The Hoya: February 23, 2018

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

Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 99, No. 20, © 2018

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2018

THE DRUG ISSUE

In this special issue, The Hoya examines campus drug culture and its effects on student health.

EDITORIAL Georgetown student groups should be required to report relationships with foreign governments.

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH GUSA Behind nearly every GUSA presidential candidate is a campaign manager striving for victory.

OPINION, A2

NEWS, A4

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Nair, Rahman Clinch Outsider Victory by 36 Votes YASMINE SALAM Hoya Staff Writer

Sahil Nair (SFS ’19) and Naba Rahman (SFS ’19) have been elected president and vice president of the Georgetown University Student Association by a razor-thin margin of 36 votes.

Nair and Rahman are set to be the third consecutive nonwhite GUSA executive pair when they take office March 9, replacing current GUSA President Kamar Mack (COL ’19) and Vice President Jessica Andino (COL ’18). Before Mack and Andino’s predecessors, Enushe Khan (MSB ’17) and Chris Fisk (COL ’17), the GUSA executive had not been led by two nonwhite students since at least 1998, according to GUSA Historian Ari Goldstein (COL ’18).

The race was tight through four rounds of voting. Josh Sirois (SFS ’20) and Casey Doherty (COL ’20) led in the first round by 32 votes. Hunter Estes (SFS ’19) and Richard Howell (SFS ’19) were eliminated first, followed by satirical candidates Logan Arkema (COL ’20) and Jonathan Compo (COL ’20), who ran as the superhero duo Batman and Robin.

Nair and Rahman received 1,267 votes, marginally surpassing Sirois and Doherty, who received 1,231 votes.

Nair and Rahman’s margin is among the tightest in recent memory, with echoes of last

year’s election: Mack and Andino won in the fourth round last year by 34 votes after coming in second place in the first round of voting.

Results in the election were delayed Thursday night after the second-place candidates Sirois and Doherty raised concerns with the GUSA Election Commision about Nair and Rahman, alleging Nair and Rahman exceeded the $300 budget limit for executive candidates through their social media expenditures.

Sirois said his campaign does not plan to file a formal complaint with the Election Commission. The campaign did not respond to emailed questions from THE HOYA regarding whether he accepted the election results.

On election day, the NairRahman campaign paid for Facebook advertisements and Snapchat filters as part of their campaigning. The campaign provided documentation to the Election Commission reflecting that its expenses came under the $300 campaign limit, but the Sirois-Doherty campaign alleged Nair and Rahman had concealed larger payments.

Aaron Bennett (COL ’19), campaign manager for Nair and Rahman, said early Friday morning that the allegations See GUSA, A6

SHEEL PATEL/THE HOYA

Sahil Nair (SFS ’19) and Naba Rahman (SFS ’19) won Thursday’s Georgetown University Student Association election by 36 votes, defeating Josh Sirois (SFS ’20) and Casey Doherty (COL ’20). Results were delayed following an informal complaint from the Sirois-Doherty campaign.

3rd Referendum in 2Years Delivers Senate Triumph JEFF CIRILLO

Hoya Staff Writer

A campus-wide referendum proposing reforms to the Georgetown University Student Association senate passed Tuesday night, receiving more than the necessary 25 percent support from the student body.

Members of the GUSA senate will now be elected by class year rather than by geographic location, and elections for nonfreshman senators will now be held in April rather than in the fall after the referendum’s success.

The senate reform referendum passed with 2039 votes in favor and 426 votes against — 83.1 percent and

16.9 percent, respectively.

The passage of the referendum is a long-needed win for the GUSA senate, which unsuccessfully launched two previous senate restructuring referendums.

A second referendum question, which also passed, codify several protections for student participation in the GUSA constitution. The protections include safeguards for citizenship, gender identity or expression, ability or disability and any characteristics protected under federal or Washington, D.C. law.

The Code of Student Conduct and the Student Organization Standards include similar protections, but the referendum would revise the language in

DCPS Officials’ Resignations Magnify School System’s Tumult

the GUSA Constitution.

2310 students voted in favor of the second referendum question, with 239 voting against it — 90.6 percent and 9.4 percent respectively.

GUSA Senate Speaker Ben Baldwin (SFS ’19) said he is “extremely excited” about the result.

“Third time is the charm, turns out,” Baldwin said. “I think that overall this referendum is obviously better for the student body. I’m more excited about the second referendum in a lot of ways, because that portion of the constitution just needed to be updated. It was long overdue.”

See REFERENDUM, A6

FILE PHOTO: WILL CROMARTY/THE HOYA

Both questions on the Georgetown University Student Association senate referendum were approved overwhelmingly, with 83.1 percent and 90.6 percent support, respectively.

FEATURED

Chancellor, Deputy Mayor acknowledge misuse of power WILL CASSOU AND KARENA LANDLER Hoya Staff Writer

Washington, D.C.’s top two education officials resigned following allegations of misuse of power to bypass the District’s competitive lottery system for school placement, placing the public school system at the center of scandal.

D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson resigned Wednesday after facing pressure from parents and a majority of D.C. councilmembers to step down. Deputy Mayor for Education Jennifer Niles resigned Feb. 16 after being caught misusing her influence to help Wilson secure a spot for his child at Woodrow Wilson High School, a school outside the chancellor’s designated school district.

This most recent development follows a spate of challenges faced by the D.C. Public School Systems, as they face hiring a new second leader in one year. It also precedes the D.C. Mayoral elections in which Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) is running for re-election.

D.C. parents who wish to send their students to a public school outside their assigned district must enter a competitive lottery placement system, but Wilson requested that Niles use her discretionary authority as deputy mayor for education to allow his daughter to switch schools without

entering the lottery.

This move was in direct violation of official mayor’s orders 2017-125 and 2017158, which prohibit the deputy mayor of education from granting discretionary transfer to other public officials.

“This further demonstrates that public officials are not being held accountable for following policies and procedures that are in place.”

JOE WEEDON Ward 6 Representative, ANC

Wilson’s child transferred at the beginning of last year to the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, located north of Georgetown University’s campus. After Wilson decided that this school was not the right fit, Niles aided the chancellor in making a midyear transfer to Wilson High School, which has a waiting list of about 700 students.

Wilson himself pushed to establish the rules he eventually violated, after his predecessor, Kaya Henderson, was reprimanded in April 2017 for the same offense after an investigation from the D.C. Office of the Inspector General.

Despite Bowser’s support, several councilmembers called for Wilson’s resignation. Vincent Gray (D-Ward 7), former D.C. mayor and current councilmember, said in a Feb. 17 news release that Wilson had “irreversibly damaged his credibility” and that he would “demand his immediate resignation.”

Niles will be replaced immediately by her chief of staff, Ahnna Smith, as interim deputy mayor, while Amanda Alexander, the chief of elementary education for DCPS, will take over as interim chancellor.

Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large), chair of the committee on education, pushed for Niles’ resignation.

He said the choice to circumvent the lottery system was a violation of District policies.

Councilmembers Elissa Silverman (I-At Large), Robert White Jr. (D-At Large), Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) and Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) joined his call.

“I welcome the resignation of Deputy Mayor Niles, who orchestrated the transfer of the Chancellor’s child in violation of the policy set forth by the mayor,” Grosso said in a Feb. 16 news release. “I appreciate that the catalyst for this transfer was what the Chancellor believed was in the best interest of his child.

See DCPS, A6

NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

Digital Threats to Democracy A panel of experts discussed steps to counter digital threats to democracy at an event Friday.

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End Intelllectual Posturing It is time for students to stop posturing as experts on topics they know little about.

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Women’s Team Tops DePaul Over the weekend, the women’s basketball team defeated Big East leader DePaul, 86-85.

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NEWS Trump Education Cuts

OPINION On Times of Waiting

SPORTS Slumping Early

President Donald Trump’s proposed budget seeks to eliminate tuition grants for D.C. residents.

A7 Printed Fridays

Lent allows us the opportunity to reflect on waiting and contemplation.

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The baseball team lost its first three games of the season in North Carolina last weekend.

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

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OPINION

THE HOYA

friday, February 23, 2018

THE VERDICT

Reveal Foreign Government Ties When Georgetown University student groups work with foreign governments, the wider community should not find out from national news.

Last week, by obtaining private documents, Foreign Policy magazine reported the Chinese government has provided substantial funding for Georgetown University Chinese Students and Scholars Association, a graduate student chapter of the national CSSA. Until the report, the wider Georgetown community was not made aware of any link between GUCSSA and the Chinese government.

To ensure the intellectual freedom of all students and faculty, recognized student groups should be required to detail the nature of their relationship — financial and otherwise — with foreign governments or officials.

China’s past infiltration of American universities has perpetrated a spread of misinformative propaganda. Over 100 schools, including The George Washington University, host “Confucius Initiatives,” Chinese government-funded educational institutions purportedly designed for teaching Chinese culture, language and history, according to Politico. In reality, China uses these initiatives to advance a distorted view of the country’s history — human rights abuses are ignored, and the courses promote the narrative that Taiwan and Tibet are part of China.

A 2011 speech by Li Changchun, a former member of the Chinese Politburo Standing Committee, is cited in Politico as saying institutes are an “important part of China’s overseas propaganda set-up.” Changchun’s candor reveals the legitimate concern created by the presence of Chinese-funded programs on U.S. campuses: Students and faculty are unknowingly exposed to propaganda misrepresenting Chinese history.

Though Georgetown is not home to a Confucius Institute, the national CSSA, which has a chapter on campus, has its own record of coordinated propaganda. Chapters of the organization have “worked in tandem with Beijing to promote a pro-Chinese agenda and tamp down anti-Chinese speech on Western campuses,” according to a 2017 New York Times report.

China donated $1,600 to GUCSSA in 2011, which was mainly used for planning events such as a Lunar New Year party. While these donations are not illegal or against university policy, the Chinese Communist Party’s past efforts to influence U.S. universities indicate suspicious motives.

Georgetown’s CSSA chapter does not stand accused of coordinating a propaganda strategy with the government of China, nor does this editorial board intend to levy such a charge. Additionally, “Georgetown has no rule against student groups receiving money from foreign governments,” Kylie Navarro (COL ’20), chair of the Student Activities Commision, told The Hoya.

This policy must be reversed. GUCSSA should have been mandated to reveal the sources of their funding to the larger community; the private documents Foreign Policy used in its reports should have been public to begin with. These concerns and suggested transparency rules apply to any group receiving funding from any foreign government; the intentions of GUCSSA’s members are not in any particular question.

On Feb. 19, members of the Georgetown University Student Association and several on-campus groups for Asian-American and international students wrote an open letter to University President John J. DeGioia, also provided to The Hoya. The authors argue FBI Director Christopher Wray’s recent testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee, in which he said some college students and faculty are spies, has caused “great stress and fear” in the lives of Georgetown’s Chinese students.

The authors’ concerns are certainly valid, and this editorial board does not seek to associate individual students with the actions of their governments. Rather, the questions around GUCSSA’s funding shed light on a system enabling secretive relationships between student groups and governments.

In addition to the promulgating of propaganda, foreign influence on student groups can also place international students under undue scrutiny.

Anne-Marie Brady, a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, says CSSA chapters represent a “deliberate strategy to make sure that the Chinese students and scholars living abroad don’t become a problem” for their home government, according to Foreign Policy.

Authoritarian regimes with on-campus presences have positioned themselves to more easily spy on — and openly criticize — students.

To effectively protect students and faculty from foreign propaganda, SAC and the Georgetown University Graduate Student Government should require all student groups to publicly disclose any relationships they have with foreign governments.

Flagrant Foul — The NCAA vacated all of the University of Louisville men’s basketball team’s wins from 2011 to 2015, including its 2012-13 NCAA championship, because of several infractions. The infractions included hiring exotic dancers and prostitutes for potential recruits.

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Fox Nation and Chill — Fox News is planning to launch a paid video streaming service this year. The network’s senior vice president, John Finley, said the service was geared to Fox “superfans.”

C C

EDITORIALS

C C

Founded January 14, 1920

Hand in the Cookie Jar — A U.K. police officer was brought before a disciplinary committee for taking a colleague’s box of cookies. In his defense, the officer claimed he intended to share and replace the cookies.

Snaplash — On Wednesday, Snapchat responded to a petition signed by 1.2 million users calling for a reverse of the recent update. The company acknowledged user complaints but insisted that the app will be more approachable in the long run.

Chevy Chased — Actor Chevy Chase got involved in a road rage incident in upstate New York. The “Caddyshack” star chased down a driver whom he thought clipped his car and took a kick to the shoulder in the altercation.

EDITORIAL CARTOON by Adam Semprevivo

Define Centennial Goals As Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service approaches the 2019-20 academic year, the school is developing a vision for the SFS centennial.

Unfortunately, a major fundraising effort has been the Centennial celebration’s main focus so far, along with occasional events such as the recent Lloyd George Lecture. SFS administrators must firmly define academic and student-centric goals of the Centennial while adopting the ideas of current SFS students.

Curious SFS students would be hard-pressed to identify the Centennial’s goals. To search the SFS Centennial’s website only leaves more questions. The events calendar is empty; the “Global Justice Blog” has not been updated in nine months. In fact, the Centennial’s fundraising purpose cannot be found online.

The Centennial’s Facebook page has been inactive since September 2015. The Centennial Vision Committee, formed by SFS Dean Joel Hellman in fall 2015 to guide discussions about the School’s future, has not disclosed the conclusions of these discussions to the Georgetown or SFS communities.

An utter lack of transparency raises important questions about the sources of CVC funding.

Currently undisclosed projects have relied on fundraising appeals to alumni, including a presentation

by Hellman at last April’s John Carroll Weekend, an extended weekend curated specifically for alumni.

Additionally, Hellman expressed his goal of ensuring the “SFS remains the very best place for students to study international affairs and to engage in the world ... Your contributions—big and small—are absolutely critical to meet that goal” in an SFS statement directed at alumni donors.

The school must be transparent about how alumni are influencing the Centennial. This editorial board has concerns that donor interests are advanced without consultation of the Georgetown community, concerns easily alleviated by a full disclosure of priorities.

While the CVC should consider alumni input, the next generation of SFS undergradutes should shape future SFS projects. The SFS Academic Council hosted an “SFS Centennial Vision Dinner and Town Hall” for SFS students in September 2015, but the CVC has not

yet prioritized any student suggestions. Open lines of communication between students and administrators, such as a schoolwide survey, are necessary. The group must then publicize the results of this survey to ensure voices of students are heard.

In the meantime, this editorial board has two suggestions for the Committee.

As the de facto home of the SFS, the Intercultural Center is a stain on the school’s image. The building’s inadequate maintenance, severe inaccessibility and poor use of space simply do not serve students well.

The SFS is not responsible for maintaining the ICC, but Centennial funds should be allocated toward a major redesign of the building, focused on creating communal spaces to benefit collaboration. The Rafik B. Hariri building, home to the McDonough School of Business, is designed to build connections between students and serves as a stellar model for a new ICC. The Centennial should also support SFS students seeking careers in public service, in following with Georgetown’s mission of applying Jesuit values “internationally across the public, private, and academic sectors in pursuit of a better world.”

According to the Cawley Career Education Center’s 2015-16 annual report, 40 percent of Georgetown students found employment in financial services in consulting, while only 13 percent entered government or public service jobs.

The Centennial can promote public service by directing funds to the Walsh Scholars Initiative, founded in 2015 to help SFS undergraduates develop “the professional skillset and network” for public service careers. The Initiative is limited to fewer than 10 students a semester; increased funding would provide resources for more SFS stduents. A mission of service is intrinsic to the SFS, and careers in pursuit of this mission should be supported appropriately.

The CVC must ensure their goals align with those of the SFS community. Then, they must publicize those goals clearly and widely.

If the Committee is looking for a place to start, a functional, up-to-date website would serve them well.

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 Adam Semprevivo 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: Feb. 23, 1973

Student Body President Elected in Landslide In a landslide victory, Doug Kellner was elected undergraduate student body president in yesterday’s student government election. Kellner and running mate Neil Shankman received 843 ballots of the 1,896 votes cast.

Tony Freyre, Kellner’s strongest opponent, was a distant second with 397 votes. Steve Kerrigan placed third with 348 votes. Steve Graham received 220 ballots, and Tom Clarke had 40.

The Kellner-Shankman ticket won with 45 percent of the ballots cast, the biggest plurality in the five-year history of universitywide student government at Georgetown. Retiring student body President John B. Kennedy was elected last year with 47 percent of the vote. However, the voter turnout this year was only 38 percent of

the eligible student voters, compared with a 45 percent turnout last year.

Political observers said they were surprised by the size of Kellner’s victory. Kellner was labelled a favorite early in the race because of his experience in student government, the popularity of his running mate and the thorough organization of his campaign.

Feeling that the student body was disillusioned with the campus “politicos” led most observers to call the election a wide-open race, however. Freyre and Kerrigan were considered strong contenders because Freyre ran on an “antipolitico” platform, and Kerrigan was popular among freshman and sophomore students.

An increase in student services was the main issue in the cam-

paign. Kellner called for expansion of the student corporation, a federal credit union for students, senior review courses and shuttle bus service to Arlington and Dunbarton College.

“We find that services on this campus have gotten worse as the years go on,” Kellner said during the campaign. “Student government should be doing something about these problems.”

Kellner hopes to marshal student support behind his dealings with the administration by improving services. “By bringing more services to the students, we will gain the respect and the support of the student body,” Kellner said. “Then we can go to the administration and make serious proposals in the area of academics.”

For letters to the editor and more online content, visit thehoya.com/category/opinion.

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OPINION

friday, February 23, 2018

THE HOYA

A3

VIEWPOINT • LIU

as this jesuit sees it

Fr. Matthew Carnes

On Times of Waiting

T

he siren wailed, close enough to be heard over the din of traffic, last Friday in Mexico City. My driver stopped and whispered “alerta sisimica.” The system Mexico installed to warn residents of an incoming earthquake was now warning us, telling us we would soon be shaken.

We had a full minute — 60 long seconds — of nervously huddling in our car, waiting. The driver called his children to tell them to take cover. I sent a quick email to my parents and then began praying. I sized up our surroundings — which trees might fall, which power lines to avoid and which other people in nearby cars might need help. My mind was going a million miles a minute as adrenaline flowed through my veins.

The quake arrived in waves. I saw it first in the trees that started swaying unnaturally in several directions, so different from their familiar dance in the wind. Our car rocked; we grabbed hold of the doors and tried to steady ourselves.

After another long minute, it seemed to be over, and we turned on the radio to hear the report: A 7.2 magnitude quake had struck the state of Oaxaca, 200 miles to the south. Miraculously, no one died, and the damage was limited.

But those moments — between the alert and the arrival of the earthquake and between feeling its force and returning to normal life — stayed with me. They were moments of passionate waiting, in which all my abilities and feelings and ideas were on full alert, wanting to spring into action or make us safer. Yet, all I could do was wait.

Waiting — whether forced by nature or circumstances or voluntarily undertaken — reminds us that we are incomplete people, people in progress, and that progress only occurs over time.

Most of us today are not very good at waiting. At Georgetown University, we are people of action.

We see each issue as something to be “figured out.” With enough effort and energy, we believe we can overcome every obstacle.

But many of the most impor-

I

tant processes in our lives take time; their resolution is not fully in our hands. We send out our applications for jobs or internships, and then we linger and hope our work will bring a positive response.

We turn to a friend or colleague for forgiveness, but must await their generosity if we are to be reconciled. We long to begin or deepen a relationship, but can only see it blossom if it is reciprocated.

We desire justice and respect in our nation and around the globe, but know our efforts require the long work of building community and trust from the ground up.

The Christian season of Lent, in which we find ourselves now, is a time of passionate waiting. It begins in a deep realization that not all is in our control and, even if it were, we are not fully up to the task of perfecting ourselves.

Acceptance of that reality is why we mark ourselves with the grit of ashes, pressing onto our foreheads — so close to the brains on which we so often rely — a reminder of our own mortality. We are born of the same matter of the earth; we are grounded in its seismic forces and its slow unfolding over time.

We give ourselves to greater contemplation and prayer, hoping to glimpse the divine panorama that stretches beyond our own efforts. We undertake simple acts of fasting and sharing that keep us mindful that we, individually and collectively, are not yet complete.

This realization — that completion is a longer process than we have power to control — brings hope. Indeed, if we are honest, we have to admit we truly do not know how all will work out. We do not yet fully know who we are or how we will react when that key moment arrives. But we know our waiting is overflowing with meaning, with possibility and even with transformation — so we wait.

Fr. Matthew Carnes, S.J., is an associate professor of government and serves as the director of the Center for Latin American Studies.

As This Jesuit Sees It appears online every other Monday.

Most of my peers are merely pretending to be experts, posturing against one another as if knowledge has become a competition.

Resist Know-It-All Culture

B

ooks, for many of us, have become trophies to demonstrate superiority over our peers. News articles are regurgitated to broadcast our worldliness and documentaries are not watched for enjoyment, but rather for proving our intelligence in our next conversation.

Having grown up alongside Hermione Granger — beloved

by Harry Potter fans for her encyclopedic knowledge — many on this campus seemingly try to continue her legacy by emulating her know-it-all presence.

Although the “Hermione complex” is a lovable quirk for a fictional character, its prevelance has created a toxic campus environment that perpetuates learning as a means to succeed rather than an act of curiosity.

Motivational speakers have expressed that “the greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance — it is the illusion of knowledge.” Although we relegate this to cliche, the statement holds true.

A study by Cornell University and Tulane University found that self-proclaimed experts often overstate their knowledge, professing knowledge of concepts that do not even exist. For students at Georgetown University, this fixed mindset

not only prevents the active pursuit of knowledge, but also fosters belief in detrimental misinformation.

Know-it-all culture also ostracizes and cultivates a sense of inferiority among students who do not conform. During my first year at Georgetown, I have come to recognize a pattern: Most of my peers are merely pretending to be experts, posturing against one another as if knowledge has become a competition. Just this past year, some of my classroom discussions have been derailed, becoming heated and personal debates, each side growing more defensive until one student finally lowers their head in defeat, made to forget the intent of the discussion: learning from the opposing views of others. Still, some students cannot see past others’ masks of confidence, which may lead to shame and isolation, both of which are detrimental to their selfesteem.

This loss of confidence is further exacerbated by the stigma surrounding mental health care; seeking help at Counseling and Psychiatric Services or even privately admitting to our emotions of inadequacy often feels like weakness. If

students continue to perpetuate this know-it-all complex and disregard available health resources, the cycle of low selfesteem will envelop our entire community.

As a freshman, my initial eagerness to learn and fit in with the rest of my peers has dampened. After watching simple, mundane common room conversations devolve into self-important speeches, I eventually grew tired of trying. I cannot count how many times my thought-out arguments have been interrupted by a defensive, self-righteous, “Actually, I watched a documentary on that once,” or “I recently read an article about this.”

I do not solely blame my classmates. As college students caught between the naivete of childhood and the realities of adulthood, we have to present ourselves as self-assured to be respected and heard. After 18 years of being treated delicately, our society expects us to suddenly be full of wisdom and maturity and become functional members of our community.

We hide our personal insecurities behind loud voices, our doubts shadowed by confident smiles. To our peers, professors and parents, we

present armor of false composure. Sadly, many of us end up overreaching into arrogance in a desperate attempt to balance self-praise with self-confidence.

Of course, I do not mean to suggest students should not share knowledge with each other. We can only cultivate diverse communities if students share their distinctive perspectives and cultures. Still, a fine line exists between engaging in productive discourse and purporting to be an expert as an 18-yearold college freshman.

Rather than being afraid of revealing weakness, we must promote a culture conducive to questions and appreciate the inherent value of learning for its own sake. Rather than rejecting opinions and suggestions in favor of celebrating our own ideas, we must allow conversations to continue and learn to respect each other. We need to set realistic expectations for both our college environment and our classmates.

After all, not everyone could have learned all the course books by heart before getting on the Hogwarts Express.

Elaine Chia-Tzu liu is a freshman in the McDonough School of Business.

Let’s talk about Sex(ual) health

ones and zeros

Offer More STI Screenings

Space Partnerships Enable Success

n April 2017, Georgetown University implemented a free and confidential screening for sexually transmitted infections. The screening, now offered once per semester, has had encouraging results. Over 70 people attended the April 2017 screening, and over 250 attended the one offered November 2017.

This growth is most likely the result of the administration’s expansion of services offered at the event. Last spring, only HIV testing was offered, but the screening has since been expanded to include testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea.

The demand for the screenings is clearly large already, and as Georgetown students increasingly expect such services, awareness and interest will only rise.

A free and confidential screening event once a semester is an excellent start, but offering screenings only once a semester constrains the number of students who can be accomodated. Georgetown should offer free, confidential and comprehensive STI screenings at least three times a semester to demonstrate its true commitment to student sexual health on campus.

STI testing is vital to student health care. Half of all sexually active individuals are expected to contract an STI by age 25, and half of new STI cases that occur each year affect people of ages 15 to 24, according to the American Sexual Health Association.

Even with these staggering statistics, ASHA reports only 12 percent of young people have been tested for STIs in the past year. Undiagnosed and untreated STIs can have serious health consequences, including an increased risk of pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancies and infertility.

Although the Student Health Center offers appointments for STI testing and treatment, these appointments can often be far from free — and far from confidential.

The cost of a comprehensive STI screening at the Student Health Center can vary greatly depending on a student’s insurance coverage. Under the university health insurance policy, an STI screening appointment only requires a $10 copay, but other insurance plans have their own associated costs.

Beyond the cost of a screening at the Student Health Center, many students may not want to get tested there for privacy reasons. If students are on their parents’ health insurance, they risk their parents learning about their sex lives through a bill in the mail. As a result, students may choose to maintain confidentiality at the Student Health Center by paying out of pocket. However, paying without insurance coverage can cost hundreds of dollars and is thus not an option for many students.

Talia Parker

Georgetown should offer free, confidential and comprehensive STI screenings at least three times a semester to demonstrate its true commitment to student sexual health on campus.

Alternatively, students can receive reduced-price or even free screenings at various locations around Washington, D.C., such as Whitman-Walker, a community health center, and Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan D.C.

However, the best, most convenient option for students is to be tested for free on campus. To maximize the safety and health of the student body, Georgetown should expand the number of free and confidential screening events offered each semester.

Moreover, Georgetown must host STI screenings with a variety of dates and times.

With only one free event per semester, there is a significant possibility many Georgetown students — between classes, work and meetings — will not be able to attend because of other commitments. The Student Health Center should host numerous screenings per semester so as many students as possible can take full advantage of the service.

Student attendance also depends on robust advertising. As these events become more commonplace, students will know to expect and look out for the screenings. Until then, STI screenings should get their own campuswide email notifications, just as flu shots do.

This ask is far from extraordinary. Stanford University offers “free and anonymous HIV testing, counseling and education” for students every single weekday, according to its website. Having a few screenings per semester is easily achievable for the administration and is well worth the increased cost. Screenings can catch STIs early, before they become serious problems.

Prevention is much cheaper than the inevitable treatment costs of more serious STIs. More importantly, a knowledgeable student body will lead to a healthier student body.

Providing one free screening each semester is a gesture, but hosting multiple screenings demonstrates a true commitment to student health.

Talia Parker is a sophomore in the College. let’s talk about sex(ual) Health appears online every other Thursday.

O

n Feb. 6, SpaceX, an aerospace manufacturer founded and run

by Elon Musk, made history by launching its Falcon Heavy rocket.

The vehicle became the largest of its kind currently in operation to successfully launch a payload into space.

The launch marks a milestone in space exploration and potentially send people to other planets.

While some individuals have rightly praised SpaceX for its progress, the future of space exploration and development does not rest on private companies alone. At a time when private firms are heavily involved in space exploration and research, their achievements must be viewed as the culmination of a partnership with public agencies.

The popular conception of space exploration and rocket ships is largely centered on government projects and NASA. At the mention of space, our minds float to images of Apollo 11 — the mission that put humanity on the moon — all bearing the logo of the agency we associate with space.

The space race that propelled exploration occurred during the Cold War, when global tensions spawned a highly competitive environment for the sake of national security. As a result, the U.S. government allocated millions of dollars to NASA for the development of rockets, satellites and missions to the moon.

Since the Cold War’s end, however, NASA has faced significant budget cuts, stunting the agency’s research and progress in space exploration.

Adjusted for inflation, the agency’s 2017 budget is about half of what it was in the 1960s, when the United States sent astronauts into orbit and to the Moon, according to ResearchGate, a informationsharing website made by and for scientists. Today, the agency receives about $19.3 billion

from the federal government — less than 0.05 percent of the total federal budget, according to The Atlantic. As a result, NASA has cancelled several missions, including a plan to send a research vessel to an asteroid and a satellite lander to one of Jupiter’s moons.

Humza Moinuddin

However, we are mistaken if we view recent advancements as stemming from private companies alone. Rather, recent progress should be attributed to public agencies like NASA. While a limited budget often prohibits NASA’s from pursuing expensive projects, the agency has found a way to continue its pioneering work. The Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984 allowed NASA to partner with private companies. Because of this legislation, private-public partnerships continue to allow the agency to overcome its budget shortcomings and help others make progress in space.

SpaceX is a prime example of the benefits accrued by such partnerships. After the company was founded in 2002, NASA provided it with multimillion-dollar contracts to develop new rockets and send payloads to the International Space Station -- a hub of research and technology that floats 1,200 miles above the

Earth’s surface.

SpaceX has since successfully delivered resources to the ISS, launched research satellites and developed, tested and used self-landing and reusable rockets. Reusable rockets save about $5 million per launch and solve an expensive problem that always plagued the aerospace industry.

It would be wrong to attribute development and advancements in space exploration to SpaceX alone.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ rocket company, Blue Origin, founded in 2000, manufactures reusable rockets for NASA satellites and defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Blue Origin partnered with Boeing, NASA and other governments to deliver satellites into low orbit.

While companies like Blue Origin are less recognizable than SpaceX, they play a crucial role in the future of space exploration. In addition, their achievements rest on the involvement of government agencies like NASA. Without contracts from NASA, SpaceX would struggle to develop new rockets. Similarly, without aerospace company Orbital ATK’s provision of rockets, NASA would be unable to effectively conduct research and experiments.

Recent launches demonstrate continued interest in space. However, we are mistaken if we view recent advancements as stemming from private companies alone. Rather, recent progress should be attributed to public agencies like NASA, which create an environment for success.

If we see greater progress in space exploration, it will be from the private-public partnerships happening right now in the U.S. space industry.

Humza Moinuddin is a senior in the School of Foreign Service.

Ones and Zeros appears online every other Wednesday. Read the full piece online at thehoya. com/category/opinion.

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PAGE FOUR

INSIDE THIS ISSUE A D.C. statehood bill proposed by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) has gained support in the House. Story on A7.

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IN FOCUS REACTION TO PARKLAND verbatim

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It was all about being forward-looking; however, we need to focus on not just the Russians.”

Definers Public Affairs founder Matt Rhoades on foreign interference in elections.

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from our blog

STUDENT WALKOUT AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE

Students across the country marched out of class this week in solidarity with the survivors of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to call attention to the issue and protest for a change in national gun laws to ban automatic weapons like the one used in the Florida shooting.

IS FERGIE UNDERRATED OR JUST MEDIOCRE???

If you love eating at Applebees or wasting hours on Lau 1, don’t worry! You aren’t trash! 4E wants to show you the lesser-known treasures of life! What other hidden gems are you missing out on? blog.thehoya.com

Behind the Scenes: GUSA Campaigns Create, Dispel Images MEENA MORAR Hoya Staff Writer

In the shadow of almost every Georgetown University Student Association presidential candidate, there is a campaign manager striving to launch the ticket to victory on Feb. 22’s election day.

Tasked with communicating their candidates’ platform within the two-week period dictated by GUSA campaign rules, campaign managers devote countless hours to a role frequently overlooked by the student body.

This season, three of four official tickets — Logan Arkema (COL ’20) and Jonathan Compo (COL ’20) have decided to manage their own campaign — have designated a campaign manager to advocate for their vision for Georgetown’s student government. From selecting slogans to strategizing social media campaigns, these students are working behind-the-scenes to create — and, at times, dispel — popular images of their candidates.

INSIDERS VS. OUTSIDERS Starting over winter break, Andrew Straky (COL ’20) spent hours planning a platform with his best friend Josh Sirois (SFS ’20), who is running for the GUSA presidency with Casey Doherty (COL ’20) as his running mate.

Drawing from his experience as high school student body president, Straky said he strived to create a sense of authenticity in the candidates’ message of “moving forward.”

“We sat down with the candidates, asked ‘What do you want to do, what are you going to change and how are you going to do it?’”

Straky said in an interview with THE HOYA. “We wrote everything down, we recorded it and we took quotes exactly from what they said and built the message from that.

We really want to make sure that this isn’t a manufactured message or a fake message. We want it to be authentic and actually come from the candidates themselves, not the team of people.”

Straky said the biggest challenge confronting the SiroisDoherty ticket is combatting the perception that the candidates are insiders who belong to the GUSA establishment.

Sirois is a GUSA senator who has served on the Finance and Appropriations Committee, the senate body that appropriates the Student Activities Fee to student groups, while Doherty has served on GUSA’s Federal and D.C. Relations committee.

“We have to be conscious of the fact that the other tickets are going to try to frame Josh and Casey as the established, as people who are in GUSA and are part of the problem,” Straky said. “We don’t view that as a bad thing. We don’t think you should have no GUSA involvement before running for the leadership. If you really want to change it, you have to know how it works, what works and what doesn’t.”

Aaron Bennett, campaign manager for Sahil Nair (SFS ’19) and Naba Rahman’s (SFS ’19) presidential bid, has taken the opposite tactic: His campaign capitalizes on the candidate’ status as GUSA outsiders.

Bennett was drawn to the campaign by Rahman, his friend of four years, after the pair jointly organized the National Collegiate

Security Conference, a meeting of collegiate Model United Nations teams, last year.

Bennett, who also served as GUSA press secretary under current executives President Kamar Mack (COL ’19) and Vice President Jessica Andino (COL ’18), was intrigued by Nair and Rahman’s message of expanding GUSA to reach the broader student body.

“For years we seem to have a student government that is very insular, that is run by a select group of people and finds trouble breaking out of its bubbles,” Bennett said in an interview with THE HOYA. “I think the perspective that Naba and Sahil bring, and that I bring as well, that message of breaking GUSA out of its shell and getting more people involved in the process, was really appealing to me.”

For weeks, the campaign struggled to encapsulate the entire NairRahman platform into a single tagline, scrapping so many ideas along the way, including “Let’s write this together,” that they nearly ordered their banner too late to hang in Red Square for the campaign’s launch Feb. 8.

Ultimately, the team settled on “Because every voice matters,” a tagline Bennett said captures the candidates’ view that for too long student government has been by GUSA, for GUSA. “As the campaign manager, you have to ask those tough questions of, ‘Is this something you want to move forward with?’” Bennett said. “The tagline is one of the most critical parts of your brand.

At the end of the day, the message needs to resonate with voters, the people.”

STRENGTH THROUGH SERVICE Similarly, Charles Edward Johnson III (COL ’19), deputy campaign manager for the presidential bid of Hunter Estes (SFS ’19) and Richard Howell (SFS ’19), said the campaign’s focus on inclusivity was the impetus behind the “It’s About You” slogan, which aims to express a platform that is built around on students’ needs.

“Although this sounds platitudinous, it’s not about filling resumes or trying to further our own objectives,” Johnson wrote in an email to THE HOYA. “Student government should be for the students first, and I hope that people recognize this in the coming weeks.”

Nevertheless, Johnson said one of the main challenges the campaign was dispelling preconceived notions about his candidate’s commitment to inclusivity, given their previous involvement in Georgetown University College Republicans.

“While it may be easy to put labels on candidates due to prior knowledge, as both candidates have served on the board of College Republicans, we want to prove that we are accepting of all students here,” Johnson wrote.

“We on this campaign respect the dignity and identity of all students, faculty, and staff, and hope to foster a campus of unity.”

Johnson, who works under campaign manager Claire Smith (COL ’19), said the Estes-Howell campaign also navigated other obstacles, including the removal of its banner from Red Square and a shorter timespan to plan the campaign’s strategy relative to that of other candidates.

Smith could not be reached for comment.

“We have been planning the campaign for a shorter time than others, but we can mobilize and reach out to wonderful communities across campus. By working together, we will have a big impact on this campus,” Johnson wrote.

“Unfortunately, we saw the banner come down in Red Square, but this does not let the campaign down or set a bad omen. Resilience is a necessary quality to have in politics, and that this campaign’s resilience, optimism, and tenacity must not be overlooked.”

Nevertheless, Johnson said the central plank of the Estes-Howell ticket, service, shines through in the campaign. This theme, along with his friendship with the candidates, was what drew him to join the campaign in the first place.

“I think that is definitely our core tenet,” Johnson said. “We have had a card-making event in Sellinger where we made cards for hospitalized children around D.C., as well as handed out messages of kindness during midterms.

Georgetown can be an incredibly stressful place, as we all seek to be perfect and successful, but we also want to be a community that supports each other, regardless of competition.”

SERIOUSLY KIDDING Unlike the three other tickets, Arkema and Compo have eschewed the role of a campaign manager in favor of a nonhierarchical campaign structure modeled after Arkema’s experiences with the Georgetown Solidarity Committee, a worker’s advocacy group.

This structure is just another flourish on an already unconventional campaign, which features

Arkema and Compo adopting the personas of fictional comic book characters Batman and Robin.

Although Arkema hopes his satirical candidacy provides “comic relief” in the presidential race, he says his campaign is belied by a sincere message: GUSA is a body that takes itself too seriously.

“There are a lot of well-meaning people in [GUSA], but there are also a lot of people in it who seem to only want a job for their resume and portray themselves in a more serious [way] than is becoming of a student government that has no binding authority on pretty much anything,” Arkema said.

In the run-up to the election this week, Arkema stressed the factors that set his campaign apart: a little bit of disruption and a lot of fun. Still, he acknowledged that his intention was never to win the election, and that remaining in character can sometimes induce strain, particularly on his voice.

“I felt like the campus could use something a little bit different,” Arkema said. “I’m not here to win.

I’m here to have a fun time. This has been my creative fun project for me.”

But the Arkema-Compo campaign shared at least one characteristic with the three other tickets: its emphasis on opening up GUSA to outsiders.

“People who don’t share the identities that we do need to be the ones who are making the decisions and having greater influence in GUSA,” Arkema said. “People appreciate realism and frankness, and breaking the Georgetown bubble that we are tempted to create for ourselves.”

LEFT: GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY; MIDDLE: GEORGETOWN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS CLUB; RIGHT: COURTESY CHARLES JOHNSON

Campaign managers Andrew Straky for Josh Sirois and Casey Doherty, left, Aaron Bennett for Sahil Nair and Naba Rahman, and Charles Edward Johnson III for Hunter Estes and Richard Howell give an exclusive look behind the scenes of planning a campaign for the GUSA executive branch. The ticket of Logan Arkema and Jonathan Compo managed their own campaign.

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3 New Members Confirmed to GUSA Constitutional Council Elizabeth Ash Hoya Staff Writer

Three new members of the Georgetown University Student Association Constitutional Council took office Feb. 14 after the GUSA senate voted to approve their nominations.

Allie Phillips (COL ’20), William Morris (COL ’19) and Mariah Johnson (COL ’21) were confirmed as councilmembers, and Phillips was confirmed as chair of the council, ending nearly a month of uncertainty regarding whether the council would be filled during the GUSA election season.

The three-member council, charged with interpreting GUSA bylaws, often adjudicates election-related disputes that are left unresolved by the GUSA

Election Commission.

The previous group of councilmembers — Russell Wirth (COL ’19), Mattie Haag (COL ’18) and Jonathan Lanz (COL ’19) — resigned simultaneously Jan. 19 amid tensions with the GUSA senate, including some senators’ efforts to impeach Wirth for trying to hold his seat while studying abroad and an increasingly hostile relationship following the council’s invalidation of a senate-approved referendum in January 2016.

“I do not expect that we will play a role in the upcoming election,” Phillips wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Unless a petition is filed that the Election Commission incorrectly applied the rules, or did so with bias, there is no capacity for the Council to act. If a petition

is filed, then we will adjudicate the case at that time.”

Morris agreed, adding that the election commission “has done a stellar job managing this campaign season.”

“In my view, the best role for the Constitutional Council in an election is none at all,” Morris wrote in an email to The Hoya.

GUSA President Kamar Mack (COL ’19) and Vice President Jessica Andino (COL ’18) nominated Phillips, Morris and Johnson to serve on the constitutional council on Feb. 9.

The application process for candidates consisted of a written application and interviews conducted by the executive, according to Mack and Andino.

Mack and Andino said the new councilmember different class years are an asset.

“Allie, Mariah and William all stood out as thoughtful, dedicated applicants who would bring a diverse set of perspectives to the Council,” Mack and Andino wrote in an email to The Hoya. “It is a major benefit that the three of them come from different class years and will be able to build institutional memory.”

However, neither Phillips nor Morris expect to be involved in this year’s election or referendum.

Mack and Andino first nominated Johnson for chair and Phillips and Morris to be councilmembers. The senate considered these nominations Feb. 11 but ultimately voted against Johnson’s and Morris’sconfirmation because of concerns about Johnson’s

anne Stonecipher/The Hoya

Three members of the Georgetown University Student Association constitutional council, Allie Phillips (COL ’20), William Morris (COL ’19) and Mariah Johnson (COL ’21), took office Feb. 14 after the GUSA senate approved the nominations.

impartiality and experience, according to GUSA Senate Speaker Ben Baldwin (SFS ’19).

“During the course of the Feb. 11 meeting, it was discovered there was an issue involving [Johnson] and a potential campaign rules violation that raised concerns among senators,” Baldwin wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Baldwin added that many senators felt Morris should serve as chair rather than Johnson given his experience in the senate, which involved writing bylaws, and in previously arguing the referendum case before the Constitutional Council in January 2016.

GUSA Senator Sam Dubke (SFS ’21) also expressed concerns about Johnson’s involvement with Sahil Nair (SFS ’19) and Naba Rahman’s (SFS ’19) campaign for the GUSA executive. He cited an email Johnson sent to various cultural groups on campus Feb. 6, two days before the official campaign start date. Sending campaign emails before the official campaign period violates GUSA campaign rules.

Both Johnson and Morris said they had minimal interaction with GUSA executive campaigns when questioned by senators, according to Dubke.

“They said that they had never been in candidate meetings, had never strategized with any campaign, and had never sent out emails on behalf of any campaign. I then quoted an email in which [Johnson] reached out to various cultural groups on campus on behalf of the [Nair] and [Rahman] campaign,” Dubke wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“This directly contradicted what [Johnson] had previously stated about her campaign involvement.”

GUSA Election Commissioner Grady Willard (SFS ’18) resolved Johnson’s campaign rules violation at the time without incident, Baldwin said.

At the Feb. 11 session, GUSA senator Nick Zeffiro (SFS ’18) also questioned whether Johnson had sufficient experience to chair the council.

“While she seemed quite capable of serving on the council in my opinion, I did not find her as a freshman, brand new to GUSA, and unaware of many GUSA bylaws and our history as qualified as William Morris, a junior, who served in the GUSA Senate with me last year and even argued a case before the past Constitutional Council,” Zeffiro wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Johnson declined to comment on the confirmation process, apart from saying it “followed guidelines set out by the GUSA constitution.”

After debate, 10 senators voted to confirm the nominees, 10 voted against and four abstained.

Without the required simple majority, the proposal failed to pass.

GUSA senators rejected the original nomination with the intent of confirming a different chair, according to Zeffiro.

The senators wanted Mack, who attended the meeting, to immediately re-nominate Morris as chair and Johnson as councilmember. Mack declined because Andino was not present, Zeffiro said.

Only the executive can alter the candidates’ positions as chair or councilmember the senate does not have the authority to rearrange nominees’ roles, according to Baldwin.

“After much debate, both of the nominees were voted down,” Baldwin wrote. “The decision was made to rearrange the order of the nominees and reintroduce them during a special session of the Senate.”

On Feb. 14, the senate reconvened and confirmed Phillips as chair and Morris and Johnson as councilmember. All 21 senators who were present voted in favor of the three councilmembers’ confirmation.

Dubke said he believes in Johnson’s impartiality, despite doubting that she had enough experience for the position of chair.

GUSA executive elections for president and vice president are set for Feb. 22. The vote also includes a referendum to change senate elections from geographic to class year-based representation and update protections in GUSA bylaws.

Board of Directors Meets, Agrees on New 5-Year Plan Sarah Mendelsohn Hoya Staff Writer

A new five-year financial plan including provisions for renovations to campus buildings and an increase in financial aid received approval from Georgetown University’s board of directors at its winter meeting last week, as well as an additional natural science requirement for undergraduate students and a new certificate in Catholic clinical ethics.

Under the new financial plan, financial aid is expected to increase to $209 million dollars in fiscal year 2019, when the plan takes effect. Rachel Pugh, senior director for strategic communications, said the university is committed to providing educational opportunities to students regardless of their financial situations.

The new financial plan embodies the board’s dedication to expanding access to a George-

town education and strengthening the university’s competiveness, according to a Feb. 15 news release.

“We are actively working to minimize tuition increases, and we maintain our deep commitment to attracting the brightest students regardless of their financial circumstances,” Pugh wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Undergraduate tuition increased to $53,520 for the 20182019 school year — a 3.5 percent increase over the previous year — the university announced last month.

According to Pugh, the funds for the increased financial aid included in the five-year plan will come from donations and Georgetown’s endowment.

“The increase in financial aid in the plan is covered by both increasing in philanthropic dollars, both current use and projected payout on endowments and other unrestricted sources

of revenue,” Pugh wrote.

New cost-cutting measures will minimize tuition increases, according to the news release.

These measures include reducing travel costs, renegotiating office supply and copying agreements and implementing a new one-year waiting period for new employees to receive matching contributions from the university to their retirement funds.

The board also discussed a plan to improve access to mental health resources for Georgetown students, according to Pugh. It is exploring a potential collaboration with MedStar Georgetown University Hospital to make more psychologists and therapists available to students.

A new science requirement for undergraduate students also received approval at the meeting. Students in all four undergraduate schools will have to complete a natural science course, beginning with students entering in the fall of

2019. A course in biology, chemistry, physics, cognitive science or neuroscience would fulfill the requirement, as would interdisciplinary classes like environmental science.

The university’s financial plan for fiscal years 2019 to 2022 also includes provisions for renovations for 19 apartments in Alumni Square. The board also continued to explore repairs for Kehoe Field. Pugh said the new financial plan will increase campus facility renovations.

“We are looking to dedicate a higher level of annual spending in this plan towards renovations and repair of our existing facilities, including residence halls,” Pugh wrote.

Ricardo Mondolfi (SFS ’19), a Georgetown University Student Association representative to the board of directors, said GUSA continued to push for Henle Village renovations in the board’s meeting. Though

the board did not approve renovations for Henle, Mondolfi emphasized the need for students to advocate for the renovations they want in order to push those renovations to the top of the list of potential projects.

“What we need to do as students, as GUSA, is making sure that we are continuing to lobby for the spaces we want to see renovated first,” Mondolfi said in an interview with The Hoya.

Pugh said the funding for these new renovations will come from the university’s cash flow and the savings it will accumulate over the next five years.

“The funding for these projects comes from our operating cash flow and increased savings over the life of the plan,” Pugh wrote.

The board also approved a new Catholic Clinical Ethics certificate and master’s program. Georgetown University School of Medicine will offer

the certificate in the fall in collaboration with the Catholic University of America and the Catholic Health Association.

The new certificate was created to address moral medical issues and Catholic ethical challenges in health care, according to the news release.

The certificate will combine Catholic ethics with traditional clinical bioethics to better prepare students to work in Catholic hospitals, according to Dr. G. Kevin Donovan, director of the Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics at the Georgetown University Medical Center. “[The certificate and degree program] will provide a unique education, balancing clinical bioethics with a strong foundation in traditional Catholic ethics,” Donovan wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Those receiving this training will be prepared for various leadership roles in both Catholic and secular health care institutions.”

Department of Justice Council Sues University Over Age Discrimination Meena Morar Hoya Staff Writer

George Mazza, 62-year-old Department of Justice senior counsel, filed a lawsuit against Georgetown University on Feb. 12, raising claims of age discrimination after being denied admission to the doctoral program in theological and religious studies.

Mazza claimed his rejection from the program violates the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 and the Washington, D.C. Human Rights Act of 1977, both of which prohibit discrimination from activities and jobs on the grounds of an applicant’s age.

As Georgetown receives federal financial assistance, the university is legally required to adhere to provisions of the ADA and DCHRA. Mazza applied for Georgetown’s doctoral program in theological and religious studies, an interdisciplinary program created to explore the comparative study of theology and religion, for entrance in fall 2017. Mazza believed that he was denied admission based on his age and not his qualifications, according to the suit filed in the D.C. District Court.

“Plaintiff Mazza brings this action for declaratory and injunctive relief and damages arising from the Defendant’s refusal to admit him to the doctoral program be-

cause of age, notwithstanding his exceptional credentials and qualifications,” the complaint said.

The program offers five years of full funding, including tuition, healthcare coverage and a stipend, according to the program’s website. There are currently 21 students in the program.

When Mazza reached out to admissions for an explanation for his rejection for the program, admissions committee member of the program, professor Peter Phan, allegedly told Mazza that he would not be considered for the position based on his age, according to Mazza’s official complaint.

“No major university would consider [Mazza] for a fulltime, tenure-track, position because of this age, and because of that the admissions committee could not justify offering him a position within the doctoral program, despite his qualifications,” Mazza’s complaint said.

Georgetown Graduate Admissions could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.

Christopher Mackaronis, attorney with Stone, Mattheis, Xenopoulos, & Brew, PC, outlined Mazza’s requests.

“The Complaint asks that Mr. Mazza be admitted to the program in the fall of 2018 on the same conditions of all younger candi-

dates, along with compensatory damages, counsel fees and costs,” Mackaronis wrote in an email to the Hoya.

Mazza’s decision to file a lawsuit against Georgetown is not only out of the personal desire to receive fair admission, but also to help ease the stigma against older students.

“Hopefully, the suit will force academia to address, and eliminate, the type of stereotypical age discrimination that infected Georgetown’s admission decision in this matter,” Mackaronis said.

Phan allegedly told Mazza that the university chose a younger candidate for the program, Mazza said.

“Two similarly qualified candidates applied for a tenure-track position, and one was thirty-five and the other sixty-five, the Department would clearly prefer the younger candidate,” Mazza raised in his complaint.

In 2013, a similar lawsuit was brought against the Georgetown by former North Dakota Attorney General Nicholas Spaeth. Claiming age discrimination, Spaeth — then 63 years old — sued Georgetown and five other universities when he was denied an interview during the 2010-11 faculty member recruitment process.

Spaeth cited violations against the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as well as the DCHRA. This suit differs from

Mazza’s as Spaeth was applying for a job, while Mazza applied as a student. Spaeth’s lawsuit was eventually dropped, after the claim was deemed to have insufficient supporting evidence. Spaeth later died in March 2014.

According to Mazza’s complaint, he was encouraged by faculty at Georgetown to apply. Mazza holds a master’s of arts degree from the Divinity School of the University of Chicago, master’s of divinity degree from St. Meinrad School of Theology, a master’s of public administration degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center. Mazza’s research made him qualified for the position, according to the official complaint.

“In April 2016, and again in November 2016, Drs. Leo D. Lefebure and Peter C. Phan encouraged the Plaintiff to apply to the Department’s doctoral program, stating that the course of studies that the Plaintiff was proposing in Christian-Jewish relations was well-suited to the resources and expertise’s of the Department,” the suit said.

Mazza requests the university admit him into the program with full reimbursement for all charges, including lost career opportunities and emotional pain and suffering that he endured, according to the complaint.

Ryan Bae /the hoya

George Mazza, Department of Justice senior counsel, filed a lawsuit against the university, claiming age discrimination.

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friday, FEBRUary 23, 2018

Referenda Questions Pass With Overwhelming Support REFERENDUM, from A1 To pass, a constitutional referendum must receive support from two-thirds of voters and at least 25 percent of the student body overall.

A bill to hold the referendum passed last month with 23 senators voting in favor of adding the questions to the executive election ballot on Hoyalink. Two senators voted against, calling the referendum a waste of the senate’s time, and one abstained.

Yesterday’s referendum is the third in a series of referendums proposing reforms to the GUSA senate and constitution in the past two years. An essentially identical referendum appeared on a ballot last spring; it failed to pass after failing to reach the 25 percent support threshold.

Last spring’s referendum came shortly after a more ambitious referendum in December 2016 that received enough votes to pass but was later invalidated by GUSA’s judicial body, the Constitutional Council, which ruled that the referendum was not properly explained to the student body in a timely way as required by GUSA bylaws.

The December 2016 referendum proposed replacing the senate entirely with a smaller legislative body. The new assembly would have focused

largely on allocating student activity fees to clubs, a task currently handled by the senate’s Finance and Appropriations Committee.

GUSA senators supporting the referendum said the changes would make the GUSA senate more accountable to the student body.

GUSA senate Speaker Ben Baldwin (SFS ’19) said classbased elections would ensure senators are accountable to their constituents, because they would represent the same ones each year.

“Frankly, under our current system, Senators are not accountable to the students they represent because they most likely will not be living in the same geographic district for more than one year and students cannot vote a second time on whether their Senator fulfilled their promises,” Baldwin wrote in a January email to The Hoya.

Baldwin also said students’ interests align more closely with their class years than with their residential halls.

“The issues that a sophomore or junior face have more to do with major selection, meal plans, their academic futures, or any number of other issues regardless of whether they live in McCarthy or Alumni Square,” Baldwin wrote.

Moving elections for non-

freshman senators to the spring rather the fall would foster better cooperation between the senate and the GUSA executive and give potential candidates more time to prepare their campaigns, GUSA senate Vice Speaker Sylvia Levy (SFS ’18) said.

“Moving the majority of Senate elections to April will increase cohesion between the Executive branch and the Senate — members of both will be able to closely work with one another starting over the summer and through the academic year,” Levy wrote in a January email to The Hoya.

The two GUSA senators who opposed holding the referendum, Sean Lerner (SFS ’20) and Nick Zeffiro (SFS ’18), said they considered the third senate-focused referendum in two years a waste of GUSA’s time.

“If there were any lessons learned from last year’s GUSA Senate, it was that reorganizing referendums are a potentially embarrassing waste of time,” Lerner wrote in a January email to The Hoya. “I came into the year confident that this year’s GUSA Senate would be able to achieve real goals, and that senators would keep their promise of ‘no more referendums’ that many came into the year with. Clearly, this didn’t happen.”

FILE PHOTO: will cromarty/THE HOYA

Georgetown University Student Association Senate Speaker Ben Baldwin (SFS ’19), left, and Vice Speaker Sylvia Levy (SFS ’18) are among the referendum’s proponents in the GUSA senate.

Deputy mayor for education for D.C.

Jennifer Niles, the former deputy mayor for education, resigned last week after it emerged she allowed former Chancellor Antwan Wilson’s child to bypass school district boundary regulations.

DCPS Officials’ Resignations Put System Under Scrutiny DCPS, from A1 Still, this was a huge mistake.”

Joe Weedon, Ward 6 representative on the D.C. Board of Education, said this scandal only adds to the troubles DCPS is facing following the recent discovery of inflated graduation rates.

“Parental confidence in our public schools has already been shaken by the graduation scandal,” Weedon said. “This further demonstrates that public officials are not being held accountable for following policies and procedures that are in place and that our school’s chancellor did not believe that his neighborhood school was an option for his own student.”

Weedon, who is also a DCPS parent, said Wilson’s actions may cause uncertainty among parents in the quality of schools.

“As a parent, if the Chancellor doesn’t have confidence in his neighborhood school, how can you?” Weedon said.

Bowser released a statement Feb. 20 clarifying that Niles and Wilson were in violation of mayor’s orders 2017-125 and 2017158 which “prohibited public officials from obtaining discretionary transfers.”

Wilson approved the out-ofbounds measures in June 2017.

The regulations clarified the chancellor has some discretionary power over out-of-boundary school transfers but that this power was to be used only in specific and extenuating circumstances.

Chancellor’s directive 103 specifically states that “this discretionary transfer process is not available for current or former public officials.”

Bowser initially declined to fire Wilson, and said that she has “set out a series of corrective actions for Chancellor Wilson,” which include removing his child from “the out-of-boundary school” and a referral to the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability.

Bowser’s initial refusal to remove Wilson from his position, despite precedent set by Henderson, has caused her opponents in the upcoming 2018 mayoral primary elections to criticize her attitude toward education policy.

James Butler (D-Ward 5), an advisory neighborhood commissioner for Ward 5 and candidate in the upcoming Democratic Party primary for mayor of D.C., said Bowser’s handling of the scandal reflects her elevated confidence heading into the mayoral election.

“Mayor Bowser has handled the controversy like a candidate that has gotten too comfortable because she believes her reelection bid is secure,” Butler said.

“When she learned of the controversy, there should have been no other discussion besides resignation. Her confidence should have been completely lost at the point when she discovered that.”

Butler says this scandal will negatively affect Bowser in the upcoming election.

“The people will see that the platform that Bowser ran on, a platform of transparency, she’s been the least and her administration has been the least of transparent administrations,” Butler said. “We’ve had controversy after controversy, and it’s primarily involved a lack of transparency.”

June 2017 polling recorded 67 percent of D.C. residents support Bowser, according to The Washington Post, leading many to believe that Mayor Bowser will win reelection.

Wilson issued a public apology to the DCPS community last Friday.

“My actions did not align with DCPS policy,” Wilson said.

“In [making the transfer], I failed the school system and the DC community.”

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson supported Wilson’s resignation, explaining that DCPS needs to move past the recent scandals.

“It’s clear that the public has lost confidence in the school system and the District has been consumed by this controversy for days,” Mendelson said at a press event Tuesday. “We need to get back to educating.”

Butler suggested in order to diminish the consistent scandals surrounding the lottery system, oversight of it be given to an independent body, outside of the control of the mayor’s office.

“The only way to really resolve this controversy is to elect a leader like myself, a leader who is willing to divest power from the mayor’s office and put it in an independent school board to select a chancellor or superintendent,” Butler said.

Silverman said this moment in D.C. politics demonstrates the need for change in the system.

“There is a culture of doing whatever it takes, including cooking the books and fudging the numbers, to show student improvement,” Silverman said in a statement released Wednesday. “This cannot continue.”

Students Reject Satirical, Conservative Tickets in Exec Race gUSA, from A1 against the campaign are “baseless.”

“We’re incredibly grateful that we earned the majority of the student body’s support tonight. Many thanks to all of our supporters, as well Logan and Jonathan as well as Hunter and Richard — both of whom graciously conceded on election night,” Bennett wrote in an email to The Hoya. “While disappointed in baseless allegations, we are excited to assume leadership of student government at Georgetown and are confident that Sahil and Naba will serve this campus valiantly and effectively as Executives.”

GUSA Election Commission Co-Chair Grady Willard (SFS ’18) said the Election Commission had done its job in counting the vote, announcing the election results and making sure all candidates followed election rules. Sirois and Doherty did not provide evidence to convince the Election Commission that the Nair-Rahman campaign had violated any rules, Willard said.

However, he and Election Commissioner Grant Castle (SFS ’21) acknowledged the Election Commission has always had limited capacity to investigate candidates’ finances, particularly when it comes to social media technology.

“There’s an ambiguity that it is, in our opinion, impossible to determine exactly what happened with the social media technology,” Castle said. “We have to act in good faith that they are being honest about what they reported.”

Castle said the GUSA senate must pass a bylaws resolution to prohibit the use of campaign finances for social media advertise-

ments that cannot be easily verified in future elections. Willard, who has worked on the Election Commission for four years and graduates in the spring, went a step further.

“The whole issue in general of campaign finance is something that is desperately, really really desperately broken and needs to be fixed,” Willard said. “I am of the personal belief that of all the campaigns I have seen in four years … of the candidates that spent the maximum amount of money, there is a strong chance that some of them just didn’t report additional expenses. Because there’s no way for us to check.”

Willard added, “I’m not sure if this is a widespread phenomenon; I’m absolutely sure it’s been done.

And it’s broader than this election. It needs to be really critically looked at.”

Conflicts over election results are not uncommon. The election of former executives Khan and Fisk in 2016 was embroiled in conflict long after election day, and the results of a constitutional referendum were voided by the Constitutional Council in January 2017 after allegations that the referendum did not follow GUSA bylaws.

The GUSA senate will hold a vote to confirm Nair and Rahman on Sunday.

At an election night party in Henle Village, Nair and Rahman heard of their victory in a call from outgoing executive Mack at about 2:30 a.m. Moments after receiving the news, Nair said he was content to see their inclusive campaign succeed, in an interview with The Hoya.

“I’m feeling exhilarated and humbled. I’m at a loss for words,” Nair said. “Georgetown made their voice heard and we proved that ev-

ery voice matters. We proved that it doesn’t matter if you’re a GUSA outsider.”

Overall voter turnout was 39 percent, according to the GUSA Election commission. Rahman said the ticket’s participatory platform incorporated students who would not otherwise participate in GUSA elections.

“I don’t believe this happened, I’ve been looking forward to this moment for the longest time and it’s here and I can’t believe it,” Rahman said. “A lot of people voted for us who don’t usually vote for GUSA, and that shows the power GUSA has. We are excited for the year ahead.”

The pair said their first priority in office is to reach out to as many students as possible and to foster effective dialogue.

“We want to be the people’s executive, and we’re excited to do that,” Nair said.

Arkema and Compo, who openly admitted to hoping they would not win, have largely satirized the GUSA race rather than promote specific policy goals. Arkema is a GUSA senator, and Compo is the technical director for Mask and Bauble Dramatic Society’s “Footloose” musical production this spring.

Estes and Howell ran on an ambitious plan to rein in tuition costs and instill a sense of community and a culture of service on campus.

Estes has served on the GUSA senate’s Finance and Appropriations Committee, which allocates about $1 million to university clubs annually, and headed Georgetown’s chapter of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic service fraternal organization. Howell is also a member of the Knights of Columbus and serves on the associate board of the Lecture Fund.

anna kovacevich/THE HOYA

Richard Howell (SFS ’19) and Hunter Estes (SFS ’19), top, were eliminated in the second round of voting. Logan Arkema (COL ‘20) and Jonathan Compo (COL ‘20) were eliminated in the third round.

News

friday, FEBRUARY 23, 2018

THE HOYA

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DC Statehood Bill Gains Traction in House of Representatives ELIZABETH DOUGLAS

Democratic Caucus supports the bill.

However, a Republicancontrolled Congress poses a threat to the bill’s passage.

Republican leaders in Congress have made it clear that they oppose giving more autonomy to D.C. In recent weeks, congressional leaders have taken steps to ramp up more oversight and control

Special to The Hoya

A bill to grant statehood to Washington, D.C., reached a supermajority co-sponsorship

by Democrats in the House of Representatives on Thursday with the signatures of four new representatives, meaning that over 75 percent, or 146 members, of the House

over the District, with plans to loosen the city’s gun laws and attack the city’s newly enacted assisted suicide law and use of local funding to provide abortion services for women.

Introduced by D.C.’s nonvoting representative in the House, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), the bill is the latest development in a decadeslong

effort by D.C. officials and residents to achieve full statehood for the District. The bill has the highest co-sponsor count of any D.C. statehood bill so far. With this landmark, the bill has been lauded as a significant milestone by Holmes and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D).

The bill would separate a federal district, which would include the Supreme Court,

MISCELLANEOUS

Keenan Samway for The Hoya

The decades-long push for D.C. statehood gained traction last week after gaining 146 co-signers in the House Democratic Caucus for a new D.C. statehood bill proposed by D.C.’s nonvoting representative in the House, Del. Eleanor Norton Holmes (D-D.C.).

Congress and the White House, from the city of Washington, according to the mayor’s Director of Federal Affairs Eugene Kinlow.

A bill for D.C. statehood has never attained the level of congressional support this bill has now. Reps. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.), Ann McLane Kuster (D-N.H.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) supported the bill.

D.C. would become a state with full congressional representation and the same degree of self-government afforded to the other 50 U.S. states. The District does not have any representatives in the Senate.

A long history of attempts to achieve statehood or voting congressional representation for D.C. precedes this bill. Historical figures from Frederick Douglass and Edward Kennedy to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have publicly lamented D.C.’s lack of representation.

Bowser’s office has made efforts to move the statehood issue forward in recent months, after beginning in earnest in November 2016, when 86 percent of D.C. residents voted in favor of statehood in a referendum.

According to Kinlow, that referendum “set the ball in motion,” prompting Bowser to send a letter to representatives on Capitol Hill urging them to sign on to Norton’s bill as cosponsors. Kinlow credits this letter, in part, with the bill’s success so far.

For all the mayor’s efforts, the bill remains 72 votes away from passage in the House, let alone in the Senate. However, Kinlow considers the high cosponsor count a milestone for the movement.

“This is a high-water mark. [It means] we have more co-sponsors for this piece of legislation than we’ve ever had. We’re excited,” Kinlow said in an interview with The Hoya.

Michael McGough, Washington-based senior editor of the Los Angeles Times and outspoken opponent of D.C. statehood, is more skeptical.

“I think it’s significant in that it shows that the movement for D.C. statehood is getting the support of the Democratic party, and I suspect that it will continue to gain support,” McGough said. “I would be very surprised if it gained enough support in both parties to move the ball forward to [the point] where you would actually have legislation to push statehood forward anytime soon.”

The bill is significantly more popular among Democrats than Republicans because of the assumption that new D.C. members of Congress would be Democrats, McGough said.

Norton said she sees this bill more as a method of building inertia for the movement, rather than as a real contender for immediate passage into law.

“I thank my colleagues for helping us build momentum, ensuring a lasting foundation even while Republicans control both houses of Congress and the White House,” Norton said in a Feb. 14 news release.

“My colleagues are helping us to be ready for when we get a congressional majority that will demand equality of citizenship, particularly for D.C. residents, who rank number one in federal taxes per capita paid to support our government.”

Kinlow said the D.C. statehood is more relevant now than ever.

“This country has been involved in a number of tremendous conversations up on Capitol Hill that define our values over the last couple of months, whether it’s in respect to a budget, or a tax cut, or immigration,” Kinlow said. “It’s not a full conversation without the voice and the vote of the citizens of Washington, D.C.”

Budget to Eliminate Tuition Grants Katrina Schmidt Hoya Staff Writer

President Donald Trump’s 2019 budget proposal includes the elimination of the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant program, which provides grants for Washington, D.C. residents attending college across the country.

DCTAG receives $40 million in annual funding from the federal government that would be eliminated under Trump’s plan. The program currently provides financial assistance to D.C. residents attending public institutions nationwide, as well as private, nonprofit and historically black colleges and universities in the D.C. metro area. The proposed elimination stated that the D.C. government is in a more stable financial position now than it was in 1999, when the program was passed, and that D.C. can find local funds to provide for its residents.

“There are many Federal programs available to all Americans that help ensure continued college access,” the budget proposal read.

The program helps compensate for the lack of in-state university system in the District.

While students from nearby Virginia and Maryland can save tens of thousands of dollars on in-state tuition at several public institutions, D.C. has only three public colleges and universities: the National Intelligence University, the University of the District of Co-

lumbia and University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) said this funding is especially important given the current cost of higher education.

“In 2018, when the cost of college is at an all-time high, it is unfathomable that any leader would propose eliminating a program like DCTAG rather than expanding it,” Bowser said in a Feb. 15 email.

Under the program’s current guidelines, students can receive up to $2,500 for private institutions and HBCUs in the D.C. area, and up to $10,000 for public institutions across the country. Georgetown University is a DCTAG-eligible school, as a nonprofit, private university in D.C. Over 26,000 students have received $350 million in funding through the program since its beginning in 2000, according to District officials.

Currently, students at over 300 colleges and universities across the country are beneficiaries of DCTAG. Advocates of the program say it has helped low- and middle-income D.C. students attend college. Most DCTAG recipients come from families with incomes below $30,000, according to Bowser.

“To reduce inequality and create more pathways to the middle class for our young people and their families, we must continue to open doors of opportunity,” Bowser said in the Feb. 15 email.

However, critics have cited graduation rates of DCTAG students that are lower than the national average as evidence that the program is unsuccessful.

In November 2017, the Senate Appropriations Committee proposed a bill that would cut spending on DCTAG to $30 million — a 25 percent reduction, but a drastically smaller cut than Trump’s proposal.

The appropriations document said only about 51 percent of program participants graduated within six years, compared to the nationwide 60 percent six-year graduation rate, according to the most recent data available.

However, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) is a strong proponent of the program and has announced her commitment to maintaining its funding. She assured students and their families she does not expect DCTAG students to lose their grants.

Norton said DCTAG is generally a bipartisan program, as it has received funding through administrations of former Presidents George Bush and Barack Obama.

“DCTAG has been funded every year by Republican and Democratic Congresses alike and, unlike Trump this year, Republican presidents as well, since its creation,” Norton said in a Feb. 12 news release. “This draconian and backwards budget shows how out of touch this administration is with reality.”

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Live Near Campus Senior Year. Visit www.Georgetown.Rentals to view 2019-20 houses.

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Top: File photo: Spencer Cook/THE HOYa; Bottom: Keenan samway for the hoya

President Trump’s new budget proposal threatens to end the Washington, D.C. TAG program, which provides grants for D.C. residents attending universities all over the nation.

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Experts Talk Cybersecurity, Digital Activists Discuss Muslim Ban, Encroachment on Democracy Call for Government Action erin doherty AND paula hong Hoya Staff Writer

To counter the threat of digital encroachment on politics, government officials must be forward-thinking to anticipate challenges, said Matt Rhoades, the founder of Definers Public Affairs and the former campaign manager for Governor Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign, at an event Friday afternoon.

Titled “Defending Digital Democracy: A Conversation on Protecting Campaigns with Robby Mook and Matt Rhoades,” the event featured a conversation between Rhoades and Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School and CNN Contributor Robby Mook, who managed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Mo Elleithee, the executive director of the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service, moderated the event.

The conversation served as a platform for Rhoades and Mook to discuss their recently published “Cybersecurity Campaign Playbook,” a handbook that provides simple and achievable steps to keep a campaign secure, according to the introduction published on the Harvard Belfer Center’s website.

The discussion also focused on digital democracy as a bipartisan issue, a theme demonstrated by the inclusion of political operatives from different parties.

The event opened with a discussion of Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Mook emphasized that, to prevent future interference, government officials need to anticipate areas that are susceptible to cyberattack.

“Russians were acting and seeking to either influence or disrupt the election,” Mook said. “The most important thing [is] to be forward-looking — what are we doing to prevent this from happening?”

Rhoades echoed Mook’s sentiment regarding the need to be forward-thinking, adding that he believes it is important to look beyond Russian interference when examining digital encroachment.

“It was all about being forward-looking; however, we need to focus on not just the Russians,” Rhoades said. “In the fall of 2011, I found out that one day our system had been breached by an outside entity in China. There are other states out there, and we are lucky to work at Harvard and the Belfer Center where people are really focused on today’s biggest cybersecurity threats, like Iran.”

The two experts also discussed their motives for

publishing the “Cybersecurity Campaign Playbook,” which was published last fall. Rhoades said he was motivated by a need to disseminate practical, easy-to-understand information to communicate how to keep political campaigns free from interference.

“We wanted to do practical things, so first we put together a playbook for people who are working on campaigns all over the country,” Rhoades said. “The first thing about the playbook is that it needed to be practical, digestible and with a lot of free options. That was the theory and concept of why we put it together.”

Defending digital information is crucial, especially given the growing threat of people wanting to exploit digital information, Rhoades said.

“You wouldn’t believe how many leaders are out there who want their own personal accounts,” Rhoades said.

Mook advocated for government action to ensure cybersecurity, encouraging officials to look past just election interference.

“Sometimes our focus was too much on elections and administrators and not enough on legislators and Congress,” Mook said.

“The system is set up that it’s not conducive to secure it, but that’s up to the legislators to put pressure on the legislators to get more security measures, to get Congress to put money and resources into the system.”

Anna kovacevich/the hoya

Matt Rhoades, the founder of Definers Public Affairs and the former campaign manager for Governor Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign, and CNN Contributor Robby Mook discussed cybersecurity.

Deepika Jonnalagadda Hoya Staff Writer

The level of animosity directed toward the MuslimAmerican community under President Donald Trump’s administration is unprecedented, Pennsylvania State University law professor Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia (LAW ’99) argued in an event Thursday evening in the Leavey Center Program Room.

Titled “Unpacking the Muslim Bans: A Conversation on Islamophobia in the Courts and the Administration,” the event featured an address in which Wadhia described the details and legality of the executive orders that have attempted to prevent citizens from Muslim majority countries from entering the United States.

Trump signed his first executive order Jan 27, 2017 banning foreign nationals from seven majority Muslim countries from entering the country for 90 days. Several federal judges blocked the ban in its various iterations, including United States District Court Judge James Robart (LAW ’73), who suspended Trump’s Jan. 27 executive order in February 2017.

Since the order went into effect, an additional executive order and presidential proclamation were signed adjusting the restrictions of the ban in March and September respectively. In December 2017, the Supreme Court granted the Trump administration’s request to temporarily reinstate the latest executive order to its full effect as the case against its legality is litigated in court.

The event was organized by The Bridge Initiative, an ongoing research project on Islamophobia based on the university’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. It was cosponsored by the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies and Georgetown University Law Center’s Office of Equity, Community and Inclusion.

A conversation between Wadhi — founder and director of the Center for Immigrants’ Rights Clinic, which provides policy development, legal support and community outreach and education to organizations and individuals seeking assistance — and Bridge Initiative Senior Research fellow Arsalan Iftikhar followed the address.

Wadhia said one of the main legal arguments against the immigration restrictions is the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which protects freedom of religion in the United States.

“The primary constitutional argument has been that a proclamation violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, and the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment states the government cannot favor one religion over another,” Wadhia said.

Trump’s rhetoric against

Georgetown University chinese student and scholars association

Immigration expert Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia and Senior Research Fellow for the Bridge Initiative Arsalan Iftikhar discussed the Muslim ban. the Muslim community can be used to demonstrate his bias in potential court briefings, Wadhia said.

“His rhetoric could be important. It will be important in the briefings of the court, especially around the Establishment Clause claims, because part of the argument is that his statements on the campaign trail and after the inauguration showed that he had an animus in creating the executive orders,” Wadhia said.

The decision by the Supreme Court to reinstate the ban resulted in confusion over the extent of its application, Wadhia said.

“It partially reinstated the ban for anybody who lacked a credible bona fide relationship to a person or an entity,” Wadhia said. “Immediately, lack of clarity ensued on what is a bona fide relationship and the Department of State and Department of Homeland Security issued guidance in a very narrow way.”

Wadhia said that families, especially those of international students, will face a significant impact from the reinstatement of the ban.

“The human impact on the ground is profound, because it means that, between now and at least June, families are suffering. Iranians who are studying at Penn State cannot have their parents visit,” said Wadhia. “There are practical impacts including family reunification that are front and center with the full force of the ban in effect.”

The recent immigration legislation has also introduced a new process for individuals limited by the immigration ban to apply for a waiver program on a case-by-case basis through the U.S. overseas consular services.

The program comes with limitations in its practice, according to Wadhia.

“One thing I’ve done along with some other organizations is to document cases where people were denied visas and were never considered for a waiver or were denied a visa and brought paperwork in support of their waivers and the consulate ignored it,” Wadhia said. “We’ve seen more than a handful of cases where this has occurred.”

Iftikhar said there is a need for individuals not directly affected by the anti-Muslim rhetoric and reinstatement of the ban to act as allies.

“It’s going to be someone else tomorrow. That’s why we have to stand up as allies for one another, because even though we might not be affected because we’re not an immigrant or we’re not a Muslim,” Iftikhar said. “We have to act as intersectional allies for one another.”

The courts have the responsibility of holding Trump accountable for his discriminatory legislation, Wadhia said.

“We have an administration that is placing pressure and greater responsibilities on the court to respond and remind the American public that we have three branches of government, and that we have separation of powers, and no President is above the law,” Wadhia said.

Regardless of the court decision later this year, Wadhia finds the pushback against the ban to be a victory itself.

“However the court rules, we know that there has been some type of victory and success in the resistance,”Wadhia said. “A powerful message that these bans are really inconsistent with American identity.”

Representatives for Chinese Students Seek University Support Erin Doherty And Will Cassou Hoya Staff Writers

A coalition of Georgetown University student groups wrote an open letter to University President John J. DeGioia on behalf of Chinese students, requesting that the university publicly disavow FBI Director Christopher Wray’s recent remarks about the Communist Party of China’s potential use of college students and groups to further political goals.

Several students signed the Feb. 19 letter, including Georgetown University Student Association President Kamar Mack (COL’19); GUSA Senator Gary Sipeng Xie (SFS ’19); and political awareness committee co-chair and Asian American Student Association social co-chair Yi Bao (SFS’19).

Wray testified Feb. 13 to the Senate Intelligence Committee that student groups on American college campuses receiving funding from foreign governments may have ulterior motives.

“The use of non-traditional collectors, especially in the academic setting — whether it’s professors, scientists, students — we see in almost every field office that the FBI has around the country,”

level of naivete on the part of the academic sector about this creates its own issues.”

During these remarks, Wray directly identified China as a threat to the United States.

“One of the things we’re trying to do is view the China threat as not just a whole of government threat but a whole of society threat on their end,” Wray said.

The letter to DeGioia accused Wray of attacking America’s Chinese population and fear-mongering against Chinese international students.

“What Wray created was in effect, a witch-hunt fueled by Dreyfus-style xenophobia and McCarthyist craze,” the letter wrote.

The letter noted the university’s appropriate responses to bias-related incidents on and off campus, as well as emails in response to movements in Ferguson, MO., the Muslim ban that threatened to block entry into the United States for citizens of Muslim majority countries, and the multiple swastikas that appeared in residence halls this year at Georgetown, but asked why the university had not yet made a public comment in response to Wray’s remarks.

“Will you merely refrain from injustice or will you accept responsibility and take

care of your students. What is your response?” the letter wrote.

The remarks come after a report that the GU Chinese Students and Scholars Association had received funding from the Chinese government in 2011, Foreign Policy reported on Feb. 14. The funds are neither illegal nor in violation of any Georgetown University policy but have still come under scrutiny from U.S. security organizations.

The CSSA is a national organization, with chapters at universities across the country, some of which have received funding from the Chinese government, according to Foreign Policy. The CSSA, however, has said in previous budget requests that the funds were used to host events, such as Chinese New Year celebrations for students on campus.

The letter alleges that this increased scrutiny is based on bias and prejudice rather than reason.

“When a society cries out national security as an excuse for unorthodox responses, we often see civil rights violations,” the letter said. “When you judge someone categorically based on their race or country of origin, liberty and reason wither in pain.”

Keenan Samway for the hoya

Student leaders representing Chinese students called on university leaders to defend Chinese students in the face of FBI Director Christopher Wray’s Feb. 13 comments about Chinese students.

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Reagan National Airport to Undergo Construction Sarah Mendelsohn Hoya Staff Writer

Construction started on a new 14-gate concourse at Ronald Reagan National Airport this week as part of a broader renovation plan intended to accommodate more passengers this year.

Lanes on the arrivals roadway were closed Monday for the construction of new slip ramps.

Further construction to the airport’s interior is set to begin Feb. 27.

The board of directors of the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority kicked off the broader $1 billion renovation project, “Project Journey,” in March 2017. The airport, originally designed to handle 15 million passengers annually, has strained to accommodate the 23 million passengers who passed through it in 2016.

Project Journey will attempt to improve passengers’ experience and increase the airport’s capacity, MWAA President and CEO John Potter said in a July 2017 news release.

“Today, more than 23 million passengers travel through the airport—straining its infrastructure, crowding travelers and hampering our ability to provide best-in-class customer service. Project Journey will transform and improve the passenger experience,” Potter said in a March 2017 news release.

In summer 2017, the MWAA began constructing new security checkpoints in terminals B and C. The plan aims to build two new security checkpoints with 28 screening lanes by 2020.

The MWAA also plans to replace bus operations from gate 35X and end outdoor boarding by constructing the 14-gate concourse by the end of 2021.

The construction efforts will affect passengers minimally, as they are confined primarily to fenced or walled-off sections of the airport that are separated from public areas, according to the MWAA. MWAA Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Margaret McKeough said the construction will not significantly change passengers’

experiences.

“In many ways, the passenger experience during Project Journey construction will not functionally change,” McKeough said in the July 2017 news release. “Arriving passengers will use the same pathways they use today, but roadway and curbside changes outside the baggage claim level of Terminal B/C will be noteworthy. We will work hard to keep everyone informed of significant events that could affect their journey.”

“Project Journey” includes plans to restructure the airport’s parking facility and roadways to better accommodate many passeners. Paul Malandrino, vice president and airport manager of Reagan National Airport, recommended passengers use the Metro or airport parking facilities to mitigate congestion. Passengers arriving to the airport by car will need extra time to reach the terminal because of congestion, especially during afternoons and late at night, the busiest times of day.

“We advise passengers to con-

sider using Metro or one of our parking facilities to avoid adding to the congestion,” Malandrino said in the July 2017 news release. “Customers coming to the airport by car will need extra time to navigate the roadway system — especially on afternoons and late at night when traffic is the busiest.”

The MWAA also intends to improve dining and shopping choices for passengers after they pass through security checkpoints and to build spacious waiting areas with integrated power outlets.

Passengers can receive updates about construction delays or changes in the normal airport operations from the construction advisories webpage.

“Project Journey” will maintain the airport’s architectural features like exposed metal beams, glass walls and domed ceilings. It will also maximize views of downtown Washington, D.C., and ensure gates are easily navigable. However, “Project Journey” will not expand the airport’s aircraft capacity.

Reagan national airport

Construction on a new concourse began this week as part of the expandsion project of Ronald Reagan National Airport.

Georgetown Nominated For Sustainability Award Noah Berman Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown Alumni website

Georgetown alumnus Arthur Woods (MSB ’10) is one of several alumni named to this year’s Forbes “30 Under 30” list, including Mike Dee (MSB ’13), Elizabeth Galbut (COL ’11) and Raza Munir (MSB ’11).

Alumni Featured in Forbes 2018 ‘30 Under 30’ List Jessica Li

Hoya Staff Writer

Eight Georgetown alumni feature in Forbes’ “30 Under 30 Class of 2018,” a list of 600 rising stars in the business world in 20 different industries.

The magazine recognized alumni including Mike Dee (MSB ’13), Elizabeth Galbut (COL ’11), Raza Munir (MSB ’11), Diana Tsai Rau (SFS ’12), Luke Schoenfelder (COL ’12), Phil Wong (SFS ’15) and Arthur Woods (MSB ’10). A university news release did not specify the eighth alum recognized by Forbes.

Forbes selected these alumni from thousands of nominees in the categories of social entrepreneurship, food and drink, venture capital, consumer technology and education.

Woods and Wong were nominated for their work in social entrepreneurship. Wong cofounded Misfit Juicery, a company that makes cold-pressed juice from fruit that would otherwise have been discarded because of minor cosmetic imperfections. Woods cofounded Imperative, a benefit corporation that helps companies cultivate more efficient workforces.

Both said they were not surprised to see so many Hoyas selected for the Forbes “30 Under 30” list.

“It’s a testament to the fact that the good people at the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Initiative are doing their jobs really well,” Wong said in a university news release.

“I was always inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic of fellow Hoyas,” Woods said in the same news release.

Rau, Dee and Munir said they found formative influences in their classes and professors at Georgetown.

Rau cofounded Veterati, a digital mentorship platform that connects veterans with volunteer mentors and employment opportunities. She attributes the development of her entrepreneurial skill and spirit to Marc Busch, professor of government and business administration, who taught her “Governments in the Global Economy” course when Rau attended Georgetown.

Busch said the news of Rau’s recognition in Forbes came as no surprise to him; Rau had always exhibited an unrelenting drive to

succeed in his classroom.

“She at one point explained to me that her presentation was going to go a certain way and that was that, and I was rather struck by her determination to deliver on her vision and she did it,” Busch said in the news release.

Dee, who cofounded Pilotworks, a culinary incubator that provides shared work space for chefs and food entrepreneurs, cited David Post, former professor of accounting, as a particular inspiration for him to pursue entrepreneurship as a career path.

“Accounting 101 with Professor Post was really influential because he shared stories from his own entrepreneurship experience throughout the semester,” Dee wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“It was extremely insightful and much more impactful than the debits and credits we learned about.”

A double major in finance and management during his time at Georgetown, Munir says his entrepreneurship class with former professor William Finnerty led him to a greater understanding of success, which helped him create Climb Credit, a student lending company that offers fast and affordable lons for high-quality education programs.

“It’s effectively a teaching on how to become a successful person and achieve your potential, regardless of what you pursue,” Munir wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Schoenfelder, who cofounded a new smart lock system called Latch, and Galbut, a managing partner at a venture capitalist fund named SoGal Ventures that invests in diverse entrepreneurship teams, said they were pleased to receive the nominations, considering it an indication of their success.

“These types of awards are really just byproducts of building things that matter. Focus on that and everything else will fall into place,” Schoenfelder said in a university news release.

“Keep building and scaling your business, and the recognition will follow,” Galbut said in the news release.

Lucy Flinn, director of strategic communications and operations for the Georgetown University Alumni Association, said the postgraduation ventures of all eight

alumni align with Georgetown’s vision of leadership.

“Georgetown University strives to prepare the next generation of global citizens to make a difference in the world, and the eight alumni recognized on the 2018 Forbes 30 Under 30 List embody the Jesuit values of service to others and service to the community,” Flinn said in the news release.

Dee echoed the continued relevance of Georgetown’s Jesuit values in his professional life.

“People for others is a value that applies to my life every day. I care about my work because it helps create opportunity for others,” Dee wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“Their success is ultimately my success, and the symbiotic relationship between Pilotworks and our customers is at the heart of what we do.”

Munir said in a news release that the meaningful experiences he gained from engaging with Georgetown’s talented and diverse community showed him the power of a good education.

“Georgetown is one of the best things to have happened to me.

I believe quality education can fundamentally change the path and legacy of an individual’s life,” Munir wrote. “Creating a company with the express mission of increasing access to quality education was inspired by my personal experience at university.”

Drawing from their post-graduate experiences, both Munir and Dee highlighted the importance of having a flexible mindset toward setting one’s professional goals. They advise current college students to follow their interests rather than a fixed career path.

“Like most students, I experienced life-aim paralysis while in school. I studied finance and did internships in the field by default.

The one thing I did right was decide to go a different direction because I knew that wasn’t a life-long career for me,” Dee wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“Rather than focusing on what you want to be, focus on who you want to be. What traits and characteristics define the person you strive to be? Pursue opportunities and circumstances which allow you to become that person,” Munir said in the news release.

Washington, D.C.’s Department of Energy and Environment nominated Georgetown University for its District Sustainability People’s Choice Award for most popular green business or organization Feb. 14.

The university’s nomination follows a year filled with “green improvements” spearheaded by the Office of Sustainability.

Each year, the DOEE nominates and awards businesses, individuals and organizations in the District for their efforts in furthering sustainability.

The DOEE has been presenting sustainability awards annually since 2009, but the People’s Choice Award was only introduced in 2016. This year marks the first time that Georgetown has received a nomination for a sustainability award from the DOEE. The award is presented to “outstanding businesses and organizations for their environmental stewardship, innovative best practices, pollution prevention and resource conservation,” according to the DOEE’s website.

The voting process for the award will take place on the DOEE’s website, concluding on March 16.

Audrey Stewart, director of the Office of Sustainability, said that the nomination reflects Georgetown’s recent efforts.

“We are thrilled to be nominated for this award, which reflects Georgetown’s ongoing commitment to sustainability,” Stewart wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Georgetown plays a

leading role in addressing critical sustainability challenges through its academic mission, physical footprint and financial operations.”

The nomination follows multiple green infrastructure projects on Georgetown’s campus. Two of Georgetown’s most recent construction projects, Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Hall and the John Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletic Center, have been certified LEED Gold, the second highest-ranking for sustainability by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system. Under the system, projects earn points for environmentally friendly construction efforts and design.

The School of Continuing Studies building downtown, Regents Hall and the Healey Family Student Center are all also certified LEED gold. Ryan Hall, Isaac Hall, Nevils and the Rafik B. Hariri Building are certified LEED Silver.

Moreover, since 2006, the university has seen a 24 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per square foot of building space and is on its way to achieving its goal of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent by 2020, according to Stewart.

Georgetown began its most recent series of improvements with an April 2017 announcement of an on-site solar panel initiative and a Sept. 22, 2017 announcement of a partnership with Origis Energy USA for an off-site project that is expected to provide half of the university’s electricity by 2020.

The on-site solar panels,

which are planned to be owned and operated by Community Renewable Energy, are set to contribute to a cleaner electric grid and serve lower-income residents in the city, according to Stewart.

Georgetown’s commitment to sustainability falls in line with its Jesuit values, Stewart said.

“The university takes an integrated and holistic approach to sustainability, placing value on a ‘quadruple’ bottom line: people, planet, prosperity and purpose, guided by our Catholic and Jesuit values and our commitment to the common good,” Stewart wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Besides physical green infrastructure projects, the university has offered events and lectures by experts in the field of environmental science to maintain its commitment to sustainability, Director of the Georgetown Center for the Environment Edward Barrows said.

The nomination for the DOEE People’s Choice Award demonstrates the effort put forth by the Office of Sustainability to make Georgetown more environmentally friendly, Barrows said.

Nevertheless, Barrows said he believes the university can still do more to cement its dedication to sustainability. According to Barrows, many of the troubles with being environmentally friendly come from people thinking in the short term rather than the long term.

“People at Georgetown should try to live more in harmony with Earth and think about their actions to be as green as possible,” Barrows said.

file photo: anna Kovacevich/the hoya

Georgetown University has been nominated by Washington, D.C.’s Department of Energy and Environment for the District Sustainability People’s Choice Award for its environmental efforts.

A10

sports

THE HOYA

friday, February 23, 2018

Men's Lacrosse

women's lacrosse

Squad Bested by Towson Bridget McElroy Hoya Staff Writer

After facing off against St. Joseph’s in a torrential downpour Feb. 10, the Georgetown women’s lacrosse team fell victim to another bout of terrible weather when the team members travelled to Towson last Saturday. Trailing 3-9 with just 14 minutes left on the clock, the Blue and Gray was sent back to the Hilltop as the game was called because of poor weather and rescheduled for the next day.

With the initial game scratched from the record, Georgetown (1-1) regrouped and returned to Towson (20) on Sunday to restart the match. Ultimately, the Hoyas fell to the Tigers 21-13.

Towson, eager to regain the lead the squad had established but lost to delays the day before, came out strong, scoring the first goal of the match. The game would prove to be a physical one, and the next four goals were scored on free position opportunities, two of which were in favor of the Tigers and two of which counted for the Hoyas.

Despite initial success with free position goals, Georgetown went 3-for-6 on its free position opportunities.

Georgetown’s first two goals were netted by junior attacker Taylor Gebhardt. Gebhardt led the team Sunday, scoring four times.

Sunday’s effort marks Gebhardt’s second four-point game this season. Head Coach Ricky Fried praised Gebhardt’s performance, noting her ability to finish on scoring opportunities. “[Gebhardt is] one of our offensive leaders on the field.

She’s been doing a great job creating opportunities for herself, but I think more importantly she’s doing a great job finishing the opportunities she’s getting,” Fried said in an interview with The Hoya.

“She’s playing with a lot of

confidence and I think that helps our team a lot and I’m looking forward to her continuing that growth.”

Gebhardt shot 4-for-5 on Sunday. Her two non-free position goals were both assisted by sophomore attacker Emily Ehle, who led the team with three assists Sunday, and who now leads with seven assists this season.

Despite efforts to quickly level the score, the Hoyas struggled to gain any real momentum, and Georgetown did not lead at all during the first half. Although the Hoyas were constantly trailing, the first half saw goals from three players: Gebhardt had three, while Ehle and sophomore attacker Michaela Bruno each added one.

Going into halftime, Georgetown was down 10-5 and, after the break, Towson did not relent. The Tigers continued to dominate, scoring the first two goals of the second half. Georgetown struggled to cut the deficit, never catching up to Towson.

Despite trailing, the Hoyas posted more goals in the second half than in the first, tallying eight goals compared to five in the first half. Yet, Towson also improved its play, scoring 11 in the second half compared to 10 in the first.

Bruno added two more goals to complete a hat trick, her second in two games.

With one assist, she tied Ehle and Gebhardt to lead the team with four points against Towson. Gebhardt added one more goal for her total of four.

More Hoyas also shot their way into the stat book in the second half. Sophomore midfielder Natalia Lynch, junior attacker Morgan Ryan and senior attacker Sarah Cheney all found the back of the net once. Senior midfielder Hannah Seibel scored twice.

Fried credited Towson with a worthy victory.

“Towson played consistently harder than we did today and deserved the win,” Fried said.

The final game stats speak to Fried’s sentiments. Georgetown was outshot by Towson 28-34. The Hoyas also raked in 13 ground balls compared to Towson’s 15. Junior midfielder Francesca Whitehurst led Georgetown with eights draw controls, but her efforts did not propel the Hoyas ahead of the Tigers in that category either. Georgetown controlled 15 draws to Towson’s 19.

On top of its deficit in draw controls and ground balls, the Blue and Gray made its job considerably harder by turning the ball over 16 times, three more than the Tigers’ 13 turnovers. Fried hopes to work on draw controls in practice this week.

“We want to make sure we’re doing a better job gaining possession for our team,” Fried said.

Even with the loss, Fried acknowledged that the Hoyas had positive moments in the game, but they failed to build momentum.

“As a group, we had a lot of positive plays, but did not string them together to create enough momentum,” Fried said. “This week’s practice will be critical to our growth as a team.”

This week’s practice will be aimed largely at preparing to take on the Drexel Dragons (11) this weekend.

“Defensively, we want to make sure we’re playing as more of a unit. We want to be more sound defensively so we can limit their opportunities,” Fried said. “Offense is playing well but if we give up 21, we have to score 22 in order to win. So it’s just to make sure it’s a team focus, not just one end of the field.”

The Hoyas will hit the road again this weekend, travelling to Philadelphia on Saturday to take on the Dragons. The game is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m., and the weather forecast looks significantly better than it has been for Georgetown’s last two field appearances.

AMANDA VAN ORDEN FOR THE HOYA

Sophomore attack Jake Carraway scored four goals in Georgetown's 12-11 win over Robert Morris University last Saturday. Carraway currently leads the Hoyas with nine goals and 11 points.

Hoyas Improve to 2-0 on Season Danny MCCOOEY Special to The Hoya

The Georgetown men’s lacrosse team outdueled Robert Morris University 12-11 on the road last Saturday to grab its second win of the season. The Hoyas are now 2-0 after two games, a stark turnaround from last season’s 0-4 start.

Head Coach Kevin Warne said the senior class has driven the team’s improved play from a year ago.

“Our seniors have done a really good job of handling some disappointments from last year,” Warne said. “They are the ones that have really taken the reigns to make sure they leave a great legacy for their senior year.

They have helped all the guys understand the standard we have around here.”

Junior attackman Daniel Bucaro jumpstarted the Blue and Gray’s offense, combining four goals with two assists for six points, while senior midfielder Craig Berge recorded two goals and two assists.

The team’s leading scorer, sophomore attackman Jake Carraway, added four more goals to his season total of nine, including an extra-man goal that proved to be the game winner.

He also added one assist.

Warne credited Carraway’s passion and work ethic for his continued growth.

“Jake’s one of our hardest workers. He cares a ton about lacrosse, and he’s done all the right things to put himself in the best possible position on the field,” Warne said. “He’s also really evolved to change his role from an off-ball guy to a guy who can do some things with the ball in his stick. He’s got unlimited potential. ” Senior faceoff specialist Peter Tagliaferri dominated at midfield from the faceoff X mark. He won 16 of 25 faceoffs and scooped a game-high 11 ground balls to help give the Hoyas a victory. Tagliaferri also added a crucial faceoff win with 12 seconds left to freeze the game at 12-11.

Despite the difficulties the snow in Moon Township, Pa., presented for senior goalie Nick Marrocco, he was able to come up big for Georgetown once again. Marrocco garnered nine saves, giving him a save percentage of 58 percent — the highest in the Big East so far this season.

Still, the game was tight throughout. The Hoyas led by only one point 6-5 at the end of the half, thanks to Car-

raway, who scored off a timeout with three seconds remaining.

Georgetown extended its lead to 10-6 in the third quarter before allowing three straight RMU goals.

“In the third quarter we got away from what we needed to do, but the guys fought back in really tough conditions,” Warne said.

Bucaro and Carraway responded with two late goals in the fourth to go up 12-9. Robert Morris (1-2) found the back of the net twice, but it was too late as Georgetown hung on for the victory.

Although the victory did not come as easy as the Hoyas’ win against High Point, the game proved Georgetown could win down the stretch.

Furthermore, Warne said Saturday’s win showed that the team can work together.

“It’s college lacrosse so any time you can walk away with a win, you’ll never complain about it,” Warne said. “It was a team win because we had to grind it out. Our team is very selfless. We don’t care who gets the credit, the points, or the stops. We just want to win.”

Georgetown will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 24, as it takes on No. 18 Towson (1-1) at 12 p.m.

THE hidden opponent

Malarchuk Finds Purpose AMANDA VAN ORDEN FOR THE HOYA

Junior attack Taylor Gebhardt scored four goals in Georgetown's 21-13 loss to No. 11 Towson last Sunday. Gebhardt leads the Hoyas with eight goals and eight points on the season.

softball

GU Drops 3-of-4 at Tournament Gueniah blaise Special to The Hoya

With a 4-3 win against Michigan State at the Gamecock Invitational on Feb. 16 in Columbia, S.C., it seemed Georgetown's softball team might have finally found its footing. The three consecutive losses that followed ruined any momentum the Hoyas had from their win against LIU Brooklyn on Feb. 11.

Following the team’s win against Michigan State (3-6) last Friday, Georgetown (2-7) fell 8-4 to Mercer (8-2), 13-4 to Southern Illinois (4-4) and 5-3 to South Carolina (10-1).

For Head Coach Pat Conlan, this weekend’s 1-3 performance was another display of the team’s inconsistency.

“We started off this past weekend the same way we ended last weekend, and we struggled a little bit on Saturday. I thought we played fairly well on Sunday,” Conlan said in an interview with The Hoya. “I think the key for us right now is consistency.

Can we put a good game of softball together every time we step out of the field?”

The Hoyas have allowed eight or more runs in four of their nine games this season. In every loss this weekend, Georgetown had at least one error.

“Our game is about catching and throwing and when we do that well we’re never going to end. When we put a couple of errors up on the board, we allow people to score runs that

they shouldn’t be and that's been our downfall [in] the catching and throwing piece.”

Conlan said.

In their win against Michigan State, the Hoyas did not have any errors. During this game, they saw solid production from several of the team’s rookies. Freshmen infielders Nene Campos and Savannah Jones each scored a run and went 2-3 and 2-4 at the plate, respectively. The three out of four runs Georgetown scored against Michigan State came from freshmen.

While the freshmen were vital to the victory against Michigan State, the relative inexperience of the young players — who represent six of the team’s 20 players — leaves the team with a steep learning curve to overcome.

“We have some new players,” Conlan said. “We’re really good playing with each other.”

To be successful, however, players must “learn how to win games, make the big plays when they need to be made and get the clutch hits when they need to. Those are the things that we’re working on right now,” Conlan continued.

Conlan’s concerns appeared in the game against South Carolina. Although the Hoyas fell into a 5-1 hole at the end of the fourth inning, it looked like they might make a comeback. While the team got two runs in the seventh and held

South Carolina scoreless in the last three innings, Georgetown fell short of pulling out the victory.

In games like the one against Southern Illinois, however, it was more than a matter of making key plays, as the Hoyas allowed six runs in the second inning to the Salukis.

The team’s mistakes are not about ability. Rather, to Conlan, they are a matter of nerves and inexperience.

“When you’re playing and you’re afraid to make a mistake, in that’s when you’re free to make a mistake,” Conlan said. “So I think it’s a combination of everything and settling in and be comfortable in your position and so on. We’re very capable. It is not about: Can we do this or can’t we do this.”

Through the team’s struggles, Conlan remains positive about the season.

“We’re playing Big Ten schools and SEC schools,” Conlan said. “I understand that it’s going to be really difficult for us, but hopefully playing against those types of programs will help us once we get into the conference, and at the end of the day that’s the most important thing, for us is to be ready to compete in the Big East.”

Georgetown is back in action at the Chanticleer Showdown in Conway, S.C., from Friday, Feb. 23 to Sunday, Feb. 25.

Carter Owen This article discusses depression and suicide. Please refer to the end of the article for resources on campus.

F

ormer NHL All-Star and 12year veteran goalie Clint Malarchuk is known for suffering one of the worst injuries in professional sports history: An accidental collision with another player’s skate during a 1989 NHL game against the St. Louis Blues severed Malarchuk’s carotid artery and jugular vein, nearly killing him. However, this incident is far from the only life-threatening obstacle Malarchuk has overcome.

Malarchuk has suffered from extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder since he was a child, according to the Los Angeles Times. At age 12, he spent a month in the hospital for extreme anxiety triggered by sometimes-violent fights between his mother and alcoholic father, according to a 2016 interview with Bleacher Report.

According to Malarchuk, his OCD and anxiety prevented him from having a functional social life; rounds of therapy and antidepressants did nothing to soothe him. Hockey, however, did.

“I was crying all the time, upset at everything,” Malarchuk told Lohud.com, part of the USA Today network, last October. “Hockey was the only time I felt free — the only time I wasn’t anxious, depressed.”

Malarchuk became one of the NHL’s most accurate goal stoppers, posting an 89 per-

cent career save rate. Malarchuk also became one of the NHL’s toughest competitors, often playing through nagging injuries; at the time of his nearfatal injury, he was playing with a fractured vertebra. He also professionally rode horses bareback, which earned him the nickname “The Cowboy Goalie.”

Just 10 days after losing 1.5 liters of blood from his notorious injury, Malarchuk returned to the ice to play for the Buffalo Sabres. Though he was diagnosed as physically ready, he said he was mentally unprepared to face trauma so soon.

“We don’t process trauma.

We have to be tough,” Malarchuk said. “I went 100 percent.

That’s what you’re supposed to do. Goalies are supposed to be the rock of the team and mentally toughest.”

In the wake his near-fatal injury, Malarchuk experienced severe nightmares of a skate blade coming at him, according to the Phoenix Star. He didn’t sleep for the first 10 days after returning to the rink. He began to abuse alcohol and painkillers to self-medicate and “suffer in silence,” as Malarchuk said.

Malarchuk’s demons reared their heads Oct. 7, 2008, when he drunkenly shot himself in the head with a rifle in front of his wife. Miraculously, he survived the suicide attempt, but emerged with a bullet permanently lodged in his skull, just millimeters away from his brain.

“I just wanted the mental torment to stop,” Malarchuk recalled in his interview with Bleacher Report. “I basically stayed up all night and into the next day, just drinking and feeling like my mind was spinning right out of my head.”

After this second brush with death, Malarchuk went to rehab for six months. He told Bleacher Report that numerous ses-

sions of one-on-one counseling helped him accept his illnesses as a part of him and he learn how to better manage them. In November 2014, he published his autobiography, “A Matter of Inches — How I Survived in the Crease and Beyond.” Since then, he has gone on worldwide book and speaking tours.

As a public speaker, 56-yearold Malarchuk addresses the most painful events in his life to crowds of hundreds and fights to end the prevalent stigma surrounding mental health, especially for men.

“As men, we’re taught not to show any emotion, to tough it out in hard times,” Malarchuk said at a 2016 fundraiser for the Mental Health Association of Westchester. “But it’s not about being tough; it’s about being honest and saying it’s ok to ask for help. Men don't like to do that, and it’s something I want to help try and change.”

After feeling helpless for so long, Malarchuk now shares his story around the world to help prevent cases like his. After escaping two brushes with death, he has said he’s finally found his purpose.

“This time, I made better use of my second chance,” he said at the Yorkton Terriers’ annual sports dinner in 2017.

“I’ve got real purpose in my life now. I’m very grateful for feeling and being where I am today.”

To access mental health resources, reach out to Counseling and Psychiatric Services at 202-687-6985, or for after-hours emergencies, at 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. Both of these resources are confidential.

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

SPORTS

friday, february 23, 2018

THE HOYA

A11

Under Review

baseball

Olympians Who Qualify Should Compete SWANSON, from A12

performances, one question remains: Do individuals like Swaney and Madrazo deserve to be Olympians?

Swaney and Madrazo’s athletic performances fell well short of the gold medal winners’. Additionally, they never posed a credible threat to the competition. On the one hand, the fact that Swaney and Madrazo were even allowed to compete undermines the legitimacy of other athletes who devoted their entire lives to training.

Swaney and Madrazo can be considered opportunists,

or even frauds, who were only able to compete in the games because they had the money to travel the world to attend qualifying events.

On the other hand, Swaney and Madrazo earned the right to go to the Olympics by competing in enough events.

Olympians are frequently lauded for their commitment to their training, passion for their sport and unceasing pursuit to compete in the Olympics. Swaney and Madrazo demonstrated these qualities through their efforts to compete in enough events to qualify.

Currently, Swaney’s and

Madrazo’s participation in their respective events does not deprive more skilled athletes of the opportunity to compete. As a result, arbitrarily banning low-skill athletes would only serve to reduce the number of athletes and prevent some individuals from realizing their dreams.

It is important to consider how Swaney and Madrazo’s presence affects other athletes and the integrity of the Olympics.

When asked about Madrazo’s participation, Switzerland’s Dario Cologna, the men’s gold medalist cross-country skiing, told the Daily Telegraph, “I

think we have around 60 nations. I suppose we are fighting for medals here, but it is good to feel this Olympic spirit. We have had a lot of bad news [in the world] recently, so it’s good to keep up this Olympic spirit.”

Thus, if individuals like Swaney and Madrazo are not taking the place of better athletes and are contributing to the cultivation of the “Olympic spirit”, then they should be allowed to continue competing.

Jeffrey Swanson is a junior in the McDonough School of Business.

UNDER REVIEW appears every other Friday.

men’s basketball

Team Falters Late, Falls to No. 4 Xavier MUSKETEERS, from A12

GUHOYAS

Senior catcher Sammy Stevens went 2-3 with a two-run home run in Georgetown’s 7-2 loss to Wake Forest last Friday.

Xavier responded with eight straight points to regain the lead with just over two minutes left in the period.

With less than a minute left before halftime, the Hoyas gained possession for the final shot of the half. They sent the ball to Pickett, who avoided defenders and made a tightly contested three-pointer for Georgetown to lead 40-38 at the break.

“We were right there in the first

half, we came back and we fought,” Ewing said.

Georgetown did not back down from the challenge that the highlyranked Musketeers posed in the first half. The Blue and Gray shot an impressive 55 percent in the half, including 75 percent from three-point range.

After the break, the teams again traded leads, and no team pulled away early. With 16:31 left, Pickett hit a stepback three to put the Hoyas up 50-47. His first 15 points came from a perfect 5-5 from deep.

However, Xavier responded with a decisive push to take control of the game. The Musketeers went on a 12-0 run to take a 59-50 lead, the largest for either team at that point in the game.

“They made plays, hit shots and we didn’t,” Ewing said. “They wanted it more than we did in the second half.”

Georgetown went scoreless for over five minutes before junior forward Marcus Derrickson hit a corner three with 11 minutes remaining. Derrickson scored only

2-1 Loss to Navy Caps GU’s Weekend DEMON DEACONS, from A12

Runnin’ Bulldogs opened up the game in the bottom of the frame, scoring eight runs.

In an attempt to get out of the inning, the Hoyas cycled through three different pitchers, but to little avail. Gardner-Webb added four more runs in the fifth, when the game was forced to conclude because of worsening mist.

Georgetown ended its opening weekend with a 2-1 loss to Navy (2-1-0) on Sunday morning. The Hoyas were able to get men on base, but the team failed to capitalize on its scoring opportunities.

Senior pitcher Kevin Superko started on the mound for the Hoyas and put in a strong performance over 5 and 2/3 innings before being relieved by sophomore pitcher Brent Killam.

Senior outfielder Austin Shirley led the Hoyas’ offense with three hits and two steals, while freshman infielder Eddie McCabe registered his first career hit in the fourth inning. The Hoyas surged late and were able to score in the top of the eighth as sophomore pinch runner AJ Lotsis ran home on a wild pitch.

In the ninth, the Hoyas were able to get a man in scoring position after Shirley singled with one out and subsequently stole second base. Yet, the Hoyas were unable to bring him home to tie the game.

The Hoyas are set to travel to North Carolina this weekend for another three-game series from Feb. 23-25. All three games are against Davidson, and Georgetown will look to get into a rhythm and move past its early season woes.

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WOMen’s Basketball

Win Followed by Loss to Golden Eagles

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AMANDA VAN ORDEN FOR THE HOYA

Senior guard Jonathan Mulmore tallied two points and six assists against Xavier on Wednesday.

Mulmore currently averages 5.6 points per game and 3.6 assists per game on the season.

nine points and four rebounds on Wednesday.

“Our guys who normally carry us weren’t carrying us,” Ewing said. “Marcus didn’t play one of the games he normally plays. That hurts. If both he and Jessie aren’t having monster games for us, we’re not going to be effective.”

With nine minutes remaining, Blair made a three-pointer to cut the deficit to five. Yet, as they did throughout the half, Xavier responded to Georgetown’s offense with more of their own.

With 4:45 left, Xavier’s freshman guard Quentin Goodin hit a three-pointer to extend the Musketeers’ lead to 11.

The Hoyas could not cut the deficit to less than nine points after Goodin’s shot.

“They have a good team,” Ewing said. “We just weren’t making shots, and when we did make shots, we just weren’t getting back.”

After a hot start in the first half, Georgetown shot only 41 percent from the floor and 45 percent from three-point range in the second half. They struggled on defense, too — Xavier went from shooting 43 to 57 percent from the first to second half of play.

Pickett led Georgetown with 21 points, while Xavier’s freshman forward Naji Marshall and senior guard J.P. Macura combined for 41 points.

Georgetown returns to action Saturday as they take on Providence (17-10, 8-6 Big East) at home at Capital One Arena. The Friars edged out the Hoyas 73-69 earlier this season Feb. 6.

Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. The game will be televised and streamed on CBS Sports Network and aired locally on 99.1 FM.

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BLUE DEMONS, from A12

In their previous matchup, the Blue Demons led by two points at the conclusion of the third before exploding to gain 25 points to secure a 16-point win. This time, the Hoyas refused to let the game slip away.

Once again, the charge was led

by White — who tallied 33 points — and Petke. In a game without senior guard Mikayla Venson, White and Petke’s performances, combined with the efforts of three role players, ultimately proved to be invaluable.

Senior guards DiDi Burton and sophomore guard Morgan Smith combined to add 10 points and two assists on the offensive side, while giving the team three much-needed steals in a game where stops were few and far between. Down low, freshman forward Tatiana Thompson put up eight points, all of which were instrumental in the Hoyas’ onepoint victory.

Head Coach James Howard lauded the team’s collective effort. “[White] and Cynthia Petke put our team on their backs offensively while the other young ladies really were big defensively, and with Tatiana, with her two big threes down the stretch, gave us a team win,” Howard said.

On Sunday, the Hoyas were looking to defend a double-digit victory against Marquette (198, 13-3 Big East); in January the Hoyas routed the Golden Eagles on their home floor by 27 points.

As in the January contest, it seemed this battle was going to be a dog fight through two quarters. The two teams went back and forth for 20 minutes before the Hoyas ultimately took a threepoint lead before halftime. White again did the majority of the offensive work in the first half, as she paved the way for the team with 16 points.

Other Hoyas began to assert themselves in the third quarter, as Petke, Smith, Venson and senior center Yazmine Belk scored points that Georgetown desperately needed in a quarter in which White scored only two. Even with a number of contributors, however, the Hoyas scored only 14 points in the third and trailed the Golden Eagles by two points going into the fourth.

As has been the case throughout the season for the Hoyas, their performance in the fourth quarter — whether bad or good — would prove pivotal in determining the outcome of the contest.

In the fourth, the team came together to chip away at the Marquette lead. White lead the way with nine, Petke and Thompson added four each and Burton and Smith put up two points each.

Ultimately, however, the Hoyas’ efforts were not enough to stop the Golden Eagles, as they outscored the Blue and Gray by just one in the quarter to secure the threepoint victory.

Despite the loss, White’s 33-and 27-point performances during the road trip were enough to earn her the Big East Player of the Week award.

While reflecting on the weekend, Howard praised White’s play during the last two games.

“She couldn’t have picked a better time to come out against DePaul. She came out and she just played with so much spirit and she was hard to guard, and that was one of the big reasons why we were able to win at DePaul for the first time in seventeen years,” Howard said. “When Dionna is on go, and she’s locked in for 40 minutes she’s one of the best players in the conference.”

This Friday, Georgetown squares off against Creighton (17-9, 11-5 Big East) in the penultimate game of the season. The game will be played at McDonough Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 11 a.m.

ANNA KOVACEVICH/THE HOYA

Senior guard DiDi Burton tallied six points, eight assists and two steals in Georgetown’s 86-85 win against DePaul last Friday.

Sports

Women’s Basketball Georgetown (12-14) vs. Creighton (17-9) Friday, 11:00 a.m.

McDonough Arena

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NUMBERS GAME

talkING POINTS

Men’s Lacrosse The Georgetown men’s lacrosse team improved to 2-0 on this season with its 1211 win over Robert Morris on Saturday.

See A10

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men’s basketball

I expected us to be a lot more focused and come out with more of a laser focus.”

HEAD COACH PATRICK EWING

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The number of points junior guard Dionna White scored this week to win Big East Player of the Week.

WOMEN’s basketball

Hoyas Drop 10th GU Defeats Big East Leader DePaul Big East Game Brendan Dolan Special to The Hoya

George Brennan Hoya Staff Writer

After a back-and-forth battle with No. 4 Xavier in the first half of Wednesday’s contest at Capital One Arena, the Georgetown men’s basketball team struggled to keep pace after the break, ultimately losing 89-77.

Following two straight wins, Georgetown fell to 15-11 overall and 5-10 in Big East play.

Head Coach Patrick Ewing (CAS ’85) said that the team failed to come out with the focus he expected.

“I think we’ve grown a lot from where we were, with the growing pains we have had to endure with the close losses we’ve had,” Ewing said in his postgame news conference. “I expected us to be a lot more focused and come out with more

of a laser focus, especially in this game, especially with the long layoff that we had. But I don’t think it was there.”

Four lead changes and two ties marked the first eight minutes of intense gameplay.

Freshman forward Jamorko Pickett scored the Hoyas’ first nine points, coming off of three early three-pointers.

“His confidence [has improved],” Ewing said. “He’s been playing with a lot more confidence in his shots and in his defensive ability.”

The Hoyas battled with the Musketeers (25-4, 13-3 Big East) early and managed to gain a seven-point lead with 5:39 to go in the first half after freshman guard Jahvon Blair’s two converted free throws. However, See MUSKETEERS, A11

Amanda Van Orden For the hoya

Freshman forward Jamorko Pickett scored a career high with 21 points in Georgetown’s 89-77 loss to Xavier last Wednesday.

As the Hoyas embarked on their most difficult road stretch of the season, one thing became certain: The team would have to put forth its best performance against the top two seeds in the Big East to have any chance of pulling off wins.

Georgetown did just that last weekend against DePaul and Marquette, as they pushed the Blue Demons and Golden Eagles, respectively, to the limit for four quarters. Although the effort in both games had the potential to dethrone these top dogs, Georgetown walked away from the road trip 1-1, following an 86-85 victory at DePaul on Friday and a nail-biting 7168 loss to Marquette on Sunday.

With hopes of avenging their 16-point loss at home just three weeks ago, the Hoyas (12-14, 7-9 Big East) entered the home of the Blue Demons (21-7, 13-3) with clear focus from the opening tip. Although Georgetown trailed by five at the end of the first quarter, they went shot for shot with DePaul, as both teams went 8-15 from the field.

Junior guard Dionna White, who accounted for 16 total points in the first half, along with senior forward Cynthia Petke, who added 10 points, helped the Hoyas go into the locker room 40-34, still within striking distance.

The third quarter was headlined again by the efforts of Petke and White, who posted 16 points combined, allowing Georgetown to hang around DePaul before making its run in the final 10 minutes.

See BLUE DEMONS, A11

ANNA KOVACEVICH/THE Hoya

Junior guard Dionna White scored 33 points in Georgetown’s win against DePaul last Friday and 27 points in Saturday’s loss to Marquette. Her efforts were enough to win Big East Player of the Week honors.

under review

baseball

Jeff Swanson

Do Bad Olympians Devalue Games?

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GUHOYAS

Senior infielder Jake Bernstein hit .290 last season with 39 runs and 23 runs batted in. Bernstein also led the team in walks with 26. The Georgetown baseball team lost its first three games of the season last weekend in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Team Loses 1st 3 Games to Start Season Will Scoville

Special to The Hoya

The Georgetown baseball team started its 2018 season on a sour note last weekend, losing three consecutive games in Winston-Salem, N.C. The first game of the new season pit Georgetown (0-30) against Wake Forest (2-30). The Hoyas fell 7-2 to the

Demon Deacons, but senior catcher Sammy Stevens was a bright spot for the Hoyas, going 2-3 with a two-run home run.

Sophomore pitcher Nick Morreale made his career start for the Hoyas and turned in five strong innings, striking out five batters.

Although Morreale did not allow a single run the first three innings, Wake Forest

eventually got to him. The Demon Deacons scored twice in the bottom of the fourth inning. After Stevens’ home run in the top of the sixth, the Hoyas offense fell silent.

Wake Forest put the game away in the bottom of the sixth, scoring five runs.

On Saturday, Georgetown went up against the home team, the Gardner-Webb Run-

nin’ Bulldogs (3-1-0), falling 15-1. The Hoyas struggled to generate offense, garnering only three hits throughout the game. Their lone run came courtesy of an RBI double from junior infielder Ryan Weisenberg. Georgetown was down a mere 3-1 entering the top of the fourth, but the See DEMON DEACONS, A11

Visit us online at thehoya.com/sports

raditionally, the Olympics are designed to celebrate the pinnacle of athletic excellence and international cooperation. Some of the most notable Winter Olympians are gold medalists, including speed skater Apolo Ohno, skier Lindsey Vonn and snowboarder Shaun White. However, the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang have brought attention to several athletes who have competed in events, yet never even had a chance to medal.

Elizabeth Swaney is a Hungarian women’s halfpipe skier who drew international attention after completing both of her runs in the qualifying round without attempting a trick. In an event where top competitors displayed a wide array of breathtaking tricks, Swaney’s runs through the halfpipe could be characterized as nonchalant at best.

Swaney scored 30.00 and 31.40 points on her two qualifying runs, finished with the lowest score and earned 25th place. For the sake of comparison, Greenlandic freestyle skier Dane Laila Friis-Salling finished 24th with 45 points, despite falling during both of her runs.

Immediately, questions arose about how Swaney was

able to qualify for the Olympics. She exploited the Olympic qualifying rules because athletes who consistently place in the top 30 in World Cup events earn qualifications for the Olympics. As a result, Swaney spent the majority of the past two years attending events where there were fewer than 30 competitors to help realize her Olympic dream.

After their questionable performances, do individulas like Swaney and Madrazo deserve to be Olympians?

Additionally, German Madrazo, a Mexican men’s cross-country skier, travelled to various World Cup qualifying races over the past year and came in last place when he finished about 33 minutes after gold medalist Dario Cologna. Despite a relatively mediocre skiing performance, Madrazo was proudly waving the Mexican flag as he crossed the finish line.

After these questionable See SWANSON, A11