The Hoya: April 21, 2015

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

Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 96, No. 47, © 2015

TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015

ROAD FINALE

EDITORIAL

SOMMERS TALK

Women’s lacrosse overcame inconsistency to earn an 8-7 victory over Marquette.

Aimless back-and-forth on sexual assault gets us nowhere.

A GUCR event on feminism faced protest for the speaker’s views.

SPORTS, A10

OPINION, A2

NEWS, A4

SAO Revamped in Efficiency Bid Tom Garzillo Hoya Staff Writer

The Student Advocacy Office has been restructured to include branches for student workers, mental health and free speech, under the direction of Director Ryan Shymansky (COL ’16) and Georgetown University Student Association President Joe Luther (COL ’16) and Vice President Connor Rohan (COL ’16).

Esmeralda Huerta (SFS ’17) will serve as the student workers’ advocate, Vincent DeLaurentis (SFS ’17)

will serve as the free speech advocate and Emily Fish (SFS ’17) will serve as the mental health advocate.

In addition, Jack Nalen (COL ’17)

“This will allow advocates to better collaborate.” connor rohan (col ’16) GUSA VICE PRESIDENT

will serve as the students’ rights advocate, a position that will fulfill the SAO’s current goal to educate students about their rights.

The new SAO is intended to be more efficient and responsive to concerns about students’ rights.

“The restructuring … will allow advocates to aid students with issues in student rights, student worker rights, free speech and mental health, but it will also consolidate these services under a single advocacy body for maximum See GUSA, A6

DAVID SHANKBONE

The Westboro Baptist Church will protest at Georgetown on April 27, prompting the planning of two student-organized counterprotests.

Countering WBC, Protests Organize Toby Hung

Hoya Staff Writer

ISABEL BINAMIRA/THE HOYA

The Student Advocacy Office has been reorganized, adding arms dedicated to student workers, mental health and free speech, in an attempt to streamline advocacy and increase efficiency.

Aramark, Employees Reach Contract Agreement Toby Hung

Hoya Staff Writer

Aramark workers on Georgetown’s campus negotiated a mutually satisfactory contract with Aramark management last Tuesday, implementing a fair process for worker unionization and improved work and wage conditions in O’Donovan Hall, Hoya Court and the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center.

The deal, ratified 94-0 by workers during a meeting on Thursday night, includes a plan for unionization, a 40-hour paid workweek, an agreements process to report

managerial abuse, a cheaper healthcare insurance plan and the creation of a food sustainability committee.

In the past months, workers and members of the Georgetown Solidarity Committee have protested against Aramark on allegations of managerial interference in the unionization process and poor work conditions. Workers at the hotel claimed that they were surveyed by managers while they spoke with members of the GSC about the prospect of Josh armstead LEO’S WORKER joining UNITE HERE, the same union that workers at Leo’s, Cosi and Starbucks

“Their refusal [to listen] was what drove the workers to this victory.”

See DEAL, A6

The Westboro Baptist Church announced last weekend that it will picket outside the front gates of Georgetown University next Monday, prompting students to organize two counterprotests in response to the church’s controversial views.

The WBC, which is categorized as a hate group by the Anti-Defamation League of America, has regularly conducted anti-gay protests and picketed military funerals, among other controversial acts, since 1991. The

church will be picketing at Georgetown as part of its D.C. tour, during which it will also picket at the White House, the Supreme Court and the Pentagon.

In a campus-wide email sent by Vice President for Mission and Ministry Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., and Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson, the administrators confirmed that the WBC has received a city permit from the Metropolitan Police to picket in the public space outside of the main gates from 4 p.m. to 4:30 See WESTBORO, A6

Law Center Cofounds Nonprofit Matthew Larson Hoya Staff Writer

The Georgetown University Law Center, along with law firms Arent Fox LLP and DLA Piper LLP, will open the D.C. Affordable Law Firm, a new nonprofit law firm aimed at serving lowerincome individuals, in fall 2015.

Initially, the firm will consist of six lawyers, all of whom are GULC students set to graduate this year. Employees will be paid $20,160 for their efforts over a 15-month period, but donations and other revenue could increase that salary to over $40,000. Applications for the firm, open exclusively to GULC students, closed last Friday.

The firm will focus on providing legal services for lower-income clients, charging approximately $50 per hour.

Sheldon Krantz, a retired DLA Piper partner and current GULC professor, will serve as executive director.

Krantz said the basic idea for a ‘low bono’ firm, one that provides discounted legal services, came from an observed lack of quality legal aid for those who cannot afford the average cost

FILE PHOTO: ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

The GULC, pictured, has collaborated with two law firms to create a ‘low bono’ firm, helping serve lower-income individuals. of an attorney, which can range from $200 to $1,000 per session.

In family court, 90 percent of citizens choose to represent themselves due to a lack of sufficient funds to pay for a lawyer.

“There are probably well over

a hundred thousand people in the D.C. area who have very little income but don’t qualify for legal aid,” Krantz said. “The three organizations, Georgetown, DLA See NONPROFIT, A6

FEATURED NEWS Creating Survivors

NEWS April Showers

A storm caused power and network outages throughout campus Monday night. thehoya.com

Opinion Commentary SOPHIE FAABORG-ANDERSEN/THE HOYA

Workers at on-campus Aramark locations, such as O’Donovan Hall, have negotiated a contract with the company in a months-long process.

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

GAAP Weekend’s failure to highlight diversity is reflected in the eventual student body.

A3 Published Tuesdays and Fridays

A new nonprofit aims to provide students with better access to mental health care.

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Sports Offensive Outburst

The baseball team exploded in a 10-1 Sunday victory after a disappointing doubleheader.

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NEWS Georgetown 2016

As the 2016 presidential race begins, students have thrown themselves into campaigning.

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Send Story Ideas and Tips to news@thehoya.com

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OPINION

THE HOYA

Founded January 14, 1920

EDITORIALS

No More Distractions The Georgetown University College Republicans hosted Christina Hoff Sommers, an author and philosophy professor known for her criticism of contemporary feminism and her disavowal of a so-called “rape myth,” last week.

By giving Sommers a platform, GUCR has knowingly endorsed a harmful conversation on the serious topic of sexual assault.

Giving voice to someone who argues that statistics on sexual assault exaggerate the problem and condemns reputable studies for engaging in “statistical hijinks” serves only to trigger obstructive dialogue and impede the progress of the university’s commitment to providing increased resources to survivors.

It is necessary and valuable to promote the free expression of a plurality of views, but this back-and-forth about whether or not certain statistics are valid is not the conversation that students should be having. Students should engage in a dialogue that focuses on establishing a safe space for survivors while at the same time tackling the root causes of sexual assault.

Inevitably, the discussion initiated

by Sommers distracts from a focus on solutions. At its worst, such discourse encourages rape denialism.

This ploy to divert attention and resources from solutions and survivors has no place anywhere — especially not at Georgetown, where students are fortunate enough to participate in a community that emphasizes care for the whole person. Denying the lived experiences of survivors stands in sharp contradiction to this value.

Conversations that focus on whether or not the problem is “overstated,” rather than on how the problem can be solved, are an insult to Georgetown’s survivors and a recipe for inaction.

Rape culture is a system that thrives on silence. Students cannot allow Georgetown’s sexual assault discourse to be subdued by those who would downplay the problem at hand.

Instead, implement consent education, promote bystander intervention, criticize casual sexism, encourage reporting and agitate for prosecution — protect students and change the campus climate for the better.

C C C C C

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

THE VERDICT Preview Me This — This weekend saw the release of the new Star Wars, the new Superman and the new Jurassic World movies. Get hyped.

The Coming Cult — The infamous Westboro Baptist Church has announced that will be protesting Georgetown’s acceptance of the LGBTQ community on campus.

The Prized Pulitzer — Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson demonstrated the university’s commitment to student welfare by handing out lollipops in West Georgetown at 1 a.m. Saturday night.

SuxaNet — On the stormy evening of April 20 the Internet gave out, forcing hundreds of students back into the Stone Age of paying cash for Corp coffee.

Happy Birthday, Earth — Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day was celebrated at the National Mall on Saturday, with performances by Usher, Fall Out Boy and others being powered by solar power.

EDITORIAL CARTOON by Michelle Xu

For SAO, Less Is More The Student Advocacy Office is an invaluable resource for students who face charges of Student Code of Conduct violations.

Offering focused help for those trying to understand the Student Code of Conduct as well for those facing sanctions, this office stands out among Georgetown-University-Student-Association-related organizations mainly for its ability to provide tangible benefits to students.

Its future as an organization with a narrowly focused mandate, however, is at jeopardy because of the GUSA executive proposal to restructure the SAO. The recent restructuring plan for the SAO seeks to expand the organization’s jurisdiction by adding two additional offices and making the SAO’s duties threepronged.

While the addition of an Office of the Free Speech Advocate or an Office of the Intellectual Health Advocate, for example, may seem benign, the restructuring would only add to the already intricate bureaucratic frame that encompasses student outreach within the GUSA executive branch.

While the GUSA executives’ desire to

increase student advocacy in issues like free speech, student workers’ rights and intellectual health on campus is commendable, the amalgamation of these separate issues into one may prove not only to be redundant but also detrimental to the effectiveness of the SAO. There already exist separate institutions like Counseling and Psychiatric Services and the Free Speech and Expression Committee that possess the experience required to address their own issues. These organizations are more prepared and have better institutional processes in place to perform the same tasks the re-imagined SAO seeks to target.

Even so, it remains to be seen how the expanded SAO would be structured so as to take full advantage of each new office, without compromising the effectiveness of their work. If this were done well, the new-and-improved SAO would be poised to be a powerful arm for GUSA student outreach. However, to be successful, the new offices need to uphold the focus and mission of the original SAO, because if they do not, under-informed students will continue to be abused by an unyielding bureaucracy.

This week on

Bridging the Care Divide Georgetown’s structures for addressing mental health offer a dangerously low quality of service.

In an op-ed (“The Invisible Patient,” March 27, 2015, The Hoya, A3) Jairus Nytes (COL ’16) described being forced into leaves of absences after Counseling and Psychiatric Services failed to provide him with adequate care. Demand for mental health services is high, and as Nytes noted, current vehicles for addressing mental health concerns continue to be underfunded and ineffective.

To change this status quo, Nytes launched Creating Survivors, an organization aimed at advocating for better-funded care, offering counseling that is not fiscally prohibitive and training educators to provide support for at-risk students.

In doing so, Creating Survivors tackles the glaring need for better access to care at Georgetown, and it is time for students and administrators to embrace this new resource.

In setting reasonable goals to confront aspects of mental health that are not seriously met by CAPS, this initiative is a

refreshing new resource for students who were failed by CAPS. However, despite its significant potential, the organization must face the challenge of being adequately institutionalized.

Peer counselors — who require three semesters of training before certification — and adequate funding are not easy to come by. But it is up to Creating Survivors to prove to both students and administrators, through good and accessible care, that it can bridge the gap between demand for mental health care and what CAPS is able to supply.

Having proven this, students should also be willing to take advantage of the service, and not shy away from using it when CAPS is found lacking.

As it stands Creating Survivors is poised to contend with CAPS and become an essential resource for the betterment of Georgetown students.

Mental health must be addressed proactively; counseling must be available and accessible to all. Creating Survivors offers this; it’s time we all get on board.

Mallika Sen, Editor-in-Chief Katherine Richardson, Executive Editor Daniel Smith, Managing Editor Molly Simio, Online Editor Toby Hung, Campus News Editor Kristen Fedor, City News Editor Tyler Park, Sports Editor Michael Fiedorowicz, Guide Editor Daniel Almeida, Opinion Editor Isabel Binamira, Photography Editor Shannon Hou, Layout Editor Becca Saltzman, Copy Chief Courtney Klein, Blog Editor Laixin Li, Multimedia Editor

Editorial Board

Daniel Almeida, Chair

Francisco Collantes, Ed Crotty, Gabi Hasson, Charlie Lowe, Parth Shah

Deputy Campus News Editor Tom Garzillo Deputy Campus News Editor Ashwin Puri Deputy City News Editor Emily Tu Features Editor Andrew Wallender Deputy Features Editor Maureen Tabet Deputy Sports Editor Madeline Auerbach Deputy Sports Editor Molly O’Connell Paranoia Editor Andrew May Deputy Guide Editor Elsa Givan Deputy Guide Edtior Jasmine White Deputy Opinion Editor Lauren Gros Deputy Opinion Editor Jonathan Marrow Chatter Editor Sarah Kim Sophie Faaborg-Andersen Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Photography Editor Dan Gannon Deputy Photography Editor Kathleen Guan Deputy Layout Editor Nick Bailey Deputy Layout Editor Cleo Fan Deputy Layout Editor Charlotte Kelly Deputy Layout Editor Matthew Trunko Deputy Copy Editor Katherine Cienkus Deputy Copy Editor Nick Greco Deputy Copy Editor Sarah Wright Deputy Blog Editor Catherine McNally Deputy Multimedia Editor Reza Baghaee Deputy Multimedia Editor Rachelle Moon

[ CHATTER ]

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

Cyrena Touros (COL ’18) reflects on her year and a decision she feels compelled to make:

“

It’s the end of the semester, the end of the year, and for some graduating next month, the end of an era of education as they are off to the real world. Copley Lawn is finally green again, the late-budding cherry blossoms on campus have bloomed, and as the warm weather makes its way towards us full-tilt. ...The very real truth is that I am not happy at Georgetown. While one of the hardest things a person will ever do is pick himself up off the ground after falling flat on his face in failure, even harder, I think, is to know what to do when you don’t fail and it feels wrong just the same. ...This school is prestigious and the people who go here are driven, but I have found that they don’t know how to live. There is little creative energy, students are “busy,” which I’ve come to translate to “unhappy,” and I know now that this life is not enough to sustain me. I need to be somewhere that inspires me. I need to meet people who I can connect to. I need to find a home.”

Find this and more at

thehoya.com/chatter

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Contributing Editors & Consultants

Sam Abrams, Kara Avanceña, Katy Berk, Zoe Bertrand, Alexander Brown, Jinwoo Chong, Nick DeLessio, Robert DePaolo, Ben Germano, TM Gibbons-Neff, Michal Grabias, Chris Grivas, Emma Hinchliffe, Emma Holland, Penny Hung, Nicole Jarvis, Sheena Karkal, Hanaa Khadraoui, Hannah Kaufman, Natasha Khan, Hunter Main, Carolyn Maguire, Emily Min, Jackie McCadden, Suzanne Monyak, KP Pielmeier, Zack Saravay, Eitan Sayag, Katherine Seder, Kshithij Shrinath, Sharanya Sriram, Sean Sullivan, Laura Wagner, Emory Wellman, Michelle Xu, Jason Yoffe, Janet Zhu

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OPINION

TUESDAY, April 21, 2015

Culture Clash

Tucker Cholvin & Thomas Christiansen

Moving GUSA Past Panache W

e must admit that, when newly elected Georgetown University Student Association executives Joe Luther (COL ’16) and Connor Rohan (COL ’16) sent out their first weekly GUSA email, for the first time in years, we read it.

After the satirical campaign that brought Luther and Rohan to power, students had and have high hopes for the both of them. And for the first time, it was entertaining and cheering to see a GUSA email that was willing to poke fun at itself, just as most Georgetown students sometimes enjoy poking fun at GUSA. Several weekly emails later, people on campus are beginning to think that the novelty is wearing off. And while Luther and Rohan certainly deserve points for trying, there are only so many ways to put a witty spin on resume workshops, cultural events and the like.

Georgetown students can get tired of repetition, and after a good dose of the same content repackaged with a sassy spin, they will once again tune out of GUSA. At the start of campaign season, Luther and Rohan were the most dangerous ticket to the GUSA establishment. Now, the most dangerous thing about them seems to be the ever-growing risk of losing the comedic panache that put them there.

Beyond their comedic panache, Luther and Rohan portrayed themselves as complete GUSA outsiders who were never particularly interested in being a part of the “in-crowd.” The student body didn’t elect a traditional GUSA ticket for a reason.

What Luther and Rohan symbolize to us, then, is not simply GUSA Saturday Night Live, a hip, youthful repackaging of the same old saggy body for a millennial crowd. Students did not give them the executive positions so that they could perform some PR magic, offer us a spoonful of laugh-track sugar in addition to the same old GUSA medicine and go on their merry way.

No, we elected them to significantly change GUSA, which includes how they phrase weekly emails, utilize social media, make any public appearances or even pick their cabinet.

As Luther and Rohan pointed out in their campaign (and as a plurality of the student body agreed), GUSA is undeniably a deeply flawed institution. If you still need any convincing, look at how the negotiation over the 2020 Campus Plan is currently shaping up. Even as students demand change, the administration, influenced in part by neighborhood interest groups, continues to act as if student well-being were the least of their concerns. Decisions made in this process will determine what Georgetown looks like for the next two decades, when members of this year’s freshman class will be turning 42.

GUSA is already trapped between university officials keen to lock students out of the discussion entirely and a student body taking apathy to new heights. Throw in a bunch of neighborhood residents bringing “Our Homes, Not GU’s Dorms” signs out of mothballs, and you have a recipe to replicate the disaster that the 2010 Campus Plan was for undergraduates.

We believe that Luther and Rohan have everything they need to change this. In fact, they are more qualified than any other recent administration to engage the student body and university administrators and to make a significant and positive difference for undergraduates. They bring energy, humility and a deep sense of accountability. Most importantly, they connect to the broader student body in a way that 30 Nate Tisas never could.

They wield the student body’s trust in a way that no Stewards ticket ever did.

What is required now, then, is not just a simple repackaging of GUSA. If the campaign was any measure of their ability, Luther and Rohan can do better than being merely the joke on GUSA’s Laffy Taffy wrapper. To live up to their campaign promises, Luther and Rohan must work to reinvent the way Georgetown students perceive and interact with their student government. They can begin by increasing the transparency of the Campus Plan and other activities in a way as accessible and interesting as their campaign.

The last time these columnists voted for a candidate who pledged change, we got disappointment instead. To improve GUSA, Luther and Rohan must work harder to radically reshape it.

Tucker Cholvin and Thomas Christiansen are seniors in the School of Foreign Service. This is the final appearance of Culture Clash this semester.

THE HOYA

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VIEWPOINT • Shedd

I

Filling the Diversity GAAP

woke up late last Saturday and had to rush to clean my room. The Georgetown Admissions Ambassador Program students were coming in 30 minutes, and I needed to get my life together before they arrived. I remembered the rooms I toured last year — decked out in brightly colored rugs and posters, with a smiling Georgetown student ready to welcome me.

Of course, my room couldn’t compare. I needed to vacuum, make my bed and my roommate’s bed, clean up a broken light bulb in the corner and make sure the place smelled nice. But after a few frantic minutes, I found myself sitting on my artificially well-made bed, as classy jazz music played in the background, waiting for the GAAPers to arrive.

As they filed in, I was treated to a rush of weird flashbacks from my own weekend on the Hilltop. I remembered the incredibly awkward “conversations” with my worldly future classmates. I remembered meeting my friend Zainab. And in those moments, all I wanted in those simple, senioritisplagued days of high school was to be a proud student volunteer at GAAP. And there I was last weekend in my baby blue shirt, watching apprehensively as an odd group of nervous kids and their helicopter parents walked into my room, looking around suspiciously as if they thought I had a dead body hidden in my tiny Village C West bathroom. After the group, or mainly the helicopter parents, asked a few standard college dorm questions, they turned to leave.

Just as the last of them stepped out of the confines of my dorm, one of the girls on the tour turned back to me with a nervous smile, pointed at the poster behind my head and asked, “Is that ‘The Princess Bride’?” Stunned at first, I quickly recovered and responded that yes it was, of course, “The Princess Bride” and that it was, and still is, my favorite movie. She tapped her mother on the shoulder and said, “Georgetown students have great taste

We ask why we don’t have a more diverse student body, but we don’t make sure all prospective students know there is a place for them at Georgetown. in movies, Mom!” With one last look back at me and a final nod of approval for my poster taste, they were gone.

I got much more out of GAAP weekend than I expected, especially given my small part as a dorm host. Beyond a free T-shirt and a few brief conversations, I got a compliment for the poster that my RA spends so much time making fun of me for. Affirmation is sweet, let me tell you.

There is more to GAAP weekend than just the dorm tours, and unfortunately not all of it runs so smoothly. At the pump-up meeting before the first

weekend for our incoming students, the GAAP board emphasized the huge difference that the weekend experience makes on prospective student attendance yield. Something like 70 percent of GAAPers become Hoyas, which is much higher than the figure for admits who don’t visit.

Yet there are deeper questions we should be asking. Who are these 70 percent? And at what kind of student is GAAP weekend aimed? We hear a lot about the lack of diversity on campus, and perhaps this can be linked to every part of the admissions process, includ-

VIEWPOINT • Bernard-Sasges

How to Rediscover Your Creative Edge

I

recently discovered a goldmine of unparalleled value after venturing into the darkest corners of my computer desktop — my high school assignments folder.

It wasn’t a predetermined visit but more of an accidental click of my computer mouse. Hovering over the red “x” icon to close the folder, I realized what was before me. I had accidentally just opened a portal into my past. There were four subdivisions in my high school folder, one for each grade, a snapshot into each year of my high school career.

Immediately, my focus shifted to the folder labeled “9th Grade.”

What I had written last year as a senior was not of too much interest to me.

Instead, I wanted to revisit the literary genius of my ninth-grade self.

He did not disappoint.

I began my journey with an essay creatively titled “Extra Essay 1.” In this essay, I found quite the rebellious quote, calling out my English teacher on her homework-assigning habits: “Now my English teacher, Mrs. Truman thought that we didn’t have lives and all we had to do after school was to do her homework that she assigned. I think she thought she was doing us a favor, but no one was going to correct her and tell her we had other things we liked to do other than homework.”

Let’s leave aside the multiple sentence structure and syntax errors in these sentences and instead focus on the clearly actionpacked life I was living as a ninth grader.

I was also a prophet in the ninth grade, writing the notcliche-in-the-slightest essay about the end of human civilization. Let the record show that if the world, as we know it, does cease to exist in the year 2111, I called it first. There is evidence of my Nostradamus-like abilities on my desktop.

In the essay, I wisely predict our mode of living has an expiration date because our future ability to eradicate all major diseases and increase human life expectancy will ultimately lead to mass overpopulation. Without natural population controls, my oh-so-naive self mused, humanity was strapped to a brakeless speeding train inevitably headed toward the abyss.

Apparently, I had a very grim phase in the ninth grade. Maybe it was because of all the creative writing homework I was being as-

signed.

Things took a turn for the better, if you can call it that, my sophomore year. Unfortunately, this doesn’t refer to my writing skills.

Anyone else use Merriam-Webster dictionary definitions as hooks for essays?

But my motivation must have been quite high, as I discovered a few poems I attempted to write. One such poem, called “Lights” reads, “The mob of light, / Flashing, flickering, flaming, / Putting on a show for me.” I wish I could say that I was writing about a deep or important subject. Instead, my attempted poetry referred to the taillights of cars on the highway in front of me. My fancy poem is about sitting in traffic. Thankfully, my younger self realized I was not cut out for the life of a poet.

The essays from my junior and senior years of high school were less entertaining to read.

A literary analysis of “Crime and Punishment” just doesn’t compare to an essay about life from the perspective of a dollar bill (another ninth grade oeuvre d’art).

Looking back, the final two years of high school definitely improved my writing skills, but the works lacked my old creative edge. I’m very thankful to all of my English teachers for having shaped my writing.

However, I wish to rediscover the bits of myself that were fearless enough to write stories about inanimate objects and use swear words when my peers still blushed at their mention.

My writing is certainly more readable today, but it is far less interesting. I am now inspired to revive the bold and quirky writer that is somewhere inside of me by seeking writing opportunities in the performing arts department on campus.

I believe that this is the best path for me to rediscover my natural writing style at Georgetown since my classes have only continued to push me toward adopting a perfectly uniform writing style.

I encourage everyone who has still saved their childhood papers to glance through them while procrastinating during finals. You may rediscover a creative, artistic beast waiting to be reawakened, like I did.

“Looking back, the final two years of high school definitely improved my writing skills, but the words lacked my old creative edge.”

Anthony Bernard-Sasges is a freshman in the School of Foreign Service.

ing GAAP. I don’t claim to have any inside knowledge of the organization, but it is a simple fact that our community chooses not to highlight the diversity of Living Learning Communities or cultural clubs, for example. Dorm tours are all well and good, but it’s not enough to have a CAB fair with only a few tables. Georgetown is known for its clubs and the social life that is based around them — we should make sure that we are presenting this truly impressive part of our community in the best way. We ask why we don’t have a more artistic or diverse student body, but it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise when we don’t take that extra step to reach out and make sure that prospective students know that there is a place for them at Georgetown.

At convocation, this lack of cultural awareness is even more pronounced.

Last year, I saw one speaker who told an admittedly inspiring story about coming from Spain and hoping that her younger brother can follow in her footsteps; the other, however, was a speech from a white man about his experience with the Hoya community spirit and the McDonough School of Business. These are valid experiences, no doubt, but presenting this man’s story at GAAP in lieu of another’s perpetuates the idea of Georgetown as an elitist institution. Certainly, much of our community has nothing like an “elite” upbringing, but it is important that we showcase the stories of students that our admits may find more relatable.

Georgetown has no problem attracting its traditional demographic, but GAAP weekend on its own isn’t enough for everyone. Let’s make sure that we make space for the underrepresented and unseen stories that our students have. If we do so, maybe, just maybe, we may finally reach a broader group that can create a better and more diverse Georgetown.

Nick Shedd is a freshman in the School of Foreign Service.

As this jesuit sees it

Meaningful Exams For a Meaningful End

O

ne of the most challenging us, but on the questions and reflection things for a professor to do is that we set before ourselves in these to design a truly meaningful weeks as we study, reflect and rememand transformative final exam or final ber. paper. Yet, after 21 years of experience I often encourage my students to in higher education as both a student ask the “Georgetown questions” as we and professor, I have come to appreciate get to the end of the semester. These how powerfully a well-designed exam are the questions that challenge you or project can bring all the pieces to- to take the subject matter and apply it gether into a coherent whole and help to your evolving identity. Having seen make it part of one’s life. the world in a new way — through the I vividly remember the very best literature we have read, the people we exam I took. It was a three-hour test have encountered, the data we have anfor an American studies course. We alyzed and the discussions we have enhad read 11 books, and on the exam gaged in— we ask ourselves how we will we had to employ nine of them, across each respond. What new choice and four different and extremely creative commitment and self-understanding essays … without repeating a book! I do my new knowledge and awareness also think often of my best final paper: call forth? an essay for a course on Shakespeare’s This is more than reflection for reflecplays that asked us to do the nearly tion’s sake, and it is more than studyimpossible task of analyzing the inter- ing for studying’s sake. It is reflection play of two themes of grounded in what we our choosing in two have studied, and plays of our choosing it extends to touch … in only 500 words. all the other experiWhen I finished ences of the year. these assignments, I Friendships and infelt that I had shown ternships, clubs and my mastery not only service, even our failof the wide swath ures and disappointof literature we had ments — these are Fr. Matthew Carnes read, but that I had all things we bring to produced somethe Georgetown questhing that reflected tions. For the project my own new (and we have on this Hillevolving) view of the top is much greater world. I was proud than simply acquirof each carefully choing facts; it is about sen word. the people we will The fact that I be as we walk forth remember both of from Healy Gates. If these final assesswe pay attention to ments after more our experience of this than 20 years says something impor- past year and all that we have learned, tant about what they called forth from we will be both rightfully proud of many me. Mediocre tests and papers merely accomplishments, but also quieted and make us go through the motions; we humbled by a greater appreciation of feel empty afterward, as if all we have our own inevitable limitations. We will done is regurgitate facts and informa- be inspired by mentors and classmates, tion. The best tests and papers help us and we will recognize how much we are study and learn in a new way, and we dependent on one another for support, finish feeling more full because we now wisdom and encouragement. We will understand the material in a new and be more truly ourselves, the same selves richer way. We “own” the subject. It has that arrived to New Student Orientation, become part of us; we have integrated it yet also truly new and not ourselves, into our ideas and worldview and ulti- with a sense of commitment, responsimately, into who we are. bility and connectedness that we could Jesuit education is all about this kind never have dreamed possible then. of integration and fullness, and it culSo, dear Hoyas, as classes end and minates in how we finish our experi- study days begin, seek to make the most ences. Final exams and papers are an of this unique opportunity to finish the important part of this, because they year well. With depth and integration, are the one moment when we can find pride and gratitude in all you have gain perspective on the whole of what learned and experienced. Decades from we have studied. Of course, this takes now, may you remember these tests serious work, and the path of least resis- and papers as your “best” ones, having tance is simply to aim to survive, often discovered in them your own ongoing sleep-deprived and stressed, and hope transformation, purpose and even joy. for nothing more than to just pour out intelligible words into a blue book. But Fr. Matthew Carnes, S.J., is there is something more in reach — to an assistant professor in the finish the year in a truly transformative government department at way — and the effort to make this hap- Georgetown University. This is the pen is eminently worthwhile. It does final appearance of AS THIS JESUIT not depend on just the exams set before SEES IT…this semester.

“We ‘own’ the subject.

It becomes part of us; we integrate it into our ideas, and ultimately, who we are.”

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THE HOYA

PAGE FOUR

NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE An electrical storm caused campuswide power and Internet outages.

See story at thehoya.com.

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya.

IN FOCUS

verbatim

HOLLABACK GIRL

“

Just because services are out there doesn’t mean they are the most effective services that students need.”

Jairus Nytes (COL ’16), founder of Creating Survivors, on the quality of mental health services at the university.

Story on A5.

from

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ISABEL BINAMIRA/THE HOYA

Gwen Stefani, lead singer of No Doubt, perfomed at the Global Citizen Earth Day event Saturday, April 18. The free event on the National Mall drew thousands and also included performances from Usher, Common and Mary J. Blige.

CALLING ALL DOPPELGANGERS Do you or someone you know have a celebrity who is basically your twin? Submit a photo of you/your friend and the famous person in question to blog.thehoya.com to enter our contest! blog.thehoya.com

The Hoya Sommers Event Sparks Dialogue, Protest Announces Leadership MARGARET HEFTLER Hoya Staff Writer

ASHWIN PURI Hoya Staff Writer

THE HOYA has transitioned to a new editorial and publishing staff for fall 2015.

The new staff, who began their terms April 20, produced their first print issue today.

Former Campus News Editor Katherine Richardson (COL ’17) begins a semesterlong term as executive editor, taking over from Carolyn Maguire (COL ’16).

“I’m so excited to read and help develop content in multiple sections of THE HOYA as executive editor. My background in news has given me a comprehensive knowledge of campus issues, but I’m ready to expand my knowledge base and learn more about our school and the D.C. area,” Richardson said.

Former Photo Editor Daniel Smith (SFS ’17) will serve as managing editor, replacing Alexander Brown (COL ’16).

“As photography editor last term, I was able to work extensively with THE HOYA’s visual identity. Now I get to have an impact on our words, and for that, I am truly excited,” Smith said.

Former Multimedia Editor and former Campus News Editor Molly Simio (SFS ’17) is the new online editor, succeeding Jess Kelham-Hohler (COL ’17).

“I am excited to continue to expand THE HOYA’s online presence in this position, which is still relatively new,” Simio said. “My term got off to a rocky start; the demise of SaxaNet within my term’s first few hours had the potential to cast the role of online editor into irrelevance, but I am hopeful that it can only improve from this point.”

Christina Wing (MSB ’16) begins a yearlong term as chair of the board of directors, taking over from Sheena Karkal (COL ’15). Wing previously served as director of corporate development in spring 2014, and was the chief coordinator for THE HOYA’s Anniversary Gala.

“I’m really looking forward to take on my new role as chair of the board.

After planning THE HOYA’s 95th Anniversary Gala, I believe I can continue to advance THE HOYA as an institution,” Wing said. “Coming from the publishing side, I hope to apply my business background to ensure a lifelong, lasting legacy and am excited to work more closely with editorial.”

Mallika Sen (SFS ’16) will continue her yearlong term as editor-in-chief, and Brian Carden (MSB ’16) will continue to serve as general manager in his yearlong position.

A talk by author and former philosophy professor Christina Hoff Sommers, who discussed her views on feminism, sparked student protest and dialogue throughout campus.

Sommers spoke Thursday night, giving a talk titled “What’s Right (and Badly Wrong) with Feminism” at the invitation of the Georgetown University College Republicans.

Members of campus groups such as H*yas for Choice and Sexual Assault Peer Educators protested before and during the event, citing her prior statements regarding sexual assault.

In May 2014, Sommers wrote an article in TIME in which she described rape culture as “a panic where paranoia, censorship and false accusations flourish.” Sommers also wrote an opinion piece in the Washington Post in January 2012, which claimed that the Center for Disease Control’s 2010 study on sexual violence in America “overstates the problem.”

Student protesters posted trigger warnings around the Healy Hall classroom in which the speech took place, alerting students that Sommers’ speech would contain potentially anti-feminist dialogue that may be traumatizing to survivors of sexual assault. Protesters also stood at the back of the room, but they remained silent during the speech.

Additionally, student groups Take Back the Night and SAPE set up a “safe space” in Maguire Hall, with the goal of supporting survivors emotionally triggered by the event.

SAPE members provided information about sexual assault resources in the room.

Sommers began her speech by defining her ideology of “freedom feminism,” which rejects the notion that females receive unequal treatment in society.

“I rejected the idea that American women are an oppressed class,” Sommers said. “I describe feminism as a great American success story that women are flourishing in so many ways, and it’s no longer possible to say who’s better off because it’s a complicated mix.”

According to Sommers, freedom feminism is influenced by traditional versions of feminism in that it also rejects conformity to gender roles.

“Freedom feminism draws aspects of both the egalitarian and maternal tradition of feminism. It shares with the egalitarians an aversion to rigid gender roles,” Sommers said. “If I had to reduce its message to a single sentence, it would be that

in pursuit of happiness, men and women tend to choose somewhat different paths.”

In addition, Sommers said that since the main differences between the sexes are biological rather than societal, members of both sexes have free will in determining their futures.

“We should credit one another with free agency. ... There is no need to socially engineer a society,” Sommers said.

Sommers also said that contemporary feminism propagates incorrect and misinformed statistics.

“There’s a lot of bad things that happen to men that aren’t talked about. It happens to be the case that in universities, there is a lot of exaggeration. In women’s studies textbooks, they tend to exaggerate women’s vulnerability and understate the problems of men,” Sommers said.

In reference to the trigger warnings posted in response to her speech, Sommers criticized the censorship against potentially controversial speakers on college campuses.

“On campus, you see cries for censorship for speakers. The most extreme thing I saw was a feminist leadership conference in London and they had a trigger warning that you should not clap because that was causing anxiety and that you should instead use jazz hands,” Sommers said.

H*yas for Choice member Michaela Lewis (COL ’18) stood outside the event while holding a sign that read “This event may be triggering.”

Lewis said that she was standing in solidarity with sexual assault survivors, whom she accused Sommers of trivializing.

“We’re here tonight to silently protest. [Sommers] has, in the past, made statements trivializing survivors of sexual assault and saying that survivors are not legitimate.

We are here in solidarity with survivors,” Lewis said.

Students standing at the back of the room held signs that read “Feminists Against Rape Apology,” “We respect your opinion, but we wholeheartedly disagree with you” and “Survivors, I support you.”

Adrianna Zinn (NHS ’15), who volunteered in the safe space in Maguire Hall, said that it was important for the community to stand in solidarity with survivors.

“I decided to be in the safe space because I didn’t feel comfortable going to the event and not being triggered, which is why trigger warnings are important,” Zinn said.

“We’ve had people coming in and out all night showing solidarity and

processing things and it’s been really helpful for people.”

GU College Republicans President Amber Athey (COL ’16) said that she did not feel it was necessary to provide a trigger warning for the event, as it was not originally intended to cover the issue of sexual assault.

“I don’t believe GUCR had an obligation to provide a trigger warning for the event,” Athey said. “GUCR believes that survivors of sexual assault are responsible enough and more qualified than we are to decide whether or not they can attend an event. Furthermore, the talk was not supposed to cover sexual assault until the topic was raised by some students.”

Students who attended the event had mixed responses.

GU College Republicans board member Paul Spezia (SFS ’17) said that he enjoyed the dialogue that Sommers’ speech prompted.

“I’m glad everyone came out to have the discussion. I was a little worried that we weren’t going to have a diversity of opinions and it was nice to see that,” Spezia said. “I thought it was a different view and a discussion that I think needs to be had.”

College Republicans member Erica Tillotson (COL ’18) agreed with

Spezia and said that she was pleased that the speech brought a different perspective to feminism and sexual assault.

“I thought it was a very thoughtprovoking dialogue and it’s very necessary for us to have it and for both parties to speak as well as listen to the other side to make progress on the issue,” Tillotsom said.

SAPE member Queen Adesuyi (COL ’16) criticized Sommers’ comments that males are repressed and not succeeding in school environments. According to Adesuyi, Sommers neglected the factor of race in her discussion.

“It was an extremely problematic talk. She was racist, ableist and her [statistics] on boys being suspended is extremely racialized,” Adesuyi said. “Her insensitivity to race was absolutely ridiculous.”

Students also took issue with Sommers’ use of language throughout the speech. Stephanie Estevez (COL ’16) said that Sommers’ usage of the term “Asperger-y” was ableist.

“She was making fun of people with Aspegers, she was making fun of flapping and when we came up to her to tell her she was being ableist, she basically said ‘Whatever, it doesn’t affect me so I don’t care,’” Estevez said.

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Student groups provided trigger warnings and a safe space zone during Sommers’ speech on feminism last Thursday in Healy Hall.

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tuesday, april 21, 2015

Nonprofit Initiative Grows Lucy Prout

Hoya Staff Writer

Creating Survivors, a student-run nonprofit dedicated to mental health issues, has plans to expand its Georgetown chapter to provide services to more students.

The nonprofit, which was created in September 2014

by Jairus Nytes (COL ’16), provides students with free access to licensed psychotherapists to prevent teen suicide and assist students struggling with mental health. Nytes intends for the Georgetown chapter to be a pilot upon which other universities can base their own Creating Survivors programs.

“As I have re-evaluated how health services are offered in general on college campuses, it became very clear to me that the need is present here on college campuses,” Nytes said.

“Just because services are out there doesn’t mean they are the most effective services that students need.”

The university has received criticism for its poor management of the Georgetown Counseling and Psychiatric Service, which critics argue receives insufficient funding and training for its counselors.

The program has a threepronged approach: advocacy for funding for psychotherapists in schools and for minors without parental consent; counseling and support for students struggling with mental illness; and training for educators to inform them about the intricacies of mental health.

These services are available to Georgetown students.

To Nytes, peer counseling is the most effective method of preventing the problems related to mental health. He cited his own experience as an example of the positive peer counseling he wishes to impart on others who look to Creating Survivors for health services.

“Counseling radically changed my life,” Nytes said. “It helped me focus

on my education so that I could continue and get to Georgetown.”

Currently, the group is working with CAPS to create a master curriculum for its peer-counseling program, in which participants will be educated about recognizing depression and suicidal tendencies among peers. This curriculum also includes student-led support groups focused on specific issue areas such as substance abuse and eating disorders.

CAPS President Philip Meilman explained that he looked to Cornell University’s student-led, free counseling program, Empathy, Assistance and Referral Service, as an inspiration for Creating Survivors. Meilman provided advice and support to Nytes, utilizing Cornell’s program as a tem-

“Counseling radically changed my life. It helped me focus on my education.”

JAIRUS NYTES (COL ’16) Creating Survivors Founder

plate.

Cornell’s EARS program, which was established in the early 1970s, provides professional peer-counseling services for members of the university community.

“We provided Jairus Nytes with background information regarding the peer support program at Cornell University,” Meilman wrote in an email to the hoya.

Nytes plans on improving the existing program by increasing the number of free psychotherapy sessions that students can receive, reforming Georgetown’s medical leave of absence policy to better suit students’ needs and reorganizing the budget for the next year to increase the amount of money spent on mental health.

According to Nytes, the

original target audience for the program was middle and high school students.

However, after discussing his idea with other students at Georgetown, he received an overwhelmingly positive response and realized that the program should be utilized at Georgetown, and eventually, at other universities and high schools.

“We were going to start the program here in the Georgetown area and get college students interested and have them run this program in high schools,” Nytes said. “[But] as I was talking to more and more students, the response that I continuously got was ‘That’s awesome, but can you do it at Georgetown too?’”

After learning of students’ and administrators’ desire for a larger mental health program on campus, Nytes decided to focus exclusively on mental health at Georgetown. After discussion with the program’s board of directors, which includes Georgetown students, Nytes opened peer counselor applications for Georgetown students.

Nytes expressed his gratitude to Georgetown’s administrators, students, faculty and alumni for offering to help him hone his ideas for Creating Survivors.

“Creating Survivors would not exist without Georgetown University,” Nytes said. “Creating Survivors is filling a gap that a lot of students have wanted to be filled.”

Gabby Johnson (COL ’18) sees the need for a more supportive, student-led, oncampus counseling option and believes that Creating Survivors will provide an important avenue of therapy for students who may not be comfortable talking to traditional psychotherapists.

“Students may also feel more comfortable talking to other students because they may be able to better relate to someone closer to their own age,” Johnson said. “It’s important to keep the conversation going about mental health.”

THE HOYA

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As 2016 Campaigning Begins, Students Support Candidates Sarah Fisher Hoya Staff Writer

Along with the recent announcements of several 2016 presidential campaigns, Georgetown students with experience working with both Democratic and Republican candidates have expressed optimism about the future of the race.

Jenna Galper (COL ’17) previously worked with the Ready for Hillary political action committee, and expressed excitement about Clinton’s campaign, which was announced with a two-minute YouTube video released April 12.

“I’m absolutely excited that Hillary Clinton is running and I think she’ll make a great President,” Galper wrote in an email to the hoya.

“My time working at Ready for Hillary PAC has made me even more excited for her candidacy, because I got to meet and interact with such a diverse group of supporters from all over the country who are just as passionate about electing her as I am.”

Immediately following her announcement, Clinton began her campaign with a three-day road trip from New York to Iowa, with several stops along the way.

Galper said that she believes Clinton’s campaign thus far demonstrates a sense of humility.

“As we’ve seen from her first week of campaigning, Clinton certainly isn’t acting like she’s inevitable,” Galper wrote. “By roadtripping to Iowa and avoiding large press events, Clinton is demonstrating that she’s committed to spending the campaign season listening to the concerns of real Americans, regardless of what pundits are saying about her electoral chances. She is clearly running a people-focused campaign, and not a coronation.”

President of Young Americans for Liberty Mitchell Tu (SFS ’17), who previously interned with Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who announced his candidacy on April 7, said he supports his campaign, but is also open to other candidates.

“I would love him to win, though to be honest I have more doubts now, due to a slight change in views,” Tu said.

Chair of the Georgetown College Republi-

FILE PHOTO: ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton announced her candidacy April 12.

cans Amber Athey (COL ’16) also said she supports Paul as a presidential nominee, but highlighted other possible candidates as well.

“I have been following Rand Paul’s campaign quite a bit and really identify with his ideology,” Athey said. “However, I believe Jeb Bush has the experience and composure necessary to lead, so I’m torn.”

On the Republican side, two other candidates have already begun campaigning. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) was the first to announce candidacy on March 23, with Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) following on April 13.

According to a CNN/ORC poll, the rest of the nation is similarly torn across potential Republican nominees. Potential candidate Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida, has a slight edge with 17 percent of support, but numerous contenders follow closely behind in the poll. Paul, Rubio and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, a potential candidate, stand at 11 percent each, with Cruz at 7 percent.

Both Athey and Tu said they believe that the Republican Party is moving in a more libertarian direction.

“The Republican Party has become increasingly pluralistic, as the ideas of economic conservatism and individual liberty resonate with many voters,” Athey said. “I expect that this trend will continue and we will see an increase in Republicans who are economically conservative but socially more liberal.”

Tu added this possible ideological shift could be attributed to views of younger voters.

“The future of the Republican Party, as driven by necessity, will involve more young people and Libertarians,” Tu said. “That is, of course, barring any big changes in the future.”

On the Democratic side, the poll shows a much clearer leader in Clinton. She is still the only Democratic candidate to officially announce a presidential campaign.

According to the poll, nearly 70 percent of Democrats support Clinton over potential candidate Vice President Joe Biden, who came in at 11 percent. Other potential candidates Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT), former Senator Jim Webb (D-VA), former Governor of Rhode Island Lincoln Chafee and former Governor of Maryland Martin O’Malley rounded out the poll with less than 5 percent of the votes each.

Chair of College Democrats Matthew Gregory (SFS ’17) said that Clinton is in a strong position to secure widespread support due to her experience, despite some dips in poll numbers likely due to the recent controversy surrounding her use of a personal email account while serving as Secretary of State.

“She is right now absolutely best positioned among a weak Democratic field to gain significant nationwide support and win the party nomination,” Gregory said. “Clinton is uniquely qualified for the office after a multidisciplinary career in government, and moreover, has attained consummated levels of familiarity with a number of foreign and domestic issues with which many competitors lack even minimal prior knowledge.”

However, Gregory added that there is no guarantee Clinton will ultimately be elected as the Democratic presidential nominee.

“I would hesitate to say that Hillary Clinton is necessarily the inevitable winner of the Democratic primary,” Gregory said. “A dark horse candidate could still emerge and exploit any signs of complacency Clinton may exhibit.”

Hoya Staff Writer Emily Tu contributed reporting.

Lynn Discusses Secularism, Role of Church and State Xinlan Hu

Hoya Staff Writer

Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State Rev. Barry Lynn, Esq. (LAW ’78) discussed the role of religion in government at an event hosted by the Secular Students Alliance on Thursday night at WhiteGravenor Hall.

In the past few decades, Lynn has advocated for the separation of church and state through his position as a minister in the United Church of Christ and various media appearances.

Lynn started the lecture by affirming the separation of church and state as a constitutional value, while noting the scale of religious influence and the discrimination against non-theists in political campaigns.

“I don’t think you should make policies in the United States based on anybody’s understanding of the Holy Scripture,” Lynn said. “We make decisions based on commonly shared values in everyone, so often articulated so well in the Constitution: equal protection under the law, freedom of speech [and] separation of church and state.”

According to Lynn, politicians from earlier periods of American history have advocated for the separation of religion from politics more than current politicians have. For instance, he cited President Ulysses S. Grant’s banning of religious teaching in public schools and President John F. Kennedy’s declaration of the separation of church and state.

“I don’t think there’s any candidate in either political party today, not even sure about the minority parties, who would make a statement like [Kennedy’s] and not fear that he or she would be ostracized and probably defeated for public offices,” Lynn said.

While he conceded America’s high level of religious freedom in comparison to other countries, Lynn said it is challenging to achieve the separation of church and state with 20 percent of the electorate self-identifying with the religious right.

“I think the country today does not have a problem with Christians being subjected to discriminatory treatment,” Lynn said. “It does have a problem with two things. … [One is] inertia, as when something gets started, it’s hard to stop it.

The other is momentum.”

Lynn then discussed his involvement with the creation of the Federal Religious Freedom Res-

toration Act. While the FRFRA influenced the ruling of the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. case, Lynn questioned the legal basis for defining corporations as religious.

Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. was a landmark decision that allowed closely held for-profit corporations to be exempt from a law if its owners religiously objected to it.

“I don’t believe it was a reasonable assessment of what this bill [FRFRA] is about, because going through the entire debate, there was no reference to this ever covering corporations except the Church,” Lynn said.

Lynn also questioned the recent events surrounding Memories Pizza in Indiana, which refused to cater a gay wedding under the Public Accommodation Act. “You just have to be served,” Lynn said. “The service is catering. The service is photographing [an] event. That’s what public accommodation does.”

Lynn said that he was disappointed in President Barack Obama for maintaining the faithbased initiatives and for allowing tax-exempt groups, including churches, to endorse candidates for public office.

“Leaders, I think, are supposed to lead,” Lynn said. “They are supposed to be people who make the arguments that other people can now look up to and not to wait for everybody or the critical mass.”

SSA President Katherine Landau said that Lynn was representative of a larger secular movement beyond Georgetown’s campus.

“It was really good to have that voice from the secular community in D.C.,” Landau said. “As the Secular Students Alliance is gearing more towards the community aspect, giving the atheists a community on campus, it was really good to dig into our roots to hear about those current issues and what he has to say about them. He was a very eloquent speaker.”

SSA member Mallory Vial (COL ’18) said that she enjoyed hearing about Lynn’s perspective and his personal approach to discussing secular issues with students.

“Barry was very engaging and personally interacted with everyone there, even calling us by name,” Vial said. “While Barry lobbies for secular issues, he is also a reverend. As most members of our group identify as non-theists, Barry’s secular but religious perspective was very interesting to hear about.”

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THE HOYA

GULC Develops Firm For Low-Income Clients NONPROFIT, from A1 Piper and Arent Fox, all feel that it’s really important to make sure that lawyers are available to help this group.

GULC Dean William Treanor added that D.C. Affordable Law Firm targets a large, underserved demographic in the Washington, D.C. area.

“The ‘low bono’ law firm that we are creating will provide legal services at a reduced rate for people who earn two to four times the poverty level,” Treanor said. “That’s an enormous amount of people. In Washington, D.C., alone, that’s 100,000 people.”

Marc Fleischaker, a partner at Arent Fox who helped bring the deal together, explained that the majority of people with moderate incomes, which he defined as anywhere from $20,000 to $90,000, cannot afford legal coverage. The members of this group fall between those who can generally afford legal coverage and the individuals who have a low enough salary to qualify for donated legal aid.

“Most people with moderate incomes … can’t afford to pay what lawyers cost,” Fleischaker said.

“It’s just not a fair and balanced contest.”

GULC professor Peter Edelman, who has been active in working to increase legal service accessibility for lower income citizens, also helped with the development of the nonprofit firm. After discussing the matter with Treanor, Edelman approached six law firms and gauged their interest in creating a ‘low bono’ firm. Arent Fox agreed to help.

When Krantz heard of Edelman’s efforts, he asked his former law firm, DLA Piper, to also become involved with the project. They agreed to join with Arent Fox to provide advice and training for the new lawyers.

Arent Fox will be working in close capacity with each of the new lawyers, and will provide the nonprofit firm 10 lawyers, partners and associates, as well as a few staff members, for training and mentorship. Additionally, Arent Fox will provide a conference room for the firm and an office for each attorney.

“We’re involved in a lot of different ways,” Fleischaker said. “Hopefully, [we can] help teach the

new lawyers how to be successful.”

Edelman said the assistance of Arent Fox and DLA Piper is a unique aspect of GULC’s partnership.

“There are a few somewhat similar programs sponsored by [other] law school[s],” Edelman wrote in an email to The Hoya. “[B]ut there aren’t any that we know of that involve a partnership between a law school and major national law firms.”

Treanor also emphasized how unprecedented the project is and praised Edelman for his leadership in bringing the nonprofit firm together.

“This is the first firm of its kind,” Treanor said. “This has more training than any of the other models and the participants will also get a graduate law degree.”

In addition to Krantz’s role as executive director, the program will also consist of a threeSHELDON Krantz member board for the firm. The GULC PROFESSOR board, which has yet to be selected, will include representatives from the GULC, DLA Piper and Arent Fox. Krantz described his position as akin to a new full time job in addition to his responsibilities as a professor, but added that he is passionate about the project.

“I’m really looking forward to taking the challenge on,” Krantz said. “I’m [running the law firm] on a pro bono basis because I really care about it.”

GULC faculty will review the applications to the firm in an initial screening process, but the final decision will be left up to the board of the firm in the coming weeks.

“We’ll be reviewing all those applications,” Krantz said. “We’re sure because of the high quality of GU law students, we’re going to have a very strong group of lawyers.”

Krantz highlighted his excitement at seeing how the law firm will function and expressed hope that other law schools will be inspired to develop similar nonprofit firms.

“What we’re starting, which is this nonprofit law firm, is a pretty unique undertaking,” Krantz said. “We think it’s going to be important here in the District, and we think it could serve as a model for others.”

“We’re sure because of the high quality of GU law students, we’re going to have a very strong group of lawyers.”

Workers Negotiate New Contract With Aramark DEAL, from A1 joined in March 2011.

In January, the GSC created a petition in support of the workers’ demands, which amassed 2,021 signatures from students and other community members.

According to Josh Armstead, a worker at Leo’s who was part of the negotiations committee, Aramark was unwilling to comply with the workers’ demands during the initial stages of the negotiations.

“When we first went into the negotiations, [Aramark] said, ‘Why are you here? We don’t see the need to have a raise or any other benefits,’” Armstead said. “It’s not at the standard of other Aramark universities in D.C. like Catholic, American.

Why are we being treated as second-class employees when we work for the same company in the same city, and go through the same circumstances as our brothers and sisters? Their refusal [to listen] was what drove the workers to this victory.”

According to UNITE HERE Local 23 Union Representative Sam Geaney-Moore (SFS ’12), who represents Aramark employees at Georgetown, workers will be able to unionize under the renegotiated contract. Geaney-Moore was a member of the GSC while attending Georgetown as a student and helped fight for workers in Leo’s, Starbucks, Cosi and Wolfington Hall, which unionized in 2011.

“The parties have agreed to a fair process through which all unrepresented employees of Aramark of the Georgetown campus will be able to decide whether or not to join a union prior to the 2015 academic year,” Geaney-Moore said.

Francisco Lopez, a worker at Elevation Burger in Hoya Court, said that unionization provides more opportunities for upward mobility.

“You don’t have to be worried about a new person coming in and taking your spot or a spot that you’ve always wanted, because you have the seniority in placement too, so they have to respect that.

They can’t bring somebody else from the street and say ‘Here’s your new boss’ while he doesn’t know anything,” Lopez said.

The renegotiated contract will also enforce a 40hour workweek so that workers will have the opportunity to work for more paid hours. Currently, the average workweek is 37.5 hours.

In addition, the contract includes a minimum wage of 50 cents per hour, with an additional 25-cent increase for workers who fall behind the pay scale. These wage conditions are in conjunction with those of Aramark workers at Catholic University and American University.

Workers will also be covered by a new healthcare insurance plan with increased coverage and no deductibles.

Armstead, a worker at Leo’s who was part of the contract negotiations committee, said that the new insurance plan will reduce the costs of paying for separate coverage.

“You’re no longer paying for separate coverage that will eat your paychecks. Most workers will see definite savings, [in both] single [and] family [plans],” Armstead said. “A lot of our workers have family members — sons, daughters, mothers, fathers — that they’re taking care of. This will help them in

FILE PHOTO: DAN GANNON/THE HOYA

Aramark workers protested against poor work and wage conditions Feb. 20. terms of health care.”

Lastly, the contract includes the creation of a new food sustainability committee, where workers will be able to provide input on food safety and sustainability practices on campus. Workers will undergo 16 hours of training regarding these practices.

Armstead said that the idea for the committee originated from the workers’ desire to become more involved in discussions regarding the quality of food served on campus.

“Essentially, [we want to] put better food. We actually hear students. I eat the same thing as the students. Most of the time it’s pretty good, but it gets repetitive when you’re at late night and it’s chicken fingers again,” Armstead said.

Overall, Aramark workers at Georgetown have expressed support for the new contract.

Armstead said that he was optimistic about the benefits included in the renegotiated contract, particularly in reference to the wage conditions.

“I believe I should start experiencing this American dream that people keep talking about, ‘cause so far I haven’t seen it,” Armstead said. “I believe that now, I can afford just to be able to live and not feel like I’ll go broke every month. I believe that many workers feel the same.

This will help lift them and JOSH ARMSTEAD their families up.

Armstead said that the LEO’S WORKER deal represents a victory for the workers after months of negotiating with Aramark for better treatment in the workplace.

“I can get a general sense that it is a victory that most workers can definitely feel good about. I saw people whose faces showed gloom and doom light up. Most people, who doubted that it wouldn’t happen, finally saw that there’s power in labor.

They should feel powerful, not powerless,” Armstead said.

“I believe I should start experiencing this American dream that people keep talking about, ’cause so far I haven’t seen it.”

Tuesday, APRIL 21, 2015

Students to Protest WBC WESTBORO, from A1 p.m. on Monday.

According to the WBC’s website, church members decided to organize the protest on the basis of Georgetown’s acceptance of LGBTQ students.

“WBC will picket Georgetown University in religious protest and warning: God is not mocked,” the website read. “All people affiliated with the universities of this nation have given themselves to the f - - agenda.

In particular, the WBC cited the LGBTQ Resource Center’s hosting of “OUTober,” a month honoring LGBTQ history and progress, and a quote from former Georgetown University Student Association President Nate Tisa (SFS ’14) that reads, “Society is changing and God is in that change.” The quote originally appeared in a column written

by Tisa for The Hoya in October 2012 prior to his term as GUSA president. The quote was later reprinted in an article by The New York Times, which was referenced by the WBC. “I would have been less brazen about being a target of their attacks as a 15-year-old in the closet,” Tisa wrote in an email to The Hoya. “For those who lack family and community support, live in areas that share some level of anti-gay sentiment or are struggling with their sexuality, this hate speech cuts deep.”

Tisa said that he will be participating in the counter-protests on Monday to demonstrate his solidarity with Georgetown students against the WBC’s message.

“As a Georgetown alumnus I am proud to be part of a community that stands in solidarity against this message of hate. I re-

ally hope we use next Monday’s protest as a force for positive change beyond this group’s half hour of fame,” Tisa said. “I will be joining other Hoyas at the front gates on Monday and hope others will join me in donating to groups [supporting LGBTQ youth].”

In their email, O’Brien and Olson wrote that Georgetown maintains a religious tradition of respect for all individuals and does not condone the views of the WBC. “We realize that their presence near our campus could be upsetting. At Georgetown, we are deeply proud of our religious tradition and recognize the inherent human dignity of every member of our community,” O’Brien and Olson wrote. “As an institution that values interreligious understanding, inclusion and respect for all persons, we find the viewpoints of this group offensive, degrading and hateful.”

Several students have begun organizing counter-protests in response to the WBC’s plans for next Monday. In 2011, a group of Georgetown students attended a counter-protest at American University when the WBC picketed at the university.

GU Pride planned a solidarity event, which will take place at Red Square on Monday. 892 people have responded to the Facebook page of the event at press time.

The solidarity event will consist of a prayer led by Fr. Raymond Kemp, S.J., as well as activities with other student groups such as cultural and campus ministry groups. Signs will also be distributed for students to use at the Supreme Court the following day, where the WBC will

hold another protest expressing their views against gay marriage.

GU Pride President Campbell James (SFS ’17) said that he hopes the solidarity event will demonstrate to the WBC that Georgetown not only accepts, but values diversity.

“GU Pride hopes to counter the hate speech from the WBC by creating an environment where all Hoyas can be celebrated for their diverse backgrounds,” James said. “We want to show the WBC that Georgetown students do not tolerate attacks on any of their students.”

Breanne Kincaid (COL ’16) is also planning a counter-protest at the main gates where the WBC members will be picketing.

Although the counter-protest is not organized in affiliation with any student groups, Kincaid has received support from individual students willing to help her with the counter-protest. At press time, 660 people RSVPed to the Facebook page of the event.

Like James, Kincaid said that she would like the counter-protest to dwarf the WBC’s protest.

“I want to overpower the WBC with our sheer numbers,” she said. “I want to be more vocal, more passionate and so overwhelming in our presence that the WBC can’t help but see that they are fighting a losing battle by protesting against human rights on our campus.”

Kincaid said that she plans on silencing the WBC at the protest by using loudspeakers and megaphones.

“If everything falls in the right place these next few days, I should be able to get loudspeakers and megaphones so that the air is so saturated by our message, the WBC can’t get a word in,” Kincaid said.

GUSA Restructures SAO GUSA, from A1 efficacy,” Rohan said. “This will allow advocates to better collaborate and respond to more students in a more meaningful manner.”

Another addition to the SAO is an “on-call” advocate, who will be able to respond to enforcement of the Speech and Expression Policy in real time.

Luther said that these changes will enable the SAO to take on a larger role and address the needs of more students.

“The SAO has been very successful in the past in terms of advocating for students and keeping them informed of their rights,” Luther said. “This restructuring looks to build on that success and increase the capability of the SAO to advocate for students in all areas of campus life.”

The changes to the SAO are primarily administrative and will not affect the day-to-day functionality of the office itself, beyond expanding its focus into new issue areas.

Shymansky said that the consolidation of services into the SAO will allow GUSA to function as a more streamlined advocacy body.

“The SAO is by far the best avenue available to GUSA for providing help to individual students, and so it’s an incredibly important resource to house within the executive,” Shymanksy said. “We’ve seen how far the SAO has come in four years. … I know that it is possible to replicate this with

new offices focused on equally important issue areas.”

The newly formed Office of the Free Speech Advocate will create and promote resources explaining the university’s Free Speech and Expression Policy.

It will also provide training to groups and individuals interested in learning how to stage protests without facing disciplinary action, in addition to serving as an advisory body for students writing and presenting complaints and appeals.

DeLaurentis said that he will work closely with Secretary of Free Speech Sam Kleinman (COL ’16), Under-Secretary for Unrecognized Groups Kala Deterville (COL ’18) and other GUSA secretaries to engage students at the forefront of free speech and expression on campus.

“I hope to enhance protections for student speech, especially in more confrontational iterations,” DeLaurentis wrote in an email to The Hoya. “I want students to feel like they should not be afraid of university reprisal in the expression of their speech, especially if that speech criticizes or embarrasses the university.”

Georgetown’s policy has come under fire from organizations like the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, which named the university as one of the nation’s 10 worst colleges for free speech.

Kleinman emphasized the distinction between his position and that of DeLaurentis, both of which engage free speech on campus.

“I definitely focus a bit more on larger policy changes and ensuring that policy in broad strokes is properly enforced,” Kleinman said. “The Office of the Free Speech Advocate is focused a bit more on case work and ensuring individual cases and protections from policy.”

Nalen is responsible for overseeing the customary SAO office, where he will work with Shymansky and the Office of Student Conduct on conduct policy.

“Right now the biggest issue for our office, and for students’ rights in general, is that many students don’t really know about either,” Nalen wrote in an email to The Hoya. “I want to make sure we are establishing awareness of students’ rights and important conduct policies as soon as students arrive on campus.”

Shymansky believes that this SAO will be better suited to deal with the intersections of conduct and free speech on campus.

“We’ve seen how interrelated many of these topics can be,” Shymanksy said, citing the incident in March in which GU Fossil Free members stormed the stage during World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim’s speech.

“Having the resources available to advise students on more than one front is thus enormously beneficial the Georgetown student community as a whole.”

Hoya Staff Writer Sarah Fisher contributed reporting.

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For more information, please email classifiedads@thehoya.com

A8

SPORTS

THE HOYA

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Around the district

Men’s tennis

Wizards and Capitals GU Drops Season Finale to GW Begin Playoff Runs Madeline Auerbach Hoya Staff Writer

RAAB, from A10

means is that intended to reflect on the performance of Washington alone. The Raptors missed seven shots in a row during the overtime period and struggled to stay even with the Wizards throughout much of the game. All-Star Kyle Lowry went a disappointing 2-for-10 with seven points in 33 minutes, fouling out with three minutes left in the fourth quarter — typifying a game with plenty of miscues for Toronto.

The Wizards, however, submitted a similarly haphazard performance, squandering a 15-point lead with eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The Raptors were able to take advantage of an issue that has plagued the Wizards throughout the second half of the season — the inability to hold on to fourth quarter leads, including a fourth quarter drought against Toronto Feb. 11 when Washington did not score in the final two minutes of regulation. While that type of performance can be absorbed in a regular season contest in a weak Eastern Conference, it is going to come back and bite the Wizards come playoff time.

Following along on my phone at a Nationals game — as the spotty service forced me to occasionally depend on scoreboard updates — I thought that, for once, the Wizards would be able to escape in game one with an easy victory. As the page reloaded slowly every five minutes, that dream slipped away. As Bradley Beal shot 6-of-23 and the Wizards repeatedly demonstrated that holding a lead is the hardest thing for their team to accomplish, it became clear that the Wizards cannot rely on these types of performances to lead to victory. Again, this was a game between two stumbling teams, and if the Raptors recover in this series before the Wizards do, it will end quickly.

The Capitals are another story. The frustration associated with this fran-

chise in the postseason is well-documented and onerous, as detailed by the Washington Times, which has documented the Caps’ playoff failures over the years. Despite making the playoffs in seven of the last eight years — missing out only in 2013-14 — the Capitals have advanced to the conference finals only once, in 200910. In that year, they lost the series in seven games after being held to three goals in the last three games of the series by the same goalie, Jaroslav Halak. Halak currently mans the net for the Islanders.

Thus, while the Wizards confront their second-half woes, the Capitals must deal with a larger concern: the inability to make a mark in the playoffs.

As Ovechkin continues his historic goalscoring pace in the regular season with his third straight 50goal campaign, he and the team continue to freeze in the playoffs. On Sunday, a 1-1 score after regulation, leveled by the Capitals late in the third period, gave the Wizards a shot at victory in overtime. However, in that overtime period, the Caps never possessed the puck, conceding a goal and the game 15 seconds into the period. That game put the Caps down 2-1 in a series in which they have never scored first or had an edge in wins over the Islanders.

Altogether, the Wizards and Capitals both have concerns that need to be addressed. The Wizards, a young team that is probably a step down from the elite talent that tends to have its way in the NBA playoffs, are under a little less pressure than the Capitals, who once again find themselves under scrutiny and are testing fans’ frustration early. Whether both will move forward or we find ourselves turning our full attention to baseball earlier than anticipated will depend on both teams facing down old patterns and breaking free from them.

While the Wizards struggle to hold fourth-quarter leads, the Capitals aim to overcome a history of playoff failure.

Matt Raab is a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service. This is the final appearance of AROUND THE DISTRICT this semester.

Finishing off regular-season play against cross-town rival George Washington (10-12, 1-2 Atlantic 10) on Sunday, the Georgetown men’s tennis team (8-9, Big East 1-2) fell in a 6-1 result at Georgetown Visitation Prep.

“Today, we were a little outgunned,” Head Coach Gordie Ernst said. “However, it was tight. [Freshman] Peter Beatty won his match in three sets, and [junior] Danny Khanin lost in three sets. [Senior] Alex Tropiano lost in three sets, so it’s so close.”

While the Georgetown women’s team (11-4, 2-1 Big East) took on George Washington (5-12, 1-4 Atlantic 10) earlier this season, the men’s team has not faced GW since last season. This year, Georgetown only managed to win one singles match, courtesy of Beatty, but dropped the remaining singles matches and also lost the doubles point. Despite the seemingly disappointing result, Ernst was happy about his team’s play.

“I liked a lot of the hustle and the fight and the real commitment to play every point,” Ernst said. “The competitive spirit was there. Like I said, we didn’t get the win this week, but we played two good teams, and it’ll really help us to get ready for Big East.”

Tight matches on the doubles side highlighted the beginning of the day, as two of the contests concluded in close 8-6 results. Beatty and senior John Brosens won 8-6 at first doubles against the Colonial duo of senior Francisco Dias and freshman Chris Fletcher, while freshman Marco Lam and sophomore Jack Murphy lost in an equivalent score.

Graduate student Andrew Dottino and sophomore Jordan Portner fell 8-3 in the second doubles slot, handing the doubles point to GW. The Colonials dominated singles play, taking five of the six matches from the Hoyas. Junior Daniel Khanin lost at first singles to Dias in a 1-6, 6-4, 2-6 result.

That win cemented the Portugal native as the new all-time career singles wins leader for George Washington.

Lam lost at second singles in a 6-2, 6-2 finish to junior Danil Zelenkov, while senior Alex Tropiano was downed in a three-set match concluding in a 6-3, 4-6, 3-6 result. Murphy lost in straight sets at the fourth singles position 6-1, 6-4. Meanwhile, freshman Mac Rechan kept things close in his first set, eventually losing 7-6, but fell in the second 6-0 to round out the Hoya losses in singles play.

Beatty won the only singles match of the day for the Hoyas against Colonial freshman Chris Reynolds in a tight 6-3,

softball

JULIA HENNRIKUS/THE HOYA

Senior John Brosens won at first doubles alongside freshman Peter Beatty in an 8-6 finish in Georgetown’s 6-1 loss to George Washington.

4-6, 6-4 battle.

“It was a tough match. GW is probably one of the best teams we’ve played all year, and [Reynolds] was a tough opponent,” Beatty said. “As long as I kept pressure on him I would win points, and I could just grind him down and he would miss, or I would get a good opportunity.”

“I liked a lot of the hustle and the fight and the real commitment to play every point.” gordie ernst Tennis Head Coach

Georgetown has gained valuable experience over the course of the past week as it prepares for the Big East tournament.

The Hoyas fell to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Retrievers (12-6, 1-0 America East) in a 5-2 result on April 14, but according to Ernst, their performance in that match still deserves praise.

“We had our chances — this last week for whatever reason the guys have really started to come together and play,” Ernst said. “At UMBC the other day, it was just a handful of points; we really should have won the match. Alex Tropiano was

up a set 4-1, Andy Dottino had some set points, Mac Rechan was up 5-2 in his first set. We were in a position to win.”

Georgetown has not won the doubles point in its last four outings, which has had a significant impact on its play. Because of this, Ernst sees remedying flaws in the Hoyas’ doubles game as the key factor in preparing for the Big East tournament this upcoming weekend.

“I think our doubles still needs to get better,” Ernst said. “We still make too many mistakes in doubles, and when we get really down to the wire — 4-all or 5-all — we always give away a point or two instead of being mentally tough at that point. I think that we have to play fearless tennis.”

Beatty echoed his coach’s sentiments.

“The doubles point is really huge.

It’s only one point technically, but it really sets the tone for the whole match, and in the last few matches we’ve lost the doubles point, and it’s a long way to get back from losing that point. The momentum that it adds to the match is absolutely huge,” Beatty said.

Tough competition awaits the Hoyas at the Big East tournament, in which they are seeded sixth. The Hoyas hope to rebound from their last three losses at the tournament this upcoming weekend, which will begin Thursday and conclude Sunday.

Out of our league

Hoyas Drop 12 of Last 13 Playoff Format Hampers Juliana zovak Hoya Staff Writer

There was much anticipation for the softball battle between two bulldog schools going into this weekend, but the matchup proved to be extremely one-sided as Butler (21-22, 7-8 Big East) swept Georgetown (13-27, 3-10 Big East), in Indianapolis in a series that included two run-shortened games.

Butler came out swinging in the opening contest of the threegame series. The Bulldogs got on the board early with a solo home run in the first inning. Georgetown third baseman Taylor Henry got on base in the second, but her single would be the only hit of the game for the Blue and Gray.

Butler extended its lead to four runs after four innings pitched by Georgetown’s senior right-hander Megan Hyson, who ultimately took the loss. In the fifth inning, pitched by senior right-hander Lauren O’Leary, the Bulldogs scored four runs. A triple by junior first baseman Alex Kotter, who had four hits and four RBIs, drove in Butler’s final two runs to end the game after five innings.

Butler finished with 11 hits and an 8-0 victory.

The Hoyas committed three errors in the game, two of which led

to unearned runs in the decisive fifth inning.

“I thought their pitchers did a nice job, but we just didn’t have very good at bats,” Head Coach Pat Conlan said. “We’re not aggressive and we can’t expect to win any ballgames if we only get a couple hits on the day.”

What made the day worse for Georgetown was the second game, which played out almost exactly like the first.

Butler again jumped ahead, scoring two runs in both the first and second innings off freshman pitcher Avery Geehr to go up 4-0.

Georgetown sophomore catcher Gabriela Elvina hit a double in the third inning, but no one could bring her around. Henry recorded the only other hit of the game.

By the fourth inning Butler was up 8-0. The game ended in the top of the fifth when the Hoyas hit into a double play. For the second game in a row, Butler notched 11 hits.

“We played very poorly,” Conlan said. “I’m not going to take anything away from Butler because they put the ball in play and got hits when they needed them and had a good pitching effort, with good defense. They played the way you’re supposed to play.

FILE PHOTO: JULIA HENNRIKUS/THE HOYA

Senior pitcher Megan Hyson leads Georgetown with 142 and 2/3 innings pitched, 145 strikeouts and 10 wins so far in 2015.

And we’re not. I think the scores are indicative of where we are right now.”

On Sunday the Hoyas looked to avoid the sweep, and it seemed that their momentum might have shifted when Elvina hit a solo home run to establish a 1-0 lead in the third. But in the bottom of the inning, Butler scored to even things out and was then able to string together some hits in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead.

They would score one more run in the fifth, but it would prove to be superfluous.

“We made a lot of mistakes today that don’t go down in the book as errors,” Conlan said. “We had a couple of big base running mistakes, we made a huge defensive mistake that started them getting on the scoreboard … the score looked a little bit closer, but the result was the same. And our performance was the same.”

Georgetown, selected in the preseason poll to finish third in the Big East, is currently in last place, and barring extraordinary circumstances in the final few weeks of conference play is likely out of contention for the Big East tournament. For Conlan, the bulk of the Hoyas’ problems stem from their mentality.

“It’s absolutely mental. There is zero mental toughness,” Conlan said. “And as a result, we’re not going to win many games. The physical part will come eventually, but we’re getting beat in an area that we can control.”

The losses seem to be a disturbing trend for the Hoyas, who are currently enduring a four-game losing streak and have lost 12 of their last 13 games. In that period, they have been shut out five times.

“Unfortunately right now our performance is not an unusual thing, it’s who we’ve become, and we have to start focusing on the future and how that’s going to look for us,” Conlan said. “So we’ve got two weeks left and we’ll do our best to put our best group out there and do our best to win some ballgames.”

Georgetown will face D.C. rival George Washington University (21-20, 4-11 Atlantic 10) on Tuesday at the GW Softball Field. The first pitch is set for 3 p.m.

Western Conference Teams S aturday night ushered in the best holiday of the year, one that lasts for nearly two months and captivates millions of people around the globe — the NBA playoffs.

Gone are the days of the post-All-Star-Game funk and the everyone-is-watching-MarchMadness-anyway attitudes. Now that the league’s 16 best teams (read: the league’s eight best teams and the Eastern Conference) are vying for the prestige of a championship, we the fans are in for some of the best basketball to be played all year. This iteration of the playoffs is shaping up to be one of the most interesting in years, and for reasons other than the fact that the Miami Heat will not be in the NBA Finals.

The 2015 season has proven to be one of the most damning condemnations for the current formatting of the playoffs. Hindered by the arbitrary division of East and West, the formatting has, in recent years, consistently led to a lopsided bracketing of the teams Max in contention for the NBA championship. The Western Conference chews up and spits out its teams up through the final game of the regular season, while the Eastern Conference coddles its teams in comparison.

Nothing illustrated this discrepancy more than one of the final games of the regular season, when the San Antonio Spurs’ loss to the New Orleans Pelicans resulted in the Spurs being seeded sixth instead of second in the West, the Pelicans making the playoffs after a three year drought and the Oklahoma Thunder missing the playoffs for the first time since 2009.

Whereas a slide from second to sixth in the West was the result of one game, the same slide would have required a losing streak of well over 10 games in the East. Furthermore, the same Thunder team that will be watching the playoffs from the couch this year, despite having won 45 games, would have been the sixth seed in the East.

The competition for the NBA championship suffers as a result of this disparity because, in reality, it is not the 16 best teams that compete against one another, nor is there an equal level of difficulty, independent of conference, for a given team to advance to the finals.

That being said, it comes as no surprise that the number one seed of this year’s Western Conference finished the regular season as the league’s best team and brought historic success to its organization. With a 67-15 record, the Golden State Warriors posted a winning percentage of .817, which not only was the team’s first time breaking the .700 mark in 39

years, but also ties for the fifth best NBA winning percentage of all time.

This puts the Warriors in good company: of the 10 teams to ever post a winning percentage of .817 or higher, eight have gone on to win the NBA championship. The biased fan in me, however, would like to point out that the Dallas Mavericks also had a 67-15 record prior to getting swept in the first round of the 2007 playoffs by the Warriors. I would love for karmic retribution to rear its head against Golden State this postseason.

All jokes aside, while I do believe the Warriors are favorites to win it all this year, one must acknowledge the fact that no game will be a sure-fire victory in the Western Conference playoffs. Down the stretch, luck and chance will play large roles in determining who becomes the conference’s Finals representative.

Taking a closer look at the Eastern Conference, it will Fiege be interesting to watch how perennial title-contender LeBron James’ experiment in Cleveland pans out in its first year. LeBron has been a mainstay of the NBA playoffs in the past decade, making it to the Finals five times in that span. It was assumed that partnering with All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love would make the journey to the Larry O’Brien trophy easier than it has ever been.

Of course, the season did not start off rosy — marred by chemistry issues and an aging LeBron, the Cavaliers went through the majority of this season in a series of fits and starts. They have shored up their act as of late and are peaking at the right time: Dion Waiters is off the team, Kevin Love has accepted his role as the third scoring option, LeBron is healthy again and Iman Shumpert’s hair is as fresh as ever.

I believe that, in a predictable Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers will easily make it to the conference finals and face off against the Atlanta Hawks, where things will come down to Cleveland’s “Hero Ball” versus Atlanta’s “Poor Man’s Spurs Basketball.” The Hawks have won three out of the four matchups between the two teams this season, and as such, it would not be absurd to imagine the ushering in of a new era this postseason, in which LeBron is watching the NBA in June from the same viewpoint as you and I.

Max Fiege is a freshman in the School of Foreign Service. This is the final appearance of OUT OF OUR LEAGUE this semester.

SPORTS

TUESDAY, April 21, 2015

THE HOYA

Women’s Lacrosse

A9

GOLF

Fisher Impresses in Successful Road Finale Freshmen MARQUETTE, from A10

throughout the season everyone on the team really believed we could bring it back,” Marinelli said.

Sophomore goalkeeper Maddy Fisher, who sits third in the Big East in saves per game and earned last week’s Big East Defensive Player of the Week award, made seven saves in the contest, including a crucial stop off a free position shot after the Golden Eagles cut the

deficit to one and won the ensuing draw control with about 5:30 left.

Although Georgetown enjoyed a large advantage in shots, it only converted eight of 25 attempts, an indication of a recurring issue of poor shot quality that has not affected results recently but may need to improve before the tournament begins.

“I was really more disappointed in our inconsistency. We had spurts of playing really well, and then spurts where we just lacked

focus, concentration. ... There were dropped passes and unforced errors,” Fried said.

With just one conference game left on the schedule, the victory guarantees the Blue and Gray the second seed in the four-team Big East tournament, which opens at the University of Connecticut April 30. The first seed will be Florida (12-5, 6-1 Big East), who beat Georgetown 18-4 at the beginning of April.

Georgetown will face off against

the third seed in its first-round matchup in the tournament. Possible opponents include UConn (96, 4-2 Big East), Villanova (9-6, 4-2 Big East) and Vanderbilt (7-9, 4-3 Big East).

More immediately, however, the Hoyas take on Temple (10-5, 2-4 Big East) at 3 p.m. on Saturday at MultiSport Facility in their final regular season game, during which the team’s nine seniors will be recognized for their contributions over the course of their careers.

Men’s LAcrosse

After Virginia Loss, GU Preps for Senior Day

FILE PHOTO: CLAIRE SOISSON/THE HOYA

Sophomore midfielder Devon Lewis exploded for a season-high three goals in No. 13 Georgetown’s 12-9 loss to No. 9 Virginia. Lewis had only scored six goals in the team’s first 12 games this season.

VIRGINIA, from A10

top echelon of the college lacrosse teams in the country right now,” Warne said. “We played well at times, but I don’t think we played consistently. I think that’s where Virginia took advantage of [us] and were able to control the game.”

Despite the loss, there were a few bright spots for the Hoyas; sophomore midfielder Devon Lewis scored a season-high three goals, and freshman goalie Nick Marrocco recorded 12 saves in goal, including five in the second quarter.

“It was good to see Devon Lewis get a couple goals. Nick [Marroc-

co] was solid again. We did some good things at times … but again, against those teams, everybody has got to play at a consistently high level, and I’m not sure that we had that,” Warne said.

Much of Virginia’s success can be traced back to the fundamental aspects of the game, as the Cavaliers came up with 34 ground balls and 15-of-25 faceoffs in the matchup. “[Virginia] won the middle of the field, without a doubt,” Warne said. “They picked up a lot of important ground balls, and they were able to extend their possessions even when we made stops and did all the right things.”

baseball

SUDOKU

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In the upcoming weeks, correcting issues at the faceoff X will be an important task for Georgetown as it prepares for the Big East tournament. Warne says that improving play at the X and the wings is something that requires daily focus.

“It’s something that we have to address every day at practice,” Warne said. “I think that’s the only way to get better — practicing every day, and putting our guys in different situations [so they have] lacrosse awareness, and I think that will be really important as we move forward over the next couple weeks.”

This week, Georgetown will prepare for the last game on its sched-

ule before postseason play: a senior day matchup against St. John’s (3-10, 1-3 Big East).

The Red Storm will take the field Saturday after struggling recently in Big East play. St. John’s only conference victory was over Providence (4-9, 0-4 Big East) in late March; since then, the team has been winless throughout the month of April.

However, St. John’s still has the opportunity to qualify for the postseason conference tournament if it manages a win over Georgetown and will likely play with a sense of urgency from the opening faceoff.

“They still have an opportunity to qualify for the Big East if they beat us, so they’re not going to roll over [for us],” Warne said. “We have to … do things the right way and practice well and consistently this week to give ourselves a chance on Saturday.”

More than anything else, Georgetown’s goals for the upcoming Big East contest are centered on honoring its seniors with a solid performance. This year’s seniors have been crucial in cementing Georgetown’s national recognition and significant improvement from last season; senior attack Bo Stafford and senior co-captain and attack Reilly O’Connor currently lead the Georgetown offense with 46 and 41 points, respectively.

Warne says Saturday will be all about recognizing the contributions of a particularly talented senior class.

“This week is very important for our seniors,” Warne said. “We won’t really mention St. John’s, we’ll just mention that it’s senior week. It’s not any disrespect to St. John’s, but our seniors have done an awesome job this year, and … that senior group gets a chance to leave their legacy. I want them to be recognized, and I want to make sure that we send them off on MSF on a high note.”

Saturday’s game is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at MultiSport Facility.

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Busch’s 4 Hits Help Hoyas Salvage Series SEAWOLVES, from A10

“I think you have to tip your hat to their pitching staff [Saturday],” Head Coach Pete Wilk said. “I think it was what they did. We faced some tough arms.”

After the tough losses Saturday, Georgetown’s offense came out strong Sunday, with each of its starters recording at least one hit. Busch had a hot bat, going 4-for-4 with a double, a triple and two home runs along with four RBI. Carter also hit a two-run home run and sophomore third baseman Jake Kuzbel had two hits and scored two runs. “[Busch] gives a competitive at-bat at almost every at-bat, and that comes from experience,” Wilk said of Busch’s strong performance.

In addition to the explosive offense, freshman right-hander Kevin Superko pitched a strong 4 and 2/3 innings, allowing only one unearned run on five hits. Senior right-hander Will Brown earned the win for the Hoyas, pitching 2 and 1/3 scoreless innings in relief.

The Seawolves scored an unearned run in the first on a groundout to give them their only run of the game.

In the same inning, Georgetown tied the score when junior catcher Nick Collins grounded into a double play after a successful hit-and-run.

In the next inning, Busch’s two-run home run over the left field wall gave the Hoyas a 3-1 lead.

Busch’s lead off triple in the fourth got things going again for the Blue and Gray before he crossed the plate on Bialkowski’s double.

Already with a three-run cushion, Georgetown put up a five spot in the fifth to add insurance runs. The rally was highlighted by a two-run home run by Carter and doubles by Kuzbel, Busch and sophomore second base-

FILE PHOTO: MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA

Senior first baseman AC Carter hit a two-run home run on Sunday. man Charlie Dillon.

On a 0-2 count, Busch hit his second home run of the day in the seventh to extend the lead. The score held up as Georgetown defeated Stony Brook 10-1.

“We came to play and recognized the importance of today’s game,” Wilk said. “I liked our focus and intensity level.”

Sunday’s game was the fourth time this season that the pitching staff did not give up an earned run.

Despite losing the series two games to one, Georgetown dominated in the final game to gain the confidence needed for the busy week ahead.

“We wanted to come out today and get a [win] just so we can have some momentum coming into Big East again, and that’s exactly what we did,” Busch said.

Georgetown will host Coppin State Tuesday at 7 p.m. and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Wednesday in a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.

Highlight Weekend

Peter higgins Hoya Staff Writer

S

pearheaded by freshman Jacquelyn Eleey, the Georgetown women’s golf team finished its season strong, placing second at the Big East Championship. The Hoyas narrowly missed taking home first place, finishing one stroke behind champion Seton Hall.

“Overall it was an awesome event. We played great, and it was competitive the entire way,” Head Coach Katie Brophy said. “We handled everything really well, but in the end, we came up just one shot short, which was a bit heartbreaking.”

After leading following the first round of play, Georgetown found itself down by one shot heading into the final round. In the end, the team was unable to pull off the comeback and posted a total score of 51-over par 915 for the tournament.

Eleey provided a highlight of the tournament, posting a total score of seven-over par 223 to win the individual title.

“I’m really proud of Jackie,” Brophy said. “Her success is a sign of all her hard work, dedication and drive. She’s a really dedicated team player and she demands a lot from herself. Earlier in the season, she had put herself in a position to win events, but wasn’t able to pull it off. It was the perfect way to end the season because she had come so close so many times before.”

Junior co-captains Patricia Lee and Mackenzie Boydston shot to-

“Overall it was an awesome event. We played great, and it was competitive the entire way.”

Head Coach Katie Brophy Head Coach, Women’s Golf

tal scores of 11-over par 227 and 21-over par 237, respectively.

“For next year, we have four new freshmen that will join the team, so we are looking forward to our new additions,” Brophy said. “We are looking forward to the continued leadership from Patricia and Mackenzie, both on and off the golf course. They’ve done really good things for us in golf, but they’ve also been great people to lead the way.”

Despite a promising first day, the Georgetown men’s golf team finished ninth overall after two rounds of play at the Princeton Invitational. After a strong opening round at Aronimink Golf Club, the Hoyas fell back eight strokes over their final 18 holes while playing at Merion Golf Club. In total, the Hoyas posted a team score of 604.

Georgetown’s top performer was freshman Sam Madsen, who shot a total 6-over par 146 and finished tied for 17th place overall.

“We had a very competitive first round at Aronimink that put us just a few strokes off the lead,” Madsen said. “However, Sunday was a battle and we all had to grind for the majority of the day.

On a course like Merion, in the conditions we played it, there are only a few chances to pick up strokes and that makes for a really tough competitive day.”

Freshman Cole Berman provided another strong performance, finishing in 23rd place with a total score of 8-over par 148. Sophomore Austin Rendell, freshman Jack Musgrave and senior Greg Podufal finished with total scores of 155, 155 and 157, respectively.

“I think that as a team our round at Aronimink was really strong,” Madsen said. “We were playing an unfamiliar course and had a very competitive team score.”

Throughout the week, the team battled tough weather conditions.

“The wind was really strong the first day at Aronimink, so you really had to be hitting it solid in order to have good things happen,” Madsen said. “I stuck one to about two feet on my 12th hole there, and I remember thinking that was a pretty good shot.”

The Georgetown men’s golf team earned a fourth-place finish in the Rutherford Collegiate hosted by Penn State last weekend and will now prepare for the Big East Championships next weekend.

SPORTS

Softball Georgetown (13-27, 3-10) vs. George Washington (21-20, 4-11) Tuesday, 3 p.m.

Mount Vernon Softball Field

TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015

TALKING POINTS

GOLF Freshman Jacquelyn Eleey earned the individual title at the Big East championships.

See A9

“

NUMBERS GAME

We came to play and recognized the importance of [Sunday’s] game.

I liked our focus and intensity level.”

BASEBALL HEAD COACH PETE WILK

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BASEBALL

MEN’S LACROSSE

Hoyas Drop Series to Seawolves EMMA CONN

Hoya Staff Writer

Aided by perseverance and the ability to bounce back from disappointment, Georgetown’s baseball team (1717, 3-3 Big East) took the last of three contests against non-conference competitor Stony Brook (19-12, 9-2 America East) in a blowout win with a final score of 10-1. Georgetown notched 13 hits Sunday after putting up just nine hits in the doubleheader the previous day.

Senior left-hander Matt Hollenbeck started on the mound in the first Saturday matchup between the two teams, going 5 1/3 innings and giving up just one run on five hits while striking out two. After pitching 19 innings of scoreless relief in his last ten outings, junior

right-hander Tim Davis gave up three runs to take the loss. “[Hollenbeck’s pitching] gives us a lot of confidence,” senior shortstop Ryan Busch said. “We know, in the lineup, that he’s going to come out and give us a quality start every weekend.”

The Hoyas struck first in the bottom of the first with a run on a single by senior first baseman AC Carter, but the Seawolves tied it up in the second with a two-out RBI single.

The bats were quiet for most of the game until Stony Brook put up three runs against Davis in the top of the ninth to take the lead. The score held up as Georgetown fell 4-1.

Game two of the doubleheader was just seven innings. Junior right-hander Matt Smith started on the mound for

The Georgetown women’s lacrosse team’s seed in the upcoming Big East tournament.

the Hoyas, providing five innings of three-run ball, two earned, on ten hits with four strikeouts.

Again, the Hoyas put up a run in the first inning, this time on an RBI groundout by Carter.

In the second, the Seawolves responded with two runs, one earned, taking a 2-1 lead. The Blue and Gray then tied it up when sophomore right fielder Joseph Bialkowski’s single scored Busch.

After a double, a single and a throwing error, Stony Brook retook the lead.

The Hoyas put two men on base in the ninth but left the tying and winning runs stranded, losing to the Seawolves 3-2 to end play Saturday.

See SEAWOLVES, A9

FILE PHOTO: CLAIRE SOISSON/THE HOYA

Senior attack Bo Stafford scored three goals against Virginia on Saturday. Stafford has recorded a team-leading 26 goals this season.

Despite Fast Start, GU Falls to Virginia ELIZABETH CAVACOS Hoya Staff Writer

FILE PHOTO: ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

Senior shortstop Ryan Busch went 4-for-4 with two home runs in Georgetown’s series finale against Stony Brook. The Hoyas won Sunday’s game 10-1, though they fell in both games of the doubleheader Saturday.

AROUND THE DISTRICT

Hard-Fought Win Guarantees Two-Seed Hoya Staff Writer

DC Teams Encounter Challenges F

or both the Wizards and the Capitals, early experience made it clear that the teams will need to confront the same problems that have plagued them throughout the regular season in order to make a mark on the upcoming post-seasons. While both clubs find themselves in competitive se-

Both the Wizards and the Capitals look to reverse previous playoff trends. ries with beatable opponents, the teams have still demonstrated weaknesses early on. As the Caps face the New York Islanders and the Wizards face the Toronto Raptors, they will have to shake old habits in order to advance.

After the Wizards’ 93-86 win over the Raptors, the word that has repeatedly been tossed around is “sloppy.” By no See RAAB, A8

See VIRGINIA, A9

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

CHRIS BALTHAZARD

Matt Raab

Slow starts and early deficits plagued the No. 13 Georgetown men’s lacrosse team (8-5, 3-1 Big East) during its first few games of 2015. Throughout the season, the team has worked to reverse the trend and has succeeded in doing so; recently, first-half leads over then-No. 9 Marquette (10-4, 3-1 Big East) and Villanova (6-6, 1-3 Big East) have helped Georgetown clinch wins over its conference rivals.

However, a quick start against No. 9 Virginia (9-4, 0-4 ACC) on Saturday was not

enough to propel Georgetown to another victory. The Hoyas scored the first three goals of the game and maintained the lead through the beginning of the second quarter, but an unanswered seven-goal run from the Cavaliers stretching between the second and third quarters proved fatal.

With the slow-start issue now in the past, Head Coach Kevin Warne believes that Georgetown struggles with consistency more than anything else.

“I think one of the things we realized is that we have to, at this point, play really well to beat the

Despite inconsistent play, the Georgetown women’s lacrosse team (6-9, 5-1 Big East) clinched the second seed in the Big East tournament with Saturday evening’s 8-7 win over Marquette (4-12, 0-6 Big East), the team’s final road conference game of the season.

“Getting the second seed puts us in a really good position to get a shot to keep playing with each other. … In close games it’s been a test to how resilient we can be and battling back. This weekend and Wednesday were really good tests for us,” senior defender Megan Marinelli said.

Strong 4-0 and 3-0 runs to open each half helped to propel the Hoyas to the hard-fought victory, but the Golden Eagles made a late run to cut the lead to just one goal with 5:45 remaining, making for a nervy finish against a team that shares the cellar of the Big East with Cincinnati.

“We played the opponent. We went up 4-0 at the beginning of the first half, and at the beginning of the second half, when it was close, we scored right away again. And then we relaxed. So that’s attributed to inexperience, and the ability to stay in the moment,” Head Coach Ricky Fried said.

But in the end the Hoya defense came through with stops on the cool Wisconsin night, and the 25-14 advantage in overall shots proved enough for the win.

Three Hoyas, senior attack Caroline Tarzian, junior attack Corinne Etchison and junior midfielder Kristen Bandos, notched a pair of goals apiece among the barrage of shots, bringing their season totals

up to 21, 15 and 23, respectively.

Marinelli, who ranks third in the Big East in caused turnovers per game and is tied for fifth in ground balls per game, helped Georgetown close out Marquette despite a Georgetown goal drought which

lasted for the game’s final 22 minutes.

According to Marinelli, winning close games, which the Hoyas were unable to do with any consistency at the beginning of the season, represents a significant improvement

for the team.

“With the beginning of the season, people easily could have given up and thought this was going to be a down year. But I think See MARQUETTE, A9

FILE PHOTO: JULIA HENNRIKUS/THE HOYA

Senior attack Caroline Tarzian scored two goals in Georgetown’s 8-7 win over Marquette on Saturday.

Junior attack Corinne Etchison and junior midfielder Kristen Bandos also scored a pair of goals apiece.

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