The Hoya: February 17, 2017

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

Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 98, No. 33, © 2017

FRIday, FEBRUARY 17, 2017

A NEIGHBORHOOD IN FLUX The Georgetown area has undergone many changes in the past several decades.

EDITORIAL SFS students seeking interdisciplinary perspectives must not be limited.

DAY WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS Dozens of D.C. restaurants closed to show support for immigrants yesterday.

OPINION, A2

NEWS, A5

GUIDE, B2

Four Tickets Vie for GUSA Executive Office Kamar Mack and Jessica Andino

Garet Williams and Habon Ali

Tara Subramaniam

Joe Egler and Yasmine Salam

Hoya Staff Writer

Hoya Staff Writers

It was a December evening, and over burrito bowls at Chipotle on M Street. Garet Williams (COL ’18) and Habon Ali (SFS ’18) decided to run for Georgetown University School Association president and vice president.

The meeting was far different from when the two first met almost two-and-a-half years earlier at the Preparing to Excel pre-orientation program.

Now, the two are seeking to realize their vision of a more inclusive, supportive and approachable GUSA – a GUSA rooted in their experiences from before and during their time at Georgetown.

Both candidates are part

LAUREN SEIBEL/THE HOYA

Williams and Ali, who met at a pre-orientation program, are both involved in advocacy efforts on campus. of the Georgetown Scholarship Program. Ali was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya and moved to the United States with her family when she was 8 years old as a refu-

gee.

Ali emphasized the value her mother placed on education when she was growing See WILLIAMS, A6

Although they hail from different backgrounds, Kamar Mack (COL ’19) and Jessica Andino (COL ’18) were drawn to Georgetown for similar reasons.

Both came to Georgetown not only for the school’s academics, but also for the opportunities it affords students outside the classroom.

“I am from Memphis, Tenn., and I originally was looking at a lot of schools in the South, but later in senior year, I was encouraged to branch out,” Mack said.

“Georgetown also offered me the chance to be around students who were very passionate about things outside of the classroom.”

Likewise, Andino said she found a home for her advo-

Tala Al Rajjal

Ian Scoville

Hoya Staff Writer

Hoya Staff Writer

After receiving 100 signatures to join the campaign race three days after last Wednesday’s election season kickoff, Jenny Franke (COL ’18) and Jack McGuire (COL ’18) launched their self-described grassroots campaign earlier this week.

Franke and McGuire are running as Georgetown University Student Association outsiders, motivated by a mission to bring inclusivity, transparency, accountability and change to the student body.

To McGuire, inclusivity encompasses increasing involvement and awareness in student government for those not typically associated with GUSA. McGuire sees his campaign as an example

Since John Matthews (COL ’18) and Nick Matz (COL ’18) met on the rowing team during their freshman year, the two friends have been involved in a variety of activities on campus.

Matz, who quit rowing last fall, joined the Georgetown University Alumni and Student Federal Credit Union, where he serves as vice president of Information Technology. Matthews continues to row and also works at the Residence Hall Office.

Now, Matthews and Matz are looking to add another activity to their resumes: Georgetown University Student Association president and vice president.

In an interview with The

FRANKE-MCGUIRE

of outsider involvement.

“We want to get more students involved in student government, not everyone who runs needs GUSA experience with an extensive and

lengthy platform and large campaign staff,” McGuide wrote.

Franke sees the pair’s See FRANKE, A6

cacy efforts on the Hilltop.

“I’d never heard of Georgetown until the summer before my senior year, and I fell in love with the school,” Andino said. “I knew I wanted to study

government. I interned for my councilmember back in high school, and I did advocacy for Latino senior citizens.”

See MACK, A6

John Matthews and Nick Matz

Jenny Franke and Jack McGuire

Both GUSA outsiders, Franke and McGuire are running a self-described grassroots campaign with a small staff.

ANNA KOVACEVICH/THE HOYA

Mack and Andino have presented a platform centered on student health, entrepreneurship and affordability.

ANNA KOVACEVICH/THE HOYA

With a platform focused on affordability, Matthews and Matz look to change the institution of GUSA. Hoya, the pair said their experiences outside of GUSA will help them target students who may feel disconnected from the institution.

“There’s a big disconnect

right now between GUSA and the student body,” Matthews said. “We believe we have the ability to represent See MATTHEWS, A6

See OUR ANALYSIS OF THE CANDIDATES’ PLATFORMS, A6

Panelists Call for Bipartisan Solution Lauinger Library Reduces Collection After Budget Cut Gaia Mattiace Hoya Staff Writer

GU POLITICS

Panelists pushed for the establishment of safe zones for civilians in Syria at a discussion Monday.

featured

To assist those displaced by the Syria’s civil war, the United States must help establish and maintain safe zones in Syria where civilians will not be in danger, according to a bipartisan panel of journalists, advocates, political commentators and politicians in a panel hosted by Georgetown’s Institute of Politics and Public Service.

The panel focused its discussion on efforts to stop the growing death toll of the Syrian conflict at the event, entitled “Syrian Conflict: Is there a Bipartisan Solution?” in the Intercultural Center Auditorium on Jan. 13.

CNN Contributor Sarah Elizabeth “S.E.” Cupp, who is also a board member for Help Me Go Home and an advisory board member for GU Politics, said the history of the Syrian conflict is essential to understanding the current policy quandaries

facing the United States.

In 2011, a protest of the Assad regime in the Syrian city of Daraa turned violent when the Syrian military began an 11-day siege on the city. The military reaction prompted an escalation of the Arab Spring conflicts, which would eventually turn into a Syrian civil war.

“They still have hope despite all of the violence that’s occurred there in the last five years.”

NORA BARRé Board Member, Help Me Go Home

The Syrian regime continued the aggressive persecution of its people through the use of chemical weapons, which See BIPARTISAN, A8

Caroline Hyer Special to The Hoya

Lauinger Library’s budget was cut by $1 million for fiscal year 2016, requiring the library to reduce its principal collections of books to avoid staff layoffs.

In July 2015, the library took a 6-percent overall budget reduction as part of a broader university effort to reduce spending, according to University Librarian Artemis Kirk. In order to retain all library staff, the majority of the cuts were made from the library’s collections budget, which were cut by 17.5 percent.

The reduced collection was announced to university faculty in an email sent from library administrators Feb. 9

obtained by The Hoya.

“Cost-cutting has been a university-wide initiative with a goal of providing high-quality education in a sustainable way,” Kirk wrote in an email to The Hoya. “We focused on the collections budget as an area for increased savings. We did not reduce any library- or student-staffing.”

The library budget was cut as part of a university-wide effort of “providing high-quality education in a sustainable way,” according to Vice President of Finance David Rubenstein.

The cut is part of a larger series of cuts to the university budget, according to the email sent to faculty.

See BUDGET, A8

NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

Paid Leave Bill Moves Forward Thousands of D.C. employees will receive paid family leave after Mayor Muriel Bowser passed new legislation.

A5

Nothing but Nyet Trump’s false moral equivalency is a stark repudiation of American values.

A3

No-Fun League Strict rules on touchdown celebrations prevent players from expressing themselves.

B10

NEWS Marquardt on Covering War

opinion Smashmouth

SPORTS Fresh Start for Hoyas

ABC News foreign correspondent Alexander Marquardt shared his experiences Monday evening.

A4

Trump’s unorthodox approach and response to criticism demands scrutiny.

A3

Published Tuesdays and Fridays

The baseball team seeks to improve on last year’s losing record as it opens the season in Davidson.

B10

Send story ideas and tips to news@thehoya.com

A2

OPINION

THE HOYA

Friday, FEBRUARY 17, 2017

THE VERDICT

C

Secretary of Just Kidding — President Donald Trump’s nominee for Labor Secretary, Andrew Puzder, pulled his name from consideration before his Feb. 16 confirmation vote.

C Codify Curricular Exploration

Love Más — Taco Bell recently announced the summer opening of a 24hour cantina and wedding chapel in Las Vegas. The complete wedding package is only $600.

Founded January 14, 1920

EDITORIAL

town College or McDonough School of Business, students in the SFS can neither double major nor select a non-language minor.

While MSB students are afforded the opportunity to pursue minors outside the business school — such as English, philosophy or computer science — students within the SFS are restrained to a limited number of certificates offered in the school. By extending this option to SFS students, the school could give its graduates a new degree of dimensionality in their studies.

Although the new “Design Your Own Certificate” program for the Class of 2019 onward might allow SFS students to explore new interests, many simply wish to earn accreditation within fields that already exist in schools such as the College. Students are far more multifaceted than their degree in International Political Economy or Regional and Comparative Studies may suggest, and, by permitting students in the SFS to earn minors or other credits outside the school, they can establish faculty connections and expertise beyond the fields of international affairs.

Students ought to continue to voice their opinions to the Academic Council and other SFS administrative representatives in order to craft programs that cater to a variety of interests and provide feedback as the administration moves forward with these changes.

The Editorial Board encourages the SFS Dean’s Office to seize this opportunity to restructure the core curriculum requirements to accommodate interdisciplinary studies across the sciences and arts for students interested in exploring interests beyond the scope of international relations. By permitting students to minor according to their interests and cross-count their credits, the SFS can truly foster a liberal arts education befitting the mission of the school.

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Students in the School of Foreign Service have long joked that the rigid core curriculum practically forces them to major in core requirements. Meanwhile, another familiar refrain claims that SFS actually stands for “Safe From Science.”

Both of these distinctions may subside starting with the Class of 2022. Last week, Senior Dean for Undergraduate Affairs Daniel Byman announced plans to introduce a science requirement into its core curriculum but reduce the number of major course requirements.

The current SFS core consists of one freshman proseminar, two humanities or writing courses, two theology courses, two engaging diversity courses, two government courses, three history courses, two philosophy courses, a language proficiency requirement and the one-credit “Map of the Modern World.”

Under the proposed plan, the Dean’s Office is considering the number of required economics courses from four to three and giving students the ability to count one- or four-credit classes toward their graduation requirements.

Although we applaud the Dean’s Office and SFS Academic Council for implementing these changes and loosening these requirements, the SFS can further make strides in promoting academic freedom and diversity in the course offerings of its students by extending the ability to minor and cross-count courses in the school.

Currently, the SFS embraces a philosophy of “depth over breadth,” which stresses developing a specialization in a subject area rather than dabbling across fields. Although this is an admirable credo, it often manifests itself in curricular offerings that are decidedly limiting for students who wish to pursue new academic interests outside the SFS. Unlike their counterparts in the George-

C C

Strangers in a Strange Land — According to Quartz, 40 percent of international students in the United States don’t have close friends on campus.

One of a Kind — This December, Toyota sold exactly one Prius in China.

Still Got It — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the world’s oldest breeding seabird, Wisdom, hatched another chick at 66 years old.

Rumor Has It — German Shepherd Rumor beat out more than 2,800 dogs to win Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

EDITORIAL CARTOON by Elinor Walker

Kehoe, Key to Our Community In its heyday in the 1940s, Kehoe Field served as home for a record-winning football team that garnered invitations to the prestigious Orange and Sun Bowls. But now the field — perched on the roof of the Yates Field House since 1979 — languishes unused after decades of neglect, its rough-hewn surface deemed too dangerous for varsity athletes for the last 10 years.

Until February 2016, however, intramural and club athletes still coveted the turf for practice, despite the field being riddled with cuts, bump and potholes. Yet safety concerns prompted the university to shutter Kehoe Field and force club sports, as well as intramural and recreational activities, to share Cooper Field for practices, with no scheduled resolution in sight.

Thus far, the university has weighed two options for renovation: a 10- to 15-year wait for complete “athletic district redevelopment,” or a short-term renovation of Kehoe that would extend the field’s lifespan for another 10 years after 12 to 18 months of construction. For the sake of club and intramural teams on campus, the university should pursue the latter expedited option, or else they risk decimating the vibrancy and variety of non-varsity athletic opportunities on campus.

Other than Cooper Field, club sports have compensated their lack of practice terrain with fields at local high schools, such as the Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. However, Georgetown Prep slashed the total available practice hours for Georgetown teams from 120 last fall to 30 this semester, and none of the schools offer field lighting, restricting practice to daylight hours only.

The inconsistency of available times, along with their off-campus locations, have deterred participation in these club sports, causing attendance and recruitment numbers to dwindle for teams such as the Men’s Ultimate Frisbee Club, according to reporting in The Hoya. Already, many teams have expressed their indignation at Kehoe Field’s closing and the university’s protracted schedule for its renovation with a petition last spring.

The lack of field accessibility for such sports impedes many students from partaking in activities that are integral to their university expe-

rience. For many who cannot or would prefer not to tackle the rigor of varsity athletics, these sports provide more than just exercise: They are a respite from the stresses of academic life and an opportunity enter a team-based community. The elimination of Kehoe Field delivers not just a blow to the student groups that depend on the terrain for practice, but also to students whose participation in clubs sports is formative to their college identity.

Georgetown’s evident lack of preparation for the closure of Kehoe Field is also alarming since the university acknowledged the dangerous conditions of the field over the past decade, yet provided little sustained effort to resolve its problems. The fact the field was able to devolve into such a state of disrepair in the first place demonstrates negligence on the part of university officials, signaling the subordination of club and intramural sports within the university’s priorities.

The university should pursue the expedited renovation of Kehoe to restore the space for student use. Georgetown has already completed a feasibility study of the short-term renovation, but has not pursued the critical design study phase of the operation. This step, while costly, is imperative for the restoration and should be completed with all due expediency to commence the project.

In addition to the reconstruction of Kehoe, the university needs to address the issue of field accessibility for club teams by securing spaces that offer lighting during regularly scheduled practice.

Georgetown also ought to investigate which institutional flaws led to the negligence of Kehoe Field. The fact that a top American research university like Georgetown allowed one of its main recreational fields to deteriorate to a point where it tangibly threatened the safety of students and remained in that condition for over a decade warrants administrative scrutiny.

In addition to restoring the space as quickly as possible and providing students with viable alternatives for practice as they await the construction, the university must do everything in its power to ensure that non-varsity athletics are not a casualty of the deterioration of Kehoe Field.

Toby Hung, Editor-in-Chief Cirillo Paolo Santamaria, Executive Editor Jeffrey Tara Subramaniam Jesus Rodriguez, Managing Editor Yasmine Salam

Ian Scoville, Campus News Editor Aly Pachter, City News Editor Sean Hoffman, Sports Editor Marina Tian, Guide Editor Lisa Burgoa, Opinion Editor Lauren Seibel, Photography Editor Alyssa Volivar, Design Editor Sarah Wright, Copy Chief Kelly Park, Social Media Editor Alessandra Puccio, Blog Editor Jack Martin, Multimedia Editor

Editorial Board

Lisa Burgoa, Chair CC Borzilleri, Laila Brothers, Daria Etezadi, Ellie Goonetillake, Jack Lynch, Jack Segelstein, Bennett Stehr, Annabelle Timsit

Christian Paz William Zhu Alfredo Carrillo Dan Baldwin Emily Dalton Dean Hampers Cynthia Karnezis Kathryn Baker Viviana De Santis Dani Guerrero Meena Raman Maya Gandhi Grace Laria Jacob Witt Elinor Walker Stephanie Yuan Michelle Kelly Esther Kim Peter Shamamian Eleanor Stork Anna Dezenzo Janine Karo Sterling Lykes Catherine Schluth Charlie Fritz

Deputy Campus News Editor Deputy Campus News Editor Deputy Campus News Editor Deputy City News Editor Business Editor Deputy Business & News Editor Deputy Sports Editor Deputy Sports Editor Deputy Sports Editor Deputy Sports Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Opinion Editor Deputy Opinion Editor Deputy Opinion Editor Cartoonist Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Design Editor Deputy Design Editor Deputy Design Editor Deputy Design Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Blog Editor

[

The Rostrum “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Lutheran Pastor Martin niemoller “First They Came...” 1946

Daniel Almeida, General Manager Brittany Logan, Director of Accounting Emily Ko, Director of Corporate Development Gabriella Cerio, Director of Human Resources George Lankas, Director of Sales Karen Shi Galilea Zorola Matt Zezula Tara Halter Brian Yoffe Emily Marshall Akshat Kumar

Personnel Manager Senior Accounts and Operations Manager Treasury Manager Accounts Manager Accounts Manager Alumni Engagement Manager Local Ads Manager

Contributing Editors & Consultants

Madeline Auerbach, Kara Avanceña, Chris Balthazard, Isabel Binamira, Elizabeth Cavacos, Tom Garzillo, Lauren Gros, Shannon Hou, Darius Iraj, Yuri Kim, Dan Kreytak, Andrew May, John Miller, Syed Humza Moinuddin, Tyler Park, Becca Saltzman, Sarah Santos, Jeanine Santucci, Kshithij Shrinath, Emily Tu, Andrew Wallender Emma Wenzinger

Board of Directors

Kristen Fedor, Chair Daniel Almeida, Jinwoo Chong, Toby Hung, Arnosh Keswani, Selena Parra, Matthew Trunko 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 600-700 words. The Hoya retains all rights to all published submissions.

Send all submissions to: opinion@thehoya.com.

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

Corrections & Clarifications If you have a comment or question about the fairness or accuracy of a story, contact Executive Editor Paolo Santamaria at (703) 409-7276 or email executive@thehoya.com.

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OPINION

Friday, FEBRUARY 17, 2017

PLAYING POLITICS

THE HOYA

A3

VIEWPOINT • PEREZ-REYES

Aaron Bennett & Christian Mesa

Head of the Goon Squad

W

hen you see a hockey player on the ice smashed up against the glass, that is often the work of the “goon.” Beloved by fans for their ruthless attacks and entertaining play, goons — players who are usually kept on the roster to exact revenge for dirty hits against their team — always hit back harder.

Their message is clear: “Do not try that again.”

If the White House were a hockey team, President Donald Trump would be the goon.

He always hits back hard, and his fans love it.

Some of his biggest moments have their roots in longstanding beef. Frustrated with the network’s coverage of his campaign, transition and first weeks in office, Trump tied CNN to swirling reports of false news stories that circulated in the weeks leading up to the election in November. He swung at reporter Jim Acosta during his first news conference since the summer with the ultimate viral epithet: “You are fake news!”

Trump’s goon-like tendencies trace back long before his presidential campaign. In December 2006, Rosie O’Donnell criticized Trump’s decision not to fire Tara Conner, the Miss Teen USA pageant winner who was discovered to have abused drugs and alcohol. He quickly fired back, telling People magazine that O’Donnell was “a real loser” and “a woman out of control.”

Clearly, Trump fits this role, and in the past, it has been fun to watch his antics from afar. Yet, as the president, he continues to throw his weight around to delegitimize his critics and discourage dissent.

Recently, Trump has stared down blowback over his executive order halting immigration from seven majority-Muslim nations. Through protests, denunciations and bad press worldwide, Trump keeps on swinging at his critics. His attacks on renowned media outlets, denials of the legitimacy of negative poll numbers and disrespect toward the judiciary are the goon at work. Re-

lentless in retaliation, Trump is attempting to suppress any and all opposition through brute force.

The success of a goon, however, is measured by impact over time. Not every punch will land, and he might get sent to the penalty box, but, in his mind, that is not really the point. Any time he incites fear, he wins. The other team might be too scared to take that first swing against an outrageous policy — and that is when the goon has done his job.

Trump, being the goon of his own administration, is a rare feat for a president. This is something we have not seen in American politics before; often, the hard-hitter is a member of the White House staff, who uses his or her distance from the president to attack political opponents while preserving the boss’s image.

Trump’s calculus seems to be that assuming the role of the goon himself is more of an asset than a liability, and this message may have carried him to the presidency. Central to his appeal is his “devil-maycare” approach to politics. He removes the gloves of political correctness and starts throwing punches, not afraid to say whatever he thinks. Removing the gravity of each decision he makes, his rough style makes him fun to watch but dangerous to his opponents — just like the goon on the ice.

Try as he might, the president cannot prevent his opponents from taking shots and offering criticism. Democrats need to learn how to beat Trump at his own game: by not running from a fight. If they refuse to be silenced, tactics of fear and intimidation become useless.

In this absurdist comedy of a presidency, opponents of Trump must remain vigilant — especially with a guy in the Oval who is always looking to pick a fight.

Christian Mesa and Aaron Bennett are sophomores in the College. PLAYING POLITICS appears every other Friday.

Were Trump more familiar with the grim realities of Russian political life, perhaps he would realize the true significance of comparing the two countries.

Trump’s Fictitious Russian Equivalency

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n Super Bowl Sunday, something unprecedented in American history occurred: A sitting president of the United States drew a moral equivalency between the United States and Russia.

In a pregame interview with Fox’s Bill O’Reilly, President Donald Trump seemed to defend Russian President Vladimir Putin. When O’Reilly questioned how Trump could respect Putin despite the allegations that he is “a killer,” Trump responded,“There are a lot of killers. We’ve got a lot of killers. What do you think?

Our country’s so innocent?”

It is imperative to understand the implications of Trump’s claims. Essentially, Trump justifies his respect for a “killer” by leveling the moral playing field. If the United States is just as guilty as Russia, it follows that Putin should be treated as an equal, not a criminal. Were Trump more familiar with the grim realities of Russian political life, perhaps he would realize the true significance of drawing such a comparison.

One need only look at the news coming out of Moscow over the past few weeks to see what kind of country Pu-

tin leads. On Feb. 8, opposition activist Aleksei Navalny, known for his exposes of regime corruption, was convicted for defrauding the government, effectively barring him from running in the 2018 presidential elections.

The charges are highly dubious, since the verdict mirrors word-for-word a 2013 conviction against Navalny that was overruled by the European Court of Human Rights just two months ago.

Meanwhile, another Kremlin opponent lies in an intensive care unit. On Feb. 2, democracy activist Vladimir Kara-Murza entered the hospital in critical condition, experiencing severe organ failure. This follows a 2015 incident, in which he suffered from similar symptoms as a result of acute poisoning “of an unknown source.”

Before his hospitalization, Kara-Murza had been touring the country, presenting a documentary about Boris Nemtsov, the liberal politician who was gunned down near the Kremlin in 2015.

Although these events have elicited concern among members of Congress from both parties, the White House has thus far remained mostly silent. When asked about

Kara-Murza’s hospitalization, Press Secretary Sean Spicer responded that “the State Department is aware of it, and we’re monitoring it.”

Admitting the United States has its own killers does not mean that our country’s failures invalidate its promise.

Considering that the President has weighed in critically on everything from Nordstrom to Saturday Night Live, his lack of criticism toward a man most political leaders condemn as a “butcher” and “thug” is all the more telling. Possibly, this is because Trump himself sees the United States as not “so innocent.”

This conclusion has such resonance because it reflects the truly sad reality that the United States fails to live up to its values all too often. On Feb. 12, a preliminary United Nations investigation suggested a U.S. airstrike in Afghani-

stan killed 18 civilians, nearly all women and children. At home, the land of the free continues to have the highest incarceration rate in the world, disproportionately affecting men of color.

While an op-ed can hardly capture the depth of injustice perpetrated by the United States, the essential point is this: When we as a country look in the mirror, it is impossible to ignore the blood on our hands. But we must not believe that our guilt defines us, for unlike Putin’s Russia, we are more than a country of killers.

Admitting the United States has its own killers does not mean that our country’s failures invalidate its promise.

It means that we must strive all the more to fulfill this promise. How we live out our ideals is flawed, not the ideals themselves.

Renewing our commitment to this promise is what separates the United States and Russia. Only when our failure to uphold our values leads us to give up on these values entirely will we truly become Russia’s moral equivalent.

ALEJANDRO PEREZ-REYES is a

senior in the College.

FROM THE DEAN’s DESK

Supplementing Education: Lessons Beyond the Classroom Guiding Moral Action Through Empathy

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s a scholar of the Holocaust, I am often called upon by friends, family, colleagues, strangers on the metro and Uber drivers to be the arbiter of a perpetual question: “Isn’t [insert contemporary topic here] just like Hitler/ the Nazis/the Holocaust?”

The answer I almost always give is a definitive “no.” The 2016 U.S. presidential election has proven to be no different.

With pronouncements of immigration exclusions, antiSemitism and white supremacy, the questions roll in, but the answer remains the same: Although the events themselves are fundamentally different, the solutions to these problems are remarkably similar.

Teachers joined the Nazi party in greater numbers than any other profession. More than half of all German physicians became members of the Nazi party. Trained physicians conducted degrading and excruciating medical experimentation on innocent men, women and children to validate pseudo-scientific theories.

An advanced education does not inoculate us from hate, which should not be a surprise. How many Ph.D.s does one need to have to know that murdering millions, or a single person for that matter, is wrong? If terminal degrees cannot prevent genocide, what can? The answer is not education, but empathy.

As an academic, my initial inclination when confronting hate speech is to suggest more education. But as a historian of the Holocaust, I know that

simply is not enough. Hate is emotional, not rational, and must therefore be responded to emotionally.

Samuel Aronson Every social science researcher who has studied racial bias has found that there is no relationship between teaching people about the injustices of discrimination and decreased animosity. No museum, movie or speaker, no matter how compelling, can move the needle towards tolerance by simply telling a story of discrimination. So what does work?

In a 2016 study, “Reducing Implicit Racial Preferences,” Dr. Calvin Lai of Harvard University assessed 17 different interventions for reducing racial bias and found the most effective to be a presentation of “counterstereotypical” images.

The most effective intervention for reducing bias was showing a picture to subjects who had scored highly on implicit bias tests indicating an animus towards black people. The image featured a black woman, wearing a hard hat to suggest that she is a construction worker, who is also breastfeeding a child. See-

ing yourself, and more importantly seeing your espoused values in those with whom you think do not share them can catalyze sincere empathy, and reduce animus.

I wish that education was the silver bullet for hate, not just because it would mean increased job security for me but also because it would make reducing hate so much easier. Education is compulsory in the United States, but seeing your fellow man as fully human is not.

In his 1835 text, “Democracy in America,” Alexis de Tocqueville noted, “In the United States the more opulent citizens take great care not to stand aloof from the people; on the contrary, they constantly keep on easy terms with the lower classes: They listen to them, they speak to them every day.”

Over 180 years later, that could not be further from the truth. Today, throughout most of the U.S. schools are more segregated than they were in the 1960s, and “SuperZips,” zip codes where the median household income exceeds $120,000 and greater than 68 percent of the residents have college degrees, continue to concentrate. If we want to start seeing our fellow man as fully equal, we must start seeing our fellow man in person.

Samuel Aronson is an Assistant Dean in the Georgetown University Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.

Embracing Engagement Spurs Growth

“H

ey, did you watch ‘House of Cards’ last night?” or “What did you think about the class discussion on gender inequality?” Just like that, you engaged someone else. It does not matter the topic — the purpose is to get the conversation started.

When I interact with my advisees, conversations are marred by uncertainty. Being surrounded by different nationalities, races, genders, cultures and faiths may seem intriguing, but how do you connect? When engaging this diverse population, students often contemplate how they fit in, and more importantly, what they can do to contribute.

I am always surprised that the idea of being different is not viewed as an opportunity to teach, educate, learn and engage but is instead often considered terrifying. It is a daunting task to step out of your comfort zone and have discussions about the unfamiliar. Taking the first steps in engagement can be overwhelming.

The art of engagement is a term used in the business realm, but it is very applicable to life. Jim Haudan states in “The Art of Engagement,” “Like people, every company has a story — a journey that includes where it’s been, where it is now, and where it wants to go.” As you step through the front gates, do you seek out what is familiar or go down the paths of the unknown?

Engaging your peers allows you to understand and learn the plight of others. It gives

you an opportunity to empathize and even question the values that you hold true.

Kendra Billingslea We live in a 24-hour news cycle. With technology, friends and family are a click away. We get to share our thoughts and opinions about what is not only occurring on our campus but in the world. Now add to that conversation your personal experiences and background.

Do you see the power that you hold when you embrace the opportunity to engage? In a learning environment, it is our obligation to do so.

On Feb. 2, School of Foreign Service Dean Joel Hellman sent out a statement to the community, “From its very founding in 1919, SFS was established as a school with a mission to understand the world and to engage the world. To achieve that mission, we have always opened our classrooms to students and scholars from every corner of the world. They have enriched our community and deepened our global understanding. This is who we are.”

Whether in Lau or Leo’s on Healy Lawn or Red Square, we strive to connect, understand and impact the world around us.

We understand that educating ourselves goes beyond the four

walls of the classroom. It happens anywhere and everywhere.

The moment we speak and express our thoughts, we are learning. That is what engagement is all about. By carrying the torch to be men and women for others, at times, we feel pressured to say the right thing or to come across a certain way. However, our individual uniqueness is what makes engagement so interesting.

Entering into a new atmosphere, such as college or a new job, is frightening and challenging. Acceptance of your strengths and weaknesses, and recognizing those of others, is called empathy. It is essential to your growth and maturity to constantly challenge yourself to interact with others who are different from you.

The more you diversify your engagement portfolio, the more well-rounded you become. So, is engagement an art? Sure, but you have a lifetime to find the technique that fits you best. The more you practice, the better you become. So start a conversation.

“Have you taken professor Hardest Grader Ever’s class?”

Georgetown will forever educate. The classroom is a powerful tool. But we cannot forget the other “E” words: empathy and engagement. They are simply the fabric of our lives.

Kendra Billingslea is an Associate Dean in the Georgetown University Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. From the Dean’s Desk is a rotating column that appears every other Friday.

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THE HOYA

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2017

PAGE FOUR

INSIDE THIS ISSUE The National Park Services has advanced a plan to create a new boat house in Georgetown. Story on A8.

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya.

IN FOCUS CANDIDATES DEBATE verbatim

“

The councilmember can’t predict Congress, but he doesn’t belive that this is an issue that they are paying particular attention to.”

D.C. Councilmember David Grosso’s spokesperson Matt Nocella on the Paid Family Leave Act. Story on A8.

from our blog

4E’S GUIDE TO DATING APPS Stressing about which photo to set as your dating app profile picture? No worries, 4E is here to help.

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GUSA vice presidential candidate Jessica Andino (COL ’18), left, delivers her opening statement at the vice presidential debate Wednesday, which was moderated by Election Commission Vice Chair Grady Williard (COL ’18)

blog.thehoya.com

ABC Foreign Correspondent Discusses Syrian War ISABELLE GROENEWEGEN Special to The Hoya

The civil war in Syria and President Bashar alAssad’s attempts to quell rebels have led to an increase in extremism in the region, according to a talk by Alexander Marquardt (SFS ’04), ABC News foreign correspondent, Monday evening.

Marquardt has covered significant world events, including the 2008 United States presidential election campaign, and has reported from North Africa and the Middle East since the Arab Spring in 2011.

He has also covered the Syrian Civil War, reporting on both the government and rebel factions, which have been at war since March 2011 for control of the country. Marquardt said the conflict was by far the most difficult and complicated war he could have covered.

“I want to focus on Syria, which is closest to my heart, is a story that I’ve probably spent the most time on since the last 6 years of the Arab spring and frankly is the only place in the Middle East these days where you are seeing an ongoing element of the Arab Spring,” Marquardt said.

“Although, for all intents and purposes, the war in Syria is over.”

Assad’s efforts to quell the revolution had a catalytic effect on extremism in Syria and the Middle East, according to Marquardt. “[Assad] started to propagate that protesters were terrorists and that’s why he needed to crack down,” Marquardt said. “The Assad regime fomented the unrest by cracking down, by fueling the rise of extremism, by fueling secularism, by bringing in people like Iran and

Hezbollah from neighboring Lebanon. At the same time on the other side, you had Saudi, the other Gulf countries, Turkey and the U.S fueling the rebels.”

“[Assad] started to propagate that protesters were terrorists and that’s why he needed to crack down.”

ALEXANDER MARQUARDT (SFS ’04) Foreign Correspondent, ABC News

Marquardt saw the rise of extremist Islamism unfold before him while reporting in rebel-held areas. He said Turkey played a key role on the ground

supporting rebel factions.

“They would be down there with briefcases full of cash facilitating the buying of weapons and the transfer of soldiers, of fighters – this was a time when Turkey wanted to defeat Assad so they just let anybody across the border willy-nilly,” Marquardt said.

According to Marquardt, the border regions were a hotbed for the rise of extremism.

“We started to see the rise of this extremism, you know, spending time on the border. I would fly down and it would be a bunch of Turks and my team and all these guys who probably shouldn’t have been flying down to the border with bright green Saudi passports and thin wispy beards and sandals – all the tell-tale signs of a jihadist,” Marquardt said.

Sitting in on ABC’s interview with Assad, the first

broadcast interview with Assad, Marquardt said that having to hold back a smile was his strongest memory.

“At the end of the day there is an argument to be made that ignorance is bliss.”

ALEXANDER MARQUARDT (SFS ’04) Foreign Correspondent, ABC News

“I knew down the line it would come back to haunt me,” Marquardt said.

Additionally, Marquardt has made extensive use of social media in his reporting, using Snapchat to report from Mosul, where Iraqi forces were attempting to reclaim territory from the Islamic State in 2016.

Following the event, Marquardt said in an interview with THE HOYA that he uses social media to connect with larger audiences, including those in Syria.

“I put an extra effort into things like social media so that people all around the world start to follow my work, but also when I’m dealing with officials in Aleppo they know who I am, not because they’ve seen me on World News Tonight, but because they’ve followed my Twitter feed,” Marquardt said.

Journalism has an ever more powerful role to play in the world, according to Marquardt.

“You are seeing the best and the worst of humanity, and I think that at the end of the day there is an argument to be made that ignorance is bliss, but I’m just really happy that even if most of the stuff I’m seeing is awful, that I get to see it,” Marquardt said.

ABC NEWS

Alexander Marquardt (SFS ’04), an ABC foreign correspondent, spoke at an event Monday night about the Syrian Civil War and its effects on extremism in the region, based on his experience covering the Arab Spring in 2011, United States presidential campaigns and the conflict in Syria, which he considers the most difficult war he could have covered.

news

friday, FEBRUARY 17, 2017

THE HOYA

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DC Restaurants Join ‘Day Without Immigrants’ Marina Pitofsky Hoya Staff Writer

Thousands of immigrants and immigration advocates across the United States participated in a national strike Thursday to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

The protests, collectively called the “Day Without Immigrants,” originally gained traction on social media, informally organized on Facebook and WhatsApp, an instant messaging service.

Organizers said the protests attempted to show the effects of immigrant communities on U.S. companies and local businesses.

In Washington, D.C., the protests had the most significant influence on the restaurant industry, with dozens of restaurants closing their doors for the day.

The Architect of the Capitol, which manages the food and support staff

for the Capitol building congressional offices, announced that it would function on a modified schedule to accommodate staff participating in the protests.

“They are hard workers. I am not happy when I see they are not very happy these days, because it is difficult.”

Ahmad erfani Owner, La Caprice

According to The Washington Post, nearly 48 percent of restaurant workers are foreign-born in the District area.

Sweetgreen, a salad restaurant chain, closed all 20 of its locations in D.C. The restaurant Busboys

and Poets also closed its locations in solidarity with the movement.

Celebrity chef José Andrés closed a few of his District area restaurants in support of the immigrant community. Andrés is currently involved in litigation against Trump after going back on an agreement to open a restaurant in the recently opened Trump International Hotel in D.C. because of Trump’s comments about Mexican immigrants on the campaign trail.

Katie Hurd, a spokesperson for Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup, said the company closed restaurants to support workers who wanted to participate in protests. Oyamel, Zaytinya and the three locations of Jaleo all closed for the day.

Hurd said a number of restaurants remained open during the day.

“In solidarity with the many immigrants on our staff who are passionate about participating in A Day Without Immigrants,

ThinkFoodGroup will close most of its DC-area restaurants on Thursday, February 16,” Hurd wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“DCPS schools are and will continue to be safe places for all students and all people in our communities.”

JOHN DAVIS Chief of Schools, DCPS

“China Chilcano, minibar/barmini and all locations of Beefsteak will remain open, staffed by a collective team from all of our D.C.-area restaurants so that we can continue to both serve our guests as well as provide for those of our staff who plan to work that day,” Hurd wrote.

The protests also affected District schools.

The Latin American Montessori Bilingual Public Charter School closed on Thursday due to protests.

District Public Schools Chief of Schools John Davis emailed DCPS administrators earlier this week in anticipation of the protests, saying that although students and staff have the right to protest, they were still required to come to schools Thursday.

“DCPS schools are and will continue to be safe places for all students and all people in our communities, regardless of immigration status, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression,” Davis wrote.

“We highly value and are committed to fostering a learning environment where staff and students feel safe and secure and we respect the right to self-expression and peaceful protest.”

Iranian immigrant Ahmad Erfani also told

WAMU, American University’s radio station, he was closing his bakery, La Caprice, for the demonstrations.

“They are hard workers,” Erfani said. “I am not happy when I see they are not very happy these days, because it is difficult. They work hard, they come here [at] six in the morning.”

Clarissa Martínez-deCastro, the deputy vice president at the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy organization, told The Washington Post the demonstrations presented an inspiring image for immigrant communities.

“In a time when the administration doesn’t seem to see anything positive about the immigrant community, having smallbusiness owners, chefs and their workers challenge that notion and give voice to the very real ways immigrants contribute to society is very significant,” Martinez said.

Professors Receive Awards For Excellence in Teaching Award celebrates work in and out of class Emma Kotfica

Special to The Hoya

A professor who combines history and science in one course, a professor who helps students of color adapt to life at Georgetown and another who serves as a faculty advisor to the Georgetown University Student Veteran Association received this year’s Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Gonda Theater on Jan. 30.

History professor Kathryn Olesko, sociology professor Leslie Hinkson and Spanish and Portuguese professor Barbara Mujica received the award, which recognizes the efforts of teachers who succeed in enhancing students’ lives both in and out of the classroom.

Faculty members nominated for the award are typically involved with contemporary research, have innovative teaching styles and are available as a resource to students outside the classroom, according to Georgetown College Dean Chester Gillis.

“Professors who can motivate students and excite students about a discipline and engage students in their research and can do it at a very high level and very consistently should be recognized,” Gillis said.

Olesko is known for her unique interdisciplinary courses that fuse history and science. Because her courses attract a diverse group of students, Olesko said her main focus in the classroom is intellectual diversity.

“Different majors in a course latch on to material in different ways. I find that difference has to be recognized from the start

to ensure that the course both accommodates diverse intellectual interests and provides an opportunity for all students to appreciate different expressions of intellectual diversity sufficiently well to grow and develop together,” Olesko said.

“If I’m in a classrom and I’m not connecting with students, then I got to up my game.”

LESLIE HINKSON Professor, Sociology Department

According to Olesko, she aims to teach students through building on their existing knowledge, and hopes to give students learning experiences that are tailored to their learning styles and academic interests.

As a faculty member of color, Hinkson said she brings a perspective to teaching that is different from that of many of her peers. Hinkson makes herself available as a resource to all students, but said she is often sought out by students of color.

“Being someone who comes from a low-income background, there are things that I understand about the experiences in particular of low-income students of color and firstgeneration students that a lot of faculty members don’t get,” Hinkson said.

Courtney Maduike (SFS ’17) said Hinkson has had a significant impact on

not just her academic experience, but also on her entire Georgetown experience.

“Professor Hinkson helped me navigate the struggles and stresses of being a student of color coming into her racial identity at a predominantly white institution,” Maduike wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Mujica, the faculty advisor for GUSVA, has done significant service in the Georgetown and Washington, D.C. communities. She has done extensive work with the university to incorporate programs for veterans at Georgetown, most notably with academic assistance.

“You come, you serve.

It’s not just teaching,” Mujica said. “We have an atmosphere here where if somebody sees something that needs to be done, that person can do it.”

Mujica also takes students’ learning outside of the classroom to further enrich their academic experience, according to Tim Annick (COL ’16).

“Her teaching extends beyond the classroom, with field trips to plays, flamenco shows, and film screenings, which do more than broaden her students’ intellectual horizons. She encourages and facilitates connections between her students by allowing us to share who we are outside of the classroom with those inside it,” Annick wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Hinkson said the relationships built in the classroom are just as important as the information being taught.

“If I’m in a classroom and I’m not connecting with students, then I got to up my game,” Hinkson said.

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D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) allowed the Paid Family Leave Act of 2015, which the D.C. Council signed in December, to move to Congress for review.

Bowser Allows Paid Family Leave to Move to Congress DC employees will receive benefits in 2020 Christian Paz Hoya Staff Writer

Employees in Washington, D.C. will receive paid family leave benefits starting in January 2020 after Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) allowed the legislation funding the new program to move to the U.S. Congress for review.

Bowser, who is a vocal critic of the act’s financial cost and extent of the law’s coverage, declined to veto the legislation late Wednesday evening, allowing the bill to go to Congress without her signature.

Unless the Republicancontrolled Congress moves to block the Universal Paid Leave Act of 2015, the bill will become law. The D.C. Council passed the legislation with a veto-proof nine to four vote Dec. 20, 2016.

The plan ensures paid leave for eight weeks to parents of newborns, six weeks to workers tending to an ill relative and two paid weeks for sick leave.

The paid leave plan, one of the most generous of the country, will be funded through a payroll tax that will go into effect January 2019 and will require the formation of a new city agency to oversee the implementation of benefits.

The benefits established by the bill do not extend to federal and District government employees as the city cannot tax federal workers and city employees already benefit from a paid leave program.

According to a statement from Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large), one of the original cosponsors of the bill, the plan is a progressive victory for the District.

“We are now one step closer to relieving D.C. families and workers from the difficult choice between a paycheck and caring for a loved

one,” Grosso said in a press release. “Paid leave provides financial stability to workers while allowing them to care for ailing family members.

Parents who take leave after the arrival of a new child will return to work in better general health. More women will participate in the work place. Infant mortality will decline.”

“Paid leave provides financial stability to workers while allowing them to care for ailing family members.”

DAVID GROSSO (I-At Large) Councilmember, D.C. Council

Despite the House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee issuing a formal markup of disapproval of D.C.’s Death with Dignity Act on Monday evening, the fourth time Congress has voted down a D.C. law since the passing of the 1973 Home Rule Act, Grosso’s office does not expect congressional intervention. However, neither the full House nor the U.S. Senate voted down the Death With Dignity Act within the 30-day review period.

Grosso’s Communications Director Matthew Nocella said Grosso hopes Congress will not interfere in this local legislation.

“Congress can pass a disapproval resolution which would invalidate it,” Nocella wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“Congress has failed to do that as recently as this week with the Death with Dignity

Act. The councilmember can’t predict Congress, but he doesn’t believe that this is an issue that they are paying particular attention to.”

Bowser broke with her party to oppose the bill throughout almost two years of negotiations with the city council.

In a letter Bowser sent to Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) on Wednesday, Bowser emphasized that though she agrees with the principle of providing aid to families, she disagrees with the structure of the current plan because it provides greater aid to non-District residents who work in the city. “[The act] attempts to advance a D.C. Value that we share: that D.C. families should have time to care for themselves and their loved ones,” Bowser wrote in the letter. “As you know, my Administration has been steadfast in our desire and tireless in our work to give all residents a fair shot to achieve and maintain economic security in a thriving D.C.” The plan will impose a new 0.62 percent payroll tax on all District employers.

The tax is expected to create $250 million annually, which will be allocated by the mayor’s office.

Bowser cited this tax increase as a detriment to local businesses. She added that it will impose a significant burden on the city government to create infrastructure to implement the plan, before the tax revenue is collected.

According to Bowser, twothirds of the recipients of benefits will not be D.C. residents.

Bowser indicated she will continue to work with the council to address these and other concerns, like the creation of new technology infrastructure to collect the tax.

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THE HOYA

FRIday, FEBRUARY 17, 2017

Franke, McGuire Mack and Andino Share Key Values Outline Increased Engagement MACK, from A1

FRANKE, from A1 inexperience with GUSA as a strength, adding that their experience as students outside of GUSA will offer them insight into the inner workings of the student body.

“We are free from any preexisting GUSA political ties and have a better feel for what it’s like to be a part of the general student body versus a member of the student government,” Franke wrote. “So, I think this will better allow us to reach the student body and urge them to take a part in student government and campus life.”

Franke agreed that a priority for the campaign is to build a stronger connection between students and student government, ensuring that students are aware of the resources available to them.

“I want to get more of the student body involved in the decision-making process of student government and for more students to be aware of their resources on campus,” Franke wrote.

Discussing his adjustment to campus life after leaving the swim team for a shoulder injury, McGuire said his rejections from student organizations fueled a desire to promote extracurricular and social inclusivity, prompting his eventual run for vice president.

“I applied to various active groups on campus, but none of which resulted in an acceptance. The exclusivity that I have first-hand experienced on campus has really sparked a desire to address the stress culture surrounding clubs that this environment generates,” McGuire wrote.

In contrast, Franke found inspiration to run for office through her roots in extra-

curricular life at Georgetown. According to Franke, participation in Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Services and Global Brigades was instrumental in building deep bonds that have since turned into the backbone of the Franke-McGuire campaign.

“Extracurricular organizations such as Global Brigades and GERMS have allowed me to make new strong bonds with peers in all grades who I otherwise would not have gotten to know without participating in these organizations. I am so grateful for my support network,” Franke wrote.

According to McGuire, the pair have been friends since freshman year and have had aspirations to run for the presidency and vice presidency since the 2015 GUSA election.

When asked to describe one another, both highlighted the other’s sense of humor.

“Jack is a savage, he speaks his mind and is unabashedly funny,” Franke wrote.

McGuire had one word to summarize his running mate: “Finsta.”

The campaign to date has largely been ran by Director of Logistics Nick Zeffiro (MSB ’18) and other friends of McGuire’S and Franke’s who have volunteered, according to the candidates. The team has yet to release an official platform.

The two candidates have yet to make a public appearance.

McGuire did not participate in the GUSA vice presidential debate Feb. 15, and Franke also does not plan to attend Monday night’s presidential debate.

The Franke and McGuire duo was not available for an interview for this article.

All comments were written

The two decided TO form a ticket together because of a joint commitment to change the Georgetown University Student Association, according to Maura McDonough (COL ’18), who is serving as Mack and Andino’s campaign manager.

Both candidates are involved in GUSA, where they work to advocate for increased opportunities for marginalized student groups.

Andino joined GUSA last fall to continue advocating for members of the Hispanic and Latinx community as the Undocumented Student Inclusivity policy team chair.

“Connecting students to administrators is what I see as my crucial role there, because that’s when you see more perspectives and administrators can hear more perspectives from students,” Andino said.

Mack said his role as a secretary of local educational affairs for GUSA’s D.C. and Federal Relations Committee has allowed him to engage with the broader D.C. community.

“I’ve been able to advocate for issues that affect Georgetown students, but not on a campus level, on a national and local level,” Mack said.

“We both had the goal of making GUSA more diverse, more representative of the entire student body.”

KAMAR MACK (COL ’19) GUSA Presidential Candidate

According to Mack, the campaign is bound together by shared values and a commitment to key issues.

“We individually started

MACk-Andino

Jessica Andino (COL ’18), left, and Kamar Mack (COL ’18), are running for Georgetown University Student Association vice president and president. thinking about running before we met each other. We both had the goal of making GUSA more diverse, more representative of the entire student body,” Mack said.

Mack, as a member of the historically black fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha D.C. chapter, and Andino, as a member of Georgetown’s Scholarship Program, believe their on-campus experiences would help them diversify GUSA. “Being in the executive means that not only do you have the obligation of engaging with administrators, but also building community within campus — and also neighbors — so you’re facing a lot groups to meet with and advocate for,” Mack said. “We want to engage with student groups, and there’s definitely

a lot of room to do that with my commitments next year, which as of now are the fraternity and living in the Black House.”

While the rest of the GUSA executive candidates are juniors, Andino thinks Mack’s position as the lone sophomore brings a unique perspective to their campaign.

“When we were first talking about our vision, it was very similar,” Andino said. “He’s a sophomore but he’s shown a lot of work and a lot of passion and that’s a very good thing for GUSA, since we are trying to aim for something fresh and new. So that’s a big benefit.”

McDonough said the pair share a passion to get things done.

“How that works together

really well as a team is Kamar is the one who can come up with big ideas and say, ‘This is what I want to do, this is the big long term thing,’” McDonough said. “And Jessica is a little more practical in that she has all the knowledge behind it and she’s like ‘OK, let’s flesh it out, let’s do this.’”

Beyond the policy suggestions and their platform, Mack and Andino share a joint vision for the future of GUSA. “As a pair we really are able to lift each other up,” Mack said. “At the very end of the day, we both just wanted to see a positive change in campus. We both also have the courage to fight for things and speak up if necessary.”

Hoya Staff Writer Ian Scoville contributed reporting.

Williams and Ali Highlight Role of Inclusivity in GUSA WILLIAMS, from A1

MATTHEWS-MATZ

Nick Matz (COL ’18), left, and John Matthews (COL ’18) have focused their campaign on decreasing the cost of attendance at Georgetown and decreasing the size of GUSA.

Matthews, Matz Represent Outsiders in Campaign MATTHEWS, from A1 people who normally don’t participate in GUSA and what GUSA does to the table.

We can represent these people.”

The Matthews-Matz ticket is running with a strategically small campaign staff and a targeted, 10-point campaign platform centered ON affordability. Their campaign promises to eliminate the three-year housing requirement, the student activity fee and Yates Field House fee in an effort to make students’ experiences at Georgetown more affordable.

“That’s really one issue that affects every student,” Matz said. “That is the unifying thing that is the driving force behind our campaign and hopefully what we will do next year as president and vice president.”

In addition to their unconventionally targeted platform, Matthews and Matz’s campaign consists of a “core” group of campaign staff, including Campaign Manager Ben Stern (MSB ’18) and about 10 students. Beyond this core staff, the pairing also has a group of students campaigning on ITS behalf, according to Matthews.

“Our campaign team right now, we started off with small group formulating the ideas, like the campaign platform, and we branched out so we have representatives on different teams, different prominent organizations throughout Georgetown,

different fraternities and sororities who are reaching out and advocating for our platform,” Matthews said.

The two did not launch their campaign at midnight Feb. 9 in Red Square like two other tickets that had entered the race at the time, Garet Williams (COL ’18) and Habon Ali (COL ’18), and Kamar Mack (COL ’19) and Jessica Andino (COL ’18).

According to Matz, this is a reflection of their desire to break away from typical GUSA campaigns.

“Anything we would have said or done at midnight in Red Square is not really going to affect our support. I don’t really see how it’s necessary,” Matz said. “It’s just a tradition.”

As a duo, Matthews and Matz have spent plenty of time spent together on the water and as friends. These experiences have prepared them to lead, according to Matthews.

“Being around each other for so long, we know what we’re thinking. We already have a working relationship,” Matthews said. “It’s been tested.”

Each of them brings different strengths to the ticket, according to Matz.

“John’s very outgoing, people like talking to John. I’m more contemplative,” Matz said. “We play off each other well. We complement each other’s strengths.”

Stern, who lives with Mathews and Matz, said the candidates’ involvement in

the community reflects their hard work.

“I wake up with them at 5 a.m. every morning to practice six days a week, with afternoon practices on most of those days,” Stern said. “I’ve not met two more hardworking people, just putting in not only practice hours, but they’re always the ones getting extra hours.

Nick is on the board of the credit union. They’re really involved and really hardworking.”

Matthews said the skills he has learned from his different involvements at Georgetown have prepared him to be GUSA president.

“You had to be friendly and outgoing and lighthearted, and that’s kind of how I see myself as president. I’m open, people want to talk to me, I understand, I empathize with people, especially of different backgrounds. It would be helpful to have that dialogue with everyone,” Matthews said.

If anything, the two see their inexperience with GUSA as a benefit.

“Coming from the outside, we’d be able to see everything from a different perspective,” Matz said. “It’s somewhat unusual for an outsider to come into this job, but we’ll be able to make a lot of positive changes just from the outside perspective. The only downside I could think of is that we have a lot to learn, but even that, I’m confident in our ability to catch up.”

up.

“As a woman who was not educated and denied education, not only from a societal point of view but also an economic point of view, she invested in her son and her daughter and she truly pushed me to value education,” Ali said. “As a child I was taught the only way to survive and the only way to be independent in any society is to have an education, and I valued that from a very young age.”

Williams, who was born and raised in Oklahoma, said Georgetown had seemed out of reach both financially and culturally.

“I was always in love with working in the government, but being in the middle of a red state that Donald Trump won every single county of and growing up as a little queer boy in Oklahoma, you are not exactly thinking ‘Oh, this is such a great place for me to study,’” Williams said. “Financially, it just did not seem possible for me to come to a place like Georgetown. My mom and dad told me not to get my hopes up.”

After Ali moved to the United States, financial difficulties posed a barrier to her chances of coming to the Hilltop, too.

“I moved to Minnesota, so I thought I was just going to go to a state school because

that’s what my family could afford. I come from a very low-income family. My mom is a factory worker,” Ali said, “The total yearly tuition of this university is what my mom makes in a year.”

Williams and Ali were among each other’s first friends at Georgetown. They first met during PEP, a preorientation program for 40 incoming freshmen and transfer students seeking a head start on adjusting to the campus environment.

“I never had to explain to Garet not being able to afford anything on campus, and he understands that,” Ali said. “Coming from that personal background — it’s beautiful not to have to explain yourself constantly.”

Despite their current position as running for the GUSA executive office and positions in GUSA — Williams is a deputy chief of staff and Ali is a GUSA senator — both Ali and Williams initially had negative views about GUSA and its role at Georgetown.

“I joined the second semester of my sophomore year. And so honestly, at the beginning of this, I too, like many people in the Georgetown community, didn’t see the point of GUSA,” Williams said.

For Ali, GUSA was an empty organization designed for and dominated by white

ALI-WILLIAMS

Habon Ali (SFS ’18), left, and Garet Williams (COL ’18) have focused their executive campaign on diversity and inclusivity.

males on campus.

“I saw GUSA as, ‘If you’re a white boy, you can be involved in it. If you’re not, don’t even talk about it,’” Ali said.

If identity played a large role in Williams’ and Ali’s first perceptions of GUSA, it played an even larger one in their decision to run for president and vice president.

“I worked so hard to get through that barrier as a woman of color and being a covered Muslim woman, and then when you get through that barrier, you are in that presence of people to fight to be recognized,” Ali said.

“I was sick and tired of my voice not being heard.”

Identity has also shaped Williams’ career at Georgetown and in GUSA as he is a member of G.U. Pride.

Ali, who currently serves as vice president of the Muslim Students Association, said that members of the MSA, as well as those of the greater Muslim community at Georgetown, want better representation in GUSA. MSA President Khadija Mohamud (SFS ’17), who is Ali’s roommate and has known her since freshman year, said GSP has had a significant impact on the dynamic between Ali and Williams.

“GSP is something that draws her and Garet together. They both have the same experience and same pride of being members of the GSP community,” Mohamud said. “Definitely, I think looking at both of them, the reason they have such a great dynamic amongst them is that they both are aware of the intersectionality of their identities and how that allows them to engage and connect with other people.”

Both candidates understand the importance of representation and speaking up for others, according to Mohamud.

“They draw from a common energy to speak up for others,” Mohamud said.

“They both have had experiences where someone has threatened to have their voice taken away from them, so they know the value of being able to speak.”

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Mack, Andino Platform Spotlights Entrepreneurship Tara Subramaniam Hoya Staff Writer

The commitment to a fresh, more diverse and representative Georgetown University Student Association is reflected in Kamar Mack (COL ’19) and Jessica Andino’s (COL ’18) platform.

“We have built every single piece of our platform to serve underrepresented populations. That is something that Jessica and I hold dear,” Mack said. “We believe that GUSA traditionally hasn’t shown a full grasp of what it means to be diverse. GUSA should start drawing from different communities, not just different identities.”

On the platform, the MackAndino campaign emphasizes three components: entrepreneurship, affordability and student health.

Entrepreneurship Whereas GUSA candidates generally include entrepreneurship on their platforms, few have placed a stronger emphasis on the topic than Mack has.

“Our planks, we wanted them to be overarching and encompassing a lot of things that wouldn’t necessarily come to mind when you hear the word,” Mack said. “So when you hear of entrepreneurship you think ‘Oh, someone on ‘Shark Tank’ about to start a business.’

But we think of it as something that involves a lot more. What makes it so important is how related it is to students who don’t consider themselves entrepreneurs.”

The ticket has five policy proposals dedicated to spurring entrepreneurship on campus, including establishing a Startup Market similar to the Farmer’s Market for entrepreneurs and centralizing information about available funding for startups.

According to Mack, the university could reap significant financial rewards if it increased its investment in startups.

“We want to see a Georgetown where you get to campus and entrepreneurship is encouraged, not just something that is a feature of the school that we have to offer,” Mack said. “It’s also going to be very good for Georgetown long-term. If we get 10 to 15 successful startups coming out of Georgetown every year, that’s going to do a lot for our endowment and that’s going to make Georgetown a lot more affordable.”

Mack and Andino’s campaign manager Maura McDonough (COL ’18) said the focus on entrepreneurship does not devalue other aspects of the campaign but is worth highlighting because GUSA has not emphasized it in the past.

“We are not prioritizing entrepreneurship in the

sense that it is more important than anything else, but it is something that has never been a priority in GUSA like it should have been. So that’s why it’s one of the main pillars,” McDonough said. “It’s an issue that needs to be brought forward. We’re not saying it’s more important, we’re saying it’s not visible.”

Affordability According to Mack, the high cost of tuition and its effects on the student population should be a concern addressed by GUSA. “If you look at rising costs of attendance, it’s one of those multifaceted, big, difficult issues to tackle, where you can’t wave your magic wand and make tuition go down,” Mack said. “But there is a lot of opportunity to push back against it and to limit the amount that tuition is going up from a policy standpoint.”

Mack sees more efficient resource allocation especially in terms of utilities as the key to making Georgetown more affordable.

“We want to advocate on behalf of the student body to make the university, on a yearly basis, look at every single line item on the budgets of each department and determine at what is the most efficient way to allocate those resources,” Mack said. There’s also a lot we

can do with saving money in utilities because that is an area where students have a direct impact and that can positively affect university expenses.”

Mack said evaluating the amount of money that goes into utilities can directly affect access and affordability at Georgetown. Georgetown has spent more than $27 million on utilities in fiscal year 2016, according to the university’s financial statements.

The pair also wants to ensure that the costs of books and laundry, among other day to day expenses, are included in the calculations for financial aid, and that the university increases transparency around tuition increases.

If elected as president, Mack also hopes to work with the university and Aramark to increase off-hours dining options, especially for low-income students. The university renewed its contract with Aramark for 10 years in November, with plans to expand meal exchange options and convert the first floor of O’Donovan Hall into a food court this summer.

The Mack and Andino campaign see dining as an area that can be more affordable. For instance, the two plan to introduce a food pantry for students from low-income backgrounds, among other solutions.

“With the Aramark contract being signed, there are four

main things that we need to focus on. The first is to push for more for a meal swipe, because that’s something you can do within the constraints of the contract,” Mack said. “Second is, ensuring that the upcoming changes that are happening in Hoya Court allow you to use meal swipes. For example, if we get Chick-Fil-A, Jessica and I are committed to pushing very hard for meal swipes at ChickFil-A because if we have it and you can only use flex, we’d all be sad.”

The new contract calls for expanded dining options, which Mack believes will improve the variety of food available. Mack said the ticket wants to ensure dining options for all students, including more halal and kosher options, are available.

Student Health The team’s campaign platform includes a number of policies for access to health resources, and mental health and sexual reform.

The Mack and Andino campaign wants to build upon the foundation laid by last year’s survey and memorandum of understanding on sexual assault. The campaign has proposed transparency reports each semester from the Title IX office, containing information on the number of cases initiated and the number of students found guilty of committing

sexual misconduct.

The campaign also wants to facilitate easier forms of medical leaves of absence for survivors of sexual assault.

According to Mack, current sexual assault policies should also be revisited to ensure that the Title IX office is as effective as possible.

“One policy we want to work with the administration on is the fact that if a first-semester senior sexually assaults someone on campus, they could take a leave of absence, nothing would happen, they would graduate and then finish the rest of their classes. If someone is not enrolled in the university, you can’t initiate a Title IX process, especially if they have enough credits,” Mack said.

The pair’s mental health platform, which includes a provision advocating for the ability of students to drop courses without penalty during their first semester at Georgetown, could provide meaningful change for students, according to Project Lighthouse Founder and President Ben Johnson (NHS ’17).

“I have to give it to Kamar and Jessica as far as having an option that’s effective, but will actually play out within their one year term, they can actually add significant sort of programs and add significant support for this sort of programs,” Johnson said.

Matthews, Matz Advocate Reduction in Costs Ian Scoville Hoya Staff Writer

Of the candidates in this year’s Georgetown University Student Association election, John Matthews (COL ’18) and Nick Matz (COL ’18) have presented students with the shortest platform, which includes a total of 10 policy points.

The platform consists of policies designed to reduce the cost of attending Georgetown, including eliminating the student activities fee, eliminating the Student Neighborhood Assistant Program and introducing oversight of textbook costs.

In addition, the platform pledges to eliminate the threeyear housing requirement and cancel random drug testing for student athletes by the university.

Matthews said reducing the cost of attendance is an issue that affects all students.

The limited size of the platform does not reflect a lack of commitment to other issues that may affect students, according to Matz.

“The reasons our platform is so narrow is, that’s the goal, as executives,” Matz said. “That’s something that we will make our mission. There are tons of issues on campus. Just because that’s not our primary focus doesn’t mean we won’t do a good job.”

The pair also said they hope their platform appeals to students who may not historically vote in GUSA elections.

“There’s a big disconnect right now between GUSA and the student body,” Matthews said. “We believe we have the ability to represent people who normally don’t participate in

GUSA and what GUSA does to the table. We can represent these people.”

Decreasing the size of GUSA plays a significant role in the pair’s platform, as a continuation of their efforts to decrease costs.

The ticket’s proposed budget for GUSA would see about a 28 percent decrease in GUSA’s operating budget, from $21,800 to $15,667.54.

However, the budget does see a 233 percent increase, from $150 to $500, for the Student Advocacy Office alongside smaller increases for online peer-support group Project Lighthouse and Multicultural Week. The GUSA Election Commission sees the greatest reduction in funding, from $400 to $19.72.

“This goes back to the goal of our platform, but throwing more money at a problem will not fix it,” Matthews said.

The inclusion of these largely austerity-focused policies comes at the expense of issues central to most past and current GUSA candidates. Noticeably, the duo’s platform does not include topics such as mental health, sexual assault policy and diversity and inclusivity.

However, the pair said it will commit to addressing issues students care about.

“GUSA represents student interests, and if student interests are sexual assault and mental health, that’s what we have to do,” Matthews said.

“The spirit of Georgetown, of course we have to address those issues.”

In the vice presidential debate Wednesday evening, Matz said the pair would look to cost-effectively increase Coun-

MAGGIE YIN AND HADLEY GREENWOOD/THE HOYA

The three candidates who have released platforms for the Feb. 23 Georgetown University Student Association executive election are offering students a range of policy solutions for issues from sexual assault reform to affordability. seling and Psychiatric Services resources for students.

“Just looking at the current staff that is there, there’s a dozen clinical psychologists and psychiatrists and there’s only one licensed clinical social worker and one licensed independent clinical social worker,” Matz said. “What that means is that those two social workers provide a very comparable level of treatment to the psychologists and psychiatrists at a fraction of the cost.”

This policy could be chal-

lenging to execute, according to Project Lighthouse President and Co-Founder Benjamin Johnson (NHS ’17), as CAPS has no more room in its offices available for staff.

Johnson said while the lack of specific mental health policy is disappointing, the team’s inclusion of increased funding for Project Lighthouse is promising.

“I like the fact that the other campaigns have mental health problems, but in my mind I don’t know that the

Matthew/Matz campaign is not necessarily thinking about mental health since they have included it as a line in their budget.”

The pair’s proposal to eliminate the three-year housing plan could face the most challenges if the pair were elected to office.

The university and neighborhood signed a legally binding 20-year Campus Plan in September, which contains the university’s three-year housing requirement. According

to former Area Neighborhood Commissioner Reed Howard (COL ’17), who participated in negotiations for the campus plan, this makes eliminating the three-year housing requirement impossible.

“It is locked into a 20-year legally binding agreement, and this is one of the neighbors’ favorite parts of the agreement.

There is no way this would ever be renegotiated in the next GUSA administration, or ever within the next 20 years,” Howard said.

Williams, Ali Look to Create More Inclusive GUSA Joe Egler and Yasmine Salam Hoya Staff Writers

The policy platform proposed by Georgetown University Student Association executive candidates Garet Williams (COL ’18) and Habon Ali (SFS ’18) focuses on efforts to expand diversity, transparency and mental health.

According to Williams, his and Ali’s campaign focuses on four themes crucial to any Georgetown student’s experience: “Resources, transparency, inclusivity and you.”

Resources Williams stressed the importance of accessibility of resources to all Georgetown students.

Williams said he wants to enable and encourage students to take initiative and find ways to create their own change through the framework of GUSA. The pair has policy designed to increase available resources for students in 15 areas, from academic affairs to unrecognized student groups.

Williams and Ali advocate the continuation of the Sexual Assault and Misconduct Cli-

mate Survey every two years, alongside advocating ensuring the recommendations of the Sexual Assault and Misconduct Task Force are acted upon.

H*yas for Choice recently gave three out of the four GUSA tickets grades based on how each candidate’s platform complements HFC’s policy goals.

Williams and Ali scored the highest out of the three tickets rated, with an A- grade.

Williams and Ali scored best in the student health center services and Affordable Care Act changes section of the questionnaire. HFC’s executive board wrote that Williams and Ali’s focus on sexually transmitted infections and advocacy for students to maintain access to contraception in light of the Affordable Care Act repeal are what separated them from other candidates.

Another health-related focus of the Williams-Ali campaign is the cultural and ethnic disparity in treatment from the Counseling and Psychiatric Services at Georgetown. The campaign is looking to introduce institutionalized cultural competency training for health staff.

“One issue that — coming from a different background

— is that CAPS has not had the capacity to be able to be there for students of different minority groups. I’ve had multiple conversations with the Asian community and the Muslim community and the Latinx community about when it comes to mental health,” Ali said.

Ali said in the vice presidential debate Wednesday evening that the ticket’s mental health strategy centers around prevention. The ticket also plans to advocate to decrease appointment wait times at CAPS and the Student Health Center.

Project Lighthouse President Ben Johnson (NHS ’17) expressed concern over the clarity of Williams and Ali’s mental health policy.

“One thing they said was that they wanted to advocate for increased responsiveness at CAPS, and we really don’t have any idea of what that means or what it looks like,” Johnson said.

Williams and Ali are also interested in affording students the opportunities to take internships for course credits.

Students of the McDonough School of Business are already able to take internships for

credit, but Williams and Ali want to extend this eligibility to students in the three other undergraduate schools.

Transparency Transparency is essential to ensuring GUSA can effectively serve the student body, according to Ali. “We focused on it specifically because the more we engage with the student body, we realize, the less the student body knows about us,” Ali said of transparency. “And that’s a problem, right? If this is a student association that not only respects and is supposed to be there for the student body, we need to allow that transparency to exist, not just in terms of GUSA, but across campus.”

In keeping with the objective of transparency, Williams wants to continue the town hall structure currently in place and advocate for full tuition transparency, especially in consideration of Georgetown’s annual tuition increases.

Both Williams and Ali praised the internal diversity survey recently performed by Students of Georgetown, Inc. They expressed hope that other clubs, like Blue & Gray and Lec-

ture Fund, perform similar surveys and publish the results for maximum transparency.

“GUSA should be doing the same thing. And we should be publishing these reports regularly, so that the student body can say, ‘You know what, let’s hold you accountable to this. You said you were going to make yourself more diverse,” Williams said.

Inclusivity Williams said the pair plans to increase inclusivity on campus by advocating for students of all identities.

“With these types of issues, there are a number of people who advocate on campus, making sure that we, as GUSA, can support that, instead of working in redundancy to that,” Williams said.

Williams also stressed the campaign goal of making Georgetown a more accessible place for students with disabilities, including advocating for improved sensitivity training for professors and affirming support for the Disability Studies Minor.

About 320 members of the Georgetown community had signed a petition calling for the

university to launch a disabilities studies minor as of Oct. 27.

The campaign is also looking to increase racial and cultural inclusivity, alongside support for students without documentation. The pair wants to explore the viability of courses in Latinx studies, Native American studies and South Asian Studies.

The pair also wants to hire a full-time advisor for students without documentation. The university hired a part-time advisor for students without documentation in November, after student advocacy group UndocuHoyas launched a petition calling for administrators to hire a full-time coordinator for students without documentation.

Ali explained the importance of their campaign’s slogan in the way they would govern should they win GUSA. “GUSA needs to stop being about itself, and it needs to actually focus on the people,” Ali said. “Now, what we’re doing is that, by saying “it’s time for you” — it’s time for each individual student on campus and changing it from the structure of governance to a student association.”

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FRIday, FEBRUARY 17, 2017

GU POLITICS

CNN Contributor S.E. Cupp, Syrian citizen and Help Me Go Home Board Member Nora Barré, moderator Jim Sciutto, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Anne Richard, former assistant secretary of state for population, refugees and migration, spoke on a panel event hosted by the Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service on Monday.

Panelists Debate Safe Zones as Method to Help Syrians BIPARTISAN, from A1 led to the Obama administration to draw a red line, meaning threatening military action if chemical weapons were used by the Assad regime.

Cupp said that 500,000 Syrians died, 50,000 of which were children, and 8.5 million Syrians are currently in need of immediate aid.

“Syria is a very complicated story to tell, which is probably in part why it doesn’t get told very often,” Cupp said. “Especially as millennials, you are unique and in a uniquely disturbing position of being the first generation to watch a holocaust, a genocide, in real time on your devices, on your television, on your social media. So there’s no excuse for not knowing what’s going on.”

According to Syrian native Nora Barré, who is a board member for Help Me Go Home, a humanitarian advocacy group, the problem originated with the Assad regime and the support it has received from the Iranian and Russian governments.

Barré said the first step in assisting Syrians in regaining their lives is the establishment of safe zones in Syria that would be defended by the U.S. military.

“Right now, if there was a safe zone established in Syria these people would go home. They would go back.”

NORA BARRé Board Member, help Me Go Home

“I would love to see a safe zone, a safe zone where people can go home. Right now, if there was a safe zone established in Syria these people would go home. They would go back,” Barré said. “They still have hope despite all of the violence that’s occurred there in the last five years.”

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (RIll.), a member of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, said the Obama administration did not establish safe zones because the commitment would have eventually led to larger military involvement in the region and because the zones could not be fully secured.

“The president did not think that the public would support another U.S. involvement and another war in addition to Iraq and Afghanistan,” Richard said. “But there was a great concern that we set up an area, call it safe and then not have it be safe. Making it safe is the part that’s so hard.”

Anne Richard, the former assistant secretary of state for population, refugees and migration under former President Barack Obama, also said setting up safe zones could lead to the forcing of refugees who have resettled in other countries to return home.

“One of the key humanitarian principles that we

adhere to is that people not be forced back, that they be allowed to go home when they choose to go home voluntarily and when it’s safe to do so,” Richard said.

Kinzinger addressed Richard, saying the reservations of the Obama administration were not well-founded, since the public could have been persuaded of the necessity of intervention.

“You’re correct in saying that the American people weren’t ready for a third intervention in the Middle East, but that’s because it wasn’t sold to them,” Kinzinger said. “We are willing to do very tough things, we are willing to do very difficult things, but we have to have it explained to us why that’s important.”

Cupp defended Richard’s assessment, saying during the Obama administration safe zones were not viable seeing as the United States. did not have the domestic or foreign support necessary.

Cupp added that she is hopeful that President Donald Trump can use his

relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin to cooperate in establishing safe zones. Russia intervened on behalf of the Syrian government to carry out attacks against the rebel groups in Syria.

“It’s not a controversial idea within politics, but the American people were not there and President Obama did not have a particularly good relationship with Russia,” Cupp said. “Trump, for all of his flaws, I am hoping can turn this coziness with Vladimir Putin, which scares me on a number of levels, into an asset.”

Barré said that opportunities for negotiation may be slim and even if safe zones are established, the cooperation between Russia, Syria and the United States would not be stable.

“But I would not trust Assad. Mr. Trump would have to understand that the safe zone would have to have consequences if violated,” Barré said.

Kinzinger advocated for retaliatory strikes against

Syria if it breaks the agreement of safe zones and for a greater military presence on the part of the United States in the region.

“What we have to do as Americans, and maybe you’ll call this arrogant, is remember and realize that we are the most powerful country in the world,” Kinzinger said. “On the battlefield we will not be defeated, the only thing that will be defeated is our will.”

CNN Chief National Security Correspondent Jim Sciutto moderated the panel.

In his introduction of the panel, Mo Elleithee, executive director for GU Politics, highlighted the changing purpose of the institute due to the end of the 2016 campaign and election season.

“So much of the existence of the institute, even the timing of our founding, has focused on the presidential campaign. But the campaign’s over, and now we turn to the business of governing,” Elleithee said.

“That doesn’t mean politics goes away.”

National Park Library Collections Budget Sees Cuts Service Approves Boathouse Plan BUDGET, from A1

Julianna Hoff

Special to The Hoya

After three decades of discussion and environmental concerns, the United States National Park Service approved a Potomac River recreation zone in Georgetown to support nonmotorized boat activity Feb. 13.

The zone will stretch from 34th St. NW, which falls within the Georgetown Waterfront Park, to a quarter-mile upriver from Key Bridge.

The NPS first developed the plan for the Georgetown Waterfront Park in 1987 to create a recreational area for Georgetown residents.

Although NPS National Capital Regional Director Bob Vogel signed a Finding of No Significant Impact, environmental groups have expressed concern about the negative effects of increased human activity in the area on wildlife.

District of Columbia Environmental Network Executive Director Chris Weiss said he was concerned about the project’s environmental impact on the canal’s ecology.

“If there’s more people directed to that zone, there are going to be more environmental impacts to trees and wildlife,” Weiss said. “Not that long ago, three or four years ago, I used to walk down the canal and I could count hundreds of turtles. Now there are so many people in boats going up and down the canal, I don’t see turtles anymore.”

NPS Public Affairs Officer Jeremy Barnum said he hopes the boat zone will show how the NPS can preserve land across the country, even in urban areas.

“Sometimes when people think of national parks, they think of Yosemite or they think of mountain ranges out west,” Barnum said. “This a prime example of how the National Park Service brings recreation and access to public lands right in the middle of a big city and how we preserve the historic nature of the area.”

NPS Chief of Planning, Compliance and Geographic Information Systems Tammy Stidham said environmental concerns are minimal and

said the project should not have adverse effects on the Georgetown Waterfront Park or the wildlife living there.

“We don’t envision there being adverse impacts to wildlife and most of the vegetation is invasive, Stidham said. “Most of the work will be on the shoreline to make the shoreline a bit more vegetative and resilient.”

Weiss said he does not believe the project should be stopped, but the NPS should take action in preventing environmental risks to the area.

“I believe in connecting people to nature, but it has to go hand in hand with a plan to educate and help people learn to be careful and appreciate the sensitivity of nature in that zone, because it is pretty amazing the damage one person can do if they are not careful,” Weiss said.

Stidham said the NPS has no current plans to educate the visiting public on how to maintain the environment along the recreational zone.

Weiss said greater public education on pollution and land use could minimize detrimental effects along the river.

“Try to create a little appreciation and sensitivity as they participate in this very fragile slither of natural area in the middle of our city — it’s an urban river, and so there are people here, but you’re going to lose that little slither of nature unless you’re careful,” Weiss said.

Stidham said though a boat zone was not originally included in the Georgetown Waterfront Park, the need for boat access has posed a problem since the park opened.

Stidham added that the NPS will be working in coordination with District Department of Transportation as well as the public. DDOT will build new sidewalks, a bike lane and perform work on the roadway.

“It’s a balance between providing visitors access to the river but still protecting the national resources,” Stidham said. “We feel like the plan not only represents what the Park Service would like to do there, but what the community would like to see happen.”

K. Matthew Dames, associate university librarian for scholarly resources, said the $1 million reduction is unlikely to be reversed in future years.

“For the past several years, the Library’s budget consistently has been approximately of $17 to $17.5 million.

With last fiscal year’s cut, it now is about $16 to $16.5 million,” Dames wrote in an email to The Hoya.

According to Dames, Lauinger will continue to invest in electronic databases, e-journals, e-books and research materials in an effort to remain committed to providing the Georgetown academic community with the resources necessary for learning, teaching and research.

“We have no way of knowing how much material we will be able to restore after we made the necessary cuts from collections to meet the $1 million reduction. The library has not recouped any

of the $1 million it lost last fiscal year, and we are expecting that sum will not be restored for the foreseeable future,” Dames wrote.

Senior Director for Strategic Communications Rachel Pugh said the collections reductions were made carefully.

“Efficient budget management has allowed the library to continue operating with excellent support of faculty, students and staff.”

RACHEL PUGH Senior Director for Strategic Comunications, Georgetown University

“The library managed the collections reduction very careful by reviewing

usage, costs, availability through our consortia and in consultation with stakeholders on campus and off.

Many other major research libraries had already reduced their budgets in an effort to contain the rising costs of research materials and to be able to acquire new tools within existing budgets,” Pugh wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Efficient budget management has allowed the library to continue operating with excellent support of faculty, students and staff.”

Faculty can appeal cuts made to the library’s resources in an effort to have them restored, according to the email sent to faculty.

According to Kirk, the cuts mirror a larger trend of cuts to research library spending in college campuses across the U.S. Yale University and Cornell University among others have made cuts to their library collection budgets.

“Many other major re-

search libraries in the U.S. had already had budget cuts for a number of years.

Georgetown’s reduction came later than other libraries’,” Kirk wrote.

Sophie Cutler (MSB ’20), who works at the library, said she feels the budgetary cuts place constraints placed on special collections.

“We just have books lying around that have no place,” Cutler said. “It’s still evident on the first floor, where you can go and you could be looking to put a book back and it physically cannot go on the shelf where it’s supposed to go.”

Kirk wrote that the library continues to be committed to excellence regardless of the cuts.

“As with other research libraries, we will continue to review our allocations to assure best use of funds,” Kirk said. “We must manage the rising costs of research materials and still acquire new resources as they are developed.”

ELLA WAN/THE HOYA

Lauinger Library reduced its collections budget by 17.5 percent, after the university reduced the library’s budget by about $1 million for fiscal year 2016 as part of a series of budget cuts across the university.

news

Friday, FEBRUARY 17, 2017

THE HOYA

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Conflict-Free Supply Chains Needed OUTSIDER, from A10

ANDREW WALLENDER/THE HOYA

Airbnb CFO Laurence Tosi, stressed the need to have a high quality tourism service for travellers.

Airbnb Executive Shares Advice AIRBNB, from A10

change and staying on top of current market trends was the key to success. He encouraged attendees to be flexible and open-minded at all times.

“Think like a founder in everything you do, no matter what you do,” Tosi said. “No matter what industry you go in, think like a founder. What does that mean?

Embrace change. Learn and change all the time. Read. Listen.”

“Many young people entering business simply try to duplicate existing companies.” laurence tosi (COL ’90, LAW ’94, GRD ’94) CFO, Airbnb

Tosi exemplified this by sharing how he researches every innovation in the travel industry comes across his desk. In addition, he sets aside time every week to meet with entrepreneurs and discuss ideas.

According to Tosi, think-

ing like a founder means thinking into the future.

He urged audience members to come up with 10year plans in addition to 12-month plans. Tosi said Airbnb does not only envision the company’s outlook within one year, but that of the travel industry as a whole in 10 years.

Tosi also brought up the issue that often young entrepreneurs mistakenly attempt to replicate successful ideas rather than creating and marketing their own.

“Be bold. Be different,” Tosi said. “Many young people entering business simply try to duplicate existing companies rather than create new concepts.”

Tosi turned to the history of Airbnb to justify his advice. Tosi pointed out how the company’s innovative proposal has made it the largest hospitality network on the planet, surpassing even large-scale hotel chains.

“We have now 3.2 million homes,” Tosi said.

“The largest hotel network in the world has 750,000 rooms. We have 5 million.

Today, we’re adding 60,000 homes a week, which would be the equivalent of building every single Motel 6 on the planet for $8 billion every seven days, which is pretty amazing when you see the effect.”

SUDOKU

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Last issue’s solutions

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7 1 8 6 4 5 3 9 2

2 8 1 5 6 3 4 7 9

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The nature of the relationship is almost colonial and, given an unstable political atmosphere, will become exploitative.

Resource-dependent or sector-dependent developing countries should look independently and within their own geographical spheres to create strong incentives and penalties for corporate responsibility.

This will require new means of aggressively and independently monitoring the supply chains of international corporations operating within their locales.

The interests of value-addition nations and extraction nations rarely converge, and

thus, models for corporate responsibility and operating ethics will be skewed and applied disproportionately.

The DRC needs to avoid disruptive effects on the stability and integrate the whole industry into a vertical monopoly of one company or country that has the resources to advance it without challenges from rivals.

It is like nationalizing, only in the least patriotic way because you are handing it over to one megacountry or megacorporation that no longer bids against your stability in an effort to attain cheap unlicensed minerals.

There are less aggressive means that the DRC can use, such as grounding non-conflict-free minerals, if it has to and appealing to unconventional strategies such as allocating taxation across different stages of production.

This method can involve levying a higher extraction tax, sales tax and even higher customs taxes for companies that cannot show that its goods are conflict-free.

The limitations of this plan are that it assumes governments of resourcedependent countries are in charge of the territories in which mining or productive activity occur,

are aware of transactions and have effective border control. Nations that have trouble maintaining internal security may have to introduce a military presence at mines, which often increases violence and atrocities for women in the local communities due to rogue troops.

While these situations seem ugly and unavoidable, developing an industrial complex that doesn’t threaten the stability of the nation can be difficult for countries with weak institutions and a long history of violence.

Only those countries bold enough to imagine their own solutions will be successful in developing conflict-averse industries. A corporation’s desire for profits and power does not have to be disruptive if developing nations can exploit that desire for control by offering a holy union between industry and company in exchange for ethical and responsible conduct.

Mercy Radithupa is a sophomore in the McDonough School of Business. BUSINESS OUTSIDer appears every other Friday.

University Offers New Internet Service WI-FI, from A10

any additional form of security beyond that provided by the devices themselves.

“Please note that since GURegistered is not a secured network, the data is not encrypted, so a hacker could potentially listen in on a conversation, obtain personal information, or read your email or anything you print,” UIS wrote for the university’s webpage.

GUSA Technology Chair Yafet Negash (COL ’19) said that the student voice was strongly considered in the formulation of GURegistered, and GUSA worked closely with UIS in developing the Wi-Fi network.

“GUSA has been working very closely with UIS to address the issue of devices that are unsupported

by Georgetown’s wireless networks, and this limited pilot program is a result of that cooperation,” Negash said. “We were involved in the documentation, site selection and launch phases of the project.”

According to GUSA Chief of Staff Ari Goldstein (COL ’18), collaboration with UIS was specifically the work of the Student Technology Advisory Board.

“STAB works closely with administrators from University Information Services on projects and issues related to Blackboard, MyAccess, SaxaNet and other student tech services,” Goldstein said.

According to Nicholson the university has the opportunity to take advantage of recent technological advances to expand and improve network capabilities on campus.

“We have the opportunity to address foundational needs, take advantage of modern network capabilities and build an agile platform well-positioned for future innovation,” Nicholson said.

Negash encouraged students to actively participate in the network and engage with GUSA and UIS to improve the system moving forward.

“I strongly encourage those students to make use of it and provide their feed-

back so that we can deliver a better product for the whole campus when the time comes,” Negash said.

Goldstein said he was excited at how the STAB’s engagement with technology services on campus yielded results.

“Yafet has been working hard to advocate for improved campus tech over the past year, so while this is only a pilot program, it’s an exciting step forward nonetheless,” Goldstein said.

Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Hall

resident Carly Conway (COL ’19) said that she is particularly excited for the inclusion of streaming service capabilities within the new network.

“The new system allows more readily available access to more resources, since we can now stream news networks from smart TVs, as well as watch our favorite TV shows,” Conway said. “It would be great to see every residence hall have this type of system as well one day.”

WILLIAM ZHU/THE HOYA

The new wireless network, GURegistered, is a result of a collaboration between the Student Technology Advisory Board and University Information Services.

Data Initiative Publishes New Report BEECK, from A10

9 6

4 9 2 1 3 8 6 5 7

blood to our ears when calling, snapping and texting.

However, developing countries cannot cry foul because the Trump administration will claim it acts with only the most benevolent intentions. In an explanatory memorandum, the Trump administration stated the suspension was part of an elaborate plan to “protect” workers from unemployment.

The memo highlighted that when the mines were being inspected during 2010 and 2011, to ensure that they were conflict-free, some people in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo lost their jobs either temporarily or permanently if they were working for mines associated with human rights violations.

Following that logic, getting rid of standards that protected the locals will ensure these people will get their jobs back. We should expect a “thank you” note from the DRC to the United States for helping in its time of great distress.

Western corporations with a focus on value addition have no vested interest in a healthy industrial complex for developing coun-

tries still stuck in primary industries such as mining.

The nature of the relationship is almost colonial and, given an unstable political atmosphere, will become exploitative.

Montgomery, incorporates faculty, fellows and staff from both institutes to further political discourse. Shah said the accomplishments of the group include fostering bipartisan dialogue and promoting data use in policymaking.

“Together, we have produced a series of high-profile leadership events, convened bipartisan policy conversations, developed joint proposals to further research on the use of data in policymaking, and published a report on the architecture of innovation in federal policymaking,” Shah wrote.

According to Shah, the report’s action plan and its proposal foster a culture of innovation within the government through the study of cities, which lead the way in terms of government innovation. In addition the plan calls for the establishment of strategy teams with the experience and capacity to implement innovative approaches to policymaking.

“The voice of communities matters,” Shah wrote. “As data takes on an increasingly prominent role in governance, it is critical that policy discussions about the use of data include citizens and communities.”

Shah said Data for Social Good will allow political leaders to connect more with the citizens they represent and incorporate their opinions into the political process.

“Decision-makers need to make sure that they understand what is and is not working for communities,” Shah said. “People want a voice in government and a way to directly participate in policymaking. Data for Social Good is looking at ways to make government more responsive to its citizens.”

Montgomery said the partnership’s objective is to bring more prominence to data’s role in policymaking.

“The events that have been held in this series are looking to more effectively harness data in ethical ways to better serve society in ever more inclusive ways,” Montgomery

wrote in an email to The Hoya.

According to Montgomery, the project was founded on the idea of combining Georgetown’s expertise in politics with its commitment to improving the community.

“Data for Social Good draws on Georgetown’s expertise across a broad range of disciplines.”

Edward montgomery Dean, McCourt School of Public Policy

“The Data for Social Good seeks to meld Georgetown’s convening power at the center of public policymaking with its commitment to social good and our Massive Data In-

stitute’s focus on using the incredible amount of new data we are able to collect, analyze and exploit in today’s digital age,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery said the partnership has allowed both the McCourt School and the Beeck Center to reach and engage with a broader array of students and faculty on campus as well as policymakers and nongovernmental organizations.

“Data for Social Good draws on Georgetown’s expertise across a broad range of disciplines, from computer science to the natural and social sciences to ethics, to help the government, NGO’s and the public use data and technology to better meet the needs of citizens,” Montgomery said.

In addition, the initiative combines the core tenants of Georgetown’s Jesuit values of service to others, according to Montgomery.

“This project gets right at the heart of Georgetown’s mission — our commitment to be men and women for others, especially those most in need.”

Business & Tech FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2017

Airbnb CFO Calls for More Innovation

Tech Tips

Andrew Wallender Hoya Staff Writer

White House staff members switch to confidential messaging White House staff members are allegedly using a self-deleting-messages app to talk about President Donald Trump’s administration in private, according to reports from The Washington Post and Axios published Feb. 13. Users of the application, named Confide, receive messages completely censored by orange blocks. They can then tap the blocks to uncover the message, which automatically disappears without a trace after a short period of time.

This mechanism makes it difficult for individuals to screenshot and leak messages. The application’s privacy features can also be applied to documents and other forms of media sent through it. Though journalists reportedly used it before, Confide spiked in popularity among members of the Republican Party and White House staffers after the leakage of hacked Democratic emails. Nevertheless, security experts doubt the application’s actual ability to encrypt messages, as it is not open-source and thus may use rudimentary protocols.

iPhone 8 Rumored to feature edge-to-edge display Apple’s next iPhone could feature an edge-to-edge screen, effectively removing the home button, according to a patent filed Feb. 13. A displayembedded fingerprint sensor will replace the current Touch ID sensor.

The company’s acquisition of LuxVue, a firm that specializes on micro-LEDs — an essential component of edge-to-edge screens — serves as further evidence of the impending change.

According to the website MacRumors, the display panel would measure about 5.8 inches, of which 5.15 inches would be used for display purposes, with the remaining area reserved for digital operational buttons. However, Apple will also release updated iPhones with the traditional LCD screen, it appears that edge-toedge screens are the new fad in the industry. Samsung is reportedly also considering including them in its upcoming Galaxy models.

Headset developed to aid individuals with poor eyesight A headset may help restore the sight of people with reduced vision, CNET reported Feb. 15. Known as the eSight 3, it features a camera that uses high-resolution displays and optical prisms to project visible images. The headset includes other features that aid users in focusing on objects and using their peripheral vision. People losing their eyesight as a result of macular degeneration and diabetes complications are among the most likely to benefit from this technology.

However, individuals who suffer from glaucoma or any other condition may only have a little over a 50 percent chance of having their issue resolved through eSight 3. CEO Brian Mech was quoted in the article saying that the appliance is not medical, and anybody can try it and assess its functionality.

Hoya Staff Writer Sarah Fisher compiled this week’s TECH TIPS.

Airbnb Chief Financial Officer Laurence Tosi (COL ‘90, LAW ‘94, GRD ‘94) stressed the importance of innovation in entrepreneurship and discussed the upcoming launch of City Hosts, the company’s latest service, at a keynote held in the Lohrfink Auditorium on Feb. 9.

More than 300 attendees packed the event, hosted by the Center for Financial Markets and Policy as part of the Stanton Distinguished Leaders Series.

“Try to think back to the days when people aspired to travel because it changed their lives.” laurence tosi (COL ’90, LAW ’94, GRD ’94) CFO, Airbnb

Airbnb refers to itself as a homestay network in which users can book temporary lodging at a variety of residences across the world. City Hosts, which, according to Tosi, will officially launch May 3, is a program that connects Airbnb users with local citizens who can eventually introduce and show them around their cities.

Tosi argued that the current travel industry is rife with bad technology that only creates echo chambers of tourists of-

Andrew wallender/The hoya

The Chief Financial Officer of Airbnb and Georgetown alumnus, Laurence Tosi (COL ’90, LAW ’94, GRD ’94) talked about the need for originality and long-term planning when starting a new business. tourism.

When delineating the program’s objectives, Tosi invited attendees to envision a time when travel was an individual, romantic and transformative experience.

“Try to think back to the days when people aspired to travel

because it changed their lives; it transformed them,” Tosi said.

“There was no TripAdvisor so a tourist could tell another tourist where to go.”

Tosi also spoke about entrepreneurship and said embracing

UIS Rolls Out Wireless Network

Business Outsider

fering advice to other tourists, leading to inauthentic trips. According to research conducted

by Airbnb, travellers look at 30 different websites and spend 15 hours planning travel activities before a trip, on average. Tosi argued that these services only steered travellers to hot beds of

See AIRBNB, A9

Tait Ryssdal Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown University Information Services launched GURegistered, a new pilot wireless network, which allows residents to connect devices that do not support secure protocols, in conjunction with the Georgetown University Student Association on Feb. 9.

The network’s establishment comes at the heels of December’s announcement of a five-year, $27.5 million UIS-led overhaul of the university’s Wi-Fi infrastructure.

Students, faculty and staff may now connect previously unsupported devices such as gaming systems, television, streaming services and personal printers, among others. The residents of Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Hall and Village A apartments will serve as subjects to the service’s pilot program.

According to Vice President for Information Services and Chief Information Officer Judd Nicholson, the new platform will provide an entirely new space for unsecure devices separate from academic data systems.

“UIS is piloting a new technology from Cisco that enables us to create a separate open network to support these devices without reducing the security on GuestNet or SaxaNet,” Nicholson said.

Nicholson highlighted the separation of university data and personal data and said it was very important for the new network to be well-regulated.

“The new option for these de-

Mercy Radithupa

Enforcing Corporate Ethics

T

within the Executive Office of the President to focus on innovation, adoption of flexible policies, inclusion of more technological talent at the time of hiring, recruitment with an eye on skill diversity and community engagement through participatory budgeting.

Sonal Shah, executive director of the Beeck Center, said the Data for Social Good project aims to find ways to benefit the community at large through expanding the usage and application of data.

“Conversations about the use of data often leave out communities and individuals,” Shah wrote in an email to The Hoya. “We started Data for Social Good to broaden the tent and include communities as part of the discussion and efforts to examine the role of data in achieving social impact.”

The partnership, led by Shah and McCourt School Dean Edward

he Trump administration plans to sign an executive order to suspend the section of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that prevents U.S. companies from selling and trading conflict minerals Feb. 14.

Section 1502 of the DoddFrank law required companies to disclose any resources in their supply chain extracted from the Central African region and show that the mines from which they extracted the minerals are conflict-free.

President Donald Trump’s executive order — if signed will result in a more chaotic Central Africa as companies invest in supply chains, which involve more ethically dubious behavior.

The extent to which this happens is, of course, dependent on how developing countries take it upon themselves to legislate against nefarious behavior and monitor supply chains of strategic goods within their borders.

The Trump administration justified the planned suspension of section 1502 by citing millions of annual compliance costs U.S. companies pay to make sure their supply chains are free of human rights abuses and the fact that they must pass Securities and Exchange Commission reviews.

The order can relieve companies of the little social responsibility they already engage in internationally and lower the bar of ethics for upholding human rights by cleaning up supply chains. What this means for the western consumer is little — we will continue to buy these products — but what we should keep in mind is that henceforth ,if we buy a laptop, phone, tablet or any other product that== requires rare earth minerals, we can expect it to be associated with violence, death, rape, displacement or slave labor. We may well be holding towels of

See BEECK, A9

See OUTSIDER, A9

William Zhu/The hoya

The new Wi-Fi network, available only to Village A and Pedro S. Arrupe, S.J. Hall will allow residents to connect new devices. vices is only available to current Georgetown students, faculty and staff for personal use that does involve personal or university data,” Nicholson said.

“GURegistered traffic is separate and is closely monitored.”

To use GURegistered, Arrupe and Village A residents must first register their devices online with

their NetID credentials. Users are limited to three registered devices at a time to allow all residents to share the network.

Upon introducing the new service, UIS alerted users about potential security concerns with the network, as it does not provide See WI-FI, A9

Beeck Center, GU Politics Advise Trump Charlotte Allen Hoya Staff Writer

Beeck center for social impact and innovation

The Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation, in conjunction with GU Politics, published recommendations for the new administration.

In a report published Feb. 8, the McCourt School of Public Policy’s Massive Data Institute and the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation jointly addressed innovation in policymaking and recommended a course of action for President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office.

This publication acts as a followup to the partnership’s previous report, “The Architecture of Innovation: Institutionalizing Innovation in Federal Policymaking.” Released the month before the 2016 presidential election, it detailed how the executive could prioritize innovation in government.

The recommendations are divided into three categories: “Structure,” “Policy” and “People.”

Among the report’s most important suggestions are calls for specific people or groups of people