The Hoya: January 26, 2018

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Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 99, No. 16, © 2018

friday, January 26, 2018

Behind the Scenes

Georgetown has a vibrant subculture devoted to film production and media analysis.

EDITORIAL Georgetown must visibly uphold fair employment standards at the Qatar campus.

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DEMOLITION IN PROGRESS The university began demolishing KoberCogan Hall on Monday.

OPINION, A2

NEWS, A8

Politics Fellows Urge Reflection On Identity, Civic Engagement Political, media experts share hopes for semester MEENA MORAR Hoya Staff Writer

The Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service’s fifth class of fellows brings a diverse range of political perspectives from both major political parties and a variety of fields, including communications, political fundraising and journalism.

The resident fellows for spring 2018 are Katie Walsh Shields, the former White House deputy chief of staff for operations under President Donald Trump; Dorothy McAuliffe, the former first lady of Virginia; Eugene Scott, political reporter for The Washington Post; Nadeam Elshami, former chief of staff for Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.); and Steven Law, president and CEO of the Republican fundraising committee Senate Leadership Fund and political consulting firm American Crossroads.

In an interview with The Hoya, the fellows discussed their goals for democracy and civic engagement among Georgetown students and millennial Americans.

What do you hope to achieve this semester, and what do you hope your students learn from your discussion groups?

Elshami: To learn from the students here and to kind of get re-energized about the future, I am going to offer a clear assessment of how Congress works — all the bad, all the ugly — and get from the students how it could be improved. That’s what I hope: to engage them in that sense.

Law: We tend to take the existence of democracy for granted. We think it’s the way things have always been, and in reality, our country is a rare experiment in all of human history. I think people have a sense that democracy is not doing well. My hope is

to explore that with students — why there is a sense of unease, and why democratic institutions are not functioning as well as they could.

McAuliffe: I want to look at the ways we can revitalize democracy. I want to look at opportunities for public service, thinking together about what may not be the traditional ideas of public service, but then also those traditional ways to serve, thinking about the next generation and how we can encourage public service as a noble calling again.

Shields: I’m focusing really on presidential elections and national elections and what those look like in a changing environment. In terms of how technology interfaces in campaigns and how people are connecting with voters, I hope to really look at how we can see what’s different from previous elections, but then also look at See FELLOWS, A6

WILL CROMARTY/THE HOYA

GU Politics fellows Nadeam Elshami, left, Eugene Scott, Katie Walsh Shields, Steven Law and Dorothy McAuliffe discussed the importance of civic participation in an interview with The Hoya.

AMBER GILLETTE/THE HOYA

The second annual Women’s March drew around 12,000 protesters demonstrating their support for social justice issues and calling for greater female political representation.

Women’s March Sparks Political Call to Action SARAH MENDELSOHN Hoya Staff Writer

Nearly 12,000 protesters marched from the National Mall to the White House on Saturday for the second annual Women’s March to rally for social justice issues ranging from women’s rights and sexual assault prevention to immigration reform and racial equality.

The Washington, D.C. Women’s March came nearly a year after the Jan. 21, 2017 Women’s March on Washington, which aimed to rally support for women’s rights and protest President Donald Trump’s inauguration. The 2018 march centered on encouraging participation in upcoming midterm elections and proactive resistance to the Trump administration through the slogan “Power to the Polls.”

While this year’s march saw a

GU 272 Descendants Demand Reparations WILL CASSOU Hoya Staff Writer

A group of descendants of Isaac Hawkins, one of the 272 slaves whose sale in 1838 benefitted Georgetown University, voiced its frustration with the university’s efforts to redress the historical injustice and called on the university to provide financial restitution to descendants.

Representatives of the GU272 Isaac Hawkins Legacy group, which represents 200 descendants, reignited debate about the university’s efforts in a news conference Jan. 16.

The group is seeking financial reparations from the university, saying the university’s efforts at restitution thus far have been well-intentioned but insufficient.

The group contends that the university’s actions in recent years — including the renaming of two campus buildings, a policy providing preferential admissions treatment to descendant applicants and plans

featured

to establish an institute for the study of slavery — are “symbolic gestures” and are not “commensurate with the epic atrocity committed and its subsequent impact on generations of descendants,” according to a news release provided to The Hoya.

Descendants of Hawkins who attended the conference include Dee Taylor, a 70-yearold woman from Baton Rouge, La., and Vincent Williams.

Georgia Goslee, lead counsel for the group, which is one of several associations of descendants, said previous negotiations with the university, though cordial and respectful, had not led to any substantial progress. Georgetown has yet to respond to a proposal for rectification that the descendants submitted June 19, according to Goslee.

Goslee declined to disclose details of the proposal, which contains a request for monetary reparations. She said the exact figure is not of primary importance; rather, the critical

aspect is Georgetown making amends for the profit it made from the sale of the slaves.

“Let me be very clear: Georgetown University owes its very existence to the ancestors of Dee Taylor and Vincent Williams, yet the restitution has been conspicuously absent from the actions taken by the school so far to reconcile with the descendant community,” Goslee said. “We call on Georgetown to initiate a sustained and progressive discussion and respond to the proposal.”

Thomas Craemer, an associate professor of public policy at the University of Connecticut, helped the group calculate the amount requested for restitution in the proposal. Craemer studied the impact that unpaid and forced labor would have had on the descendants’ ancestors ability to work and their subsequent incomes, as well as the inheritance that descendants could have received.

The descendants’ news conference came five days after Joseph Ferrara, chief of staff

to Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia, sent descendants a letter Jan. 12 reaffirming the university’s commitment to working with the descendants.

In the letter, Ferrara detailed Georgetown’s past efforts of reconciliation and forming a relationship with the descendant community and proposed a set of draft principles for continued dialogue, which include a commitment to establishing new projects over time and to be “ambitious” in developing “shared goals.”

“We believe seeking engagement and consensus around a set of principles can help us move forward in developing a partnership and determining the most meaningful and significant ideas for our communities to pursue together. We look forward to your feedback and your ideas,” Ferrara wrote.

In April 2017, DeGioia offered a public apology for Georgetown’s involvement in

decrease in attendees from last year’s 725,000 protesters, Saturday’s march sought to maintain the energetic and determined spirit of the global women’s movement.

This year’s march and rally focused on how people can contribute to the effort to bolster rights for women and minorities. Beginning at 11 a.m., speakers, including members of Congress such as Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), called on citizens to vote in the upcoming midterm elections and for women to run for office.

Last year’s march was one of 673 simultaneous worldwide movements to protest Trump’s election to office and widely unpopular policies. Over 4 million people gathered to march in sister demonstrations in all 50 states and countries around the globe.

This year, people took to the streets once again to advocate for

equality and civil rights. These marches echoed the message of the #MeToo and #TimesUp social media movements to raise awareness about and eradicate sexual assault. Protesters also marched in support of the rights of transgender people, the protection of people with disabilities and the protection of “Dreamers,” immigrants without documentation who were brought to the United States as children.

“I think we’ve moved from doing the important culture change work to now starting to think about institutional change and passing policies,” National Organizing Director at Planned Parenthood Kelley Robinson said to the crowd.

Pelosi emphasized the importance of women voting and running in elections.

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celebratING LIFE

RYAN BAE/THE HOYA

Georgetown hosted the 18th annual Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life on Saturday, bringing together over 700 young people.

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NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

Seeking Support Mental health advocates will pursue funding via SaxaFund for a pilot offcampus therapy stipend.

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Reflecting, 40 Years Later Georgetown’s efforts to reconcile with its past as slave owners are a sign of forward-looking strength.

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Heartbreaker The Georgetown men’s basketball lost narrowly to DePaul on Wednesday, 74-73, falling to a 3-6 record in the Big East.

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NEWS Making Waves

opinion Home-Court Advantage

SPORTS Super Bowl Preview

Ward 6 D.C. Public School students travelled to Los Angeles, Calif., to cover the NAACP Image Awards.

A9 Printed Fridays

To re-energize their fan base, the Georgetown men’s basketball team should play on campus.

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Tom Brady and the New England Patriots take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 52 next Sunday.

A12 Send story ideas and tips to news@thehoya.com

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OPINION

THE HOYA

friday, January 26, 2018

THE VERDICT

Extend Rights to Qatar Campus Georgetown University is in a position of great power regarding the rights of abused migrant workers in Qatar. So far, it has shirked its responsibility by allowing Qatari standards to dictate treatment of its own employees.

As Georgetown’s Washington, D.C. campus re-examines the rights of graduate students to be recognized as workers, now is the time to focus our attention on the conditions of workers at Georgetown’s Qatar campus. For too long, Georgetown’s administration has ignored or deflected important questions about GU-Q. Georgetown must investigate and address the working conditions of employees on its campus in Qatar.

In Qatar, abuse and exploitation of workers is the norm rather than the exception. According to Human Rights Watch, “many migrant workers complain that employers failed to pay their wages on time, and sometimes not at all. Many workers face physical and sexual abuse.”

Georgetown, along with seven other universities with campuses in Qatar’s Education City, relies heavily on migrant labor, according to The Guardian. However, these workers do not fall under Georgetown’s Just Employment Policy, which draws from “Catholic social teaching on the dignity of work and the rights of workers.”

Instead, GU-Q workers are dependent on the standards set by the Qatar Foundation, an organization for Qatari development organization founded and governed by the Qatari royal family.

If Georgetown truly believes it has a responsibility to treat its employees in accordance with Jesuit values, the JEP ought not be limited to American borders. An investigation into working conditions is long overdue.

The United Arab Emirates, which shares Qatar’s proclivity for autocracy and its disregard for workplace safety, is home to a New York University campus, which was investigated by The Guardian in 2013.

The reporting revealed the inescapable misery many of the workers faced. Campus construction workers lived in cramped conditions, were assaulted by their bosses and were denied medical care by their employers — who, in accordance with UAE and Qatari law, are solely responsible for such services.

NYU’s Abu Dhabi campus and Georgetown’s Qatar

campus both operate amid extensive government control, poor legal protection for workers and government-owned media. The main difference between the two is exposure. The dangerous conditions of one have been uncovered, while the questions of the other remain unanswered.

This editorial board is hardly the first body to challenge Georgetown for the treatment of its Qatari workers.

In August 2017, the United Nations Business and Human Rights Resource Centre asked 19 schools with Qatar or UAE campuses about their treatment of migrant workers’ human and labor rights.

Georgetown refused to participate. Instead, the administration issued a statement claiming it would “continuously review our policies and practices to ensure labor standards and practices that align with our values as a Catholic and Jesuit institution.”

This statement did not address the true problem.

Georgetown may have adequate policies regarding workplace protection, but it has failed to ensure that they are applied to GU-Q. The administration has failed to provide transparency, which is inexcusable given past reporting on campuses similar to GU-Q. The administration has regularly deflected criticisms of its Qatar campus by emphasizing the importance of dialogue with the Gulf state. In 2015, Univeristy President John J. DeGioia said, “Being engaged is better than not. We are contributing, I think, to building a common good in the region.” Those are worthy and important objectives; this editorial board supports the preservation of GU-Q. However, Georgetown has not yet made a good-faith effort to truly engage with the region. University administrators must allow an independent investigation of working conditions on its GU-Q campus, as well as investigations into contractors used by GU-Q. In the meantime, Georgetown must extend the JEP to the Qatar campus.

Georgetown’s unwillingness to investigate its Qatar campus implies that only some people and geographies are morally bound by Jesuit values. By turning a blind eye to inappropriate working conditions, Georgetown is ignoring its commitment to social justice.

C C

Older Than 1789 — A 1.7 billion-year-old part of North America was found in Australia this week, supporting evidence that at one point the earth had one supercontinent made up of Australia and North America. Fun fact: The part was found in Georgetown, Australia.

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EDITORIALS

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Founded January 14, 1920

Bankruptcies ‘R’ Us — Popular chain Toys “R” Us is closing 182 stores after filing for bankruptcy protection in September 2017. The chain claims that it is unable to compete with Walmart, Target and Amazon.

Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road — Rock star Elton John announced he will be retiring from touring following a three-year farewell tour titled “Farewell Yellow Brick Road.”

The singer is set to perform on five continents from late 2018 to 2021.

Ducking Into History — Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) announced Tuesday that she is pregnant. Duckworth will be the first senator to give birth while holding office.

Taxes Don’t Lie — Shakira is currently under investigation for tax evasion. The singer is estimated to be worth around $200 million. Spanish media reports that the tax bill could amount to over $10 million.

EDITORIAL CARTOON by Elinor Walker

Broadcast Guidelines Effectively As incidents of violence and harassment against women and other minority groups by members of the Georgetown community continue to emerge, the university administration must communicate a clear and strong stance against these actions and cooperate with the community toward thoughtful and comprehensive solutions to these issues.

The most recent case, a Twitter spat last week involving former Master’s of Science in Foreign Service Board member Jeff Bernstein (GRD ’85) wishing a “#MeToo moment” on conservative commentator Allie Stuckey after misinterpreting her tweet on the #MeToo movement, demonstrates the need for Georgetown to be more direct and upfront about its policies.

Stuckey tweeted the insensitive remark at Georgetown directly, and community members noticed the story being reported by media outlets on and off campus, including The Washington Post. Yet, School of Foreign Service Dean Joel Hellman’s statement in response was only posted under the “media advisories” section of Georgetown’s website and not accompanied by any form of community wide communication, making it nearly unfindable.

One could argue this development did not warrant such a degree of attention — after all, no student was directly affected by the tweet, and it was committed by a member of an advisory board that has little relationship to the university as a whole. But this argument fails to grasp the significance of the issue — it was committed by a member of the Georgetown community.

While Georgetown succeeded in responding to the affected party, the issue nonetheless raises issues of the coherence and transparency of the standards the university holds its members accountable to.

Even though Hellman wrote that “encouraging, threatening or condoning violence and harassment against another person, in any form and on any format, is deeply inconsistent with the values of the program, our school and our university,” the statement fails to concretely present the consequences community members face upon engaging in similar actions, as Bernstein made his own decision to resign.

To avoid a repeat of this situation, Georgetown must broadcast such standards and guidelines to the entire community: students, faculty, staff and affiliates.

Moreover, this incident is not the first to demonstrate that this type of response is needed. After swastikas and threats of violence agains women were drawn

and carved into the walls of LXR Hall and Village C West residences last semester, University President John J. DeGioia and representatives from Campus Ministry and the Office of Student Affairs sent campus wide emails condemning anti-Semitism, sexism and intolerance in general.

Despite the prompt response, the emails failed to fully convey Georgetown’s institutional policies toward incidents of this nature and to direct all the affected parties to support services on campus. University spokeswoman Rachel Pugh later confirmed that female residents of LXR received separate emails from their chaplains-in-residence indicating resources they could turn to, such as the Women’s Center.

Because the magnitude of the event, the administration’s campus wide emails should have properly addressed the concerns of both Jewish and female students on campus, directing them to support services and assuring them that the perpetrators would be severely punished.

Direct and widespread communication is a goal that the administration should continue working toward. But it should not be its ultimate goal. In the end, emails condemning the discrimination exhibited by these incidents are insufficient to address the fact that community members are behind them.

After establishing clear, widespread communication, Georgetown should pursue a community-oriented approach, encouraging non partisan dialogue within the student body and administration that prioritizes the experiences of groups affected by hate.

Fortunately, the university has already established a good precedent for working toward this aim. After the appearance of bias-related vandalism, student groups and Campus Ministry staff organized discussions and reflections for affected and concerned parties.

If the university could support these efforts more directly and take advantage of the forums to receive feedback for its policies and strategies for dealing with these incidents, it would be able to design and implement better approaches for responding to problems and situations that concern the student body.

After all, our strength as a community lies in our ability to stand up for one another, to name and address the issues that affect us — particularly groups who have been victims of discrimination and violence throughout history — and to hold accountable the institutions intended to protect and empower us.

Ian Scoville, Editor-in-Chief Maya Gandhi, Executive Editor Christian Paz, Executive Editor Emma Wenzinger, Managing Editor Jeff Cirillo, News Editor Hannah Urtz, News Editor Dan Crosson, Sports Editor Mitchell Taylor, Sports Editor Kathryn Baker, Guide Editor Mac Dressman, Guide Editor Will Simon, Opinion Editor Lisa Burgoa, Features Editor Anna Kovacevich, Photography Editor Saavan Chintalacheruvu, Design Editor Janine Karo, Copy Chief Katie Schluth, Social Media Editor Charlie Fritz, Blog Editor Anne-Isabelle de Bokay, Multimedia Editor

Editorial Board

Will Simon, Chair

Alexandre Kleitman, Grace Laria, Tanner Larkin, Emma Lux, Daniel Wassim, Alexandra Williams

Will Cassou Madeline Charbonneau Erin Doherty Yasmine Salam Yasmeen El-Hasan Allie Babyak Ben Goodman Josh Rosson Noah Hawke Will Leo Noah Levesque Julia Yaeger John Crawford Yumna Naqvi Elinor Walker Will Cromarty Amber Gillette Subul Malik Caroline Pappas Grace Chung Anna Kooken Mina Lee Susanna Blount Anna Dezenzo Catriona Kendall Juliette Leader Joshua Levy Laura Bell

Academics Desk Editor City Desk Editor Events Desk Editor Student Life Desk Editor Deputy Features 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 Cartoonist Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Design Editor Deputy Design Editor Deputy Design Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Blog Editor

Contributing Editors

Dean Hampers, Meena Raman, Lauren Seibel, Alyssa Volivar, Sarah Wright

HOYA HISTORY: Jan. 22, 1982

Incoming Judge to Rule on Gay Rights Case Washington, D.C. Superior Court Judge Sylvia Bacon has recently ruled on several motions that have changed the case of the Gay People of Georgetown University and the Gay Rights Coalition of the Georgetown University Law Center against the university.

Bacon took the case over from Judge Leonard Braman when he retired this summer, and university lawyers requested that she reconsider some of his rulings.

The GPGU and GRC are suing for official recognition and funding as student groups, and the trial is scheduled to start Feb. 22.

Bacon has yet to rule on a motion that could change the entire basis of the trial. She must reconsider Braman’s ruling that Georgetown has unquestionably violated the D.C. Human Rights Act by dis-

criminating on the basis of sexual orientation.

The only issue to be decided at the February trial is whether Georgetown is immune from having to obey the D.C. law, since being forced to charter gay groups would contradict Catholic teaching and thus violate the university’s constitutionally protected right to free religious exercise.

However, the university lawyers have asked Bacon to reconsider the question of whether Georgetown is in fact discriminating in violation of the D.C. Human Rights Act. The judge is expected to rule on this issue any day. She has already handed down several other rulings.

The GPGU’s argument is that Georgetown is not a religious institution and must therefore obey the

D.C. Human Rights Act. However, if the court were to find Georgetown to be a religious institution, then the GPGU’s contingency argument is that the University’s acceptance of millions in federal funds violates the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution, which forbids state-supported religion.

Georgetown’s lawyers requested that the establishment clause issue be thrown out of the case, and Bacon upheld the motion. This case is based on a D.C. law, and the D.C. Superior Court does not have jurisdiction over cases based on the federal constitution. However, this ruling does not preclude the GPGU from filing a case based on the establishment clause in federal court if they lose in the D.C. court.

Sarah Rosenson Hoya Staff Writer

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OPINION

friday, January 26, 2018

THE HOYA

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VIEWPOINT • GINSBERG

A Hoya Looks Back

Raymond Dillon

Musings on Reconciliation

R

ereading the headline, “Georgetown Apologizes, Renames Halls After Slaves,” my brain felt bruised with numb surprise. That story shredded my view of the university with which I have had an active relationship for nearly five decades and deconstructed my image of Georgetown.

As a history major, I thought I had a command of the political, economic and social issues associated with America’s “peculiar institution.” I was familiar with the compromises made at the Constitutional Convention and in the Senate’s chamber. I knew about Bleeding Kansas; Harpers Ferry, West Virginia was only a daytrip from Washington, D.C. I had the same bloodlessly academic appreciation of the impact slavery on U.S. history and on Georgetown’s campus.

In Old North, I saw the servant quarters provided for slaves who accompanied students from southern states, but I thought of them as artifacts of a remote era. I accepted the sanitized portrayal of the university’s efforts to “bind up the nation’s wounds,” including the decision to make blue and gray the official school colors.

I did not question my status as a beneficiary of slavery, as my family members were not slaveholders. A child of the ’60s, I was smug and self-righteous in my judgments of the Sheriff Clarkes of the South. Civil rights were a punitive instrument to be deservedly inflicted on the descendants of Confederates who continued to oppress the descendants of slaves.

When confronted with that headline, I realized I knew everything but understood nothing.

The continued existence of my beloved Georgetown was rooted in the suffering of people held in bondage. The buildings where I received my liberal education were constructed by forced labor.

The reintegration embodied in the school colors were for those left to study the Civil War—not for those whose enslavement was the

fundamental cause of it.

I am now confronted with the ugly truth that my comfortable life—and the institution that advanced it—is predicated on slavery. However, I am heartened that my alma mater has not shied away from the truth. It shone a light on a dark chapter in its history in an honest attempt at atonement—and, perhaps, redemption.

Georgetown is not made great by virtue of an unblemished record. Rather, “Swift Potomac’s Lovely Daughter” derives greatness from her ability to recognize and embrace past mistakes so as to employ them as vehicles for learning and growth.

Georgetown is great because of its courage to apologize for past errors and celebrate the diversity of those who contributed to the institution — even those who labored and suffered in obscurity.

These humble actions serve as a powerful rebuke of simplistic chauvinism that refers to our less fortunate brothers and sisters as unworthy “losers.”

Georgetown’s humility is exemplified by the symbolism of rechristening buildings named after individuals complicit in the slave trade. More concrete is the university’s decision to provide the descendants of those who built Georgetown with an education.

They should benefit from the efforts of their ancestors, just as I did.

This exemplar of the JudeoChristian spirituality that marks our school is as strong as any I could cite. In this teachable moment, we have an opportunity to rise above our all-too-human frailties and gain wisdom.

After four decades, Georgetown continues to provide me a path to becoming a better person by demonstrating how to respond to a past once buried by ignorance.

Raymond Dillon Jr. graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1977. A Hoya Looks Back runs online every other Tuesday. Read the full piece at thehoya.com/opinion.

On any given night, the Hoyas play to only 40 percent of capacity. The only true solution to the Hoyas’ attendance and atmosphere problems is to renovate McDonough Gymnasium.

Bring Men’s Basketball Back Home

“H

ome Sw33t Home.”

The motto on this year’s We Are Georgetown shirt is intended to honor new basketball head coach and program legend, Patrick Ewing (CAS ’85), who wore the number 33 during his four years on the Hilltop.

However, this motto also underscores a sad irony: The Georgetown men’s basketball team does not have a true home. The Hoya men have not played at McDonough Gymnasium since the 1980-81 season.

Including Georgetown, only 25 out of 351 Division I men’s basketball teams do not play in on-campus arenas.

As part of the program’s fresh start under Ewing, the university should give the Hoyas a true home court advantage by modernizing and expanding McDonough and reprioritizing student and alumni engagement with the basketball team.

As Ewing looks to turn the program around with higherprofile recruits, the school must showcase a culture of excitement around the team.

A Hall of Fame coach alone will not be enough to lure top talent. Although Ewing’s hiring provided a shock to an increasingly apathetic fan base, frustration has returned following bad losses to Syracuse, Butler and Villanova, the last

of which was the program’s worst loss since 1974.

Currently, McDonough can hold 2,500 spectators. It hosts the Georgetown women’s basketball and volleyball teams and university functions like New Student Convocation.

However, this tiny stadium is not suited for the needs of a modern university, as evidenced by the many students who were not admitted to Hoya Madness in October.

A revamped McDonough would need to house about 12,000 spectators to accommodate the demands of the Hoya fan base and Big East rules governing the size of home courts.

Georgetown does not have a billionaire benefactor like the University of Oregon’s Phil Knight, who funded a massive training facility for the school.

However, the promise of a new arena could convince a victory-hungry and D.C.-centered alumni base to donate to the athletic department.

One of the primary reasons the Hoyas moved from McDonough — first to the Capital Centre, and then to Capital One Arena — was to accommodate a growing fan base. However, last season, an average of only 8,479 fans attended Georgetown home games. This puts Georgetown at 54th in the country, behind

schools like Duke University, the University of Connecticut and conference rival Xavier University, all of which play in stadiums less than half the size of 20,000-seat Capital One Arena. The argument that Georgetown needs a big arena to hold throngs of students and alumni just does not hold up.

Over winter break, I attended Duke’s 104-40 home thrashing of Evansville University at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Despite the lowly opponent and the timing of the game, 9,314 Cameron Crazies were out in full force, rocking a sold-out house. Conversely, Georgetown’s game against Villanova generated a meager attendance of 11,905, an inexcusable and embarrassing turnout for a conference game against the current No. 1 team in the country.

Despite the fact that Georgetown generated more overall ticket sales at this game than Duke does at any game, the fact that Capital One Arena was not even 60 percent full led to a quiet, lethargic atmosphere. Although it is unrealistic to expect a Georgetown game to rival the atmosphere of an arena like Cameron any time soon, playing in a 12,000 seat arena would create a much more compressed, raucous experience. Cameron

Indoor is sold out for every game.

Georgetown games are often held on weeknights or weekend mornings, since they must be scheduled around those of the Washington Wizards and Capitals, with whom they share the stadium. Such timing drives low fan attendance. On any given night, the Hoyas play to only 40 percent of capacity. The only true solution to the Hoyas’ attendance and atmosphere problems is to renovate McDonough Gymnasium. On-campus games are more accessible to students, most of whom do not have time in their schedules for an hourlong round trip across Washington, D.C. A renovation of McDonough would help re-energize a frustrated student body and longsuffering fan base. The excitement surrounding Ewing’s hire will fade away quickly, especially if the team continues losing. A new stadium would bring the true home court advantage that Georgetown needs if it hopes to become competitive again. As fellow Big East members Xavier and Villanova renovate their stadiums, it is time Georgetown does the same to return basketball to the Hilltop.

Michael Ginsberg is sophomore in the College.

VIEWPOINT • SMITH

PROUD TO BE GSP

Fighting for Home

More Than an Education

A

university creating space for students to find community.

A commitment to a nuanced understanding of gender and sexuality.

A declaration that religion and identity can intersect meaningfully and peacefully.

This is what home looks like.

In December, Georgetown approved the creation of a new Living Learning Community, Crossroads, which will act as a shared residential space where students can learn about and reflect on concepts of gender and sexuality as part of a process dedicated to forming deeper understandings of themselves and others.

This accomplishment is major and unprecedented for a Catholic university, and it states powerfully that belonging to this campus should not be a privilege—it is a right.

We need LLCs to give us that insitutional commitment to intellectual, social and emotional growth beyond the confines of a classroom.

We, as students, have a right to demand spaces and communities that give us a sense of belonging and meaning, and the university has every mandate to accept these terms with an open heart and an open mind.

We need spaces to call our own, and we need Living Learning Communities to give us that institutional commitment to intellectual, social and emotional growth beyond the confines of a classroom, in residential spaces.

In the wake of its approval, Crossroads has been met with a wide range of responses,

from harsh criticism to joyous celebration.

Some argue Crossroads shows a further digression from the Catholic roots on which this university prides so strongly; others center on the idea that this LLC is a manifestation of the core Jesuit values.

Georgetown’s acceptance of this LLC makes the profound and radical statement that religion and the freedom to challenge and grow through expressions of and reflection on gender and sexuality do not have to be mutually exclusive.

This institutional support signifies Georgetown’s commitment to making a home for all its students.

It says: Come as you are, be who you are, love how you do and we will make a home for you.

I am here to say it is time to celebrate. This decision is Catholicism at its finest.

This is the Catholicism that Georgetown has taught me to know and love.

A Catholicism grounded in a knowledge and care of the self.

A Catholicism grounded in contemplation and dialogue, community and diversity.

A Catholicism that understands the intersection of faith and justice and considers them inseparable.

A Catholicism that gives home to the whole person and to every person.

This home is the product of two years of work. This LLC did not come easily, and its construction was a laborious one wrought with conflict and disagreement.

Georgetown, as an institution, was simply not ready for this until now. It took two years to prove that the community Crossroads would create is not only immensely needed but also powerfully relevant to an institution whose ideological core is—and must be— inclusion and acceptance.

“Crossroads” holds

Georgetown accountable to the promises of its Jesuits principles and demands that they be put into practice both immediately and meaningfully.

This act of creating home feels like deliverance of those principles manifested as concrete and physical spaces that we can call our own and in which we can find refuge, challenge and growth. It is only when we have given each other those experiences of journey that we have succeeded.

Home is an increasingly elusive safety at a time of systemic denial marked by the constant uprooting of our foundational rights and freedoms.

Thus, Crossroads is a lesson that we must fight for home.

Home is an increasingly elusive safety at a time of systemic denial marked by the constant uprooting of our foundational rights and freedoms.

When every day is spent trying to hold our walls and roofs together, home becomes the tension with which we try to tie together who we are and what we want for ourselves.

Fighting for home means demanding spaces, at any level, where we can stop.

Take a breath. Be who we are.

Learn who we are. And do so in community.

Here’s to the home that Crossroads will create. May it teach us all to learn and love more deeply.

Grace Smith is a senior in the College. For further information and to apply to live in Crossroads, please visit the following page: www. residentialliving.georgetown. edu/llc/crossroads.

P

eople always think they have you “figured out” by observing simple things. They look at the way you dress or talk or where you come from and associate you with the stereotype to which society says people like you belong.

But how can you categorize people without knowing their story? Everyone struggles, but not everyone has the same struggles or handles them the same.

Imagine that you are arrested for stealing food—at age 6.

You are detained in a juvenile detention center and then deposited in the foster care system. Imagine receiving this punishment for a desperate crime — you and your mother stole after three days without food.

At age 7, after a year of feeling alone and helpless in foster care, imagine you get jumped into a gang and are told the gang members are “the only family you have now.”

At age 10, after a burglary went wrong, you witness your friend get shot in the back as you escape the scene.

At age 11, you are arrested for selling drugs and tried as an adult. You are charged with a felony and sent to prison for five days.

At age 13, after spending time with four different families and multiple group homes, your mother regains custody of you. You move back with her new husband and their children. You now have a family, but one that you know nothing about.

At age 16, one of your best friends from school dies in a hit-and-run accident. You are beaten and thrown out of the gang. You spend the year dealing with death and violence.

You almost flunk 11th grade.

But then, good things start to happen. In senior year of high school, you are no longer in a gang or selling drugs.

You get three years of probation and your charges are expunged. You take all Ad-

vanced Placement classes. You get to school at 5 a.m. for basketball practice and you start class an hour early to make up for the classes you failed.

You prepare for the ACT/SAT and work on your college applications. You don’t get home and do homework until 9 p.m. The next day, you wake up and do it all again.

Deshaun Rice Soon, your hard work starts to pay off. You receive scholarship offers for basketball. In one year, you raise your GPA from a 1.2 to a 3.7. You are accepted to Georgetown University with a full academic scholarship — all thanks to your committed teachers, a great college adviser, mentors and family members who encouraged you to apply.

Imagine your family will see someone who now has a totally different mindset and a different perspective of what best benefits you, your family and your community.

Attending this top university should have been the happy ending to your story, but instead it brings new stereotypes: because you’re poor, and you don’t sound or dress like you’re educated; because you are the first in your family to go to college; because you come from a dangerous city and you witnessed terrible things. You were a criminal—and, on top of that, you are black.

a

Imagine you found a good group of friends who could sympathize and had similar experiences, but still couldn’t fully relate because they’re not working 20 to 30 hours a week to support their families back home. You struggle in school and realize that you weren’t as prepared as your classmates.

Things are going so badly that you try to kill yourself.

You spend a month in a mental health facility and take medical leave for a year to get better.

You do everything to get back into school with the support of administrators, alumni mentors and the Georgetown Scholarship Program, which has been there for you since freshman year. You become confident in yourself.

You know who you are, no matter what any stereotype or stranger says you are supposed to be. Imagine you are finally nearing graduation at Georgetown.

Graduating represents defeating every stigma and stereotype. Imagine how it will feel for your child and your family to see you receive your diploma, and for those in your community who now see you growing, thriving and flourishing. Imagine that they will see someone who now has a totally different mindset and a different perspective of what best benefits you, your family and your community.

They will see someone who is true to himself despite how others perceive him. You figure out that this journey is more than an education — it is how you survive and thrive in a system that wants people like you to end up lost and forgotten.

Deshaun Rice is a junior in the College and a member of the Georgetown Scholarship Program. GSP offers support services to over 650 lowincome and/or first-generation college students. Proud to Be GSP appears online every other Tuesday. Read the full piece online at www.thehoya.com/ opinion.

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NEWS

THE HOYA

FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2018

PAGE FOUR

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Melanne Verveer discussed the role of women in peace-building efforts in Ukraine and Myanmar.

Story on A8.

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya.

verbatim

IN FOCUS MARCH FOR LIFE

“

I’ve never had so much hope in America as I’ve had with this new crop of mayors that we have elected.”

United States Conference of Mayors CEO Tom Cochran on the future of mayoral leadership.

Story on A7.

from our blog

THE MARCH FOR LIFE

Thousands of activists converged at the 44th annual March For Life on Jan. 19 where they were addressed by President Donald Trump, who vowed he would defend the right to life. Trump is the first president to address the march in person.

NEW YEAR, SAME MYSTERIES Was 2017 truly the year of realizing things? Or are we still lost in the dark? Let 4E remind you of all our unanswered questions from last year so that 2018 can get off to a better start! blog.thehoya.com

Alumna Appointed to Council on Sexual Violence MEENA MORAR Hoya Staff Writer

Anti-sexual assault activist and educator Olivia Hinerfeld (SFS ’17) has been selected to serve on the Biden Foundation’s advisory council for ending violence against women, the foundation announced Monday.

The Biden Foundation is a nonprofit organization launched last year by former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden. Its mission includes advocacy in a wide range of policy areas, including LGBTQ and gender equality, foreign policy and the advancement of community colleges.

The foundation’s 16-member council is composed of activists, professors and leaders with expertise in women’s issues, according to the Biden Foundation’s website.

Hinerfeld has extensive experience as an activist against sexual assault. She previously interned for the Violence Against Women Team in the Office of the Vice President during Biden’s term and for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

At Georgetown, she worked as a sexual assault peer educator; served on the board of Take Back the Night, a campus sexual assault and domestic violence advocacy group; and advocated for improved campus sexual assault prevention and response through the Georgetown University Student Association and viewpoints published in THE HOYA. Hinerfeld said she is excited to work at the Biden Foundation with a group of experts.

“I am incredibly excited to work alongside many of my heroes in this work,” Hinerfeld wrote in an email to THE HOYA. “I hope to learn how to be a more effective advocate and to offer a younger perspective to this work. Together, I hope that we can make violence against women obsolete.”

Hinerfeld said violence against women is prevalent on college campuses.

One in three women in the United States will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes, with women between the ages of 18 and 24 the most likely victims of violent abuse by an intimate partner, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Moreover, one in five women

and one in 16 men will experience sexual assault while attending college, with LGBTQ students facing much higher levels of violence, according to a 2016 report by the Department of Justice.

“These statistics matter — they each represent millions of lives touched by violence — disrupted educations, broken families, and lives ended much too soon,” Hinerfield wrote.

“By focusing on prevention and bringing an end to these cycles, we can ensure that all Americans are able to lead lives free of violence.”

Hinerfeld said her passion for advocacy started during her time in high school in Portland, Ore., when she co-founded a nonprofit called Youth Ending Slavery, which focused on combatting sex trafficking in the region.

The urge to fight for justice for the most vulnerable members of society drove Hinerfeld to apply to Georgetown and to study social justice, she said.

On campus, Hinerfeld served as co-chair of Georgetown’s Sexual Assault and Misconduct Task Force.

Established in June 2016, the task force advised the university on the problem of sexual assault and misconduct on campus and suggested policies to combat it, particularly by increasing reporting of incidents, awareness of available resources and trust in its policies and procedures, Hinerfeld said.

Laura Cutway, Georgetown’s Title IX coordinator who worked with Hinerfield on the task force, said Hinerfeld’s advocacy work hugely benefitted sexual assault survivors on campus.

“Olivia is an incredibly talented individual,” Cutway wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“I was impressed by her work ethic and sincere dedication to supporting survivors of campus sexual violence in new and different ways.”

Cutway said Hinerfeld’s desire for meaningful social impact will instigate further positive change.

“Her powerful voice, coupled with her relentless passion for change, will be a true asset to the Biden Foundation and to the countless individuals` she will knowingly and unknowingly impact in the future,” Cutway wrote.

OLIVIA HINERFELD

Anti-sexual assault activist and recent Georgetown alumna Olivia Hinerfeld (SFS ’17) has been chosen to serve on a Biden Foundation advisory council to end violence against women through advocacy and collaboration.

news

friday, January 26, 2018

THE HOYA

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Cawley Seeks to Improve Services With Student Input elizabeth ash Hoya Staff Writer

Streamlined communication and feedback systems at the Cawley Career Education Center are set to be implemented via Google form later this week, thanks to a collaborative effort between the Georgetown University Student Association and staff at Cawley.

The effort is also slated to include a series of focus groups to provide feedback on specific aspects of the career center’s offerings.

The first focus group intends to address how Handshake, a new software Cawley employed last semester to facilitate scheduling appointments and provide students with information about internship opportunities, can provide better access to industries Georgetown students are interested in exploring. The group is set to meet Feb. 2 at 1 p.m.

The Google form, which can be found on GUSA’s website, aims to serve as a permanent outlet for student suggestions on what they would like to improve about their experiences with the career center, according to GUSA President Kamar Mack (COL ’19).

“We realized the campus would benefit from some mechanism to give consistent feedback to the career center,” Mack said.

Mack said students in the past had struggled with the inaccessibility and lack of a user-friendly interface of the online platform the career center used to book appointments.

“If you go to the website and there are no appointments, the site would just read ‘no appointments,’ when, in reality, students could come for drop-in hours during that time,” Mack said. “We’re

trying to find more things like that, that we can make subtle improvements on the layout of the site and how it interacts with staff.”

Also meeting Feb. 2 at 1 p.m., the second focus group hopes to address student concerns about staff availability. Students have previously experienced difficulties accessing career advice at crucial points throughout their time at Georgetown.

The student demand for Cawley must be met through innovative methods, Mack said.

“The sheer size of the population it serves in comparison to the number of staff members is a challenge any office would face in their shoes,” Mack said. “Finding ways to make sure they’re serving all of the students that come in is something that has to be tackled creatively and effectively. How can the career center utilize appointments, utilize drop-in hours, utilize other types of support to give students access to staff?”

Both focus groups are open to the public. Cawley staff will moderate discussion in the career center’s lounge.

The launch of these initiatives will allow a larger portion of students to contribute feedback, said Susan Campbell, Cawley’s interim director.

“The focus groups and Google form, being managed by GUSA, will provide additional forums, giving every student an opportunity to participate,” Campbell wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Recently, Cawley has taken steps to improve services, particularly for international students, who expressed criticism of the Sept. 15 career fair’s perceived lack of international employers.

In December 2017, Cawley hosted focus groups for international

students in conjunction with the Office of Global Services and the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship.

Using feedback from the December focus groups, Cawley hired new staff and requested the inclusion of an “international” category from Handshake, according to Jodi Schneiderman, Cawley’s manager of career programs and operations.

“Since then, we have hired an international student who will work specifically on international student career programming,” Schneiderman said.

In February, Cawley plans to host two student workshops geared toward international students. On Feb. 2, the career center hopes to identify companies that offer job opportunities for international students. The second workshop, focusing on how international students can access effective networking opportunities, is set for Feb. 23.

Furthermore, the Office of Academic Affairs from the Division of Student Affairs now oversees Cawley after an external program review mounted by Student Affairs, the Cawley Career Education Center and the Office of the Provost.

The program review, which engaged national experts weighing in on a multi-month internal assessment of services and improvement, determined that the center would be better served under this purview, according to Vice Provost Randy Bass.

“Many of the goals for improving services that we collaboratively developed with Cawley over the past several months have to do with more closely connecting Career Services with the schools and the academic curriculum — whether it is better alignment with emergent fields and careers,

or credit-bearing internships and other opportunities for students to really think about their development sense of vocation and purpose in light of their academic study,” Bass wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Bass also emphasized the growing recognition of the link between career and academic concerns.

“Furthermore, we believe that the trend line in higher education is for Career Services to be more closely connected to academic affairs,” Bass wrote.

Campbell said Cawley will consider all data collected from students when evaluating offerings for the 2018-19 academic year in its strategic planning this May.

“Cawley regularly assesses service offerings and how to best meet the career readiness needs of students,” Campbell wrote. “The assessment process has consistently included input from students — through surveys and bi-annual meetings with school deans and academic councils.”

alyssa alfonso for the hoya

Following widespread student complaints, the Cawley Career Education Center is collaborating with the Georgetown University Student Association to improve its services.

Activists Shift Strategy In Mental Health Push

Website Seeks to Ease Student Housing Search

Elizabeth Ash

emma kotfica Hoya Staff Writer

Hoya Staff Writer

Student mental health advocates are aiming to raise $4,000 for a pilot program to fund off-campus therapy for lower-income students through Saxafund, a crowdfunding platform for Georgetown University student initiatives, after administrators did not commit funding for a wider pilot program last year.

The proposal, launched by the Georgetown University Student Association’s mental health policy coalition, seeks to subsidize the costoff-campus mental health services for students with financial need to supplement limited services offered by the university.

GUSA originally aimed to solicit $40,000 from the university for a 40-person pilot program, The Hoya reported in November.

GUSA representatives discussed their proposal with University President John J. DeGioia on Nov. 20 and Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson on Dec. 1.

Though the administrators committed to allocating resources to the goal of making student health care more affordable, they did not commit funding to the initiative.

The activists’ new $4,000 target would fund seven students’ offcampus therapy for one semester in the 2018-2019 academic year. GUSA hopes raising money through SaxaFund will spur other donors — such as alumni and philanthropists — to follow-up with their own contributions.

The mental health policy coalition ultimately wants the university to commit long-term funding to expand the initiative, GUSA President Kamar Mack (COL ’19) said.

“In the long term, we hope to see a sustainable, thorough solution implemented by the University such that all students have a long term arch of affordable mental health care, regardless of their financial background,” Mack wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Grace Perret (COL ’20), director of communications for the GUSA executive, said student fundraising could also inspire short-term contributions from the administration.

“GUSA members working on the program have spoken with Dr. Olson about the possibility of the university matching the contributions made via SaxaFund.

This would double the number of students who could participate in the fall 2018 pilot program,” Perret said.

Rachel Pugh, Georgetown’s strategic director for communications, said GUSA and university administrators are “continuing to discuss the issue.”

If implemented, the stipend program would supplement Georgetown’s Counseling and Psychiatric Service, which operates on a short-term model. Students can

anne stonecipher for the hoya

Georgetown University Student Association mental health advocates are fundraising for an off-campus therapy stipend program. use CAPS for one or two semesters, after which they may be referred to an off-campus provider. Therapy in D.C. averages between $150 and $225 an hour; under Georgetown’s student health insurance, the average deductible for medical services is $250, and the copay is $25.

To be eligible for the therapy stipend, students would need a referral from CAPS, demonstrated financial need and student health insurance.

Kenna Chick (SFS ’20), GUSA’s mental health policy coalition chair, said finding sufficient funding for off-campus therapy is a pressing issue.

“Mental health struggles are often time-sensitive. While we are exploring other long-term ways to address this issue, such as through increasing the coverage under United Healthcare, expanding CAPS, etc., these options would take a couple of years to be in effect,” Chick wrote in an email to The Hoya. “By that time, these students would have, at best, graduated if not have transferred, taken medical leaves of absences, or faced significant mental health crises.”

Chick said the stipend program is necessary for students who currently only have access to limited mental health resources on campus.

“We want to ensure that students who are struggling now have better options and access to the care that they need so that they have the opportunity to reach their fullest potentials,” Chick wrote.

Because CAPS is designed for short-term care for only one to two semesters, Mack said, many students seek longer-term therapy off campus but have trouble affording

premiums and copays.

“We recognize that the ultimate solution for Georgetown may employ a number of strategies to mitigate this problem; however, this therapy stipend program will help us support current students as we develop this strategy,” Mack wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Donations made through SaxaFund are deposited into the platform’s Georgetown University Alumni and Student Federal Credit Union account. Once a project meets its goal or passes its fundraising deadline, the money is transferred from SaxaFund’s account directly to the project teams.

SaxaFund is run by GUSA, GUASFCU and Students of Georgetown, Inc. and operates independently from the university.

As of Thursday night, the campaign had collected $47.89, according to SaxaFund’s website. ¬¬GUSA and SaxaFund are collaborating on several events and campaigns to incentivize students to contribute to the project, which will likely take place in February and March, Perret said. The groups have also started a letter-writing campaign to widen their reach beyond the university community.

The off-campus therapy stipend would fill a gap in campus services according to Amy Park (SFS ’20), a member of GUSA’s mental health policy coalition.

“I know of many students, my fellow peers, who struggle with many mental health issues, but those issues aren’t addressed because they feel like they don’t have the proper resources.” Park said.

“CAPS being a short-term provider, a lot of students don’t get the care that they need once that term expires.”

Hoya House Hunters, a website that lists information on neighborhood housing rentals, launched Jan. 15 to help undergraduate students find off-campus housing.

The initiative is a joint effort between the Georgetown University Student Association and the Georgetown Student Tenant Association. It compiles information about neighborhood housing options from past tenants to help students find off-campus housing for their senior year.

The data listed on the Hoya House Hunters website includes price, occupancy, number of rooms, number of bathrooms, backyard space, parking availability and location, as well as contact information for the landlord and comments from residents. The information is offered in a spreadsheet and map format.

The website currently has 94 entries — some of which are incomplete — in the West Georgetown, Cloisters and Burleith neighborhoods. The website also acknowledges it “can’t promise” all of the information, which is sourced from past residents, is “100% accurate.”

GUSA Historian Ari Goldstein (COL ’18) said Hoya House Hunters fills the gap for accessible information about off-campus housing options for students. The process of finding off-campus housing can be challenging for students who do not have connections with older students, according to Goldstein.

“Generally speaking, the way that people will find off-campus housing is that an older friend will sort of pass down the house to them, but what that really means is that they will give the landlord’s phone number and email to the

younger friend and say, ‘Reach out to the landlord and make that connection,’” Goldstein said.

As a result, Goldstein said, houses can be “handed down” within members of a fraternity, sorority or sports team.

“It’s not a very democratic process because it means that houses are not available to anyone looking,” Goldstein said.

Mohammad Khanzada (SFS ’20), president of GSTA, said he collaborated with Goldstein to establish Hoya House Hunters. GSTA aims to be the first space for students to voice their off-campus housing concerns, Khanzada said.

“Ari really was the driving force behind this operation, and his passion is really what drew me to starting this up with him in order to better the options available to students. In the end, we want this to be students helping other students,” Khanzada wrote in an email to The Hoya.

GUSA developed Hoya House Hunters to respond to the need for information on neighborhood housing available to all students, according to GUSA President Kamar Mack (COL ’19).

Mack said the relationships GUSA shares with both GSTA and the neighborhood community have helped in the formation of the program.

“It’s difficult to have one central place to go and find off-campus housing choices,” Mack said.

In 2014, GUSA, GSTA and the Students of Georgetown, Inc., developed Roomr, a platform similar to Hoya House Hunters, where students could rate their homes and landlords. The site shut down last semester in anticipation of the launch of Hoya House Hunters.

Roomr’s purpose was to help students learn about landlords in

the Georgetown neighborhood before signing leases with them, according to Goldstein.

“The idea behind Roomr was that there are a lot of awful landlords in the Georgetown neighborhood, so students would not really know what they were getting themselves into,” Goldstein said. “They would sign a lease with the landlord and then the landlord would be stealing their security deposits and refusing to fix things in the house and just causing a lot of problems. And so the goal was for students to be able to share that information with each other in advance of anyone signing leases.”

However, Roomr’s popularity declined among students over the last several years, according to Goldstein, while the issues it intended to solve persisted. “[Roomr] sort of fell into oblivion because the generation of people who founded it and started using it graduated, and people didn’t follow in their path,” Goldstein said. “But the problem still exists: There’s a lot of landlords that are bad landlords in the neighborhood. It’s also a problem that most underclassmen students are not particularly aware of because they’re not looking for off-campus housing or aren’t in off-campus housing.”

Mack said he hopes upperclassmen will review their houses to improve the Hoya House Hunters website.

“The site can always be getting better, and we’re going to be really pushing for current seniors, or if any juniors are living off campus, it’d be awesome if we could get people to review their houses once they move out,” Mack said. “We really want to drive usage for current juniors and sophomores who want to live off campus.”

file photo: allie frei/the hoya

Hoya House Hunters, a new website launched Jan. 15, seeks to make the off-campus housing search process easier and more equitable for undergraduate students.

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news

THE HOYA

friday, January 26, 2018

Spring GU Politics Fellows Preview Semester Plans FELLOWS, from A1 what 2020 might look like, or what 2024 might look like.

Scott: I would like to just hear how millennials feel that their world is being misrepresented in the media and what people don’t understand outside their bubble.

I don’t think people realize that millennials include freshmen in college right now and people who have been married for a decade and have four kids, in Missouri or New York. I think we really have to do a better job of diversifying our understanding of groups and communities and different political tribes.

In each of your fields, with focuses ranging from civil action to political discourse, how do you encourage young people to stay motivated and active in the role of citizenship?

McAuliffe: One of the things I want to talk about is encouraging and starting conversations about civic engagement at a much younger age. A lot of times it doesn’t happen until you’re eligible to vote at age 18. Many high schools don’t require a government class or a U.S. history class.

I want every young person in this country to feel like getting that voter ID card is as exciting as getting your driver’s license.

Law: What I think has happened in politics is what happened in professional sports. You spend all your time yelling at the TV and let other people do all the work for you. The truth of the matter is politics and democracy require some work; it requires some buy-in. If you do nothing else, you read your newspaper; you try to educate yourself, you try to talk to people who aren’t like you and get their perspective.

Scott: In the last year or so, we’ve seen millennials start hashtags that force candidates to address issues that need to be talked about. They can write op-eds — activism we’ve just seen across the board. I think that is really important, because we are seeing a lot of 20-year-olds

say, “My voice doesn’t matter — they’re going to do what they want to do anyway.”

What does it mean to be a citizen for you? How do you use your citizenship?

Shields: There can be a stigma in fighting for what you believe in, but I think fighting for what you believe in is part of democracy. I use my citizenship as a way to say, “I’m going to go vote and this is what I care about.” I think you have a lot more credibility in that realm when you’re an active participant.

McAuliffe: Even in my generation, in my personal life, it is easy within a social group with friends to bring something up from today’s news and say, “I don’t want to talk about that, it’s exhausting.” We have to force those conversations in our daily lives even with those who don’t want to have them. In public education, that’s why I think it’s so important to have civics, to have history, so we have those debates and have discourse in a way that’s respectful and civil.

Scott: I am obviously a huge supporter of the free press. I realize just how important it is and how rare it is. One of the ways I try to model my citizenship is just magnifying issues in media that just don’t get covered very often, especially by the mainstream media. I started in alternative media, and I’m a huge supporter of student media and faith-based media and identity-based media and partisan media, because I think we see issues from all of these outlets that aren’t happening in mainstream newspapers and leading cable networks.

In all of your fields, you each have become experts in communication. How have you learned to master the art of language, and how do you think language’s role has shifted throughout the years in the political atmosphere?

McAuliffe: The coarseness of language, the difference of acceptable terms and just the generational shift in language and appropriate language sets the tone on if we’re really going to have a

meeting of the minds, because you’re halted by some of the language. We’re seeing that play out on the national stage in politics.

There’s just been a denigration of respect with some of the language that’s tossed out, and with social media and the internet, you have such amplification.

On the positive side, the move in language has been around storytelling — just understanding the real-life story of who our politics and policies are working toward or trying to impact. We can tell these stories and find everyday Americans and really just amplify what they’re going through.

Shields: People’s attention span is about 30 seconds. If you can’t get to someone in 30 seconds, you’ve lost them. What I found so much when I interacted with voters, [when I encouraged them] to learn more about the issue, I deem that a success. I think so many people in this country have such a top-level understanding of issues, and if they spent more time looking at why we’ve arrived at where we are, then I normally find the better educated you are, the more reasonable you are about a situation.

What brought you to Georgetown and to the GU Politics Fellows program?

Shields: I worked at the [Republican National Committee] when Mo [Elleithee, executive director of GU Politics,] was at the [Democratic National Committee], and so we had an opportunity to work together on some projects. There are a lot of things the RNC and DNC work together on that people don’t realize, like conventions and debates, et cetera. Mo approached me, and I just think the world of him, and the program he built here at Georgetown is unbelievable.

Elshami: Mo and I crossed paths in Democratic politics.

I was working for speaker and leader Pelosi, I was working at the DNC. We’ve known each other for a while, so after I retired from Congress — and I admit, I didn’t know much about [GU Politics] — but the McCourt

School is something I became very interested in and learned quite a bit about and brought me back into politics just really two weeks after I left.

Scott: I was a guest at a discussion group for another GU Politics fellow, and remember thinking, “This is awesome.” I am enough of a nerd where I want to be on campus and talking to people, and I think all of us do work that impacts young people and includes young people, but we’re not as knowledgeable about 20-year-old life as we think we

are, and it would be really good just to talk to students to figure out how they’re processing politics and policy.

McAuliffe: I go back with Mo on my husband’s campaign in ’09, and then through other campaigns. And I love the model of this program: I love working with young people, I love talking about politics. Politics is policy, and that’s something I’m passionate about.

And I just think it’s a wonderful personal opportunity for me to engage with young people and to think together how to move the

country forward, working together across party lines to find a common ground.

Law: For me, I didn’t know Mo before this, but I did know previous fellow Mike Dubke, who called me and asked me if I’d be interested. I’ve been involved in politics and public life for about three decades, and I thought, “What a great time to process what’s going on and what perceptions of students are and have a conversation about it with some of the smartest students in the whole country.”

will cromarty/the hoya

Nadeam Elshami, former chief of staff for Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), left, and The Washington Post reporter Eugene Scott discuss their semester plans in The Hoya office.

Nearly 12,000 Protest Trump Policies 272 Descendants Voice Frustration With University MARCH, from A1

“Nothing is more wholesome to a government, to a country, to a society than the increased participation of women in the leadership and in the rank and file. We need women’s participation,” Pelosi said.

Georgetown University students joined the pink-clad crowds Saturday to march on the White House. Madeleine Gibbons-Shapiro (COL ’21) said she joined the march to support the collaboration between women and minorities to advocate for their civil rights.

Gibbons-Shapiro said that she would like to see a continued effort to support marginalized groups on Georgetown’s campus.

“One thing we’ve seen happen this year that’s a really good step in the right direction is the [Living Learning Community] that’s dedicated to gender and sexuality,” Gibbons-Shapiro said.

“A continued support of ‘Dreamers’ and people who are traditionally discriminated against, especially in our predominantly white institution — it’s important for Georgetown to support all these different people.”

A newly proposed Living Learning Community called “Crossroads: Gender and Sexuality,” providing a space for students to explore gender and sex-

uality received approval from Georgetown University’s Office of Residential Living last month.

The Washington, D.C. march was one of many marches held in cities across the country. The official Women’s March, organized by the national Women’s March organization, was held in Las Vegas this year. Organized under the theme “Power to the Polls,” the 2018 Women’s March aimed to inspire women to run for elected office and to vote. The theme is the focal point for a yearlong campaign to “channel the energy and activism of the Women’s March into tangible strategies and concrete wins in 2018,” according to the Women’s March website.

The 2018 midterm elections will determine which party holds a majority in the Senate and in the House. With the legislative and executive branches currently controlled by the Republican party, Democrats are determined to win the seats in the legislature — at least 24 seats in the House and two seats in the Senate — necessary to gain a majority of the votes in Congress.

All House seats are up for election, and Democrats will be targeting 91 of the seats currently held by Republicans while Republicans will be targeting 36 Democratic seats in the House, according to NBC News.

Arizona and Nevada will be hotly contested states in the midterm elections because they are traditionally Republican states that may vote for Democrats this election, according to recent polling. For this reason, the Women’s March held its primary demonstration in Las Vegas, encouraging Democratic voters there to take to the polls in November.

“Women’s March has created a powerful movement that has ignited thousands of activists and new leaders,” Tamika Mallory, copresident of the Women’s March, said in a statement on the “Power to the Polls” website. “In 2018, we must turn our work into action ahead of the midterms. This new initiative will address voter registration and voter suppression head on. We marched for justice in D.C., we created our plan in Detroit and now we’re bringing the power of the polls to Nevada.”

Some activists felt that the Women’s March this year was too focused on electing Democrats and neglected to address the need to include more marginalized groups, according to The New York Times. Fox News opinion writer Jen Kerns questioned the Women’s March’s ability to effect serious change and said that it has functioned as an outlet for anger more than as a political movement.

“After much public dialogue over the last year, the questions

must now be asked: What exactly has the Women’s March accomplished and are the protesters capable of turning their angst into action? Will Saturday’s protests accomplish anything more, or just serve as a self-affirming feel-good moment for President Trump’s opponents?” Kerns wrote Sunday.

The marches on Saturday came hours after the government shutdown Friday night, which ended Monday evening.

Republicans and Democrats failed to compromise on military spending, a wall on the border with Mexico and protection for immigrants without documentation allowed in the country through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, an executive program established by former President Barack Obama’s administration providing work authorization and legal protection to about 800,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children. The Women’s March rallied support for immigrants without documentation in response to the shutdown.

Trump said the marches were about a celebration of “historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months” and the “lowest female unemployment in 18 years” in a tweet Saturday.

SOPHIE ROSENZWEIG FOR THE HOYA

Participants in the second annual Women’s March carry flags and signs through the streets of downtown Washington, D.C. The march is the sequel to the first Women’s March hosted Jan. 21, 2017, one day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

272, from A1 the sale of the 272 slaves after establishing a working group in 2015 to explore options for apology and restitution. Following the working group’s recommendations, the university has engaged in multiple discussions and dialogues with the descendants about recompense.

As part of Georgetown’s efforts for reconciliation with the descendants of the sold slaves, in April 2017 the university renamed two buildings, one in honor of Anne Marie Becraft, who founded one of the first schools for black girls in Georgetown in the 19th century, and the other for Isaac Hawkins, whose name was first on the bill of sale in 1838. The university has also granted preferential consideration in admission to descendants applying to Georgetown and announced its intent to establish an institute for the study of slavery.

A university spokesperson affirmed Georgetown’s intentions to cooperate with the descendants in an email to The Hoya, noting DeGioia travelled to Louisiana in summer 2016 to meet with members of the descendant community. A meeting with one descendant that June was the first recorded meeting between a U.S. university president and a descendant of slaves connected to the university.

“Georgetown and the Jesuits are committed to working with Descendants in a process that recognizes the terrible legacy of slavery and promotes racial justice in southern Louisiana, southern Maryland and throughout the nation,” the spokesperson wrote.

Representatives of the descendant community, however, said they were tired of dialogue without establishing any progress forward.

“Our message today to Georgetown, to the Jesuits: Stop. Stop devaluing the descendants. Stop abusing their patience,” Goslee said. “For elder descendants, time is precious, and they have earned the right to demand mean-

ingful action, not just words from Georgetown leaders, and for the younger descendants whose wealth building opportunities have been crippled by the legacy of Catholic slavery, restitution is a vital lifeline to a better future.”

Goslee said the university has failed to take into account the opinions of the descendants in their actions thus far.

“Nothing, nothing at all about scholarships specifically earmarked for GU272 descendants, no compensatory fund, nothing, nothing that actually reflected how descendants wanted Georgetown to make amends with them, and nothing at all that make them feel tangibly better off,” Goslee said. “It seems like the optics of reconciliation matter more to them than the genuine atonement based on tangible equity.”

Taylor, a descendant of Isaac Hawkins, said she is grateful for what the university has done so far, but she does not believe Georgetown has adequately atoned for its past.

“I appreciate their apology and the other symbolic gestures that the school has taken since last April, but in my heart, deep down, I don’t feel whole. I believe the descendants deserve more, and Georgetown has the means to do more,” Taylor said.

In addition to the press conference, the GU272 Isaac Hawkins Legacy group has taken other public actions to express their frustration with the university and continue advocacy on behalf of the descendants.

A mass of remembrance for the 272 slaves and their descendants took place Wednesday at St. Augustine’s Church.

In a video released Jan. 15, actor Danny Glover called on Georgetown to do more for the descendants.

“What does Georgetown and the Jesuits owe the descendants of the GU272 for the suffering and unpaid labor of their ancestors, like Dee Taylor and Earl Williams? I say much, much more than what they’ve offered thus far,” Glover said.

“180 years is long enough to get justice.”

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District Named as Contender for Amazon’s 2nd Headquarters Matthew Larson Hoya Staff Writer

Three areas in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area were selected as finalists for Amazon’s second headquarters, the company announced Jan. 18. The facility is currently set to open in 2019 and is expected to generate up to 50,000 new jobs in the selected city,

making the contest a tempting venture for many U.S. cities.

Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and Montgomery County, Md., were all included on the list of 20 possible locations for Amazon’s “HQ2.” The other finalists, mostly cities on the East Coast and in the Midwest, include New York City, Philadelphia, Miami, Atlanta and Chicago. Other cities that

made bids in the D.C. area, including Baltimore and Richmond, did not make the short list of potential locations.

Amazon announced last year that its second headquarters would be equal in size to its current headquarters in Seattle, where it is the largest employer in the city with over 40,000 employees. Amazon’s Head of Worldwide Economic Develop-

Anne stonecipher/The Hoya

Washington, D.C., is on a shortlist of 20 possible locations for Amazon’s second headquarters, along with two other finalists in the region: Northern Virginia and Montgomery County, Md.

ment Holly Sullivan noted Amazon plans to invest $5 billion in its HQ2 over a period of 10 to 15 years in a Jan. 18 news release.

The company will consider the 20 finalists for the next few months before coming to a final decision.

“Getting from 238 to 20 was very tough — all the proposals showed tremendous enthusiasm and creativity,” Sullivan said in the news release. “Through this process we learned about many new communities across North America that we will consider as locations for future infrastructure investment and job creation.”

As part of its pitch to Amazon last October, the District presented four locations where the company could build its second headquarters, including sites around the Anacostia Riverfront, Union Station, Capitol Hill East near Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, and Howard University. Northern Virginia pitched sites including a location near Dulles International Airport and a location in the Crystal City area near Arlington, while a potential site in Montgomery County was a section of north Bethesda.

Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon, has ties to the D.C. region. He owns The Washington Post and bought a $23 million house last year in the Kalorama neighborhood of Washington.

When D.C. made its pitch to Amazon last October, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) high-

lighted the District’s recent accolades, including being named the “Coolest City” and the best “City for Women in Tech” by Forbes in 2014 and 2017, respectively.

“Here in D.C. we encourage and nurture innovation and creativity,” Bowser said in an Oct. 19 video message to Amazon. “We believe in long-term growth that fosters strength and resilience, and we believe in making investments that inspire our leading doers, thinkers and change-makers.”

Bowser’s video marked the beginning of the District’s social media campaign, #obviouslyDC, which employed the concept of an Amazon Echo device declaring that “obviously D.C.” was the prime choice for the next Amazon location.

Bowser praised Amazon’s decision to include D.C. in the top 20 finalists in a Jan. 18 news release, noting how the numerous jobs the company would create would benefit the city and its population.

“Making this list reaffirms what we already knew going into the bid process,” Bowser said. “Washington, D.C., is no longer a one-company government town; we are a leader in innovation and tech, brimming with top talent and endless opportunity.”

Cities have gone out of their way to offer major incentives for Amazon to build at their proposed sites. While Virginia and D.C. have not disclosed what tax incentives they offered the company, Maryland

Governor Larry Hogan (R) noted that his state offered Amazon $5 billion in tax incentives, the largest incentive package in Maryland has offered. Other finalists that offered incentives to Amazon included Newark, which proposed $7 billion worth of incentives, and Chicago, which proposed more than $2 billion.

“Maryland put forward an extremely strong group of sites that were all supported by the state with incentive packages totaling more than $5 billion, including road and transit improvements,” Hogan said in a Jan. 18 news release.

“Going forward, we will continue working with our partners in Montgomery County.”

Jason Miller, chief executive of the Greater Washington Partnership, a group that brings together civic-minded business leaders to improve the D.C. metropolitan area, said Jan. 20 to The Washington Post that the region’s three finalists had strong bids. Still, problems regarding Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority funding resulting from a lack of unity among Maryland, D.C. and Virginia could give Amazon pause when considering the region’s proposals, according to Miller.

“There’s no question Amazon needs a well-functioning transit system, making the imperative for all three jurisdictions to act together on Metro to provide dedicated funding and real governance reform even more urgent,” Miller said.

Millennial Mayors Promote International Cooperation on Global Issues Owen Eagan Hoya Staff Writer

Cooperation among nations is crucial to addressing global challenges, Mayors Francis Suarez (R) of Miami, Fla., Pete Buttigieg (D) of South Bend, Ind., and Lydia Mihalik (R) of Findlay, Ohio, said Tuesday night at an event cosponsored by the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service, the Georgetown Global Cities Initiative and the United States Conference of Mayors.

The event was moderated

by Sheila Foster, a professor of law and public policy at the Georgetown University Law Center.

The event, which served as the GGCI’s first public event, provided a forum for local officials to address their leadership in the face of the federal gridlock. Topics ranged from climate change resiliency and regionalism to the importance of cross-national governmental collaboration.

Suarez, who took office in November, said that local mayors can often be more effective than government at the state and federal levels dominated by party politics.

“We [mayors] look at the world as problem-solution,” Suarez said. “We don’t look at the world through a partisan lens.”

This pragmatic policymaking has allowed Miami to combat climate change by adopting resiliency efforts, Suarez added. To prevent flooding from rising seas, Miami officials promised last year to spend about $200 million on improved storm drainage systems, seawalls and flood pumps, according to the Miami Herald.

Buttigieg, who was elected in 2012 at the age of 29 as America’s youngest mayor of a city with more than 100,000 residents, offered regionalism — the system of dividing a city or state into separate administrative regions — as a solution to govern U.S. cities and towns.

“What we found is that we rise and fall as a region, and rather than try to all fight each other for our little parochial interests, what we really need to do is make sure that the region as a whole is better off,” Buttigieg said.

The South Bend mayor, who was a candidate for the Democratic National Committee chairmanship in February 2017, emphasized regionalism as a way for the United States to remain economically competitive against China.

“At a time when there are obscure, minor cities of 5 to 10 million in China, the idea

that our big competition is from a nearby rural county just is no longer keeping up with the times,” Buttigieg said.

Mihalik, who became the first female mayor of Findlay upon her election in 2012, also emphasized the importance of collaboration. She promoted idea-sharing between local governments, touting the United States Conference of Mayors as a good forum for collaboration.

“Mayors are really good at sharing passionately and stealing shamelessly,” Mihalik said, attributing her paraphrase to a common saying among mayors.

Tom Cochran, CEO and executive director of the USCM, said he was optimistic about the prospects for the United States under the mayors’ leadership.

“I’ve never had so much hope in America as I’ve had with this new crop of mayors that we have elected,” Cochran said. “I believe that if you are students of public service, look at the cities, look at the local level, and watch these mayors. You are looking at the future of America.”

Mo Elleithee (SFS ’94), GU Politics executive director, is also optimistic about the future of politics, describing

Suarez, Mihalik and Buttigieg as good examples for young people as they pursue leadership and public service roles in their communities.

“Too often in politics, I think that people are under the impression that they have to wait for their turn before they can be elevated to posi-

tions of leadership,” Elleithee said. “Well, here are three young people who seized an opportunity to make change in their local communities and are doing it every day, putting partisanship aside to just get things done.”

Kathryn Blanco (COL ’21) said the event inspired her to

continue to explore the processes of local government.

“I liked seeing how politics, or not even so much politics as governance, works on a local level, because it’s not something you hear about a lot on the news,” Blanco said. “It’s something I want to learn more about.”

Georgetown Institute of politics and public service

Georgetown University Law professor Sheila Foster, left, moderated a panel of millenial mayors, including Mayor Francis Suarez (R) of Miami, Fla., and Mayor Lydia Mihalik (R) of Findlay, Ohio, on Tuesday.

DC Local Government Remains Open During Shutdown Deepika Jonnalagadda Hoya Staff Writer

While the federal government was shut down for about 69 hours between Saturday morning and Monday evening, the Washington, D.C. local government remained open using funds granted by a 2017 provision introduced by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), the District’s nonvoting delegate to the

U.S. House of Representatives.

The provision, which was included in the fiscal year 2017 omnibus appropriations bill and signed into law by Congress on May 5, 2017, allowed the D.C. local government to access local funds during the recent shutdown. The D.C. budget includes federal and local funds.

The government shutdown began early Saturday morning after Congress failed to pass

an appropriations bill and the continuing resolution that had kept it open for the past four weeks expired.

The bill was a forward-looking provision in anticipation of a potential shutdown, a spokesperson for Norton’s office told The Hoya.

The shutdown exemption was included for the first time following the 16-daylong federal government shutdown in

2013, and has been included in the spending bill every year since. Before the provision, the District had to prepare contingency plans whenever there was a threat of federal furloughs.

“The D.C. government has done its job and passed a budget and should not be caught up like a bystander paying the price for congressional gridlock,” Norton said in a Jan. 20

Ryan Bae/The hoya

Even while the federal government shut down Saturday through Monday, Washington, D.C. local government remained open due to an obscure provision introduced by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D - D.C.) in Congress’s annual spending bill.

news release.

According to Norton’s website, the provision was the first step in her campaign to achieve budgetary and legislative autonomy for the District.

Prior to the shutdown, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) called a news conference Jan. 19 informing residents the D.C. government would be open regardless of a federal government shutdown.

Bowser’s press secretary LaToya Foster said the provision introduced by Norton is what allowed all D.C. government agencies to continue operation.

“The District isn’t vulnerable to federal shutdowns because Congresswoman Eleanor introduced the bill a couple years ago,” Foster said in an interview with The Hoya. “Everything is still functioning as normal — D.C. government agencies, public schools, hospitals — everything is still open.”

The D.C. government remained operational during the 2013 shutdown by using a special reserve fund.

In a Jan. 20 news release, Bowser announced agencies that had operated with no negative impact from the federal government shutdown.

These included the D.C. Fire and Emergency Management Services, D.C. Public Schools, Department of Energy and the Environment, Department of Health, Department of Housing and Community Development, Metropolitan Police Depart-

ment and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

A number of federal tourist attractions remained open, including the National Mall, the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo, though some were unstaffed. The sites were able to remain open Monday using leftover funds from the 2017 fiscal year appropriation, however.

The Department of Employment Services would provide furloughed and uncontracted federal government employees with unemployment compensation benefits for the period of the shutdown, Bowser announced in a Jan. 20 news release.

The department anticipated approximately 17,000 federal employees would be furloughed, based on counts from the 16-daylong federal government shutdown of 2013, according to Tiffany Browne, public affairs consultant for the department.

Browne said furloughed federal employees were able to file claims online or in person.

“A representative from the unemployment insurance compensation department was assisting walk-ins at our DOES headquarters, but for the most part people were able to file their claims online,” Browne said in an interview with The Hoya.

Legislation ending the federal shutdown Monday night has since guaranteed pay for federal employees put on unpaid furlough during the shutdown.

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Ambassadors Reflect on Women’s Role in Peace-Building Efforts Caroline Gardner Hoya Staff Writer

Women’s civil society groups are crucial to promoting peace in Ukraine and Myanmar, said Melanne Verveer (SLL ’66, GRD ’69), the first U.S. ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues under the administration of former President Barack Obama, at an event co-hosted by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and the Embassy of Sweden on Jan. 17.

“In both Ukraine and Myanmar, we see how women’s civil society groups are trying to build peace,” Verveer said.

“This is a work in progress; this is not looking back at what took place. It is what is happening in real time.”

Verveer, who is also the executive director of GIWPS, was joined by Swedish Ambassador Karin Olofsdotter; William Taylor, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine; and former U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar Derek Mitchell, to present new peace-building strategies to deal with the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Myanmar.

Olofsdotter echoed the importance of women’s engagement in civil conflict, adding that for there to be actual peace, citizens must actively try to further peace missions in conflict areas and that “women and men also need to get involved to counter hate speech, prevent intercommu-

nal violence and end the discrimination practices that fuel violence.”

“Women’s representation is essential in governance, in peace-building and as actors in economic spheres for the country to reach its full potential,” Olofsdotter said.

In addition to remarks by the ambassadors, three GIWPS fellows presented their research on the impacts of bringing women into the peace-building process in Ukraine and Myanmar to the panel of about 50 students, professors and professionals from around Washington, D.C., in Riggs Library.

The three fellows, Anna Applebaum, Holly Fuhrman and Briana Mawby, conducted their research through the Hillary Rodham Clinton Research Fellowship program, created by GIWPS in 2013.

The fellows based their research around U.N. Security Council Resolution 1325, passed in 2000, which stressed the importance of women in peace-building efforts. The fellows explored how nations with conflict are adopting this legislation.

Mawby, one of the research fellows, said that GIWPS supports research that explores the often-overlooked role that underrepresented groups play in civil conflict.

“So you hear about the big people at the table but not [about] all the people on the ground who are doing local peace-building and making a difference at the grassroots

level,” Mawby said. “And so, for me, highlighting that work and showing that it is effective and that it can make change at the broader level is really important.”

Taylor said it was “very appropriate” that the study focused on conflict in Ukraine in particular.

“Let’s be clear: The Russians have invaded their neighbor,” Taylor said.

Mitchell emphasized the importance of considering the particular effects that conflicts have on women in academic study.

“Whether it disproportionately affects women or not, [conflict] affects women differently. So the different ways that conflict has affected women, whether it is through sexual violence or whether it is through displacement, those elements of the problem need to be discussed,” Mitchell said.

Noah Ahmed (SFS ’21), who attended the conference, said he appreciated the discussion of the role of women in civil conflict.

“I don’t see a lot of opportunities on campus for lectures that pertain to women and women leadership roles in solving conflicts around the world,” Ahmed said. “So I thought this was a unique opportunity for me to delve into this less-spoken-about topic.”

Mawby encouraged students to stay conscious of conflicts happening around the world and be aware that “what is in the headlines isn’t all of what’s happening.”

Alyssa alfonso for the hoya

Kober-Cogan Hall, located between the Leavey Center and the Medstar Georgetown University Hospital parking lot, was closed indefinitely in May 2010 after the discovery of mold in the building.

Kober-Cogan Demolition Begins, Space Allotted to MedStar Pavilion Will cassou Hoya Staff Writer

School of foreign service

Karin Olofsdotter, Swedish ambassador to the U.S., spoke at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Securities event last Wednesday, highlighting the role of women in furthering peace efforts.

The demolition process for the Kober-Cogan Building began Monday with the installation of a fenced perimeter around the building and parts of the adjacent parking lot as the first stage of construction for the new MedStar Georgetown University Hospital’s medical and surgical pavilion.

The installation of the fence Monday is the first phase of the removal of hazardous materials, such as asbestos, from Kober-Cogan in accordance with Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.

Kober-Cogan, located between the Leavey Center and the MedStar parking lot, was closed indefinitely in May 2010 after the discovery of mold in the building. The university relocated its occupants to the main medical center and shut off all ventilating systems in the building.

Kober-Cogan housed the psychiatry department and served as a part of the hospital.

The removal of hazardous materials is anticipated to last until June, according to a report released by Georgetown University Planning and Facilities Management in May 2017.

Construction is planned to occur between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. during the week, with limited noise from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on weekends in observation of campuswide quiet hours.

Work on the pavilion and a new road across from the French Embassy on Reservoir Road is also set to commence in spring 2018. Plans for a new road were approved in June 2016 as part of the 201736 Campus Plan.

In accordance with Washington, D.C. zoning regulations, all universities in the District must submit campus plan agreements that outline

student and campus growth to the zoning commission every 10 years.

The decision to raze KoberCogan rather than renovate it came in part due to the challenges posed by limited existing infrastructure, according to the Master Planning website of Georgetown University Planning and Facilities Management.

The new facilities were developed to tackle the problems experienced by the current MedStar complex, which has not had a large-scale renovation in decades. Issues that MedStar faces range from limited capacity and overcrowded emergency rooms to aging infrastructure.

MedStar President Michael Sachtleben told The Hoya in November that the hospital needs improved facilities.

“We are in aged facilities,” Sachtleben said. “In fact, in the main building, where my office is and where we still care for patients today, was dedicated by Harry Truman.”

Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life Seeks to Engage Youth Joe Egler

Hoya Staff Writer

Precise language is essential to the national discourse on abortion, the death penalty and euthanasia, according to Lila Rose, the founder of Live Action, an American anti-abortion nonprofit organization. On Saturday Rose keynoted the Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life held in Gaston Hall on, where she spoke about the importance of acknowledging the rhetoric used during the abortion debate.

This year’s conference, titled “(Ir)religiously Pro-Life: The Future of the Movement in a Secular World,” was the largest student-run conference in the United States focused on Catholic life issues, drawing over 700 high schoolers, college students, young adults and scholars from around the country – the largest showing in the conference’s history, according to organizers.

Rose, who founded Live Action in 2008 at the age of 15, spoke about the obstacles that the anti-abortion movement faces in today’s world, including unity.

“Whether we are Catholics or Protestants, whether we are Republicans or Democrats or independents or we don’t poll by a particular religious label or a particular political label,” Rose said. “Whether we’re students or professors, young or old, we’re all here because we share a common concern for the inviolable right to life.”

Rose also said that the language used during the abortion debate is especially important, and she encouraged the audience members to communicate their message clearly when speaking to the opposition.

“The abortion lobby in our country, today and from the beginning, have been masters

at seizing the language and using it to mask the violence and the pain and the regret that so many men and women experience,” Rose said. “We tell the truth, and with the truth, the lies lose power.”

The conference is named after Cardinal John O’Connor (GRD ’70), who died in 2000 and is most known for his strong antiabortion position. O’Connor received a Ph.D. in political science from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and served as the former archbishop of New York.

Michael Khan (COL ’18), a codirector of the event, said that this year’s conference specifically targets younger people in an effort to get them involved in the anti-abortion cause.

“With this theme in particular, that’s exactly the audience we’re targeting, because millennials are more likely to be less religiously affiliated than older Americans,” Khan said. “So, the question we want to pose at this conference is speaking to those millennials and maybe people who are nominally Christian or religious, or don’t believe at all.”

Claire Smith (COL ’19), a board member for Georgetown College Republicans who attended the conference, said Rose’s speech offered a new perspective on the abortion debate.

“I went to the Pennsylvania delegation’s March for Life reception around Capitol Hill yesterday,” Smith said. “It was really interesting to see the way that [Rose] talked about it from more of an outside perspective.”

A panel discussion, breakout discussions, Catholic Mass and remarks by University President John J. DeGioia followed Rose’s keynote address.

According to Julia Greenwood (COL ’19), a co-director of the conference and a board member of Georgetown Right to Life, the

breakout sessions were intended to expand upon the topics presented in the speeches.

“The breakout sessions will address a variety of different aspects of the consistent life ethic and the pro-life movement,” Greenwood wrote in an email to The Hoya. “We have speakers coming to talk about various topics including the death penalty, natural law and end-of-life issues.”

The conference, which fell a day after the annual March for Life, an anti-abortion rally organized in observance of the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that overturned laws restricting a woman’s right to have an abortion, drew opposition from members of pro-abortion rights student group H*yas for Choice.

According to HFC Co-President Annie Mason (COL’18), the conference did not allow for an open dialogue on the abortion debate.

“In terms of trying to create a space that would spark dialogue that should represent different opinions, that’s really not the way to go about it,” Mason said. “In terms of the message they’re trying to get across, I don’t think the point is to engage with the prochoice community.”

Twenty-five members of H*yas for Choice gathered outside the event in Healy Hall on Saturday following an email message sent out calling on members of the club to “stand up to anti-choice bulls–t.”

Despite the opposition, Smith said she appreciated hearing Rose’s perspective on the abortion debate, especially the ways in which she drew from her experiences with Live Action to inform her current stance.

“Hers especially was a new point of view, especially as someone who has been from Live Action and who has done more exposes,” Smith said.

“I think it was interesting to hear about that and to see how much work they put in.”

Ryan Bae/the hoya

Lila Rose, the founder of Live Action, an American anti-abortion nonprofit organization, drew from her experiences as a young activist in her address in Gaston Hall on Saturday.

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Kids Cover NAACP Awards Bella Avalos and Madeline Charbonneau Hoya Staff Writers

Mandrell Birks

Four students from Eliot-Hine Middle School in Washington, D.C., travelled to Pasadena, Calif., with their school radio adviser, Mandrell Birks, to cover the 49th annual NAACP Image Awards.

Four middle school students from Ward 6’s EliotHine Middle School radio program covered the 49th annual NAACP Image Awards in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 15.

The students acted as news correspondents at the award ceremony, where people of color are celebrated for outstanding achievements in television, film and music.

The awards were first presented in 1967 and first nationally televised in 1994.

The student radio program, which launched in 2012, is mentored by Mandrell Birks, the host of a D.C.-based domestic violence radio program called “The Sighlent Storm.” Birks began teaching a radio production class at Eliot-Hine in 2012 that culminated in a joint radio-television broadcast program a few years later.

Eliot-Hine coordinated with other District radio stations in the effort to send the four students and their adviser to the Image Awards.

The school partnered with Southwest Airlines to cover the cost of the plane tickets to Los Angeles, and other local radio stations gifted them the press passes to the event.

Since the start of the program, students have interviewed Eric Waldo, executive director of former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher Inititiative; actress Queen Latifah; and D.C.’s nonvoting member of thee

U.S. House of Representative Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.).

Eliot-Hine’s radio program makes it the only public school with such a program in the district. Councilmember Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) commended the school for providing its students with an opportunity to explore the media arts.

“I’ve been a really big fan of this program for quite some time because of the experience it provides for kids,” Allen said.

Allen said he is proud of students’ progress in the years since the program’s conception, describing the students as having started with “bare-bones equipment” and having transformed the show into a “very professional production.”

However, in past years the school has suffered from declining facilities and low test performance. In an April 2016 article from Greater Greater Washington, a volunteer-based news source that advocates for improving the quality of life in D.C., Virginia and Maryland, Eliot-Hine was described as “falling apart,” given its faulty toilets, heating units and windows, among other issues.

Allen said that the most recent invitation to attend the Image Awards is a measure of the program’s success and a reflection of all the help the students have had along the way.

“With a lot of help and support, they were able to make it happen,” Allen said.

There are 200 students cur-

rently enrolled in the middle school. Only 5 percent of students met or exceeded district expectations in math, and 9 percent met or exceeded expectations in English and language arts, according to the D.C. public school website.

The average test score in the 2016-17 school year was 21.5 percent, and Eliot-Hine ranks 49 out of 56 of the local public schools. Comparatively, the top school has 60 percent of students meeting expectations in math and 64 percent meeting expectations in English and language arts.

According to Allen, the D.C. local government is investing in the improvement of schools across Ward 6, including Eliot-Hine.

“We’ve spent — across all the middle schools in Ward 6 — a bit over $100 million into rebuilding the schools, and Eliot-Hine is one of them,” Allen said. “That’s happened in the last couple of years, and we’re excited about what’s to come here in rebuilding.”

However, Allen said the radio show has been a constant positive factor at the school even before the D.C. government began the rebuilding effort, and that it creates a draw to the school.

“As a middle school student? You can’t learn how to run a board, you’re not going to get to be in front of a camera interviewing the mayor, elected officials, celebrities,” Allen said. “You don’t get to do that at every school. But at Eliot-Hine you do, and so it’s a great program and one that I’m really proud to support.”

Solitary Confinement Exhibit Displayed in ICC Katrina Schmidt Hoya Staff Writer

A two-weeklong exhibit simulating the experience of solitary confinement is on display in the Intercultural Center as part of the Georgetown University Prisons and Justice Initiative’s most recent efforts to explore the issue of mass incarceration in the United States.

The exhibit by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture features a replica solitary confinement cell and a nine-minute long virtual reality video, produced by The Guardian, that immerses viewers in solitary confinement. Located in the ICC Galleria, the exhibit opened Jan. 16 and will close Jan. 30.

The exhibit is hosted each day by a formerly incarcerated individual who experienced solitary confinement, along with Prisons and Justice Initiative staff and student volunteers. These hosts discuss the virtual reality experience with viewers and share their own incarceration experiences.

The hosts and their backgrounds with the prison system give another dimension to the experience, Director of the Prisons and Justice Initiative Marc Howard said.

“Nothing can replace the experience of meeting somebody who’s actually been there,” Howard said. “I think it makes it really powerful; it really hits home.”

The Prisons and Justice Initiative began in February 2016 to address issues concerning the prison and criminal justice systems on Georgetown’s campus. The initiative conducts research, hosts events

and leads programming in prisons.

Narrated by formerly incarcerated individuals and experts on solitary confinement, the video describes what it is like to be held in solitary confinement. By wearing virtual reality goggles, viewers are transported into a cell and listen to narrators describe the emotional and physical experience of spending time in solitary confinement, whether it was for hours or years.

The video places viewers into a typical solitary confinement cell, which usually measures from 6 feet by 9 feet to 8 feet by 10 feet. While solitary confinement goes by many names, it has certain characteristics, according to the NRCAT. It lasts for 22 to 24 hours per day in a cell alone or with one other person. The hallmark of solitary confinement is removal from typical contact with other people. Individuals in solitary confinement do not have access to prison programming or activities. Cells often induce sensory deprivation due to their small size and lack of external stimuli.

Initially, the virtual reality goggles were only going to be available for the first two days of the exhibit. However, the overwhelmingly positive response allowed the exhibit to secure them for its duration, Howard said.

“I think the virtual reality goggles really help to drive it home,” Howard said.

Howard estimated that over 500 people, including university staff, students and visitors have watched the virtual reality video.

The exhibit highlights statistics about solitary confinement and mass incarceration

in the United States. Estimates place between 80,000 to 100,000 people in solitary confinement as of 2014, according to a report by the Arthur Liman Public Interest Program at Yale Law School and the Association of State Correctional Administrators.

The idea for the exhibit developed when the filmmakers of “Rikers: An American Jail,” a documentary that showcases experiences of men incarcerated in Rikers jail in New York, mentioned the NRCAT’s model cell exhibit to Howard.

After learning about it, Howard began organizing plans to show it at Georgetown. He credited the support of the Office of the President as key to securing the exhibit.

The celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January also inspired the timing of the exhibit. King Jr. was held in solitary confinement, which is when he wrote his famed “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”

Howard pointed out King’s role as a civil rights leader and the high incarceration rate of African Americans, particularly African American men.

“This is an issue that really connects with Dr. King’s legacy,” Howard said.

Howard saw the idea as a way to open up a space for Georgetown students and professors, as well as the greater Washington, D.C. community, to discuss reform.

“I think we as citizens, as engaged, informed citizens have an obligation to confront the reality that in this country we’ve been putting people away and forgetting about them, and losing sight of their humanity and their suffering,” Howard said.

Courtesy mac howard

Students are able to take part in the interactive exhibit and experience a simulated version of solitary confinement through virtual reality goggles for the next two weeks in the ICC.

Georgetown’s First Finance and Tech Club Launches Megan Carey Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown FinTech, a new student organization that promotes opportunities for students at the intersection of finance and technology, launches this semester and hosted its first information session Tuesday.

With graduate and undergraduate branches, Georgetown FinTech aims to expand opportunities for the community to work with FinTech, or financial technology, beyond the business courses newly offered at the university.

Tuesday’s launch was intended to introduce the club and articulate its goals for the semester. This semester, Georgetown Fintech plans to recruit new members and offer on-campus and external events. The club also plans to

partner with alumni and entrepreneurs to offer a professional perspective about this new field. Other initiatives include a biweekly newsletter and networking events through FinTech workshops available to its members.

Axel Khayat (SFS ’19) and William Ogden Moore (MSB ’19) were selected last year to co-found and lead the undergraduate branch of the club, which was originally created by a group of Georgetown Master of Business Administration graduate students.

FinTech has already started to expand into business programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and Georgetown has taken the lead in embracing this change, with course offerings that expose students to the growing sector.

The McDonough School of Business recently joined Stan-

ford University as one of the first schools in the country to offer a FinTech and blockchain course as part of its undergraduate program.

The increased accessibility to the financial industry that this sector promotes was one motivation behind integrating FinTech into the MSB’s course offerings, according to Patricia Grant, senior associate dean of the MSB, at a December showcase previewing the club’s launch.

“I really believe in using tools that are at our disposal to do things smarter, and in ways that provide more access.

FinTech to me provides more access to more people to be a part of the financial industry,” Grant said.

Students with a diverse set of interests can collaborate through FinTech, Khayat said.

“I cannot think of a better

environment than Georgetown to approach these inquiries: an ecosystem where students, whose interests range from finance and business to policy, or technology, can all meet, exchange ideas and attempt to answer some of these questions,” Khayat said.

Because FinTech is an emerging industry, people involved can shape its impact on their surrounding community, according to Moore.

“FinTech is a growing field and a really interesting area to be in, and I think that it’s going to have a big impact on society going forward. I think the opportunity for us is to shape exactly what that impact is,” Moore said.

Jamie Russo (GRD ’19), one of the founding members of the graduate branch of Georgetown FinTech, studied finance as an undergraduate before

starting work at a Virginiabased investment firm.

At the showcase, Russo said he has witnessed firsthand the growing effect technology has on the financial sector.

“Technology today is transforming financial services in a lot of different ways. It’s making the financial services industry easier to access for a lot of people,” Russo said. “It’s making information more transferable, faster. It’s providing access to people in underresourced communities to access financial services in ways they might not have been able to in the past.”

FinTech is disrupting methods used by traditional financial sectors according to Gilles Hilary, a professor in the MSB’s executive program.

The FinTech sector has a wide-reaching scope, according to Hilary.

“FinTech is broader than what you have in your phone.

FinTech is broader than the technical space. It has multiple applications,” Hilary said.

Because of FinTech, there is room for people of all professional and academic backgrounds to engage in its opportunities, Hilary said.

“This FinTech thing is not just for techies. I think that relates to the different functions that are impacted by FinTech,” Hilary said. “If you think of HR, for example, now you’ve got programs that will try to identify the skills that people have, what they should get and how we match the position with individuals, how we design training programs. That’s FinTech as well, but that might not be the part of FinTech you had in mind when you came to this session tonight.”

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Commentary

Longacre Takes Reins of Georgetown Field Hockey kelsey fjermedal Special to The Hoya

Christy Longacre became the new head coach of the Georgetown field hockey team Jan. 15.

Longacre arrives on the Hilltop after spending four years at Ball State University. Beginning in 2014, she served as an assistant coach before being promoted to head coach in 2016. As a first-year head coach, Longacre led the Cardinals to an 8-11 record and helped them earn their way to the Mid-American Conference Tournament for the first time since 2011.

Longacre, a Bethlehem, Penn. native, earned her bachelor’s degree in physical education and sports management from Old Dominion in 2013 while excelling at field hockey. As a senior, she was named to the All-America First Team by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association and Defensive Player of the Year in the Big East as a senior.

Longacre was also a two-time First Team All-Conference and NFHCA All-Region selection. She competed on the Mid-Atlantic team during the 2010 and 2011 Junior Women’s National Championships.

Georgetown's athletic department and field hockey team are excited to see how Longacre will improve upon the well-established program developed by her prede-

cessor, former head coach Shannon Soares, who was recently appointed Georgetown’s associate athletics director after coaching the team for four years.

“I am looking forward to serving the hardworking and talented coaches within the department as we continue to work to create a high-quality experience for our student-athletes that prepares them for life well beyond sport,” Soares said.

“Since the switch in the coaching staff, our team has definitely experienced a lot of change recently. We have become closer as a team and our culture has been very positive." lindsay getz Sophomore forward

Longacre’s hiring process was unconventional in that team members had input.

“Our team was given the amazing opportunity to be involved in the hiring process in looking for a new head coach,” sophomore

forward Lindsay Getz said in an email to The Hoya. “We were able to interview a couple of the potential coaches and provide our feedback to the athletic department. In the end, Christy Longacre accepted the position — she is a phenomenal addition to this program.”

Overall, players said Longacre’s energy and enthusiasm will benefit the team’s culture by fostering a relaxed environment that is nevertheless tightknit, supportive and motivating.

“The atmosphere has been much more relaxed, allowing me to balance both field hockey and academics more efficiently and with less stress. I am looking forward to experiencing a new culture with Christy,” sophomore midfielder Jessica Lagano said in an email to The Hoya.

“Since the switch in the coaching staff, our team has definitely experienced a lot of change recently,” Getz said. “We have become closer as a team and our culture has been very positive as we look forward to what the new head coach will bring,” The Hoyas will enter the 2018 season looking to improve after a 9-10 season under Soares last year and a 8-11 season the year before. The fact that the team’s top three scorers will be returning next season is especially encouraging. Freshman forward Cami Osborne led the

Under REView

GUHOYAS

Field hockey Head Coach Christy Longacre began her new position Jan. 15. Longacre began her coaching career at Ball State University, where she coached for four years. team this season with 12 goals, followed by Getz with eight and freshman Neil Van Schaack with seven.

In the 2018 season, the Hoyas will also regain sophomore midfielder Emily Fraser. Fraser was a force in the midfield prior to suffering a concussion against Longwood University on Sept. 24, starting all eight games before the

injury. Fraser was on medical leave the remainder of the season. Fraser transferred to Georgetown after one year at University of Albany, where she started in all 20 games for the team.

The new coaching staff, culture shift and greater experience could be a new chapter for the Hoyas in the 2018 season.

“While we have only had a week with Christy, my teammates and I appreciate her genuine interest in us as student athletes. She is passionate about field hockey and jumps right into our workouts with us. I am looking forward to our spring season and where we can grow and improve as a unit,” Getz said.

SWIMMING & DIVING

Squads Struggle in Final Home Meets Mary Burke

Hoya Staff Writer

Jeffrey Swanson

Irving Trade Spurs Cavaliers' Slump A

mid a stretch of horrendous losses, the Cleveland Cavaliers reached a new low last Monday after a heated team meeting.

During the meeting, much of the frustration was directed toward forward Kevin Love.

Players questioned the severity of his “undisclosed illness,” which caused him to leave the Quicken Loans Arena early in the team’s 148-124 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder Saturday and miss practice over the weekend.

Yet, Love’s brief absence fails to explain the overall poor performance of a team that, this season, lacks cohesion, defensive intensity and a consistent offensive facilitator when forward LeBron James is on the bench. Cleveland has lost six out of its last seven games this season.

The Cavs are no strangers to midseason doldrums. In the winter of 2015, the Cavs went on a 2-10 stretch; in addition, they went 7-8 in January 2017.

However, they were accustomed to experiencing these slumps while in first or second place in the Eastern Conference.

Additionally, they were able to maintain a steadfast belief that they were the best team in the conference, regardless of record.

This season, the Cavs lack this sense of security that helped them navigate their previous struggles. Quite frankly, most teams could eliminate the Cavs in a playoff series right now.

This year, the Boston Celtics, with the offseason addition of point guard Kyrie Irving from the Cavaliers in August, appear to be a formidable foe who could eliminate the Cavs in the playoffs.

Irving’s absence is the cause of the issues plaguing the Cavaliers, given that he was an integral part of their 2016 championship team.

If Irving still played for the Cavs, they would be in first place now. The combination of forward Jae Crowder and guard Isaiah Thomas has fallen tremendously short of the impact Irving has produced in Boston. As a result, the Cavs essentially strengthened their greatest threat in the Eastern Conference while worsening their own prospects.

Furthermore, the Irving trade marked a substantial overhaul of the Cavaliers’ roster during the offseason. Currently, only seven members remain from their roster in the 2017 finals.

The new Cavaliers lack the experience to pilot the team through their midseason

struggles in recent years, inviting doubt about whether they can get over the hump.

Additionally, the Cavs have not yet found a way to successfully integrate all of their new players.

Most notably, the Cavs’ struggles have largely coincided with the return of Thomas. Thomas has struggled to find his rhythm offensively and has maintained his reputation as one of the worst defenders in the NBA, unable to match the length and physicality of opposing guards.

To be fair, Thomas is still regaining his form after spending the first 2 1/2 months of the season recovering from offseason hip surgery. The Cavs hope Thomas can reestablish himself as a potent scorer and facilitator, but Cleveland cannot afford to hope and wait. This strategy is unacceptable for a franchise whose relevance is tied to the presence of James, who might choose to take his talents elsewhere after the season.

At the very least, the Cavs should acquire point guard George Hill from the Sacramento Kings as a more stable force at point guard while Thomas improves. Hill would represent a significantly better defensive option who could even play alongside Thomas. This trade would provide a solid upgrade and cost a relatively modest price, which would likely come as a package deal featuring guard Iman Shumpert.

However, if the Cavaliers truly want to have a fighter’s chance at a title this season, they could elect to surrender some combination of Tristian Thompson, Kevin Love and the Brooklyn Nets' first-round pick in exchange for forward DeMarcus Cousins.

The acquisition of Cousins would provide the Cavs with a second game-changing offensive talent, which they have lacked since losing Irving. This scenario would be incredibly risky, as Cousins is a free agent after this season and the Cavs could be without both Cousins and James in the 2018-19 season.

The Cavaliers’ struggles stem from their inability to truly overcome the absence of Irving.

The situation is desperate and the Cavs need to make a move to turn things around. The question is whether they are willing to potentially gamble with their future to acquire Cousins. Sometimes, a front office must act boldly to try to win a championship.

Jeffrey Swanson is a junior in the McDonough School of Business. This is the first installment of under review.

The Georgetown men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams fell to Drexel University 202-98 and 159-135, respectively, at their last home meets of the season at the Albert G. McCarthy Pool on Saturday.

Head Coach Jack Leavitt said that, although the outcome was not what he wanted, he was pleased with the Hoyas’ performance at this point in the season.

“The result wasn’t there in terms of scores, but I thought we swam really well for this point in the season for as tired as we are physically from the training,” Leavitt said.

Although freshman Evie Mauzé initially broke the pool record in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:05.33, Drexel sophomore Alexa Kutch finished just .32 seconds before Mauzé, with a time of 2:05.01, to win the event and reset the record.

“It was unfortunately broken by the [athlete who placed first] from Drexel. As a freshman, for [Mauzé] to be as consistent as she has been is fan-

tastic,” Leavitt said.

Sophomore Henry Hollinshead swam the fastest on his 200-yard backstroke since the Bucknell Invitational meet, placing third with a time of 1:53.24, just 0.17 seconds behind freshman Drew Carbone.

Hollinshead said that the team was satisfied with its results against Drexel.

“A lot of us swam the fastest we had all year at Yates. We were rested, we were in shape and we all came close to our season best for dual meets, so I was really happy with how we swam,” Hollinshead said.

The women’s diving team swept both diving events, with freshman Riley Fujioka placing first, sophomore Elizabeth Miller placing second and freshman Naomi Peng placing third.

“I was learning a new dive, a reverse 2 1/2,” Fujioka said.

“I was nervous about competing it, but I nailed it and was really happy about it.

I couldn’t have done that without my coach encouraging me and my whole team supporting me through that experience.”

Sophomore Cristina Barrett placed first in both of her

distance events, winning the 1000-yard by 10 seconds and 500-yard freestyle by two seconds. Her performance earned her the Big East Female Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Week honor.

Other victories included the women’s 200-yard relay team of sophomore Morgan Conley, freshman Grace Sun, freshman Belinda Donohoe and senior Bailey Page.

On the men’s side, freshman Andrew Stange in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:41.28, freshman Jack Lynch in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:55.35 and junior Seth Maslowski in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 21.48 all recorded individual victories.

Coach Leavitt highlighted senior Chase Ladman’s performance in the 1000-yard freestyle. Ladman placed third, outtouched by mere hundredths of a second.

“The place isn’t as important as how hard he worked in that race that really got his team fired up,” Leavitt said. “Chase really stepped up on senior day, and Andrew won the next race afterwards. I think that was partly to do with the excitement

from Chase’s event.”

The 19 seniors on men's and women's teams were honored with a mid-meet ceremony.

Coach Leavitt said it will be hard to replace the seniors’ contributions to the program.

“Our team has 62 athletes, and to have 19 of them graduate at once is going to be challenging. They’re not only some of our better swimmers or divers, but also great leaders and mentors to their classmates,” Leavitt said. “Their impact is going to last in a lot of different ways because of how good of examples they are as studentathletes here.”

Up next, Georgetown will face Seton Hall and Providence on Saturday, Feb. 3, in Berkeley, N.J. This meet will be a preview of the conference competition the team will face before heading into the Big East Championships later in the month.

“It looks like it is going to be a battle for both [the men’s and women’s teams]. Both finished in fourth place four years in a row. I know this senior class would like to be the first to leave here with a Big East Championship,” Leavitt said. “I think this year [the meet] could be a fight to the end.”

FEATURE

GUHOYAS

After the federal government shut down for three days, the Georgetown University Athletic Department offered two complimentary tickets to every federal employee who showed a valid ID. Georgetown lost to DePaul on a late go-ahead basket.

GU Gives Free Seats to Federal Workers Mitchell taylor Hoya Staff Writer

The federal government’s three-day shutdown from Saturday to Monday may have prevented federal workers from receiving pay, but not without any compensation.

Georgetown Athletics offered two free tickets to every federal employee who wished to attend Wednesday’s men’s basketball game against DePaul University at Capital One Arena.

The promotion, led by As-

sistant Athletics Director for Marketing Chris Grosse, served as an act of gratitude for all federal workers and families affected by the shutdown, even as it ended Monday evening.

“We had always planned on offering the deal to federal employees if the shutdown was resolved,” Grosse wrote in an email to The H oya.

Wednesday’s giveaway comes on the heels of the season’s most notable marketing promotion, an “Actual Real-

ity Seating Section,” where Hoya fans turned in their cellphones before entering Saturday’s contest against St. John’s.

“We are always trying to come up with creative/fun ideas for fans attending our games, which already have a buzz with [Head Coach] Patrick Ewing on the sidelines this year,” Grosse said. “It has received coverage by all local news stations, which is extremely helpful in spreading the word about the deal.”

Despite federal employees’ return to work, Grosse remained optimistic about the promotion’s success.

“We have always tried to turn trending topics and current events into promotions and ways to increase attendance,” Grosse said. “We will know about how it compares to other promotions when we see how many people come take advantage of the offer on Wednesday.”

Georgetown fell to DePaul 74-73 on a shot with under 10 seconds left in the game.

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Petke Leads Squad in Uneven Weekend MARQUETTE, from A12

side. Tonight, we scored 80-something points. It’s the offense; the defense has always been there, the defense has been fighting and fighting,” Howard said.

Contributions by senior forward Cynthia Petke, senior guard Mikayla Venson and White proved to be instrumental in getting the team back in the win column. The trio outscored Marquette by themselves, accounting for 59 of the team’s 85 points.

However, Petke’s presence

brought the majority of the offensive firepower that the team lacked in their previous four contests, with Petke scoring 26 points of her own.

This victory over the top seed in the Big East was only half the battle in the weekend test for the Hoyas, as less than 48 hours later, on Sunday, second-seeded DePaul (15-6, 7-2 Big East) came to town looking to rebound from its 84-58 loss to Villanova on Jan. 19.

The Hoyas were poised to continue turning their season around against the Blue Demons, as they went toe-to-

toe for three quarters, trailing by only two points to begin the fourth period.

Despite Georgetown’s effort, the offense that had propelled it for the last seven quarters disappeared, as the Hoyas scored just 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting, while the Blue Demons erupted for 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting.

Howard said the Villanova game prompted different challenges.

“In the fourth quarter, we fell asleep on some defensive assignments, and you can’t fall asleep on a team that

shoots the three that efficiently,” Howard said in an interview with GUHoyas. “Their run in the fourth was just too much to recover from.”

Yet again, Petke led the way with 24 points, but her scoring was not enough to overcome DePaul’s offensive onslaught.

After a weekend split against two top Big East teams, the Hoyas travel to Indianapolis on Jan. 26 to take on the Butler Bulldogs (13-8, 5-4 Big East), who dealt the first blow of the Hoyas’ four-game skid just three weeks ago.

NFL

Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback Nick Foles has started five games this season, including the playoffs, after backing up Carson Wentz.

Eagles Prepare For Patriots Upset SUPER BOWL, from A12

ney this year with all the obstacles, all the injuries … it’s a testament to the coaches we have and all the players.”

In the earlier game this past Sunday, the Patriots narrowly defeated the Jaguars 24-20 to win the AFC Championship. It was just another day at the office for Brady, who threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns, flawlessly dissecting a talented Jacksonville defense on his final touchdown drive. After the game, Brady commented on yet another fourth-quarter comeback.

“That’s why you play all four quarters,” he said. “The game’s never over at halftime. You have to go to the end.”

A big factor on Super Bowl Sunday will be the status of Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. At 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, “Gronk” is a matchup nightmare for defenses and has therefore become a favorite target of Brady’s. In the second quarter against Jacksonville, Gronkowski took a forceful hit to the head, did not return to the game and was diagnosed with a concussion.

But history has shown that it is difficult to bet against the NFL’s greatest coach and quarterback tandem as they attempt to add yet another accolade to their resumes.

Still, the stars are finally aligning in Philadelphia. If the punishing Eagles defense is able to force Brady to make quick decisions through pressure with a four-man front, or if Gronkowski is sidelined or not fully healthy and Foles plays with the confidence and hot hand he has had throughout these playoffs, the Eagles could finally hang their first “World Champions” banner.

dynasties in sports history. Next Sunday marks the team’s 10th championship game, and New England (15-3) has won five Super Bowls with Brady and Head Coach Bill Belichick at the helm. However, this year the Patriots could face their toughest challenge yet.

While Brady and the Pats chase their sixth Super Bowl since 2002, the Eagles (15-3) look to achieve their first win in franchise history.

They are led by quarterback Nick Foles, who started the season as a backup to MVP candidate Carson Wentz, and a stifling defense that was fourth among all NFL teams in points per game, with 18.4 points per game with 306.5 yards allowed and 2.1 points scored by a defense,.

Despite the fact that both teams were seeded first in their respective conferences, the Eagles are 5.5-point underdogs — largely due to a lack of confidence in Foles, who has struggled at times this season. However, Foles may have found a hot streak at just the right time. Last week against the NFL’s best statistical defense, the Minnesota Vikings, Foles threw for 352 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions, boasting a quarterback rating of 141 in a 38-7 dismantling of the visitors. If Foles’ performance can carry over to the biggest stage of all, the NFC champions should have a great chance to win.

Philadelphia has openly embraced this underdog role. Players have even sported dog masks after their playoff victories.

In a post-game interview with the Allentown Morning Call, Foles said, “This has been a crazy jour-

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The women’s basketball team defeated Marquette, the best team in the Big East at that point, last Friday. The team shot 50 percent from the three-point range and had 13 steals to Marquette’s seven. The team also had 31 defensive rebounds.

Men’s Basketball

Pickett Shines in Heartbreaking Loss DEPAUL, from A12

Georgetown played a much stronger second half. The squad made eight of 13 threepointers, led by junior forward Marcus Derrickson, who scored all four of his threepointers in the second half.

Derrickson turned his game around after the break, scoring 20 of his 23 total points in the final 20 minutes.

Though Georgetown’s shooting improved, DePaul made seven of its first 10 field goals after intermission and gained a 14-point lead with 13:53 left in the game. The Hoyas responded just as they needed, going on an 18-2 run to take a 58-56 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining.

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“[Ewing] was just telling us to keep playing hard. We were down 14, but there was still a lot of time, and I was never in doubt of my guys. I thought we were going to win the game … so I knew we were going to fight back,” sophomore guard Jagan Mosely said post-game.

For the final 10 minutes, the crowd got excited as Georgetown and DePaul traded the lead — no team gained more than a two-point advantage. Derrickson scored the Hoyas’ final seven points, including a go-ahead threepointer to put Georgetown up 73-72 with 50 seconds remaining.

However, as the game came down to the end, De-

Paul gained possession and gave the ball to its star junior guard Eli Cain. Cain exploded for a season-high 27 points in the game, including the dagger at the end, which reclaimed the lead for the Blue Demons. The Hoyas had one last chance with no timeouts remaining, but Mosely’s drive to the hoop hit back rim and the Hoyas were left stunned.

“Cain got off tonight,” Mosely said. “He was feeling it from the start … When guys get hot it’s tough to cool them down, so we have to do a better job of not letting them get hot.”

Georgetown finished the contest shooting 47 percent from the field but struggled with rebounding the basket-

ball. DePaul grabbed 38 rebounds to the Hoyas’ 37, and the Blue Demons grabbed 10 offensive rebounds, which led to 18 second-chance points.

“We lost it by not securing rebounds … We did a great job fighting and coming back but we have to come up with the big rebound. This is something we’ve talked about,” Ewing said. “[DePaul’s] the number one rebounding team in the Big East.”

The Hoyas now go on the road for three straight games.

They will start their road trip Saturday at 8 p.m. as they take on Creighton (16-5, 6-3 Big East) in Omaha, Nebraska.

The matchup will be televised on CBS Sports Network and aired locally on 99.1 FM.

the hidden opponent

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Mental Health Affects Olympians, Too OWEN, from A12

year he got his first DUI. After his second DUI in 2014, the Olympian locked himself in his bedroom for four days before checking into rehab to deal with the anxiety and depression that he had tried to overcome on his own after each Olympic game.

Phelps remembered ignoring his dark feelings rather than working through what was bothering him.

“After years of shoving every negative, bad feeling down to the point where I mean, I just didn’t even feel it anymore,” he told the TODAY show in December. “It was a long, long, long road and I just never wanted to deal with it. And that sent me down a spi-

ral staircase real quick and, like I said, I found myself in a spot where I didn’t want to be alive anymore.”

Phelps credits his decision to see a therapist and ability to talk about what he had been storing away with saving his life.

After experiencing how difficult it is for many people to recognize their vulnerabilities and reach out for help, Phelps has devoted himself to unraveling the stigma of mental illness.

“I want to be able to get out in public and talk and say that I’ve done these great things in the pool, but I’m also a human,” Phelps said to NBC in an interview after the 2016 games. “I’m going through the same struggles as a lot of

the people in this room.”

Phelps has started speaking publicly on mental health in professional sports and has become an informal counselor to stars facing similar pressures. In particular, he reached out to Tiger Woods after his DUI arrest in May 2017.

“It’s good for athletes to be open about who they are and for people to see we’re far from perfect,” Phelps told USA Today in August.

“We’re not gods. I’m human like everybody else.”

Now retired from competitive swimming, Phelps doesn’t have to worry about what’s next. His advocacy about mental health has given him reason to remain involved in athletics, albeit in a different role.

“My talent was in the swimming pool, but it’s led me to something else in life,” Phelps said in the interview. “It’s a duty; it’s an honor to talk about mental health. But I’m really just being my authentic self, sharing my story.”

To access confidential mental health resources, reach out to Counseling and Psychiatric Services at 202-687-6985, or for after-hours emergencies, call 202-444-7243 and ask to speak to the on-call clinician. You can also reach out to Health Education Services at 202-687-8949.

Carter Owen is a sophomore in the McDonough School of Business. The Hidden opponent appears every other Friday.

SPORTS

Men’s Basketball Georgetown (13-7) at Creighton (16-5) Saturday, 8:00 p.m.

CenturyLink Center

FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2018

NUMBERS GAME

TALKING POINTS

SWIMMING & DIVING The Georgetown men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams both fell to Drexel on Senior Day.

See A10

“

We’re still working. We’re still evaluating. We’re still laying the foundation for years to come.”

HEAD COACH PATRICK EWING

27

The women’s basketball team’s margin of victory over Marquette.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

COMMENTARY

Super Bowl 52: Dynasty vs. Destiny DANNY MCCOOEY Special to The Hoya

All 32 NFL teams end their season each year in defeat except for one. One team hoists up the Lombardi Trophy in front of millions. One team hangs a banner that reads: “World Champions.” One team will earn these accolades in the 2018 Super Bowl, a game between the defending champions, the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Held on Feb. 4 at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., this game is a rematch of the 2005 Super Bowl, when the Patriots defeated the Eagles 24-21, securing the team’s — and quarterback Tom Brady’s — second consecutive championship. Although few knew it at the time, this game was a first step in establishing the Patriots as one of the greatest See SUPER BOWL, A11

WILL CROMARTY/THE HOYA

Freshman guard Jamorko Pickett scored a career-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting Wednesday against DePaul, while grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. For the season, Pickett is averaging 8.5 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game.

Georgetown Falls Late Against DePaul GEORGE BRENNAN Hoya Staff Writer

TOM BRADY

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw for 4,577 yards, 32 touchdowns and only eight interceptions this season.

The Georgetown Hoyas men’s basketball team suffered a heartbreaking 74-73 loss at the hands of the DePaul Blue Demons on Wednesday night. Even though Georgetown came back from a 14-point deficit in the second half to take the lead, DePaul did not waver as junior guard Eli Cain hit a game-winning

jumper with seven seconds remaining to take the Hoyas’ hopes away.

“Tonight, even though we put ourselves in the position to win, we didn’t do the things we needed to do to win,” Head Coach Patrick Ewing (CAS ’85) said in his postgame press conference.

The Hoyas (13-7, 3-6 Big East) struggled to take control of the game against the Blue Demons (9-11, 2-6 Big East),

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Hoyas Split Homestand Before Road Trip

as they fell 12 points behind late in the first half. However, the team soon began to establish a rhythm and went on a 10-2 run, going into the break down only 37-33.

Freshman guard Jamorko Pickett scored a team-high 10 points in the first half on his way to a career-high 19 points. After making only five three-pointers in his last four Big East games combined, Pickett made five three-point-

ers for the Hoyas and grabbed eight rebounds. “[Jamorko’s] getting better,” Ewing said. “Early in the year he thought of himself as just a jump shooter and now he’s doing other things. He’s rebounding, he’s defending and he’s scoring. He’s progressing and we’re going to need him to continue to do that if we’re going to be good.”

See DEPAUL, A11

THE HIDDEN OPPONENT

BRENDAN DOLAN Special to The Hoya

After dropping four of five games to begin the new year and seeing its ranking plummet to eighth in the Big East, the Georgetown women’s basketball team flipped the season’s script with an 85-58 victory over top-seeded Marquette last Friday, only to fall 78-62 to DePaul on Sunday.

The Marquette Golden Eagles (14-6, 8-1 Big East) entered Friday’s contest coming off a 21-point win over Xavier (9-11, 2-7 Big East) five days before.

Georgetown asserted itself in the second period on both ends of the floor, relinquishing just four points while posting 20 of its own to enter the locker room with a 15-point lead.

The Hoyas maintained their aggressive posture and intensity in the second half, outscoring the Golden Eagles by 16 points.

Head Coach James Howard’s message at halftime guided the team, according to junior guard Dionna White.

“He told us to keep talking and keep closing the lanes,” White said. “He said we can come back easily, and we’re not going to give up.”

With the game in hand, the Hoyas began the fourth period with a 31-point lead and hung on for the huge 27-point victory.

Howard said the victory was the result of correcting past mistakes in conference losses.

“Every game we took more shots from the field than our opponent; when I see that, that tells me that we didn’t capitalize on the offensive See MARQUETTE, A11

Carter Owen

Phelps Destigmatizes Mental Health Issues

CAROLINE PAPPAS/THE HOYA

Senior forward Cynthia Petke is averaging 12.1 points per game and a team-high 9.6 rebounds per game. She scored 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting in Georgetown’s win against Marquette.

Visit us online at thehoya.com/sports

Although athletes today have worldwide fame, fortune and more success than most people dream of, their lives are far from easy. Athletes constantly fight a hidden opponent that’s a far tougher foe than any in their sport: mental health.

Mental illness is no joke.

According to estimates by the National Institute of Mental Health, roughly 44 million Americans reported experiencing some form of mental illness in 2015. That’s nearly one in five people over 18 years old.

Especially in professional sports, injuries, competitive failure and overtraining often lead to immense psychological distress, which is the primary causal factor in mental illness development.

This column aims to highlight individual athletes who have well-documented struggles with mental illness and to help create a better understanding of the burdens they bear. This week I profile Olympic golden boy Michael Phelps’ struggle with depression.

For most of his life, Phelps saw himself in much the same way as everyone else around him did: a swimmer— and nothing else. Now 32, Phelps wants the world to see

him as a husband, father — yes, the most decorated Olympian of all time — but also as a sufferer of depression.

Along with his 28 Olympic medals, Phelps has accumulated two DUIs, one in 2004 and another in 2014. A photo of him holding a bong at a party went viral shortly after the 2008 Summer Olympic games.

Phelps saw himself in much the same way as everyone around him did: a swimmer and nothing else.

“Really, after every Olympics, I think I fell into a major state of depression,” Phelps told CNN on Saturday when asked to pinpoint when his trouble began.

He noticed a pattern of emotion “that wasn’t right” around the beginning of October or November of every year, he said.

“I would say ’04 was probably the first depression spell I went through,” Phelps said.

Unsurprisingly, 2004 was the See OWEN, A11