also running as an independent, wrote in her Summary of Education Position Paper that she would “accept the need for new boundaries, but make modifications where necessary.”

In Gordon’s opinion, redistricting, while politically unpopular, is a necessary evil in order to solve the District’s overcrowding problem.

“Well some sort of redistricting is necessary because it’s my understanding that some of the schools are overcrowded, and I can see why no candidate wants to support any sort of redistricting plan because any redistricting plan is going to leave some voters unhappy,” she said.

She explained that redistricting can lead to devaluation of property, increasing such a plan’s unpopularity.

“You’re buying a house and you’re buying the right to go to the school, and if you change, basically you’re taking away property that somebody bought, somebody gets unhappy. Somebody has to lose with redistricting,” Gordon said.

Additionally, if students are redistricted into lower quality and less desirable schools, those who can afford it will seek other options, Gordon said.

“I guess the big question is whether those students would remain in DCPS or whether they would go to private school or move to Maryland,” she said.

Students living in most parts of Georgetown currently attend Hyde-Addison Elementary, Hardy Middle School and then Wilson High School.

Under the new boundary plan, residents from the area around Burleith would also follow this path.

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THE HOYA

FRIDAY, September 12, 2014

GU Ranks Near Mean for Socioeconomic Accessibility RANKINGS, from A1 eran who served six years in the army deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, praised Georgetown for participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which gives veterans more financial support in addition to the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill grant, and for providing veterans with speakers and networking opportunities.

“Being able to link up with former veterans who are either Georgetown graduates or just want to give back to the Georgetown community is a big help, for them to give us personal guidance coming to the university and helping us network and kind of branch out with our veteran experience,” Schumacher said.

He also hailed Washington, D.C., as somewhat of a haven for veterans.

“If you throw a stone at someone in the D.C. area, you’re going to hit another veteran,” he said. “So it’s a great area where we hold our heads high, talk to other people who’ve had similar experiences and also share that with the general student body who are extremely welcoming, and I hope for the future, that the veterans community at Georgetown only grows.”

Last year, the first year that the U.S. News released a ranking for veterans, Georgetown did not even place in the top five. University President John J. DeGioia honored Georgetown’s veterans in a Facebook post sharing the news.

“All Hoyas should be proud that Georgetown University has been named the #1 Best College for Veterans by the U.S. News and World Report! Reporting an engaging educational experience for our veterans enriches our community,” he wrote.

New York Times Rankings Released by the Upshot, a data-driven blog focused on politics, policy and economics, The New York Times rank-

ings, also known as the College Access Index, were based on the percentage of students receiving Federal Pell Grants and the average net cost per year for students from families making between $30,000 and $48,000 per year.

A school at the mean in both measures would receive a score of zero. Out of schools with a four-year graduation rate of at least 75 percent, Georgetown received a score of 0.2 standard deviations above the mean, along with five other schools, including Bowdoin College, Bryn Mawr College, Wofford College, the University of Richmond and Yale University.

David Leonhardt, managing editor of The Upshot, wrote in an accompanying article that the college access index measures efforts by colleges to attract poor and middle-class students.

Deacon identified several factors contributing to Georgetown’s average ranking, such as Georgetown’s smaller endowment, despite a push to attract low-income students.

“They’re trying to take data and make it support a point of view. And it’s data that’s apples and oranges,” Deacon said.“My reaction is, we were tied with Yale and they have a $2 million endowment per student and we have $80,000, so they could’ve done better than we did, but they obviously haven’t.”

Deacon also criticized the rankings for not including graduation rates for low-income students in the analysis, as the Georgetown Scholarship Program, Georgetown’s program for low-income students, flaunts a 97 percent graduation rate.

Georgetown’s $80,000 endowment per student is the smallest among the schools with which it tied, and was less than or equal to every school ranked above it, with the exception of Susquehanna University. The rankings included the institutions’ endowment per student as a reference, but endowment did not figure into the calcula-

FILE PHOTO: OLIVIA HEWITT/THE HOYA

ROTC students and veterans commemorate Veterans’ Day with a ceremony on the front lawn last year.

Georgetown was named the best university for veterans by U.S. News and World Report this week. tion of the rankings.

Additionally, Georgetown was ranked highest of all of the Catholic schools on the list.

Nora Gordon, a professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy, stressed that the Times’ rankings failed to factor in selectivity, capturing too many schools under the umbrella of “top colleges.”

“It would be interesting to see their access index side by side with how selective the colleges are. Among colleges with a graduation rate of at least 75 percent, there is a lot of variation in selectivity,” Gordon said.

Regardless of Georgetown’s place in the rankings, Deacon said that for an institution of Georgetown’s endowment and selectivity, it is performing well on economic diversity.

“We are definitely moving in the

right direction, there’s no question.

Within our capacity to afford what we’re doing, I think that extremely successful graduation rate and programs like the GSP and Community Scholars and others are really making sure that those kids who do get here get a really great experience and come out the other end with opportunities,” Deacon said.“I don’t worry so much, just like I don’t worry about U.S. News rankings. I don’t think that ranking is going to make much difference in our situation.”

GSP Director Missy Foy said that with peer support, alumni connections and professional guidance for low-income students, the program offers a quality of experience for low-income students.

Despite Georgetown’s average ranking, she added that she was appreciative that the rankings drew greater atten-

tion to progress in diversity.

“There is so much doom and gloom about low-income students ever making it to college or first [generation students] ever making it to college; it seems like the press focuses on that news. So I was pleasantly surprised to see an article that actually recognized schools that were making progress in this area too,” she said. “There is still a lot more to be done. There’s certainly room for improvement and the university hopes for that.”

Queen Adesuyi (COL ’16), a GSP student, was surprised to hear of Georgetown’s mediocre NYT ranking.

“I was kind of surprised because GSP has been expanding and the strength of the program made me feel like we were different in so many ways,” she said. “The survey doesn’t reflect that, unfortunately.”

Alumni Association Director Remembered LGBTQ COURTIN, from A1 adjacent to the West Side Rowing Club, where John was a member.

His passion for Georgetown and architecture was perhaps only surpassed by his devotion to rowing.

While an undergraduate, Courtin rowed in Boat 1 during the 1969 Dad Vail championship heavyweight rowing team.

“I think the crew team was so important to him because the team was such a big community,” Allison said. “I think that’s something that my dad looked for in almost all aspects of his life — just finding a really great group of people to surround himself with and to work with.”

Allison, who currently works JOHN COURTIN MEMORIES TUMBLR JOHN COURTIN MEMORIES TUMBLR at Georgetown as a coach for the men’s lightweight crew team, credits her father for her interest in rowing.

“Rowing is this great tradition in my family. My parents rowed, and we watched our brother learn to row, and so it was kind of a rite of passage almost, getting to learn how to row with my dad in the family boat. So that was a really special moment for me,” she said.

Her younger sister Cathryn Courtin (SFS ’13) was a coxswain for the men’s lightweight crew team, as well. The women’s crew team honored the contributions of the Courtin family last year by christening a boat after them.

“You can see it out on the Potomac, called the ‘Courtin.’ So last year, we were all in D.C. for the boat christening, and … I know that meant a lot to him. It was a really special thing to have a boat named after him,” she said.

FILE PHOTO: CRAIG MOLE/THE HOYA At the John Carroll Weekend for Alumni held in February ear- Former Alumni Association Executive Director John Courtin with his family and University President John J. lier this year, Courtin received DeGioia, top left; with friend and crew teammate Mike Vespoli, top right; rowing with the crew team. the John Carroll Award from the town ever since coming to campus principles which define our tradi- for Courtin.

Alumni Association for “lifetime Courtin is survived by his wife achievement and outstanding ser- as a student in 1966, and it is his tion that will live on,” Georgetown extraordinary warmth, integrity University President John J. De- Sharon, his son Christopher and vice to [his] alma mater.”

“He was a loyal son of George- and dedication to the ideals and Gioia wrote on a memorial page his daughters Allison and Cathryn.

Conference Planned CONFERENCE, from A1 Invitations for this year’s iteration went out earlier this week to LGBTQ students at other Jesuit universities, as well as at Catholic University and Notre Dame.

“This gathering is unique in that there aren’t that many spaces where we can explore the intersections of faith identities and LGBTQ identities and I think it will draw in national attention that will showcase this, not only to other Jesuit schools, but to all schools with a religious affiliation,” Lloyd said.

The conference will include a series of workshops where students from various universities can present about programs, ministries or instances of activism at their respective schools. Lloyd said that he also hopes to include panels of LGBTQ Georgetown alumni, including those who attended the university before the creation of the LGBTQ resource center.

Students can register for the conference, which will take place March 27 to 29, on the IgnatianQ website, and Lloyd said that scholarships will be available for registration fees and travel. These scholarships will most likely be funded by the Tagliabue Initiative for LGBTQ Life, an initiative that was established in 2011 by Paul Tagliabue (C ’62), the chair of the university’s board of directors, and his wife, Chandler.

Lloyd said that he is excited to collaborate with LGBTQ students from other Jesuit universities, both to showcase the progress that LGBTQ activism has made at Georgetown and discuss initiatives that are ongoing at other universities.

“It’s a way for us to learn from these other schools. It’s not just about exposure, it’s about learning,” Lloyd said. “There are ideas that we still have a lot to learn from.”

Leo’s Cuts Lowest Rung of Meal Plan Options PLANS, from A1

JULIA HENNRIKUS/THE HOYA

Leo’s advertises changes to its meal plans and Flex dollars for the fall 2014 semester on the first floor of the dining hall.

building friendships, and those friendships are generally built around food and social occasions,” Solloway wrote.

Students were disappointed by Leo’s restrictions on meal plans for freshmen.

“The fact that they take away that smaller option is pretty shady in my opinion. If you are a resourceful freshman and you prefer to cook for yourself, you shouldn’t have to pay,” Connor Bellows (COL ’16) said. “If you’re a parent and you’re concerned about that, you can pay for your kid to have as many meals as you want them to have but if you are a parent or a student who is indifferent to that then I think you should still be able to have the option of the smaller version.”

The absence of a 10-meal plan may

leave freshmen with excess meal swipes at the end of the week.

“I have real food in my dorm like vegetables and fruit or I get a salad at [Epicurean and Co.]. If I want ice cream, I might as well [go to Leo’s and] use the meal swipe,” Emily Smith (COL ’18) said.

This fall’s changes to meal plans also updated where students can use Flex dollars on campus. Students can now pay with Flex dollars at any oncampus establishment, including all restaurants in Hoya Court, Cosi and Starbucks in the Leavey Center, Epicurean and Co., and the not-yet-opened Bulldog Tavern in Healey Family Student Center. Last year, Hoya Court did not accept Flex dollars.

Speaker of the Georgetown University Student Assembly senate Sam Greco (SFS ’15), a member of the Student Food Committee, said he is pleased with the new changes.

“Most of the changes that they made have been based entirely on input that they received from students, including myself and others,” Greco said. “They’re very responsive to student input. [Associate Vice President for Auxiliary Services] Joelle [Wiese] is relatively new at Georgetown, but she has always been very interested in getting student input and welcomed me and others onto numerous projects.”

The changes also came with advice from Aramark, according to Wiese.

“Aramark is able to provide insight into what works on other campuses, they get feedback all year from students that is important, and they need to execute the meal plans,” Wiese wrote in an email. “The overall goal was to drive student satisfaction, and students were loud and clear in that satisfaction was driven by flexibility.”

news

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OIP Dissolves Into Offices for Education, Services Katherine Richardson Hoya Staff Writer

The Office of International Programs split into two offices this summer — the Office of Global Education, which will manage study abroad and international education, and the Office of Global Services, which will oversee the university’s global engagement and provide services for international students.

“This reorganization is the outcome of a year of reflection on how we can best facilitate the international work of students, faculty and staff,” Provost Robert Groves wrote in an email to the student body. “It will not disrupt existing processes and procedures.”

According to Director of Global Services Vanessa Meyers, the internal reorganization of the OIP will help the university keep up with its international growth.

“The rationale for the reorganization, which took place after months of consultations across the university, is the need to better support Georgetown’s growing international educational and administrative activities — activities once centered within OIP but now distributed within and among schools,” Meyers wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Dividing OIP’s functional areas into two new offices, while maintaining current staffing and location, allows both OGE and OGS to streamline their work in support of students, faculty and staff and to better support other units across the university.”

Vice Provost for Education Randy Bass said that the change reflects a shift in Georgetown’s international trajectory over the past 40 years.

“I think we felt that over that time, the world had changed, and the relationship of the globe to the university had changed,” Bass said.

“Once upon a time, it made sense to have all of the international programs and business consolidated in one place. Since that time, Georgetown has become a global university with interests everywhere. We felt we needed a more robust and distributed structure to serve what had evolved into a much greater sense of Georgetown’s identity.”

The two new offices will serve distinctly different functions to accommodate the distinct needs of students who desire to study abroad and international students who have come to Georgetown. According to Bass, OIP’s staff, which has been split between the two new programs, is pleased with the reor-

ganization.

“I think the reaction has been universally positive,” Bass said.

“We’ve made sure that we engaged all the stakeholders around the university and there was no negative reaction that we encountered.

People were concerned about one kind of service or another that they wanted to make sure continued in the excellent way that they had become accustomed, but I think everyone thought that splitting the OIP into the two distinctive divisions were both positive moves that would strengthen each of those two dimensions and better integrate them with other elements of the university.”

The OGE, according to Director of Global Education Craig Rinker, will work to enrich study-abroad experiences and provide support for students.

“Our intention is to continue to provide outstanding student advising and programmatic support while also positioning ourselves to adapt to innovative learning pedagogy that will define higher education at Georgetown for years to come,” Rinker wrote in an email.

“Our hope is that the establishment of the Office of Global Education as a separate unit will expand our ability to support and enrich the international experiences of students while working with the four undergraduate schools to connect those experiences with the curriculum and co-curriculum.”

The OGS will continue to support current Georgetown international students, while adding new programs that bolster the university’s international engagement. Additionally, the OGS provides advice on a range of issues, such as global safety and relevant tax and finance policies, to administrators and faculty members conducting operations internationally.

“This reorganization has allowed us to strengthen the support we can give the Georgetown community in the following areas: global activities and operations; global partnerships and agreements; services for international students and scholars, teaching and research abroad with Georgetown; and international travel and safety,” Meyers wrote.

The new programs that the OGS plans to incorporate include training classes on faculty-led trips abroad, international collaboration and global operations policies, according to Meyers.

Rinker said that this split will not have a direct effect on students, but will instead push the university

DANIEL SMITH/THE HOYA

After the dissolution of the Office of International Programs this summer, the newly created Office of Global Education and the Office of Global Services share their predecessor’s rooms in the Car Barn. toward an even more global focus.

“Building upon our international character and expanding our global presence is a core aspect of our institutional mission,” Rinker wrote. “This reorganization is designed to recognize and support the significant international expertise of our faculty and the interest and engagement of our students, faculty and staff in global activities.”

Meyers agreed, and said that the reorganization will help Georgetown remain at the cutting edge of international programs.

“It is important for Georgetown to remain at the forefront of student learning including offering opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in diverse communities that provide significant engagement with different cultures and global issues,” Meyers wrote.

Karen Zhang (COL ’17), an inter-

national student from Beijing, China, said she experienced frustrations in working with the OIP, but hopes that the reorganization will help the OGS make some necessary changes.

“I think it’s going to be a really good thing because I don’t think that enough attention is paid to the needs of international students here,” Zhang said. “For example, when students move back in on campus after summer and winter breaks, there is barely any wiggle room and that’s extremely inconvenient for international students because we’re taking [long] flights two days before classes start. There is no attention paid to that.”

Livia Matteuci (COL ’16) is studying abroad in Chile now, and said that despite initial problems, the OIP has been extremely helpful and hands-on.

“I feel like the OIP office wasn’t very organized or clear before I left

about what to expect or what was needed in terms of the application when I was applying,” Matteucci said. “Initially, it was pretty frustrating working with them, but since I’ve been here it’s been really positive.”

After two months in Chile, Matteucci said she feels well-supported by the OGE. “I’ve been in Chile for almost two months now and have felt fully supported both with CIEE staff here in Valparaiso and also my studyabroad adviser and academic dean back at Georgetown,” Matteucci said. “It’s especially crucial that we have support not only for questions about credit transfers and the like, but more importantly for security and safety reasons. In the past week there has been an earthquake and two bombs in my area, and my family back home was immediately contacted to assure them I was safe.”

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THE HOYA

friday, september 12, 2014

LEP Students Select Language Partners Ashley Miller

few years also created logistical problems within the program because of increased demand for the program.

In an attempt to create more success“We’ve got to the point where we ful matches between participating stu- didn’t have the capacity to handle a lot dents, the Office of Global Services has of the requests so I think it probably redesigned the Language Exchange Pro- started with 20 or 30 students and at gram to allow participants to play an that time the manual matching worked active role in selecting their language great, way back when. But just as the inpartners. ternational population at Georgetown LEP connects students with different has grown and the interest in language language backgrounds to allow them exchange has grown, it has become to hone their skills in their desired lan- more in demand,” Donnelly said. guage. Before this year’s changes, the Callie Flanagan (COL ’17), who parOGS matched participants without con- ticipated in LEP last year, was paired sidering their input. Now participants randomly through the previous system will provide more detailed information and said that she and her partner got through an online profile and will have along well. the chance to pick a language partner “I feel like there are pros and cons to based on common interests or an ideal both. I think with the random match, it age range. can either turn out really well or turn “I think our vision was always to out pretty badly,” Flanagan said. “Mine give participants a little more control turned out really well. I really liked the over the matching process just because girl and when her family came up from before people would just put in an ap- Venezuela we all went out to dinner … plication through so we ended up being a Google form and pretty good friends.” then we would do the Flanagan said that matching manually she thinks that the just reviewing applicanew system runs the tions,” International risk of spurring disapStudent Adviser Empointment among parily Donnelly said. ticipants.

“We found that while “I think that there’s Callie flanagan (COL ’17) that worked, ideally, more of a chance for LEP Participant people would be able disappointment beto match up together cause you’re like ‘I based on common interests or availabil- chose this person and it just didn’t turn ity or location.” out the way I wanted’ whereas if you Donnelly said that she hopes that don’t know then you are like ‘it haptransitioning to a more interactive ap- pened, that’s okay,’” Flanagan said. proach will create a greater sense of The new system offers a potential socommunity among LEP participants. lution for those who have had little in After applying to the program, students common with their partners. are able to post information about “I had a great 30-minute conversation themselves on an online network that with this one girl from Venezuela and other participants can view. it was great, a lot of introductory stuff, “I’ve already noticed kind of looking a lot of Spanish I material … but after at the posts that people have put, it that it was sort of like ‘what do we talk kind of requires people to engage more about now?’ Either we are clicking and in the forum and in the language ex- we just became best friends or we kind change community,” Donnelly said. of forced ourselves to be here and we The change was in part made to avoid don’t have much to talk about,” Patrick compatibility problems that some par- Denenea (COL ’17), who participated in ticipants faced, often due to lack of the program last year, said. common interest or age difference.

The new system can also reduce the “I think that allowing people to find anxiety that could come with the proother partners who are more compat- gram. Renee Slawksy (GRD ’16) has not ible will increase the success of matches participated in LEP before but said that and, I would hope, increase the longev- the new format for selection partners ity of the relationship that they are es- has increased her interest in the protablishing and in turn increase their gram. language learning as well,” Donnelly “You have more control over it, which said. might lead to less anxiety and less nerThe increasing number of interna- vousness about who you are going to be tional students on campus over the past talking with for an hour,” Slawsky said.

Hoya Staff Writer

ERIN NAPIER/THE HOYA

Mustafa Ceric, the former Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegonia, gave a speech Tuesday in the Intercultural Center stressing the importance of maintaining interreligious dialogue.

Ceric Connects Religion and Law Chris Balthazard Hoya Staff Writer

Mustafa Ceric, who served as Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1999 to 2012, spoke at Georgetown on Tuesday on the interplay of religion and governance and peace and conflict at an event co-sponsored by the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies and the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding.

The former leader of religious law in the Eastern European nation emphasized the importance, especially now, of the power that lies in interreligious dialogue.

“Indeed, at this time of intellectual, intercultural and interreligious tensions in different parts of the world, it is of utmost importance that we share a positive political and religious message on the significance of peace and dialogue,” Ceric said. “This message is important not only for the enlightened one, but also for the whole world as we are faced with a range of genocidal proportions in many parts of the world.”

Ceric called on leaders, both political and religious, to work together to create global peace, but also focused on the power of average individuals.

“Individual rights are the means of subordinating society through moral law. In this context, the first of the two funda-

mental ingredients for righteous social context in a democratic society is the capacity for every individual to think for him or herself,” Ceric said. “The problem is less the extremists than the silent majority that sits by and watches things happen. Most people are peaceful. But too few speak up when necessary.’”

In particular, Ceric highlighted the injustice that arose in Bosnia and Herzegovina after the 1995 signing of the Dayton Agreement, meant to stop over three years of the Bosnian War. Ceric outlined how the agreement systematically discriminates against segments of the population.

“The Dayton Agreement is made on the basis of structural discrimination, where only two or three ethical groups are eligible for election in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Ceric said. “It is not acceptable that now and here, in the heart of Europe, any nation, any man and woman, has no right to elect and to be elected. Therefore Bosnia, with its European peace accord, must be among European moral questions of the highest order.”

Ceric also displayed philosophical insight into law and order, based on his years as the voice of religious law in his country.

“It is the sense of my Bosnian experience that the law and order will not rest in the books. The law is in the heart of every individual, the heart with the first

blessings of innocent faith or innocent trusting,” Ceric said.

“A powerful religious mind lies between an innocent faith and good morality.”

Ceric harkened back to one of the defining moments of the 20th century.

“With the centennial of World War I which was ignited in Sarajevo, the challenge remains: building social structures that are just and inclusive, pluralistic and secure. … This challenge is not only in Europe, but around the world,” Ceric said. “No person is too small or too big to make an impact. As long as there is at least one of you with me, we are many. Let’s not settle until we uncover the common code of global ethics, security, peace, freedom and justice for all.”

Ahmet Caskurlu (SFS ’17) said that he was impressed by Ceric’s speech, although he was surprised by Ceric’s occasional confidence in international law.

“Grand Mufti Ceric seemed really knowledgeable and also quite brave in his speech,” Caskurlu said. “He challenged much settled concepts of the Muslim world and he tried to lay out a blueprint for the advancement of Muslim societies.

While doing that he underlined the importance of universal humanist values, which is not the kind of rhetoric you hear from religious leaders.”

“I think that there’s more of a chance for disappointment.”

NEWS

FRIDAY, september 12, 2014

THE HOYA

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DANIEL SMITH/THE HOYA

Alvaro Llanos (left) and Shawn Simons (right) spoke about their experiences after their freshman dorm at Seton Hall University was set on fire by two arsonists in 2000 and stressed the importance of fire safety on campus in the ICC Auditorium on Tuesday. Llanos and Simons are the stars in the documentary “After the Fire.”

Documentary Promotes Fire Safety on Campus Maddy Moore Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown’s Office of Risk Management and the Georgetown University Student Association publicized the need for fire safety on college campuses with a screening of “After the Fire: A True Story of Heroes and Cowards” on Tuesday evening in the ICC Auditorium.

Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos, the documentary’s stars, spoke at the event before the film began.

“After the Fire” tells the story of Simons and Llanos’ experiences after a Seton Hall University fire on Jan. 19, 2000 that occurred after two students started a fire in a freshman dorm at around 4:30 a.m. The students lit a bulletin board on fire as a prank, and the flames quickly spread across three couches in the common room lounge within less than five minutes, killing three students and injuring 58.

“The carnage of the innocent can never be forgotten. I think one of the things that makes it so, so memorable was that it was so senseless. It was an act of pure stupidity and pure cowardice, not malice, that caused this much carnage,”

COMMENTARY

EPA Plan Falls Short LEVINSON, from A10 reduce carbon emissions by 10 percent relative to 2012 levels.

That’s half of the 17 percent that hasn’t already been reduced since 2005 and isn’t due to the pad-the-denominator strategy, plus one-quarter of the padding that might reflect real savings. As the power sector accounts for 32 percent of U.S. emissions, this new rule will only reduce total U.S. emissions by something close to 3 percent over the next 15 years.

It’s a step. But I wouldn’t call it “powerful,” “key” or the “beginning of the end” of anything.

What would I do? Let’s impose whatever carbon tax would be politically feasible. A dollar per ton. A nickel, even. It would put in place the administrative mechanism for a sensible policy, even if it’s not adequately stringent. If, and when, enough policymakers recognize the need to take serious steps, raising that carbon tax to the appropriate level would be simple. Instead, we are implementing a complex range of policies that are neither sensible nor sufficiently stringent.

If, and when, policymakers decide to take action, their jobs will be much more difficult.

Arik Levinson is a professor in the economics department whose work specializes in environmental economic policy.

a police officer in the film said. “I think that is one of the things that gives the memory of this fire such staying power.”

After the fire, Simons and Llanos spent three weeks and three months, respectively, in comas.

They suffered from severe burns and faced significant challenges both physically and emotionally during the recovery process. “[Llanos’] whole identity is going to change, but what doesn’t change is the inside of him and that’s very difficult for people to realize,” a nurse said in the documentary.

The documentary not only followed Simons and Llanos through their personal journeys, but also included several of the court proceedings. Due to the nature of the crime, it took several years to convict the perpetrators.

The arsonists, Joseph LePore and Sean Ryan, were members of a fraternity at Seton Hall.

“They were known to be troublemakers. They had gotten into trouble earlier. We call them arsonists because they set this fire,” Simons said.

Seven years after the crime, LePore and Ryan admitted that they had set the fire in the com-

mon room. They were sentenced to five years in a juvenile correctional facility while they were in their mid-20s and released early on parole.

“To this day, they haven’t reached out to us and we haven’t reached out to them. The last time we saw them was in the courtroom,” Alvaro said.

“We have to consider both the small kitchen fires and large fires that can occur.” nora west (SFS ’15) GUSA Secretary for Heatlh and Safety

Both Simons and Llanos now visit college campuses around the country to promote fire safety and bring awareness to the tragic fire that shaped their lives. They place a strong emphasis on the actions they could have done that night to get out safely.

“If we would have made a left that night and crawled to two doors down, we would have been able to get out with maybe just

some smoke inhalation, but nothing that we went through,” Simons said. “It’s important that you think of those things in your everyday life.”

Simons and Llanos engaged in a question and answer session with Georgetown students, faculty and staff after the documentary ended.

GUSA President Trevor Tezel (SFS ’15) inquired about the number of states that still do not have laws set in place that require sprinklers in residence halls.

“I believe there are only five states in the country that have mandatory laws for sprinklers in residence halls,” Simons said. “I always say there is the potential for it to happen. … A great thing that happened was a lot of schools across the country started to look at the Seton Hall fire, but a lot of the things that started happening were off-campus fires. A lot of students are moving out and getting their own places in major cities across the U.S.” While Georgetown does have sprinklers in all its residence halls, there is still a need for fire safety precautions in off-campus housing.

In 2004, Georgetown student Daniel Rigby (MSB ’05) was killed in a fire at his townhouse on Prospect

Street.

“Although we have not had a fire like the one at Seton Hall, Georgetown has well experienced tragedy regarding student fires with Daniel Rigby’s death,” GUSA Secretary for Health and Safety Nora West (SFS ’15) said. “Looking forward, Georgetown has sprinkler systems with all its residence halls, but not off-campus. While the Office of Neighborhood Life and the Friends of Daniel Rigby organization do a lot to provide fire alarms and fire extinguishers, we aren’t talking about second points of exit. If someone lives on the second or third floor of a house, how will they get out?

We have to consider both the small kitchen fires and large fires that can occur.”

Mike Bergin (COL ’18) felt personally connected to the event because he was born in the same hospital as the burn victims were treated in, and attended Seton Hall Prep.

“After seeing the video, what hit me the most was [that] it was my community. I was born in that same hospital where they were,” Bergin said. “This event made me realize to actually take it seriously, especially after seeing all the photographs of the victims.”

18 GU Students Receive Fulbright Awards Gene Choi

Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown received the title of “Top Producing Fulbright Institution” for the 10th consecutive year, with 18 students awarded the fellowship in 2014, marking an increase from 13 in 2013.

Georgetown University students and alumni have earned a total of 236 Fulbright Fellowships since the program’s conception.

The Fulbright Fellowship was created in 1946 and provides students with grants and opportunities to travel to different countries for graduate studies, research projects and teaching from the primary to university level in order to increase understanding between the United States and the rest of the world.

“This program especially fits the typical ‘Georgetown student — globally minded, social justice oriented, academically ambitious,” Georgetown Fulbright Program Advisor and Associate Director of the Office of Fellowships, Awards and Resources Lauren Tuckley said.

The Fulbright award is of particular interest to Georgetown students interested in foreign cultures, languages and teaching English.

“The Fulbright is open to all fields — really for anyone that desires a year abroad researching or teaching English as a second language in one of 140 countries that currently participate in this binational cultural exchange program,” Tuckley said.

Kaley Beins (COL ’14), who received a grant to study plant communities in Panama for 10 months, said that she appreciates the Fulbright for the benefits that it provides beyond financial support.

“The Fulbright Fellowship itself is wonderful, not only because it gives you a stipend to fund your research and living expenses, but

because it gives you a lot of connections, both professionally and socially,” Beins said.

Beins said that she hopes to do more than just research during her time in Panama.

“I obviously hope to complete solid research with workable data, but I also want to make sure that I immerse myself fully in Panamanian culture and take the risks that our Jesuit education has taught us to take: asking questions, getting to know people deeply and fully and approaching each new opportunity with gratefulness,” Beins said.

Beins credited Tuckley and the Office of Fellowships for their guidance throughout the application process.

“She led information sessions, scheduled one-on-one meetings and even volunteered to read draft personal statements and statements of proposed study. She hosted a recipients’ lunch in the spring to talk to us about the process and get feedback for the next group of applicants,” Beins said.“She really roots for each of the applicants every step of the way, which means a lot, especially with an application process as intimidating as this one.”

Caroline Cotto (NHS ’14), the Class of 2014 School of Nursing and Health Studies valedictorian, received a grant to teach English in Taiwan. Cotto, who studied abroad in Shanghai during her junior year, said in an interview with The Hoya last spring that she hopes to improve her Mandarin during her fellowship.

Cotto also said that she hopes to use her year in Taiwan to figure out her future career path.

“I’m very much a type-A planner,” Cotto said. “But when it comes to my life, I haven’t really planned beyond this year. I’m trying to … just sort of see where it takes me.”

According to Tuckley, the program has grown at Georgetown in

FILE PHOTO: ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

2014 School of Nursing and Health Studies Valedictorian Caroline Cotto (NHS ’14) received a Fulbright Fellowship to teach English in Taiwan. recent years and will continue to expand.

“I see growth. This year, we’ve had a record number of Georgetown applicants seeking internal endorsement, due in part to our

efforts to improve our outreach strategy.” Tuckley said. “We are actively working on getting the word out to a greater number of students that would be competitive for this opportunity.”

BUSINESS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

BUSINESS BITS MSB PROFESSOR RESEARCH

In the study, “Unbundling the Relationship between Authoritarian Legislatures and Political Risk,” Georgetown McDonough professor Stephen Weymouth examines how elected legislatures in authoritarian countries impact economic development, shape the business policy environment and influence foreign investors. Weymouth found that elected legislatures in non-democratic regimes can enhance economic performance by protecting investors while maintaining the power of the ruling elite. This study is the first to show that legislatures in countries without firmly established democratic institutions appear to facilitate the types of legislation that protect minority shareholders.

FINDING A JOB THROUGH TWITTER

Conference Addresses Financial Trends

KIM BUSSING Hoya Staff Writer

On Sept. 16, the McDonough School of Business Center for Financial Markets and Policy will host its third annual Financial Markets Conference, in partnership with the Financial Times. The conference will allow attendees to gain insight into the current market environment, as well as offer networking opportunities to students.

“This time, it’s particularly interesting because the question about financial markets quality has become center stage for a number of reasons,” said Reena Aggarwal, professor of business administration and finance and director for financial markets and policy.

“There’ve been certain glitches in financial markets that have been pretty high profile.”

The release of Michael Lewis’

popular book, “Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt,” this summer brought the question of rigged financial markets to the mainstream. However, the conference will not focus on the ideas presented by Lewis, but instead on what areas of the U.S. market are thriving.

“Georgetown has a real responsibility to educate the market and educate policy makers,” Aggarwal said. “We are completely unbiased.

We are not an advocacy group of any kind. Our faculty does in-depth research that can guide the markets and can guide the policy makers and regulators. That’s what this conference is about.”

Bringing together policy groups and financial powerhouses including BlackRock, CME Group, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Rosenblatt Securities and ITG, the conference aims to create nonpartisan dialogue around current global finan-

cial issues and potential solutions.

“The broad thing is, we want to make sure that our companies can raise capital, can innovate and investors have a place to invest their money, which they can do confidently, and that the markets are fair,” Aggarwal said. “We’re not just talking about the very large companies, but really small and medium sized enterprises. They are the engines of growth. We’ve got to make sure that they’ve got access to capital.”

Specifically, conversations will address U.S. markets, which Aggarwal views, despite Lewis’ claims, as currently thriving and setting an international example. How to ensure that this apparent success continues will also be addressed.

“How do we make sure that the markets continue to operate in a fair and transparent manner, and everybody can invest in the markets confidently and companies can

In a recent discussion in the Georgetown McDonough Undergraduate Program group on LinkedIn, students learned how to use Twitter to find employment. Highlighting Twitter’s speed and efficiency, the social media platform allows students to easily connect with people in the industry in an interactive and stress-free environment. The discussion highlighted the importance of social media and one’s presence online and how it is has become increasingly important in today’s world.

DO INTERNSHIPS MATTER?

Another discussion in the Georgetown McDonough Undergraduate Program LinkedIn group focused on recent research about the turnaround rate of summer internships to full-time job offers. Students discovered that while internships are important, the industry in which you intern is equally important. In industries like accounting, where many internships are available and 60 percent turn into job offers, students prosper. On the other hand, there is a severe lack of venture capital and private equity internships and only 20 percent turn into offers. Internships remain an integral part of the undergraduate business experience and help in finding a post-graduation offer, but there remains a large disparity between sectors, of which students should be cognizant.

COURTESY DANA STEFANCZYK

After the success of last year’s Financial Markets Conference, the conference will be held for a third time, with policy makers convening to discuss current global financial issues and potential solutions.

Alum Envisions the New Zazzle

COMMENTARY

New Climate Change Plan Falsifies Claims I

raise capital in an efficient manner?” Aggarwal said. “I think that’s really important for the competitiveness of U.S. financial markets.”

Aggarwal urges that students consider attending as well, since lectures will present information relevant for those interested in entrepreneurship or gaining a richer knowledge of current financial trends in general.

“You have a great idea, but at the end of the day you’re going to need funds to make your venture sustainable and grow,” Aggarwal said of aspiring student entrepreneurs. “Any student that’s interested in any aspect of financing should come to the conference. We can really come up with some solutions and some recommendations going forward.”

“It seems very important to stay up to date on the financial markets, especially as a business student, and this conference is a great opportunity to do so,” Theodore Gritz (MSB ’15) said.

With recruitment season underway, the conference allows students to start meeting and networking with high-ranking members of financial and policy groups.

But along with basic networking, Aggarwal claims that information gleaned at the conference will prove useful when interviewing.

“There will be lots of people from government agencies, there will be lots of people from the private sector,” Aggarwal said. “Juniors who are going to be interviewing for the summer jobs need to have some unique things to talk about in their interviews. They don’t want to sound like every other potential candidate.”

Since the conference will examine the past, present and future of financial markets, students will be able to build a knowledge base of changing capital market structure, as well as get insights into changes currently underway. PwC, a consulting group that frequently recruits Georgetown graduates, will be presenting its Capital Markets 20/20 report, which will discuss their strategic plans for the next decade.

The conference will begin at 9:30 a.m. with registration through the Center for Financial Markets and Policy website.

DAVID BROWN Hoya Staff Writer

The plan assigns each state a target n June, the Environmental Protection Agency publicized its ratio that it is supposed to achieve by proposed regulation, the Clean 2030, ranging from 215 pounds per Power Plan, which would cut car- megawatt hour in Washington to bon pollution from existing power 1,783 pounds in North Dakota.

Remember that middle school plants.

Now, the clock is ticking; the pub- math class? Ratios have numerators lic has until Oct. 16 to comment, and denominators. States can meet after which the agency will finalize their targets by reducing their numerators — carbon — which would the regulation next spring.

The EPA calls the plan the “key to help slow climate change. Or they American leadership in our global can increase their denominators — climate fight.” Sen. Elizabeth War- electricity — which would do nothren (D-Mass.) called it a “powerful ing for the global climate.

There’s more. step,” and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.)

The rule allows states to pad the called it “the beginning of the end of America’s long, dirty power plant denominators of their regulated era.” And the European Union’s cli- ratios by including energy not promate commissioner called it “the duced due to efficiency and conservation efforts. In strongest action ever other words, the detaken by the U.S. govnominators — megaernment to fight cliwatt hours of electricmate change,” which I ity — can be the sum of believe was meant as a electricity generated compliment. plus electricity not Are they correct? generated.

States Electricity generathat take steps to tion accounts for 32 subsidize home percent of U.S. greenArik Levinson insulation and energyhouse gas emissions as saving appliances can of 2012, and the plan is advertised as cut- Actual energy savings estimate how much energy those steps ting those emissions are only one-quarter will save and add by 30 percent by 2030.

But that’s 30 percent of those projected. those savings to their Clean Power Plan relative to 2005 levels, when U.S. power sector carbon emis- denominators.

Here’s the thing: Estimating ensions peaked. Emissions have already fallen 16 percent since 2005, thanks ergy saving from those types of proto the calamitous recession and new grams involves some of the trickiest discoveries of cheap, low-carbon nat- problems in all of economics, and ural gas. A more accurate statement states have every incentive to err on would be calling the Clean Power the side of exaggeration.

New research using Michigan’s Plan a 17 percent reduction relative home insulation program suggests to 2012. that actual energy savings realized It gets worse.

The new rule is what’s called a are only one-quarter of what energy “rate-based” standard. That means auditors project. And this “pad-therather than regulating the level of denominator” strategy accounts for carbon emissions from power plants, half of the EPA’s projected 30 perit regulates the ratio of carbon emis- cent — in actuality, 17 percent — resions to electricity generation. That’s duction in carbon emissions.

Maybe the Clean Power Plan will an odd choice, because the global climate only cares about the top number in that ratio: carbon.

See LEVINSON, A9

Josh Wei (SFS ’08) is making waves in the customizable apparel industry with his startup company Taggler. A joint venture with Josh’s brother, Jason, a University of Southern California Marshall School of Business graduate, the company allows consumers to create and design custom T-shirts, tank tops, polos and a variety of other shirt styles.

Beginning as a class project in Jason’s entrepreneurial class at USC, the idea of Taggler took shape through the USC Viterbi Startup Garage, a cross between business entrepreneurship and engineering ability.

A 10-week challenge between accepted projects, the Startup Garage pits teams against each other to create a business space, develop their product and create a sales plan.

“I remember taking a lot of classes that were very strategy focused — most had the message ‘Innovate or Die,’” Wei said, crediting his Georgetown education as providing the foundations for his entrepreneurship drive. “I think that helped me in the way I thought about business.

Despite success in the Viterbi challenge, Taggler struggled to find investors until the brothers were able to rally a fellow Hoya alumnus and find supplementary investors at a financial literacy competition in Los Angeles, in which Josh was a judge.

The investments from a fellow Hoya alumnus who chose to remain anonymous, accounting for around 10 percent of Taggler’s total investments, along with help from a personal investor, let Taggler get off the ground. The company has already generated over $150,000 in annual sales and expects to see large gains in the coming years.

The key to Taggler’s business model is its network of printers that provide customers with various options for their apparel, based on quality and price information.

The company combines a system of blind bidding and a Yelp-like review system to provide a wide array of options. Customers use the easy Taggler interface to choose shirt style, color, size and custom art designs that they can upload themselves

Visit us online at thehoya.com/business

COURTESY JOSH WEI

Georgetown students and Fr. O’Brien, S.J., hold up a shirt made by Taggler, a customizable apparel startup founded by a Georgetown alum. before submitting orders to printers. Various printers then submit a blind, one-time bid for the job and customers are able to choose a printer. Customers can read the reviews of each printing company that have been written by past Taggler companies before deciding upon which company to use.

“We are unique, there is nothing like us out there. We use a mix of a qualitative and quantitative approach to printing to find the right printer for each customer,” Wei said.

“Every order is unique and each order requires something different — our network of printers provides that to customers.”

Taggler has currently been focusing on university clubs and events for its main source of revenue, with over 100 campus representatives across the country at schools including USC, University of California at Los Angeles, New York University, Duke and Georgetown University.

With 50 percent of sales coming directly from universities, Taggler has started to dig a niche for itself in customizable printing.

“We want to become a major player in the market as it is continually growing and we see great potential.

In addition, we want to expand outward from the apparel market to the entire custom printing market as a whole,” Wei said.

Although the market of customiz-

able products is already saturated, Taggler aims to stand out through commitment to customer service.

“The consumer gets multiple choices of price, quality and ability to choose, which translates into ease, convenience and a level of transparency never before seen in an industry that’s notorious for overcharging and poor customer service,” Wei said. “We also feel that no one’s ever attempted to try to consolidate the industry in this way, bringing consumers and suppliers under one roof.”

The enterprise has already snagged significant partnerships with Georgetown, providing the t-shirts for the Welcome Back Jack barbecue for the last two years, and has partnerships with various clubs on campus such as the Graduate Student Organization and the McDonough School of Business case competition team.

The Wei brothers have big ambitions for Taggler in the coming years — when asked where Josh sees the company five years from now he explained their changing business plan and marketability.

“We envision Taggler being a customizable promotional goods company, doing anything from banners to golf balls,” he said. “We will also continue to develop and expand the Taggler verified printer network, an asset that can be of use to other companies and consumers in general.”