The Hoya: February 25, 2022

GUIDE

FEATURES

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Student Musicians

Free Food On Campus Since 1920 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022

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Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 103, No. 12, © 2022

GU Launches Institute For Sustainability, Environmental Justice

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

Georgetown Unversity launched the Earth Commons Institute, which promotes environmental stewardship.

Laetitia Haddad

Academics Desk Editor

Georgetown University announced Feb. 15 the launch of the Earth Commons Institute, which focuses on strengthening the university’s engagement with the environment.

Through research, education and action, the institute provides an interdisciplinary platform for the study of sustainability and environmental stewardship at undergraduate and graduate levels.

Developed from the Georgetown Environment Initiative (GEI), the new institute puts resources and students to work on issues ranging from food and water security to environmental justice and climate change, as well as facilitates degree programs for both graduate and undergraduate students.

The goal of the Earth Commons is to train the next generation of problem solvers and create a lasting environmental impact, according to

Peter Marra, founding director of the Earth Commons.

“There were already a few paths that had started to be paved that I moved forward on, including the development of a new masters program with the business school around the environment and sustainability management,” Marra told The Hoya. “I began thinking more carefully about an undergraduate degree, I began thinking more carefully about bringing on new faculty in particular areas so Georgetown could begin doing research and teaching in particular areas.”

Marra serves as the Director of the GEI and teaches courses about biology and the environment. Marra spent 20 years as the director of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.

The Earth Commons has both undergraduate and graduate programs, all of which focus on environmental scholarship and interdisciplinary See INSTITUTE, A6

KIRK ZIESER/THE HOYA

Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service hosted a town hall to express support for Ukraine’s people. Katya Sedova (GRD ’18) recounted her family’s experience in Kyiv.

Town Hall: Ukraine ‘Will Survive This’

Caitlin McLean Senior News Editor

CW: This article discusses mass violence in Ukraine.

Please refer to the online version of this article on thehoya. com for resources.

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The sound of bombs abruptly woke up Katya Sedova’s (GRD ’18) family early Feb. 24 in Kyiv,

signalling the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which had been looming for weeks.

“I’m here before you because my family is still in Ukraine. They indicated they awoke today to the sirens and sounds of air raids, something that Kyiv and many cities in Ukraine have not heard since World War II,” Sedova said at a town hall event Feb. 24. “That ex-

perience alone is surreal.”

Sedova, who is from Ukraine, spoke about her family’s experience and the current crisis facing Ukraine at the evented hosted by Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS).

The Russian military invaded Ukraine, storming the Eastern European country by air, land and sea. The inva-

sion followed years of rising Russian pressure and recent weeks of escalating Russian militarization along its border with Ukraine. Leaders around the world have condemned the invasion, which is rooted in Russia’s history of imperialism.

The event also featured SFS professors Caitlin Talmadge See UKRAINE, A6

Another GULC Professor University Prohibits GradGov Makes Racist Statement From Subsidizing Israel Trip Samantha Sinutko and Samuel Yoo

Graduate Desk and Student Life Desk

The Georgetown University StThe Georgetown University Graduate Student Government (GradGov) will not sponsor a trip to Israel next month following internal controversy and university intervention.

This semester, GradGov President Jonah Klempner (GRD ’22, LAW ’22)attempted to organize a trip to Israel across all graduate schools for the first time.

Klempner planned the trip through itrek, a New York-based nonprofit that coordinates and subsidizes student-led group trips to Israel.

Itrek only provides funding for students who apply through certain programs; Klempner hoped to expand access for all students by creating a subsidy program funded by the GradGov budget.

In early February, however, the university prohibited GradGov from funding a subsidy because Klempner had not gone through the required financial

and general vetting and review, according to a university spokesperson. This ban followed pushback from Klempner’s fellow GradGov members, who expressed concerns about cost disparities among trip participants, as well as the destination of the trip itself.

The itrek trip is still scheduled to take place during spring break but without university or GradGov support.

Given the limited funding available through itrek, Klempner See GRADGOV, A6

GEORGETOWN LAW

Following a racist comment from GULC professor Franz Werro, over 500 students signed a petition calling for institutional change and protections.

Samantha Sinutko Graduate Desk Editor

CW: This article references racist statements. Please refer to the end of the article for on- and off-campus resources.

Students are calling on the Georgetown University Law Center (GULC) to address racism on its campus after a professor referred to a student using an antiAsian slur.

Professor Franz Werro used the slur in his class on Feb. 10. In response, the GULC Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) and the Georgetown China Law Society (GCLS) co-wrote a letter, which has been signed by over 500 students, addressed to Dean William Treanor,

which they subsequently circulated across the GULC community.

The letter included a list of action items for university administrators to address Werro’s racist language and protect students.

In the Feb. 16 letter, APALSA and GCLS condemned Werro’s language and urged the university to allow AAPI students who are uncomfortable remaining in the class to switch into alternative courses.

“The use of a slur in class erodes the trust students can have in their instructor. When that slur is directed at one student, it is deeply alarming and degrading to all students in the class,” the letter reads.

“Students should have the choice not to have to learn from someone who makes them feel lesser.”

The letter also calls on the

administration to discipline staff and faculty after reported incidents, create an anonymous complaint channel and hold mandatory implicit bias training at the school.

GULC has been administering implicit bias training for faculty and plans to schedule future discussions on bias with students, according to Treanor.

Werro’s comments were deeply offensive to the Asian Pacific Islander (API) community, according to Somang Lee (LAW ’24), who signed onto the letter.

“It hurt not just one student who was on the receiving end of that slur at that time, but also the entire community of API people on campus,” Lee said in an interview with The Hoya.

See GULC, A6

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

GradGov will not provide subsidies for a proposed spring break trip to Israel due to concerns over cost disparities among participants and the destination itself.

NEWS

OPINION

GUIDE

SPORTS

Delayed Notifications

Excruciating Expenses

Off By a Mile

Chilling Revelations

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The pressure endured by Russia’s teenage figure skaters reveals the ongoing abuse of young athletes in the sport.

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The university failed to notify students of a Feb. 16 intrusion to LXR residence hall until 15 hours after the incident occurred.

Instead of increasing the cost of tuition, Georgetown should evaluate the long-term effects of high attendance costs.

“Death on the Nile” misses the mark on everything but its Old Hollywood aesthetic and cinematic visuals.

30 Years Remembered

Affirming Asian Women

Tall Girl Falls Short

Legacies Beyond Basketball

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“Black Georgetown Remembered” celebrates Georgetown’s often underrecognized Black community.

Asian women deserve the right to safety and peace of mind as instances of violence increase during the pandemic.

“Tall Girl 2” underwhelms with predictable tropes, underdeveloped themes and incomplete commentary.

Published Fridays

Former Georgetown men’s basketball player and NBA star Dikembe Mutombo (SLL ’91) dedicates his life to charity work.

Send story ideas and tips to news@thehoya.com

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THEHOYA.COM | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022

OPINION EDITORIAL

IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE

Reform Tuition Increase Process For a university that has recently been accused of strategically reducing its financial aid to low-income and middle-income students, Georgetown should be taking particular care in prioritizing and alleviating the financial burdens of their students.

Yet, in a Feb. 14 email to undergraduate students, Georgetown University announced that it would increase tuition for the upcoming academic year 3.5%, from $59,784 to $61,872. The university specifically cites recent national inflationary trends as a major factor in this decision, as well as costs from the COVID-19 pandemic.

This hike follows a disturbingly long trend of tuition increases, creating an even larger bill for students attending one of the most expensive private universities in the United States. Last year, the university increased its tuition 4%, and 3.5% the year before. Though most private universities annually increase their tuition, Georgetown’s tuition increase in 2021 was nearly double the national average.

The Editorial Board calls on the administration to provide greater transparency in its financial decisions by prioritizing student input and mitigating harmful impacts on lowand middle-income students who are disproportionately affected by the tuition increases.

Tuition prices primarily affect students, but the student body has little to no input in the process of deciding these increases.

According to the university, many factors are taken into account before deciding on the final price.

“There are a variety of factors taken into consideration in setting tuition rates, including the costs of delivering a high-quality education, available sources of financial aid, projected costs for competitive faculty and staff salaries, student services, technology upgrades, maintenance and improvements to campus facilities, and national price inflation and cost of goods,” a university spokesperson told The Hoya.

The university’s statement glaringly lacks any direct input from undergraduate and graduate students. In fact, almost every university across the country lacks student representation in this process. Georgetown’s tuition has increased for at least the past nine years, and they will almost certainly continue to increase. In light of that, the people directly affected, who bear the brunt of the price hikes, should –– at the very least –– be included in the process before a decision is made.

Moreover, according to the university’s financial disclosures from fiscal year 2021, approximately 49% of its $1.7 billion revenue consists of student tuition, with the rest coming from grants, contributions and other sources.

While students continue to incur massive amounts of debt to pay for their education, the university continues to pay its top administration officials obscene salaries. According to a 2019 tax filing which lists the annual salaries of top figures at the university, Georgetown University President John

J. DeGioia (CAS ’79, GRD ’95) earned $1.3 million, men’s basketball Head Coach Patrick Ewing earned $3.4 million, with other highranking figures like Provost Robert Groves earning upwards of $800,000 per year.

Rather than continuing tuition increases, the university must lower the salaries of its top executives and reinvest this money to curb the amount of debt students take on to pay for their education.

Tuition increases often deter low-income students from applying to more selective schools, for fear of graduating with high sums of debt. By increasing its tuition, the university creates and perpetuates an unrepresentative campus environment that excludes low-income students who have much to offer the university.

For current low-income students, these increases could create an even more difficult campus environment to live in, particularly for students who rely on outside scholarships, of which the university only removes $3,000 maximum from a student’s tuition.

In a Feb. 18 article in The Hoya, Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA) President Nile Blass (COL ’22) echoed these concerns.

“It’s going to negatively impact a lot of students who have outside scholarships because of the way Georgetown calculates aid,” Blass told The Hoya. “This just seems like creating a bigger chasm between how students, especially those with aid, are going to be able to meaningfully support themselves and to maintain some level of stability in the academic environment.”

When considering recent trends of inflation and similar increases at other competitive universities, it is understandable that the university feels the need to continually increase its cost of tuition. It is also important to note that the university will dedicate $260 million to financial aid out of its total tuition intake, a 13% increase from last year’s financial aid investments.

At a notoriously expensive university, however, the administration should prioritize the alleviation of students’ financial burdens to ensure that they do not become even more entrenched in the already-exorbitant student debt crisis.

In evaluating tuition increases, the university must include student input by actively working with student representatives to limit the effects of financial decisions on low-income and working-class students. Additionally, they should seek other sources of income, shifting away from excessive reliance on tuition, and instead look to endowments, donations and potentially even the salaries of top executives as a means of funding. Committing to the financial needs of students shouldn’t be a big ask; it should be the bare minimum.

“

This uneven distribution of second-choice votes is due to a techinical limitation in this year’s election system. Had write-in candidates been allowed to compete on more even footing with registered candidates, Wiggan and Carder could very well have won this election.”

Ian Gould (COL ’24)

“Rethink GUSA Election Model” thehoya.com

DEEP DIVE

Ranked-Choice vs. Plurality Voting This week, we are diving into differences between voting systems –– namely, plurality voting compared to ranked-choice voting. After last week’s GUSA election results, the election’s voting structure, which uses ranked-choice voting with write-in votes, has been the subject of discussion. Ian Gould’s (COL ’24) article examines how write-in votes in the ranked-choice voting system ultimately impacted the election results.While plurality voting, in which the candidate who receives the most votes wins, has been used in American elections, ranked-choice voting has gained some momentum in the U.S. in recent years.

The central difference between plurality voting and ranked-choice voting is that ranked-choice voting protects majority rule. In elections determined by plurality voting with more than two candidates, it

is possible the winning candidate receives fewer than 50% of the votes, which means they can be disliked by the majority of voters but still win. In ranked-choice voting, however, voters rank candidates by preference, which allows for votes to be redistributed until a candidate receives over 50% of the votes.

When we vote, we make a decision about who we trust to best represent our interests –– which makes understanding the advantages and disadvantages of voting systems a crucial aspect of our responsibility as voters. Particularly given trends in anti-democratic sentiment, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of voting. We encourage everyone to more thoroughly consider how your vote is represented in elections and advocate for the voting system that best allows for your voice to be heard.

EDITORIAL CARTOON by Allie Yi

The Hoya’s editorial board is composed of six students and is chaired by the opinion editors.

Editorials reflect only the beliefs of a majority of the board and are not representative of The Hoya or any individual member of the board.

HOYA HISTORY

Rama Followers Disrupt Ballot Tally February 26, 1972 John B. Kennedy is Georgetown University’s fourth student government president after outdistancing his strongest opponent by over 300 votes yesterday.

The final election tally gave Kennedy 37% of the ballots cast with 752 votes. Dan Kerrigan placed second with 429 votes while four other candidates received the following totals: Peter McNulty, 202; Tony Freyre, 296; B.J. Rama, 159; and John Soroka, 84.

One hundred and sixteen students failed to register a preference for president on their ballots.

Approximately 45% of the student body participated in yesterday’s elections. Forty-one percent voted in last year’s elections.

rupted the ballot tabulation with outbreaks that eventually forced the election commission to clear the hall. Rama led his supporters in the balcony of Gaston Hall, heckling the election commission workers and throwing beer cans into the crowd that filled the auditorium.

One of the beer cans struck Kathy Nelson (SFS ’73), although she was not seriously injured.

Nelson learned of her election to the student senate shortly before the incident.

When the auditorium was cleared, the election count was resumed with representatives from each of the presidential candidates and the campus media observing the procedures.

a major Kennedy supporter had approached Kerrigan with an offer of vital information. The price of the information, the unidentified accusers charged, was $100.

The Kennedy supporter was Rick Newcombe, graphics editor of The Georgetown Voice. Although the rumors were false, they were based upon an incident that took place Wednesday afternoon.

Newcombe had earlier volunteered his services for the Kennedy campaign, offering to help prepare the broadside sheet that carried the candidate’s platform.

The printer’s bill for the sheet was almost $80.

After the Kennedy platform was distributed Wednesday, Newcombe made a similar offer to Kerrigan, promising to prepare a printed campaign flyer for his campaign. The $100 charge was simply to cover the printing cost.

Founded January 14, 1920

Katie Hawkinson, Editor in Chief Dalia Liu, Executive Editor Liam Scott, Executive Editor Tara Petronio, Managing Editor

Paige Kupas, News Editor Caitlin McLean, News Editor Liana Hardy, Features Editor Vague Rumors Claire Stowe, Features Editor Disturbance Mars Victory The Rama disturbance was Mason Leath, Guide Editor Kennedy’s victory was marred prompted by vague rumors of beMason Stempel, Guide Editor by a disturbance in Gaston Hall trayal in the Kennedy camp. Acwhere the votes were being tal- cording to charges leveled at both Jared Carmeli, Opinion Editor lied late last night. Approximate- Kennedy and his opponent Dan Andy Lang John O’Connor, Opinion Editor ly 30 supporters of Rama inter- Kerrigan early Friday morning, Maisy Liles, Sports Editor Saar Shah, Sports Editor LETTER TO THE EDITOR AND VIEWPOINT POLICIES GENERAL INFORMATION Noa Bronicki, Design Editor The Hoya welcomes letters and viewpoints from our The Hoya is published once a week during the academic readers and will print as many as possible. To be eligible year with the exception of holiday and exam periods. Address Erica Kim, Design Editor for publication, letters should specifically address a recent all correspondence to: Jemima Denham, Photography Editor campus issue or Hoya story. Letters should not exceed The Hoya 300 words.

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Unsigned essays that appear on the left side of the editorial page are the opinion of the majority of the editorial board. Mia Rasamny, Multimedia Editor CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS If you have a comment or question about the fairness or accuracy of a story, contact Executive Editor Dalia Liu at dalia.liu@thehoya.com or Executive Editor Liam Scott at liam.scott@thehoya.com.

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | THEHOYA.COM

THE HOYA | A3

OPINION VIEWPOINT • ZHANG

Asian Women Deserve Safety From Violence CW: This article directly references racism and anti-Asian violence.

Please refer to the online version of this article on thehoya.com for resources.

“W

e all deserve to be safe,” author Nicole Chung affirmed after yet another Asian woman was recently murdered — Christina Yuna Lee was stabbed over 40 times after being followed into her New York City apartment.

I no longer refer to these brutal incidents as part of a wave of anti-Asian violence in the United States. The violence is not a wave. Rather, it has become a new reality since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with only a few fatal incidents making their way into mainstream American consciousness.

I know Chung is right — my Asianness and my womanhood should not diminish my right to safety. I also know that walking outside, especially alone at night, I cannot assume I have the safety I deserve. I can only hope that if I project enough confidence, enough “don’t fuck with me” attitude, and stand tall at my 5’10” stature, my efforts might deter other people from attempting violence.

But I know regardless of what I do, my face, my skin and my body make me a target. Regardless of how much I want to believe it, I cannot truly protect myself from violence. Instead, I have decided accepting my fear is just as much of an act of resistance as denial.

Nearly a year ago, when a white man in Atlanta shot and killed eight people, six of whom were Asian women, my body forced me to feel a fear that I had refused to internalize despite the already prevalent antiAsian hate crimes during the pandemic. I was never naive that the scapegoating of Asian people led to violence — I had seen elders harassed and attacked on the street, and others being told to go back to their country.

However, I had tried, and often succeeded, in not perceiving those racist attacks as a threat to my personal safety.

The Atlanta shooting was different. Maybe different because so many people were

killed; maybe because the attack happened indoors, meaning nowhere was safe; maybe because once again my parents, who live an ocean away, were telling me to be extra, extra careful walking on the streets.

For the first time in a long time, my brain was unable to tame my body’s visceral feeling of fear.

When I walked on the streets of Rosslyn in the days following the shooting, my body told me to walk a little faster, look around more, project as much strength as I can.

In a twisted way, though, I also felt lucky that I was not accustomed to experiencing such acute fear before that moment. As an Asian woman, I have been luckier than many: I have not been harassed, save a few catcalls, I have never been told to “go back to my country” and I have never encountered physical violence. Having had this luck also meant I was unsure how to deal with the newfound fear I felt in my body — unlike before, I was no longer able to lie to myself that there was nothing for me to be afraid of.

I hated that I felt so helpless in the face of fear. Somehow, it felt like my fear meant the racists had won. I did not want the perpetrators of hate to have the power to make me feel unsafe in my own body.

In the months since the Atlanta shooting, I have felt varying degrees of safety.

Walking alone, at night, it still feels like someone might come out of nowhere to hurt me. I am still an Asian woman and anti-Asian hate crimes have continued; not much has changed.

But now, instead of seeing fear as a relinquishing of power, I now see my fear as a reminder of the safety I and other Asian people in this country deserve. I no longer stay silent about my fear, hoping a projection of strength will ward off the racists.

Instead, I write about my fear here, as a reminder both to myself and the world that we all deserve to be safe.

Doris Zhang is a senior in the College. Full disclosure: Zhang previously served as The Hoya’s F’21 Engagement Chair.

ILLUSTRATION BY: NATASHA LEONG/THE HOYA

TALK OF THE ’TOP

Annual GU Tuition Hikes Unsustainable Jack Healy

Columnist

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n 1982, Jon Reynolds (CAS ’65), the university archivist at the time, wrote an article on the history of Georgetown tuition. He traced that year’s 18% increase in undergraduate tuition all the way back to the university’s first tuition hike, a 15% increase that the mother of Georgetown College’s first student, William Gaston, had to meet to keep Gaston enrolled.

Reynolds was sympathetic to Georgetown’s need for “painful” tuition increases year after year. Writing as both a historian and employee of the university, Reynolds’ perspective was a practical one, and he saw tuition increases as an inevitable outcome. Yet he lamented that the cost of a Georgetown education was “now beyond the means of most of the middle class,” since the university had been fully meeting — he assumed — the financial needs of lowincome students since 1978.

Four decades later, runaway tuition increases show no signs of stopping. Last week, the university announced it would raise undergraduate tuition by 3.5% for students returning for

the 2022-2023 academic year.

I’m not here to argue against the merits of the increases themselves, though there are legitimate questions regarding administrative salaries or the necessity of new schools.

Instead of announcing these hikes in such a dismissive fashion, the university should address the long-term sustainability of continually increasing the cost of attendance, which is now officially above $80,000 and is well on its way towards $100,000. Without simply pointing to financial aid, university administrators should acknowledge how these hikes do nothing to address the wellknown reality that roughly 20% of Georgetown students come from the top one percent.

Unlike in 1982, today’s tuition hikes come as annual installments in the story of the skyrocketing costs of American universities and their relationship with structural inequality.

They continue here at Georgetown like clockwork. This year’s tuition increase marks the 11th consecutive year that the university has raised the cost of attendance. Next year, tuition will have increased by more than 12% since the Class of 2023’s first year, from $55,440 to $61,872.

With these tuition hikes, administrators repeatedly elude such acknowledgement by pointing each year to financial aid, hiding behind the recycled language of the “largest

investment” in the university’s history. As a recently filed class action lawsuit alleges, Georgetown’s commitment to meeting demonstrated financial need may not be as genuine as the university likes to claim. And regardless of aid, the never-ending growth of an already outrageous price tag does not help attract students with any worries about meeting the cost of attendance, nor does it ease any burdens for low-income students.

In all fairness, Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia (CAS ’79, GRD ’95) has addressed the issue of college affordability in the past. In a 2016 interview, DeGioia highlighted the “unsustainable model” of the gap between private universities’ sticker price and what students pay on average after aid, admitting that “we don’t really have a strategy for addressing this at this point in time.” Maybe that non-answer was enough in 2016, but even six years later, no university administrator has come up with any such strategy.

In an interview from November 2020, DeGioia, who serves as the head of the 568 Presidents Group currently being sued for dubious financial aid practices, again discussed the college affordability problem.

Yet again, his answer fell short.

Always the academic, he asked himself about “ways in which together we may be able to address the cost curve” for private

universities, but stopped short of offering any candid exploration of possible solutions.

Despite DeGioia’s responses, however, the university continues to raise tuition each year without any real acknowledgement or discussion of the effects on students or the overall socioeconomic makeup of the student body. On cue, students react to the increases, correctly claiming that higher prices adversely affect low-income students — both current and prospective. Students also call year after year, seemingly in vain, for increased transparency and student input in the tuition decision-making process.

Can these tuition increases continue forever? What is the endgame of these hikes?

I don’t know the answers to these questions, but university administrators should meaningfully address them and engage students while doing so.

Although Reynolds already recognized 40 years ago that the price of a Georgetown education was “beyond the means” of most families, the school continues to become less affordable and even less socioeconomically representative of the country. Is that the type of campus community university administrators want to maintain?

Jack Healy is a junior in the School of Foreign Service.

Talk of the ’Top is published every other week.

VIEWPOINT • GOULD

VIEWPOINT • GEARY

Ilya Shapiro’s Indefensible Racism Rethink GUSA Election Model

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n the olden days, manipulative reframing was called “hoodwinking.” In more modern times, it is known as “swindling.” At the Georgetown University Law Center, where students were blamed for a faculty member’s racist, sexist remarks aimed at Black women, we call it “gaslighting.”

On Jan. 26, Ilya Shapiro, the newly appointed executive director and senior lecturer at Georgetown’s Center for the Constitution, insisted that the United States’ nearly 22 million Black women are “lesser” than his preferred nominee to the United States Supreme Court.

His tweet, made in response to Biden’s commitment to appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court following Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement announcement, does not reflect the numerous Black women who are just as or more qualified than Shapiro’s choice — including District of Columbia Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, both of whom appear on President Biden’s shortlist of potential nominees.

While contemporary society has increasingly embraced personal accountability for discriminatory remarks, Shapiro is an exception.

Dean William Treanor placed Shapiro on administrative leave, likely enabling Shapiro to draw a salary paid by the very students he deemed “lesser.”

While Shapiro’s comments were widely criticized for having racial and sexist bias, he also had a fair number of defenders.

Shortly after Georgetown’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA) expressed their concerns about the tweet, Shapiro’s defenders launched a campaign to gaslight the public into believing he —

and by extension, these defenders — was the actual victim.

Bobby Miller (LAW ’24) penned an article in Spectator World to defend Shapiro. In his article, Miller attempts to convince the public that only affirmative action propels a Black jurist to the Supreme Court. Deeming the policy “failed and ill-advised,” Miller struggles to erase public memory of governmentsanctioned discrimination in education, employment, housing, hospitals, financing, public accommodations, and schools.

He equates justifiable public outrage to “excommunication.”

Calling on readers to view Shapiro’s tweet in the “most charitable” light, Miller suggests that “consequently, everyone else is lesser.”

Miller’s comments reflect an upward trend among scandalridden demagogues to gaslight the public into questioning clear, visible evidence.

Miller also refers to Shapiro’s tweet as an “admittedly poorly worded” statement that would have been overlooked “in normal times.” If we turn the clock back decades, he is likely correct — explicitly racist, sexist and bigoted comments were almost always excused. But it should be obvious that prejudice is intolerable “in normal times.”

Miller wants the world to forget that Judge Jackson graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, cum laude from Harvard Law School, and clerked for two federal judges and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. He wants the world to forget that Justice Kruger was Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law Journal and clerked for a Supreme Court justice. But most importantly, he wants the world to forget that there is a legion of Black female jurists, advocates,

and attorneys competing to earn similar qualifications to merit a spot on the highest court.

President Biden does not “invite suspicion” by nominating a Black woman to the Court — instead, he confirms to communities everywhere that hard work and dedication are rewarded.

Miller frames Shapiro as an underdog hero desperately fighting for his proverbial life against the “excesses of the ‘Great Awokening.’ Despite decrying “victimization language,” Miller embraces it to manipulate reality. Mirroring Shapiro, Miller publicly ridicules and scrutinizes students expressing concern about faculty racism and sexism, comparing them to “inmatesrunning-the-asylum.”

Using these words to criticize the BLSA, Miller hopes to evoke images of Black students garbed in orange jumpsuits and rusty chains, holding Shapiro hostage until the university forks over a ransom. This language is designed to elicit distrust or fear of minorities.

During Black History Month, Miller exploits the United States’ long history of over-incarcerating minorities. His goal is simple: to silence Black students and their allies into acceptance of racism, sexism, and bigotry. Beneath all the bigotry, all the fearmongering, and all the gaslighting, there is a stark reminder: our community must remain vigilant against subtle tactics used by those who seek to divide us.

Maya Angelou famously stated, “When people show you who they are, believe them.”

Ilya Shapiro and Bobby Miller have shown us who they are. We must believe them.

Warren Geary is a first-year at the Georgetown University Law Center.

G

eorgetown students cast 1,726 ballots in this year’s Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA) executive election, mostly split among three tickets. Kole Wolfe (SFS ’24) and Zeke Ume-Ukeje (COL ’24) received 580 firstchoice votes, Thomas Leonard (COL ’23) and Nirvana Khan (SFS ’24) received 321, and write-in candidates Marcella Wiggan (COL ’23) and Otice Carder (COL ’23) led the pack with 687. The remaining 138 votes went to a variety of other write-ins.

The election was the first in which voters could rank up to three options. Results were tabulated through 52 rounds of elimination with each round disqualifying the ticket with the lowest number of votes.

Eliminated tickets’ votes then carried over to the voter’s next choice. 78 of the 138 writeins ranked someone as their second choice. Thirty-four went to Wolfe-Ume, 44 to LeonardKhan. Wiggan-Carder (MO), the front-runner, got zero.

This uneven distribution of second-choice votes is due to a technical limitation in this year’s election system. Had writein candidates been allowed to compete on more even footing with registered candidates, Wiggan and Carder could very well have won this election.

The system was unbalanced because voters were only allowed to write in one candidate. Those 78 voters had already used their write-in slot, so listing MO as a second choice was impossible. Their options were Wolfe-Ume, Leonard-Khan or nothing.

Did this make a difference?

Well, recall that Wolfe-Ume got 34 second-choice votes from write-ins to MO’s zero. WolfeUme went on to win, edging

out MO in the final round. Their margin of victory? 34 votes exactly.

We also have to factor in the 44 second-choice votes that went to Leonard-Khan.

Leonard-Khan was eliminated in the penultimate round, so the ballots they received from eliminated write-ins had to go to their third choice, which again, could not be MO. Therefore, as many as 78 second- or third-choice votes wound up with Wolfe-Ume without ever getting the chance to go to MO. That absolutely could have made the difference.

On Feb. 6, the GUSA Senate moved to extend the petition period — the deadline to get 100 signatures in order to qualify as an official ticket — to allow MO on the ballot. The motion failed 4-10 with several senators absent. If it had passed, it certainly would have freed MO from the formulaic disadvantage I’ve been talking about, but arguing about petition deadlines is besides my point. This isn’t just about MO. If the ballot rules don’t change, every future write-in ticket will be hamstrung by the ranked-choice voting system.

One way to make the system more fair is to remove the petition requirement and just let everybody on the ballot, regardless of how little support they have or how close the election is. But, because that would probably make for an impractically large ballot, it would be more feasible to allow voters to rank up to three different write-in candidates.

Granted, that would require a lot of extra work from the Election Commission, whom I wholeheartedly commend on every other aspect of this election. Personally, I’m

willing to wait longer for election results if it means the process is more fair, but maybe all that labor should be compensated in some way? Just a thought.

Some may argue that this particular election was an anomaly — that write-in candidates rarely stand a chance and that changing the rules to make it easier for them is wasted effort. Running a write-in campaign already has several disadvantages that are not inherent to this GUSA election. Their voters have to make an extra effort, and given that they aren’t included in the debates, write-in candidates often struggle with name recognition and exposure. Are we to resolve those as well?

I would respond that most obstacles facing write-in candidates stem from the simple realities of democracy.

It’s okay that some voters stick to registered candidates because they think they’re the only ones who stand a chance. It’s okay to cap the amount of candidates in a debate in order to maintain an orderly and substantive discussion. In other words, it’s okay for write-ins to suffer under circumstances we can’t change.

But it’s not okay if our voting system creates unnecessary roadblocks that end up costing someone the election.

The results have been certified, we have our new GUSA executives, and nothing I have written gives enough standing to call this election “illegitimate.”

But the electoral rules regarding write-in candidates on rankedchoice ballots must change so this kind of controversy doesn’t happen again.

Ian Gould is a sophomore in the College.

A4 | THE HOYA

THEHOYA.COM | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022

FEATURES

Butter, Leftovers and Food Insecurity: The Georgetown Free Food GroupMe

ILLUSTRATION BY: TIM GOH/THE HOYA

Student organizations combating food insecurity frequently post in the “Free Food on Campus” GroupMe, alerting students of accessible food on campus.

The “Free Food On Campus” group chat, with close to 3,000 members, has become a popular spot to post eccentric food offers as well as combat real issues of food insecurity.

Sahana Arumani Hoya Staff Writer

O

ne night during the fall semester final season, a picture of over 100 sticks of Land-O-Lakes butter in a fridge appeared in a Georgetown University student GroupMe. The butter was up for grabs, and the owner, Jas Donohue-Oyzar (COL ’23), invited students to come to her Henle Village apartment to take as many sticks as they wanted.

Immediately, members of the “Free Food On Campus” GroupMe — a student group chat with over 2,800 members dedicated to distributing free food on the Hilltop — jumped at the opportunity.

Unsurprisingly, the now famous “butter incident” caused quite a stir in the group chat. Members questioned why anyone would have so much butter to get rid of and what circumstances had led to such a collection in the first place. They also asked when they could come pick up some sticks, Donohue-Oyzar said.

“People were coming, taking 16 sticks for one person,” Donohue-Oyzar told The Hoya. “It was nice. We met people. Now I say hi to more people when I walk by them.

I gave butter to everyone.”

Donohue-Oyzar’s roommate had probably left the butter in the fridge as a prank, she told The Hoya. But the instant and lively GroupMe response showed that the campus community was more than willing to help out in situations like these — in this case, for the novelty, but also for the free dairy product.

The butter incident is funny, but the existence of the GroupMe — typically characterized by images and descriptions of overflowing fridges, leftovers from catered events and miscellaneous items that students were giving away — is also a symptom of a larger campus issue: food insecurity.

In addition to students offering extra personal food to others, campus organizations combating food insecurity have used the GroupMe as a way to further their goals, and it has even become a site of civil discourse as students organize around issues of food insecurity and controversial meal plan requirements.

2,800 Students, One Group Chat Since its establishment in August 2019, the “Free Food On Campus” GroupMe has gathered close to 3,000 members. They range from students looking for a free bag of chips, to students experiencing food insecurity who need access to inexpensive or free nutritious meals, to those with leftovers they hope to distribute.

Other members, including from campus organizations, focus on combating food insecurity by advertising free food opportunities to the channel.

Founded by Margaux Ochoa (SFS ’22), the chat began as a handful of students posting about free food opportunities on campus to diminish food waste, Ochoa said.

“I really just wanted to find a way for students to be able to connect and be there for each other in community. I was very bothered by the amount of food that was kind of going to waste on campus,” Ochoa said in an

“I want students to be supportive of one another, to be there for one another, and to take care of one another.

MARGAUX OCHOA (SFS ’22) GROUPME FOUNDER

interview with The Hoya. “So I wanted to try to do something small that I thought might be able to combat that type of food waste.”

The group chat has since grown into a constant conversation between thousands of students, usually discussing free food but also sometimes debating various on-campus issues and even making jokes, which can be frustrating because that distracts from the GroupMe’s original goal, according to Ochoa.

“I don’t have time to babysit anyone,” Ochoa said. “I just expect if you’re in the chat, just follow all the rules.”

Since “Free Food on Campus” was founded over twoand-a-half years ago, students have increasingly used the GroupMe to share information about Students Advancing Food Equity (SAFE) and the Hoya Hub, an on-campus food pantry, two organizations dedicated to fighting food insecurity in an effort to reach more food insecure students.

Combating Food Insecurity

The large number of students in the GroupMe gives visibility to groups like SAFE, which conducts food rescues to bring leftover food from local restaurants to campus. That enhanced visibility allows them to broaden the distribution of their resources and reduce food waste, according to Nicholas Hwang (COL ’23), food rescue coordinator for SAFE. “I find the group chat has two distinct purposes. One is eliminating food waste. Georgetown is a college, there’s a lot of events going on, and sometimes people just have extra food,” Hwang said. “The second one is more so a more recent

one where most of it is connected with the Hoya Hub, where there’s technically free food.”

But for most of the GroupMe’s members, combating food insecurity does not appear to be the chat’s main goal, according to Bella Fassett (SFS ’24), a member of the GroupMe. “I would say the outcome — the primary effect — is not that it alleviates food insecurity. It is that it just provides an extra treat to people occasionally, is what it seems, is my perception,” Fassett said.

While the GroupMe has positive implications for the community, Fassett is concerned that some members have lost sight of the chat’s primary goal of serving students experiencing food insecurity.

“Lately SAFE has been putting their pictures of when they do a rescue in the free food chat,” Fassett said. “So that has then been an issue of people perceiving that as free food in the sense of free food without qualifications.”

Advertising the Hoya Hub and food rescues on the GroupMe runs the risk of SAFE’s rescued food reaching people who do not actually need it, ​​ according to Abigail Orbe (COL ’23), SAFE president.

“The free food group chat is kind of like a free-for-all, if everybody just likes to go and takes everything, and we want to make sure that, first and foremost, it’s people who need it are able to do it first,” Orbe said in an interview with The Hoya.

While both SAFE and the Hoya Hub aim to provide food to Georgetown students, the organizations are separate entities, and administrative barriers can make it difficult for the two to interact in meaningful ways, according to Orbe.

SAFE is a student group under the umbrella of the Center for Social Justice (CSJ), while Hoya Hub operates under the Division of Student Affairs and receives funds through donations rather than student activity fees.

As a club that does not receive university funding, SAFE faces difficulty coordinating with Hoya Hub and other campus organizations, and the GroupMe has helped with cohesion, according to Hwang.

“The only thing that’s tying us together, that keeps this partnership with the Hub alive is us — the students, the managers, and people at SAFE. We’re the ones facilitating everything,” Orbe said. “There isn’t an administrative system that’s making sure that we’re coordinating.”

versity’s meal plan requirement, in light of the university’s decision to require all on-campus students to enroll in a meal plan this year.

The policy also requires firstyears and sophomores to purchase the more expensive All Access 7 Plan, which allows for unlimited meal swipes at Leo’s at an annual cost of $6,520.

Following the announcement of the meal plan requirement for the 2021-22 academic year, students demanded a more affordable option, as well as exemptions for all on-campus juniors and seniors, who often have access to kitchens. The requirement, however, remained in effect.

The limited dining hours for Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall and other dining options that use meal swipes can be a source of food insecurity among students, according to Fassett.

“If you don’t eat before 10 p.m., you’re out of luck. You have to buy your own dinner, off campus, or from Vittles or Snaxa, which costs money,” Fassett said. “If you can’t afford to do that, then you eat air for dinner.”

While the Table at Leo’s, which serves all-you-can-eat buffet style meals, closes at 8 p.m. other dining options around campus are open until 10 p.m. for most weekdays.

The university decides the dining hours based on the needs of students, according to a university spokesperson.

“The hours of on-campus dining locations are selected to best meet the needs of the campus community based on utilization rates,” the spokesperson wrote in an email to The Hoya.

For students with dietary restrictions or time restraints, finding nutritious food at the dining hall can be difficult, according to Willow Volkert (COL ’25), who is vegan and works two jobs during the school year.

Volkert decided to apply for a meal plan exemption, but

the university denied her request, she told The Hoya.

The university’s lack of sufficient alternative dietary options paired with its meal plan requirement place financial burdens on students, according to Volkert.

“You’re saying, in the name of food security, I’m gonna have to pay for food I can’t eat and then have to go pay for food off campus?” Volkert said in an interview with The Hoya.

Students can submit a meal plan exemption or modification request after completing a mandatory meeting with Georgetown Dining Services’ registered dietician. The university also offers specialized menus and, in some cases, housing accommodations for students who have food allergies, experience medical conditions that cause dietary concerns, or observe religious diets.

The meal plan requirement was established to ensure that all students have access to consistent meals, according to a university spokesperson.

“To support and promote a healthy living and learning community where all students thrive, we offer a number of nutritious, flexible and affordable meal plan options for students on campus,” the spokesperson wrote.

To bridge this distance between the efforts of the administration and the concerns of students, Volkert has chosen a new avenue: advocacy, with support from the “Free Food On Campus” chat.

“I feel like protesting is the most effective way of getting their attention and getting the attention of people nearby,” Volkert said. “Stirring the pot, basically so that Georgetown has to do something about it, because it’s affecting their reputation.”

Volkert posted a call for action in the “Free Food On Campus” GroupMe on Feb. 13, and received 30 likes on her

message in the span of four days. As of Feb. 22, 76 users have liked the message. According to Volkert, 20 people sent her their email addresses, saying that they would like to be involved in her campaign.

“I’m sure you all know that Georgetown has mandatory meal plans for all underclassmen, and justify it in the name of food security,” Volkert wrote in the Feb. 13 message. “This is obviously very frustrating for everyone.

The school isn’t going to listen to people’s individual complaints, but if we organize and tell Georgetown that we want the option to have a less intense meal plan, they hopefully will listen to student interests.”

Volkert said she hopes to amend the mandatory underclassman meal plan to only include 14 meal swipes at Leo’s dining hall, rather than the current unlimited meal swipes, which would reduce the price by almost $300, as well as decrease the prices of all current mandatory meal plans.

In the coming weeks, Volkert plans to meet with other students who share her concerns and frustrations, and organize advocacy against the meal plan requirement.

Moving forward, Ochoa, the GroupMe’s founder, said she hopes that the channel will continue to address important issues of food insecurity on campus, helping students at an individual level while also providing a positive environment for all of the group chat’s members.

“I only hope that the chat continues to evolve as a space that all goes back to being supportive of other students. I want students to be supportive of one another, to be there for one another, and to take care of one another. Food insecurity plays into that,” Ochoa said.

“I’d like for this tribe to be able to address food insecurity as much as humanly possible.”

Meal Plan Frustrations In addition to organizations using the channel for distribution, the “Free Food” GroupMe has also been a place for discussions and complaints about the uni-

COURTESY JAS DONOHUE-OYZAR

In the past two and a half years, the “Free Food On Campus” GroupMe has gained almost 3,000 members who share and distribute free food with each other.

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Inside Look at Ward 8 Hospital

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya

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INSIDE THE ISSUE

Planning is already underway for a return to reusable silverware.” @MAYORBOWSER/TWITTER

Washington, D.C. officials and Universal Health Services started construction Feb. 17 on a full-service hospital to become the first trauma center east of the Anacostia River.

University Spokesperson, on improving campus Assistant Professor Mike sustainability efforts. Amezcua publishes new Story on A8 book. Story on A8.

GU Dance Company Hosts 1st Patrick Sheridan Scholarship Fund To Promote DEI at MSB Performance Since 2020 Adora Zheng

Student Life News Desk Editor

The Georgetown University Dance Company (GUDC) performed their annual showcase in person for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The performance was held in the Gonda Theatre in the Davis Performing Arts Center on Feb. 18 and 19 and featured pieces choreographed by members of the company, guest choreographer Shaun Boyle D’Arcy and Faculty Artistic Director Raina Lucas.

This year’s showcase was entitled “re_calibration.”

Despite having to adjust to changing protocols multiple times throughout the season and adapting to a lastminute casting change when a student in the production tested positive for COVID-19 two days before the company’s first performance, the show went on.

Lucas said she is proud of the work the company has achieved despite the turbulent season.

“I am so proud of the students, and honestly it was surreal to be back in the Gonda Theatre,” Lucas said in an interview with The Hoya. “We’ve been through a lot of challenges as a company, so I’m just really happy we had the chance to return to the stage with a live, inperson audience.”

Student Artistic Director Michelle Du (COL ’22) said the shows were a success as the theater was sold out both nights.

“We had to cope with a lot of uncertainties with the virtual beginning to the semester, but I think the company worked really hard as a team,” Du said in an interview with The Hoya. “We were able to pull together with the support of the department, our tech crew and everyone who was involved in the production, and I think it was one of our most successful

productions yet.”

The show, which saw around 500 attendees each night, featured performances from 20 dancers over 10 pieces.

Cate Walter (COL ’25) said the company was about to start its usual run-through of the showcase when the student received her positive test result.

“We just had a company

“It was a lot of nerves to perform well and present myself well after having missed the stage for a while, but also just the biggest happiness to be back with my company and be back doing what I love. Performing is really one of the primary reasons why I’m a part of GUDC.” CHRISTINA DROPULIC COL ’22

meeting before rehearsal and talked about what the plan was, and we were all required to get tested Thursday and Friday,” Walter said in an interview with The Hoya. “She was at rehearsal and everyone’s faces just dropped — we were all just like, ‘What are we going to do?’”

But the company adapted well, changing scenes that the student was meant to be

in, according to Co-Production Director Christina Dropulic (COL ’22).

“It was a shock and there were definitely some nerves, but I think that, as usual, we persevered very well through it,” Dropulic said. “Everything ended up looking okay, and that’s a testament to how adaptable this company is, especially after our COVID year and how flexible we had to be during that time.”

The company, which began rehearsal for the showcase in September, was forced to operate virtually for a week in the fall following a COVID-19 exposure during the first two weeks of the spring semester when the university operated virtually, Dropulic said.

While virtual rehearsals made choreographing more difficult, Co-Production Director Juliana Peacock (COL ’22) said it left more room for individual interpretation of dances.

“That first week back in the studio, we were definitely all a little bit nervous to see if what we think we created we actually had,” Peacock said in an interview with The Hoya. “It ended up being definitely different than I anticipated but in a good way — I think it gave the cast members an opportunity to put a little more of themselves in the dance than they could have otherwise.”

Dropulic said while the first show back was nerveracking, it was also a bittersweet swan song to the four years she has spent with the company.

“It was a lot of nerves to perform well and present myself well after having missed the stage for a while, but also just the biggest happiness to be back with my company and be back doing what I love,” Dropulic said.

“Performing is really one of the primary reasons why I’m a part of GUDC and why I love to dance.”

Samantha Sinutko Graduate Desk Editor

A Georgetown University graduate instituted a new merit-based scholarship fund for Master of Business Administration (MBA) students at the McDonough School of Business (MSB) to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

Patrick Sheridan (GRD ’09), CEO of Modus Create, Inc., a consulting firm that works with technology and software companies, established the Patrick Sheridan Endowed MBA Scholarship Fund to increase cultural understanding throughout the MSB. The MSB will be able to recruit a student body for its MBA program that is more reflective of different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences as a result of this scholarship, according to Prashant Malaviya, senior associate dean of MBA programs.

“We will be able to invite and attract new perspectives, encourage equitable representation of diverse voices, and adapt our curriculum and policies to the needs and aspirations of a diverse community,” Malaviya wrote to The Hoya.

“By attracting students who are passionate about promoting DEI and creating a just and inclusive community, we hope to develop a strong, resilient culture of care and compassion for everyone.”

Sheridan said that his past three years serving on the MBA Alumni Advisory Council (MAAC), the board of graduate representatives that advises deans on MBA programs and promotes alumni engagement, allowed him to work with the school on its diversity initiatives.

“During that time I’ve primarily contributed to the

Alumni Mentorship and Creating Equality subcommittees and have been very impressed by the school’s efforts to be at the forefront of the discussion on DEI within academia and the broader business world,” Sheridan wrote to The Hoya.

The Sheridan scholarship fund will allow the MSB to make an impact in multiple Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) dimensions, according to Malaviya.

“This Fund will allow us to support our initiatives to strengthen the Community and Culture in the program and the school, and support new Co-curricular initiatives created by students, staff, faculty and alumni,” Malaviya wrote.

The MSB lists its comprehensive “7Cs of DEI” goals that the school strives to meet in an effort to promote diversity and inclusion at the school: composition, communication, curriculum, co-curriculum, careers, community and culture.

The scholarship fund represents graduates’ dedication to the student experience at the MSB, according to Paul Almeida, dean of the MSB. “The Patrick Sheridan Endowed MBA Scholarship Fund is one of many ways he continues to break barriers and improve equity in the pursuit of education and professional growth,” Almeida wrote in an email to The Hoya. “His generosity enables the McDonough School of Business to carry forward on important initiatives to transform DEI in our classrooms and in our communities of influence.”

Modeled after scholarships within Modus Create, this scholarship for MSB students gives top priority to applicants who come from diverse backgrounds or perspectives, ac-

cording to Sheridan.

“Similar to the previous scholarship we funded via Modus Create, this scholarship is merit based, with preference given to nontraditionally educated candidates or candidates with a career focus on diversity and inclusion,” Sheridan wrote.

The previous scholarship, named the Modus Create Endowed MBA Scholarship, funded another merit-based award to support workforce development in Latin America for international full-time and Flex MBA students, with preference given to residents of Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

According to Malaviya, this scholarship is a step toward ongoing priorities of promoting diversity, equity and inclusion at the MSB. “We hope that this Fund will motivate other alumni to support our many diversity and inclusion initiatives,” Malaviya wrote. “We know many alumni care deeply about DEI, and this fund we hope will inspire others to step up and strengthen our efforts to promote diversity in our community.”

MSB graduates and their continued involvement with the school are what make the MSB a positive and fulfilling experience for students, according to Almeida.

“It is through the work of alumni such as Patrick, that we are able to live out our Jesuit values and foster a community in diversity, celebrate unique perspectives, and create a supportive and welcoming culture where everyone has access to the resources they need to further their academic and career-related goals,” Almeida wrote.

Dorm Intrusion Sparks Concerns Over Timeliness of Safety Notifications Giulia Testa

Hoya Staff Writer

Students voiced concerns about the lack of public safety threat notifications after an intruder entered a residence hall Feb. 16.

The Georgetown University Police Department (GUPD) responded to a report of an intruder — whom they identified as an individual previously barred from campus — in Loyola Xavier Ryder (LXR) Hall at 6:28 p.m. Feb. 16. The following morning, GUPD Chief of Police Jay Gruber sent an email to LXR residents about the intrusion. The university did not send a HOYAlert, a message sent to the Georgetown community with guidance in the event of a threat, at any point.

Brady Stallman (NHS ’24), an LXR resident, saw the intruder in the lobby twice over the course of 45 minutes.

“I came back from Yates, and there’s this dude just chilling by the printer in our lobby and he’s just mumbling to himself. It was kind of weird, but I didn’t do anything about it,” Stallman said in

an interview with The Hoya. “I went up to my room to shower and stuff. I came back down to pick up my order from Wiseys, and there were five GUPD officers around him holding him down and putting cuffs on him.”

Stallman said that the intruder being in the building for almost an hour before their arrest raises concerns about potential harm that could have been afflicted during that time.

“If he was a threat, he could have done whatever he wanted. He could have hopped on the elevator and gone up to whatever floor he wanted to,” Stallman said. “My faith in dorm security is not very high.”

Since the beginning of the academic school year, multiple intruders have broken into campus buildings and the university has sent out belated notifications, notifications only to students in affected residence halls, or no notification at all.

Katie Sullivan (COL ’24), another LXR resident, saw the intruder when she entered the building after returning from dinner.

Sullivan, who saw her friend

try to escort the intruder out of the building, said that students were not made aware of the intrusion and that no communication about the incident circulated immediately in student group chats either.

“I only know because I saw the guy and I saw my friend take him out,” Sullivan said. “I’ve just been talking to my friend, and in the actual LXR group chat nobody has been talking about it.”

Justin English (COL ’24), who was in LXR at the time of the intrusion and subsequent arrest, had no idea that there was a threat to student safety.

“I was in my residence, the restroom and in the 2nd floor common room,” English wrote in an email to The Hoya. “There was zero indication that something was going on while I was there alone in the building.”

English only became aware of the incident after the university sent an email to LXR residents over 15 hours after the intruder entered the building.

“I think that the university failed student’s safety,” English wrote. “The fact that someone was there in the building with

zero indication of caution for residents is terrifying.”

English said that the university should have notified students as soon as GUPD was aware of the intrusion.

“If someone with violent intent had entered the residence and there was no warning during the time between the police being notified and responding to the incident, people would get hurt in those precious minutes beforehand,” English wrote. “I think that the university could have notified us sooner of the incident and sent out a soft caution notice as the event was being looked into.”

According to a university spokesperson, the university is increasing training for residence hall guards and responds to potential threats in a timely manner.

“The safety of our community is our top priority,” the spokesperson wrote. “When there is an increase in safety incidents anywhere on campus, GUPD increases patrols out of an abundance of caution and takes appropriate steps to respond to ensure the

safety of the community.”

Stallman said that students are forced to relay safety threats to each other because of the university’s failure to provide timely notifications.

“I have no faith in them let-

ting me know of an incident as it’s happening or shortly after it happened,” Stallman said. “Peer communication seems to be very timely and way more effective than GUPD communication.”

HOYA HOUSING

Following an intrusion to LXR Hall Feb. 16, GUPD did not officially notify residents until the next morning.

A6 | THE HOYA

THEHOYA.COM | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022

NEWS

SFS Hosts Town Hall to Support Georgetown Announces New Ukraine Amid Russian Invasion Environmental Justice Institute INSTITUTE, from A1

@GEORGETOWNSFS/TWITTER

One day after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service hosted a town hall to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

UKRAINE, from A1 SFS Dean Joel Hellman.

Following the Russian invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared martial law throughout Ukraine. At least 137 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since Wednesday, with heavy artillery and shelling from Russia targeting airports, major cities and military infrastructure.

Ukrainians will resist the invasion, Sedova said.

“I want you to understand to what extent Ukrainians will resist. It’s not a hashtag.

It is a reality for every Ukrainian, wherever they are in the world,” Sedova said. “Their struggle for sovereignty — for independence — goes back centuries. It is not just an idea. It is something they live and breathe and internalize.”

The SFS organized the event to show solidarity with Ukraine’s people, Hellman said.

“I thought it was very important for us as a community to come together to show our solidarity for our students who are suffering, to show our solidarity with the people of Ukraine and come together,” Hellman said at the event.

Kupchan, whose parents are from Ukraine, but no longer live there, believes Russia will take over Ukraine within days.

“I’m guessing that we will see the Russians in the city center in a few days. And that’s because the Ukrainian military, despite the fighting spirit, is no match for one of the best armies in the world,” Kupchan said at the event. “By suppressing the country’s defenses, there’s effectively clearing the way for a set of tanks and armored columns to come in.”

The United States must continue to focus on it’s own democratic domestic challenges before getting intertwined with Russia and Ukraine, Kupchan said.

“One of the things I’m most worried about, is that we’re going to be preoccupied with this problem when in some ways the much bigger threat to us as a country is right here at home, solving our domestic problems, getting our political central back to life,” Kupchan said. “I hope that the preoccupation in Russia does not distract us from that very important domestic agenda.”

In a pretext to the invasion, Russian President Valdimir Putin spun a conspiracy theory that Ukraine was on a path to nuclear power in an address aired to Russian people on Feb. 21.

Talmadge is particularly alarmed by Putin’s discourse

on nuclear weapons.

“He’s really saying that, no, I’m going to do what I want at the conventional level. And if you respond, I may actually turn to my nuclear weapons as a means of getting you to back down,” Talmadge said at the event. “This is a development we’re seeing in quite a few countries in their nuclear arsenals, using nuclear weapons as a shield for conventional aggression.”

The invasion, however, may backfire due to unpopular support for the move among the Russian people, Talmadge said.

“It absolutely could be devastating for Putin politically. We’re already seeing evidence of what to me was surprising in terms of Russian domestic protests against this military operation,” Talmadge said.

As they have in the past Ukranians will persevere, Sedova said.

“Ukrainians have a long view of history because they’ve had a lot of history and a long struggle. To this moment, they survived Stalin’s Holodomor genocide. They survived Hitler. They survived Stalin’s gulags and resettlements. They survived the Soviet regime,” Sedova said.“And they will survive this, too.”

the opportunity to pursue my own research nor have had the support of a diverse group of leadolutions, Marra said.

In conjunction with the Mc- ers and peers.”

Donough School of Business (MSB) and the Graduate School [Disclaimer: Yasmin Gulamhuof Arts and Sciences, the Earth sein serves as a photographer for Commons created a new Master The Hoya.] of Science in environment and Current undergraduate masustainability management.

The program combines science jors placed within the Earth and business and is currently ac- Commons include environmencepting 40 students in advance tal biology; science, technology of its launch in the fall 2022 and international affairs with semester. Graduates will have an energy and environment career opportunities centered concentration; biology with a around protecting the environ- concentration in ecology, evolument within nonprofits, organi- tion and behavioral biology; and the earth and environmental zations or the government.

The new Master of Science in engineering program in partnerenvironment and sustainability ship with Columbia University.

The Earth Commons will commanagement gives students the opportunity to engage in a cur- bine academic disciplines and riculum that includes courses various groups at the university on earth systems, impact invest- to promote sustainability through ing, the science and economics academics, according to Meghan of climate change and energy, Chapple, vice president of sustainand sustainable supply chains, ability at Georgetown.

“The institute model is a cutaccording to Maria Petrova, coting edge approach to environdirector of the program.

“Our unique curriculum com- mental and sustainability educabines principles of environmental tion and research in that it builds science with business manage- bridges between schools and, ment skills, delivering the com- through the partnership with the prehensive knowledge students Office of Sustainability, across need to become effective leaders the administrative practice of in environment and sustain- the University,” Chapple wrote ability,” Petrova wrote. “Key char- to The Hoya. “It is a model for the acteristics of the program are its future of higher education, and small, 40-person cohort size; two how working across disciplines focus areas in climate and energy, is essential to solving our biggest taught from both a science and problems on this planet.”

Shelby Gresch (SFS ’22), an business perspective; and access to thought leaders and business intern at the GEI who will conexecutives that have global and tinue her work with the Earth Commons, said the institute is national presence.”

Yasmin Gulamhusein (COL working to engage students from ’24), an intern at the Earth Com- many backgrounds and academmons who is working to support ic disciplines in environmental the launch of the new master’s protection efforts.

“It represents the next chapter program, said that the Earth Commons is already giving her in Georgetown’s commitment to the opportunity to participate in incorporating environmental issustainability efforts by conduct- sues into every part of the Univering her research focused on food sity— academically, socially, and waste reduction in higher educa- institutionally,” Gresch wrote to The Hoya. “In that spirit, the Earth tion institutions.

“From my own experience, the Commons will offer a variety of Earth Commons has given me ex- opportunities to students, from posure to a community of faculty events to classes to a hub for enmembers and fellow students in- vironmental action.”

Gresch has worked with the terested in environmental stewardship,” Gulamhusain wrote. “I Earth Commons to create a livwould not have previously had ing lab consisting of a sustain-

able garden where students can grow food to be donated to the larger community. The experience also allows students to learn firsthand about sustainable food systems in urban environments by talking to individuals at community gardens, urban farms and university farms.

Applying solutions through experiential learning is an important part of the Earth Commons’ mission, Marra said.

“The action piece comes from a natural partnership between the need to teach and the need to learn and the need to take action,” Marra said. “Putting students in these situations where they’re problem solving with the faculty and where they’re taking on some of the biggest challenges we have is a perfect way for us to tackle those things through action.”

Marra said that installing a sustainability garden in a prominent location on Georgetown’s campus will allow the community to become more informed about food sources.

“We’re hoping to put one of these on campus where students are growing food and producing food, not just for themselves but for our community that is struggling with food insecurity,” Marra said. “That’s a big deal, and we want to put it in a prominent location on campus so people are aware of where food comes from.”

In addition to offering academic courses and research, the Earth Commons also draws upon a variety of disciplines, including sections on biodiversity, justice and health. Its undergraduateled magazine, titled “Common Home,” features writing and art from students, professors and scientists on environmental and sustainability topics.

Marra said that there are a plethora of options available for student involvement and engagement with the Earth Commons as the institute continues to expand.

“This is not a siloed institute, this is an institute without walls,” Marra said. “We are an institute that encourages participation from throughout the university. We are a network, not a hierarchy.”

Yet Another GULC Professor Makes Racist Statement, Faces Backlash

GradGov Cannot Subsidize Trip to Israel, University Says GRADGOV, from A1 proposed to the student government’s budget committee that $30,000 of GradGov student activity funds — 20% of the total budget — be used to subsidize the trip for members of GradGov who could not apply to itrek’s STEM and Policy subsidization program, according to an email from GradGov senator Jillian Robins (GRD ’23) to all GradGov Senators, obtained by The Hoya.

“GradGov Senators, outside the STEM and Policy coverage will get a substantial subsidy from GradGov to help cover the $2,400 dollar cost of the trip,” according to the trip application.

While any graduate student could apply, only GradGov senators were eligible for the proposed subsidy.

The GradGov Senate later vetoed the proposal in early February because of concerns over the fact that the trip’s student leaders — including Klempner — would not have to pay while other trip participants would, according to Robins, who also represents the Arab studies program.

The agreement between GradGov and itrek stated that the GradGov president appointed four trip leaders, who would be subject to approval from itrek, to plan and lead the break. This meant that these leaders would receive a subsidy from itrek for their flight, trip and expenses that would cover the total costs of the trip, according to a document obtained by The Hoya.

Klempner denied handling GradGov funds or using GradGov funds in an unethical manner after the university pulled funding.

“I never touch money from GradGov or itrek, no GradGov funds were apportioned, and the trip can and will take place without GradGov,” Klempner wrote to The Hoya. “I volunteered and was chosen as an itrek trip leader months before I volunteered and was elected GradGov president.”

Administrators from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) made it clear to GradGov that GradGov funds could not be allocated toward the itrek trip, according to a university spokesperson.

The university ultimately has the final decision on how student organizations manage their funds, according to Alexander Sens, dean of the GSAS. “It is therefore, just a matter of pure fact, legally, ethically and financially the university’s money, and we have a fiduciary responsibility to oversee the use of that money,” Sens said at a Feb. 18 GradGov meeting.

The university did not specify the exact errors Klempner committed in the vetting process.

In addition to the funding structure, students also expressed concerns about the trip’s destination, according to Robins.

“If it were solely for professional development, why does it need to go to Israel? Why does it need to go to an apartheid state?” Robins said. “Why couldn’t it be held in New York or in D.C. or on campus for that reason? There are plenty of opportunities for professional development that would be cheaper and not involving an apartheid state.”

Amnesty International, a human rights non-governmental organization, recently declared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians a crime against

humanity. Israel imposes institutionalized discrimination against Palestinians, prevents travel through checkpoints and displaces Palestinians.

Nooran Alhamdan (GRD ’22), a graduate student in the Arab studies program, said it is important for students to understand the complicated relations of the Israel-Palestine region.

“I know that we’re all students and money is short, and this is something that is normal for a person to want to go on an all-expense-paid trip, but my message to students would be to please do your research,” Alhamdan told The Hoya.

Popular calls to boycott, as well as to divest from and impose sanctions against Israel can sometimes be rooted in antisemitism, driven in opposition to Israel’s existence as a Jewish state, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

Daniel Schoolenberg (GRD ’22), set to be a leader of the trip alongside Klempner, said that the immersive experience of the trip would be valuable for all students.

“I think everyone will gain an understanding about an extremely important and dynamic part of the world that they wouldn’t be able to get otherwise,” Schoolenberg wrote in an email to The Hoya.

The trip’s educational purposes would align with GradGov’s constitution and would aim to facilitate dialogue and learning among participants, according to Klempner.

“This educational trip which includes leaders, students, and speakers from all faiths and backgrounds, features a series of compassionate dialogues,” Klempner wrote.

GEORGETOWN LAW/FACEBOOK

Student organizations co-wrote a letter addressed to Law Center Dean William Treanor after a professor used an anti-Asian slur in class earlier this month.

GULC, from A1 In a letter to the GULC community, Werro apologized and said he understood the harm his words caused.

“In class on Thursday, I addressed a student using a term that I now understand is a racial slur that has long been used to degrade and diminish Chinese people in particular and people of Asian descent generally,” Werro wrote. “I recognize that my use of that word caused real hurt and pain for many people in the Georgetown community and beyond. I am deeply sorry.”

Werro, a native French speaker, told The Hoya that he was not aware of the historical context of the English term he had used.

“I used what I thought was the English translation of a term I would have used in French — my mother tongue — and which has no pejorative meaning in that language, such as Frenchman or Englishman,” Werro wrote in a statement to The Hoya.

Werro also told The Hoya he plans to learn about the history of racism in the United States to create a more supportive learning environment for his students in the future.

The United States has a long history of anti-Asian racism, stemming from bigotry towards Asian American immigrants who traveled to the United States in the 19th century. Europe also has a history of racism against

those of Asian descent, including a jump in hate crimes against those of Asian descent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The incident is the newest addition in a pattern of racist incidents involving GULC faculty and staff. Last month, GULC placed incoming administrator Ilya Shapiro on administrative leave following his racist and sexist tweets about President Joe Biden’s commitment to nominating a Black woman to the Supreme Court.

In March 2021, GULC fired Sandra Sellers after she complained about the academic performance of Black students to fellow professor David Batson.

The racist remarks were caught on video, and Batson resigned following Sellers’ termination.

GULC is committed to ensuring an inclusive learning environment for all students, according to GULC Dean William Treanor.

“Last night I was made aware of an incident yesterday involving a professor using a derogatory term in the classroom that is demeaning and hurtful. This term is a slur with a centuries-long history of harm to Asian people,” Treanor wrote in the email. “As a community of students, staff, and faculty we must take a look at our culture, structure, systems, and processes to ensure that we are a community that fosters respect, equity, and justice.”

In their letter, APALSA criticized Treanor’s Feb. 11 mes-

sage for not specifying that the slur was used to address a student and did not include Werro’s name.

While APALSA wrote that they appreciated Werro’s apology, the group found it insufficient, especially his commitment to learn more about the history of discrimination and bias against Asian Americans.

“Anti-Asian racism is prevalent globally, including across Europe, and even if Professor Werro was unaware of the world’s history, it is inappropriate for a professor to address a student by their perceived race,” the letter reads.

GULC is taking steps to create a more inclusive and welcoming campus environment, Treanor told The Hoya.

“The work of creating a truly diverse and inclusive community is an ongoing effort and one to which I am deeply committed,” Treanor wrote. “We are taking a number of important steps to fulfill our goal of building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus environment.”

Lee hopes GULC administrators will reflect on this incident and finally begin to address systemic issues at the school.

“I hope for the administration to really be listening to the voices of the student affinity groups and acknowledge this as a very long front issue and be willing to continue conversations,” Lee said.

“Not just about this incident, but for the years to come.”

THE HOYA | A7

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | THEHOYA.COM

NEWS

Local Mother-Daughter Duo Selected To Build Public Art Piece Eli Kales

City Desk Editor

A mother-daughter artist duo was selected by a panel to build a public art piece made up of multicolored arches at 11th Street Bridge Park.

Martha Jackson Jarvis and Njena Surae Jarvis will create the first of five artworks to be commissioned for the park. Located on old concrete piers along the Anacostia River in Ward 8, 11th Street Bridge Park is set to become Washington, D.C.’s first elevated public park.

The artwork set, titled “Anacostia’s Sunrise/Sunset Portals” will serve as gateways to the entrance of the park and is slated to open in 2025.

The piece imitates different portals of a sunset and sunrise between the river and the community, according to Surae Jarvis.

“We want you to step off the beaten path and transport yourself somewhere else, some magical being where you are intrinsically your exit,” Surae Jarvis said in an interview with The

Hoya. “As far as the sunrise and sunset, as you enter from the community entrance and move towards the 11th Street Bridge as the colors lead you through greenery, and then the palette of a sunrise as you move through the different portals, making your way from the river and back into the community.”

The use of old concrete piers along the Anacostia River in the creation of the 11th Street Bridge Park serves as an optimistic sign for urban renewal around the nation, according to Jackson Jarvis.

“It’s a beacon for the nation, that these things can be reinserted back into the community,” Jackson Jarvis said. “They can be reused in an innovative, creative way that does not cut people or communities off, but bridges the gap and becomes a real nexus for urban space.”

The park, a project supported by the D.C. government and Building Bridges Across the River (BBAR), a nonprofit supporting District residents who live east

of the Anacostia River, will create over one hundred jobs and $3.5 million in income for community members.

The art and the artists represent the vision of the Anacostia community, according to Scott Kratz, vice president of BBAR, in a Feb. 16 press release.

“The 11th Street Bridge Park is a community-imagined space and it was important that the art and artists selected for our largest commissioned piece be reflective of this community,” Kratz said in the press release. “We’re ecstatic to see Jackson Jarvis Studio’s vision for ‘Anacostia’s Sunrise/ Sunset Portals’ come to life and bring a welcoming energy to the park’s eastern entrance while helping expand equitable access to art East of the River.”

A group of residents, artists and community stakeholders, many of whom live near the park, selected Jackson Jarvis and Surae Jarvis’ piece, while the park’s remaining four artworks will be announced in the spring.

Jackson Jarvis has worked

JACKSON JARVIS STUDIO

Mother-daughter artist duo Martha Jackson Jarvis and Njena Surae Jarvis were selected to design the first of five public artworks at the 11th Street Bridge Park. as an artist for over 50 years and looks to connect nature with individuals through public art sculptures.

“Public art is really very much a part of my practice as a sculptor, my interest has been the notion of public space, what is it that belongs to the commons or to all of us,” Jackson Jarvis said. “My interest in producing sculptures oftentimes talks about bridges between nature, and the kind of urban or manbuilt sites and spaces.”

Jackson Jarvis hopes

that “Anacostia’s Sunrise/ Sunset Portals” will act as a landmark for the Anacostia community and will provide something new to viewers each time they visit the park.

“This is a site that you could visit and return to season after season, year after year, and bring the children,” Jackson Jarvis said. “This is to form a communal memory, celebrating this extraordinary natural resource that we have here.”

Surae Jarvis said that sculptures will mark a space

in which the members of the Anacostia community can create their own experiences in connection with the art and each other.

“I hope that as they move through their lives, people will interact with the sculpture differently,” Surae Jarvis said. “I hope they play with their children. I hope they meet a potential date there when they’re a little older. I hope as people age their interaction will be with different pieces, and we want it to be an almost magical space.”

GUSA Passes Internal Local Eateries Suffer Reforms, Senators Say Drop in Business Due They ‘Aren’t Enough’ To COVID Concerns Samuel Yoo

Student Life Desk Editor

The Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA) Senate unanimously passed a resolution amending the organization’s bylaws to remove inactive roles.

At the Feb. 20 meeting, senators voted to remove roles including parliamentarian and the sergeant-at-arms, the latter of which keeps order at meetings of the senate. The resolution also amended the bylaws to prevent members of the Constitutional Council, GUSA’s judicial branch, from making public statements on GUSA policies and requiring GUSA justices to remove themselves from cases they may have conflicts of interest in.

Currently, there are no GUSA members who serve as parliamentarian or sergeantat-arms.

While bylaw amendments may not significantly impact the student body, the changes will allow GUSA to operate more effectively in order

“There is a great deal more work to be done and internal reforms aren’t enough.”

BORA BALÇAY GUSA Senator

to work for student advocacy, according to GUSA Senator Dominic Gordon (SFS ’24), who co-introduced the bill at the meeting.

“There is too much nonsense in regards to bylaws that gets in our way of doing our actual job,” Gordon said in an interview with The Hoya. “I know it may not be the most pressing thing in the world sometimes, but it does get in the way of our ability to operate.”

Additionally, Gordon believes that the Constitutional Council should be removed entirely from GUSA as it has not operated effectively for years.

“I’ve made it pretty clear in the past that I think we should get rid of the Constitutional Council,” Gordon said. “They have not met in several years and I feel like it’s ridiculous to have a whole branch of government that doesn’t really exist. They have pretty unclear ethical guidelines, which has been a problem like in the past.”

In the past, members of the Constitutional Council have published editorials in campus publications, including The Hoya, which have created barriers to GUSA’s operations, Gordon said.

To operate effectively, GUSA

needs a complete structural overhaul, according to GUSA Senate Vice Speaker Rowlie Flores (COL ’22).

“This recent legislation that we passed removed clauses regarding a parliamentarian and a sergeant-in-arms.

These are roles that in my four years of GUSA have not heard of,” Flores wrote to The Hoya.

“But these changes do not come close to all the changes we need to make. We need to consider election reform, which I argued in our Ways and Means meeting requires its own legislation due to the controversies surrounding it.”

Last fall, GUSA proposed a restructuring referendum to reform the organization by abolishing the senate and executive. Although 72.12% of voters voted in favor of the referendum, it failed to pass when the election did not meet the 25% minimum voter turnout rate needed for constitutional referendums.

GUSA Senator Bora Balçay (SFS ’23), who introduced the restructuring referendum last fall, believes students will be more receptive to internal reforms.

“There is a great deal more work to be done and internal reforms aren’t enough to overhaul the institution but this is a great place to start,” Balçay wrote to The Hoya.

Although GUSA Presidentelect Kole Wolfe (SFS ’24) and Vice President-elect Zeke Ume-Ukeje (COL ’24) will take over the GUSA executive soon, the new administration will not impact work being done to reform the organization, according to Balçay.

“Every new executive presents a certain challenge to the established working relationship. But I am optimistic that the work for restructure will continue unhindered and that we will have a concrete proposal fairly soon,” Balçay wrote.“I think there is a particular appetite for changing the institution now more than ever given the controversy surrounding the last election.”

At a meeting of the GUSA senate held earlier this month, senators debated for over two hours over whether to certify Wolfe and UmeUkeje’s victory after they were accused of exchanging alcohol for votes. Wolfe denied these allegations at the meeting.

To be successful, future restructuring attempts must listen to the demands of the student body, according to Flores.

“Surely, amendments to our bylaws can only do so much and we still need to reconsider the merits of an entire restructure project, especially as the distinction between the executive and senate becomes more of a blur,” Flores wrote.

“However, this also means that we need to restructure correctly and actively engage with the student body throughout the process.”

Eli Kales

City Desk Editor

New data from OpenTable, an online service for restaurant reservations, shows that Washington, D.C. diners are returning to restaurants at a lower rate than in most other states.

OpenTable recorded indoor dining levels in the District over the past two months and found that the levels were up to 79% below that of the same days in 2019. Local restaurants have adopted COVID-19 mitigation strategies to ensure the safety of customers in an effort to increase the amount of customers that dine indoors.

Following record-high COVID-19 cases in the District in December and January, reservations for indoor restaurant seats fell daily compared to 2019. Although every state in the United States — with the exception of Hawaii — saw a surge of indoor diners on Valentine’s Day, District restaurants experienced just 2% more sales than the second Monday of February in 2019, the secondlowest rate in the country.

According to Jenn Crovato, the owner of 1310 Kitchen & Bar, a popular American restaurant in the Georgetown neighborhood, the omicron variant proved to be a major setback for diners who were

just beginning to feel comfortable dining in restaurants again.

“Business was booming up until mid December, then it took a nose dive when Omicron hit,” Crovato wrote to The Hoya. “All of our events scheduled both at the restaurant or outside the restaurant canceled. The dining room went from reservation only (meaning we were not accepting walk-ins) for both brunch and dinner to almost empty.”

Uncertainty surrounding the number of people returning to indoor dining made it difficult to determine staffing needs for days that in typical years would be very busy, like Valentine’s Day, according to Crovato.

“Valentine’s Day did fall on a Monday this year, but we did 3 times the sales in 2020 as we did this Year in 2022 on the 14th,” Crovato wrote. “We also still have significant reservation cancellation / no show levels (91 this past Saturday night) which makes it incredibly difficult to staff and order.”

Nearly 75% of the staff at 1310 Kitchen & Bar was sick or exposed to COVID-19, which forced the establishment to close for a week in January due to staffing shortages.

District residents who may have started feeling

KIRK ZIESER/THE HOYA

Restaurants struggle with low patronage as many District residents remain hesitant to return to indoor dining. comfortable with dining in restaurants seem to have been discouraged by the rise in COVID-19 cases, according to Crovato.

“If Omicron had not happened, I think we would be much closer to where we were pre-pandemic,” Crovato wrote. “People were just beginning to feel comfortable with going out.”

Juan Dromgoole, director of operations at Chaia Tacos, a vegetarian Mexican restaurant near the Georgetown waterfront, also found that sales plummeted yet again because of the omicron variant this winter.

“We were not necessarily busy, but we were happy with the number of people visiting us every day,” Dromgoole wrote. “Right after Thanksgiving, the number depleted and we noticed how people were just not eating outside their homes again.”

Chaia Tacos implemented strategies to ensure customer safety, which Dromgoole hopes will make customers feel safe returning to the restaurant.

“All of our staff is fully vaccinated. We require everyone to wear masks, gloves, and we sanitize every table during service,” Dromgoole wrote. “We try to be as careful as possible to make sure every person that visits Chaia feels safe.”

Despite the concerning data, there is reason for optimism, Crovato said, as jurisdictions throughout the country begin rolling back COVID-19 restrictions after grappling with the idea that the virus may not become fully eradicated.

“I think dining will increase by April,” Crovato wrote. “We have had an overwhelming number of inquiries for group events. People want to get back out.”

Mutual Aid Donations Drop Amid Rise in Need Adora Zheng

Student Life Desk Editor

The Georgetown Mutual Aid Network (GU Mutual Aid) faces continued difficulty fulfilling donation requests as fundraising from campus community members dwindles.

After its creation in August 2020 by Megan Huynh (NHS ’22) and Binqi Chen (NHS ’22), GU Mutual Aid has distributed $173,703.42 through Venmo to provide grassroots financial support to over 2,500 students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently however, the organizers have been forced to shut down the donation request form within days of its opening, including one instance where the form was closed over a two week period from Jan. to Feb. and another time earlier in January, when the form was closed within one day of its opening. The shutting down of the form has been due to high demand and a lack of available funds.

Chen believes donations have slowed because students no longer believe people are experiencing pandemic-related economic struggles.

“For many people, their lives have returned to some level of normalcy since two years ago, and I think that

to them, they are no longer struggling with the pandemic and they don’t see a need to give back,” Chen said in an interview with The Hoya.

“People are getting fatigued and tired of donating.”

While it typically takes around a week to bring GU Mutual Aid’s Venmo balance up to $1,500, its typical target balance to open its request form, it has recently taken three to four weeks to reach

“We just got overloaded with requests and didn’t have enough money to fund all of them.”

MEGAN HUYNH GU Mutual Aid Co-Founder

that amount, Huynh said.

Additionally, GU Mutual Aid has been forced to close the form only two to three hours after reopening it, according to Huynh.

“We just got overloaded with requests and didn’t have enough money to fund all of them,” Huynh said. “It’s just been taking us a lot longer to

hit our fundraising goals and fulfill those requests.”

According to Chen, they now receive over 50 requests an hour when their form is open.

Huynh said the increase in requests may be due to backups caused by the closure of the request form.

“I don’t know if it’s because we are getting a larger quantity of requests or if it’s those requests have been building up over the past month that we’ve been closed,” Huynh said. “This is probably the worst it’s been.”

This is not the first time the group has struggled to keep their request form open.

Last fall, GU Mutual Aid faced challenges meeting demand while adjusting to an increase in requests when students returned to in-person instruction for the first time since 2020.

To increase donations, GU Mutual Aid recently partnered with The Corp, a student-run nonprofit, during the organization’s week-long 50th Anniversary celebration to host an open mic night fundraising event Feb. 15 at The Corp’s Midnight Mug location.

GU Mutual Aid raised around $500 through selling snacks and ticket sales at the event, according to Huynh.

The Corp decided to capi-

talize on its 50th anniversary to direct student attention to the fundraising event, according to The Corp’s Community Engagement Chair Rose Dallimore (SFS ’22).

“We have to incentivize folks to come in and participate in things like this, to really try to highlight the amazing work mutual aid does and support them,” Dallimore said in an interview with The Hoya.

GU Mutual Aid will host other fundraisers with The Corp, including raising money through a new thrift store in the Corp’s Uncommon Grounds location run

by Georgetown’s Renewable Energy and Environmental Network, a campus organization promoting environmental activism, according to Huynh.

Huynh said while some students may not see the importance of GU Mutual Aid they should continue to donate.

“All these problems, like students facing food insecurity and housing instability and things like that, don’t just magically go away,” Huynh said. “I think it’s important for Georgetown students to recognize that a lot of the time, even $10 to 20 means a lot more to someone else within the community than it does to them.”

A8 | THE HOYA

THEHOYA.COM | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022

NEWS

Deaths Among DC Unhoused GU Student Association Launches Drop, Housing Debate Continues New Direct Impact Initiatives Ingrid Matteini

Special to The Hoya

The number of Washington, D.C. residents who died while unhoused decreased in 2021 for the first time since 2016, while D.C. council members and government officials disagree over how to ensure this trend continues in the future.

Between 2013 and 2020, the District saw a 600% increase in deaths of people experiencing homelessness. In 2021, there was a 31% decrease in deaths with 124 deaths in the calendar year compared to 180 deaths in 2020. The most recent census of unhoused individuals in the District in January 2021 found that about 5,111 residents in the District are currently experiencing homelessness.

The Pandemic Emergency Program for Medically Vulnerable Individuals (PEP-V), a program introduced at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, offers hotel room accommodations for unhoused people at high risk of severe COVID-19 illness before eventually transferring them to permanent supportive housing.

The program may have led to the decline in deaths, according to Ann Marie Staudenmaier, staff attorney at the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless.

“I attribute the drop this year in deaths to PEP-V, because it really took a lot of those medically vulnerable people and got them off the streets in a really quick way,” Staudenmeier said in an interview with The Hoya. “With PEP-V, they literally offer somebody a hotel room, and they could be in that room that night.

It really was life-saving, and I think that contributed to the drop in deaths.”

PEP-V’s success, in addition to the decrease in deaths, warrants the expansion of the program as it faces discontinuity,

Staudenmaier said.

“We want to see the city continue that program, and we’ve tried really hard to get the city to expand it over the last two years and COVID, and have had moderate success with that,” Staudenmaier said. “But I don’t know that the city government will continue it once COVID is really, you know, gone.”

PEP-V may provide a

“It does seem worth looking into ways to keep the highestrisk segment of those experiencing homelessness out of congregate settings where virus transmission is harder to avoid, even after the COVID risk.”

MAYA BRENNAN HOUSING ADVISOR

blueprint for protecting unhoused individuals who are at increased risk for various illnesses, according to Maya Brennan, housing advisor for At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman.

“When COVID is no longer as much of a public health threat, there are other viruses, such as the flu, that also pose a much greater health and fatality risk based on age and underlying conditions,” Brennan wrote to The Hoya. “So, it does seem worth looking into ways to keep the highest-risk segment of those experiencing homelessness out of congregate settings where virus trans-

mission is harder to avoid, even after the COVID risk is minimal.”

Still, there are conflicting opinions among council members regarding the expansion of PEP-V. According to Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Naudeau (D), PEP-V fails to remedy the issue of homelessness in the long term.

“I would say that PEP-V is a stop-gap and housing is the answer,” Naudeau wrote to The Hoya.

The Coordinated Assistance and Resources for Encampments (CARE) program launched in August of 2021 in an effort to close three specific homeless encampments — located at the L and M St. Underpasses, O St. NW and E St. NW — around the District and connect residents with housing and services. However, the program received criticism for the premature closure of many encampments during the coldest months of the year, which forced many residents to clear encampment sites without having received housing.

Legislation to help unhoused District residents should not require them to clear their belongings, Staudenmaier said.

“I’d like to see legislation that doesn’t allow the city to conduct these aggressive and encampment clearings where they drive people away, and basically take away their personal items and destroy them,” Satudenmaier said.

Programs confronting homelessness in the District must include collaboration between various District agencies to succeed, according to Brennan.

“One of the important pieces of addressing homelessness in the District is making sure that our agencies are talking to each other,” Brennan wrote. “Because if they aren’t, there’s no way their programs are reaching people well.”

Special to The Hoya

A Georgetown University professor authored a book about the history and development of the Chicago Latinx community between World War II and the 1990s, looking at instances of deportation, segregation and oppression.

Mike Amezcua, assistant professor in the department of history, wrote “Making Mexican Chicago: From Postwar Settlement to the Age of Gentrification” af-

“What Mike’s book does is really focus on the community organizing itself, engaging to make a strong community within Chicago and doing it by engaging the city’s political powers and other ethnic groups.”

JOHN TUTINO PROFESSOR

ter exploring Latinx history in Chicago through stories about his grandmother, who was deported from Chicago with her parents during the Great Depression.

“Making Mexican Chicago” examines a tumultuous period in time for Mexican immigrants, according to Amezcua.

“It was a moment when hundreds of thousands of Mexican immigrants and their children, American citizens, were rounded up

and repatriated because they were blamed for parts of the ills of the economy during that time,” Amezcua said in an interview with The Hoya.

“The idea for the book goes way back to then because it thought about what kind of city my grandmother would have inherited in Chicago.

She never returned to Chicago and lived the remainder of her life in Mexico.”

Amezcua spent 10 years writing “Making Mexican Chicago” and spoke with urban historians, Latinx historians and community members in Chicago in order to complete the book.

“This is something that I not only went to traditional archives for but also that I actually built relationships with Mexican and American communities in Chicago so that those communities would share documents and photos with me so that I could complement my archival research that I was doing with community-based knowledge about the city,” Amezcua said.

The book tells an important history of mid- to late-20th century Chicago through the perspective of Mexican immigrants, according to Brian Hochman, director of American studies.

“This is what makes Professor Amezcua’s research so impressive,” Hochman wrote in an email to The Hoya. “By centering Mexican immigrants in the remaking of Chicago’s post-WWII geography and politics, he has told a compelling new story that will force scholars of urban America to reimagine the field’s dominant narratives.”

Chicago is not usually perceived as a city with a large Latinx presence, but it is actually home to one of the first Mexican communities in the United States, according to John Tutino, a professor in the department of history who teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on

Samuel Yoo

Student Life Desk Editor

The Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA) opened applications for its Direct Impact Initiatives (DII), which aims to provide electronic and physical aid resources to the undergraduate population.

This year’s resources include 15 Chromebooks, five steerable knee-walkers and five manual wheelchairs, which will be distributed to students on a first-come, first-served basis for either a one or two-week period. Students can also sign up to be put on waitlists if items are completely checked out.

The program is still in its pilot stage, and more resources will be made available as the DII expands, according to a post on GUSA’s Instagram.

GUSA chose to implement the application-based format of the program because of university limitations on aid and logistical concerns, according to GUSA President Nile Blass (COL ’22).

“The application format allows us to monitor who is using the resources and to keep track of inventory,” Blass told The Hoya. “We also cannot give money to individual students or groups. The finance office makes the argument that you can’t actually, as an organization, put money into something that multiple students can’t benefit from all at once.”

GUSA hoped that these resources will serve students for years to come, according to GUSA Senate Vice Speaker Rowlie Flores (COL ’22).

“We already have purchased Mexico in the context of the loaner chromebooks and wheelAmericas and the world.

“What Mike’s book does is really focus on the community organizing itself, engaging to make a strong community within Chicago and doing it by engaging the city’s political powers and other ethnic groups,” Tutino said. “It is not only a pivotally important book in Mexican American Elyza Bruce history, but it is a pivotally News Contributing Editor important book in U.S. urban Students want reusable history because it shows the multicultural city being cre- dinnerware to be used at campus dining locations, accordated post-World War II.” While cities like New York ing to a survey released by City, Los Angeles and Hous- the Georgetown Renewable ton are usually associated Energy and Environmental with large Latinx commu- Network (GREEN).

The Feb. 17 survey, conductnities, Chicago has the fifth largest Latinx population ed by GREEN, a student-run environmental activism club, with 774,000 people.

Amezcua said that Chica- and released on the club’s go remains one of the most Instagram account, showed segregated cities in the Unit- that 72% of the 139 responed States with predominant- dents said they would prefer ly white local governments using reusable dishes and and citizens practicing il- cutlery at Leo J. O’Donovan legal methods of separation Dining Hall, the only dining and redlining to resist im- hall on campus.Only 21.7% of migration, a topic covered in respondents said they would feel unsafe if the dining hall “Making Mexican Chicago.”

“There was this unspoken switched to reusable dining agreement between neigh- ware. Additionally, almost bors to hold the line, not 90% of respondents also said just against Mexican im- they would use a compost migrants, but a belief that drop off program if it was proby holding the line against vided by the university.

GREEN co-president Brooke Latinx people you would then also be holding the line Hodge (SFS ’24) said the club against African Americans,” decided to conduct the survey Amezcua said. “It was almost to the student body’s opinions like this two tiered form of about sustainability.

“This survey wanted to demsegregation, and I wanted to make sure to show that on onstrate both to the administration and to Leo’s as a whole the ground, block by block.”

Amezcua wanted to exam- that this is not just GREEN’s ine the often overlooked sto- initiative, but it’s a broader ries of immigrants in Chicago. sentiment of the student body “I found the story so pro- that they do care about susfound, and I thought I need tainability,” Hodge said in an to write about Chicago,” interview with The Hoya. “This Amezcua said. “I decided is something they feel strongly that while there are cities about, and it’s not just a smallin the United States with subset of environmentally and much higher Latinx popula- sustainably-minded students.”

Georgetown originally opted tions, there has already been a lot of good work on the East to use disposable dining ware Coast and the West Coast because the COVID-19 panbut not the Midwest and a demic, according to GREEN big metropolis like Chicago.” Zero-Waste team leader Wil-

New Book Highlights History of Latinx Community in Chicago Amberley Nuttal

Google

GUSA launched its Direct Impact Initiatives in an effort to provide electronic and physical aid resources on a first come first serve basis to the student body. chairs that GUSA can administer to the greater student body.

It’s hard to picture how long DII will last, but we hope that this is something that the executive can push for years to come,” Flores wrote to The Hoya.

The DII are important for student advocacy as they have the best practical and direct impact on the student body, according to Blass.

“We talk a lot about representations and symbolic gestures for the benefit of the student body, but I think a lot of the work that GUSA has done that is most impactful and most transformative is direct impact,” Blass said.

“Supporting students with practical means, especially marginalized and low-income students is important.”

The GUSA transition committee plans to work with the newly elected Kole Wolfe (SFS ’24) and Zeke Ume-Ukeje (COL ’24) administration, who will assume office in mid-March, to ensure that current GUSA advocacy efforts, including the DII, continue, according to Flores.

“It’s important to us that we make sure that the Wolfe/UmeUkeje administration have all the information they need to be an efficient and effective administration, while respecting the fact that they are the new executives and need to make these decisions themselves,” Flores said.

The new GUSA executive administration will continue certain projects started by the previous administration, according to President-elect Kole Wolfe (SFS ’24).

“We are currently working on our budget in preparation for the summit on Saturday. We aim to make Nile’s Farmer’s Market

and Minority Business Initiative, which is scheduled to occur this April, a recurring event and hold a similar event in the Fall,” Wolfe wrote to The Hoya. “We have been in contact with her regarding this initiative. We also are in talks with the Corp to establish a joint book affordability scholarship program.”

Saturday GUSA Fin App summit is where student clubs, including GUSA and campus publications, apply for their annual budgets.

The Farmer’s Market and Minority Business Initiative was started in collaboration with the GUSA Senate, the Black Student Alliance, the BLF, and the Georgetown Farmers Market, to support more BIPOC businesses at the market, according to Blass. Later this spring the Blass-Sanchez administration is looking to host a block party highlighting local Black culture and vendors, according to Blass.

The Wolfe-Ume-Ukeje ticket campaigned on creating direct impact initiatives, including allocating money from SNAPS, a student neighborhood patrol organization, towards grants for low-income students.

Despite differences in policy positions between the outgoing and incoming administration, projects dedicated to improving student well-being will not immediately disappear because of differences in policy positions, Blass said.

“There’s also the Senate, there’s also the SAO, there are a lot of avenues and organizations under GUSA that are dedicated to supporting the student body. So even in the worst case scenario, I think it’ll be fine because it’s not just in their hands,” Blass said.

GREEN Advocates for More Sustainable Dining Options low Volkert (COL ’25).

“Before COVID, Georgetown used to have all reusables in the dining hall, and there was postconsumer composting, so all the food waste was put into the compost — so it was actually completely zero waste in the dining hall,” Volkert said in an interview with The Hoya. “But then COVID hit, and public health issued a guidance that we must switch to disposables.”

The university has not provided a clear reason as to why disposable dinnerware is necessary to protect public health, according to Volkert.

The survey was conducted as part of Zero Waste Wednesdays, a weekly initiative where GREEN members table at the entrance of Leo’s and provide information about sustainability, according to Volkert.

“For the first week, we just wanted preliminary results,” Volkert said. “We definitely want to do it again this Wednesday, so we have at least 200 or 300 respondents to show there is large student interest behind this.”

GREEN has emailed the results of the survey to a representative at Hoya Hospitality, which operates campus dining locations, but has not received a response as of Feb. 21, according to Volkert. If they do not receive a response, GREEN will contact the Office of Sustainability and organize a student protest if they receive no response from either office, Volkert said.

The university plans to adjust to reusable dining ware in the coming weeks, according to a university spokesperson.

“Planning is already underway for a return to reusable serviceware at The Table at

Leo’s effective Sunday, March 13, at the same time suspending the use of disposable to-go containers from that location,” the spokesperson wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Georgetown should model its sustainability policy off of American University, the first urban campus, research university and largest higher education institution in the United States to reach carbon neutral status, according to Volkert.

“They have all the policies in line to streamline the process of how to go zero waste and carbon neutral in the Office of Sustainability at American, and we should literally just copy that process, but Georgetown just refuses to do it. I think the main reason is because there is not a large student interest behind it,” Volkert said.

Hodge is optimistic about the sustainability progress Georgeton has made, including the creation of a new vice president of sustainability last fall.

“Georgetown is undergoing a much larger transition towards institutionalizing sustainability in the administration,” Hodge said. “I want to emphasize that having a vice president of sustainability is a big deal and not a lot of universities throughout the country have had that.”

So far, however, Volkert said the university’s lack of response to student sustainability efforts is frustrating.

“Not only are they not implementing any zero-waste policies, even ones that they had pre-COVID or anything like that, they are refusing to work with student organizations to move towards zero waste,” Volkert said.

THE HOYA | A9

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | THEHOYA.COM

NEWS

GradGov Budget Supports Childcare Grants, Food Pantry Abby Tucker

Special to the Hoya

The Georgetown University Graduate Student Government (GradGov) Senate approved two new areas of their spring semester budget supporting child care grants for the first time and monthly donations to combat food insecurity on campus.

In the new budget proposal, which was approved by the GradGov Executive Committee on Passing a Budget on Feb. 3, $18,000 will be allocated toward funding for childcare grants that will be distributed to graduate student parents to help meet their childcare needs.

GradGov also plans to donate $500 each month, beginning this month and operating through June, to support the Hoya Hub, a student-run food pantry on campus.

GradGov looks to support graduate student parents, who are an important but often overlooked group within the Georgetown community, according to GradGov Senator Bess Grasswick (MSB ’22),

who proposed the addition of childcare grants to the budget.

“Childcare expenses are a recognized educational expense,” Grasswick said in an interview with The Hoya.

“Graduate students can include that in their request for financial aid from the financial aid office, but we all know that that doesn’t always cover everything. We’re hoping to fill in opportunities and figure out ways to meaningfully disperse that aid.”

The childcare grant will be administered to graduate student parents through the Graduate Financial Aid Advisory Board (GFAAB), the senate committee that approves budgets within GradGov, as well as the university financial aid office, according to Grasswick.

It can be challenging to simultaneously parent a child and attend classes, even when classes are remote, according to Catherine Hulford (GRD ’22).

“As a parent, a graduate student and a full-time employee, my attention is split in multiple directions. I know the help of additional child care support will allow future gradu-

ate students an opportunity to focus on their studies knowing their kids are cared for,” Hulford wrote to The Hoya.

While the budent has been approved the process for applying for grants is still being finalized, Grasswick said.

“At this time, it appears that the FAFSA will determine eligibility. This is because the FAFSA collects the reported dependents and income for each student,” Grasswick wrote to The Hoya.

The childcare additions to the budget will support barriers that graduate student parents face in their studies, according to Jonah Klempner (GRD ’22, LAW ’22), GradGov president.

“This grant is for parents living on a budget whose parental obligations would prevent them from fulfilling their academic responsibilities and capturing the greatest value from their graduate student experience,” Klempner wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Childcare grants will support the specific needs of student parents, according to Grasswick.

“It’s important because the graduate student body is a di-

KIRK ZEISER/THE HOYA

The Georgetown University Graduate Student Government approved their spring budget, adding support for childcare grants and the Hoya Hub. verse student body, and part of that diversity comes from students who are parents and are coming to school and really investing in themselves and their futures,” Grasswick said.

GradGov has also committed to reducing food insecurity within the Georgetown community, according to Grasswick. In addition to their $500 monthly donation to the Hoya Hub, GradGov senators who attend meetings virtually will have the option to donate their portion of the food typically provided at the in-person meeting, to the food

Black Georgetown Releases Anniversary Edition Michael Santos Special to The Hoya

“Black Georgetown Remembered” released its 30th anniversary edition containing interviews with Black Georgetown community members.

The book, which was originally published in 1991, details the vibrant and often underrecognized Black Georgetown community.

Through interviews with Georgetown residents as well as with research from historical archives, the book explores Georgetown’s history from the university’s founding in the 18th century to the present. The third edition of the book includes a new chapter containing conversations, portraits, photographs and sketches of residents.

Inspiration for the new edition came from a documentary by the Georgetown University Press that featured stories of Georgetown’s Black community members, according to Kathleen Lesko, a co-author of the book and a former assistant English professor and program coordinator at Georgetown.

“I decided to do a book to follow up, and at the request of many of the Black Georgetowners who then started flurrying out of their homes and coming to my home and bringing their personal memorabilia, and I realized that the story is much larger and more comprehensive than the original film,” Lesko said in an interview with The Hoya.

As part of the university’s bicentennial celebration, the documentary entitled, “Black Georgetown Remembered,” was released, containing recollections of the neighborhood’s

Black community who stayed in Georgetown despite the region’s history of enslavement and oppressive Jim Crow laws.

The university has its own ties to slavery after the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus sold 314 enslaved people in 1838 — referred to as the GU272 — to financially sustain the university.

The documentary focused specifically on the 1940s and 1950s, when the demographic of the neighborhood changed drastically due to gentrification following an influx of predominantly white families and businesses moving to the area.

Lisa Fager, executive director of the Mount Zion Female Union Band Historic Memorial Park Foundation, a historic cemetery in the Georgetown neighborhood mentioned in the book, said the anniversary edition is a way to highlight the neighborhood’s Black history, especially how cemeteries play a role in it.

“The 30th anniversary is a great way to actually leverage again Black Georgetown to let people know particularly right now with what we’re experiencing with race and reconciliation and critical race theory. I feel like the cemetery is a great place to talk about facts, learn and unlearn things,” Fager said in an interview with The Hoya.

The exploration of Black history is critical in understanding the history of the United States, according to Neville Waters (GRD ’91), a sixth-generation Washingtonian and community activist whose family was featured in the book.

Many states have banned the teaching of critical race theory in schools, with opponents of

Hoya Staff Writer

BookDepository

“Black Georgetown Remembered” celebrates 30 years of sharing the stories of Georgetown’s Black community. the method citing that it is decisive and equating the theory with Marxism.

“While it is wonderful to be able to isolate and focus on and highlight Black history, in many ways, Black history is American history,” Waters said in an interview with The Hoya.

“You know, it is all tied together. One does not necessarily exist in a vacuum.”

American history has often erased Black history in favor of the stories of white Americans with the mentioning of Black leaders and historical individuals often left out of history books.

Community members feel a sense of pride seeing their family’s history included in the books, according to Waters, whose own great-great-grandfather, Neville Waters, was included in the book.

“I can’t imagine that in 1856 for a Black man, I’m sure 84 was not the target age. So here is this man that lives this rich

fulfilling life, and for his story to be told, that, if you will, has my DNA in it. So, I am very proud to be able to say those are my people,” Waters said in an interview with The Hoya.

The historical Waters was a property owner, worked for the federal government and became a leader in the Republican party, according to Waters.

“Black Georgetown Remembered” enables community members to preserve their heritage, according to Lesko.

“It is a fight to get the visibility and verification that their community deserves and their heritage deserves,” Lesko said. “And it is on the shoulders of the few who still live there, and they are continuing to go to the public meetings, to the citizens association meetings, to make their voices heard. They are very very determined to preserve their history, and these legacy projects are very important to them, because it is all they have left.”

Akashdiya Chakraborty you’re engaging globally,” Kop- promote development, human the Kosovo-based think tank Examining diversity, equity and inclusion is crucial for effective conflict prevention and diplomatic solutions, according to a new book titled “Untapped Power: Leveraging Diversity and Inclusion for Conflict and Development.”

The book, published Feb. 12, was edited by Carla Koppell, senior advisor for diversity, equity and inclusion in the Walsh School of Foreign Service and a Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security distinguished fellow.

“Untapped Power” includes contributions from 40 authors, including scholars, policy makers, researchers and activists from around the world. The book covers a variety of topics including gender inequality, LGBTQ rights, disability rights and the liberties of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities.

Koppell hopes that by reading the book, people can better understand the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in global affairs.

“First, I hope that it makes a persuasive case to show that diversity, equity and inclusion issues are essential whenever

pell said in an interview with The Hoya. “The second is that it gives readers an in-depth sense of how to approach these issues of equity and inclusion and the growing diversity of societies in ways that improve the effectiveness of interventions.”

Including diverse identities when practicing diplomacy is essential to creating successful solutions, according to Koppell.

“Fundamentally, diversity, equity and inclusion issues are always relevant,” Koppell said.

“Whether we’re talking about how you negotiate a peace accord and who you think about both in terms of who needs to be at those negotiations, whose interests you need to serve, whose priorities need to be reflected in that accord, whether you’re talking about development and how you promote development in any sector.”

Claudia Escobar, an SFS centennial fellow who wrote a chapter in the book, said diversity is especially crucial in decision-making spaces.

“I would hope that readers will find material to be able to advance in the inclusion of vulnerable groups in the different decision-making spaces, especially in the institutions that

rights, and the rule of law,” Escobar wrote to The Hoya. “I believe that the book can be a tool to put the problems of discrimination of vulnerable groups in the discussion of the academic sector.”

Diversity is important in the judicial system which has historically not been diverse and therefore corrupt, according to Escobar, who previously worked as a magistrate for the Guatemalan Court of Appeals.

It is important to hold discussions on inclusion in academia, according to Madison Schramm, who wrote a chapter in the book author featured in the book and a professor at the U.S. Army War College.

“Thinking about curricula-what types of research and by whom--are on the syllabus; thinking about how much value we give to work that centers historically marginalized populations; or how much of our understanding of the world centers on the experiences and perspectives of very few. We have a lot of work to do,” Schramm wrote to The Hoya.

Cementing diversity into discussions about security is integral to promoting peace, according to Teuta Avdimetaj, a researcher at

the Kosovar Center for Security Studies (KCSS) who collaborated on the book.

“We already know that peace is more likely to last when women are part of peacemaking processes,” Avdimetaj wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“The equal representation and participation of groups that have been traditionally left out at the margins of decisionmaking ensures that a broader range of issues and perspectives are accounted for in the peacemaking process.”

These issues are especially important because the absence of diversity in diplomacy can ultimately be harmful and dangerous, Georgetown Vice Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Scott Taylor said.

“The exclusion of large populations, exclusions of certain peoples, usually leads to conflict,” Taylor said.

Taylor said diversity facilitates more peace in the world.

“When more people are at the table, when more viewpoints are represented, and more variety of people and citizens that make up the fabric of this country or another, are part of these conversations, that helps to facilitate more peaceful outcomes,” Taylor said.

“Something as basic as having three meals per day is a right that every student should have,” Portillo said in an interview with The Hoya.

“Having this will help them focus more on their studies and worry a little less about what they’re going to eat.”

These budget additions represent the best of GradGov, according to Grasswick.

“I thought this was something that really demonstrated a lot about where the heart is for us who were working on that budget and GradGov in general,” Grasswick said.

GradGov Survey Reveals Lack of Accessibility Resources for Students Annie Kane

New Book Advocates for Inclusive Diplomacy Hoya Staff Writer

pantry, Grasswick said.

Georgetown supports GradGov’s additions to the budget on these issues, according to a university spokesperson.

“We appreciate GradGov’s efforts to support members of the Georgetown community through these important services,” a university spokesperson wrote to The Hoya.

César Salgado Portillo, GradGov’s director of programming and member of the executive board, proposed the monthly donations to the Hoya Hub. Portillo said it is vital to address food insecurity on campus.

Access to virtual resources remains inconsistent for Georgetown University graduate students who miss class because of illness and other concerns, according to a survey conducted by the Georgetown University Graduate Student Government (GradGov).

The survey, conducted over a three-week period in late fall of 2021 garnered 405 responses and asked graduate students to share responses on topics including class attendance, level of preparedness for returning to inperson learning, availability of class recordings and overall experience with student support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey reported that 53% of graduate students missed class at least once during the fall semester, almost half of which reported the cause to be health issues. Nearly 60% of students reported feeling between “not at all prepared” and “somewhat prepared” to return after a missed class.

Results from the survey reveal that the university lacks a standardized policy providing shortterm academic resources for students experiencing illnesses such as COVID-19, according to Rio Dennis (GRD, LAW ’25), chair of GradGov’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee.

“A majority of students are not trying to take advantage of just skipping class for no reason, and we need to make sure that we have accommodations for that,” Dennis said in an interview with The Hoya. “ARC is only set up to be for long-term accommodations for disabilities and so forth. There’s nothing set up for the students short term, like needing to miss class.”

The Academic Resource Center (ARC), which provides academic support to disabled students and student-athletes, has a formal process for requesting academic accommodations. Students can work with the center and their professors to ensure they have ample virtual resources.

GradGov hopes that the survey results will urge the university to provide more equitable access to courses as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Dennis said.

While almost 30% of graduate students reported having access to class recordings without needing to justify their absence to professors, around 15% reported having no access to any virtual resources. Moreover, only 31% of graduate students reported having virtual options available in all of their classes.

Each group across the university determines its own mode of course instruction, according to a Jan. 21 email from University President John J. DeGioia (CAS ’79, GRD ’95).

A lack of resources supporting virtual class attendance incentivizes graduate students to attend class in person despite the health risks posed by COVID-19,

according to Rachel Martinez (GRD ’24), a member of the GradGov DEI committee.

“We are still in a place where we shouldn’t be encouraging people to come to class sick, or for any reason that they just absolutely, physically can’t be there. They shouldn’t be punished for that,” Martinez said in an interview with The Hoya.

Students should have more leniency when it comes to class attendance, according to Dennis.

“For students with a disability, for students with military obligations, for students with different temporary family leave, whether it be funerals or pregnancies or whatever the case may be, just need a lot more leniency, especially with the current attendance policies that are very strict and don’t actually accommodate for any of those things,” Dennis said.

The university remains committed to ensuring that the learning environment is accessible and inclusive, according to a university spokesperson.

“We will continue to prioritize the health of our community in

“A majority of students are not trying to take advantage of just skipping class for no reason, and we have to make sure that we have accomodations for that.”

Rio Dennis (GRD, LAW ’25) Chair of GradGov’s DEI Committee

all we do, therefore, if students miss class because of COVID19-related isolation or quarantine it will be handled in a manner consistent with students missing class for illness or other reasons,” the university spokesperson wrote. “To this end, faculty members have been encouraged to accommodate students by making course materials available to students missing classes due to COVID-19-related isolation or quarantine, or other symptoms and illnesses, based upon course content and pedagogy.”

Students’ responses included a notable demand for more transparent and consistent virtual accessibility across the entire university, according to Dennis.

“It’s not something that’s specific to one program or the other, it was very static across all of the different programs as well for the graduate students.

Every school was lacking in this,” Dennis said. “There were some schools that were doing slightly better, and maybe in one area or the other, but no student was feeling like they were amply prepared to return back to class.”

A10 | THE HOYA

THEHOYA.COM | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022

SPORTS COMMENTARY

WOMEN’S SOFTBALL

Softball Quadruples Win Record at Furman Classic

José Mourinho Will Blow His Last Chance at Coaching

Jack Lonergan

Christian Baldari

the final third, Mourinho’s brand of soccer prioritizes gritty, physical defense and no-frills attacking, which no longer cranks out results like it did when he led the likes of Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan to domestic and European trophies in the 2000s.

What’s more, Mourinho’s propensity to make headlines for on-field dissent and press conference jabs continues to be a problem.

The red card against Verona was his second of the season, underscoring his inability to control his temper.

His shenanigans would be easier to forgive if his team was winning, but Roma is winless in its past three league games and was knocked out of the Coppa Italia quarter finals by Inter.

Mourinho’s favored strategies — shifting blame to his players, maintaining an arrogant public persona and insisting on using outdated on-field tactics — no longer cut it. He must evolve, or the game will pass him by.

Some might argue that those tantrums are anomalies and should not define Mourinho the coach, but his behavior has actually stayed consistent — if not worsened — throughout his managerial career.

In the 2018-19 season, his last at Manchester United, Mourinho’s bitter and public feud with captain Paul Pogba, coupled with United’s disappointing results, infected locker room spirit and led to his firing.

Just two seasons later at Tottenham, Mourinho’s unflinching criticism of his players during press conferences eroded the morale of an underwhelming Spurs side, and he was quickly let go.

Now in Rome, not much has changed. Mourinho takes no issue with publicly throwing his players under the bus, rather than insulating them from media criticism. For instance, he lambasted them for a “lack of personality” after blowing a 3-1 lead in a game against Juventus in January.

Roma fans are among the most passionate in all of Italy, and they have been starved of a Serie A championship for 21 years. Never one to shy away from media attention, Mourinho must know that every Roma loss or feisty quote gives pundits another opportunity to call for his replacement.

Mourinho has never lasted at a club for more than three seasons, and if he is unable to right the ship in Rome, he might not even last one for Roma.

Hoya Staff Writer

Hoya Staff Writer

After splitting the first two games of the Furman Classic in Greenville, S.C., the final inning of the weekend determined whether Georgetown women’s softball would return home pleased.

A sac-fly for graduate outfielder Cameron Kondo in the top of the seventh brought home junior pinch hitter Lorena Vasquez-Inzunza, tying the score and taking the Furman Paladins (3-7) to extra innings.

A wild throw in the top of the eighth allowed the Hoyas (4-6) to go ahead 3-2 on an unearned run. First-year pitcher Kayla Dunn left two Furman base runners stranded to ensure Georgetown’s victory, 4-3.

The Hoyas opened proceedings Feb. 18, looking to bounce back after a 1-4 start to the season at the Kickin’ Chicken Classic. In its first contest in the Furman Classic, Georgetown lost 3-7 to the University of South Dakota Coyotes, falling behind after a grand slam in the first inning. The Hoyas were unable to make a comeback and take the game, even after a home run and double by graduate first baseman Abby Smith.

Georgetown expected a tough game against a Coyotes team that entered the tournament on a three-game win streak and went on to extend that run to seven in Greenville.

The Hoyas bounced back later that day to defeat the St. Francis Red Flash in a shutout 3-0 victory. Georgetown crossed the plate three times in the bottom of the fifth to aid Dunn in earning the first win of her college career after a 10-strikeout performance.

The During A.S. Roma’s Italian Serie A match against Hellas Verona on Feb. 19, Roma head coach José Mourinho was sent off the field for complaining about a late-game call. Some may call his antics cheeky, but it was yet another reminder that the decorated Portuguese coach might be on the verge of squandering his last coaching opportunity.

Flashy and combative, Mourinho was brought in to the Eternal City last summer to propel Roma back into the top four for the first time since the 2017-18 season. But his team is struggling.

Sitting in eighth place in Serie A as of Feb. 24, the Giallorossi are on pace to finish lower in the standings than their seventh place performance in the 2020-21 season, after which manager Paulo Fonseca was sacked.

Roma’s struggles are not entirely Mou’s fault. Injuries have kept key players on the sidelines: left-back Leonardo Spinazzola has missed the whole season since tearing his Achilles during the Euro quarterfinals in July 2021, and young winger Nicolò Zaniolo has missed several games due to minor injuries.

However, Mourinho, who has complained about his team’s transfer budget, must acknowledge that he got the pieces he desired to help build his team. Roma signed striker Tammy Abraham from Chelsea and acquired full-back Ainsley Maitland-Niles and center midfielder Sérgio Oliveira on loan deals from Arsenal and Porto, respectively.

Despite these big-name arrivals, Mourinho’s defensive, counter attacking tactics have yet to pay dividends.

The self-proclaimed “Special One” has won trophies everywhere he’s worked and is always quick to remind his critics of that fact, but keeping a job is about producing in the present, not sitting on one’s laurels. @JOSEMOURINHO The reality is that José Mourinho’s outdated coaching style and Mourinho is on the decline. hotheadedness may cost him what could be his In an era that favors possession and creativity in final coaching gig.

GUHOYAS

First-year pitcher Kayla Dunn helped the Hoyas to a solid 3-2 showing in the Furman Classic.

The next day of play started with another loss to South Dakota. Kondo scored on a failed pickoff attempt and graduate catcher Alyssa Chavez doubled Georgetown’s lead in the fourth, but the Hoyas’ defense allowed 7 runs in the fifth and 2 in the sixth to settle the score at 2-9.

Georgetown bounced back against Furman on Feb. 19, defeating the Paladins 4-3. In this win, Dunn dominated both the mound and the plate, recording 14 strikeouts and 2 RBIs. The Hoyas faltered early as a dropped fly ball allowed for Furman’s Emily Bartlett to give her squad a 1-0 lead in the second.

Chavez had another strong at-bat with a two-run shot to left field, part of a four-run fourth inning for the Hoyas. The Paladins answered with 2 runs of their own, but it was not enough to bring them level.

Georgetown escaped a jam in the bottom of the fifth when the Paladins had two runners on and no outs, but 2 strikeouts and a popout maintained the Hoyas’ lead. Pairs of Furman strikeouts in both the sixth and seventh innings closed out the game for Georgetown and secured its sec-

ond win of the weekend.

The Hoyas completed the double over Furman on Feb. 20, outlasting the Paladins in extra innings to win 3-2. A sac fly from Chavez brought home graduate shortstop Savannah Jones in the first inning, with Furman leveling the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth. Dunn then forced 2 pop outs and prevented the Paladins from taking the lead.

In the sixth inning, Dunn gave up a leadoff homer, putting the Hoyas behind 1-2. However, Georgetown remained patient and tied the score in the final inning, taking the game to extras. The Hoyas eventually won on a throwing error from Furman pitcher Shelby Maier.

The weekend saw Georgetown’s record improve to 4-6.

Furthemore, Dunn’s efforts resulted in her earning a spot on this week’s Big East Honor Roll, the first award of her collegiate career.

Georgetown takes its twogame win streak to the UMBC Round Robin event in Baltimore, Md., where they will face both the UMBC Retrievers and the Coppin State Eagles on Saturday, Feb. 26 and Sunday, Feb 27.

THE EQUALIZER

We Should All Be Concerned About Abuse in Figure Skating Carrie McDonald Columnist

CW: This article discusses eating disorders. Please refer to the online version of this article on thehoya.com for resources.

Watching the women’s free skate this past week in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, I saw a broken teenager succumbing to exorbitant amounts of pressure, another teen distraught with her silvermedal-winning performance and a third left to celebrate her gold with feelings of emptiness. I had one question: Have we learned anything from Simone Biles?

Last summer, Biles redefined success. She taught the world that the relentless pursuit of victory at the expense of mental health is not glamorous. By stepping away from her 2020 Summer Olympic performance, which took place in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she pioneered new norms for athletes to advocate for themselves against abusive training conditions.

But saying no is not easy, especially if you are a teenager raised in an institution that churns out teenage Olympic champions who are forced into retirement before adulthood.

Biles is the greatest gymnast the world has ever seen. When she speaks, the world listens.

But, if a young Russian figure skater were to do the same, another girl would take her place in the blink of an eye.

That’s not to mention how hard it is for athletes as young as 15 — the current minimum age to compete in figure skating at the Olympic Games — to raise concerns. While raising the requirement to 18 may not solve every problem, it is an essential step to ensure a base level of maturity to guard against abuse.

Abuse is rampant in the sport; you don’t need to look far to see it.

The news that gold medal favorite 15-year-old Kamila Valieva of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) tested positive for ​​a banned heart medication during Russian nationals in December 2021 was heartbreaking.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed Valieva to compete to prevent “irreparable harm” to her career. It also ruled that Valieva, as an athlete under 16, is a “protected person” under the WorldAnti Doping Code and is not liable for her actions.

The adults meant to protect Valieva were the ones who endangered her. No 15 year old has the means to initiate a doping scandal. Valieva is the victim.

Eteri Tutberidze, who coached Valieva as well as her gold and silver winning teammates Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova, both just 17 years old, displayed a disturbing air of coldness at the free skate.

Leading after the short program, Valieva fell out of medal contention and left the ice sobbing after several uncharacteristic falls in the free skate. The pressure to win gold, as well as

“No 15 -year-old has the means to initiate a doping scandal. Valieva is the victim.”

CARRIE MCDONALD Columnist

intense public scrutiny after the doping scandal, would cause most people — especially at 15 years old — to give in. Yet, instead of comforting her athlete, Tutberidze interrogated Valieva.

“Why did you let it go?” cameras heard Tutberidze yell.

“Why did you stop fighting?

Explain it to me, why?”

Tutberidze’s reprimands were so egregious that even Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, described her comments as “a tremendous coldness” that “was chilling to see.”

Equally disconcerting was Trusova’s tear-stricken reaction to winning the silver medal.

“Everyone has a gold medal, everyone, but not me,” she screamed. “I hate skating. I hate

it. I hate this sport. I will never go out on the ice again! Never!”

This outburst from Trusova, who snagged the bronze at the 2021 World Championships, was not a childish temper tantrum. It signifies a dangerous, entrenched narrative that measures success only with first-place finishes.

These interactions show just how broken the sport is, but the issues lie beyond the actions of one coach. Figure skating receives global attention only once every four years, compounding the pressure on young athletes. It also encourages athletes to be as small as possible to complete more difficult jumps. The only women to land a quad jump have been teenagers, but these young champions eventually grow up and are tasked with the impossible feat of maintaining their prepubescent body.

It is no surprise that eating disorders pervade the sport.

These challenges extend to athletes beyond the dominant ROC. Then-18-year-old Gracie Gold captured American hearts with her charisma at the 2014 Olympics, but mental health issues and an eating disorder prevented her from chasing a second in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

If increasing the age requirement means relinquishing the quad jump, so be it. It is a small price to pay to decrease the pressure and abuse directed towards teenagers. The sport cannot be allowed to continue as is.

There are glimmers of hope that show what figure skating could become. Gracie Gold returned to the 2022 National US Championships at 26 years old.

American Mariah Bell accomplished her goal of making it to the games at age 25 — after becoming the oldest American women’s national champion in 95 years. Alysa Liu, a 16-year-old American, broke into tears of joy after her seventhplace Olympic finish.

These moments brought joy back to a sport riddled with abuse.

By raising the minimum age and implementing programs that prioritize athletes’ well-being, all skaters can reclaim their joy too.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Hapless Hoyas Prove To Be No Contest for Connecticut Huskies Sam Wirth

Hoya Staff Writer

The University of Connecticut (19-5, 13-1 Big East) flexed its muscles on Georgetown (7-18, 2-15 Big East), dominating all facets of the game and winning 90-49. The Huskies’ aggressive defense suffocated the Hoyas’ offense and created plentiful fast break opportunities.

Out of the gates, Georgetown came out hot, going up 4-3 on Connecticut. However, it was all downhill after this for the Hoyas in the first quarter.

The first quarter was filled with sloppy play on both sides. The Georgetown defense, which forces the third most turnovers in the Big East per game, caused UConn to have 5 turnovers in the first six minutes of the first quarter.

The Hoyas were also bitten by the turnover bug. They repeatedly gave the ball up and the Huskies were able to capitalize. This fueled a 12-0 UConn run, which was capped off by a steal then a fast break and an and-one layup at the other end of the court by senior guard Evina Westbrook. At this point, UConn led Georgetown 15-4.

Georgetown’s sophomore guard Kelsey Ransom stopped this run by slashing to the paint, then masterfully kicking the ball out into the corner to graduate guard Milan Bolden-Morris, who sunk the shot.

Ransom was the lone bright spot in the first quarter for the Hoyas, scoring 6 of their 9 points.

In the second quarter, GeorgeCarrie McDonald is a sopho- town tried their best to make more in the College. The big shots to swing momentum Equalizer appears online and back in their favor, but UConn in print every other week. had the perfect response every

time. For example, after another heads-up Ransom drive and kick to Bolden-Morris in the corner for the made 3-pointer, Connecticut came back immediately with a bucket.

The Hoyas’ defensive strategy seemed to dare Huskies to shoot the 3. This was somewhat successful, as Connecticut was unable to convert on many wideopen opportunities from the field in the first half.

UConn’s strategy on defense was to constantly pressure Hoya ball handlers, which successfully forced Georgetown turnover after turnover. Possession after possession, Connecticut came up with steals on defense, which they turned into fast breaks and easy layups. The Hoyas appeared to be out of gas and often did not even get back on defense to contest these layups.

Seeing this lethargy, Georgetown Head Coach James Howard was forced to call a timeout after UConn’s lead grew to 24 points. Eventually, a layup from senior forward Jillian Archer was able to stop the Huskies’ 17-0 run and snap the Hoyas’ almost 5-minute scoring drought.

At the end of the half, Connecticut led 45-19. The Huskies had forced 19 Georgetown turnovers, 16 of which were steals. In the half, UConn generated 18 points off Hoya turnovers, while Georgetown shot just 28% from the field.

To open the second half, Georgetown looked to retake momentum through more careful ball handling and highquality shot attempts. A slick pass by Ransom in the paint led to a tough and-one bucket for

first-year center Ariel Jenkins.

However, just like in the first half, whenever there was a glimmer of hope for the Hoyas, the Huskies emphatically responded. UConn immediately charged down the court and attacked Ransom inside, drawing a foul and converting on the free throws.

UConn’s second half game plan consisted of pounding the interior, which resulted in a plethora of good looks near the hoop. They were able to capitalize on these opportunities by way of layups or drawing Georgetown fouls. This offense terrorized the Georgetown defense and the Huskies led by as much as 38 in the third quarter.

Georgetown’s graduate guard Mary Clougherty responded with 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions for the Hoyas to stop the flood, but at the end of the quarter, Connecticut led 70-35.

Clougherty continued her dominance from behind the arc in the fourth quarter. She hit two more 3-pointers, finishing with 5 in the game and 15 total points off the bench. Georgetown played competitive basketball in the fourth quarter, regardless of the score. They limited the offensive mistakes that plagued them in the first half and were impressive defensively. Alas, UConn’s lead was insurmountable, and the game ended 90-49 in favor of the Huskies.

Georgetown looked to snap its seven-game losing streak against Villanova (19-7, 13-4 Big East) Feb. 22 but fell 61-73 in a hard-fought contest. The Hoyas will next travel to Ohio to face Xavier (9-17, 4-13 Big East) on Feb. 25.

THE HOYA | A11

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | THEHOYA.COM

SPORTS MEN’S LACROSSE

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Hoyas Fall to High-Flying Wildcats VILLANOVA MBB, from A12

for us that he possibly can,” Ewing said. “Last year he was not a good defender. This year, he is competing his butt off on the defensive end, and he’s also making shots and making plays.”

Part of what kept Georgetown competitive in an away game against the No. 8 team in the nation was their use of press defense.

“I thought our press was great,” said Ewing. “We did use two types of presses. We did a hard press and a soft press. I thought our guys did a great job of it.”

Ewing highlighted untimely turnovers as contributing factors to the loss along with referee calls going against the Hoyas. For example, a foul was called on first-year guard Aminu Mohammed after a block attempt in the first half. Mohammed reacted strongly to the foul call, causing the referees to dole out a technical foul.

“We had opportunities to be able to come away with a win,” said Ewing. “I thought some tough calls didn’t go our way. I thought that block on Aminu was a great block.

That technical foul also hurt.”

fought hard, running off to an 11-3 run of their own to bring the game back to within a single possession. Carey managed to score five of the team’s points on that run.

The teams continued to trade runs, and with 4:08 left, Georgetown remained down by only six, keeping the upset hope a real possibility. Sadly for the Hoyas, the Wildcats scored the next six points, giving them a 7260 lead with just over a minute left, effectively putting the game out of reach.

A flagrant foul by VillanoGUHOYAS Georgetown men’s lacrosse continued its strong va guard Collin Gillespie on Georgetown sophomore forstart to the season with a 10-8 win over UPenn in the ward Collin Halloway gave Quakers’ first home game in over 700 days. the Hoyas the ball and some hope, but a quick turnover quickly dashed away any dreams of a miracle.

Despite another tough GUHOYAS result, Carey had a great The Hoyas’ horrendous season continues with a close performance. He scored a loss to Villanova, one of the top teams in the Big East. career-high 24 points to go with four assists, four rebounds and two steals. Head The Hoyas’ best shot at a mons (12-14, 3-13 Big East).

Coach Patrick Ewing (CAS Big East win comes in their A loss on Thursday, and ‘85) commented on Carey’s next contest Thursday at 8 Georgetown is one step closgrowth, noting Carey’s conp.m. at Capital One Arena er to making history for all tributions to the team. against the DePaul Blue De- the wrong reasons.

“He is playing the best ball to sacrifice seconds on the PENN, from A12 shot clock in order to get the Hoyas were able to take a 5-2 right personnel on defense. lead early.

However, hope was not Penn started to settle into lost for the Quakers. With WOMEN’S BASKETBALL their groove in the second a quick substitute at midquarter, though. George- fielder, Penn attacker Dylan town’s onslaught of shots Gergar was able to take the decreased as the Quakers Hoyas by surprise and get a stepped up their defense. The hat trick. Then, the Quakers Hoyas’ only goal of the quar- added another, as Gergar hit ter came from sophomore a behind-the-back shot for midfielder Dylan Hess after his fourth goal at 2:33. After a Morin screened Penn goal- quick timeout to reevaluate, keeper Carroll perfectly. The Morin beat his man, letting momentum from the Hoyas’ go of a low-to-high bounce electric first quarter was gone shot and sealing the victory as the Franklin Field crowd for his squad. showed its excitement for McElroy and senior facePenn’s return. By halftime, off James Reilly were key the Quakers narrowed the players for the Hoyas. McElHoyas’ lead to 6-4. roy saved 11 shots, while ReilThroughout the game, ly added a goal and won 14 Georgetown’s defense wa- out of 22 face-offs to keep the vered, but it didn’t break. Hoyas in possession. Despite Within the first few minutes a strong defensive effort, of the second half, Hoyas some questions remain for senior attacker Dylan Wat- the offense. Will the Hoyas be son picked up a pair of low able to muster more of a push to high shots to stay hot against the higher scoring from his 6-goal performance teams in the country? against John Hopkins. The This win was an imporQuakers were able to match tant one for the Hoyas as the energy with 2 goals. they contend for the NationWith their lead still at 2 al Championship. Their next points, Georgetown graduate game is Saturday, Feb. 24 at goalkeeper Owen McElroy 1 p.m., as the Hoyas arrive in made an excellent save to South Bend, Ind., to take on transition, allowing senior the No. 4 Notre Dame Fightmidfielder Zachary Geddes ing Irish (1-0). The game will to go coast-to-coast and ex- be a tough contest as GeorgeGUHOYAS tend the Hoyas’ lead to 3. town looks to start the seaAs the fourth quarter son off with its third-straight Though the Hoyas jumped out to a 27-20 lead, the women’s basketball team struggled in the second half rolled around, the Hoyas ranked win and firmly put it- and allowed the Villanova Wildcats to go on a series of runs that ultimately cost Georgetown the game. became more conservative self in the conversation to be with their strategy, choosing the top team in the country. VILLANOVA WBB, from A12 as the teams ushered in the minutes on the wing. Her pres- va was exceptional. The Wildcats fourth quarter. ence as a veteran leading the got to the line 20 times and sank putback from Archer gave the From there, the score difference bench unit may make it more 18 of them, while the Hoyas were Hoyas a narrow 31-27 lead head- hardly changed. Every shot was balanced and poised.

17-25. Against a team like Villanoing into the break. answered by one from the other Georgetown’s defense deserves va, giving up so many free points is The struggle for the lead con- team, and the Hoyas eventually credit for keeping the score close too big a misstep.

3 tinued into the second half. The lost with a final score of 73-61. and forcing 19 Villanova turnAs the Hoyas stumble to the finWildcats started things off with The two athletes credited with overs throughout the game. ish line this season, they next face 6 4 3 5 9 7 8 unanswered points to set them keeping Georgetown in the game However, the Hoyas were out- the Xavier Musketeers (9-17, 4-13 ahead. Later in the third quarter, were Archer, who put up 18 points, rebounded 41-33 and out-scored Big East) on Friday, Feb. 25 and a block from Bennett would turn and graduate guard Mary Clough- from the field, giving the Wildcats the Butler Bulldogs (1-24, 0-16 Big 3 4 6 into three points from Archer, erty, who added 9 more through- the offensive advantage. Through East) on Sunday, Feb. 27 to round keeping the Hoyas in the fight as out the contest. Along with Archer four quarters, Georgetown shot out their Big East schedule.

2 9 5 7 they increased their lead to 44-37. and Clougherty’s contributions, 37.7% from the field, compared The energy and support from Although Mary Clougherty highlights from the game include to Villanova’s marginally better fans at McDonough Arena were 8 2 7 5 hit an exciting step-back Bolden-Morris’s 2 team bests of 6 37.9%. This seemingly meager dif- undeniable throughout the con3-pointer to close the quar- rebounds and 3 steals. ference in shooting percentage test, and Georgetown needs to 5 6 2 ter, it could not negate VilDespite previously starting proved to be the factor that put keep some of that support as it lanova’s dominant scoring this season, Archer has been the Wildcats on top. travels to Cincinnati and India6 9 5 3 runs throughout the period. coming off the bench recently Georgetown also struggled from napolis as the clock runs out on The Wildcats led by 9 points for the Hoyas, playing heavy the free throw line, while Villano- the regular season.

GU Spoils Penn’s Home Return, Secures 10-8 Win

Georgetown Cedes Early Lead to Villanova

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COMMENTARY

Mutombo Redefines ‘Retirement’ KOONTZ, from A12

the second most blocks in NBA history.

As Mutombo’s time in the NBA concluded, his second career began. In 2007, the Mutombo Foundation built a general hospital in Kinasha, the DRC capital. Named for Mutombo’s late mother, the $29 million Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital has served more than 500,000 patients over 15 years. It offers all major medical services, along with a pharmacy, cafeteria and laundry service. The hospital was responsible for the first-ever knee replacements in the

DRC and started programs to combat the growing number of cervical cancer cases in the country.

The hospital and school now stand as the two pillars of the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation’s work in the DRC, honoring Mutombo’s parents by supporting causes that were dear to their hearts.

As it was in college, Mutombo’s schedule is crowded. He is the NBA’s first and only global ambassador and sits on the boards of the Centers for Disease Control Foundation, the United States’ fund for UNICEF and Special Olympics Interna-

tional. He is also the founder of Mutombo Coffee, which works to close the gender gap in African coffee production. Additionally, he is married with three children, one of whom, Ryan, is a first-year on the Georgetown men’s basketball team.

“It’s a lot,” Mutombo said, smiling. “I don’t know how I do it. My table is full of papers.”

Mutombo has been extensively honored for his service.

He was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and given the Congressional Humanitarian Award in 2013. He also received the 2018 Sager Strong Award, which is awarded to

“an individual who has been a trailblazer while exemplifying courage, faith, compassion, and grace.”

Though the accolades have built up around him, Mutombo remains the same.

He is the product of his father’s passion for education and his mother’s commitment to supporting one’s community.

Mutombo believes that in the future, he will be judged not by his career in the NBA but by the impact he had on the communities that he has found himself in.

“That’s the way I see life,” Mutombo said. “I feel like I’m fulfilling my mission.”

Sports

WBB

Georgetown (7-18) @ Xavier (9-17) Friday, 7 p.m.

Cincinnati, Ohio

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 TALKING POINTS

SOFTBALL Georgetown softball picked up three wins and two losses at the Furman Classic in Greenville, S.C.

See A10

NUMBERS GAME

That’s the way I see life. I feel like I’m fulfilling my mission.”

Dikembe Mutombo (SLL ‘91)

10

First-year pitcher Kayla Dunn threw 10 strikeouts to shut out St. Francis at the Furman Classic.

MEN’S LACROSSE

Defense Leads GU To 10-8 Win Over Penn John Nelson Hoya Staff Writer

Though fans made their presence felt in the University of Pennsylvania men’s lacrosse team’s home game, the Georgetown Hoyas were resilient, defeating the Quakers 10-8. The Hoyas ruined UPenn’s return to Franklin Field after a more than 700-day absence.

The No. 3 Hoyas’ (2-0) staunch defense extinguished the No. 11 Quakers’ (0-1) return to play. Both teams entered the game with aspirations to play in the lacrosse championship tournament, but Georgetown remained undefeated while Penn remained winless.

Georgetown came into the 12 p.m. game in Philadelphia hot off a 16-8 win over No. 16 Johns Hopkins. They carried this momentum into their second matchup of the season, dominating the first quarter against the Quakers.

The Quakers seemed to be shaking off the rust after the Ivy League canceled its 2021 spring schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Just over three minutes into the match, Georgetown graduate attacker Connor Morin was able to find the back of the net to take the early lead.

After an answer from the Quakers and back and forth goals, the Hoyas scored 4 unanswered, including 2 goals from junior midfielder Graham Bundy Jr. Registering 17 shots against Penn goalkeeper Emmet Carroll, the

DIKEMBE MUTOMBO FOUNDATION

Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo (SLL ‘91) has transitioned from a life devoted to athletics to a life devoted to service.

COMMENTARY

Dikembe Mutombo’s Life After Basketball Caden Koontz Hoya Staff Writer

On Nov. 6, thousands of people gathered in MbujiMayi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Among them stood the man behind the event, easily identifiable from his 7’2’’ frame and energetic presence. In a black pinstriped suit, he stood, smiling, among the attendees.

“It was a blessing of a day,” former NBA star Dikembe Mutombo (SLL ’91) said in an interview with The Hoya. “Everybody thought it was going See PENN, A11 to rain but it didn’t rain.”

Mutombo and the rest of the crowd were there to witness the inauguration of a new school, the Samuel Mutombo Institute of Science & Entrepreneurship. After a successful opening, the school is now up and running with more than 400 students from kindergarten to sixth grade. Every student is on full scholarship, including transportation and meals.

Since he was midway through his illustrious career in the NBA, Mutombo has poured himself into charity work. In 1997, he created the Dikembe Mu-

tombo Foundation to improve quality of life in the DRC by investing in education and primary health care for low-income Congolese people. The Institute of Science & Entrepreneurship, established in honor of Mutombo’s late father, was the foundation’s newest project.

Mutombo was born in the DRC in 1966 to Samuel Mutombo and Biamba Marie Mutombo. His father was an educator who worked his way up the ranks in the DRC’s school system.

“He became a superintendent, then a principal, then

a general superintendent, and then he was in charge of the entire school system in the Congo,” Mutombo said.

“I made him retire after I got into the NBA.” Built in the senior Mutombo’s ancestral home, the Institute of Science & Entrepreneurship honors his undying commitment to education in the DRC. After graduating from high school, Mutombo headed to Georgetown University on a scholarship from the United States Agency for International Development. He arrived speaking little English and threw himself into a busy schedule.

“I went to English class from 9:30 to 2:30, then I had to go to my other classes after I got out from my English class,” Mutombo said. “Then I had to go to basketball practice, then I had to lift weights, then I had to go eat, then I had to go study. I used to get back to my dorm at 8 p.m., after leaving at 8 in the morning.”

Mutombo graduated with bachelor’s degrees in linguistics and diplomacy and was drafted into the NBA as the fourth overall pick. He finished his 18-year career with See KOONTZ, A11

MEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Georgetown Drops Final Home Game Carey’s Career Day Not Enough for Hoyas Abbey Schiller Special to the Hoya

In its last home game of the season, the Georgetown women’s basketball team (7-18, 2-15 Big East) fell to the Villanova Wildcats (19-7, 13-4 Big East) 61-73 on Feb. 22 at McDonough Arena.

The makeup game, originally scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 9, kept all heads on a swivel and the energy incredibly high as the Hoyas’ first-year center Ariel Jenkins and graduate guard Milan Bolden-Morris opened the game with back-to-back 3-pointers. The teams went back and forth during the first half, with the first quarter ending in a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Villanova to set the Wildcats ahead 16-13.

A dominant block by senior forward Jillian Archer set Georgetown up to build momentum and take a 4-point lead over Villanova in the second quarter. The Hoyas continued to be a force in the first half after a putback from first-year forward Brianna Scott and another bucket from sophomore guard Kelsey Ransom gave the Hoyas 5 unanswered points and a 27-20 lead.

A 7-0 run from Villanova set the score even once again, but free throws from junior forward Graceann Bennett and another

Aiden Penry Hoya Staff Writer

GUHOYAS

Despite an 18-point showing from senior forward Jillian Archer, the Hoyas See VILLANOVA WBB, A11 lost 61-73 to the Villanova Wildcats in their last home game of the season.

Visit us online at thehoya.com/sports

Unable to pull off an awaygame upset, Georgetown fell 66-74 to the Villanova Wildcats on Saturday, Feb. 19.

Entering the game, the Hoyas (6-20, 0-15 Big East) faced all of the odds. The No. 8 Wildcats (21-6, 14-3 Big East) have played dominant basketball at home under the leadership of Head Coach Jay Wright. This season, Villanova has an 11-1 record at home.

Adding to their advantage, the Wildcats entered the game fresh off of a four-game winning streak, with their most recent victory coming over the No. 8 Providence Friars. Georgetown, on the other hand, has struggled immensely in Big East play and lost their last 14 games in a row.

Both teams needed help getting the lid off the basket in the first half. It was not until the 12:10 mark that Villanova first broke double digits.

Then, Villanova quickly went on a 12-4 run. Five of the Wildcats’ first nine points came from the freethrow line while two quick fouls by Hoyas junior center Timothy Ighoefe sent him to the bench and the Hoyas into early foul trouble.

After falling behind 5-16,

the Hoyas quickly closed the gap to four points, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers, the second of which graduate guard Donald Carey converted into his trademark fourpoint play after being fouled on the shot.

For the rest of the half, Georgetown and Villanova traded runs, and the Hoyas entered halftime down by a manageable 10 points.

Rebounding and shooting separated Georgetown and Villanova in the first half, and the Hoyas closed the first half outrebounded 16-24. Despite the Wildcats shooting a meager 30.8% from the field, the Hoyas fared even worse, converting on 27.6% of their field goal attempts. Neither team was efficient from behind the arc, finishing the half a combined six for 29 from deep.

The second half yielded significantly more scoring than the first. Two quick 3-pointers by Georgetown sophomore guard Dante Harris and Carey quickly cut Villanova’s halftime lead to four.

The game remained close until a 10-2 run by the Wildcats stretched their lead to 53-42 with just under 12 minutes left. Still, the Hoyas See VILLANOVA MBB, A11