The Hoya: Feb. 10, 2012

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

Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 93, No. 31, © 2012

friday, february 10, 2012

IF WALLS COULD TALK The Guide constructs Georgetown’s history from its architectural past.

VALUES The Editorial Board reflects on Georgetown’s evolving Jesuit values.

GUIDE, G8

MEN’S BASKETBALL Hoya Blues: Home game attendance has dropped 14 percent from last year.

OPINION, A2

SPORTS, A10

HOUSING 4E weighs the pros and cons of apartment and dorm living.

BLOG.THEHOYA.COM

Workers, Aramark Strike Deal Matthew Strauss Hoya Staff Writer

Ten months after the certification of their union, workers for Georgetown University Dining Services and their employer, Aramark Higher Education, have tentatively agreed upon a three-year employment contract.

The agreement reached Tuesday between Aramark and the negotiating committee is subject to the approval of the union, which is comprised of workers in O’Donovan Hall, the Jesuit Residence, Cosi, Starbucks and the Pre-Clinical Science Building’s Dr. Mug. Members of the union will meet in the coming weeks to discuss the proposed contract.

The agreement includes significant gains for the employees, including a 50-cent-per-hour wage increase for each of the three years. Aramark has also agreed to cover 80 percent of employees’ healthcare costs for the next two years and 85 percent during the third year of the contract.

Samuel Geaney-Moore (SFS ’12), who has been involved in assisting Leo’s employees, believes that last week’s lunchtime demonstration by See UNION, A6

SARI FRAKEL/THE HOYA

CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

GUSA presidential and vice presidential hopefuls wallpapered Red Square with campaign banners Thursday, contining a long-standing tradition.

For Past Presidents, GUSA Executive Skills Translate Campaigns Begin Jonathan Gillis Hoya Staff Writer

It was a winding road that brought Twister Murchison (SFS ’08) to Hollywood, and the Georgetown University Student Association played an important supporting role.

Murchison, who is now assistant to the vice president of animation at 20th Century Fox, points to his tenure as GUSA president, which began

in the spring of 2006, as one of the formative moments of his career.

“I learned the value of persistence when I was in GUSA,” he says.

Although it has been almost six years since his term ended, Murchison is quick to recall the highlights of his time in office. In late 2006, he successfully mobilized the student body against a university-sponsored ban on kegs.

See PRESIDENCY, A6

Sam Rodman Hoya Staff Writer

The seven Georgetown University Student Association presidential tickets kicked off their campaigns Thursday at midnight, marking the start of what will be a two-week race.

This year’s field is almost entirely comprised of candidates with past GUSA experience; 10 of the 14 presidential and vice presidential candi-

dates are members of the current senate or executive cabinet.

Several candidates plan to base their campaigns on the need for better engagement between GUSA and the student body.

“We think that outreach and GUSA as an institution need to be flipped inside out, and we need to be going out into the community instead of expecting the community See CAMPAIGN, A5

Corp Sees Record Profits

’Cuse thriller ends in heartbreak

Mariah Byrne Hoya Staff Writer

WEB LESLIE/THE HOYA

Men’s basketball Head Coach John Thompson III addresses the media after the Hoyas’ 64-61 overtime loss to Syracuse Wednesday night.

Evans Unchallenged In Sixth Run for Office Elizabeth Garbitelli Hoya Staff Writer

Longtime Democratic Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans remains unopposed in the leadup to the Democratic primary for what may be his sixth consecutive successful election.

Because the city consistently votes Democrat, the April 3 primary will likely be the only relevant election for Evans, who has held his seat for 20 years.

According to Evans, potential challengers have asked around the community and found little enthusiasm for an opposing candidate.

“They were told by virtually everyone that we were doing a great job and they wouldn’t support anyone else,” he said.

According to Ken Archer, who chaired Fiona Greig’s short-lived campaign against Evans in the fall,

FILE PHOTO: MICHELLE CASSIDY/THE HOYA

Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans has held his seat for 20 years. the lack of competition is problematic.

“Any election … is better contested just to have a dialogue,” he said.

“That dialogue is healthy, and it gets

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

See EVANS, A5

Students of Georgetown, Inc. made record profits in 2011, marking a return to profitability after two years of losses.

The Corp’s executives hope to use the new profits to focus on long-term value for its student shareholders.

“Something I’ve always tried to engender in our employees is that when we make money we are much better able to help other students,” CFO R. Scott Munro (COL ’12) said.

According to the company’s Annual Report 2011, which was released Monday, The Corp’s services made $244,384.17 in total net income for fiscal year 2011. The figure represents a five percent increase from 2010. The Corp recorded net losses of $181,745 and $10,418 in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

Munro said that the return to profitability after two years in the red is the result of institutional repricing in Vital Vittles and significant increases in investment returns, despite rising expenses.

The Corp’s administrative policies have historically fostered a focus on giving back to students rather than increasing profits, a tradition that incoming CFO Vidur Khatri (MSB ’14) hopes to continue.

“If we have a healthy bottom line, we can give back in the most creative way,” he said. “If we have a healthy bottom line, we can prepare for the future.”

In the coming years, The Corp hopes to open a location in the New South Student Center, slated to be completed in August 2014, and invest more in student entrepreneurship and innovation.

Munro foresees possible price cuts as well, stating that serving students remains a priority.

“We’re trying to move away from throwing money at a problem … [and] toward improving the campus is a significant way,” he said.

Published Tuesdays and Fridays

ELIZABETH CHEUNG FOR THE HOYA

After almost a year of hearings, zoning commissioners failed to come to a decision about the 2010 Campus Plan Thursday night.

Campus Plan Ruling Postponed to April 30 Commission concluded it did not have enough evidence for a decision Braden McDonald Hoya Staff Writer

The D.C. Zoning Commission decided to delay its ruling on the university’s 2010 Campus Plan until April at what was intended to be the sixth and final hearing on the plan Thursday night.

The meeting was the third time the commission has put off announcing a final verdict on the plan, which was originally slated for a vote in June of last year.

At the meeting, commissioners said that they were still uncertain

about the effectiveness of measures the university has implemented in the past year to address neighborhood grievances. The commission agreed to reconvene April 30, delaying its final ruling until data from the entire academic year becomes available.

“I think it was a bit disappointing that they decided to postpone,” Georgetown University Student Association Vice President Greg Laverriere (COL ’12) said after attending the meeting.

“But I think they want to do their due diligence and make sure they have their facts right, which is commendable.”

Though they reiterated neighborhood concerns, commissioners also said they were reluctant See ZONING, A5

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OPINION

THE HOYA

Founded January 14, 1920

THE VERDICT Pulperized — The men’s basketball team lost to Syracuse Wednesday, 64 - 61, in overtime in what is likely their last Big East matchup.

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Our Evolving Identity the university has remained admirably honest about itself. Georgetown makes clear in its interactions with students, the community and visitors that it is committed to diversity and balancing the Jesuit heritage of its past and present with the multifaceted complexion of its present and future.

Our campus fosters active engagement with religion — Catholicism included — for those who seek it but does not force it upon those who do not. Theology and philosophy courses, though required, perform a simple function by acquainting students with the sources of some of the school’s founding principles. While Jesuits play a large role on campus, they do not define the campus experience, and the open atmosphere they support provides a habitat for the plethora of religious views and cultures that make Georgetown unique.

As its role in the world of higher education continues to change, the manifestation of Georgetown’s Jesuit values will undoubtedly evolve as well. This balancing act will always be a challenge, and no one will ever be completely satisfied with a single solution.

But what’s important is that as the campus community continues to define and redefine itself, it’s true to its course.

Cash for The Corp — The Corp announced that it made a profit this year after two years of losses. See our coverage on A1.

GU’s Ultimate Cover — The 36th annual Georgetown Cabaret Rock Show featuring pop and rock cover performances by undergraduates is at Fur Nightclub tonight.

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EDITORIALS

In light of the departure of an esteemed faculty member and the celebration of Jesuit Heritage Week, the university’s adherence to its founding Catholic values has come under scrutiny. Even after extensive dialogue, the question remains: Has Georgetown left its Jesuit heritage behind?

Over time, our university has become increasingly open to other religious and spiritual views. While crucifixes adorn classrooms and Jesuits partake actively in campus life, the school now invites members of other faiths to serve as chaplains-in-residence and offers theology classes covering a wide variety of faiths. There is a difference between open-mindedness and straying from founding values, and fortunately, the university embraces the former.

Georgetown has done a laudable job of maintaining its core values while evolving with the times. The university has distanced itself from the closedmindedness often associated with Catholic institutions, creating a welcoming space for multiplicity to thrive. This respect for diversity makes it possible for Georgetown to encourage interfaith dialogue and in turn equip students with tolerance and a service-based mindset, both of which are central to the Jesuit identity.

In the aftermath of these changes,

friday, February 10, 2012

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All Alone on the Court — Verizon Center attendance figures are down 14 percent from last year. See our coverage on A10.

Mail Today, Room Service Tomorrow — Donald Trump will turn the historic Old Post Office Pavilion — made famous by its signature clock tower — into a luxury hotel.

FROM THEHOYA.COM READER’S RESPONSE

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I’ve always found that the best things that come out of office hours are the questions you didn’t know you had going into them. The professors here at GU are the best to chat with, and mostly are pretty open.

Anonymous on “Open Door Policy Unlocks Minds” Posted Feb. 9, 2012

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A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD US ... @Brendan62 Feb. 9 @thehoya I used to be an undergrad and now I’m a grad ... AM I A PROBLEM OR NOT? Someone tell me! #gucampusplan @chefgeoff

Feb. 9 I do not like the color orange. #hoyas. Thx @thehoyasports for excellent coverage tonight. @PhilAPerry

Feb. 7 Beautiful. @thehoya Georgetown College’s new Journalism minor has begun to accept applications.

THE RAW DEAL by Anthony Mastroianni

A Necessary Discussion High school students are often warned that academic hand-holding ends after graduation. But many college professors continue to coddle students by requiring attendance at discussion sections.

While it is fair for attendance to be required in seminars, which depend on active participation to create a learning environment, professors should scale back attendance requirements for discussion sections. This change would place personal responsibility on students, where it belongs.

To add accountability for students, we propose a blog system that would demonstrate that students have completed assigned readings. Attendance in discussion sections would then become supplementary for those students who want to discuss the material further.

Most professors do not mark students down for skipping out on lecture classes (who can take attendance in the Intercultural Center auditorium?), but nearly all recitation sections are mandatory. While forcing students to read challenging material, engage with the text and bring questions about it to a teaching assistant is a good idea in theory, in practice things often play out differently.

Too often discussion sections are dominated by students who did not do the reading and ask shallow questions in order to learn the basics for the exam.

And when participation, not only attendance, is mandatory, many students ask a question, no matter how basic, just to clock in their two minutes of speaking time.

Reducing discussion section attendance requirements would also benefit more committed students. Those students who are forced to grudgingly attend class detract from the classroom environment. The collection of students surfing the Internet during class is a byproduct of this policy, and their disengagement is a distraction. Furthermore, their misuse of laptops has led to an increasing number of professors banning computers in class — an unfortunate penalty for students who diligently use laptops to take notes.

Instead, students should be asked to comment about the reading ahead of class on a blog or discussion board, and those who want to continue the online conversation can attend discussion section. Thus, the most committed students and those who have complex questions can show up and count on a TA’s full attention. Meanwhile, students who do not wish to attend discussion section will not be penalized as long as they complete a blog post at some point during the week.

Georgetown professors are understandably frustrated and concerned when students miss discussion sections, but imposing exorbitant grade penalties for poor attendance to motivate students is outside their responsibilities. Maturity and motivation vary among college students, but professors should no more enforce strict attendance than they should insist students eat their vegetables or brush their teeth before bed.

Connor Gregoire, Editor-in-Chief Upasana Kaku, Executive Editor Suzanne Fonzi, Managing Editor Mariah Byrne, Campus News Editor Sarah Kaplan, City News Editor Pat Curran, Sports Editor Steven Piccione, Guide Editor Katherine Foley, Opinion Editor Chris Bien, Photography Editor Stephen Levy, Online Editor Remy Samuels, Layout Editor Samantha Randazzo, Copy Chief Fiona Hanly, Multimedia Editor Michelle Cassidy, Blog Editor

Contributing Editors Kavya Devarakonda, Kathryn DeVincenzo, Lawson Ferguson, Meagan Kelly, Shakti Nochur, Eamon O’Connor, Michael Palmer, Mairead Reilly, Glenn Russo, Lauren Weber

Matthew Strauss Rita Pearson Braden McDonald Jonathan Gillis Evan Hollander Ashwin Wadekar Victoria Edel Bethany Imondi Alex Sanchez Hanaa Khadraoui Leonel De Velez Sari Frankel Christie Shely Zoe Bertrand Jessica Natinsky Emory Wellman Nikita Buley Emily Perkins Martin Hussey

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Editorial Board Katherine Foley, Chair Sidney Chiang, Laura Engshuber, Danny Funt, Alyssa Huberts, Nneka Jackson

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OPINION

friday, february 10, 2012

THE HOYA

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AS THIS JESUIT SEES IT ...

VIEWPOINT • Lawson Ferguson

A Look Back and Ahead GU’s Future Hinges on Faith

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eing a second-semester senior is strange. There’s no way around it.

For those like me who aren’t going to graduate school, there are only a few months left before the real world comes crashing into our lives like a ton of bricks.

The pressure of finding a job makes peaceful procrastination all the more difficult. There’s an unavoidable sense of urgency in the air. After all, there are only so many chances left to run up ridiculous bar tabs at The Tombs with your friends.

Or to go the academic route and enroll in that really awesome elective you’ve always wanted to take.

That’s not to say that it’s all darkness and doom in my last semester on the Hilltop. I can’t speak for every senior: There are a few out there who seem to find no greater joy than broadcasting on Facebook about how they can’t wait to break free from the front gates. But I’ve enjoyed my three-and-a-half years at Georgetown immensely. There have been plenty of ups and downs, but there’s no denying that the old cliche about college being the best four years of your life applies to me.

This semester is a chance for seniors to relax a little and enjoy our final months before having to worry about real-world problems. I was fortunate enough to arrive at Georgetown with an absurd number of Advanced Placement credits, so I’m taking just two classes this semester. I’m working two days a week and spending the rest of my time trying to find gainful employment (while simultaneously avoiding phone calls from my parents reminding me that I have yet to find any).

It is the same story for many of my friends and classmates. Teach For America has snatched up some of the best and brightest, and those who have figured their lives out already are anxiously waiting for graduate schools to send gigantic acceptance packets (and tuition bills) their way. We all have to figure out how to balance the demands of our futures with these last moments of college. Because in these last months, we’re still at Georgetown — going to class (some more than others), working, studying and trying to enjoy every last bit of our college experience.

It’s not like second-semester senior year is the only time that people are striving to find a balance between work and play. But what makes this time a combination of special and scary is the growing sense of finality. Never again will we be on this campus taking these classes with this group of people. This is it: This is the apprehension of graduation from high school and moving on to college, magnified to its maximum.

When I was in high school, I at least had some vague notion of what college was like. I thought I knew how to write (I didn’t), I thought I knew how to study (I didn’t), I thought I knew everything there was to know about life as an adult (still don’t) and was reasonably confident that everything would be alright within the structure of a university.

If nothing else, college has taught me how little I know and how many new obstacles I must face as soon as I walk across that stage with my classmates in May. And that fact is more than a little intimidating. Mercifully, college has also taught me how to adapt to radically different circumstances with some semblance of grace.

When I put on that cap and gown in May, an amazing chapter of my life will be over. There will be regrets, to be sure, but nothing that would make me want to take back all of the four years I’ve spent here. In the meantime, I intend on enjoying the twilight of my college years and making sure I keep the number of embarrassing pictures of me on Facebook at an acceptable level while also sorting out my future.

Ultimately, it’s hard to distill what being a second-semester senior really means. It’s different for everyone, I suspect. We all have different anxieties, expectations and challenges to overcome and different ways we want to lead our lives. But I think, in general, the essence of this semester is making every last minute count.

Lawson Ferguson is a senior in the School of Foreign Service. He is the editor of the blog HOYA PARANOIA.

IMPERFECT UNION

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very semester I ask the students in my Jesuit Education course to read an essay written by Fr. Timothy Healy, S.J., on the occasion of Georgetown’s bicentennial in 1989. Fr. Healy was president of Georgetown when I was a student here. He always struck me as a mixture of King Henry VIII and St. Thomas More. Mostly Henry, but with just enough of Thomas, please God, to help him find his way home.

In any case, his essay is brilliant, both in its high-brow prose and its earthy poetic sense. It’s a treat for me to reread it each semester. This week, a paragraph leapt out at me, even though I had read it a hundred times before without paying it much attention. It was the kind of surprising jolt that can come from reading and rereading well-written pieces.

Most of Healy’s essay speaks of the joys and challenges of undergraduate education, which has always held a place of pride in Georgetown’s heart. But for a few paragraphs, he turns his attention to our professional schools, entities which apparently proved to be more than a little vexing to the dauntless Fr. Healy.

Healy notes, “Before its first century was out, Georgetown began teaching law and medicine.

Much to their loss, these two professional schools are today tugged and pulled by bodies of practitioners, organized and arrogant, and vastly careless of the aims of the rhythms of a university — above all of one that believes in God.” It was the final phrases that shocked me: “The aims of the rhythms of a university — above all one that believes in God.” It struck me as such a simple but powerful assertion, one that all too often goes unspoken: Georgetown is a university that believes in God. That is not, of course, to say

Fr. Ryan Maher, S.J.

Leadership at Georgetown must include the ability to articulate our faith-based tradition if we hope to pass these traditions on. either of those words.

But it is to say that this is a university whose life and work is animated by a living tradition, intellectual and religious, that believes in God. This faith-fueled tradition is why we do what we do, and it gives shape and nuance to the way we do it.

Unmooring our collective work from our animating foundation — as our public rhetoric, promotional materials and website often do — runs the risk of letting the soul of our university morph into the soul of secular, humanist, elite private school, a species with which the East Coast is already planted thick.

For Georgetown to be Georgetown, we need leaders who are comfortable and confident in speaking — in their capacity as leaders — of faith and God. And I do not mean just campus min-

isters and the vice president for Mission and Ministry. Nor do I mean just the president. Nor do I mean just Jesuits or Catholics.

I mean deans and vice presidents, provosts and directors of centers, raisers and managers of money, directors of alumni, admissions and athletics.

Leadership at Georgetown must include the ability to convincingly articulate our animating faith-based tradition if we hope to pass these traditions on to future generations of students.

Leaders of many other Jesuit schools have wrestled with this issue. At a recent Mexico City meeting of presidents and other leaders of Jesuit colleges and universities from around the world, a working group on ecology and sustainability hammered out a statement of common purpose that began, “We believe that we are created to be with God, and that creation is a gift of God.” That line caught my attention.

One participant reflected that the religious language troubled some in the group. But in the end, with respect for those made uncomfortable by explicitly religious language, the group settled on an unambiguously spiritual articulation of the underlying vision and imagination that give rise to a Jesuit university’s work.

I couldn’t help but wonder how such a statement of common purpose would be received at Georgetown. This in turn made me wonder if Fr. Healy would still recognize Georgetown, professional schools and all, as a university that still believes in God. Fr. Ryan Maher, S.J., is an associate dean and director of catholic studies in the College. Fr. Schall, Fr. Maher and Fr. O’Brien alternate as the writers of As This Jesuit Sees It ... , which appears every other Friday.

THE DISCONCERTED DEMAGOGUE by Daniel Yang

The Other One Percent T

he U.S. criminal justice system stands making them more violent and leading to as a testament to social and racial recidivism upon their release. injustice. With the world’s highest Moreover, the system of mass incarceraincarceration rate, the United States ac- tion has spawned the creation of a powercounts for nearly a quarter of the world’s ful and entrenched prison-industrial cominmates, though it has only five percent of plex that has metastasized throughout the world’s population. the United States. The prison-industrial More than 2.3 million Americans are complex consists of a powerful nexus of incurrently behind bars. That’s almost one terests, ranging from prison guard unions, percent of the American population. Soci- politicians and private prison companies ety has recently been rife with talk of the who profit and benefit from an explodone percent — those who wield the great- ing prison population. This has created a est economic and political power. However, system of perverse incentives, where these discussions about social inequality cannot groups work together to keep the prison be complete without recognizing the exis- population high and hinder efforts to retence of the underprivileged class of Ameri- form the system. cans who languish in prisons across the One of the most troubling aspects of country. the American criminal system is the huge This segment of the population — the disparity in the way it treats people of difother one percent — represents the weakest ferent races. Racism is manifested through and most disenfranchised laws that disproportionmembers of our society. ately target, charge and Contrary to popular beimprison blacks, such lief, the rise in America’s inas the harsher penalcarceration rate has nothties for crack cocaine ing to do with crime rates. (more commonly used While crime rose in the by blacks) than for powUnited States during the der cocaine (more com1970s, this trend was conmonly used by whites), sistent with crime trends despite the fact that in the rest of the world. both are pharmaceutiThus, America’s high incally equivalent.

Sam Blank carceration rate cannot be Blacks constitute 12 attributed to higher levpercent of the American els of crime in the United The U.S. prison system population, but account States. Moreover, crime in for nearly 50 percent of is one that degrades the prison population. the United States has fallen since the 1990s, but the The rate of blacks in Americans. prison population has conprison now is 26 times tinued to grow. the level it was in 1983, The reason for this rise is the “war on but for whites it is only eight times the 1983 drugs.” Initiated in the 1970s, the “war on number. drugs” criminalizes a host of non violent ofMany posit that blacks use drugs at highfenses, such as marijuana possession, and er rates than whites, but studies repeatedly grants law enforcement officers great dis- demonstrate that people of all races use cretion to search people and make arrests. and sell illegal drugs at similar rates. Blacks The campaign instituted a policy known as constitute 74 percent of those sent to pris“mandatory-minimum” sentencing, which on on drug-related offenses, yet they only requires judges to sentence defendants to a comprise 13 percent of total drug users in minimum amount of prison time, regard- America. less of the circumstances of the case or the Civil rights activist and lawyer Michelle defendant’s prior criminal record.

Alexander describes the American system Drug offenses account for two-thirds of of mass incarceration as “The New Jim the rise in the federal inmate population Crow.” Like the Jim Crow laws of the past, since 1985, and more than half of the rise the American criminal justice system in state prison populations. The vast major- works to promulgate a racial caste system ity of people in prison on drug charges are in the United States where blacks are disthere for non violent offenses. proportionately imprisoned and disenfranOnce they enter the criminal justice sys- chised from society. tem, Americans encounter a system that The American prison system represents a dehumanizes and degrades them. pervasive and systematic injustice in AmeriDue to the “war on drugs,” American can society. It has given rise to the other one prisons have become overcrowded, forcing percent, the shadow underclass of Ameriinmates to live in environments fraught cans locked in the degrading conditions of with fear and violence. Violent and non- prisons. Moreover, it has served to protect violent offenders are often kept together, white privilege and continue the long histoleading to physical and sexual violence. ry of racial persecution in the United States.

Prison overcrowding has also led to the rise of violent gangs inside prison walls. These Sam Blank is a senior in the College. IMPERconditions serve only to harden inmates, FECT UNION appears every other Friday.

that everyone who works or studies at Georgetown believes in God. Nor is it to say that only people who believe in God should be hired or accepted here. Were that the case, Georgetown would be neither Catholic nor a university, at least not in the healthy sense of

VIEWPOINT • Dan Healy

Getting Schooled in Education

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eorgetown has an extensive core curriculum, and being exposed to a broad range of topics serves students well.

Students have the freedom to choose their majors, while general education requirements force them to explore the language, government or theology classes that they otherwise might not have considered. Often, these requirements cause students to discover a passion they never knew they had — or a subject to avoid for the rest of their Georgetown career.

However, there is one crucial element missing from Georgetown’s undergraduate curriculum: a required, seminar-style course on the purpose of education.

I took such a course my freshman year called “The End of Education,” which sought to examine the philosophical purpose of college and how the day-to-day realities and challenges of student life work for and against this purpose. The class was an Ignatius Seminar and thus only available to first-year students in the College. Georgetown ought to make such a course required for all freshmen. The benefits of doing so would be enormous.

Most students entering college have not decided on a major, let alone their future careers. While learning from experiences in a variety of class-

es is certainly beneficial, having one that objectively explains education as a whole may be more efficient and effective. A class similar to my Ignatius Seminar would also allow students to get used to the structure and schedule of college courses while getting the opportunity to connect with other students and their professor in a more intimate setting.

The School of Foreign Service requires a seminar for all first-semester freshmen, but outside of this course, many freshmen are exposed only to large introductory classes. A seminar engages students on a personal level and helps them adapt to the intellectual engagement of small group discussions, which many students did not experience in high school.

Of course, there are those who arrive on the Hilltop determined to be a doctor or a lawyer one day. But even if a student comes to Georgetown knowing exactly what he wants to do, a course on the purpose of education will help to ensure that he gets the most out of his four short years here. The process of examining and articulating why a student wants to pursue a chosen course of study will either solidify his commitment or at least introduce him to other options.

A course on education could also alleviate doubts students may have about taking some of the gen-

eral education classes in the core curriculum. We may be tempted to approach certain courses with preformed conceptions of the material: We either love science or we hate it.

An education seminar could help students better appreciate how a variety of disciplines contribute to their personal growth.

Finally, a course on the purpose of college education would fit perfectly with Georgetown’s motto of cura personalis, the education of the whole person. Students need to think holistically about their education, and a course that guides them to do so would produce learners who are more engaged, more informed and more willing to contribute to the university community.

The only way for us to fully appreciate and understand the different facets of our education is to examine it comprehensively. Each of us may have vastly different goals and visions of the ideal semester, but the opportunity to consider and discuss such goals is invaluable. Through making this course a requirement for all firstyear students across the four schools, Georgetown will differentiate itself from other universities and show that it is truly serious about educating the whole person.

DAN HEALY is a junior in the College.

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NEWS

THE HOYA

PAGE FOUR

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2012

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos spoke about the political and social effects of last March’s disasters in Japan.

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya.

IN FOCUS

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GIRL TALK

“ It gives people the resources they need.

”

Mike Barclay (COL ’12) GUSA Chief of Staff on the planned pamphlet outlining students’ rights See story on A6.

from

FLICKR.COM

AMANDA SODERLUND/THE HOYA

Students participating in the annual staging of “The Vagina Monologues,” a series of personal vignettes, rehearsed Wednesday. The show premiered Thursday and runs through Sunday. Look for a full review in the guide next week.

A LITERARY REVIEW This weekend, we’re bringing you the best of D.C. bookstores, from Georgetown to Dupont and beyond. blog.thehoya.com

Students Stand Behind Birth Control Mandate Dahlgren’s Interior Plan Unveiled

HIROMI OKA

Hoya Staff Writer

Students from several D.C. universities gathered Thursday morning to show support for new federal regulations that require most religiously affiliated employers to provide coverage for birth control in their health care plans.

The ruling has ignited a heated debate between those who consider the mandate a violation of religious freedom and organizations that support the new policy.

Catholic Students for Women’s Health, an organization which includes pro-choice groups from American, Catholic and Fordham Universities, held a press conference at the National Press Club to address the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ objec-

tion to the mandate.

H*yas for Choice Outreach Coordinator Tanisha Humphrey (COL ’12), who spoke at the conference, said that the purpose of the event was to lend support to the mandate and to let bishops know that not all Catholics agree with their views on birth control.

“Catholic women use contraceptives at the same rate as their non-Catholic peers,” she said. “It’s important for Catholic women [and] Catholic students to stand up and say that this is something that’s important to us, too, and that being Catholic is not synonymous with being against birth control.”

Headliners at the event included former Lt. Gov. of Maryland Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, who addressed the necessity of separation between church and state.

“The bishops should not use the power of government to do the things they [themselves] cannot do,” she said.

Catholic University student Erick Orantes added that men have an important role to play in the ongoing debate.

“Men should rise with women to fight the injustices that shake society,” he said.

Kieran Raval (COL ’13), a Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, disagreed with the conference’s take on the issue, noting that the mandate is not a question of health but rather of religious freedom under the First Amendment.

“It perplexes me what these folks are actually protesting,” he said. “What’s under attack here is the right of the church to practice its religion without interference.”

“The vast number of the American people are not comfortable with [the mandate],” he added. “When religious liberty is attacked for one church, what’s to say that the government isn’t going to tell Muslims to eat pork or order the Amish to give up their lifestyles?”

Humphrey hoped that the conference would make university administrators aware of student opinion on the legislation.

“I think it is important for university officials to realize that their students are invested in this and that we care and that we’re not going to just be silent while they decide about our health concerns,” she said. “Catholic, non-Catholic; this is a women’s issue.”

Hoya Staff Writer Matthew Strauss contributed to this report.

Alum Donates $10 Million to Foster Diversity EMMA HINCHLIFFE Hoya Staff Writer

William J. Doyle (CAS ’72) was received as a guest of honor at Georgetown Thursday in recognition of his recent $10 million gift to the university.

Doyle, the president and CEO of fertilizer company PotashCorp, and his wife Kathy made the monetary contribution that endows the Doyle Initiative, an effort to encourage tolerance and diversity at Georgetown, in October.

“As the world got larger and more connected, we became less connected in terms of sensitivity to one another,” Doyle said. “I think we all have prejudices, myself included. It’s almost impossible to get through life up to age 18 without any prejudices or preconceived notions.”

The gift was recognized at the annual Doyle Engaging Difference Symposium, which was followed by a celebration in Riggs Library held by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs and the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship.

The Doyle Initiative was founded on a trial basis three years ago with the help of an earlier donation from the Doyles and has been led by Dean Chester Gillis, Director of the Berkley Center Thomas Banchoff and English professor Randy Bass.

The faculty team has worked to integrate its thematic values with classroom curriculum through initiatives including undergraduate fellows seminars – four-credit classes that are accompanied by a research project - and a junior year abroad network. All of the initiative’s programs are run through the Berkley Center.

Doyle chose to permanently endow the program due to its success so far.

According to Doyle, his time as an undergraduate at Georgetown during the late 1960s and early 1970s influenced his commitment to fighting prejudice.

“It was a time of tremendous idealism, and I don’t think we ever lost that sense of idealism for a better, peaceful world,” he said.

Doyle has maintained a close relationship with the university since his graduation.

“I can’t imagine any other school better equipped to take on this subject matter because we educate the whole person,” he said. “There’s a difference here. Georgetown has a soul.”

Doyle gave his first gift of $20 to the university while working as a sales trainee in the agricultural industry immediately after graduating.

“We need to make it possible for the next generation to have [the] same experience [I did],” he said. “If you can donate beer money one Friday night, that will make a difference.”

LEONEL DE VELEZ/THE HOYA

William J. Doyle (CAS ’72) discussed his decision to donate $10 million to the Doyle Initiative at a celebration of his gift Thursday.

DANIEL CORRY

Special to The Hoya

The architects working to restore Dahlgren Chapel unveiled plans for renovations to the building’s interior at a meeting Tuesday.

Most of the intended changes, which include moving the organ from the rear of the chapel to behind the altar, are intended to increase the amount of seating. According to Jim Wickman, director of music and liturgy, a new organ will have to be constructed for the chapel.

“The new organ will utilize some parts of the old organ,” he said. “We’re still in the interviewing process of hiring an organ builder.”

Students, faculty and priests who attended the meeting raised questions about where the tabernacle and choir would be located if the organ were to be moved. Some voiced concern that the tabernacle would take up too much space if it were moved to share an already tight space with the choir behind the altar, and suggested moving the choir to the rear of the chapel or keeping the tabernacle in its original spot to the right of the altar.

An accurate timeline for the completion of the interior design project has not yet been fully formed. According to Sean Reilly, the principal architect for the project, the deadlines will largely depend on fundraising, which has not yet begun in earnest.

Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., vice president for mission and ministry, was delighted with the variety of the recommendations.

“Great feedback, good suggestions,” he said. “That’s why we have meetings like this.”

The $7.5 million project to restore the 118-year-old chapel, which began last semester, was funded in large part by a $6 million donation from Francis (CAS ’75, LAW ’78) and Kathleen (SFS ’77) Rooney.

The renovations are largely designed to repair significant water damage to the chapel’s foundation.

Although a follow-up meeting has not yet been scheduled, some students are already looking forward to providing more feedback.

“I’m very excited because I think having this discussion in the first place is very meaningful,” Alex Podkul (COL ’13) said.

“It’s a meaningful dialogue that we’re going to have, especially in the next couple of months.”

News

friday, february 10, 2012

THE HOYA

A5

Future of Campus Incumbents Thrive in DC Elections Plan Still Uncertain EVANS, from A1

ZONING, from A1 to force Georgetown to house all of its undergraduate students on university-owned property. The Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E, Burleith Citizens Association and Citizens Association of Georgetown have consistently demanded such a policy.

“Requiring the university to house 100 percent of its undergraduates on campus is something in my book [that] I’m not sure is reasonable or achievable,” Commissioner Andrew May said.

But commissioners also agreed that the current presence of students in the neighborhood is unacceptable.

“The university has to come up with a better solution for offcampus housing so we can lessen some of the impacts on the surrounding area,” Commission Chairman Anthony Hood said.

May suggested that the university find a way of making the option to live off-campus a privilege that students must earn, rather than a right.

“It’s the university’s responsibility to find a better solution,” Hood said.

University spokeswoman Stacy Kerr said that while the university stands by the measures it has adopted to date, it is eager to con-

ELIZABETH CHEUNG FOR THE HOYA

Commissioner Peter May voiced concerns at Thursday’s hearing.

tinue the search for creative solutions to neighborhood concerns.

“Being a good neighbor is a responsibility we take very seriously, as evidenced by the many resources we have voluntarily put into improving the quality of life for our near neighbors and for our entire community,” Kerr wrote in an email. “We look forward to continuing to engage in conversations that result in mutually beneficial solutions for all of the stakeholders involved.”

Zoning Commission ViceChairman Konrad Schlater attempted to shift some of the blame away from the university, stressing that while it is responsible for ensuring all stakeholders are satisfied, municipal services must also play an active role in addressing neighborhood concerns.

“We need better coordination with the [District Department of Transportation] for parking enforcement and the [Department of Public Works] for trash enforcement,” Schlater said. “When you have a house that’s leaving trash, that is the responsibility of [the] District government.”

Schlater added that the commission should exercise caution in restricting the university’s ability to grow.

“It bears repeating that Georgetown is the largest private employer in D.C.,” he said. “When unemployment is high, economic impact from this university is very high, so when we’re talking about the expansion of the professional schools and the graduate school and graduate students, along with that comes jobs, and that’s something I want to make sure we keep in mind.”

Laverriere said he was encouraged by Schlater’s testimony and hopes that the commission will come to a decision soon so that the university can move forward with the projects proposed in the plan.

“The university needs this issue to be resolved at some point,” he said. “The longer we hold this up, the longer it’s going to be before we can start with everything we want to do in this plan.”

the residents engaged in the issues. It’s easy not knowing what’s going on at the council, and the dialogue is there to remind everyone of the decisions that [the council] makes. That’s not happening this time.”

But Archer said that he talked extensively with Evans after Grieg’s campaign collapsed last November, and he now endorses the councilmember’s attempt at a sixth term.

According to Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E Chair Ron Lewis, Evan’s lack of opposition can be attributed to his widespread support.

“He’s done such a good job and people know how strong the ANCs support him that no one wants to run against him,” Lewis said. “It’s a tribute, really, to the success of his performance.”

Evans has consistently fared well

in D.C. elections, typically defeating his opponents by at least 30 points in both primary and general contests.

His candidacy hasn’t been seriously contested since 1991, when he received 31 percent of the vote in a special election held after previous Ward 2 Councilmember John Wilson won his bid for council chairman.

Though Evans is the one of four councilmembers up for re-election who is currently running unopposed, he is among several longtime incumbents on the council.

Democratic Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry served as D.C. mayor for 16 years and has held his seat on the council since 2004. Democratic At-Large Member Vincent Orange was Ward 5 councilmember for eight years before launching an unsuccessful bid for mayor in 2006. He was re-elected to the council last year in a special election for a vacant at-large seat, which

he hopes to retain this election cycle.

While political races often favor incumbents, College Democrats Vice President and Communications Director for D.C. Students Speak Jason Gerson (COL ’14) said that the District’s lack of statehood increases the likelihood that incumbents run for and win re-election multiple times.

“D.C. politics have always been tremendously complex. … In another state, a city councilman becomes a county commissioner, a county commissioner becomes a state representative, a state representative becomes a state senator, a state senator becomes a congressman, a state attorney general or other major statewide role,” Gerson said. “In D.C., the only roles are councilmember, council chairman, mayor, and ANC commissioner, so it’s less likely that incumbents vacate their old seats in the hopes of a promotion.”

Seven Tickets Vie for GUSA Executive CAMPAIGN, from A1 to come to us,” GUSA Director of Special Projects Tyler Sax (COL ’13), a presidential candidate, said.

Sax and his running mate Michael Crouch (MSB ‘13), current GUSA secretary of information and technology, have proposed an executive department designed to foster student outreach. If elected, they hope to build a cabinet made of representatives from student groups on campus.

Presidential candidate Senate Vice Speaker Nate Tisa (COL ’14) and vice presidential candidate and current senator and Finance and Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Sheila Walsh (COL ’14) hope to better represent the student body by promoting diversity both inside and outside of the student government. They are the only all-sophomore ticket.

“We had to be able to form [the campaign team] this year because if we waited in the wings until it was our turn next year, then … the problems with diversity, with structure of student government would perpetuate themselves further,” Tisa said.

GUSA senators Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13) and Vail Kohnert-Yount (SFS ’13), who make up one ticket, praised the current executive administration for becoming more open to students than past administrations had been but said they believe

that GUSA can still be more proactive in engaging with students.

“We want to actively reach out to students and get their opinions, find out their concerns and answer their questions,” Kohnert-Yount, who is running for vice president, said.

Current GUSA President Mike Meaney (SFS ’12) and Vice President Greg Laverriere (COL ’12) have spent the past few months trying to ensure that their initiatives, including the Student Advocacy Office and the 2012 Student Life Report, will continue with the next administration. Many of the candidates emphasized the importance of continuing and expanding upon these programs.

The ticket made up of GUSA Deputy Chief of Staff John Morris (COL ’13) and Lauren Weber (COL ’13), a member of The Hoya’s board of directors, hope to broaden the scope of the SAO, which counsels students accused of disciplinary violations and advises them on a number of issues they may face when dealing with the school administration.

Candidates have also proposed several new initiatives.

Colton Malkerson (COL ’13), GUSA senator and Finance and Appropriations Committee chair, and Maggie Cleary (COL ‘14), director of executive outreach, issued a 20-page agenda detailing proposals ranging from a Georgetown Zipcar fleet to increasing minors available across all of the undergraduate schools.

They intend to hold themselves to these proposals by adding a Campaign Promise Tracker to the GUSA Website.

“Now the best way for GUSA to improve is to deliver on proposals that matter to students and actually get things done,” Malkerson, the presidential candidate, said.

GUSA Fund Chair Murphy Kate Delaney (COL ’13) and Michael Appau (COL ’13) plan to increase the number of ways that GUSA impacts the daily life of a student.

“We see that other student governments at other schools provide student services that GUSA doesn’t have an emphasis on,” Delaney, the presidential candidate, said.

GUSA senator Daniel LaMagna (COL ’13), who is running for president with Markel Starks (COL ’14) as his vice president, declined to comment on his ticket’s platform. Starks is the second men’s basketball player in two years to run for vice president; Henry Sims (COL ’12) ran last year.

The election will be held Feb. 23. It will be preceded by a presidential debate Feb. 12 and a vice presidential debate Feb. 14.

“Seeing the start of the campaign is a little bittersweet because Mike and I have enjoyed our time so much, but I look forward to the two people who will succeed us, and I hope it’s a well thought-out and well run campaign,” Laverriere said.

PUZZLES JUMBLE

Unscramble each of the words; use the shaded letters to unscramble the final clue at the end.

S L O P I H _ _ _ _ _ _

C U P S A M _ _ _ _ _ _

T U O Q A _ _ _ _ _

C N A E P _ _ _ _ _

What the shoemaker listened to while he worked: “_ _ _ _” _ _ _ _ _

BRAIN TEASERS You’re in a car with a helium balloon on a string that is tied to the floor. The windows are closed. When you step on the gas pedal, what happens to the balloon — does it move forward, move backward or stay put?

If a sundial is the type of timekeeping device with the fewest moving parts, which type of timekeeping device has the most moving parts?

LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS DECODAQUOTE:

SUDOKU:

“There is only one difference between a madman and me. The madman thinks he is sane. I know I am mad.”

-Salvador Dali “A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.”

-William James Kate Sciamanna/THE HOYA

A6

news

THE HOYA

friday, february 10, 2012

Leo’s Workers Win Contract union, from A1

FILE PHOTO: CHARLES NAILEN/THE HOYA

FILE PHOTO: VERONIQUE MILLON/THE HOYA

Former GUSA Presidents Kelley Hampton (SFS ’05, LAW ’10, GRD ’10) and Tawan Davis (COL ’01) react to their respective election results. Both describe their terms as defining experiences.

A Lesson in Leadership PRESIDENCY, from A1 He also enacted a constitutional amendment that established the student senate. Both are accomplishments which he is still proud to talk about.

Former GUSA presidents have found their way to places from Hollywood, like Murchison, to Wall Street, where last year’s president Calen Angert (MSB ’11) now works.

But while their accomplishments as president are left behind after graduation, Murchison and others say the lessons they learned in office stay with them.

“Coming from Georgetown and being in GUSA, you meet so many people from all these different backgrounds, and it’s great training because out here, you have to be ready to talk to just about anybody,” Murchison says.

After graduating in 2005, former GUSA President Kelley Hampton (SFS ’05, LAW ’10, GRD ’10) went on to collect two more Georgetown degrees. She now works at a non-profit called Break the Cycle, which reaches out to victims of domestic and dating violence.

Though she initially thought that she would go into government, Hampton says that controversy during her campaign caused her to reconsider those plans. Although Hampton won the presidential election, the GUSA Election Commission delayed her inauguration for two months while it debated the legality of fliers her campaign placed in The Hoya.

“Every year there is some kind of turmoil that happens during elections, and my year was no different. That taught me a lot about being political, and I wasn’t really ready to be political,” she laughs.

While campaigning, Hampton met a group of student activists who piqued her interest in women’s rights issues. She decided to go to law school to study the normative side of government and found employment as an activist for women’s rights.

INDEX

“I think at Georgetown, or any college for that matter, there are certain groups you are going to run into, and then some you don’t. GUSA really pushes you to open up and meet a lot of people that you otherwise wouldn’t have met,” Hampton says.

While the campaign trail schooled presidents like Murchison and Hampton in personal relations, it was serving as president that indoctrinated them in the financial side of university operations. Between balancing budgets and lobbying for funding, GUSA presidents become well versed in financial planning.

“I definitely got a better understanding of the business aspect of the school,” Hampton says.

GUSA President from 2001 to 2002 Tawan Davis (COL ’01), for example, works both as the vice president of New York City’s Economic Development Corporation and as an adjunct professor of finance at New York University.

Perhaps most important for these former presidents was the opportunity to polish their leadership skills early in their careers.

Pravin Rajan (SFS ’07), a Rhodes scholar, a captain in the Marine Corps and GUSA president from 2005 to 2006, jokes that he weeded out many of his leadership faults during his term.

“It was definitely amazing leadership experience. I learned many, many things that I will never do again. Many things,” he says. “I don’t know how great of a leader I was at the time. I think I just surrounded myself with smart people, and I definitely use a lot of those leadership skills in the Marine Corps.”

Murchison, Hampton, Davis, Rajan and Angert still joke about their missteps in office and remember their greatest triumphs, along with the relationships they formed.

“I still talk to all my GUSA friends, too, all the time. Those are my closest friends from Georgetown,” Murchison says. “I look back on that time when I was really stressed, but I loved what I was doing, and I’m proud of what we did.”

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union members was an important part of moving negotiations along.

“I think the recent demonstration in the cafeteria was essential in showing [Aramark] that the workers are united and [have] significant support from the student body,” he said.

Leo’s employee and negotiation committee member Tarshea Smith said she was

grateful to the students involved in the demonstration and those who supported the formation of the union last spring.

“I think the students played a big role in us getting together.

If the students weren’t behind us, I don’t think the negotiating committee would have been as strong,” she said.

Smith added that last week’s demonstration was particularly significant because all of the Leo’s managers happened to be

on site.

“They must have called the negotiators at Aramark and said to them, ‘These people aren’t playing around,’” she said.

The university reacted positively to the news, according to university spokeswoman Stacy Kerr.

“We are pleased that Aramark and the union worked collaboratively to reach an agreement that honors Georgetown University’s just employment policy,” she wrote in an email.

Obama to Link Aid, Tuition Meghan Patzer Special to The Hoya

President Obama’s recently announced plan to tie federal aid programs to tuition hikes in order to offset rising costs of college garnered approval from university administrators.

“I’m telling Congress we should steer federal campusbased aid to those colleges that keep tuition affordable, provide good value and serve their students well,” Obama said in a Jan. 27 speech at the University of Michigan.

Georgetown’s Associate Vice President for Federal Relations Scott Fleming said that the university shares the president’s goal of making education more affordable.

“Georgetown has a longstanding commitment to

making a Georgetown education accessible to all qualified students,” Fleming said.

“It is reflected in our needblind admissions and fullneed financial aid policies that date back to the 1980s.”

Fleming lauded Obama’s plan because it ties federal funding to net tuition paid after accounting for financial aid, rather than the total tuition.

He added that despite the high total tuition cost, Georgetown students graduate with about half the average national debt rate.

The president’s plan involves expanding the Perkins Loan Program budget from $1 billion to $8 billion, and increasing funding for Federal Work Study. According to Fleming, the two programs are major components of most Georgetown students’

financial aid packages.

In his speech, Obama announced that he aims to reward “good value” in education with increased federal funding. The program would involve grading schools on their total costs, graduation rates, student loan repayment rates, average student loan debt and graduates’ earning potential.

Georgetown graduates’ low level of student debt default sets up the university to score well under the new system, according to Fleming.

But he stressed that the full effects of the new policy are still unclear.

“There are still questions to be answered with regard to the specifics of the president’s proposal,” Fleming said. “We expect to see further details when his budget is released next week.”

GUSA Outlines Student Rights Annie Chen

Hoya Staff Writer

GUSA plans to distribute a student rights pamphlet before spring break as part of its larger efforts to keep students informed about the codes regulating student behavior on campus.

According to Georgetown University Student Association Vice President Greg Laverriere (COL ’12), the pamphlet will cover the campus judicial process, as well as the roles of the Student Advocacy Office, Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service, Department of Public Safety, Student Neighborhood Assistance Program and Metropolitan Police Department.

“It doesn’t deal with everything. It’s a condensed-down version of the code of conduct,” Laverriere said.

According to GUSA Chief of Staff Mike Barclay (COL ’12), the pamphlet is an attempt to update a similar publication that was put together by GUSA and The Corp in 2004.

“It gives people the resources they need to look for in the original code,” he said.

The pamphlet is currently

under review by Director of Student Conduct Judy Johnson to ensure that its content accurately reflects the university’s code of conduct.

The student rights pamphlet, along with the Bill of Student Rights and Responsibilities and revisions to the Student Code of Conduct, is part of GUSA’s effort to take a comprehensive look at the code and increase student awareness of their rights.

“With the student rights pamphlet and the Student Advocacy Office, we’re trying to provide two different resources that can make students more knowledgeable about the code and their responsibilities,” Laverriere said.

He added that GUSA’s experience with the SAO so far has reinforced the ongoing push to reform the code of conduct.

The two most significant proposed changes to the code are increasing the burden of proof requirement and renewing the focus on communicating student rights throughout the judicial process.

The proposed revisions would raise the burden of proof of code of conduct violations from “more likely than

not” to “clear and convincing” in all cases, with the exception of sexual assaults. The change of language is intended to protect students from being penalized in cases with limited evidence.

The reform would also require the Office of Student Conduct to notify students of the resources available to them in the disciplinary emails and to allow students on trial to pause an active session and consult with an adviser.

“Some may consider those as nominal changes, but I disagree,” Laverriere said. “Anything that you can put into the code of conduct to clarify the process that further increases and clears up what a student has the ability to do in a hearing or administrative action is very helpful.”

According to Laverriere, the revision process will continue after the election of a new GUSA president and vice president. All the proposed changes are still subject to approval by the university’s Disciplinary Review Committee.

“It’s a longer process than we originally anticipated, but it’s definitely a thoughtful one,” Barclay said.

Classes Advocate Self-Defense Zosia Dunn

Special to The Hoya

In a city where over 3,500 aggravated assault offenses were reported in 2010, Georgetown and its student groups are stepping up efforts to ensure that community members are better prepared to deal with instances of violent crime.

The university offers self-defense courses through the Department of Public Safety and Yates Field House as its primary means of preventative education. The classes teach both physical and nonphysical ways to thwart attacks.

Since the 1970s, Yates has offered a judo program, which brings in black-belt experts to instruct participants of any skill level or gender. In the past, Yates offered gender-specific women’s self-defense classes, but the program was cut due to the difficulty of finding time and space to conduct the program.

Similarly, the Georgetown Israel Alliance has brought instructors to campus to teach Krav Maga, the self-defense program used by the Israeli Defense Forces. The group is planning to publicize future events for the program more widely.

“Krav Maga is very applica-

ble,” club president Ben Talus (SFS ’14) said. “It can be used if you are walking down the streets of D.C.” DPS offers a gender-specific self-defense training program, Rape Aggression Defense. RAD is a 12-hour course that aims to supply female students, faculty and staff with the necessary skills to defend themselves in the event of sexual assault.

RAD is a crucial component of the larger programs offered to support students, according to Jen Schweer, the sexual assault and relationship violence services coordinator with Health Education Services.

“The RAD program offered by DPS is a piece of a comprehensive approach in talking about safety issues,” Schweer said. “Education, awareness, survivor services and perpetrator accountability are also critical parts of the process. We need all of these pieces in order to fully address the issue of violence.”

But Mike Balsan (COL ’12), president of GU Men of Strength, worries that an emphasis on such programs may have unintended consequences. Laura Kovach, director of the Georgetown University Women’s Center, shares his concern.

“Self-defense may be effective, but focusing on self-defense puts

the onus of protection on the victim, not the perpetrator,” Kovach said. “We believe that selfdefense is only one component of a comprehensive approach to addressing gender-based violence. One thing we stress is that even if you take a self-defense workshop and you experience an assault, it’s not your fault. No matter what, it’s never the victim’s fault.”

Balsan’s group, formerly known as GU Men Creating Change, seeks to foster a campus environment where self-defense is not considered a necessity. In order to address the root causes of violence against women, Men of Strength offers bystander intervention workshops. The workshops, which take place in small groups in residence halls, bring in professional facilitators from the nonprofit organization Men Can Stop Rape. Participants learn strategies to diffuse situations and distract perpetrators as well as basic crisis management skills to assist victims after an attack.

“You should not feel like you have to know self-defense or have to buy mace,” Balsan said.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Women’s Center also plans to hold a self-defense workshop open to all genders in March.

sports

friday, february 10, 2012

THE HOYA

A7

top of the key

men’s basketball

Offense Sputters in Second Half, Big East Still Needs OT as Georgetown Falls to Syracuse Temple to Thrive Michael Palmer Hoya Staff Writer

After Wednesday night’s game, one thing is certain: It would be a crying shame if this were the last time Georgetown played Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. With all indications suggesting Syracuse will play its final Big East rivalry game at Verizon Center next year, Wednesday night’s game left Hoya fans demanding another crack at the hated Orange.

Georgetown’s three-point loss stung even more because the Hoyas played their archrivals close from start to finish but were undone by sloppy play and controversial officiating in the final few minutes.

Syracuse, the best team in the Big East, did not look the part of a potential No. 1 seed. The Orange lost the rebound battle by 17, shot 29 percent in the first half, was held scoreless for the final four and a half minutes of regulation and saw its vaunted 10-man rotation left almost completely reliant on just two players for production.

After a regulation period featuring 12 ties and 14 lead changes, the game came down to overtime. On Georgetown’s final meaningful offensive possession, down 64-61 with 20 seconds left, junior forward and Big East threepoint shooting leader Hollis Thompson was not allowed to enter the game.

Thompson appeared to be kept from the game due to a rarely enforced rule disallowing players to check in after the horn has sounded during a timeout. Head Coach John Thompson III would not comment on the official ruling.

Senior guard Jason Clark was the obvious candidate to take the tying attempt, having already hit two long, critical three-pointers in the last five minutes of regulation, and was defended as such. Thompson III drew up a play to free Clark from his defender with a pick, buying him enough time to get a clean shot or a clear passing lane.

But Syracuse point guard Scoop Jardine easily evaded senior center Henry Sims’ pick and blanketed Clark, who — without any viable passing options — slipped, bobbled the ball and had it poked out of bounds by Jardine. The call could have gone either way, but the referees ruled Jardine had knocked it off Clark, and the Orange had their

24th win of the season.

“We wanted to get a pick for Jason at the top, and then penetration, see if he can get into the lane, and then a drive and kick into the corner,” Thompson III said. “They played it well. ... Basically, we wanted to isolate a side and get a shooter in the corner.”

What really cost the Blue and Gray, though, was their poor defense on the prior possession. Syracuse senior forward Kris Joseph converted a wideopen three-pointer to cap his careerhigh 29-point night.

Freshman forward Otto Porter started the play guarding Joseph for the Hoyas. After a series of screens, Porter switched to Syracuse sophomore guard Dion Waiters and motioned for Whittington to pick up his man. Whittington either missed Porter’s gesture or didn’t react in time, as Joseph was allowed to slip unguarded to the corner.

Jardine found Joseph there, and the rest is history.

“Obviously, [Joseph] was having a terrific night, and we had some type of breakdown, some type of miscommunication,” Thompson III said. “I’m not exactly sure what, but he was wide open and he banged down the shot.”

The Hoyas had played zone defense most of the night before switching to man at the end of regulation — and, it should be noted, forcing a terrible Syracuse shot on that possession. The zone put the onus on Jardine to create shots for his teammates, and he had struggled to answer the bell. Sophomore center Fab Melo got some open looks, but for the most part, Syracuse was forced into a lot of contested jumpers.

“I thought this was a game that we just did not attack their zone. I mean, we play against it every day. You’d think we could attack it,” Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim said. “Getting 17 less rebounds, this was a disaster game as far as I’m concerned. I’m very disappointed at this stage of the year to get beat like that on the boards.”

Sims’ shooting struggles (1-of-12 from the field) were particularly apparent down the stretch. The 6-foot-10 center repeatedly had the ball feet from the basket, only to repeatedly miss over Melo’s tough defense. His midrange fadeaway was blocked by Melo on the Blue and Gray’s last possession of regulation, although the Baltimore native did hit two big free throws to tie the

game at 59.

A few possessions later, with the score tied at 61, Sims had the chance to be the hero for Georgetown. He caught a pass at the foul line and proceeded to drive to the hoop against Melo. Syracuse sophomore forward C.J. Fair shifted to help on Sims, leaving Thompson wide open in the corner. But instead of passing to Thompson, Sims — who leads the Hoyas in assists — threw up an awkward miss. Porter caught the shot, went up for a layup of his own and appeared to be fouled or stripped.

The officials ruled that he had knocked it out of bounds. “[Sims] was getting the ball in pretty good position, right under the basket, right under the rim,” Thompson III said. “I can go look at the tape, see where he was bumped, where he wasn’t bumped, but at the end of the day, the ball just didn’t go in; it happens sometimes.”

The series of unfortunate events left the Hoyas hoping for another shot at their archrivals in the postseason.

There were certainly reasons to be encouraged by the Blue and Gray on Wednesday night, most notably on defense and on the boards. Although several Hoyas struggled from the field and Clark spent much of the second half in foul trouble, Georgetown’s defense and rebounding kept the Hoyas in the game. Syracuse came into the game averaging 78 points per game in conference play but managed only 55 in regulation. The Blue and Gray also outrebounded the Orange by 17.

But Sims’ struggles are worrisome, as he is crucial to the flow of the Georgetown offense, and turnovers continue to be a problem. The Hoyas were also hurt by the lack of a knock-down threepoint shooter outside of Thompson and Clark, who made 4-of-10 from long range while the rest of the team was 1-of-11. Starks looked like he could be that shooter early in the season, but he has made just eight of his last 31 attempts from beyond the arc after starting the season shooting a blistering 47 percent in the season’s first 13 games.

The Hoyas have a relatively soft schedule down the stretch, facing five unranked teams — three at home — before hitting the road to face No. 19 Marquette in the final game of the season. Once that happens, they can really start thinking about a rematch.

HOLLANDER, from A10 by teams that left in 2005: Cincinnati won three times, Louisville and Charlotte twice each and St. Louis and Marquette once apiece.

Since then, Memphis has won five of six conference tournaments, including four in a row between 2006 and 2009. The Tigers have dominated the league as no other team in the country has done; their run includes a stretch when they went undefeated in C-USA for three seasons in a row, although one season was vacated because of NCAA violations under then-Head Coach John Calipari.

With the departure of Memphis, Conference USA will be significantly diminished, mostly centered in the Deep South and focused almost entirely on football.

Alabama-Birmingham and TexasEl Paso will be the only league schools remaining with any meaningful basketball tradition.

But Conference USA’s loss will be the Big East’s gain — and the development also marks a commitment to the basketball-centric model the league adopted when it was founded in 1979.

The founding eight schools — Georgetown, Providence, Villanova, Boston College, Syracuse, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Connecticut — were focused on hoops over the gridiron, a philosophy that is reflected in the conference’s crown jewel: the men’s basketball tournament.

Dave Gavitt, the league’s visionary founder, staged the event at the “World’s Most Famous Arena,” Madison Square Garden, and had it nationally televised on NBC. Of course, the tournament is now an ESPN property, but it still represents the most attractive of all the Championship Week tournaments.

And that prestige comes from the quality of basketball teams in the Big East.

Even teams at the bottom of the league, like DePaul and St. John’s, have proud traditions and relatively new coaches —

Oliver Purnell and Steve Lavin, respectively — looking to restore their glory days. At the top, of course, one finds perennial championship contenders like Syracuse and Connecticut.

But the real quality of the conference comes from teams up and down the league that have a national profile, like Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette and Notre Dame. In fact, from year to year, it’s possible for almost any team in the league to make it onto the national stage.

Maintaining that reputation by adding quality teams ensures that the NCAA continues to take the Big East seriously when drawing up the tournament bracket.

And having a competitive league ensures that basketball will remain exciting for fans across the conference.

Rick Pitino, Louisville’s head coach and an advocate for Big East expansion, pushed the Big East to add Memphis. He also wants the league to look at including Temple, although reports suggest that Villanova is reluctant to allow another of Philadelphia’s Big Five schools into its league.

That’s shortsighted. Adding Temple would make the Big East even stronger at basketball. The Owls have done very well under Fran Dunphy, and a lift out of the Atlantic 10 would have them playing on a national stage. It’s a win-win for the conference and Temple.

But even if Temple’s bid is scuttled, the Big East has probably made the best it could of realignment. With Syracuse and Pittsburgh out, League Commissioner John Marinatto had to scramble to replace them with football schools. He did that. By adding Memphis, he’s taking a key step toward making sure Big East basketball remains preeminent.

Evan Hollander is a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service and deputuy sports editor of The Hoya. TOP OF THE KEY appears every Friday.

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THE HOYA

friday, february 10, 2012

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

THE BLEACHER SEATS

Bryant Overcoming Past Rodgers Sparks Offense H

is career has survived rape allegations, a public feud with his popular star teammate, too many injuries to count, a public falling-out that led his Hall of Fame coach to retire to a cabin in the wilderness and the widely publicized use of a homophobic slur. But despite all of these obstacles, Kobe Bryant recorded his 28,597th NBA point Monday night, passing Shaquille O’Neal for fifth on the all-time scoring list.

Kobe has remained relevant — and somewhat likable — in the public eye and has achieved this level of success because of one key personality trait he shares with the likes of Michael Jordan and Pete Rose: his tenacity.

Kobe’s drive to win is evident each time he steps on the floor, even at the ripe old age of 33.

This seems to be the only constant over the span of his long career. Bryant has changed his number and all but one of his teammates and has gone through a recent divorce, but the way he plays the game has stayed the same. That’s why Kobe has amassed five championship rings across two very separate eras as a player.

When watching Kobe play, it’s difficult to remember the past he’s left behind. Nobody thinks about his alleged rape incident or the fact that his former coach wrote a book explaining how terrible life with Kobe was. Nobody remembers that amidst the investigation of his behavior, he tried to implicate his teammate, Shaq, as

someone who frequented prostitutes.

Instead, we see a brokendown 33-year-old who leads his team in minutes and points, trying his hardest to win each night in a league often chastised for its lack of hustle. It’s this work ethic that allows Kobe to transcend his failings to reach a level of play that is comparable only to Michael

Corey Blaine

Kobe’s drive to win is evident each time he steps on the floor.

Jordan’s.

In that manner, Bryant and Jordan are similar figures. Both boast impressive postseason records, both demand the ball when the game is on the line and achieve stunning results, both are viewed as the models for success in their respective eras and both weathered criticism and scandal on their roads to success.

It’s fitting that during the season in which Kobe reached the top five for career points, Michael Jordan claimed Bryant as

the only player worthy of comparison to “His Airness.” While both took heat for marital infidelity, they each responded by playing the game of basketball as it is meant to be played.

Both players left a negative impression on many teammates, as former sidekick Scottie Pippen recently critiqued Jordan, and Shaq has rapped about Kobe’s failures as recently as 2008. However, the two stars’ style of play doesn’t necessarily lend to very many friends, just results.

But while neither has many allies, but their results are undeniable. Bryant will never walk away from the game as a “nice guy,” but his drive has allowed him to transcend his potentially bad reputation and achieve the accolades he deserves. His wins and scoring records thankfully overshadow his off-the-court actions.

Although books have been written describing his selfishness in the face of the downfall of the Lakers dynasty of the early 2000s, Bryant will retire amid fanfare. Like Pete Rose and Michael Jordan before him, Kobe’s focus on basketball and the intensity and focus he brought to the court have helped him escape the criticism that plagued him along the way.

Regardless of his actions, Bryant will be known throughout history as a winner, and that’s all he’s ever wanted.

Corey Blaine is a junior in the McDonough School of Business.

THE BLEACHER SEATS appears every Friday.

PIRATES, from A10

chris bien/THE HOYA

Senior forward Tia Magee scored four points and grabbed four rebounds in the win.

swimming & diving

GU Readies for Big East Michael Liu

MEN’S BASKETBALL

lead to 16. Rodgers finished the half with 16 points as the Hoyas took a comfortable 12-point lead into the half.

But Georgetown emerged from the locker room a different team. The Hoyas looked sluggish, letting the Pirates creep back to within five in the opening four and a half minutes of the second half. Fortunately, senior guard Alexa Roche provided a spark, hitting two clutch three-pointers to put the Blue and Gray up 13 with 10:30 to play.

But Seton Hall wouldn’t let Georgetown run away with it, as sharp-shooting junior guard Brittany Morris drained several threes to keep the game within reach. Georgetown senior guard Morgan Williams subsequently fouled senior guard Jasmine Crew while she was shooting from beyond the arc. Crew hit the bottom of the net on all three free throws, pulling the Pirates to within six with 2:48 left in the game.

The Blue and Gray reached deep down to rekindle some of that first-half fire, with Rodgers and senior guard Rubylee Wright each making two free throws on back-to-back possessions to put the Hoyas up by 10.

The hack-a-Hoya marathon then began. Poor free-throw shooting let the Pirates keep it close, but in the end the Hoyas emerged victorious, 56-51.

Rodgers showed significant improvement in her shot, scoring 23 points on 8-of-17 shooting.

Wilson had a big night, too, scoring nine points and pulling down nine rebounds. Crew led the way for the Pirates with 20 points.

The Hoyas will travel north this Saturday to take on perennial powerhouse No. 3 Connecticut. Tipoff is at 4 p.m.

Special to The Hoya

Georgetown’s swimming and diving teams have wrapped up their regular season and are headed to the Big East championship, which is set to take place this weekend and next week in Pittsburgh, Pa. Head Coach Jamie Holder has consistently argued that his team’s talent should have resulted in more wins this season, and he is looking forward to seeing if the swimmers and divers can live up to those hopes in the coming days.

“I’m really excited to see how the team performs. I’m very optimistic about how they’re going to do,” Holder said. “I don’t think our dual-meet record really shows how good of a team we are, and I’m excited to see what they can do.”

Among those who consistently perform at their best is junior Paul Quincy. Last year, Quincy reached the finals of the 1650yard freestyle, placing fourth with a time of 15:31.03 -– the best ever finish for a Georgetown swimmer.

This season, the Hoyas hope the rest of the squad steps up alongside Quincy, and Holder sees encouraging signs.

“Guys are starting to come around and starting to swim a WEB LESLIE/THE HOYA

little bit faster in practice and starting to feel good, and by next week they’ll be ready to perform at their best,” Holder said.

The Blue and Gray will also look to their talented freshmen in hopes of building on last season’s Big East finish. “[The freshman class] has been used to [pressure] all year; they’ve been training hard,” senior captain Chris Finnegan said. “I think there’s a learning process throughout the year — adjusting to college swimming is a bit different than high school swimming, and I can attest to that.”

But Finnegan sees the Big East championship as both a daunting task an exiting opportunity for the freshmen to prove their worth. “[The] first Big East [championship] is exciting, and I think this class of freshmen is particularly strong on our team. We’re a young team, and they’re definitely going to be some of the most helpful people we have there at [the] Big East [championship],” Finnegan said. “There’s a lot of pressure on them, and they’re expected to perform well. And I think they will. I think they’ll step up.”

They don’t have to step up much to improve on last year’s performance, which saw an eighth and 10th place finish for the men and women, respective-

ly, out of 11 teams.

But Holder is optimistic that his team will improve in his second year of coaching.

“I think Louisville and Notre Dame are going to be the top dogs, and most likely Louisville will probably take it again, but we’re hoping that we can move up a few spots,” Holder said. “We can probably beat Cincinnati and UConn, especially on the guys’ side. I think we can move up a couple spots on the girls’ side as well. It all depends on how well we swim and how well they swim. Hopefully, we’ll perform better than they will. I’m excited to see what we can do.”

It’s not just Holder who is hoping for a better finish this season.

The team’s seniors also hope to end their season with some of the best performances of the year.

“I’m sad it’s all over. I’ve been swimming for fourteen years ,from second grade on through middle school, high school and now college,” Finnegan said. “It’s really the end of [my] career, and I can just hope I go out with some of the best times I’ve ever had. I’m looking to swim fast and go off on a high note.”

The diving portion of the championship begins Friday and spans three days, while the swimming will begin next Thursday and continue until Feb. 18.

tennis

Senior center Henry Sims struggled from the field Wednesday night, shooting 1-of-12.

Georgetown Falls in OT Hoyas Seek Road Wins ORANGE, from A10 the third-winningest men’s basketball coach of all time with the win — said to his team at halftime worked, as Syracuse opened the half on an 8-0 run. Georgetown quickly righted the ship after a timeout by Thompson III, and the game was a back-and-forth affair for the rest of the way.

Joseph’s three with 4:39 left gave the Orange a six-point lead, their largest of the game, and sent the packed Carrier Dome into a frenzy.

Clark responded with two treys in the next two minutes, both from several feet beyond the arc. It was a bit of vindication for the senior, who had struggled to establish any kind of offensive flow due to second-half foul trouble.

Clark wasn’t the only senior dealing with foul trouble, as center Henry Sims struggled to stay on the court in the second half as well.

The foul trouble combined with Melo’s impressive defense to create one of Sims’ worst games of the season as he shot a miserable 1-of12 from the floor and had three turnovers. The closing minutes of the game were particularly painful, as Sims missed several shots from very close in before having a potentially game-winning turnaround jumper blocked by Melo on Georgetown’s final regulation possession. “[Sims] missed a bunch of layups,” Thompson III said. “The ball just wouldn’t go in. He

was getting the ball in pretty good position ... it happens sometimes.”

Sims’ backup didn’t help matters much, either. Freshman forward Mikael Hopkins made some nice defensive plays and was a presence on the boards but shot a similarly awful 1-of-8.

Rough shooting nights from the two big men and sophomore point guard Markel Starks (3of-10, 1-of-8 from long range) played a big role in Georgetown’s second-half offensive struggles.

“They have a terrific defense,” Thompson III said of Syracuse. “I thought, with a few exceptions, we executed our game plan of getting the ball into the middle of the zone ... We got decent looks. The ball didn’t go in.”

The Blue and Gray compensated for their poor shooting with a solid showing at the line — even rebounding one of their two secondhalf misses with the game tied and one minute left — but in the end it just wasn’t enough.

Joseph, who had been left wide open behind the arc with two minutes left in overtime, only to surprisingly brick the jumper, didn’t miss the second time around. Thompson was stuck on the bench as the Hoyas tried to find a response to Joseph’s trey, and Clark had the ball knocked out of his hands. Just like that, Syracuse won its 24th game of the year.

Georgetown has the opportunity to get back on track Sunday, when St. John’s visits Verizon Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Ceelee Belmonte Special toThe Hoya

The Georgetown tennis program will have a busy weekend with both the women and men’s teams on the road. The women are set to take on Pittsburgh on Saturday in Philadelphia, while the men’s squad will head to Fredericksburg, Va., Sunday to play Mary Washington.

Gordie Ernst, head coach of both the men and women’s teams, is confident that Georgetown will bring back two victories.

“We have balance and depth,” Ernst said of the women’s squad. “[And] the [men] have worked their butts off. We have good chances here.”

The women’s team comes into the match against Pittsburgh with an early-season record of 2-1 after a dominant 6-1 win over James Madison on Jan. 28.

Ernst attributes the early success to the team’s strong leaders.

With a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 win at No. 1 singles over JMU’s Kinsey Pate, senior Lauren Greco has continued

to be an important presence on the Georgetown team.

“Greco is leading the way,” Ernst said. “She has the ability to win at No. 1, and when your No. 1 player wins, that helps everyone else on the team.”

Ernst is also pleased with newcomer Kelly Comolli. Since transferring from Cornell, the sophomore has quickly made her mark on the program.

“I love the way Kelly is playing.

She has such an infectious attitude. We can even call her ‘the virus,’” Ernst said. “She is such a gamer. She has great enthusiasm and thrives on competition.”

The women will need all their players ready to battle against a Pitt opponent that is hungry for a win after falling last year to Georgetown, 4-2.

“We turned the tables on them [last year] and they are going to want revenge,” Ernst said.

Ernst is equally confident in his men’s team. The Hoyas are set to take on Mary Washington, a talented squad despite its Division III standing.

“The kids [at Mary Washing-

ton] carry a chip on their shoulder. They probably want to play at a place like Georgetown,” Ernst said. “They are going to try to prove themselves and fight hard.”

Despite the expectant fervor from their opponent, Ernst believes his team has a good chance of coming away with the win.

“We should match up [evenly] in every position,” Ernst said.

The men have not competed since their 4-1 victory over Richmond on Jan. 28. With that win, the Hoyas improved their earlyseason record to 3-1.

Ernst hopes a victory against Mary Washington will spark a momentum that the Hoyas can carry to their big match against the University of Pennsylvania on Feb. 15.

“The guys want a shot at their first Ivy League win. Penn is pretty good but not great,” Ernst said.

Nonetheless, Ernst is not ready to let the men or women’s teams overlook their next opponents, as both squads look to march toward the spring season with winning records this weekend.

Sports

FRIday, february 10, 2012

THE HOYA

Men’s basketball

men’s basketball

Verizon Center Crowds Down ATTENDANCE, from A10 Georgetown dispatch IUPUI Nov. 28.

“The schedule has something to do with [the low attendance]. And the lack of a big game early on, that was part of it,” Andrew Wojtanik (SFS ’12) said. “Not having one of those did not get people excited enough.”

Certainly some of the teams Georgetown played early in the season, like Savannah State and the hapless New Jersey Institute of Technology, aren’t going to bring vast numbers of casual fans to Verizon Center.

“It’s tough to get students out to the first games,” David Weis (COL ’14) said. “Who wants to go see games against NJIT or IUPUI or whatever it is?”

But in the past two years, earlyseason dates against teams like Tulane and UNC-Asheville — not much better than this year’s nonconference foes — drew crowds of more than 10,000.

One common reason given for small crowds is the difficulty of getting to Verizon Center, since there is no direct shuttle service to the arena.

“The fact that we don’t have an on-campus arena, there’s no way to solve this next year,” Ramadan said.

“But a month into the semester, you’ve got to make a half-hour trip to Verizon Center and two hours for the game and then half an hour back. For some people, that’s just not worth it.”

Still, getting to the Rosslyn station and making a transfer to the red line has been the predicament for Georgetown fans for several years, and that hasn’t held down crowds in the past.

“I don’t think it deters people,” Weis said. “When there’s a will, there’s a way. And that’s just part of Georgetown’s location.”

Regardless of how students get to the games, the effect of a large home crowd cannot be debated. For instance, a comeback win against Marquette on Jan. 4 was attributed to the announced attendance of 11,213 — an unusually strong figure for a game over the students’ winter

break.

In an email sent to season ticket holders after that game, Head Coach John Thompson III wrote, “Wednesday night’s game was an exciting event of which [season ticket holders] were an important part. Maintaining a great game atmosphere during the university’s holiday break is a challenge and with [season ticket holders’] overwhelming support, we met that challenge.”

The Feb. 1 game against Connecticut, thought beforehand to be the season’s biggest home contest, attracted a season-high crowd of 15,174.

“We had great attendance for the Connecticut game,” Wojtanik said. “I wish we had more games like that.

We have one or two left, like Notre Dame, but they aren’t ranked.”

Still, the Hoyas broke the 15,000 mark much earlier in previous seasons. In 2011, they attracted a crowd of 15,712 for a Jan. 12 game against Pittsburgh, and in 2010, the Blue and Gray drew 15,654 on Jan. 9, also for a game against the Huskies.

Despite tallying a 14-point win over Connecticut, Georgetown failed to improve its crowd numbers for the next game.

The announced crowd for last Saturday’s game against South Florida was the third lowest for a conference game while school was in session over the last three seasons. The only two games with smaller crowds were last season’s contest with St. John’s, which coincided with a messy evening snowstorm, and a 2010 game against Villanova, which came as the city was digging out from more than two feet of snow.

That low figure came despite Hoya Blue’s promotion of free doughnuts for the first 500 fans in attendance, part of a concerted effort by the club to try to boost attendance.

“We’ve been working with the athletic department to do promotions.

The last game before break, we gave out Metro passes,” Ramadan said.

“We gave out doughnuts before the 11 a.m. game [against South Florida].”

But focusing on basketball games is a shift for Hoya Blue, which usually doesn’t have to whip up enthusiasm for the school’s flagship athletic

team.

“With Hoya Blue, our job is to worry about the non-basketball sports.

[We] worry about the lacrosse game,” Ramadan said. “So this year has been a little different for us, realizing that people aren’t showing up [to basketball games].”

Despite the efforts, some students doubt that the promotions really have an effect on attendance.

“I don’t really think it’s encouraged people to go out,” Weis said.

“It’s a nice bonus. But people don’t go because of free Metro passes or doughnuts.”

One factor working against Georgetown’s figures this year is the absence of a marquee matchup against Syracuse. This will be the first season the Hoyas haven’t played host to the Orange since 1981. There is also no comparable game with a national powerhouse, such as the 2010 contest with then-No. 8 Duke.

Hoya Blue also organized only one road trip this season — a Jan. 15 jaunt to New York City to see Georgetown take on St. John’s — instead of the usual two. A weekday date also made a bus ride to Syracuse impossible.

“We had two buses, with 100 people total, to St. John’s,” Ramadan said. “With the St. John’s game, it was a bit awkward with the Martin Luther King weekend and a Sunday, so we went with 100 instead of 150 people.”

But as Georgetown looks to clinch a double-bye into the Big East quarterfinals and earn a high seed in the NCAA tournament, die-hard fans are hopeful that students will help bolster the team in their final three appearances. Students are likely to camp out for the Feb. 25 game against Villanova, which has been designated a “Gray Out” by the Athletics Department. And perennial rival Notre Dame will be the visitor for Senior Night on Feb. 27.

“We will see bigger crowds. These are really good teams to play. Villanova, not because they’re good but because it’s ’Nova. And Notre Dame, also, because they are a good team,” Weis said. “But capping off a great season, I expect crowds.”

women’s basketball

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Freshman guard Jabril Trawick drives against Syracuse junior guard Brandon Triche.

Trawick had two points, two assists and a steal in 13 minutes Wednesday night.

Weak St. John’s Up Next Lawson Ferguson Hoya Staff Writer

The Hoyas will have precious little time to regroup after Wednesday’s overtime loss to Syracuse, as they welcome New York’s other Big East team to Verizon Center on Sunday.

Great things were expected of St. John’s (10-14, 4-8 Big East) in the offseason, as Head Coach Steve Lavin had assembled one of the best recruiting classes in the nation. But a combination of injuries, academic ineligibility and plain bad luck has combined to delay the Johnnies’ long-anticipated reappearance on the national scene at least one more year.

No. 12 Georgetown (18-5, 8-4 Big East), on the other hand, has avoided major injuries thus far and is in control of its own destiny as far as a double-bye in the Big East tournament is concerned.

The Hoyas handily defeated the Red Storm, 69-49, at Madison Square Garden earlier this year, which was the first time the Blue and Gray beat St. John’s in that building since a 32-point triumph in 2009.

This year’s game featured a near tripledouble from senior guard Jason Clark — who had 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists — 20 points from junior forward Hollis Thompson and a 13-point, 10-rebound performance from freshman forward Otto Porter. The Johnnies played just seven players and were led by freshman swingman Moe Harkless’ double-double but were thoroughly dominated in the second half.

Compounding the Red Storm’s troubles with depth will be junior guard Malik Stith’s decision to, in his own words, “step aside as a member of the St. John’s basketball team.” Already shorn of Nurideen Lindsey, a junior college transfer and sophomore guard who was third on the team in scoring when he decided to transfer to Rider after 11 games, the Johnnies are now down to just six scholarship players. Stith, who averaged 2.7 points per game in just under 15 minutes per game, was the lone holdover from last year’s team that went 12-6 in-conference and was a No. 6 seed in the NCAA tourna-

ment.

Lavin’s team, which is being coached by Assistant Coach Mike Dunlap as Lavin recovers from prostate cancer, will have to rely even more heavily on the six remaining scholarship players. Five freshmen — Harkless, fellow swingman Sir’Dominic Pointer, guard Phil Greene, forward Amir Garrett and guard D’Angelo Harrison — started the Red Storm’s most recent game, a 76-54 home loss to Cincinnati.

The only other player to receive more than two minutes of playing time, junior forward God’sgift Achiuwa, is a junior college transfer in his first year at St. John’s.

With such a thin, inexperienced bench, Stith’s decision to leave could be the final blow for a St. John’s team that has lost nine of its last 12 games. The Red Storm’s best wins of the year — over Cincinnati on the road and West Virginia at home — have come during that stretch, but when they have been bad, the Red Storm have been horrendous. In seven of those nine losses the Johnnies have been outscored by at least 14 points. The other two were losses by three points in overtime to Villanova and, somewhat impressively, by seven points on the road against then-No. 8 Duke.

St. John’s poor team play doesn’t detract too much from the brilliant play of two of its freshmen: Harrison and Harkless are averaging 16.4 and 15.5 points per game, respectively, and Harkless is sixth in the Big East with 8.5 rebounds per game. Harrison shoots the ball better than Harkless, with 37 percent from behind the arc, but both players are capable of carrying the Red Storm to victory if the Hoyas spend too much time dwelling on Wednesday’s loss.

Ultimately, Georgetown’s depth and experience should be too much for the Red Storm to cope with on Sunday. But the Johnnies have given the Blue and Gray fits in the past, this year’s 20-point blowout notwithstanding, and the Hoyas have struggled more than some might expect with some of the Big East’s cellar-dwellers this year.

Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday at Verizon Center.

softball

CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

Junior center Sydney Wilson scored nine points in the Hoyas’ 56-51 home win over Seton Hall Wednesday night. The 6-foot-6 center also added nine rebounds for a near double-double.

GU Seeks Revenge in Connecticut Leonard Olsen

Connecticut also brings the Big East’s best statistical defense to the table. They have held opponents Although it has won four games to only 44.7 points per game. Howin a row, the No. 14 Georgetown ever, Georgetown Head Coach Terri women’s basketball team (19-5, 8-3 Williams-Flournoy and her team Big East) will need a complete effort seem to be focusing more on their against No. 3 Connecticut (22-2, 10-1 own defensive execution than on Big East) this weekend to keep the worrying about Connecticut’s destreak alive. The Hoyas will hit the fense. road and attempt to upset the third“We need to play very good deranked Huskies in Storrs, Conn., to- fense, especially defending in the morrow afternoon. post, and we need to limit our turn“We just need to play hard and not overs,” Williams-Flournoy said. get intimidated because we are playThe Hoyas’ defensive focus is jusing UConn,” junior guard Sugar Rod- tified, though, as the Huskies also gers said. “Playing hard will be a key are an effective and balanced offento our game.” sive team. Sophomore point guard The Blue and Gray will be seeking Bria Hartley, who averages 4.3 asrevenge against the Huskies, who sists per game, runs the offense, ousted them from the NCAA tour- while senior guard Tiffany Hayes nament last year in a heartbreaking leads the team in scoring with 15.8 Sweet 16 thriller. The Hoyas are one points a contest. of the top teams in the Big East this Sophomore center Stefanie Dolseason — and one of the better teams son averages 6.2 rebounds per game in the country — but earning a win and has the best individual field goal against Connecticut is never an easy percentage in the Big East at just over task.

60 percent. And on the perimeter, The Huskies only have two losses the Huskies have two great shooters on the year, but those were to the in redshirt junior guard Caroline first- and second-ranked teams in the Doty and freshman forward Kaleena country in Baylor andfor Notre Dame, Mosqueda-Lewis. perfect timing respectively. They have steamrolled “We need to focus on not allowing your holiday through the rest ofspecials their competi- the ball into Dolson since she is a big tion and enter Saturday’s game un- key to their offense,” Rodgers said. contact sales@thehoya.com defeated at home and on a 10-game However, the Blue and Gray have win streak. talent to run with the Huskies. It

Hoya Staff Writer

starts with Rodgers, who is one of the best pure scorers in the country and leads the Big East with 19.9 points per game. She is also coming off an impressive double-double against Seton Hall.

A trio of seniors has also been crucial to the Hoyas’ success of late. Point guard Rubylee Wright has distributed the ball well all year, forward Adria Crawford has been a force on the boards and forward Tia Magee has been playing some of her best basketball of late, providing a second scoring option for the Rodgers-centric offense.

And although Williams-Flournoy sees room for improvement, Georgetown’s aggressive, high-pressure defense has frustrated its opponents and forced turnovers all year.

“We’ll still continue to play our style of play, we’ll press and run in transition, but obviously we will make any adjustments at game time,” Williams-Flournoy said.

This weekend’s contest will be a challenge for the Hoyas, but a win would not only improve the team’s resume but also be a statement victory heard around the country. But Williams-Flournoy and her team are trying to treat it like any other game.

“We take it one game at a time,” Williams-Flournoy said.

Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. on Saturday at Connecticut’s Gampel Pavilion.

Hoyas Kick Off at Elon Rachael Augostini Hoya Staff Writer

The Georgetown softball team will start its season this weekend in Elon, N.C., playing four games at the Elon Tournament.

After a disappointing 2011 season in which the team went 13-40, finished 10th in the Big East and failed to make the tournament, the Hoyas hope to start the 2012 season off on a better foot.

The Blue and Gray were able to consistently improve throughout last season, however.

“We’re executing better, [and] we’re more efficient in practice,” Head Coach Pat Conlan said.

Georgetown will start the tournament against Liberty, which is coming off a successful season that resulted in a second-place regular-season finish and Big South tournament championship.

The Flames are an offensive powerhouse that led the Big South conference in all eight major offensive categories in the 2011 season.

Georgetown faces Liberty twice in the tournament and will need to play two allaround solid games against the Flames to counteract the opponent’s offensive firepower. Defensively, the Hoyas need to cut down on errors, a problem that plagued them all of last year.

The Hoyas will then take on tournament host Elon for the first time ever.

The Phoenix are bringing in as many new players as they are returning, creating a young team that may still need time to gel. The youth of the Elon team might make the team prone to mistakes, something the Hoyas need to capitalize on in order to win.

Senior pitcher Mackensey Carter, who finished the season hitting .259 and

pitched a team-high 176.1 innings, will look to lead the Hoyas again this season.

Georgetown will also rely on the bats of senior infielder Cara Savarese and junior catcher Shikara Lowe.

“We’ve got a great senior leader in [Carter],” Conlan said.

The Hoyas will also face off against North Carolina Central, a team that finished the 2011 season at a lowly 7-37. Although NCCU should be an easy win for the Hoyas in theory, the Blue and Gray are all too familiar with dropping games to unexpected teams.

“Traditionally they’re pretty scrappy teams. They have solid pitching, [and] they can put a few runs across the board,” Conlan said. “The more important thing is how we’re focusing on things we’re doing well.”

The Hoyas return three star offensive upperclassman, but they also bring back a strong sophomore class that made an impact its freshman year. The Hoyas’ new freshman class of five players will hopefully add more depth to the roster. After a strong start to her freshman season, sophomore shortstop Allie Antilla is back from a midseason injury last year. The Hoyas lost then-freshman Jenna Stark — perhaps their strongest offensive player — to Texas A&M, as well as pitcher Melissa Connors, who played significant time for the Hoyas last season. Sophomores such as pitcher Hannah Slovacek are now being called on to fill the void left by last year’s exits. “[Hannah] has shown tremendous improvement this year, and we’ve got two freshmen who can throw the ball,” Conlan said. “So I’m pretty excited [about] our depth.”

The Hoyas’ first game against Liberty is tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.

Sports

MEN’S BASKETBALL No. 12 Hoyas (18-5) vs. St. John’s (10-14) Sunday, 1 p.m.

Verizon Center

friDAY, febr uary 10, 2012

Recent Scores: big east MEN’s BASKETBALL

WHAT’S INSIDE: Leonard Olsen previews the women’s basketball team’s first matchup with UConn since last year’s Sweet 16 loss.

Cincinnati St. John’s

76 54

Notre Dame West Virginia

Pittsburgh USF

55 51

Upcoming Games: big east MEN’s basketball 51 63

Connecticut at Syracuse Tomorrow, 1 p.m.

Cincinnati at Marquette Tomorrow, 3 p.m.

USF at Providence Tomorrow, 4 p.m.

“It’s a nice bonus. But people don’t go because of free Metro passes or doughnuts.”

David Weis (COL ’14) on Hoya Blue promotions at men’s basketball games

Top of the Key

Men’s Basketball

Memphis to Joseph’s Career Day Sinks Georgetown Big East in Realignment C LAWSON FERGUSON Hoya Staff Writer

onference realignment, the storm cloud that has lurked over this year’s college basketball and college football seasons, has returned from a brief hibernation with the news that Memphis will join the Big East in 2013.

The Tigers’ move is big news in two ways. It marks the death of Conference USA as a serious conference, and it signals a concerted effort by the Big East to double down on its strength: basketball.

Of course, the Big East has turned to Conference USA members before to plug gaps in its roster. When Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech left for the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004 and 2005, Georgetown’s league lured Cincinnati,

WEB LESLIE/THE HOYA

Freshman forward Otto Porter scored 14 points and had 13 rebounds (five offensive) in the Hoyas’ 64-61 overtime loss.

Evan Hollander

The Tigers’ move ... signals a concerted effort by the Big East to double down on its strength: basketball.

DePaul, Louisville, Marquette and South Florida away C-USA. At the same time, Charlotte and Saint Louis left C-USA for the Atlantic 10.

In last fall’s recent stage of realignment, when Syracuse and Pittsburgh announced departures for the ACC and West Virginia hopped to the Big 12, the Big East again turned to C-USA and plucked Houston, Central Florida and Southern Methodist.

Those moves, however, were focused on beefing up football, the key revenue driver in college athletics. But even though Memphis carries a Bowl Championship Series football program, it is primarily a basketball school.

As someone who grew up watching Conference USA basketball, the league’s fall from grace is painfully obvious. Between 1995 and 2005, the conference’s basketball tournament was won each year See HOLLANDER, A7

For the second time in four years, Georgetown pushed Syracuse to overtime in the Carrier Dome but ultimately fell short. Syracuse senior forward Kris Joseph was left wide open to hit his sixth three of the game with 30 seconds left in overtime, sealing a 64-61 win for the No. 2 Orange (24-1, 11-1 Big East) over archrival No. 12 Georgetown (18-5, 8-4 Big East).

The game wasn’t without controversy, though, as sharpshooter Hollis Thompson was not allowed to check in for the Hoyas’ last possyrACUSE 64 session.

The junior forward Georgetown 61 was the victim of a seldom-enforced rule dictating that a player checking in must be at the scorer’s table before the buzzer signaling the end of the timeout. Without Thompson on the floor, senior guard Jason Clark was the Hoyas’ clear option for the game-tying three-point attempt and was swarmed by defenders, resulting in a turnover with 4.9 seconds left. Although Syracuse sophomore guard Dion Waiters missed both free throws, Thompson’s full-court attempt was tipped and the Orange escaped.

“For some reason, they left me open,”

Joseph said of the last play. “I was ready for it and it fell.”

The game started promisingly for the Hoyas, who never trailed by more than one in the first half after Syracuse sophomore center Fab Melo’s game-opening dunk. Although the Blue and Gray shot only 39.4 percent from the field in the opening stanza, they crushed their hosts on the boards, pulling down 24 rebounds to Syracuse’s 11.

“This was a game they got on the boards from the beginning and that’s just a disaster for us,” Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim said. “It’s a team effort; it’s everybody, it’s not one guy. Right now, I don’t think we’re a good basketball team because we can’t rebound.”

Particularly impressive on the glass was freshman forward Otto Porter, who finished with a game-high 13 rebounds to go along with a team-high 14 points. Porter’s length gave the Orange bigs fits on the glass, particularly in the first half when he grabbed an impressive nine rebounds.

“Otto did what Otto does,” Thompson III said. “He’s doesn’t limit himself to worrying about scoring or [taking] shots. ... Every part of the game is important to him, and it shows up every night.”

Whatever Boeheim — who became See ORANGE, A8

Men’s Basketball

What Advantage? Attendance Down 14% Evan Hollander Hoya Staff Writer

If you thought that Verizon Center seemed less crowded this year than in past seasons, that’s because it is. Attendance at Georgetown home games has fallen by more than 14 percent from a year ago.

While the No. 11 Hoyas (18-5, 8-4 Big East) have soared in the polls despite modest preseason expectations, their crowds have not experienced a similar rise. And barring a dramatic turnaround — unlikely with only three home games left in the season — the Blue and Gray’s average attendance, which ranked 25th in the nation last season, will tumble at least 10 spots in the national rankings.

Student sections, which are located behind each basket and make up a large proportion of the Verizon Center crowd, have seemed sparse this season. And back on the Hilltop, the lack of preseason hype and series of weak

nonconference opponents are cited as reasons why students haven’t made the trek to Gallery Place to cheer on the Hoyas.

“I think more than anything it came to the fact that we had no expectations coming into the year,” said Adam Ramadan (SFS ’14), the communications officer for Hoya Blue. “When you graduate your top three guys, you’re not preseason ranked, you’re preseason 10th in the Big East, there is less excitement.”

But even after Georgetown started winning, the crowds still didn’t come. The Blue and Gray proved their mettle at the Maui Invitational over Thanksgiving break, where they nearly bested then-No. 14 Kansas and defeated then-No. 8 Memphis.

But when the Hoyas returned from Hawaii, they weren’t greeted with a pleasant “aloha” but with the lowest Verizon Center attendance numbers since 2006.

A paltry crowd of 6,854 watched See ATTENDANCE, A9

woMen’s Basketball

MICHELLE CASSIDY/THE HOYA

Students react to Wednesday night’s Georgetown-Syracuse game at the Hoya Blue gamewatch party in Sellinger Lounge.

Hoyas Survive Home Scare From Seton Hall Matt Carlucci Special to The Hoya

CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

Junior guard Sugar Rodgers had 23 points and 11 rebounds in the Hoyas’ 56-51 win over Seton Hall Wednesday night.

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On a night where most of the attention was on the men’s matchup at Syracuse, the Georgetown women’s basketball team played down to the wire against Seton Hall at McDonough Arena, emerging with a 56-51 victory over the Pirates.

The Hoyas (19-5, 8-3 Big East) could never quite pull away from the pesky SETON HALL 51 Pirates (718, 0-11 Big Georgetown 56 East), who continued to play solid basketball despite being down by as much as 16 and even threatened to win later.

The game started perfectly for the Hoyas, as junior center Sydney Wilson tipped the ball to junior

guard Sugar Rodgers, who drove up court for a three-point play just four seconds into the game. Rodgers’ teammates rode the momentum to a hot start, as buckets by Wilson and senior forward Adria Crawford and a three-pointer from Rodgers put Georgetown up, 10-3, forcing the Pirates to burn a timeout.

The Blue and Gray played a stifling 2-3 zone, forcing the Pirates into long jumpers and three-point shots. The Pirates didn’t help themselves by falling into double-team traps in the corners which led to 10 first-half turnovers. Rodgers stayed on fire, hitting from downtown with just over three minutes remaining in the half to extend the See PIRATES, A8