The Hoya: November 7, 2014

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

Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 96, No. 20, © 2014

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

CREATIVE WRITING

EDITORIAL The 31 club sports teams deserve more than one athletic trainer.

The poems, short stories and other creative work of Georgetown students.

SPECIAL PULLOUT GUIDE

RIGBY Ten years after Daniel Rigby’s death, GU has seen changes to fire safety.

WOMEN’S SOCCER Georgetown will face St. John’s Friday in New York for the Big East semifinal.

NEWS, A5

OPINION, A2

SPORTS, A10

DC Votes Early Applications See Demographic Shift To Legalize Marijuana Suzanne Monyak

RACIAL DEMOGRAPHICS

Hoya Staff Writer

Jack Bennett Hoya Staff Writer

Voters in the District of Columbia passed Initiative 71 on Tuesday, voting to legalize the possession of recreational marijuana.

The ballot measure, which was supported by 69 percent of voters, will now move to a congressional review period before implementation by the D.C. Council.

Initiative 71 allows individuals over 21 to possess up to two ounces of marijuana and cultivate as many as six plants, as long as only three or fewer are mature. The legislation does not allow the sale of recreational marijuana, but individuals may freely give up to one ounce of the substance and sell or use marijuana paraphernalia. D.C.’s marijuana initiative does not put a tax system in place, since voters are not allowed to directly establish a tax system.

Residents voted Tuesday to legalize marijuana in Oregon and Alaska as well.

The initiative was widely expected to pass, though a recent Washington City Paper poll placed support for legalization at 52 percent, much lower than eventual voter support.

“There are no perfect answers to people’s legitimate concerns about marijuana use.

But neither are there such answers about tobacco or alcohol, and we believe that on every level — the health effects, the impact on society and law-and-order issues — the balance falls squarely on the side of national legalization,” the New York Times editorial board wrote in its endorsement of the initiative.

In accordance with the D.C. Home Rule Act of 1973, the legislation is subject to a 60day congressional review period. If Congress chooses not to act, the bill will become law.

However, Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) and other congressmen have already expressed their intent to block the initiative.

“Actions by those in D.C. will result in higher drug use among teens,” Harris said in a written statement to The Washington Post.

“I will consider using all resources available to a member of Congress to stop this action.”

To do so, Congress would have to pass a resolution rejecting the initiative, which would then require the president’s signature. After D.C. voters passed legislation legalizing medical marijuana in 1998, Congress delayed its implementation until 2009.

After the initiative’s passage, around 70 activists, campaigners and supporters gathered at the Meridian Pint Bar to celebrate legalization in the District by drinking local beer in support of D.C. charities.

D.C. Cannabis Campaign Press Officer Zack Pesavento (SFS ’08) noted that while See MARIJUANA, A6

Early applicants to Georgetown’s Class of 2019 changed demographically along with national trends, while the competitiveness of the applicant pool increased and the breakdown of applications between undergraduate schools stayed stable.

Early action applications, which are non-binding, were due Nov. 1.

This first round of applications precedes regular decision applications, which are due Jan. 10, 2015.

This year’s early admissions pool saw a rise in Hispanic applicants and a decrease in non-Hispanic white applicants, in accordance with national trends.

This year, 4,454 students who identified themselves as white applied, a decrease from the 4,527 who applied last year. With this decrease in white applicants came an increase in applicants who identified as African-American, rising from 571 last year to 582 applicants this year; Asian-American, which rose from 896 to 912 applicants this year; and Hispanic-American, which rose the most, from 750 to 790 applicants this year.

Director of Undergraduate Admissions Charles Deacon attributed this change, a demographic

4,527

Class of 2018

4,454

912

896

White

Asian

trend since 2011, to the rising number of Hispanic high school graduates and decreasing number of white high school graduates. According to a report by the Western Interstate Commission of Higher Education, after rising between 1996 and 2011, the total number of high school graduates has since begun to decline.

“The number of people applying [to four-year colleges] is going down, and it’s shifting away from

Hoya Staff Writer

The 20th annual Rangila dance show will be held at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts on Nov. 22 as a result of structural problems in the show’s usual venue, Gaston Hall.

The coordinators of the cultural dance performance, which is put on by the South Asian Society and will feature around 500 student dancers, officially signed a contract

COURTESY SCOTT SUCHMAN

Dance show Rangila will be held at the Kennedy Center this weekend.

790

750

Hispanic

people who have traditionally been most likely to apply — white Americans in particular, who’ve been the ones most likely to apply, are significantly dropping. Hispanic-Americans who have been the least likely to apply is the increasing number,” Deacon said.

With 6,827 applications received as of Nov. 6, Deacon projected that Georgetown would receive about 6,860 applications total, an alltime high for the past four years,

582

571

Black including the trickle of excused late applications that arrive after the deadline.

Georgetown received at least two applications from all 50 states in this early round, and 516 applications from international addresses.

Early application numbers to the College, the School of Foreign Service and the McDonough School of Business went up this year, while See APPLICATIONS, A6

Fluke Falls Short in California State Senate Bid Maureen Tabet Hoya Staff Writer

California State Senate candidate Sandra Fluke (LAW ’12) lost her race in the state’s 26th District to fellow Democrat and longtime area resident Ben Allen on Tuesday.

Fluke received 39 percent of the vote in the runoff election, which pitted the two Democrats against each other as part of California’s “jungle primary” rules, in which the top two finishers in the primary election, regardless of party, face off in the general election. Her large margin of defeat comes in stark contrast to her close secondplace finish in the June primary and her fundraising advantage over Allen throughout the campaign.

Fluke gained national recognition after testifying in 2012 in front of Congress about the Affordable Care Act’s birth control mandate, urging Georgetown University to cover the co-pay for female

students’ contraceptives, which it did not do until August 2012.

Conservative radio show host Rush Limbaugh called Fluke a “slut” in response to her testimony, drawing widespread criticism for his comments.

Fluke continued to stand up for women’s rights after the incident, and spoke on the role of women at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. She originally contemplated a run for the retiring Rep. Henry Waxman’s (D-Calif.) seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

H*yas for Choice President Abby Grace (SFS ’16) attributed Fluke’s candidacy and primary success to the positive national attention she received for standing up for women’s needs.

“The positive media reaction afterward, reporting her and using that as a larger platform to call out not only Rush Limbaugh but other Republican commentators increased her name ID to where See FLUKE, A6

COURTESY STAND WITH SANDRA

Women’s rights advocate Sandra Fluke (LAW ’12) lost to fellow Democrat Ben Allen in her bid to become a California state senator.

Rangila to Grace the Kennedy Center Stage Emma Rizk

Class of 2019

with the Kennedy Center last Friday.

Last month, The Office of Planning and Facilities Management performed an engineering analysis on Gaston Hall’s stage and found it to be structurally unsound for groups of over 45 people. Renovations will occur on the stage this summer.

Event coordinators Alisha Datwani (MSB ’15) and Medha Chandorkar (COL ’15) said that after discovering that Gaston Hall was no longer an option for the performance, they met with the Center for Student Engagement and the Office of the President to brainstorm venues.

“As soon as we found out that we didn’t have Gaston, we called a meeting with the South Asian Society board and we all collaboratively came up with every single option in the general vicinity of Georgetown as to where we could hold Rangila,” Datwani said.

Rangila Master of Ceremony Priya Sharma (MSB ’15) said that the sudden announcement regarding Gaston’s condition worried many performers and choreographers.

“The second you take away Gaston Hall, that’s at the core of what Rangila is, it’s a tradition,” Sharma said. “People are excited to perform in such a

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

See RANGILA, A6

Stage Not Structurally Sound Margaret Heftler Hoya Staff Writer

FILE PHOTO: ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

After 19 years of Rangila, the stage in Gaston Hall cannot support the dance show and is in need of structural repairs.

Published Tuesdays and Fridays

Gaston Hall’s stage can no longer support large groups of performers, like those in Rangila, and will undergo construction this summer, after an engineering analysis conducted recently found structural problems with the platform.

According to the Office of the President’s Chief of Staff Joseph Ferrara, the engineers who evaluated the space said that the stage is not structurally sound for groups of over 45 people. The first consequence of this analysis will be the relocation of the South Asian Society’s Rangila dance show from its traditional Gaston performance to the Kennedy Center this weekend.

“Most events could continue as planned with two important restrictions,” Ferrara wrote in an email. “First, we should not do an event with more than 45 people on the stage at the same time. Second, we should not do an event that involves a lot of dancing, jumping and stomping on the stage.”

See STAGE, A6

Send Story Ideas and Tips to news@thehoya.com

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OPINION

THE HOYA

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

THE VERDICT

C

Founded January 14, 1920

EDITORIALS

Defending Club Athletes How many times did we hear, “Safety is our number one priority” in high school physical education classes? It may be impossible to count, but if students could glean anything from high school P.E., it’s that there’s no fun in sports when sports aren’t safe.

It’s in this spirit that the university should allocate additional funding to expand the pilot program that has provided club sports with their sole athletic trainer.

Athletic trainers provide critically important support to all athletes — regardless of the level of their competition. Trainers can recommend exercises and conditioning techniques to help athletes avoid injuries on the field. In addition, trainers provide necessary therapy to those athletes who do get injured while playing their sport, helping athletes recover in a timely fashion and get back on the field as soon as possible.

The differences between varsity and club athletics are as significant as they are self-evident. While some disparity in resources is to be expected between varsity sports and club sports, this disparity cannot be justified when it

comes to resources that promote the safety of student-athletes — varsity or not.

As it stands, the club sports that present the greatest risks to students’ safety are participating in a pilot program that shares one trainer among seven club sports teams: men’s and women’s rugby, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s lacrosse, boxing and ice hockey. This is a positive first step in the direction of levelling the playing field with regard to student safety. The spirit with which this pilot program is pursued should ref lect a desire to make it work, rather than a desire to see if it works.

Pilot programs are useful to see what can be possible. When student safety is at stake, however, it is a mistake to let a pilot program go on too long, leaving the students in the 24 club sports teams who are not part of the program without proper care.

It is for this reason — the prioritization of student health — that the club sports trainer program should be prioritized in funding allocation. Anything less neglects the standard of care all of our students deserve.

Predicting Preregistration Preregistration at any stage can be a very daunting process. Students often spend the entire preregistration period agonizing over which classes to take, which order to take them and how to formulate their schedule, followed by a period of self-doubt.

Although Georgetown does a good job making preregistration less stressful for students as compared to some colleges where registration opens at a certain time and classes fill up in a matter of seconds, more steps could be taken to make the process easier.

Some departments, like many of those in the School of Foreign Service, help students plan for their major by publishing a list of classes that have been offered in recent years. Other departments, like philosophy, distribute a list of courses that will tentatively be offered in the upcoming semesters. Although the details of these course lists are subject to change, these resources

help students better plan their four years at the Hilltop.

Especially when it comes to planning extracurricular commitments, knowing potential course offerings in advance will allow students to anticipate academic needs in case they are interested in going abroad or working an internship, or simply need to craft their expected four-year plan.

Even if the lists provided in advance do not perfectly reflect what courses will be offered a year in the future, publishing even short or tentative lists will help students design academic trajectories depending on which courses are offered during specific semesters.

Most departments already have some sort of schedule of course offerings in place long before preregistration begins. As long as it’s clear that the schedule is tentative, there shouldn’t be any harm in sharing the list with students, too.

A Wasted Wednesday For the majority of undergraduates, making it home in time for Thanksgiving dinner later this month will require significant time spent in a car, bus, train, airplane or some combination of the above.

This time is usually spent the day before Thanksgiving, a day on which the university holds classes. In order to allow students to return home to their families for Thanksgiving, Georgetown should consider officially cancelling classes on the Wednesday before the holiday.

The fact that Georgetown students are not afforded the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off is not the most dire issue facing this campus. However, it is a problem that forces many students to choose between their academics and their families.

In practice, professors often end up

cancelling classes that Wednesday as it becomes clear that attendance will be subpar. Theoretically, this works, but student who must book tickets far in advance often cannot know whether their professors will cancel class for the holiday, and end up with either farfrom-ideal travel plans or expensive lastminute tickets.

For professors who do hold class, the session is often wasted as students choose their families over philosophy or statistics. This does a disservice to professors who must plan their syllabi with this Wednesday course session in mind and end up with few students present.

With Thanksgiving looming, no one learns anything on Wednesday. Georgetown should acknowledge this reality and change its calendar to ensure no one has to choose between academics and Thanksgiving dinner.

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

Contributing Editors

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

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

C C C

Dank Chronic — Because D.C. passed Initiative 71, legalizing recreational marijuana use and cultivation, and Republicans took control of the U.S. Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections, Stephen Colbert joked that Obama should enjoy the marijuana that D.C. residents voted to legalize “as nothing’s going to get done in Congress anyway.”

Toy Hall of Fame? — The little green army men, the Rubik’s Cube and bubbles were officially inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame.

They will join other greats such as Barbie, G.I. Joe and Scrabble.

Campaign Limits — Certain neighborhoods in the District and surrounding counties are forcing residents to take down their campaign signs. Even on private property, signs must be taken down within 15 to 30 days, depending on the county, under threat of fines reaching above $100.

A Union of Bicyclists — Workers for Capital Bikeshare are interested in joining a union. They are seeking support at a National Labor Relations Board meeting later this month.

A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD US ... @_PatrickCurran

Nov. 5 @karentravers @TheFix this reminds of the time a @gtownvoice staffer came to @thehoya office to inform us he was gonna eat 100 Peeps @ungaro

Nov. 3 RT @thehoya Ofra Strauss: “Women r not one color.” Strauss stresses need for inveesting in #womeninbusiness by collaborating btwn countries @adamnramadan

Oct. 31 Great piece by @thehoya. Not so sure Georgetown is a “bar school”, but a lot of insightful commentary nontheless

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Georgetown Absent at ANC Election To the Editor: We in D.C.’s Ward 2 have a shameful record about turnout at midterm elections.

In the Nov. 4 election, only 30.5 percent of our registered voters showed up at the polls, lower than the city-wide average of 32.5 percent. That was a sharp drop-off from the 61.1 percent of Ward 2 voters who turned out in 2012 for the presidential election.

We need to put on our thinking caps about how to get more people to the polls. Particularly concerning is the situation regarding Georgetown University students. In ANC2E04, a single-member district with a population of about 2,000 people essentially all of whom are students (it covers New South, Village C, and Alumni Square), only 32 people voted last Tuesday. That was bad, but worse was ANC2E08, another all-student district (covering Harbin, Village C, and Copley), where 10 people voted — and only two of them voted for their ANC rep. That is embarrassing. Mind you, this was is in an election where marijuana legalization was on the ballot; one would think some students would be interested in that matter. Not that the 2012 election was much better: then, 10 people voted for ANC reps in ANC2E04, though, thanks to a deter-

This week on

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

Ayan Mandal (COL ’18) highlights difficulties in the abortion debate: Instantly, we should recognize that value for human life is not a distinctly religious value, but rather a secular value as well. The difference really lies in how we define life. People who are pro-choice define life as beginning when the fetus can survive on his or her own. However, I do feel that people who are pro-choice tend to gloss over this point that is so critical to people who are pro-life.”

“

Find this and more at

thehoya.com/chatter

Jason Yoffe, Director of Accounting Brenna Muldrow, Director of Corporate Development Nicole Foggan, Director of Marketing Addie Fleron, Director of Human Resources Brian Carden, Director of Sales Janet Zhu, Director of Technology Senior Accounts Manager National Accounts Manager Operations Manager Local Accounts Manager Alumni Relations Manager Special Events Manager Institutional Diversity Manager Organizational Development Manager Local Advertisements Manager National Advertisements Manager Systems Manager

Editorial Board

Consultants

David Chardack, Chair

Nick DeLessio, Kevin Tian

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

Patrick Clawson Georgetown resident

[ CHATTER ]

Michal Grabias, General Manager

Tessa Bell Laura Tonnessen Joseph Scudiero Monika Patel Tessa Guiv Catherine Huber Christine Cha Sarah Hannigan Gregory Saydah Lena Duffield Matthew Da Silva

mined candidate, 259 did so in ANC2E08.

The Georgetown ANC provides an important community voice about what can and cannot be built in our community.

When the ANC single-member district lines were redrawn after the 2010 census, student voices loudly demanded that there be at least two ANC districts that were overwhelmingly students, and that was done. Yet now, exactly 2 voters determined who will be one of the eight voices speaking for our community.

Two factors may account for this abysmal turnout. First, for all the talk by celebrities about the importance of voting, some students may not have gotten the message. That would be sad news and should lead us to redouble our efforts to persuade them to participate in our democracy. Second, students do not feel attached to the Georgetown community and so they register elsewhere (as a committed D.C. Republican, I reject any excuse that people want to vote only in hotly contested jurisdictions). If so, we need to do more to make them feel part of the community, and we should point out the risk that the student voice may not be heard if they do not vote.

Board of Directors

Sheena Karkal, Chair

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

Letters should not exceed 300 words.

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

Send all submissions to: opinion@thehoya.com.

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

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OPINION

FRIDAY, November 7, 2014

THE HOYA

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HOYA HISTORIAN

Matthew Quallen

When the Jesuits Stole With GOP Resurgence, Dems Fight for Beliefs, Our Fire A More Adaptive Party Not Against Others B O I VIEWPOINT • Valencia

y now, it has become cliche to invoke Georgetown’s Jesuit identity across virtually every category of university policy.

“Georgetown University, as a Catholic and Jesuit institution, is committed to providing fair and competitive compensation packages for university employees” — so opens the Just Employment Policy for Georgetown University.

“Inspired by the Catholic and Jesuit principles of respect for the dignity of all, cura personalis, equality, and education of the whole person, the Center seeks…” — so reads the LGBTQ Resource Center’s Mission Statement.

It might surprise, then, that neither Georgetown’s LGBTQ Resource Center nor its Just Employment Policy — which essentially secures a living wage — came easily. Despite proclaiming its accord with its 225-year-old mission, the university created the resource center only as recently as 2008 and agreed to implement a living wage only as recently as 2005. The latter concession came only after the university succumbed to intense pressure from students, 30 of whom conducted a nine-day hunger strike.

Administrative resistance to a living wage policy seems even stranger in the context of recent events. In the past few years, the university has entered an extended partnership with apparel manufacturers observing ethical production practices. This fall, the university made a point to purchase T-shirts for New Student Orientation from Alta Gracia, a factory where workers earn a living wage and are employed in humane conditions.

The university made its own take on the choice unmistakably clear: “Georgetown’s newest students are wearing symbols of the university’s Jesuit values during orientation — T-shirts made by a factory in the Dominican Republic that offers workers a living wage.”

And yet, Georgetown’s commitment to ethically supplied apparel did not simply emanate from the penumbra of its Jesuit values. Students drove that commitment, largely through the work of the Georgetown Solidarity Committee, the same group behind much of the successful campaign to secure a living wage for Georgetown employees, and anti-sweatshop organizers in the 1990s.

Georgetown’s Jesuit values behave like an adaptive machine for the administration. They permit the university to wholly swallow the accomplishments of careful student organizing and incorporate them into a larger narrative.

They are the university’s most-used tool for absorbing student achievements.

In some cases, this carries serious consequences; where narrative ownership might protect and rally communities, as in the case of Georgetown’s LGBTQ community, the process of co-opting history threatens to convince a community of its own toothlessness. In these cases, the project of untangling the assimilative account of the past becomes a necessary project.

And yet, more than imprinting toothlessness onto certain student communities, adaptable Jesuit values provide a much-needed line of attack.

For GU Fossil Free, this means outlining a proposal that aims to “make clear Georgetown’s moral obligation to divest as both a Catholic and Jesuit university.”

For Hoyas United for Free Speech, the student group seeking expansive protections for substantive free speech on Georgetown’s campus, this means marshalling the argument that Georgetown is not living up to its Jesuit values: “As Women and Men for Others we have a duty to listen to and engage with others’ points of view. Suppressing speech prevents us from fulfilling this obligation.”

In either case, the petitioner extends an olive branch to the university: Jesuit values. To the university, the petition submits “my demand can be a part of our tradition.”

This idealizes the bargain these groups make, which borders on the Faustian. The power students gain by invoking Jesuit values is also their price: They invite the university to seize their narratives. The bargain offers the university the chance to save face.

Rather than suffer a rout, the university can instead experience a come-to-Jesus moment, push outward the boundary of its commitment to Jesuit values and move along. While administrators lick their wounds, the communications office begins to prepare something nice for the website, and students begin to forget.

Matthew Quallen is a junior in the School of Foreign Service. HOYA HISTOrIAN appears every other Friday.

f you were among those doublechecking that your midterm was going to be graded on a curve, you’re most likely one of two things: an orgo student or a Republican.

For those of you who somehow haven’t heard the results: Not only did the GOP win majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but it won more congressional seats this year than in any other election in nearly a century. While this statistic alone marks 2014 as a historic election year for Republicans, I’m more focused on two patterns that characterize this massive win.

First, the fact that conservative female candidates made a prominent and consistently successful appearance in races nationwide and second, that a number of blue states turned red.

The party that is sometimes criticized by opponents as “waging a war on women” has just produced the youngest female ever elected to Congress, 30-year-old Elise Stefanik, who won the election in New York’s 21st District by 22 points.

The representative-elect admits that she “didn’t look like a normal congressional candidate,” but I predict that with her victory she will become the new normal, playing a substantial role in changing the gender and economic demographics of the GOP. Being a woman is the obvious deviation from the stereotypical Republican male demographic, but her economic background only adds to her unique image.

The first in her family to graduate from college (Harvard, no less), Stefanik began her career in the family plywood business and worked her way up to a position in George W. Bush’s White House. Having pulled herself up by the bootstraps in classic Republican fashion, Stefanik appeals to two groups that have previously been associated with Democrats: women and the economically underprivileged.

Also appealing to the female demographic is Mia Love. As the representative-elect for Utah’s 4th Congressional District, Love is the first black Republican woman ever elected to Congress. While it’s no secret that the GOP experiences difficulty in capturing the vote of ethnic minorities, Mia Love’s skin color and party allegiance should not overshadow her impressive qualifications for Congress. For those who claim women can’t have it all, take a look at Love’s time as the mayor of Saratoga

VIEWPOINT • Johnson

Springs, where she was successful in balancing low taxes and a booming population, all while raising three children.

The second highlight of the night for Republicans came with results of senate races. No, this highlight wasn’t catching Senator McConnell give his signature attempt at a smile (which almost always has an endearingly awkward result), but was rather the succession of news alerts announcing that conservatives had won races in a number of seats in states formerly held by Democrats. In North Carolina, Arkansas and Colorado, Republican candidates defeated the liberal incumbent in tight races.

Let’s look closer at Colorado: In both 2008 and 2012, Obama won the Centennial State with a comfortable margin, and before Tuesday, the state was represented by two Democratic senators as well as a governor from the same party. While critics could point out that Republican senator-elect Cory Gardner is the state’s only conservative in a major position of authority, I see the win as a sign of the dwindling popularity of liberals. If Democrats were able to lose a historically blue, incumbent seat despite massive campaign efforts from party stars like Hillary Clinton, there should be no doubt that constituent allegiance to the Democratic Party is beginning to waver, coincidentally just in time for 2016.

This brings me to my final point: What does Tuesday mean for Hillary’s inevitable 2016 run? While there is no doubt that Clinton has become the face of the Democratic Party, her first major hurdle on the road to the White House has called her popularity into question. A rigorous period of campaigning on behalf of Democratic candidates has ended with an impressive list of defeats: Mark Udall, Charlie Crist, Martha Coakley, Kay Hagan and Alison Lundergan Grimes, just to name a few. If the influence of Clinton wasn’t able to sway midterms, perhaps the nation isn’t as “ready for Hillary” as Democrats had thought.

As this consequential election cycle comes to a close, Mia Love represents the GOP best in saying, “Now, the real work begins.”

Republicans won both houses of Congress by a historic margin.

ELLIE VALENCIA is a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service. She is the recruitment director of the D.C. Federation of College Republicans.

ne of my mother’s favorite aphorisms is that one should never fight against things one doesn’t like; she only fights for things in which she believes. Growing up, I struggled with this because it is often hard to become passionate about an issue or a candidate without having some level of distaste for its alternative. A common reaction is to take no stance at all, as much of the American electorate did this past Tuesday when deciding whether or not to make the effort to vote.

Thanks to modern polling, we had a pretty good idea of who would vote and for whom they would vote before a single ballot was cast. Despite this knowledge, as the numbers came in, it was hard not to be a little bit stunned by the results.

Under President Barack Obama — a Democrat — and laws passed by the current Congress, the economy is better than it has been since before the recession, gas prices are down and more people receive health care through Medicaid and private insurance than ever before. However, no one turned out to vote in favor of the lawmakers who wrote the laws that made these things possible.

According to exit polls, the sentiment that voters most identified with was that the country is on the wrong track. They expressed dissatisfaction with leaders on both sides of the aisle.

The Republican Party saw this dissatisfaction and ran with it, winning votes based almost solely on negativity.

They touted their “no” votes on the Affordable Care Act as well as their opposition to women’s economic equality, environmental protection and — most importantly — the president.

However, none put forward any bold new ideas for the future of the country.

Republicans exploited the fact that many voters pointed to the gridlock and partisanship of Washington as a need for change, despite the fact that this view fails to adequately recognize why Congress is so dysfunctional. The change we need would come from politicians on both sides working together for the good of the American public. If both parties could shift the focus from what the other side is doing wrong to how they can work together, everyone would be better for it.

The Democrats did a better job than the Republicans this election cycle of articulating policies that would improve the lives of Americans. Most Democratic candidates supported a higher minimum wage, safe and legal access to contraception and abortion,

more compassionate immigration policies and the expansion of Medicaid.

These are stances that are overwhelmingly popular. Unfortunately, we saw a disconnect between voters’ beliefs and their loyalties, leading the electorate to pass ballot issues on liberal policies, but elect candidates who oppose these same policies.

Part of the problem was that candidates tried to distance themselves from progressive issues. The Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate from Kentucky, Alison Lundergan Grimes, failed to communicate why voters should vote for her. Despite being pro-choice and pro-health care expansion, she spent her time avoiding telling voters if she voted for President Obama and not enough time telling them why insurance expansion, environmental protection and bank regulation would benefit them. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), her opponent, mostly discussed his opposition to the ACA. In Virginia, Sen. Mark Warner (DVa.) did actually take progressive stances on issues, but was unable to motivate apathetic voters to express their support for these issues by voting. The same was true of Sen. Kay Hagan (DN.C.) in North Carolina. Warner won by less than a percentage point in a state that was expected to vote blue.

Hagan was not so lucky.

We should demand more from their candidates and elected officials. Liberal politicians and pundits have spent too much time playing defense against opponents who do nothing but find loopholes in their arguments while doing little to outline alternatives. This election should serve as a lesson.

Hopefully, the Republican Party will feel the pressure of what it takes to be a strong electoral mandate and respond by articulating their policies and beliefs. Democrats, even in conservative states, should take a firmer stance on the issues important to them.

Not only would this give voters on both sides of the aisle a true choice in the 2016 elections at the federal level, but it would make it easier for them to voice their beliefs through the ballot box in local and state elections leading up to then. The country needs voters and candidates to step up and fight for what they believe in as opposed to falling prey to the politics of fear and opposition.

Democrats should take a firmer stance on what is important to them.

BETSY JOHNSON is a junior in the College. She is vice chair of the Georgetown University College Democrats.

THE SENSIBLE CENTRIST

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Cronkite: Biased and Better for It

sk anyone over the age of 40, and he or she will likely say that the last great American broadcast journalist was Walter Cronkite.

From 1937 until 1981, Cronkite reported on many important events in American history; his most famous moments include his report of John F. Kennedy’s assassination and his editorial on the War in Vietnam. Often called “the most trusted man in America” by opinion polls in the ’60s and ’70s, Cronkite is remembered as “a voice of certainty in an uncertain world.”

Many believe that Cronkite was so well-regarded because he was considered non-partisan and unbiased by the majority of Americans who viewed his broadcasts, something that most news anchors today cannot claim. In retrospect, however, many are willing to criticize this notion of Cronkite’s non-partisanship. It was well known that Cronkite was liberal, and looking back, it becomes clear that his agendadriven journalism often promoted liberal causes such as the civil rights movement, as well as liberal politicians like Bobby Kennedy.

What I argue, however, is that being biased or agenda-driven is not a bad thing. Cronkite was so well-liked not necessarily because he was non-partisan but because he went above and beyond in his reporting. Driven by partisanship and a personal agenda, Cronkite worked to unearth information and stories that would otherwise have gone unnoticed.

In early 1968, Cronkite went to Viet- mation. One of the most important and nam to report on the status of the war influential of these is the media. in the aftermath of the Tet Offensive. AfThrough reporting on certain issues ter interviewing Americans in Vietnam and not others, the media guide the and witnessing action on the ground, public’s attention and make certain Cronkite ultimately came to a novel con- issues more salient. They educate the clusion that would change the public’s populace on these issues using informaperception of the War in Vietnam and tion from experts or regular citizens of President Lyndon Johnson. that would otherwise be unavailable to On Feb. 27, 1968, Cronkite concluded the public. Furthermore, the media’s his “Report from Vietnam” with an eye- reporting of issues encourages the disopening editorial: “To cussion and diffusion say that we are closer of these issues throughto victory today is to beout public discourse lieve, in the face of the by initiating conversaevidence, the optimists tions about issues that who have been wrong would otherwise rein the past. To suggest main unknown. we are on the edge of With this, I posit defeat is to yield to pesthat in order to have a simism. To say that we more educated popuTricia Correia are mired in stalemate lace, we need media seems the only realisthat go beyond simply With bias, the tic, yet unsatisfactory, relaying information. conclusion.” deeply investigating media provoke the By By coming to such and reporting his true conclusions, Cronkite findings, Cronkite forpublic to think. swayed public opinever changed the role ion of the Vietnam War from one of of journalism from one of simply transambivalence or support to one of pro- mitting information to one of attempttest. After viewing this broadcast, Presi- ing to understand and think critically dent Johnson was correct in saying, about information.

“If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost Middle In an era where sensationalism has America.” taken over the media, such as the meIn “The Reasoning Voter,” political dia’s overplayed reaction to the missing scientist Samuel Popkin argues that the Malaysian Airlines flight and the Ebola voting public uses rules of thumb or crisis, it is easy for us to wish for a media heuristics in interpreting political infor- that simply reports the facts on all of the

issues. However, this wish is misguided.

Today, we rely on, and should continue to rely on, the media to give us their take on each story. Experienced and skilled journalists and reporters work to find experts and citizens with information and opinions on issues giving the public access to knowledge they would otherwise not have, in part because they are driven to find such sources through holding an agenda or taking a side politically. The best reporting, I argue, starts with a biased agenda and, like Cronkite’s report on Vietnam, ends with a conclusion that considers information from all sides.

When this does not happen and when the information given is extremely biased, it still can end well. Hearing an overly biased account actually encourages the public to search for an account from the other side. With biased accounts, the media provokes the public to continually challenge and check their findings.

In the end, although Walter Cronkite was not the non-partisan that many fondly remember, he was a broadcast journalist who forever changed the role of the media for the better. So, in his memory, I will sign off by offering the famous words that ended every Cronkite broadcast: “And that’s the way it is.”

Tricia Correia is a senior in the McDonough School of Business. THE SENSIBLE CENTRIST appears every other Friday.

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE Monsanto’s executive vice president talked about agricultural technology Wednesday. See story at thehoya.com

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IN FOCUS

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PUPPY PLAYTIME

“

He’s a rambunctious little boy. ... He really is a funny little dog.”

John Stoner, J.J.’s new dad, on the former mascot’s adjustment to home life. See story on A5.

from

FILE PHOTO: NATASHA THOMSON/THE HOYA

ISABEL BINAMIIRA/THE HOYA

People Animals Love, an organization that aims to foster bonds between people and animals, brought Brattland, pictured above, and another dog to Copley Lawn on Wednesday to help alleviate the stress of midterms.

GET TO KNOW YOUR NEW MAYOR Muriel Bowser was elected as the District’s mayor on Tuesday, and 4E has everything you need to know about her. blog.thehoya.com

Alumni See Mixed Results in Midterm Elections KRISTEN FEDOR Hoya Staff Writer

After the dust settled following Tuesday’s midterm elections, incumbent Georgetown alumni retained their seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate, though challengers and gubernatorial candidates were less successful.

DEBORAH DINGELL Democrat Deborah Dingell (SFS ’75, GRD ’98) made history in Michigan’s 12th Congressional District as the first woman to be elected to the seat of a living, retired husband. Dingell succeeds John Dingell (COL ’49, LAW ’52), who has served in the House since 1955, the longest uninterrupted tenure in congressional history. With John Dingell’s father, John Dingell Sr., serving as representative before his son, a member of the Dingell family has continually held the district’s seat since 1933. Dingell defeated her Republican challenger Terry Bowman in a landslide, winning more than 65 percent of the vote.

Dingell said the lengthy history of the Dingell family in Michigan’s 12th District would not make her complacent in her term in office.

“I don’t look at the length of service. I had a giant job interview with the people of the 12th Congressional District. They hired me on Tuesday night,” Dingell told THE HOYA. “Every two years when there is an election, I am accountable to my employers.

I’m going to work hard to deliver for them what they want me to deliver.”

Throughout her campaign, Dingell emphasized job creation, health care and affordable education. She said these goals remain priorities, even with the Republican majority.

“I have been very clear from the beginning that I was going to reach across the aisle, that I wasn’t going to Washington to pick fights, but to work through solutions,” Dingell said.

DICK DURBIN Illinois Democrat Dick Durbin (SFS ’66, LAW ’69), the only Georgetown alum in the Senate up for re-election, won a fourth term in office with 53 percent of the vote, defeating Republican challenger Jim Oberweis. Durbin served as the Senate majority whip since 2007 but must relinquish the position after Republicans gained the majority in the chamber on Tuesday.

Georgetown University government professor Mark Rom pointed to Durbin’s visit to Georgetown last fall to address students in Gaston Hall on immigration reform as an example of his character and an indication of why he continues to be re-elected, calling him charismatic, smart and

COURTESY NICK TROIANO

COURTESY DEBORAH DINGELL

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

HOUSE.GOV

Nick Troiano

Deborah Dingell

Dick Durbin

Hakeem Jeffries

hardworking.

“The students were really appreciative of the work he does, but it was also clear that he loves Georgetown,” Rom said. “He’s not going to overlook his constituencies. Sometimes members of Congress grow distant, but he’s not one of those guys. He’ll take care of the folks back home.”

strated this year, can really shake up politics and catalyze a broader millennial reform movement. I am working with a few others to help create the infrastructure to support this idea,” he wrote.

Troiano ran his campaign under the motto, “American Deserves Better,” criticizing the partisan divide currently plaguing the nation. He remained firm in his independent status after the election, urging at least one of the major parties to take serious steps to reform these political processes.

“Our two-party system only works when both parties work together, and right now they are both failing. That’s partially why independents are the largest and fastest growing segment of the electorate, especially among young people,” Troiano wrote.

Rom, who remembers Troiano’s time as a student, said his intelligence and ambition is undeniable and believes Troiano will remain engaged in political life for years to come.

“He probably got the 13 percent just based on his hustle, his charm and his intelligence,” Rom said. “I’ve had a number of conversations with him and I’m really quite fond of him. I think he’s an impressive guy.”

Although multiple media outlets projected Rauner the victor late Tuesday evening, Quinn refused to concede until late Wednesday afternoon. He maintained he would follow through with his campaign promise of raising the minimum wage in his remaining months in office.

“We respect the results. We respect what the voters did yesterday. I look forward to working with the new administration,” Quinn said in a statement.

In Wisconsin, Burke, who received 47 percent of the vote, failed to unseat incumbent Republican Governor Scott Walker, who earned 52 percent of the vote. Burke’s business-heavy background includes former positions as an executive at Trek Bicycle Corporation and Wisconsin Secretary of Commerce.

Rom attributed both losses to the impact of voter dissatisfaction with President Barack Obama and the entire Democratic Party.

“Voters are unhappy with him both for his performance, but also now for what he stands for,” he said. “He’s the leading symbol of Washington’s dysfunction and of the country being stuck in a rut in some ways. It’s the most important issue on the campaign, beating everything else.”

48.47 percent.

In a statement released Wednesday morning, Delaney joined other Democrats adjusting to the new political reality delivered on Tuesday, and acknowledged the overall victories of the Republican Party, promising a bipartisan approach moving forward.

“Nationwide, Tuesday’s results make it clear that voters want a new approach in Washington, not more dysfunction. I’m committed to continuing to work across the aisle to create jobs and stand up for the people of the 6th District, wherever they live, whatever their party,” he said.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES Hakeem Jeffries (GRD ’94), who was first elected to the House in 2012, won New York’s 8th Congressional District in Brooklyn and Queens, with 91 percent of the vote. Rom, who taught Jeffries, praised his work ethic. Rom said that the overwhelming margin indicated that the congressman was popular enough to keep the seat for life if he desired it.

“It makes people believe that you’re on their side, but also that you’re going to be confident on their side. This guy is going to do what he says and he’s going to be good at it,” Rom said.

NICK TROIANO While Nick Troiano (COL ’11, GRD ’13) lost his race for Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District to incumbent Tom Marino, the 25-year- old independent candidate still earned 13 percent of the vote. Troiano finished with 45 percent of the vote in his hometown of Milford and was the first independent candidate to even make the ballot in the history of the 10th District.

In an email to THE HOYA, Troiano wrote that he does not see himself running again in two years, but left the possibility open for future elections. In the meantime, he explained that he will spend the coming months focusing on how else he can further his ideas of political and fiscal reform, adding that he hopes more independent candidates would run in 2016.

“I think such a slate of candidates, improving on the model we demon-

GUBERNATORIAL LOSSES The multitude of Democratic losses around the country included gubernatorial defeats in Illinois and Wisconsin. Less successful campaigns included two Democratic gubernatorial losses from incumbent Pat Quinn (SFS ’71) of Illinois and Mary Burke (GSB ’81) of Wisconsin.

Quinn, a former sports editor of THE HOYA, who had served as governor of Illinois since former governor Rod Blagojevich was removed from office on corruption charges in January 2009, was narrowly defeated by Republican challenger Bruce Rauner, who received just over 50 percent of the vote, to Quinn’s 46 percent.

JOHN DELANEY Two days after the election, 20 races still remain unresolved, including the effort of incumbent Maryland Democrat John Delaney (LAW ’88) to remain the representative of Maryland’s 6th District to the House of Representatives. Although Delaney currently leads by 2,000 votes and declared victory Wednesday, the western Maryland race against Republican challenger Daniel Bongino will hinge upon the count of absentee ballots.

As of Nov. 6, with 100 percent of precincts reporting, Delaney holds 49.58 percent of the vote, and Bongino holds

TED LIEU California State Senator Ted Lieu (LAW ’94), a Democrat, defeated opponent attorney Elan Carr, a Republican from Beverly Hills, in the congressional race to replace Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), who is retiring after serving in Congress for 40 years.

“I’m going to fight to make sure we enact strong climate change legislation. As an immigrant myself, I’m going to fight for comprehensive immigration reform. And I’m going to work every day to pass a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United,” Lieu said on Southern California Public Radio.

Sandra Fluke (LAW ’12) ran unsuccessfully to replace Lieu in California’s newly redistricted 26th district — Lieu currently represents the 28th.

ALUMNI Fifteen alumni of Georgetown University and Georgetown Law Center currently serve in the House of Representatives. After the retirement of Frank Wolf (LAW ’65, R-Va.) and Dingell’s election, that number will likely remain unchanged, depending on the too-close-to-call election of Delaney. With the re-election of Durbin, six alumni will continue to serve as senators.

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Bowser Post-Dismissal, JJ Thrives in New Home Elected DC Mayor Sarah Smith Hoya Staff Writer

Suzanne Monyak Hoya Staff Writer

D.C. Councilmember Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) won the Washington, D.C. mayoral election Tuesday, defeating opponents David Catania (SFS ’90, LAW ’94) and Carol Schwartz, both running as independents.

Bowser earned 53.96 percent of the vote, with 80,824 votes. Catania, a councilmember-at-large, came second, earning 35.31 percent of the vote and Schwartz earned 7.09 percent of the vote.

“A fifth generation Washingtonian, someone who grew up in North Michigan Park, I came home shortly after college. I dedicated my life to serving my neighbors in Riggs Park and Ward 4, in this city. I’m humbled and I’m grateful to stand here, the next mayor of my hometown,” Bowser said in her victory speech at The Howard Theatre on Tuesday night.

After beating incumbent Mayor Vincent Gray in the Democratic primary last April, Bowser has consistently held the lead in the polls throughout the campaign, holding a four-point lead over Catania in a poll conducted by D.C. pollster Ron Lester released Oct. 4.

Bowser also snagged endorsements from President Barack Obama as well as from The Washington Post.

During her campaign, Bowser has promised to produce more affordable housing, keep Chancellor of Education Kaya Henderson (SFS ’92, GRD ’07) in office and build more middle schools. Bowser reiterated these campaign goals in her victory speech.

“We believe in education reforms that guarantee every child a fair shot, that the middle class is an American right and that government has a role in getting us that. We believe in housing that is clean, safe and affordable and streets that are safe to walk at night. We believe in health care for all and marriage equality and a sustainable D.C. We believe in a level playing field for women, for African-Americans, for Latinos, and for D.C. residents of every background and belief,” Bowser said in her victory speech.

According to The Washington Post, Bowser won voters over in precincts with an income of under $100,000, and Catania won the vote in precincts with a typical income of more than $100,000. At the Georgetown Community Library precinct, the polling location for Georgetown University students, Catania won by 250 votes.

“I promise you, we’re coming to the end of the individual thank yous, because I could actually, as I look around the room, and you know who you are, how grateful I am to each of your for putting in this laboring oar in the water and trying to get us where we wanted to go,” Catania said in his concession speech Tuesday night.

Bowser will be sworn in as mayor in January 2015.

Since his ignominious August 2013 dismissal from the position of live bulldog mascot, Jack Jr. has made a smooth transition into a private home in the Washington, D.C. area, while still maintaining his joie de vivre.

The university chose to remove the year-old puppy, who served as the university’s sixth bulldog mascot, after a settlement with parents whose child was bitten

by J.J. in fall 2012, shortly after his arrival on campus. J.J. took over from the retiring Jack the Bulldog at the end of the 20122013 basketball season.

Fr. Christopher Steck, S.J., who cared for the puppy in New South Hall, received over 100 applications from families eager to adopt J.J. After 15 home visits, Steck picked the Stoner family, who live in the Washington, D.C. area.

John Stoner said that J.J. has become a much happier dog in a home environment.

“I know he loved being the mascot, but it was also kind of complicated for him,” Stoner said. “There were so many things that went on and it was really just a difficult thing and he’s adjusted really well.”

During the selection process last summer, Steck identified certain requirements for J.J.’s new home. These requirements included a family who had experience raising disciplined dogs, lived locally, had at least one adult who is at home regularly and did not have any dogs that would not get along with J.J. Students did not participate in the search process.

According to Stoner, J.J. is welladjusted and well-loved in his new home, where he has lived for about a year.

“In a lot of ways the situation he was in when we adopted him was just unfortunate,” Stoner said.

“He’s a rambunctious little boy.

He’s two now but he’s very, very high-spirited. He really is a fun dog to be around. He’s very loyal.

He’s got an incredible personality.

He really is a funny little dog.”

Stoner, who has owned bulldogs previously, said that his family worked with J.J. to develop a method to minimize behavioral problems.

“He’s fallen into a routine,” Stoner said. “He has become so chill, so calm and fun to be

COURTESY JOHN STONER

Off the Hilltop and out of the spotlight, former university live bulldog mascot Jack Jr. has matured into a well-adjusted 2-year-old, flourishing in a private home environment in the Washington, D.C. area. around that the transition for him has been one where he feels really happy. I think he really loves being here with us.”

According to Stoner, J.J. has also become a bit of a local celebrity when on walks in the Georgetown area.

“People recognize him when we walk him,” Stoner said. “People always remark about him what a great-looking dog [he is] and they say, ‘Isn’t he cool?’ [He is] very gifted physically, quite powerful and quite strong. He is just absolutely so much fun to have around. He is just a very happy little boy and he has so much personality.”

John B. Carroll, J.J.’s replacement, arrived on campus last October, assuming the Jack the Bulldog mantle. The Bulldog Ad-

visory Committee sought to create consistency in the new mascot’s training by cutting the Jack Crew, who care for the bulldog, from approximately 20 members to just six.

Steck said he occasionally visits J.J. and is pleased with his owners and home environment.

“His new parents adore him,” Steck, who remains the caretaker of the retired Jack, wrote in an email. “When I’ve visited him, he’s displayed the same energetic and affectionate personality; he doesn’t seem to have an off switch. ... I am delighted that he has made the transition so smoothly.”

According to Steck, J.J.’s rambunctious personality has not faded, and he still maintains his puppy-like charm.

“He also still loves watching sports on TV — he watches the ball go back and forth, waiting for it to get in reach — it’s hilarious,” Steck wrote. “Like Jack Sr., he loves tearing apart boxes. He is very smart, especially for a bulldog, and will try to get away with things if he can.”

Neve Schadler (COL ’15), the longest serving member of the Jack Crew and its former head, said that while she enjoyed working with J.J., she is happy that he is now in a good home.

“Having the honor of taking care of all three mascots has been a highlight of my Georgetown experience,” Schadler said. “I loved working with J.J. while he was the mascot-in-training and I am so glad that he is with a family that loves and cares for him.”

In Rigby’s Memory, Fire Safety Cooper Logerfo Hoya Staff Writer

Oct. 17 marked 10 years since Daniel Rigby, an MSB senior, passed away due to smoke inhalation from a fire in his townhouse on Prospect Street, triggering various efforts to improve the fire safety standards of off-campus housing for Georgetown students.

The Friends of Rigby Foundation was created in 2006 to advocate for fire safety education. The group provides educational, financial and legal support to college students for the promotion of fire safety and provides smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and fire inspections in off-campus homes and apartments.

“Our overarching goal, part of our mission statement, is that we want to be the leading fire safety campus resource for students,” Friends of Rigby Foundation President Jay Tedino (MSB ’05) said. “That’s the overachieving goal, that’s how we drive our decision-making process, and so the way we see it is there’s three main ways to tackle that.”

The foundation donates fire safety equipment to the Office of Neighborhood Life each year, according to Tedino. This year, it donated $10,000 worth of equipment, which was raised from donations, proceeds from the Run for Rigby race and the Rigby Ball.

The foundation also provides legal services for students in case of emergency and for general education.

“We are trying to make that easier through lining up the pro bono legal sources that exist, for law firms part of their mission is they have to provide some pro bono legal advice and so that can cover a whole host of issues,” Tedino said. “Georgetown has its own law school, which we’ve been speaking with and looking to make that a resource as well.”

The Georgetown Student Tenant Association has also been active in educating students about their legal rights pertaining to fire safety. GSTA

board member Chloe Nalbantian (COL ’15), said that the group teaches students about Basic Business License inspections, which are readily available to all students. BBLs require an inspector to ensure its general safety, which according to GSTA Co-Director Mary Hanley (SFS ’16) is often bypassed by landlords.

“The idea is that an individual who is living in their own home would make their house safe to live in, but of course a landlord might not necessarily make a house they’re renting out as safe as possible because they’re trying to avoid costs,” Hanley wrote in an email.

“Since renters don’t have the same disclosure information when choosing to rent that a homeowner would have access to when buying a home, the BBL is the stamp of approval that if you rent this house, you aren’t living in a deathtrap.”

Hanley said that GSTA helps students ensure that their home has been inspected to prevent fires like the one that took Rigby’s life.

“The reason I’m bringing this all up in the context of Rigby is because his death was completely preventable,” Hanley said. “He was in the basement and when there was a fire, he was trapped because the townhouse he was renting wasn’t compliant with safety regulations. If his property had been recently inspected and his landlord had performed all necessary repairs, Rigby very well could have survived the fire.”

Nalbantian said that it is important to get an inspection because landlords are able to renew their BBL by paying a fee and bypassing the inspection process.

“Hardly anybody knows that you can set up a free government inspection of your house to make sure it’s safe without even telling your landlord, and they will come in within a week to do it,” Nalbantian said.

GSTA has also been making efforts to expand such a network for students. When there is something legally wrong in

the tenant-landlord relationship, GSTA directs students to Office of the Tenant Advocate, which helps tenants take legal action against their landlord.

“Our big worry at GSTA is that there are still students out there who are living in less than appropriate conditions and aren’t doing anything about it because they don’t know where to start,” Nalbantian said.

Nalbantian and Tedino agreed that landlords are often the root of the problem with fire safety.

“It’s more landlords than anything because you would think that they’re good, moral, ethical people or if they’re in this for the right reasons, such as, to not be a slum lord, somebody who doesn’t put money back into the house and just wants to collect a paycheck,” Tedino said.

Nalbantian said that landlords often forgo safety to avoid extra costs, leaving inexperienced students to face the consequences.

“Students aren’t exactly educated enough to know so it is the partial responsibility of the students to stay educated and know how to take steps to make sure their housing is safe. ... It’s definitely not their fault that they are moving into these houses that are not safe, and they don’t know otherwise,” Nalbantian said. “There’s this pressure at Georgetown to scramble for off-campus housing and landlords take advantage of this.”

Tedino said that it is important that Rigby’s passing was not in vain and that there remains an active effort to correct a preventable situation.

“I obviously still miss him like hell; every October’s always a tough time,” Tedino said. “And you play the wondering game sometimes, where would he be right now and where would I be and part of me always wants to thank him just because even though he went in such a tragic circumstance he was still, posthumously, able to be a beacon of light.”

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THE HOYA

DC Votes ‘Yes’ on Pot MARIJUANA, from A1 D.C. was on the forefront of marijuana policy initiatives, ensuring that the bill passes through Congress remains a major hurdle.

“I think that the District of Columbia is really moving the conversation forward on marijuana legalization,” Pesavento said. “We still need to make sure that Congress doesn’t interfere with the bill. If there’s no interference we could see the initiative’s visions go into effect as soon as April.

That means by about this time next year we could start seeing the first legal crop of marijuana in the District of Columbia.”

Cannabis Campaign Chair Adam Edinger, who proposed Initiative 71 to the D.C. Council, was enthusiastic about the results and did not see Congress as likely to interfere.

“This is a big day for justice, we’re ending marijuana arrests once and for all,” Edinger said.

“I don’t think there will be any problems with [congressional review].”

Since the bill does not allow for the sale of marijuana, the D.C. Council will write a bill governing taxation and regulation, but will only be able to do so following congressional review. The council already passed legislation Oct. 28 to seal the criminal records of D.C. residents who have been convicted of non-violent marijuana-related crimes, and Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) introduced legislation to start the regulation process at the end of October.

“I know Councilman Grosso wants to have stores open in

under 12 months, he’s shooting for nine months,” Vanessa West, manager of the Metropolitan Wellness Center, a D.C. medical marijuana dispensary, said. “But that sounds like an overshot in my opinion.”

West was glad to see the bill pass, but she was skeptical that the legislation would pass anytime soon.

“I am very cynical when it comes to legislation going through congressional review,” she said. “I know that when anything dealing with marijuana, abortion or guns, anything dealing with those three things in the District of Columbia, typically congressional Republicans tend to object.”

Will Jones III, founder of anti-legalization group Two Is Enough D.C., felt his group gave its best effort in opposing Initiative 71, but still worried about the impact of the legislation on the District’s society.

“We did as much as we could, we went to community meetings, we spoke with individuals, we handed out fliers,” Jones said.

“We still believe the same thing — that if it goes into effect it’s going to have a devastating impact on the city, particularly on the African-American community.”

Jones said that the group will not disband, as TIE D.C. plans on opposing the taxation and regulation bill in the D.C. Council but will not take an official position on the congressional review because of its implications for D.C. home rule.

“We’re just going to work to minimize the impact of the passage of the legislation in our communities, that’s really why we’re

out here, just out of genuine concern. There’s no one on our team who thinks that marijuana is some moral, terrible evil,” he said.

Both people for and against Initiative 71 saw the issue as having racial repercussions. Jones feared that marijuana would be advertised and sold to poor minority communities, pointing to a Washington Post poll before the election that showed support from blacks at 56 percent, compared to 74 percent from white voters.

“We’re still quite confident that in a lot of the poor and minority communities this is not what we want,” he said.

Pesavento disagreed, pointing to discrimination in criminal justice enforcement as creating divisions between races.

“I think voters in other states have already made the case about it being an issue of personal freedom, but I think we also made the case here that it’s also a civil rights issue, because we’ve seen not only a historical legacy of discriminatory enforcement of marijuana prohibition. But even under the decriminalization law we were still seeing the majority of tickets being issued in neighborhoods that are traditionally home to communities of color,” Pesavento said.

Students were generally supportive of the legislation as well.

Bryan Doremus (COL ’15) supported the passage of the initiative based on its criminal justice effects.

“I think it’s a great move forward,” Doremus said. “I think it will get rid of a lot of biases in the justice system, especially in D.C.”

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

Fluke Loses Run for California State Senate FLUKE, from A1 she was even able to run in the first place,” Grace said.

Jenna Galper (COL ’17), who interned on Fluke’s campaign over the summer, said the atmosphere of Fluke’s campaign was primarily positive.

“I think people were really optimistic and very hopeful. I mean, she did have a lot of momentum behind her,” Galper said. “So I think, at least from the perspective I got, that people were expecting her not only to not lose by a large margin but actually to win.”

Despite the positive attention, the race proved to be difficult for the 33-year-old Fluke, facing Allen, 36, who already served on the Board of Education in the 26th District, a coastal district encompassing affluent areas like Santa Monica, Palos Verdes, Manhattan Beach, Brentwood and Beverly Hills, after redistricting. Fluke, who received her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, is a Pennsylvania native. She moved to West Hollywood with her husband in 2012.

Government Department Chair and American government professor Michael Bailey attributed Fluke’s loss to her reputation as being solely a “women’s issues” candidate.

“I would say being a young woman whose signature issue is women’s issues, then the politics of it seem to me that she would really have to work to figure out a way to have something else,” Bailey said. “It’s not that ‘She’s a young woman, so I’m voting against her,’ but if she were a young man who had the same policy platform, she probably wouldn’t have had to worry about that same kind of pigeonholing.”

Grace noted that Fluke’s attempts to address other issues contributed to the perception of her as an unqualified candidate.

“A lot of times it’s easy when you see young ambitious men running for office to say they’re go-getters, they’re making a name for themselves. But when women perceive the same actions, a lot of times they’re perceived as overly efficient, unqualified, unprepared,” Grace said. “She was forced to talk about other issues like energy and the environment, which are certainly important issues, but I think that perhaps that moved her a bit out of her comfort zone.”

Since Fluke’s campaign was more associated with national politics than her opponent’s, Bailey hypothesized that the dissatisfaction with Democrats in Congress may have diffused into the race.

“The general story is this anti-Democratic movement that emerged when things got coupled up with the national politics,” Bailey said.

Grace felt confident that Fluke would run again in the future.

“I definitely think that she’ll run again in her life. There’s a lot to be said for lessons that you learn on the first campaign trail. She still has a good bit of time, and she is very passionate about political activism in general, and if you really have that drive, one setback isn’t going to knock you down,” Grace said.

Galper agreed.

“It’s always disappointing to see young women lose running for office. But she’s still young, and I think she has a promising career ahead of her,” she said.

Fluke’s campaign could not be reached for comment.

Diversity Rises in EA Pool APPLICATIONS, from A1 applications to the School of Nursing and Health Studies saw a slight decrease from last year. Of the total early applications, 56.6 percent were for the College, 19.8 percent were for the School of Foreign Service, 17.3 percent were for the McDonough School of Business and 6.3 percent were for the School of Nursing and Health Studies. Last year, 6,850 candidates applied to the Class of 2018 – 55.6 percent to the College, 20 percent to the School of Foreign Service, 17.4 percent to the McDonough School of Business, and 6.9 percent to the School of Nursing and

Health Studies.

Additionally, this year’s applicant pool boasts a more competitive academic record, with the average class rank of the schools that report at the 92.3 percentile, an increase from last’s year class rank percentile of 91.3, and a sixpoint increase in SAT scores.

“We’re actually, from a business point of view, slightly increasing our market share of high-ability students,” Deacon said.

Despite the more competitive applicant pool, however, Deacon said he did not foresee a decrease in the undergraduate admission rate, projected at about 17 percent regular decision and 15 percent early action, consistent with

last year’s 16.6 combined overall admission rate.

“The more competitive the pool is, the harder it is to yield them, because the more likely that we come in contact with the top schools with them,” Deacon said.

Deacon said that Georgetown’s ability to maintain a roughly stable number of early action applications over the past four years, despite the declining number of high school graduates, reflects positively on the school’s admissions numbers.

“Even though these are small, little changes, they actually do reflect the national trends, and we’re actually doing pretty well,” Deacon said.

Rangila Finds New Location RANGILA, from A1 a prestigious hall. So when you say it’s not going to be there because the stage is not ‘structurally sound’— that was the phrase continuously used — people were anxious,” Sharma said.

After considering numerous options, the Office of the President helped SAS secure the Kennedy Center. According to the University President John J. DeGioia’s Chief of Staff Joe Ferrara, the office’s past collaboration with the Kennedy Center on events like “Let Freedom Ring!” for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the “Faith, Culture and the Common Good” conference, which the university co-hosted with the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture and the Archdiocese of Washington, made this agreement feasible.

“As a result of our relationship with the Kennedy Center and an opening in their performance calendar, we had the opportunity to host this event there this year,” Ferrara wrote in an email.

“We are excited for Rangila to celebrate its 20th anniversary with a performance at a venue that is such an important part of the community.”

Chandorkar said that this year will most likely be the only time that Rangila will be held in the Kennedy Center.

“We are all going to sit down and look at what Rangila will look like in the future. The Kennedy Center just frankly isn’t a realistic option for a year-to-year basis but we have confidence that going on from here it’s going to get better and better,” Chandorkar said.

Datwani and Chandorkar said that although the venue has changed, they are striving to maintain the energy and spirit of a Georgetown tradition.

“Even though it’s an amazing opportunity and an amazing venue, we didn’t want to compromise so much that it didn’t become Rangila,” Vasant said.

“We kept that mind throughout the process. Really there aren’t too many things changing other

than the fact that Gaston was never built for a dance performance so to have a stage with a full light array and space, it’s really fantastic to be on a stage that was made to dance on.”

Choreographer Matthew Chan (COL ’15) said that although he will miss Gaston Hall, he is eager to perform at a world-famous venue.

“There is some sentimentality attached to Gaston because it’s something so intrinsically Georgetown, but when you think about D.C. in general, the Kennedy Center is the place to be,” Chan said. “When you think about the East Coast and you think about where is the biggest stage you can perform ever, the Kennedy Center is right up there. It’s a once-ina-lifetime opportunity.”

One major change to the usual two-show Rangila performance is that it will now be held on only one night. The Kennedy Center fits 2,300 to Gaston Hall’s 800, and Chandorkar said they predict the sale of 1,800 tickets for the single performance. Some of those tickets have been reserved for alumni, dignitaries, faculty, staff and families of performers.

“We are allocating to more family coming, more faculty and staff coming,” Datwani said. “Students who never get tickets will definitely get tickets this year.”

The extra 500 seats will serve as a waiting area for student dancers who want to watch their peers perform.

“Every year in Gaston, dancers who were waiting to dance go line up in the back and just watch the show unofficially and stand the whole time, but it’s very inconvenient,” Chandorkar said.

“This year obviously Kennedy Center won’t allow that, so the top tier of seats — about 400 seats — are all reserved for dancers. So anyone who’s not in the wings waiting or on stage dancing can grab a seat and catch the show.”

Tickets to the performance have increased from $15 to $20, and Datwani said that they ensured that prices stayed low to allow all members of the community to attend the event.

“We personally feel like we stepped up the quality of the show this year and at the end of the day we are a student production, there was no way we were going to charge more than that,” she said.

The larger stage at the Kennedy Center has prompted choreography changes that will allow dancers to spread out, according to Datwani.

“We told them immediately after we knew that we didn’t have Gaston: ‘Plan for a bigger space,’” Datwani said. “What that means in terms of general formations and transitions: Formations can be bigger, better. The problem with Gaston is there is very little depth so finales look a little clustered and formations look flattened. So we told them to work with more space.”

The event will raise awareness for the Pritam Spiritual Foundation, a group based in Kashmir, India that provides medical aid for those injured by land mines.

“It’s amazing work not being done by any other group and we thought the interfaith aspect really fit into the Jesuit values of Georgetown, and their mission really aligns with Jesuit values, Georgetown values and Rangila as well,” Vasant said.

“We love their work and we really want to support them and this year their funding was cut by 50 percent because the Indian army pulled all their funding. We wanted to step up and help them out.”

In honor of Rangila’s 20th anniversary, its theme this year is “A Story of Time Travel.”

The sheer size of the new venue has led to a few nerves for those set to perform before a sold-out house of 2,300 audience members and fellow performers.

“My reaction was ‘What have I gotten myself into?’ I thought I was going to be on stage with my [fellow MC Jimmy Ramirez (COL ’15)] in front of Gaston Hall, and now it’s 2,300,” Sharma said. “This number is very much ingrained in my mind.

For me, it’s daunting.”

ARIANA TAFTI/THE HOYA

The stage in Gaston Hall will undergo construction this summer to address structural problems. Until then, groups of more than 45 people cannot perform on the stage.

Gaston Stage Deemed Unfit For Large Performances STAGE, from A1 The engineers’ study was prompted after last November’s Rangila performance, in which people noticed the stage flexing and pieces of plaster falling into the Philodemic Room below.

Rangila has been held for 19 years on Gaston’s stage.

“Gaston stage was built on the floor and as it turns out, the floor structure which was built 107 years ago does not accommodate the activities that have been on Gaston’s stage,” Vice President for Planning and Facilities Robin Morey said.

According to Morey, the structural problems will be fixed by next fall to accommodate larger productions. Construction, which will take place over the summer, will include disassembling the stage and rebuilding it so that the impact of heavy loads will be better supported. “[This is] a safety interim measure and we’re doing a design now to strengthen up the stage so we can have those events there,” Morey wrote. “I think it’s affected a very small number of events and obviously Rangila’s the big one and we’re looking at doing the construction to minimize the impact the summer of 2015.”

The new limits on the types of events that Gaston Hall can accommodate have also impacted Groove Theory, which will not be able to hold its showcase in Gaston this year. The event will instead take place in the Lohrfink Auditorium.

According to Groove Theory Director of Communications Camille Squires (COL ’15), the group was able to perform in Gaston during the Mr. Georgetown pageant Oct. 24 without any issues.

Squires expressed frustration with Groove Theory’s inability to hold its event in Gaston this year, in light of the fact that it encountered no issues during the Mr. Georgetown performance.

“I guess we’re just kind of dealing with the situation as it is. On one hand, we understand that the structural issue is no one’s fault, but at the same time, we’re frustrated by the lack of communication around it and perhaps the lack of communication around solutions,” she said.

While participants in the Homecoming Weekend Mr. Georgetown pageant, who also put on a dance number, did not experience any immediate trouble with the stage, they did have to change their acts somewhat to accommodate these new stipulations.

“We were warned not to do anything too crazy on [the stage],” David Edgar (SFS ’15), who participated in the pageant as Mr. Capitol Gs, said.

The problems in Gaston Hall have not affected more typical events, like those of the Georgetown University Lecture Fund.

“We’ve had no problems using Gaston Hall this semester. It continues to be a very special place to hold lectures,” Lecture Fund Chair Marcus Stromeyer (SFS ’15) wrote in an email.

news

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

THE HOYA

A7

Kehoe Field’s Poor Conditions Worry Club Athletes Tom Garzillo Hoya Staff Writer

While the university is set to break ground on the $60 million John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletic Center, which will serve as the new home of Georgetown varsity athletics, the condition of Kehoe Field continues to worsen, drawing ire from members of the club and intramural sports teams that practice there.

The university has enlisted the help of engineering firms Simpson Gumpertz & Heger and Robert Silman Associates to conduct a study of a renovation of Kehoe, which was deemed unfit for varsity practice in 2007. The university anticipates that the study will conclude in January and preliminary estimates place the cost for the necessary renovations at $10 million.

Problems with Kehoe Field include large sections of torn up artificial turf, exposed concrete and uneven surfaces.

“That study will determine what’s the best approach to addressing the structural issue of the field in the most

economical way, the total deferred maintenance requirements of Yates as a whole and what program will go on top of the field once it is replaced,” Vice President for Planning and Facilities Management Robin Morey said.

The roof of Yates, which also serves as the base of the field, is a lightweight concrete that contributes to many of Kehoe’s structural problems. Over time, the concrete has deteriorated and clogged drainage lines. This has led to divots, ripped field surfaces and bumpy turf.

Morey said that the university is looking to correct these problems and improve the playing surface.

“We need to look at it programmatically and we need to find the financial wherewithal to make it happen,” he said. “We recognize it’s an issue and we’re working as hard as we can to get it fixed. It’s a lot of space that could be better utilized.”

This is not the first study to look into Kehoe, but it may be the first seen to completion. The university previously commissioned a similar study into the

feasibility of repairing Kehoe, but abandoned it due to budget constraints.

Club soccer captain Ricky Altema (NHS ’15) said the damaged practice facility interferes with practice.

“I think the current condition of Kehoe is dreadful and seriously hazardous to anyone playing up there, whether competitively or casually,” Altema said.

Problems with Kehoe Field have forced some club teams, including Ultimate Frisbee and men’s soccer, to alter their practices in order to take extra precaution.

Ultimate Frisbee captain Matt Javitt (SFS ’15) said the team refrains from diving on the turf.

“We’re wary of the increased likelihood of injury on Kehoe,” Javitt said.

Altema, who sustained an ankle injury on the field last year, said club soccer will not practice at all when the field is wet to avoid injury.

“We are definitely more cautious when playing on Kehoe,” Altema said.

“Players are more cognizant of cement bumps and pits in certain areas of the field, which detracts from the intensity

of practices.”

Javitt said that Kehoe continues to worsen each year, and nothing has been done to repair it.

“Every year I’ve been here, more and more cracks appear in the turf and bare concrete is exposed,” Javitt said. “There are areas where there are noticeable divots, where the turf is not even supported by concrete.”

Georgetown University Student Association President Trevor Tezel (SFS ’15) said GUSA has been a proponent of Kehoe renovation since a 2013 survey by the university revealed that many students suffered injuries on the field.

“Through various avenues, GUSA advocated to have that feasibility study reprioritized, and that it should be done by the end of the academic year,” he said.

Altema said that the administration’s response to problems on the field has been frustrating for members of club sports teams.

“The club sports department has been totally fair and compliant when it comes to maximizing time allotted to

DANIEL SMITH/THE HOYA

Kehoe Field’s conditions create challenges for club sports teams. teams to play on MultiSport [Facility],” Altema said. “Nonetheless, it seems irresponsible on the university’s part to have allowed these safety issues to persist for so long, only to address complaints by laying down a single lowly patch of new turf.”

With Social Media Efforts, Jesuit Martyrs Remembered GU Engages Students Katherine Richardson Hoya Staff Writer

Matthew Larson Hoya Staff Writer

The Office of Communications, which runs Georgetown’s official accounts on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr, has begun to expand the university’s social media platform and marketing techniques this semester in order to include more student-generated content.

“A bigger initiative that we’ve had [is] to refocus on student-generated content,” said Laura Wilson (GRD ’11), the newly hired director of digital engagement and social media.“We still have a mix of professionally produced original content that we’re creating but you’ll see more and more as you look through our social channels what we’ve been sharing is curated content directly from students.”

The effort derives in part from a desire to make Georgetown’s online presence appear more authentic, Wilson said.

“Hopefully [Georgetown is] a relatable brand online and we’re translating that appropriately from the real word to the digital space,” Wilson said. “That’s why we’re using more student-generated content, so we’re giving that authentic voice. We’re giving the students an opportunity to show this is what Georgetown means for them.”

As part of a series called Georgetown Stories, the university’s website features 11 current students, who frequently post photos and videos of their experiences throughout the year. The Office of Communications provides direction to ensure the students provide an all-encompassing view of Georgetown.

“Some weeks we have an assignment; one was spirituality, [one] of the things that Georgetown is known for,” Georgetown Stories participant Eric Scheetz (SFS ’17) said. “They’ll say, we’d like one of your videos to be about this or that. …

Generally, what I do during the week is just film stuff, take pictures as it’s happening and then when [I] get to the end of the week, I collect everything, edit my videos and submit it all.”

Latazia Carter (COL ’17), another participant, said she thinks the university’s online presence successfully communicates with prospective students. “Georgetown still does some media that is straight from the school,” Carter said. “Mixing it with some of the media that comes from the students helps the actual view of Georgetown because you still have the professional side but you also have student-led content of the Georgetown experience.”

In addition to Georgetown Stories, the Office of Communications has also revitalized social media content on other popular sites, such as Instagram and Twitter. The office often reposts student photos of campus, and recently held a

Georgetown photo contest. The winner received a $100 gift card to The Tombs.

“The best way to really engage with the university on social [media] is really to make sure that you’re reaching out, so you’re tagging us, you’re sharing something that you want us to see. …We’re constantly searching the university streams,” Wilson said. “It’s really how I get a lot of my ideas and get a good feel for the pulse of what is going on and what people are talking about on campus.”

Although the Office of Communications has recently reached out to students in its marketing techniques, other groups, such as the Georgetown Admissions Ambassador Program, have been increasing efforts to connect with an increasingly large audience of prospective students.

“We really ramped up our social media efforts two years ago,” GAAP Vice President Matthew Strauss (SFS ’15) said. “[The Class of 2018] was the first where we really had a concentrated social media plan.”

The GAAP board increased the program’s presence on the admitted students’ Facebook group and also launched “Finding a Home on the Hilltop,” a blog featuring advice and experiences from members of the GAAP team. Although GAAP and the Office of Communications do not work together directly, Strauss said that GAAP often points to the university’s new initiatives as a resource for prospective students.

“There’s not a ton of communication between us and the Office [of Communications],” Strauss said. “There is a lot of opportunity to borrow and highlight other things. … A lot of times, people will say, ‘We want to hear more about Georgetown, the blog’s great, the Facebook group is great, but how do we learn more?’ So we’ll point people to things that the university does.”

Associate Director for Student Engagement Amanda Carlton said that student outreach through social media is an integral component of marketing to both current and prospective students.

“It’s another means in which clubs can market and outreach to our campus community and even to people beyond the Georgetown campus community,” Carlton said. “I think we talk a lot about globalization and the importance of building global citizens at Georgetown, and I think you can’t do that by just staying here on the Hilltop.”

According to Wilson, the Office of Communications hopes to work with student groups in the future to bolster the university’s social media presence.

“It’s something we absolutely have on the docket to tackle, if not fall 2014, certainly in the spring semester of this year,” Wilson said. “There is a lot of value and empowering student organizations to leverage what’s available out there.”

University President John J. DeGioia and the Office of Mission and Ministry will host a week of programming, beginning on Monday, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Salvadoran Martyrs, a group of Jesuits and civilians murdered by a government death squad in El Salvador.

The 1989 assassinations occurred at the University of Central America during El Salvador’s civil war, which lasted over 12 years. During the war, the Salvadoran government killed around 75,000 civilians through bombings and death squads and is implicated in many other human rights violations. The Salvadoran Martyrs — six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter — were murdered for their dissent against the Salvadoran government and work toward protecting human rights, according to Vice President of Mission and Ministry Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J. “They were killed because they took seriously the call of the second Vatican Council in the Catholic Church, and of the Jesuits after the Council to promote a faith that does justice, to care for not only people’s spiritual needs but their material needs, to protect not only their souls but also their bodies,” O’Brien said. “They talked concretely about economics and politics, and as a result they became a part of the civil strife in their country.”

The commemoration will include a dramatic reading of the martyrs’ story, a presentation of a solidarity cross and prayer service in Red Square, an academic panel on El Salvador in the past and present and a memorial mass.

O’Brien said that the week of events will help elucidate the connections between Jesuits, universities and social justice.

“The estimate is that over 75,000 people were killed in that decade in El Salvador,” O’Brien said. “The murders of the Jesuits were just another part of that story. What we want to share is their story. This took place at a Jesuit university.”

Executive Director of the Jesuit Commons Rev. Charles Currie, S.J., said that the murder of the Salvadoran martyrs

affected all Jesuit universities.

“I think the attack on the Jesuits that night was an attack on university people and the university,” Currie said. “They were trying to develop a new kind of university, deeply involved in the national reality.

And I think since that time, the Jesuits had made a commitment to a faith that does justice back in 1975.”

Currie, who coordinated Georgetown’s response to the murders in 1989, worked with then University President Fr. Leo J. O’Donovan, S.J., El Salvador interest groups in D.C., The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and the U.S. government and State Department to help form a solution to the violence in El Salvador.

According to Currie, Georgetown and the University of

“The attack on Jesuits that night was an attack on university people.” rev. Charles Currie, S.j.

Central America were linked in many ways at the time of the assassinations.

“Georgetown had had a written relationship with the university down there,” Currie said. “A couple of the Jesuits had worked with the Woodstock Center here at the university. ... The president of El Salvador [Alfredo Cristiani (GSB ’68)] at the time was a graduate, a 1968 graduate, of Georgetown, the same year as Bill Clinton.

And so they were some of the reasons why Georgetown was very much involved. And we tried to make that involvement as constructive as possible.”

Currie, who will be delivering a mass in dedication of the martyrs, said that he wants to stress a Jesuit university’s ability to enact social and political change worldwide.

“There are people who say that a university should be an ivory tower unsullied by the pressures from society,” Currie said. “Well, the university is always challenged to maintain a certain objectivity. But the Salvadoran martyrs would make the case that [as] responsible

intellectuals, Christians cannot sit idly by while these things are happening all around them and not making a contribution as a university and as university people.”

Before Currie discusses the role of Jesuit universities in enacting worldwide change, Fr. Matthew Carnes, S.J., will lead an academic panel on the past and current situations in El Salvador. O’Brien said that a large part of the discussion will focus on poverty, gangs and violence in the country.

“It’s so sad to see how gangs are ravaging the country,” O’Brien said. “The flow of drugs is also contributing to significant crime and human rights violations, and the effect of free trade and mining on the country. ... When we talk about fighting for justice today in El Salvador, what does that look like? That’s what the academic panel will be focused on.”

Assistant Director of Ignatian Programs and Retreats Colleen Kerrisk (COL ’10) said that the discussion will also focus on the economic disparities in the country.

“It will also address the huge disparities between people who have and people who don’t. In 2009 I went on an immersion trip and they took us to a huge mall, and literally across the street is a tent city,” Kerrisk said. “There are thousands of people living in tents, and it’s crazy that you can hear American pop music and get McDonald’s and American Apparel and Abercrombie and Fitch, and these people don’t have plumbing.”

In addition to this week of events, the university has also honored the martyrs by planting eight rose bushes outside of Dahlgren Chapel in their memory, according to Kerrisk.

O’Brien said he believes the events will encourage students to fight for social justice through academia and faith.

“We need to share the story of these men and women and what they stood for to make sure that what they lived and died for lives on,” O’Brien said.

“We’re going to tell the story, and hopefully their story will inspire students from any or no faith tradition to take their faith and education and put it into practice to help those on the margins of our society.

That’s what these people did, and continue to do.”

A8

SPORTS

THE HOYA

fRIDAY, nOVEMBER 7, 2014

Men’s soccer

Wildcats Pose Final Test for Hoyas Before Postseason Andrew May

the team confident about playing games after the conference tournament. Nevertheless, a poor perforThe No. 11 Georgetown men’s mance against Villanova or in the soccer team will travel to the Phila- Big East could prevent Georgetown delphia area to play the Villanova from earning a seeded spot and a Wildcats (8-6-3, 3-3-2 Big East) on first-round bye in the NCAA tournaFriday in its final regular-season ment. game. With four teams packed at “When you talk about being numthe top of the conference stand- ber three in the RPI, you have put ings, the match will have serious yourself in a really good opportuimplications for the Hoyas’ postsea- nity, so make sure that you are able son schedule. to follow through. You have done a Georgetown (10-3-4, 5-2-1 Big lot of the hard work, but that can East) currently sits at fourth in all very quickly follow through and the conference and has already finish it off right,” Head Coach Briclinched a spot in the Big East tour- an Wiese said. nament. If it wins Friday and No. Before making it to the postsea14 Xavier (11-4-2, 5-1-2 Big East) los- son, however, Georgetown needs to es or ties, then make it past VilGeorgetown lanova. Last time will finish secthe two teams ond in the conplayed, a goal by ference. That then-sophomore runner-up poforward Brandon sition means a Allen helped the first-round bye Hoyas win 1-0 and in the conferclinch the 2013 Big ence tournaBrian Wiese East regular-season Men’s Soccer Head Coach title on the last day ment and an automatic spot of the season. in the semifinals. A Xavier win or That game was a highly physia Georgetown tie or loss will leave cal affair that included 19 fouls the Hoyas outside of the top two and five yellow cards given to the places. In that case, Georgetown Wildcats. This year’s Wildcats team will play Villanova again on Tues- has maintained that physical, agday, Nov. 11, at 2 p.m. for a first- gressive style of play. It has earned round Big East game, this time 42 yellow cards and one red this hosting the Wildcats at Shaw Field. season, compared to just 13 yelOnly six teams out of 10 make the low cards and no ejections for the tournament.

Hoyas. Two Villanova players, se“We try not to think about it as nior defender Colton Bryant and much as we can,” junior defender sophomore midfielder Max Krosand co-captain Keegan Rosenberry chwitz, will be ineligible during said of the postseason scenarios. “It Friday’s match because they have is in the back of our minds. … We accumulated too many yellow cards try our best to keep our minds off over the course of the season. it, but, at the same time, we are try“Villanova is a physical team. If ing our best to end at the top.” you look at their stats, they have The team has also all but clinched a lot of fouls, they have 42 yellow a place in the NCAA tournament. cards. They are a physical group Georgetown has never dropped be- and an emotional group, and they low 17th in the coaches’ poll, and are a really talented group. When its current spot at third in the Rat- things are going well for them, ings Percentage Index rankings, they are as good as anyone in the which are based on record and country,” Wiese said. strength of schedule, should have While Villanova is reeling from

Hoya Staff Writer

“[Villanova is] a physical group ... and they are a really talented group.”

FILE PHOTO: ERIN NAPIER/THE HOYA

Junior defender and co-captain Keegan Rosenberry has a goal and an assist this season, including the gamewinner against DePaul. He has helped the team record 10 clean sheets and allow just .53 goals per game. a 2-0 loss to Xavier last Saturday, Georgetown is in the middle of a three-game winning streak in which it has not conceded a goal.

If the team extends this run of shutouts to four, then the Hoyas will better their outstanding goalsallowed mark from last season.

Senior goalkeeper and co-captain Tomas Gomez has already recorded 10 shutouts in just 17 games

WIZARDS

played.

“It is something we are proud of,” Rosenberry said. “It is something that we like to pride ourselves, especially as a back four. It is a group that has played together for a couple years now. ... It is something that we can pride ourselves on on the stat sheet.”

Rosenberry is one of five Georgetown players from Pennsylvania and one of four from the eastern

half of the state. Junior midfielder Melvin Snoh and sophomore forward Brett Campbell hail from the immediate area surrounding Philadelphia and Villanova.

“It is pretty nice to play close to home to get a bunch of family there,” Rosenberry said.

Georgetown will kick off at the 1,500-seat Villanova Soccer Complex Friday at 2 p.m.

saxa synergy

Porter Excels Early in 2nd Year Wizards’ Young Talent Brings Buzz to Capital I PORTER, from A10

In those increased minutes, Porter has put an improved mid-range jump shot on display in a swingman role. The 6-foot-9-inch Georgetown product has showcased an ability to knock down shots exactly where the Wizards offense needs them. The Wizards lost a perimeter threat, capable of driving to the basket, in Ariza.

In a system driven by the ballhandling and assists of star point guard John Wall, Porter has the skill set to play a central role like Ariza, moving around on the wings to create open shot opportunities.

The Wizards have been patient because they drafted him in the lottery last year. The team picked up Porter’s contract option for the 2015-16 season over the summer, and his spot behind Pierce has solidified his presence in the rotation. His 21-point outburst last Saturday came after Pierce was ejected for a technical foul late in the second quarter. Porter began the third quarter on the court and notched 19 points in the half, scoring on everything from

baseline threes to an alley-oop feed by Wall.

“It’s all about confidence with him, and he’s a lot more confident this season,” Castillo said.

“He’s being more aggressive … that’s the biggest thing [the coaching staff is] saying.”

At this early juncture in the season, Porter’s future role with the Wizards is not clearly laid out. The absences of Beal, the shooting guard and central counterpart to Wall in the backcourt, and wing presence Webster were important in opening up minutes for Porter. When Beal returns later this month, the rotations will be shifted, but as Webster’s return is still more than a month away, Porter’s contributions are still needed. For Castillo, Porter is in a solid position on the second unit and has the opportunity to improve his chances for increased playing time.

“Porter is in as Pierce’s main backup, he’s playing really well in the second unit and he’s been the second unit’s best player, him and Drew Gooden,” Castillo said. “I don’t expect Webster to come back for a month or two and to be honest, by then if Por-

ter’s playing well I don’t see him coming out of the rotation.”

After five games, Porter is on pace to eclipse his statistical marks from the entire past season before the month is over.

The simplest explanation for this is more time on the court.

Porter came into his rookie season hampered by injury and got swept along with a playoff run by a team that did not have a lot of minutes to lend to unproven rookies.

But now number 22 sits a little higher on the depth charts and has shown some value in the minutes he’s been given.

While five games isn’t a large sample size, the door is certainly open for Otto Porter in Washington. As the season progresses, Georgetown fans will be seeing a lot more of one of their favorite alums as he once again makes his mark at the Verizon Center.

This is the first part of a twopart series on Otto Porter’s play with the Washington Wizards.

Part two will feature a more personal look at Porter’s progression, including an exclusive interview with Porter. Part two will run Nov. 14.

Sailing

DaSilva, Snow Lead GU to Win MAISA, from A10 spring; I would say that we have a lot of work to do there.

Consistency is the key-being able to win a race and then getting fifth instead of winning a race and then getting a 17th is the problem we’re having with B Division. There are moments of glory, but there are still moments where we look totally lost,” Callahan said.

Snow agreed with the need for more consistent finishes.

“Just having the consistency to move those low-place finishes up to less destructive spots like eighth or so moving forward will be important,” Snow said.

Snow stressed the importance of maintaining an intense, race-like environment in practice as one way to promote consistency in races.

“Allowing practice to mimic regattas will be important for maintaining that consistency.

The closer we can get our practice starts and races to the ones we’ll see in actual regattas, the more comfortable we’ll be,” he

said.

Callahan believes that the program is just one step from making a mark on the national level.

“If we can get to be consistent, that’s going to be the difference between winning and losing a national championship,” Callahan said.

The weekend’s victory serves as a litmus test for the development of the team as the season begins to pick up. In a championship environment, both DaSilva and Snow were impressed with the team’s ability to adapt on the fly while maintaining good morale — skills that will be important in the months to come.

“A big part of it for me is having a good morale with the other teammates,” DaSilva said. “It was really windy this weekend so we were prepared for combinations that we’ve never tried out before — in B division [sophomore] A.J. Reiter crewed for [senior] Alex Post, and A.J. had never crewed before.”

Though crewing was a new

experience for Reiter, he excelled in the role and allowed the team to finish strong.

Snow was impressed with team’s ability to perform well in high-wind conditions — something that is rarely experienced while practicing on the Potomac.

“It was a really windy weekend, and we don’t have a lot of practice in the breeze here in D.C., so for us to do well in breeze was a huge confidence booster, just knowing that we can still do well in those conditions even though we don’t get to practice in them,” Snow said.

With another MAISA championship now in their back pockets, the Hoyas will make the trip up to New London to continue their quest for a national championship, competing in Coed Atlantic Championships on Nov. 15.

DaSilva summed up the weekend’s performance by expressing appreciation for the victory, but desire for more.

“A win’s a win, but we’re always looking to improve,” she said.

t would be a lie to say that the WashRice Jr. is a born scorer whose game is ington Wizards showed any signs of raw and unpolished but with a potential competitiveness before last season. unlike anyone else on the roster. After For the last few years, they were a team a dominating stretch over the summer, full of washed-out veterans like center Rice is ready to shine. Shooting 47 perBrendan Haywood and forward Michael cent from the field and 36 percent from Ruffin, mixed with immature young tal- beyond the three-point line, Rice, along ents like guard Nick Young and forward with Porter, carried a team with no Andray “where’s my defense?” Blatche. real NBA-ready talent to a 5-1 Summer However, the truth now is that the Wiz- League record. ards are finally good again. After a surAlthough the Summer League is not prisingly successful playoff run last sea- the best indicator of regular-season playson, this year holds legitimate promise er performance, Porter and Rice stepped for postseason success. up and were leaders, hopefully a foreDespite shooting guard Bradley Beal’s shadowing of what they will do for D.C. preseason wrist injury that will keep him when their names are called. out of action for up to eight weeks, the But until that day comes, Bradley Beal, Wizards have started 4-1, tied for the best just 21 years old, is at the forefront of the record in the East thus far. John Wall is Wizards offensive strategy. An excellent averaging 10 assists per shooter who shot game, and Paul Pierce 40 percent from the is playing like he did in three last season, Boston. In the Southeast Beal is poised for Division, Miami once another great year again appears to be the upon his return Wizards’ main competifrom injury. Not tion for a division crown, only did Beal perwith Washington’s only form in the regular loss coming to Dwayne season for the WizWade, Chris Bosh and ards’ last year, he lit Paolo Santamaria company. up the stat sheet in However, a Miami team the playoffs, shootwithout a true point ing nearly 42 perguard and one that relies from three Contributions from Otto cent solely on star power to and averaging 19.2 carry them (even though Porter and Glenn Rice Jr. points per game, they lost the biggest star up from 17.1 in the have helped soften the regular season. of them all in Lebron James) cannot hope to Washingimpact of Bradley Beal tonWhile compete with Washingwill miss his ton’s increasingly fluid until his and Martel Webster’s shooting offense and rising superreturn, his absence absences due to injury. paves the way for star in John Wall. Moreover, Miami’s youth, in Pierce to adjust himthe form of guards Norself into the Wizris Cole, Shabazz Napier and James En- ards’ offense without having to worry nis, is no match for Washington’s Beal, about taking shots away from Beal. More Otto Porter Jr. and Glen Rice Jr., all three than that, Pierce’s increased minutes in of whom are excellent perimeter shoot- Beal’s absence forces Coach Randy Witers with the ability to bring more ball tman to sit the 37-year-old and put in movement to the offense. young players like Porter, who scored Porter, a Georgetown product, domi- those 21 points in 37 minutes of action. nated the NBA Summer League alongWithout a doubt, the youth of the Wizside Rice, a former Georgia Tech star. ards should keep fans hopeful, though Otto-matic and Rice averaged over 18 and they can also be excited about Wall’s 24 points, respectively. development into a bona fide elite point The Wizards have a solid starting five guard and the intimidating frontcourt of Wall, Beal, Pierce, Nene Hilario and pairing of Nene and Gortat that is infaMarcin Gortat, but their bench is admit- mous for getting into mid-game scuffles. tedly weak, devoid of any real offensive The Wizards have nothing to be creator. While at Georgetown, Porter al- ashamed of after playing to a 4-1 record lowed the offense to move through him, without thier second-best player. Once controlling games in many ways beyond the squad is back up to full strength, and just scoring. His passing and constant with the added contributions of young rotations on offense brought fluidity to players like Rice and Porter, the team has Coach John Thompson III’s system and the potential to improve on last year’s will undoubtedly do the same for Wash- 44-38 record. With the right luck, Washington. Although the Wizards’ bench ington will be celebrating next June. lacks a true sixth man as of now, perhaps Porter can rise up to that role, es- Paolo Santamaria is a freshman in the pecially after a 21-point game in a 108-97 College. SAXA SYNERGY appears every win against the Milwaukee Bucks. other Friday.

SPORTS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

THE HOYA

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VOLLEYBALL

SWIMMING & DIVING

Rutgers Hosts Start GU Continues Midwest Roadtrip To Conference Play TYLER PARK

Hoya Staff Writer

AIDAN CURRAN Hoya Staff Writer

Following a four-week break after their most recent meet against Princeton University, the Georgetown men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams travel to Rutgers on Friday and Saturday for a four-team meet. They will race against three Big East teams: Rutgers, Seton Hall and Villanova.

It has been an up-and-down start to the season for the Hoyas as they lost a pair of meets to Delaware and Towson earlier in the season. The Hoyas have been hard at work in the meantime, and hope to have a better showing this weekend when they face Big East competition for the first time this season. Head Coach James Holder is appreciative for the monthlong break in between meets and believes it will improve the team’s performance.

“I think [the break] was good.

[It] gave us some opportunities to focus on training. Swimming week in and week out gets to be a little taxing sometimes for the people travelling, so it was good to refocus on our team and get some good training in,” Holder said.

The Hoyas finished second in the Big East last season and are eager to establish themselves among the top programs in the conference. This year’s freshman class figures to play a key role in helping the team remain among the Big East elite, and they have already raced well early on in the season. Women’s divers Jenny Sullivan and Bailey Page and men’s diver Dan Ross have especially made an impact.

“Attracting a class of this caliber is a testament to the hard work our swimmers and divers put in each day and a great indication of our progress as a team. We have high hopes for this group of dynamic, well-rounded studentathletes,” Holder said.

The upperclassmen on the team have also taken notice, with senior women’s swimmer Jessica Gaudiosi giving high praise to the newcomers.

“The freshman class is very good.

And there’s a lot of them. They all do different strokes, different distances, but I think they have really come in and shaped the team, kind of made us ready to compete as a whole, because we want to make sure they’re having fun and that we can live up to their expectations of us,” Gaudiosi said.

As the freshman class — the largest one Coach Holder has recruited to the program during his tenure — continues to devel-

op, it will become a key piece of the team’s efforts. This weekend, Holder and the team will count on the freshmen against three conference rivals.

Rutgers (1-0) dominated in its first competitive dual meet of the season last weekend, earning a 168-112 victory over Wagner. The Scarlet Knights registered 13 firstplace finishes out of 16 events to halt their opponents’ five-meet win streak.

Individually, senior captain Greta Leberfinger contributed three first-place finishes to Rutgers’ final total, including the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke and the 400-yard individual medley. Sophomore Alyssa Black placed first in both the 1-yard dive (229.64) and 3-yard dive (235.13).

Villanova (2-2) fell to No. 14 Penn State by a score of 156-101 in its last meet. The reigning 2014 Big East champion Wildcats tallied four first-place, four secondplace and 10 third-place finishes.

Junior swimmer Fiona Hardie paced the team, claiming two individual top finishes in the 100yard and 200-yard butterfly. Following her performance, Hardie was named Big East Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Week.

Freshman Gabby Daigneault won in the 200-yard individual medley for her seventh individual win of the season.

Seton Hall (6-0) enters the weekend on undefeated and riding high. The Pirates defeated Providence 177-103, in their first home contest of the season. Seton Hall recorded 11 total event victories, including two relay and nine individual wins.

Leading the Pirates, sophomore Melody Bush tallied two first-place finishes in the 200-yard freestyle and the 200-yard backstroke. Bush was also a part of the 200 medley relay team that topped the field.

Georgetown is confident that the hard work it has put in at practice will put it in good position to get a win in its first meet of the season in New Jersey. Senior men’s captain Jamie Gallagher noted the importance of the meet for the team.

“This is always a big meet for us, it’s our first time swimming against Big East competition. So for us, swimming against Seton Hall and Villanova holds a little more weight than when we swim against an American [University] or a Towson [University]. They’re directly in our conference and we’re going to see them again in January and February,” Gallagher said.

The meet will begin Friday at 4 p.m. in Piscataway, N.J.

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With both captains and a majority of the roster returning next season, Georgetown is excited for the work and improvement that lies ahead. Chakejian said that although the team made great strides this season, it is looking toward building on this success during the offseason to yield better results

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EMILY GISOLFI Junior Libero

coverage so that if they do block us, we’ll be able to pick that up and transition back into the point,” Williams said.

Xavier is led by sophomore outside hitter Abbey Bessler, who ranks seventh in the Big East with 3.53 kills per set, and freshman libero Jesse Earl, who is third in the conference in digs per set and fourth in service aces per set. The Musketeers have

next year.

“Something that we’ve been focused on this year is that success is a process rather than a goal,” Chakejian said.

“Our six wins this year were really exciting, but it’s not really an end game for us — we’ve just reached another level and we want to go up from there.”

Weinberg is also looking forward to the opportunities that her senior sea-

son will bring.

“We never really knew how far we could go and how good we actually were,” Weinberg said. “This [season] was a test of how far we could push ourselves, and going into the spring season will be too. I think next year we’re going to have even higher expectations for ourselves and we’ll be more confident.”

Big Ben Playing Way Into MVP Race

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“I don’t need to replace MacKenzie [Simpson], but I need to fill a hole that we have.”

won six of their last eight conference matches, and will represent a significant challenge for Georgetown. However, the Hoyas are more concerned with improving on their side of the net than with the status of their opponents.

“Our overall focus is getting ourselves together as a unit,” Gisolfi said.

After this weekend, Georgetown will have played four of the top five teams in the Big East standings consecutively, likely representing the most challenging stretch of the season for the team. Still, the team is excited about its performance, and there is belief that there is potential for further improvement. Butler and Xavier will represent difficult tests for the Hoyas, but their main goal as they move forward is to continue to work hard and give it their all.

“It’s really about taking it one day at a time as we move forward. We want to go out every single day at practice and at match time and leave it all out on the floor so that we can walk away with no regrets,” Williams said.

The match at Butler will begin in Indianapolis on Friday at 7 p.m., while Saturday’s match at Xavier in Cincinnati will begin at 4 p.m.

CAPITALS HILL

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liams has worked hard to prepare her team for this critical aspect of Butler’s game.

“We’re focusing on our shot selection, and making sure that we can take swings that will terminate balls.

We’re also working on our defensive

Forward Earns All-Big East Honor

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FILE PHOTO: MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA

Junior libero Emily Gisolfi has replaced senior co-captain MacKenzie Simpson (pictured) over the past two games. Gisolfi has 153 digs on the season.

FIELD HOCKEY

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The Georgetown volleyball team (9-16, 3-9 Big East) will continue its stretch of five consecutive road games when its travels to play at Butler University (17-8, 9-4 Big East) on Friday and Xavier University (15-10, 8-5 Big East) on Saturday.

The Hoyas will look to rebound from consecutive away defeats against Big East frontrunners Creighton University (18-7, 11-1 Big East) and Marquette University (20-6, 10-3 Big East). Although each loss was in straight sets, both the Bluejays and Golden Eagles were hard-pressed to close out the persistent, dogged Georgetown team. Each match featured multiple sets that were close from start to finish, as Head Coach Arlisa Williams’s squad was able to play at a level that was nearly on par with two of the best teams in the conference. Williams expressed the belief that her team would be able to build upon its encouraging recent performances.

“Butler and Xavier are both talented teams, but I think that the way that we played against Marquette and Creighton has definitely instilled some more confidence in our players. They know that we are really close, and we just need to make sure that we capitalize on the opportunities that we’re given, and finish out games,” Williams said.

The Hoyas have been playing without senior libero and co-captain MacKenzie Simpson, who sustained an arm injury in the loss to Marquette, so the team’s rotation is still somewhat in flux. As a result, the Hoyas have been focusing on attaining a higher level of cohesion and fluidity as players adjust to new positions.

One of those players is junior defensive specialist Emily Gisolfi, who has been Simpson’s replacement for the past two games. Gisolfi recorded 15 digs, including 12 in the first set, in her first full game donning the special libero jersey, and her performance has been a bright spot for the Hoyas in recent games.

“We work really hard at practice, and my teammates have helped me step up. I don’t need to replace MacKenzie, but I need to fill a hole that we have. So, it’s been hard, but I’m open to the challenge,” Gisolfi said.

Butler features three top-notch blockers in senior outside hitter Belle Obert, redshirt sophomore middle blocker Kayla Bivins and senior middle blocker Erica Stahl.

All three are in the top eight in the Big East in blocks per set, and they represent an intimidating collective force up front for the Bulldogs. Wil-

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ine weeks into the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger is making a strong case to be considered as a contender for the National Football League’s Most Valuable Player award after a record-setting performance in a 43-23 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.

Roethlisberger, known as Big Ben due to his large frame, has suddenly turned the Steelers into a team contending for a playoff spot. After a slow start to the season, Big Ben and the Pittsburgh offense have exploded during a three-game winning streak.

In a 51-34 trouncing of the Indianapolis Colts, Roethlisberger outperformed fellow MVP candidate quarterback Andrew Luck. He threw for an astounding 522 yards and set a franchise record with six touchdown passes.

He followed up this performance with another six touchdown passes and 340 yards in last week’s game against the Ravens, setting an NFL record for most touchdown passes thrown in consecutive games.

Big Ben certainly has MVP-caliber numbers this season, posting strong statistics across the board. He ranks second in the league in passing yards (2,720), completion percentage (68.3) and touchdowns (22). This is particularly impressive considering the slow start to the Steelers’ season.

However, Roethlisberger’s earlyseason performance should temper MVP expectations. The Steelers’ sluggish start to the season featured a 6-23 loss to the Ravens and an ugly

24-27 loss to the lowly Buccaneers.

During those games, Roethlisberger threw only eight touchdowns and three interceptions.

He also has not been the only reason for the Steelers’ offensive resurgence; wide receiver Antonio Brown has been just as important. Brown, with 133 and 144 receiving yards in victories over the Colts and Ravens, has arguably been more dominant as a wide receiver than Roethlisberger

Daniel Litke

The Pittsburgh quarterback has lit up the scoreboard over the past month. has been as a quarterback. Brown’s 996 receiving yards and 71 receptions lead the league at his position.

He has also been consistently strong throughout the season, becoming the first player to surpass 80 receiving yards in 11 straight games. He is currently on pace for about 1,770 receiving yards, which would be the fourth-highest receiving yards for a single season in NFL history.

Beyond Roethlisberger and Brown, the Steelers can expect to keep winning due to a number of unexpected additions to the team. Sidelined early in the season by a shoulder injury, Martavis Bryant was inserted into the lineup in week seven. During the Steelers’ three-game winning streak, he has developed into another weapon for Roethlisberger. His five touchdown catches tied an NFL record for most touchdown catches by a player in his first three games.

The return of linebacker James Harrison has been another factor in the Steelers’ revival. Harrison, a Steelers legend, came out of retirement to join the team after a number of key linebackers were injured. Since then, Harrison has been a defensive force, picking up two sacks in each of the last two games.

However, the Steelers sustained a number of injuries to key players last Sunday, which could hurt their momentum. Strong safety and star player Troy Polamalu sprained his knee and rookie linebacker Ryan Shazier injured his ankle. Both players are ruled out to play in Week 10.

Roethlisberger’s elevated level of play has earned him MVP considerations. If he manages to keep this torrid pace over the remainder the season, not only will the award will likely be his, but the Steelers will also be serious Super Bowl contenders.

Daniel Litke is a senior in the School of Foreign Service. CAPITALS HILL appears every Friday.

SPORTS

Women’s Soccer Georgetown (11-3-4) at St. John’s (11-7-1) Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Jamaica, N.Y.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

SWIMMING & DIVING Georgetown will compete against three conference rivals Friday and Saturday at Rutgers.

See A9

TALKING POINTS

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Something that we’ve been focused on this year is that success is a process rather than a goal.

Field Hockey Junior Midfielder Louise Chakejian

The number of consecutive starts for men’s soccer senior goalkeeper and co-captain Tomas Gomez.

SAILING

WOMEN’S SOCCER

GU Set for Big East Tournament Hoyas Capture CHRIS BALTHAZARD Hoya Staff Writer

The Georgetown women’s soccer team (11-3-4, 6-1-2 Big East) will look to build on last Friday’s 8-0 victory over Seton Hall (3-10-5, 0-6-3 Big East) when it travels to New York to take on St. John’s (11-7-1, 6-2-1 Big East) in the semifinals of the Big East championship Friday at 7:30 p.m.

If the Hoyas defeat St. John’s, they will play the winner of DePaul (15-0-3, 7-0-2 Big East) versus Marquette (10-82, 5-3-1 Big East) on Sunday at 2 p.m. on FOX Sports 1.

Head Coach Dave Nolan believes all four teams are capable of winning the tournament.

“I think it’s pretty open,” Nolan said. “St. John’s would probably be the weaker of the four teams, but having home-field advantage gives them every opportunity. DePaul at home and DePaul on the road are two different teams. They’re still the team to beat.

It’ll be interesting [to see] the mentality of those kids, because they’ve already … [gotten] through the season unbeaten.”

Senior midfielder Daphne Corboz, named the Big East Offensive Player and Midfielder of the Year on Tuesday and the first player to ever win both in the same season, was pleased with how the Hoyas finished their regular season.

“Obviously, our goal was to win the regular-season championship, but DePaul is a great team,” Corboz said.

“Getting the second seed gives us a spot in the semifinals, which is great.

The bye in the first round should help our Big East championship pursuits.”

Against Seton Hall, Georgetown showcased its offensive dominance, as the Hoyas scored more than four goals for the first time since they put six past N.C. State and scored five against Towson in a three-day stretch at the end of August.

“I think the reason we were able to score so many goals against Seton Hall is we played well from the start

of the game,” Corboz said. “We set the tone with our combinations early and scored within the first five minutes, making it easier to score more.

Combinations in the attacking third is something we have been missing, and I think we finally did a good job of it Friday night. Let’s hope that it continues.”

When Georgetown last travelled to face St. John’s, it left New York with a 1-0 loss on Oct. 16, having pressed for but failing to score a late equalizer.

St. John’s reached Friday night’s semifinal thanks to a 2-0 victory over Villanova (5-10-4, 3-4-2 Big East) on Tuesday, a game which saw the Wildcats attempt the bizarre last-ditch tactic of pulling its goalkeeper to create a power play of sorts, leaving one of its centerbacks as a sweeper-keeper to defend the goal.

“They’ve got the goalkeeper of the year [Diana Poulin], they’ve got the Big East Defender of the Year [Georgia Kearney-Perry] and they’ve got last year’s Big East Offensive Player of the Year [Rachel Daly],” Nolan said of St. John’s. “So they have three good players up the spine of their team, which is how you build great teams.”

Nolan expected a similar game as the last one at St. John’s, though this time, the windy conditions and increased pressure may play a greater role.

“I think we’ll be a little bit more tuned-in to them, because we’ve faced them,” Nolan said. “You can talk about your opponents, and you can show video, but it’s only when you actually play against them that you can start to see where kids say, ‘Now I know what he meant.’”

When Georgetown switched to a 3-52 formation near the end of the October match against the Red Storm, the Hoyas created several late chances, including a Daphne Corboz rocket that hit the crossbar.

“I definitely feel they walked off the field against us the first time saying, ‘Wow, we got away with one there,’” Nolan said. “So I don’t think we will

MAISA Victory THOMAS KITS VAN HEYNINGEN Special to The Hoya

NATE MOULTON/THE HOYA

Senior midfielder Daphne Corboz has 10 goals and 16 assists this year. surprise them as regards to how good we can be.”

In addition to Daphne Corboz’s accolades, the Big East also honored junior defender Marina Paul on its First Team, senior goalkeeper Emma Newins, junior forward Sarah Adams and freshman attacking midfielder Rachel Corboz on the Second Team, and freshman defender Liz Wenger joined the younger Corboz on the AllRookie Team.

The appearances of Wenger and Paul on the lists of honored players reflects a resurgent defense that, entering the conference championship, has conceded only two goals in the last six games.

“The defenders and defensive midfielders have played very well and have been key to our success,” Daphne said. “We have no returning defensive players, so it’s really nice to see them learn and become such a good defensive unit. They are very important to achieving our postseason goals.”

On an extremely windy day on the East River in New York, the Georgetown University sailing team took home the MidAtlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association Coed Conference Championship. The win marks the fourth consecutive year Georgetown has earned top marks in the regatta, besting the other top 18 teams in the conference. Senior Katia DaSilva and junior Nevin Snow led the effort for the Hoyas, posting a 21-point A Division lead in another strong performance.

In the B Division, senior Alex Post and junior Bettina Redwar finished in third, and senior Katie Olsen and sophomore A.J. Reiter tallied came in 11th place. These results were enough to earn a victory for the Hoyas. Georgetown’s final score of 61 placed it above the other top-five finishers by an impressive margin of 24 points, easily beating out State University of New York, Maritime, Old Dominion University, the Naval Academy and St. Mary’s College for the conference championship.

While the MAISA regatta marks one of the biggest events of the fall schedule, the team put the win in the perspective of its much larger goals for the season.

“I think that this is important as not only the fall championship, but it also determines your schedule for the next year, so how well you do at this event impacts what events you get into, so it’s really important that we did well,” Head

FIELD HOCKEY

GU HOYAS

Junior Nevin Snow and senior Katie DaSilva led Georgetown to victory in the MAISA regatta in New York this weekend.

Coach Michael Callahan said.

“It doesn’t technically mean anything that we won; these results don’t mean that we’re going to qualify for the national championship, but there are certainly some positives and I think we left the regatta thinking that we didn’t do too well, and that we could have done a lot better.”

Irrespective of the first-place finish, the team expressed the need for constant improvement as the spring season approaches. The issue of consistency — especially in the B Division — is an area of particular importance that the team hopes to remedy in the coming months.

“In B Division, we’re not yet where we need to be for the See MAISA, A9

WIZARDS

New Staff Improves Results, Outlook Otto Porter Avoids ELIZABETH CAVACOS Hoya Staff Writer

After concluding its most successful season since 2010 on Sunday, the Georgetown field hockey team (6-12, 0-5 Big East) is looking toward next year with a bright outlook.

A disappointing 2-16 record in the 2013 season was a sign that the program needed a change. This fall, under the leadership of a brand-new coaching staff and with the opportunity to play home games on campus at the MultiSport Facility for the first time since 2007, Georgetown began to construct a new team identity.

Georgetown’s improved final record is a tangible indication of the team’s progress, but junior co-captain and midfielder Emily Weinberg believes that there are better ways of measuring the team’s success.

“We’ve improved upon our culture, our team dynamic, how hard we’re working [and] our mentality, so I think even more [important] than the amount of wins is the way we are as athletes now,” Weinberg said.

From the beginning, first-year Head Coach Shannon Soares and assistant Coaches Shelly Montgomery and Mary Beth Barham stressed the importance of leaving the past behind and instead developing an all-in mentality. They committed to building confidence, adapting to new challenges and raising expectations. Weinberg says that sharing this commitment with the coaching staff united the team and helped in adjusting to the new leadership.

“We were ready and willing to adapt to it, so the change that was brought upon us, while it was different and new for us based on what we had experienced, we easily adjusted and tried to do everything that they asked of us,” Weinberg said.

The team was also dedicated to building an aggressive mentality, particularly on the offensive end of the field. Soares’ game strategy relied heavily on launching series of relentless attacks on the opponent’s defensive circle.

Junior co-captain and midfielder Louise Chakejian says that this

FILE PHOTO: JULIA HENNRIKUS/THE HOYA

Sophomore forward Aliyah-Graves Brown was named to the all-Big East Second Team after leading the Hoyas with six goals and three assists.

mindset carried over into practices and translated into many of the fundamental improvements the team made during the season.

“We really try to embrace a fighter mentality in practices,” Chakejian said. “Mental toughness is a really big thing for us, and I think we’ve improved so much in that area with every single person. I think that’s a huge step for our program.”

Although Georgetown suffered several tough losses during the season, each game helped the Hoyas reach new levels of progress. Georgetown’s offense became a united and balanced front with nine different players recording goals during the season.

Sophomore forward Aliyah GravesBrown, who earned all-Big East Second Team honors for her efforts during the season, stepped up to lead the offense with six goals. She was the first Hoya since 2012 to earn a postseason conference honor.

On the other end of the field, the Hoya defense showed resilience throughout the season, recording four shutouts and holding a tough No. 17 Old Dominion offense (11-7, 4-1 Big East) to just three goals on Oct. 31. Sophomore goalkeeper Rachel Skonecki anchored the defense in the cage with 108 total saves and a .667 save percentage.

The Hoyas developed good chemistry on the field, but team unity translated into all areas of the program.

In addition to naming Weinberg and Chakejian as captains, the team created a leadership council, which allowed all players to vocalize their ideas and concerns. Both Weinberg and Chakejian agree that this system was important in bringing the team together during a season full of transition.

“We really did get to learn a lot from everyone too. … Everyone’s voice was heard,” Chakejian said.

See RECAP, A9

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Sophomore Slump MATT RAAB

Hoya Staff Writer

Last year, forward Otto Porter completed his rookie season as a Washington Wizard with just 319 minutes played in 37 games. He finished with 78 points on a lackluster 3391 shooting, his debut delayed by a hip flexor injury. Overall, his performance caused many Washington fans familiar with a history of frustrating draft picks to declare the third overall pick a bust.

Five games into the 2014-15 NBA season, the Wizards are 4-1, and Porter’s numbers are starting to tell a different story.

In 129 minutes, Porter has 45 points, including a 21-point eruption in the second half of Washington’s home opener against the Milwaukee Bucks last Saturday.

A week into the regular season is quite early to make assumptions about Porter’s new role with the team. Injuries to guard Bradley Beal and small forward Martell Webster have forced some bench players to step up for the early part of the season, and rotations are still in flux. But developments over the summer and early in the season indicate a much bigger role for Porter than what he saw a year ago.

Porter started turning heads in Las Vegas at the NBA Summer League, leading the Wizards to the semifinal game of the July tournament along with fellow sophomore Glenn Rice Jr. Then the free-agency changes that

FILE PHOTO: ERIN NAPIER/THE HOYA

Wizards forward Otto Porter is averaging nine points and 3.6 rebounds per game. resulted in an exit for Trevor Ariza and entrance of 37-yearold Paul Pierce opened up some space in the rotation at forward, while some early injuries have also given Porter a chance for some minutes.

“Paul Pierce will not average 30 to 35 minutes like [former starting forward Trevor] Ariza can, and has done,” Washington Post Wizards beat reporter Jorge Castillo told THE HOYA. “Also, Bradley Beal being hurt has put another void on the wing that Otto’s seeing a lot of time at.”

See PORTER, A8