GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY’S NEWSPAPER OF RECORD SINCE 1920 thehoya.com
Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 94, No. 26, © 2013
friDAY, January 18, 2013
THERE AND BACK
Students open up about experiences during their fall semesters abroad.
COMMENTARY Racial bias remains a serious issue at Georgetown and often goes unreported.
WATER TUNNELS The District may delay construction on necessary water tunnels.
OPINION, A3
NEWS, A5
GUIDE, G6
DRAFT DAY Three men’s soccer players heard their names called by MLS Thursday. SPORTS, A10
GPB Takes Control Inauguration Excitement Brews Of Georgetown Day Emma Hinchliffe & Penny Hung Hoya Staff Writers
Last year’s planning turmoil prompts new organizational focus Carly Graf
Hoya Staff Writer
COURTESY YE DOOMESDAY BOOKE
The April 2012 event was scaled back, lacking the traditional inflatables and beer garden.
The Georgetown Program Board will now plan and organize Georgetown Day, replacing an independent planning committee that lacked consistent institutional support. “In the past there’s never really been a home for Georgetown Day, which makes the timeline really challenging,” said Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13), Georgetown University Student Association president. After last year’s Georgetown Day, which was significantly scaled back due to last-minute planning, lacking the usual beer garden and inflatables, GUSA prioritized its search for an institution to lead the organization of Georgetown See GPB, A5
FINISHING TOUCHES
In January 1981, Kathleen DePippo (NHS ’84) found her way into one of President Reagan’s inaugural balls as an unassuming Georgetown freshman. “One of my friends was a freelance reporter for The Washington Post, so she had two press passes, and there were eight of us so we just kept passing them back and forth until we all got in,” DePippo said. A Tradition for Every GU Generation Experiences like these highlight what makes Georgetown so special come inauguration time: with its politically active culture and location just a few miles from the National Mall, Georgetown allows its students to better appreciate both the glamor and historical significance of a tradition that every undergraduate gets to experience once in his four years on the Hilltop. True to tradition, hundreds of thousands of Americans will congregate in front of the Capitol building to witness President Obama’s second inauguration Jan. 21. While most students will not be able to bypass security nowadays with recycled press passes, many will wait outside in the cold for hours just to catch a glimpse of the president taking his oath of office.
FILE PHOTO: NICK TROIANO/THE HOYA
Georgetown students will be among the crowds set to descend on the National Mall for President Obama’s second inauguration Monday. Kevin Leahy (COL ’12) was part of a large group that trekked to the National Mall at 2 a.m. to witness Obama’s first inauguration in 2009. “There was just a universal fervor about the inauguration, especially after the mandate of the election.
There were Democrats and Republicans alike who came out, even if they didn’t vote for Obama,” Leahy said. “The idea of hope and change, See INAUGURATION, A7
External Review Sparks Dialogue Emma Hinchliffe Hoya Staff Writer
NATALIA ORTIZ/THE HOYA
Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., presented plans for the final, interior stage of Dahlgren Chapel renovation. See story at thehoya.com.
The university’s external review of conduct policies and practices, which was completed in December, focused on reducing bureaucracy, simplifying the Code of Student Conduct and improving communication among students, faculty and staff. Robert Kelly, vice president for student development at Loyola University Chicago, and Stephen Bryan, associate dean of students and director of student conduct at Duke University, conducted the review. Kelly and Bryan evaluated Georgetown’s conduct policies, taking into consideration its space and staff limitations as well as its Jesuit mission. Before reviewing the code, Kelly and Bryan heard testimonials from
Bowling Alley Wins Approval Ted Murphy
Hoya Staff Writer
Pinstripes, a chain that combines bowling and fine dining, scored a victory Tuesday when Board of Zoning Adjustment members unanimously approved its bid to open a location in the Shops at Georgetown Park. The BZA approval came less than two weeks after Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E, which oversees the Georgetown area, opposed Pinstripes’ application. The ANC cited the lack of formal agreement between Pinstripes and Georgetown Park Condominiums, which houses tenants in condominiums above the site of the proposed bowling alley, as its reason for the disapproval. By Tuesday’s meeting, however, Pinstripes had assuaged the concerns of Georgetown Park Condominiums residents and the ANC by agreeing to include terms in the building code requiring Pinstripes to adhere to strict sound requirements. See BOWLING, A6
students chosen by the Georgetown University Student Association. “I feel like they listened to the testimonials and that was reflected in the final report,” GUSA Vice Presi-
“I feel like they listened to [students] and that was reflected in the final report.” VAIL KOHNERT-YOUNT (SFS ’13), GUSA vice president
dent Vail Kohnert-Yount (SFS ’13) said. Recommendations for reducing bureaucracy included centralizing functions of the disciplinary system, which currently includes the Honor Council, Residential Judicial Council, Disciplinary Review Commit-
tee and Weekend Review Council, among other bodies. The results of the review suggested that this could reduce the time it takes to resolve disciplinary matters and increase transparency in the disciplinary process. Kelly and Bryan highlighted the role of the Student Advocacy Office in disciplinary procedures and recommended that their student advocates work directly with the Office of Student Conduct. “We didn’t even exist a year ago, so the fact that we’re in this document is great for our legitimacy,” SAO advocate Constantine Petallides (SFS ’13) said. “We’re working to prove we’re not just some rabblerousers, and [we’re] finding ways to be institutionalized. This is part of the process.” See REVIEW, A6
In Report, GUSA Assesses Past Semester Annie Chen
accomplishments over the past semester and outlines plans and committees that will be set in motion in Halfway through its term, the the spring semester. GUSA senate is taking stock of progIn evaluating the senate’s work ress by releasing its first-ever Semes- during the fall, Tisa pointed out ter Update Report on Sunday, which that the student government was chronicles its lucky to start off work over the term with “You’ve put this faith in athenewsuccess past semester. of According to us and here is our rethe campus-wide GUSA senate referendum on Speaker Nate turn on that faith.” changing the Tisa (SFS ’14), evidentiary stanthe report will dard from “more increase indilikely than not” NATE TISA (SFS ’14), GUSA senate speaker vidual senators’ to “clear and accountability to convincing.” their respective constituencies. “When the change was made during “When some senators seek re- our first weeks, especially for the youngelection next year, this could be a er senators, they saw how students had central source for students to look the need, GUSA took action on the need at,” Tisa said, “We also want to show and it was a success. That energized us students that you’ve put this faith as we looked into other things we could in us and here is our return on that advocate for the student body,” Tisa said. faith.” The report highlights the senate’s See REPORT, A5
Hoya Staff Writer
ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA
ANC2E yielded on initial opposition to Pinstripes, a bowling alley due to be constructed on M Street, in light of soundproofing guarantees.
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