The Hoya: Feb. 17, 2012

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

Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 93, No. 33, © 2012

friday, february 17, 2012

BEHIND THE COLLAR

The Guide explores the untold stories of Georgetown’s Jesuits.

STARKS Markel Starks found himself in a new arena at the GUSA VP debate.

NOROVIRUS Norovirus has infected 85 students at The George Washington University.

ANC Jake Sticka, GU’s ANC 2E commissioner, is seeking candidates for his position.

GUIDE, G8

SPORTS, A10

NEWS, A4

NEWS, A4

Federal Student Aid May Increase Sarah Kaplan Hoya Staff Writer

President Obama called for the allocation of $165 billion to federal student aid in the proposed budget for fiscal year 2013 released Monday.

According to Georgetown’s Associate Vice President for Federal Relations Scott Fleming, the number represents an $11.5 billion jump from fiscal year 2012.

Education spending saw the largest increase among all federal discretionary budget categories this

year, Fleming said.

“I think the funding levels are good, especially given the budget constraints,” he said. “[They show] the president’s serious commitment to education as an important contributor to getting our economy in order.”

Federal funding for education is especially important to Georgetown students, who received $25.6 million in federal financial aid during the 2010-2011 school year.

The proposed budget includes $36.1 billion for Pell Grants, $1.1 billion for Federal Work Study and

2013 Federal Budget: A SNAPSHOT EDUCATION & RESEARCH NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

0%

SMITHSONIAN INSITUTION +3.77%

FEDERAL WORK STUDY +15.4%

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION +4.97%

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS +5.48%

D.C. & BEYOND

student aid

PELL GRANTS -13.1%

TOTAL SPENDING +0.184% PERKINS LOAN +750%

WMATA -3.06%

PEACE CORPS

0%

DATA: WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET; SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION SHAKTI NOCHUR/THE HOYA

$8.5 billion for the Perkins Loan Program, all of which are major components of students’ financial aid packages. During the 20102011 academic year, 952 Georgetown students were awarded Pell Grants, 1,954 earned Federal WorkStudy funding and 546 received Perkins Loans.

“This is the first year in many years [the nation] hasn’t been facing a shortfall in funding for the Pell Grant Program,” Fleming said.

But Georgetown’s ability to access new funding will be contingent on Obama’s newly announced Race to the Top program, which ties federal dollars to the cost of a university’s tuition. In this program, colleges will be graded according to their total costs, graduation rates, student loan repayment rates, average student loan debt and graduates’ earning potential.

Fleming worried that Obama’s new rules might lead to a decrease in the amount Georgetown receives for student aid based on the school’s high tuition.

Undergraduate tuition for fiscal year 2013 will rise to $42,360, a 3.5 percent increase over the current rate of $40,920.

“If they start fiddling with the formula, I don’t want our students to lose access to loans,” Fleming said. “It’s my feeling that we have a very good approach to making Georgetown an affordable institution for students of all economic levels … and I will do everything in my power to make sure that there aren’t some unintended consequences of what they’re doing that would undermine what we think is a very successful model.”

Obama also called for Congress

President Obama’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2013 would include sizable increases in several funding areas related to student

See BUDGETS, A5

Double Duty: Married Students Seek Balance Matthew Strauss Hoya Staff Writer

Donna Hernandez (SFS ’13) eloped with her husband, Eduardo Panyaguy, two weeks into her freshman year at Georgetown.

The couple, who met in high school, married before Panyaguy, a U.S. Marine, was deployed to Afghanistan in the fall of 2009.

“We were planning on a long engagement until I realized that he was going to be part of the unit that was spearheading a lot of movement in Afghanistan.

The unit he was replacing had a 40 percent casualty rate,” Hernandez said. “We looked at the options and said, ‘Let’s go ahead and do it.’”

COURTESY DONNA HERNANDEZ

Donna Hernandez (SFS ’13) married her husband as a freshman.

Approval Likely for New Athletic Facility Emma Hinchliffe Hoya Staff Writer

After adjusting proposed blueprints for the new Athletic Training Facility, the Office of Public Affairs and the Georgetown Athletics Department believe the plans are on track for approval by the Old Georgetown Board.

“This is a modification of an already approved building,” Vice President for Public Affairs and Senior Adviser to the President Erik Smulson said. “It’s more of a bridge process.”

In the original designs submitted to the board last year, the ATF, also

referred to as the Intercollegiate Athletic Center, slightly obstructed the entrance to McDonough Arena. However, after an OGB hearing in October where members criticized the plans, the blueprints were modified to connect the ATF to McDonough Arena through a rotunda.

The OGB, a branch of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, reviews projects in the Georgetown area to ensure they fit in with existing historical architecture.

The proposed 125,000 square-foot athletic complex will have two stories.

See ATF, A6

Vice-Presidential HopefulS Go head-to-head

Megan Kirby’s (COL ’12) decision to marry young also stemmed from her then-boyfriend’s commitment to the armed forces. James Kirby joined the U.S. Army two years into college and was stationed in Iraq from 2010 to 2011.

If the couple had not married, Kirby would have been unable to receive official news about her husband from the military or take advantage of education benefits for military families.

“We were going to wait until after college, but with him joining the military, honestly it was more practical,” she said.

Once her husband was deployed, Kirby struggled to fill dual roles of wife and student.

“It was really difficult balancing being a student and being married to someone in the army. Especially with the time difference, I would want to stay up and talk with him, but I would have classes the next day,” she said.

Kirby said that people began to notice changes in her behavior while her husband was overseas.

“One of my professors noticed that I was tired and distracted, so she emailed my dean, and my dean met with me to talk about my special circumstance,” she said.

The attention of Kirby’s dean and professors ultimately allowed her more flexibility with class attendance.

“When I went home for [my husband’s] homecoming ceremony, my professors were kind about giving me time off for that. Overall, Georgetown has been very accommodating,” she said.

But according to Hernandez, the university could do more for married students.

“I’ve never seen anything on campus that’s focused on the married undergrad.

I feel like there is much more that could be done, especially with the Jesuits and other leaders on campus,” Hernandez said.

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

COURTESY GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

The Athletic Training Facility, which is still awaiting authorization from the Old Georgetown Board, would connect to McDonough Arena via a rotunda.

See MARRIED, A5

CHRISTINA LING FOR THE HOYA

Vice-presidential candidates discussed their visions for GUSA at Wednesday’s debate in White-Gravenor Hall.

Headliner Set for Spring Concert Zosia Dunn

Special to The Hoya

The Georgetown Program Board has secured a headliner for the annual spring concert early this year to prevent the problems with last-minute rescheduling that hampered last year’s event.

Although concert planners have not yet released the name of the artist because contract details have not been finalized, they said the event will likely draw a larger crowd than it did last year.

Published Tuesdays and Fridays

Planning for the concert, which is scheduled for March 30 in McDonough Arena, began in November.

“We tried to get started a lot earlier this year, so we didn’t have to scramble like in years past,” GPB Concert Chair Will Henderson (MSB ’14) said.

GPB’s annual concert budget totals $13,000, but Henderson said that additional donations from groups such as the Senior Class Committee and Students of Georgetown, Inc. have helped

secure stronger performers than last year. The lineup for last spring’s concert included Kevin Rudolf, Shwayze and Dev and the Cataracs. It is likely that seniors will receive a discount on their tickets this year because of the Senior Class Committee’s contribution.

GPB Executive Board Chair Tyler Simpson (COL ’13) said the responsibility of booking artists falls on the concert planning See CONCERT, A7

Send Story Ideas and Tips to news@thehoya.com

A2

OPINION

THE HOYA

friDAY, February 17, 2012

THE VERDICT

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Founded January 14, 1920

EDITORIAL

Vote for Student Ideas; Vote Sax and Crouch

H-O-Y-A S-A-X-A — Directed and produced by students, performances of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” will run in Poulton Hall through next week.

Inside the Oval Office — Just in time for Presidents’ Day, the Newseum opened its “Every Four Years: Presidential Campaigns and the Press” exhibit today.

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During the past few years, the Georgetown University Student Association has transformed from an exclusive organization that only ostensibly represented student interests into a group integrated with student life and concerns. But there is still work to be done before GUSA can truly call itself representative of the student body.

This year, students should take the next step in making GUSA their own by voting for Tyler Sax and Michael Crouch for GUSA president and vice president.

The Sax-Crouch ticket has a unique platform in this year’s strong candidate pool. While all the candidates propose initiatives to improve student life, Sax and Crouch are the most committed to making students the driving force in that process. Both have had significant experience in GUSA — Sax as director of special projects for the current GUSA executive and Crouch as the GUSA secretary of information technology.

Their platform, which pushes for technological innovations, bolstered alumni relations and better student space across campus, is most unique in one regard: its plan for implementing campus crowdsourcing with IdeaScale, an online means for students to submit questions and ideas to be voted up or down. Additonally, Sax and Crouch plan to give students the positons and resources to carry out the projects they propose.

GUSA has been bogged down by its own bureaucracy and politicking.

Within today’s GUSA, senators and cabinet members face the same concerns as many students and have ideas about how to improve student life, but they believe GUSA is the only entity that can implement their plans. Sax and Crouch have a different plan in mind for their potential executive term.

The strength of the Sax-Crouch ticket stems from its operating style and crowdsourcing ideas. These guiding principles will make it easy to integrate the best proposals from each of their competitors and from the student body at large. But their plan also includes tangible goals centered on following through with the current administration’s initiatives, building ties throughout the Georgetown community and inspiring innovation.

Where the platform truly shines, however, is in its pledge to empower students. Rather than having students submit ideas to GUSA for it to execute, Sax and Crouch will allow students to see their own projects through while providing them with necessary support and administrative leverage. The

Two Guys Walk Into Bulldog Alley … — Georgetowns Program Board will present a comedy competition at 8 p.m. tonight to find the funniest students on campus.

Sax-Crouch vision for GUSA is an organization composed of students, by students and for students.

If Sax and Crouch want a serious shot, though, they need to stand behind the initiatives in their platform, not just the philosophy. Their collaborative innovation-based model is indeed what makes them the best ticket, but if they overemphasize this aspect, students will begin to fear that that their theory outweighs their practicality.

Votes go to platforms with projects that students have heard of, and here Sax and Crouch have sold themselves short thus far. Many of their proposals — completing the installation of wi-fi on Healy Lawn, GPS tracking for SafeRides and a climate action plan — are feasible and would be appealing to the average student but have not been marketed well during their campaign. These are the types of initiatives the pair should be spending time pitching and, if elected, working to implement.

This is not to detract from the ideas of other tickets, however. Colton Malkerson and Maggie Cleary provide several examples of the kind of plans we’d like to see in the coming term.

While they have come under fire for their 20-page platform and expansive budget, the Malkerson-Cleary ticket has addressed common themes for improving daily life on campus, from Jack’s List to Zipcars to expanding printing options for College and School of Foreign Service students.

Similarly, their long-term objectives, such as their focus on keeping the New South Student Center in the hands of students and expanding cross-school minors, are concrete enough to succeed. Our doubts concerning their ticket stem from the question of how much GUSA can do on its own without connections to administrators or other student affiliations.

And so the Sax-Crouch ticket maintains our endorsement. In comparison with the rest of this year’s strong candidates, Sax and Crouch may have fewer proposed initiatives, but their genuine desire to create a more student-friendly, integrated GUSA executive pushes them to the front. Should they win, students can be confident in their ability to identify good ideas and implement them with the aid of the people best suited for particular jobs.

While initiatives are important in any campaign, Sax and Crouch’s clear commitment to the students whom they wish to serve, coupled with their previous GUSA experience, gives them an edge over other contenders.

Queasy Campus — The George Washington University officials reported that 85 students were infected with norovirus this week. See our coverage on A4.

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All the Single Ladies — Men’s Health magazine named D.C. as the best place in the country to find the “most eligible” women.

FROM THEHOYA.COM READER’S RESPONSE

“

I don’t like how basketball fans think that basketball must be the seminal experience for all Georgetown undergrads. Perhaps other students enjoy spending Saturday going to a museum, working on a student government project or recovering from a party the night before. All are fun and formative experiences students will remember after they graduate. You don’t see those non-basketball fans yelling at basketball fans to go to the museum, join their group or come to their party.

If a student decides that basketball isn’t that important to their college experience, respect his or her choice. The student attendance at Georgetown games means nothing to anyone outside of the college basketball world. And I assure you, there is life beyond basketball.”

Anonymous on “Get Them to Verizon Center” Posted Feb. 14, 2012

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A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD US ... @Brendan62

Feb. 12 Please tell me my Hoyas will keep pace RT @thehoyasports Patriot League to allow football scholarships. @ruiyongchen

Feb. 16 Do you want us to die? #GUSAdebate RT @thehoya: To spice things up, try out this debate drinking game from @thehoya4E @Dr.JAshton Feb. 16 Good luck 2 my 4 patients who r swimming in #BigEast championships this weekend! @USA_Swimming @thehoyasports #shavedown #swimfast

THE RAW DEAL by Anthony Mastroianni

The Editorial Board did not consider the Morris-Weber ticket for its endorsement because of Lauren Weber’s (COL ’13) status as a member of The Hoya’s Board of Directors.

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OPINION

friday, february 17, 2012

THE HOYA

VIEWPOINT • Pat Gavin

A3

VIEWPOINT • Jed Feiman

A High-Stakes GUSA Race Exec Elections for Dummies

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he Georgetown University Student Association actually matters these days. For some of the juniors and seniors on campus, that’s still a tough fact to handle. We’ve seen too many elections with no candidates and too many first-place votes for “Chicken Madness.” But it’s true — after Student Activities Fee Endowment reform, GUSA will oversee the spending of $3.4 million in funding. These student leaders now have control over a sizable chunk of money, and what they do with it will shape life on the Hilltop for years to come.

Now more than ever, we need to choose leaders who will guide our changing, burgeoning student government through what may prove to be a sort of adolescence, a period of growth and transformation.

We need three things from this new leadership: excellent communication, a ticket that combines GUSA fluency with an outsider’s perspective and leaders with a sense of where GUSA fits in Georgetown’s broader mission and identity.

First, we need good communicators and motivators. It’s not enough for the executive to be effective by creating new programs. The Social Innovation and Public Service Fund won’t be effective, for instance, if the students who run social justice initiatives are unaware of potential funding. Our leaders must bridge this gap between creation and successful marketing. We also need individuals who can motivate participation in GUSA and related initiatives among people who are not involved in the student association’s often-closed milieu. It’s this wider, outside involvement that escapes the GUSA bubble and will create an effective executive in the future.

Second, we need leaders who draw their experience from outside of GUSA — officers from other campus groups — to be able to work with GUSA-experienced students to navigate the student association’s often complex framework

with an outsider’s perspective. Too often, GUSA leaders are so caught up in the inner workings of the organization itself, they fail to bring outside experience to bear on their decisions. Ideally, a ticket will include one GUSA insider and one person with a fresher perspective, as several of this year’s tickets do.

Such a ticket would balance a staff member who is adept at navigating the procedural mazes of GUSA with a leader from another campus organization — like the International Relations Club, The Hoya, College Republicans or Democrats — with little or no GUSA experience. This individual can bring an outside perspective to bear on what GUSA does to improve the student body.

Third, the new leadership needs to have an understanding of what Georgetown is, where the institution is going and where GUSA fits into this picture.

Our new leaders must understand what Georgetown’s Catholic and Jesuit identity mean for our student leadership and must keep these aspects of the university in mind when deciding policy.

A great example of an outcome of this quality is the SIPS fund — an initiative that uses GUSA funding to complement Georgetown’s Jesuit-animated dedication to social justice and public service.

Put simply, I believe we need a new type of GUSA leadership. We need a movement toward a new brand of GUSA senators and executives. The Meaney-Laverierre administration has had much success moving in this direction: They handled the SAFE reform professionally and transparently by seeking and creating forums for feedback at every point in the process. The leadership we will elect next Thursday needs to continue this virtuous cycle, using communication, outside experience and a sense of the university’s core identity to lead us into the future.

Hopefully, if they do, we could see a time where “Chicken Madness” only receives votes on a Wisey’s review on Yelp.

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any Georgetown University Student Association executive tickets have asked me for advice on how to win this year’s executive election. I thought I’d share some words of wisdom for running a successful GUSA campaign via a viewpoint: Debates Although it’s a little late for advice now, debates are probably the most overlooked aspect of GUSA campaigns. Just like in Republican primary debates on TV, expect hard-hitting questions that tackle real issues. The debates are attended by active members of the campus community, as well as by confused regular people who are looking for another room. I believe there is also a GU-Span viewer somewhere out there.

The debates are great opportunities to impassively regurgitate your talking points. Even if you care about the issues, remain lethargic and unimaginative in your expression and delivery. Wear something important looking and an oversized pin with your name on it, and refer to your opponents with pretentious titles like “senator,” “vice speaker” and/or “king.”

Red Square Make sure you have the biggest and most irritating display of flyers in Red Square. Students usually base their votes on which candidates can make their names as large and obnoxious as possible, reinforcing the view that GUSA campaigns are about the individual candidates rather than improving Georgetown.

Hanging flyers as high on the wall as possible is also very effective, since it forces students to physically overextend their necks in support of your campaign.

Encouragingly, I have already seen some impressive bed sheets and arrangements of flyers forming names and national symbols, but divisive religious or racial imagery could probably work, too. I anticipate and pray that soon you will remove text entirely and just put up large portraits of yourselves.

The Web Your web presence should resemble either a destitute Groupon business or manicured consulting firm website. It’s easy: Upload uncomfortably large images of your pretentiously smiling faces and include them on every inch of your website. The front page should also probably incorporate a slideshow of Georgetown furniture, buildings and some more furniture. Add a playlist of your music to seem fun.

Platforms should look extensive and include promises that are broad, unfeasible and preferably absurd. Promises are not for keeping, so really, go to town.

Social networking is also hot right now. You should definitely make a Facebook event and constantly compare the number of attending students with other campaigns’ Facebook events. It is also a good idea to ask friends to change their profile pictures to your poster or perhaps to just a picture of you.

Videos Videos are great ways to make your campaign blend together with that of your opponents. It is encouraging that, so far, all of your introductory videos look exactly the same. Sticking to talking points and delivering them as blandly as possible will ensure that your message can stay abstract and irrelevant.

One suggestion is to make at least one creative video to illustrate your lack of creativity. Remember: You are very important and think highly of yourself. Taking the time to craft something actually funny makes no sense.

Dorm Storming & Voter Intimidation It doesn’t matter if you have the best idea — in fact, you probably don’t. But if you really want to win the election, setting up an army of stooges is the way to go.

First, you and your staff should visit all the freshman dorms and convince residents to hang flyers on their doors. It’s free advertising for you. Luckily, you will never have to speak to any of them again. Keep in mind that after you win (or lose) someone’s vote, he is meaningless.

During voting, make sure you have colossal tables set up. They should resemble House Un-American Activities Committee hearings. Tables on Lau 2 and in front of freshman dorms work very well, since winning by intimidation still counts as winning. To further your message, I might also recommend setting up tables outside of Dahlgren Chapel or offering money.

You Are Bigger Than Georgetown Remember: GUSA campaigns are about you. You are the most important person that you know, and being GUSA president is just as critical as accomplishing important things for the university. So campaign hard, stress out and spread vicious rumors about your opponents in comments on Vox Populi.

Jed Feiman is a senior in the College and winner of the 2011 Mr. Georgetown pageant. He ran for GUSA president last year and lost.

THE DISCONCERTED DEMAGOGUE by Daniel Yang

Pat Gavin is a junior in the College.

A CANADIAN CONTENTION

Advancing Gay Rights F

ifty years ago, same-sex marriage problem and has resulted in a countless would have been as unthinkable number of tragic suicides. Rather than as a man named Barack Hussein banning the discussion of homosexualObama being elected President of the ity, school districts should work to actuUnited States. In 2012, rather than being ally foster inclusive environments for an issue discussed at the margins, gay all students, which will ultimately save marriage has become one of the most lives.

Nevertheless, under the Obama debated topics in national discourse, finding strong critics and advocates administration, there have been main people from Rick Santorum to Lady jor strides in LGBTQ rights. President Obama eliminated the discriminaGaga.

On one side, some argue that one of tory Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy, which the greatest threats to the institution of banned openly homosexual people from marriage is allowing gays and lesbians serving in the armed services. Moreover, to marry their partners. Such people it is now official U.S. policy to support claim that marriage is a covenant that LGBTQ rights internationally, such as has lasted thousands of years and has opposing Uganda’s blatantly discriminaalways been defined as a union between tory anti-homosexuality law.

Maybe I am an optimist, but I believe one man and one woman.

For a long time, I found these argu- that though the arc of history may have ments appealing. I believed that those its bumps, in the long run, the human in the LGBTQ community should be al- condition is improving. Advocating for lowed to form civil unions, but that mar- full equality for members of the LGBTQ community is part of riage should be available continuing to provide solely to heterosexual justice for all. couples. Eventually my On this issue, Ameriviews began to evolve, cans have come a long and I now am a supporter way in a short time. It of marriage equality. is hard to fathom that During my first few just 10 years ago, antiyears at Georgetown, I’ve sodomy laws existed realized my religious bein 14 states. The recent liefs are not an impediruling of the Ninth ment to my support for U.S. Circuit Court of marriage equality. Rather Scott Stirrett Appeals to overturn it is my faith in God that Proposition 8, which drives me to support the equality of all people — Marriage is not a finite ended gay marriage in California, is yet anespecially when it comes substance that can other step in the right to marriage. direction. It will only Letting gays and lesever be exhausted. be a matter of time bebians marry does nothfore this issue reaches ing to infringe upon the rights of heterosexuals. Marriage is not the U.S. Supreme Court, where we can a finite substance that can ever be ex- only hope marriage equality will finally hausted. What does infringe upon indi- be established nationwide.

To those on the fence about supportvidual rights, however, is prohibiting a ing gay marriage, I understand your dicertain group to marry at all.

Evidently, I have not been the only per- lemma: I myself agonized over the issue. son who has had his or her views evolve However, it is important to ask yourself on this subject. Across American society, the question of whether the love that exthe trend of support for marriage equal- ists between heterosexual and homosexity has steadily increased. According to ual couples is fundamentally different. a study by the Pew Foundation, support Both types of relationships are based for same-sex marriage has increased upon trust, friendship and the thoufrom 27 percent in 1996 to 46 percent sands of little moments that take place over a lifetime. in 2011.

The coalition for marriage equality These shifts are being driven by the millenial generation, who support mar- is growing rapidly, marked by its diverriage equality at a rate of nearly 60 per- sity in backgrounds and perspectives. cent. It is only a matter of time before There can be no “separate but equal.” the overwhelming majority of Ameri- Providing equal rights to all Americans, including those gay and straight, cans support same-sex marriage.

With that in mind, there is still much is the civil rights issue of this generawork to be done when it comes to im- tion. proving the rights of gay Americans. On a national level, gays and lesbians are dis- Scott Stirrett is a junior in the School of criminated against through the Defense Foreign Service. He is the former chief of of Marriage Act, which denies couples staff of the Georgetown University College numerous legal benefits of marriage at a Democrats and former chair and co-foundfederal level. The bullying of gay teenag- er of D.C. Students Speak. A CANADIAN ers in the United States remains a serious CONTENTION appears every other Friday.

QUORUM CALL

Santorum Spices Up GOP Race

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ick Santorum truly intrigues me. Coming off his stunning sweep of the contests in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri last Tuesday, the former Pennsylvania senator is getting a second consideration from many Republican voters. In general, the candidate is perceived as either a conservative savior or a theocratic monster. The true Santorum, I believe, lies somewhere in between.

If you know only one thing about Rick Santorum, it is likely the fact that he is militantly pro-traditional family values. A less elegant way of putting that is that Santorum has made a career of incendiary statements regarding cultural liberalism, reserving his strongest words for homosexuality.

Labeled anti-gay and homophobic by many, Santorum has attempted to emphasize that his opposition to gay marriage cannot be misconstrued as discrimination. When asked in a debate how he would respond to his son theoretically coming out as gay, Santorum replied: “I would love him as much as I did the second before he said it and I would try to do everything I can to be as good a father to him as possible.”

Santorum is more than a just a social conservative icon. He offers a robust defense of the War on Terror and is an unabashed spokesman for neoconservative foreign policy. His economic recovery agenda is nuanced and bold in its focus on recovering lost manufacturing capacity and jobs.

Consistent with the latter emphasis is Santorum’s blue-collar appeal.

As the son of an Italian immigrant, he was raised in coal country in western Pennsylvania. Santorum used his speech on the night of the Iowa caucuses (which he ultimately won, by a narrow margin) as an opportunity to speak of his coal-mining immigrant grandfather, saying:

“Those hands dug freedom for me.”

Santorum will attempt to play up his common-man appeal as a contrast to the popular perception of Romney’s privilege and wealth.

Santorum is unique in his deliverance of substantive policies that demonstrate leadership in diverse arenas. He chaired the Republican Party’s Welfare Reform Task Force in the 1990s and authored the Iran Freedom and Support Act in 2005.

Sam Dulik

Santorum is unique in his deliverance of policies that demonstrate leadership in diverse arenas.

His legislative resume is distinguished by meaningful conservative accomplishments.

Yet that resume in and of itself may be an impediment to his presidential candidacy. Santorum served four years in the House of Representatives, then 12 years in the Senate, during which time he rose to become the party’s third-highest-ranking senator as the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. With Congress’ approval rating now in the single digits, Santorum — a consummate Washington insider — will struggle to harness popular discontent with the government.

Nor is it clear to me that his campaign has the capacity to make a serious shot at the nomination. While his recent victories in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri are not as inconsequential as the Romney campaign would have you believe, they are also not as earth-shattering as the Santorum campaign claims them to be. They are indeed evidence of conservative activists’ malaise for a Romney nomination, but the rock-bottom turnout and non-binding nature of the contests means these victories aren’t enough to constitute the political fuel that could propel the Santorum engine forward.

The true test will come on Feb. 28, when Arizona and Michigan vote in binding and highly consequential primaries. With high-level endorsements and idiosyncratic advantages in both (provided by a large Mormon population in Arizona and his childhood roots in Michigan, where his father was governor), Romney is the presumed frontrunner in each contest. If Santorum can win — or even come close — in at least one, he will go a long way toward disproving the talking heads’ conclusion that he doesn’t have the muscle to win the party nod.

The road ahead will be rough for Santorum. But the next time you hear someone write him off as just a conservative bigot, or a has-been without prospect, remember this: Love him or loathe him, Rick Santorum is a complex and fascinating political figure who is shaking up this presidential election.

Sam Dulik is a junior in the School of Foreign Service. He is the director of special events for the Georgetown University College Republicans. QUORUM CALL appears every other Friday.

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THE HOYA

PAGE FOUR

NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2012

ON NEWSSTANDS AGAIN NEXT FRIDAY The Hoya will not publish an issue Tuesday, Feb. 21 because of the Presidents’ Day holiday. Follow the latest news at thehoya.com.

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya.

IN FOCUS

verbatim

SPOKEN WORD

present “ We [Georgetown]

... as a home within a home.

”

Charlene Brown-McKenzie, the executive director of Georgetown’s Meyers Institute for College Prep, on the university’s outreach efforts to D.C. high school students.

See story on A7.

from

YOUTUBE.COM

SARI FRANKEL/THE HOYA

Caine Prize winner NoViolet Bulawayo read an excerpt from her unpublished novel in Copley Formal Lounge Tuesday night.

Bulawayo’s work addressed social justice issues relating to Zimbabwe, where she was born.

GUSA TAKES TO YOUTUBE Now that GUSA campaiging is in full force, all the tickets have released videos. Of course, that means we have to review them. blog.thehoya.com

85 Norovirus Cases Reported at GWU SARAH KAPLAN Hoya Staff Writer

Eighty-five students at The George Washington University have been diagnosed with norovirus, according to an email alert the university sent to its students Wednesday.

Officials from GWU’s Student Health Service and the D.C. Department of Health announced that cases of gastrointestinal illness that had cropped up on campus this week were caused by the virus.

According the Department of Health, norovirus is highly infectious and can be transmitted via food and hand-tohand contact. Symptoms typically last one to two days but can be severe and include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps.

The GWU alert urged students to take

preventative measures to protect themselves against the virus.

According to the alert, administrators have been unable to pinpoint the source of the infection or determine any trends in its spread. Cases have been identified on the both the main and Mount Vernon campuses and have been reported among students living, studying and dining in a variety of locations.

“No single commonality has been identified to date,” the alert said.

According to GWU freshman David Meni, the virus’s impact has been widespread.

“Most people know someone who is sick or feeling ill,” he said.

A university broadcast email sent to Georgetown students, faculty and staff Thursday night stated that no incidents of the virus have been reported on GU’s campus. But the alert echoed

many of the warnings sent out by GWU officials.

“Students who are not feeling well and experiencing symptoms of severe vomiting and diarrhea should seek medical treatment at the Student Health Center or Georgetown University Hospital,” the email said. “In general, if you feel ill, please use good judgment and refrain from group activities.”

According to the email, additional hand sanitizer dispensers will be set up at various locations around campus and cleaning staff have been asked to pay extra attention to common areas and high-contact surfaces as precautionary measures.

The university said it will continue to send emergency updates as needed.

ward with the process because the two districts are split,” Sticka said.

Sticka plans to hold information sessions outlining what the job entails and how to run for the position. At these sessions, he hopes to gauge potential candidates’ level of interest and prepare them for the election process.

Sticka expressed concern about the District’s requirement that candidates collect 25 signatures from registered voting constituents in their specific SMD in order to appear on the November ballot.

“One thing that really is unfortunate is that the petition period … starts Aug. 3 and runs through Sept. 1, and there aren’t students on campus during that period,” Sticka said.

Freshmen usually run for the ANC position because the term lasts two years and the commissioner must live in his district during his entire time on the commission.

“If any sophomore should want to run, I’d be happy to support them in the process, but I suspect that there won’t be too many that will want to do that,” Sticka said.

Open to any interested and committed students, Sticka said that the ANC student commissioner position requires an open relationship with the Georgetown community, attention to student concerns and the ability to impart these concerns to the ANC. “As a personal voter, I definitely will be looking for people that know how to be in

touch with students,” he said.

In addition to representing university interests, any student commissioner would have to hold his own against the ANC’s six other commissioners representing SMDs in Burleith, Georgetown and Hillandale.

Though the ANC has become a battleground for debate about Georgetown’s 2010 Campus Plan during Sticka’s term, his relationship with his fellow commissioners has been civil.

“We are very respectful of each other even when we have differences of opinion,” Sticka said.

ANC 2E chair Ron Lewis added that despite the tensions, he has always enjoyed a sound working relationship with student commissioners. “[The student commissioners have been] engaged in community affairs, smart, interested and interesting folks, and I really like that. The one wrinkle this year has of course been the Campus Plan, and I wish that the Campus Plan would just go away because … emotions run high and people take positions they have to take and that’s not easy,” Lewis said.

He added that he is confident that Sticka’s recruitment efforts will yield strong candidates.

“I think the system is pretty good at coming up with the right quality of candidates,” Lewis said. “I have no doubt that two great people will come through this election.”

Hoya Staff Writer Matthew Strauss contributed to this report.

CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

The new building, which will house Georgetown’s science programs, is set to be completed in May and open by the start of the fall term.

Regents Construction Sticka to Seek Candidates for ANC Will Finish Early

SARAH PATRICK Hoya Staff Writer

As the end of his term on Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E approaches, Jake Sticka (COL ’13) is set to begin recruiting students to run for the two student seats on the commission up for a vote in November.

Recruited during the spring semester of his freshman year by the previous ANC student commissioner, Sticka has served as the commissioner for Single-Member District 2E04 for two years. He is currently on the transportation committee and is secretary of the commission, a role typically held by the ANC’s student representative.

ANC 2E’s redistricting plan, which passed in December, split the Georgetown area into eight single-member districts, allotting two SMDs to areas inhabited solely by Georgetown students. As a consequence, two students will likely be elected in the upcoming contest.

ANC student commissioners must attend monthly ANC meetings — as well as meetings throughout the city, vote on important issues and speak with constituents and campus media.

Because commissioners must live in the districts they represent, Sticka won’t know who is eligible to run until freshman housing selection ends in the first week of March. “[After March] I’ll know where they are living, which is essential for me to go for-

MEGHAN PATZER Special to The Hoya

Regents Hall, the university’s new science facility, is on track to be completed by May 2012, two months earlier than previously announced.

The building is slated to open for the next academic year with an official ceremony to celebrate staff and distinguished alumni closely involved in the project.

The new facility will offer more study and laboratory space for both undergraduate and graduate students, according to Ali Whitmer, an associate dean of Georgetown College. Instead of having separate spaces for the biology, chemistry and physics departments, faculty members from different areas will have interspersed offices in the hope of promoting interdisciplinary research.

In an effort to be ecologically friendly, the facility includes plans for new green space — a terrace running between the Hariri Building and Regents Hall that will incorporate water capture and reuse technology.

“We will have what we are referring to as a new quad, which will be an open space with plants and lawn,” Whitmer said.

Sustainability is also incorporated

into Regents Hall’s interior design and its heating and cooling system.

“We have included in all elements of construction, design and finishes what we all would call green building practices,” Whitmer said. “The way the windows were designed and the orientation of spaces was planned to take advantage of natural light rather than using electrical lighting.”

The cost of the $93 million LEEDcertified building was defrayed by a $6.9 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The grant was awarded as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in part because the university employed 750 people during the building’s construction and created 28 permanent positions during an economic recession.

Regents Hall was partially funded by the Board of Regents, the board of alumni advisers for whom the building was named.

“The building was named in their honor in recognition of the philanthropy and service they have provided to Georgetown as an entire institution. It is at such a high level that we wanted to honor them in a big way, and this was a way that we could do that,” Whitmer said.

News

friday, february 17, 2012

THE HOYA

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Aid Increases Uncertain BUDGETS, from A1 to extend the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which caps interest rates on student loans at 3.5 percent. The law is due to expire July 1, after which rates would go up to 6.8 percent.

According to Fleming, neither Democrats nor Republicans have made much headway in making sure the act is extended.

“There will be some partisan back-andforth about this and … I am not ready to predict the outcome,” he said.

The budget Obama laid out Monday must be approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate in order to become law. According to Fleming, it could be months before the budget is finalized.

“The current Congress hasn’t exactly been a place where a whole lot has gotten

done,” he said.

During last year’s budget process, Congress passed a series of month-long continuing resolutions to temporarily fund the government after reaching an impasse in April.

“There’s a pretty general assumption that a lot of the work of Congress is going to get done in a lame duck session [after the elections in November],” Fleming said.

“Those of us who do things like I do might be spending Christmas Eve on Capitol Hill,” he added jokingly.

Fleming said he will continue to work to increase the amount of funding allocated toward student aid programs.

“So much of this is so important to Georgetown students,” he said. “At a time when we are doing so much here to help low-income students … I don’t want to see anything stand in the way of our being able to do even more of that.”

DC Seeks Budget Control Alex Styer

Special to The Hoya

COURTESY MEGAN KIRBY

Megan Kirby and her husband James were married while she was enrolled at Georgetown so that she would be guaranteed military spouse benefits when he was deployed to Iraq.

Students Face Unique Challenges After Early Marriage Vows MARRIED from A1 In addition to balancing academia with married life, students said they often have to jump through hoops to secure resources like financial aid because they are no longer considered dependents of their parents.

“It was so odd, because most people don’t have to think, ‘Before I get married, let me talk to my financial aid advisor,’” Hernandez said.

Married students also face unique roadblocks in securing campus housing, because the university’s Code of Student Conduct prohibits cohabitation. “[Georgetown housing] is hesitant to provide married students housing because they don’t want to provide de facto housing for your spouse as well,” Hernandez said.

For both women, perhaps the biggest challenge of their relationships is balancing their

identities as college students with their responsibilities as spouses.

“It’s like you’re stuck in this limbo, middle place,” Kirby said.

Hernandez agreed.

“The biggest challenge is really trying to live the college lifestyle,” she said.

“Especially being a female, guys try to tip-toe around me.

But I’m just a regular person. I don’t have cooties. I’m the same as everyone else, just on a different path.”

President Obama’s proposed fiscal year 2013 budget contains provisions for D.C.’s spending to become independent of the federal government, marking a major victory for local politicians who have long called for greater District autonomy.

“Consistent with the principle of home rule, it is the administration’s view that the District’s local budget should be authorized to take effect without a separate annual federal appropriations bill,” the president wrote in the appendix to his proposal.

“The administration will work with Congress and the mayor to pass legislation to amend the D.C. Home Rule Act to provide the District with local budget autonomy.”

With this legislation, Obama fulfills a promise he made to Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) to help pass a D.C. budget autonomy bill at Georgetown University’s annual Let Freedom Ring Celebration last month.

“The president’s budget supported budget autonomy last year, but this is the first time he also included language committing to work on the bill,” Norton wrote in a press release.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) drafted a bill in support of budget autonomy this past November, but it was rejected by District officials because it included a provision that prohibited local spending on abortion services for lowincome women.

However, Norton said she would work with Issa to redraft the bill. Both agree that the final legislation should be largely free of such controversial clauses.

“We started with an issue where both parties have had some disagreement, and through fruitful discussions, ended with a piece of legislation that is very close to a bill that D.C. can support,” Norton said.

Because D.C.’s budget requires congressional approval as part of the federal budget process, a federal government shutdown would necessitate a municipal shutdown — something that came close to happening several times last year.

Obama’s proposed budget also includes language to prevent municipal services from closing down in the event of a federal shutdown. The amendment would ensure that basic services, including police work and ambulance services, would not be disrupted in case of a government closure. “[D.C.] is the only place in the country where once the city council — and the mayor in our case because there is no governor of the District of Columbia — do their work and make their budget decisions with D.C. tax dollars, they still can’t go ahead until Congress does, and it is not unusual for Congress to be late getting these appropriations done,” Georgetown’s Associate Vice President for Federal Relations Scott Fleming said.

According to Fleming, the proposal is a major victory for both the District and the university.

“It is very important … to the university to see this kind of change happen,” he said.

PUZZLES BRAIN TEASERS If you have two pieces of string that will each burn for one hour but at different rates (so burning half of the string does not necessarily mean half an hour has passed) and a lighter, how can you use them to measure 45 minutes?

Using only a four-minute hourglass and a seven-minute hourglass, measure exactly nine minutes — without taking longer than nine minutes.

SUDOKU Fill in the grid so that each row, column and square contains all digits 1-9.

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS DECODAQUOTE:

“The pen is mightier than the sword.

And considerably easier to write with.”

-Marty Feldman

SUDOKU:

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”

-Henry Ford

Kate Sciamanna/THE HOYA

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news

THE HOYA

friday, february 17, 2012

Research Yields Life Findings GUSA VP Candidates Set Platforms Apart in Debate Nicholas Fedyk Special to The Hoya

By pairing undergraduate students with faculty members to conduct innovative research projects, the growing Georgetown Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program aims to take students beyond textbook learning.

“Working in the lab helps me apply many of the techniques I learned in class,” Mathew Hoffmann (COL ’14), who is researching methanol fuel cells, said. “We’re working with alternative energy sources and breaking new ground. It’s very exciting to be a part of something so important and so new.”

The program, founded in 1966, helps professors to mentor students.

“The best thing about our program is the strong studentfaculty relationships that develop,” GUROP Director Sonia Jacobson, who helped found the program, said. “Research often occurs over the course of more than one semester, which gives students an incredible opportunity to develop and learn

through first-hand work.”

This semester, 170 students are conducting research through GUROP, which is now housed under the Georgetown Office of Fellowships, Awards and Research. About half of these undergraduates are biology, chemistry or physics majors, while the other half are social science majors.

For upperclassmen, involvement in GUROP also has practical benefits. Research experience is especially valuable in the current job market, according to Lauren Tuckley, the research resource coordinator in GOFAR “It’s a vital asset to have research experience that supplements your coursework,” Tuckley said. “The skill set acquired from participating in scholarly research is invaluable in the marketplace.”

While GUROP provides valuable research experience for undergraduate students, both Jacobson and Tuckley believe that its full potential has not yet been realized. The pair is currently developing a new, searchable database that will streamline the application pro-

cess.

GOFAR is also implementing a new outreach group, the Undergraduate Research Ambassadors, to stimulate interest in research and to increase the program’s visibility on campus.

“We are trying to get students to consider careers that they would not have considered otherwise,” Jacobson said.

“Instead of moving on to the State Department or medical school, some students become convinced that pursuing a Ph.D and performing research is a more suitable career.”

Tyler White (COL ’14), a psychology major working in the Georgetown Autism and Communication Disorders Clinic, came to such a conclusion after conducting research through GUROP. “For the past few months, as I have been reading through dozens of clinical reports, I’ve been paging through documents that profoundly reflect and affect people’s lives,” he said.

“Playing a hand in the development of scientific knowledge is something I would love to spend the rest of my life doing.”

COURTESY GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

The administration released updated renderings of the plans for the Athletic Training Facility, to be constructed next to McDonough Arena, in a meeting with campus media Thursday.

University Will Submit Revised ATF Plans to OGB ATF, from A1 The ground floor is intended to provide practice space, office suites and locker rooms for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, while the lower level will include a weight room, training room, equipment room, team meeting space and additional locker rooms for other student athletes.

Current plans estimate that the ATF will cost $55 million, which will be drawn from the $125 million allocated to intercollegiate athletics in the university’s current capital campaign.

“We feel good about the

projected building, how it looks, where it is, who it will serve,” Director of Athletics Lee Reed said.

The facility was originally added to the 2000 Campus Plan as an amendment in 2006, when it was approved by the Zoning Commission.

The project was halted, however, during the 2008 economic downturn.

When work resumed on major projects in 2009, Regents Hall was the university’s primary focus. With that building slated for completion in May, the ATF will soon become the administration’s priority.

Although initial plans for

the ATF were approved by the Old Georgetown Board in 2006, they must be reconsidered because the time period originally set for beginning construction has expired.

According to Reed, the last major construction project to affect university athletics was McDonough Arena, completed in 1951. Since then, the number of student athletes has increased from 100 to 750 and the number of varsity teams from nine to 29.

“It will certainly improve every single sport and touch every single student athlete in our athletic program,” Reed said.

DPS BLOTTER Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012 Unlawful Entry, Copley Hall, 9 a.m.

A student reported that her room was unlawfully entered by an unknown person.

Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012 Theft, New South, 1:55 p.m.

A student reported that his unattended cellular phone was taken from a restroom.

Harassment, Kennedy Hall, 8:53 a.m.

A student reported receiving numerous text messages from an unknown source which were obscene and graphic in nature.

Theft, Hariri Building, 10:30 a.m.

A staff member reported a missing desk which was last seen in a stairwell.

Friday, Feb. 10, 2012 Drug Violation, Darnall Hall, 12 a.m.

DPS officers investigating a suspicious odor recovered drugs

and alcohol from students in a dormitory. The case has been referred to student conduct.

Theft, Davis Performing Arts Center, 2 p.m.

A student reported that his bicycle was stolen from the bicycle rack.

Theft, Pre-Clinical Science Building, 2 p.m.

The complainant reported that his laptop was stolen from out of his locker. The case is under investigation.

Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012

Theft, Hariri Building, 3:37 p.m.

A student reported that his iPhone was stolen from a desk.

Urinating in Public, Leavey Center Parking Garage, 1:29 a.m.

DPS and MPD made contact with an alumnus who was found inebriated and urinating in public.

Drug Violation, New South, 9:30 p.m.

DPS officers investigating a suspicious odor, seized drugs from a dormitory. The case has been referred to student conduct.

Theft, Alumni Square, 2:08 a.m.

A student reported that property was stolen out of her purse while she attended a party.

Sunday, Feb.12, 2012

Urinating in Public, Henle Village, 2:30 a.m.

DPS and MPD officers observed a non-affiliated individual urinating in public. The person was officially barred from campus

Threats to do Bodily Harm, LXR, 2:46 a.m.

A student reported to DPS and MPD that a delivery driver made threatening comments to him after the student refused to give the driver a tip.

The blotter is compiled weekly by the Department of Public Safety.

Sam Rodman Hoya Staff Writer

The seven Georgetown University Student Association vice presidential candidates advocated their tickets’ respective platforms Wednesday in a debate largely centered on GUSA’s interaction with other student groups.

Taking the stage in a packed White-Gravenor classroom, the candidates generally shied away from the rhetoric of their running mates in favor of outlining their specific proposals.

GUSA’s influence over student groups was a point raised in Sunday’s presidential debate, but the topic became a major theme of the questions directed toward the vice presidential candidates.

Candidates disagreed on whether GUSA should subsidize room reservation fees that groups must pay to the Office of Campus Activity Facilities. GUSA Director of Executive Outreach Maggie Cleary (COL ’14) and Lauren Weber (COL ’13), a member of The Hoya’s board of directors, defended the policy. The budget laid out by Cleary and her running mate, Finance and Appropriations Committee Chair Colton Malkerson (COL ’13), covers OCAF subsidies.

Weber and her running mate John Morris (COL ‘13) have proposed allowing groups to apply to the GUSA Fund, through which student organizations can apply for additional funding throughout the semester, for money to help defray reservation costs.

GUSA senator Sheila Walsh (COL ’14), running with Senate Vice Speaker Nate Tisa (COL ’14), disagreed and argued that student activities fee funding should be controlled by student groups themselves. Senator Vail Kohnert-Yount (COL ’13), on a ticket with senator Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13), acknowledged her own struggles with OCAF during her tenure as chair of the College Democrats but expressed concern that GUSA’s OCAF subsidies would not be distributed equally across organizations.

“The best people to equitably distribute that money would be the student groups themselves,” Kohnert-Yount said.

Men’s basketball point guard Markel Starks (COL ’14), who is running on a ticket with senator Daniel LaMagna (COL ’13), failed to produce a substantive response about OCAF subsidies and was unable to address the similarity of his ticket’s proposed Georgetown smartphone application to one currently being development by the university. He did, however, raise the point that students must also pitch in to improve campus life, suggesting that the campus rat problem could be avoided if students living in apartments took out their trash more frequently.

Candidates were also asked how they would aid the sports and arts communities if elected. Kohnert-Yount emphasized the necessity of increased space for these communities and more efficient use of the space that they currently have.

GUSA Secretary of Information and Technology Michael Crouch (MSB ’13) suggested that the arts community is somewhat isolated from the rest of the student body, something that his ticket hopes to combat through an outdoor concert by student performers. Crouch, who is running with GUSA Director of Special Projects Tyler Sax (COL ’13), also called for increased alumni

CHRISTINA LING FOR THE HOYA

GUSA VP candidates discussed the role of the executive branch at the debate Wednesday.

engagement with the arts community. Sax and Crouch have proposed a program to strengthen the relationship between clubs and alumni.

All candidates expressed an interest in enhancing diversity-related outreach. Weber promised to engage both well-known diversity organizations such as the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access and niche groups like the Caribbean Culture Circle. Kohnert-Yount, a member of the only all-female ticket in the campaign, proposed reaching out to diversity organizations and encouraging members to run for positions in GUSA. Michael Appau (COL ’13), who is running with GUSA Fund Chair Murphy Kate Delaney (COL ’13), hopes to better publicize the diversity-related programs that GUSA offers. He also stressed the importance of diversity within the GUSA executive branch.

“By making diversity open at the top, people will be willing to approach us more easily,” Appau said.

Candidates concluded the debate by reiterating the qualities of their platforms that set their tickets apart.

Cleary emphasized her ticket’s experience and connections within the university administration, as well as her platform’s relevance to student concerns.

Crouch and Appau both expressed interest in raising awareness of GUSA by better engaging students. Kohnert-Yount advocated for an executive branch with a foundation in Jesuit values as well as community and diversity, while Weber said her ticket would strive to ensure that students felt at home from the moment they stepped on campus.

Walsh emphasized the importance of working collaboratively with advisory boards and other student-led groups.

“We’ll work with organizations like the [Student Group Union], people who are autonomous but will feed us ideas for which we can then advocate,” she said.

Starks promised, if elected, to stay involved with GUSA via Skype when his team is on the road.

“We’re all in,” he said.

news

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THE HOYA

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GU Mobile App Prototype Released Conference Funds Spark Club Drama Margaret Viator Hoya Staff Writer

The university has developed a prototype for a mobile application that could soon become a one-stop shop for many student services.

University Information Services and the Office of the Chief Operating Officer partnered with Modo Labs, a technology design company whose mobile platform has already been adopted by Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brown University, to design the product.

The apps will serve to connect student resources, like current Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle arrival times.

The development team is also working on a campus directory through which students will be able to access emergency resources, campus maps, O’Donovan Hall menus, campus events, the school calendar and contact information for students, faculty and staff.

“What is exciting about working with Modo is that it gives us the framework to leverage a lot of apps that students here and at other universities have already created, apps catered specifically towards student needs, and pull them in and build upon our framework,” University Chief Information Officer Lisa Davis said at a Hoya Roundtable Wednesday in O’Donovan Hall.

Eventually, the team hopes to be able to include features such as a laundry tracker, which would require extra technology to be installed within existing laundry appliances, and a GPS locator for SafeRides.

According to Davis, the developers may soon allow students to submit apps that could be added to the pre-existing platform.

“There is innovation already occurring in the student body,” she said. “We want to figure out how we can leverage that innovation with what you are already doing.”

According to Georgetown University Student Association Secretary of Information and Technology Michael Crouch, the idea

for a smartphone app sprang from conversations between students and University Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Chris Augostini.

“The conversation we had was based around how we saw long-term IT strategy developing for the university,” Crouch said.

“That conversation turned into a number of different discussions in order to try and get this prototype off the ground.”

Although a prototype of the app has been developed, a timeline for the release of a final version has not been determined.

According to Davis, the app will be compatible with iPhones, iPads, Macbooks and Droids and is designed to provide a way to improve student life and resources at Georgetown.

“The idea is to funnel all of your ideas and suggestions in order to figure out how technology can reshape your experience here at Georgetown,” she said. “Ultimately, we are making the right decisions and taking the next steps here at Georgetown.”

Georgetown Recruits Close to Home Adrianna Smith Hoya Staff Writer

While some students spend several hours and hundreds of dollars travelling to visit their families back home, Darryl Robinson (COL ’15) lives only a 10-minute bus ride away.

“It feels like every day, when I get up, I’m not at Georgetown,” Robinson said. “I don’t feel like anything has changed since I’ve lived in my room at home.”

Robinson, who applied to Georgetown as a neurobiology major and hopes to transfer to the School of Nursing and Health Studies, graduated from César Chávez Public Charter High School for Public Policy in Ward 7.

Although Georgetown became his top choice once he had researched his options, Robinson had never even heard of the university before his junior year of high school.

As the D.C. public school system struggles with a graduation rate hovering around 50 percent and massive achievement gaps among students in underserved neighborhoods, attending college is a distant dream for some of its students.

A STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVE After having friends and teachers encourage him to apply to Georgetown, Robinson attended information sessions offered by the Ward 7 Initiative, a program that links current undergraduate students with prospective students from D.C. high schools.

To his knowledge, Robinson is the first student to be accepted to Georgetown from his high school.

While there are few other students from D.C. in the freshman class, he has enjoyed meeting other locals, including students from the first graduating class of Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School, which focuses on serving low-income students. The school is located in Takoma Park, Md., but affiliated with the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. Jessica Palencia (COL ’15) is one of three Don Bosco alums at Georgetown.

Palencia had grown familiar with the Georgetown campus long before she arrived in the fall through Don Bosco’s Corporate Work Study Program, which helps high school students to gain professional work experience and earn money to pay for a portion of their education. Palencia is now in her fourth year working for the Office of the University President.

INDEX

Though she initially didn’t want to attend college close to home, Palencia still thinks she’s getting the full college experience.

“I don’t feel like I’m being deprived of anything,” she said. “I’m getting to explore the city and learn things about it that I never knew before, like social justice issues.”

She said she’s thankful to be close to the support systems that she grew up with.

“I think it’s the fact that my school is Cristo Rey that I have so many close relationships and connections.”

Robinson, who tries to see his family about every other week, acknowledged that he sometimes feels slightly too close to home, especially when his two younger sisters pressure him to spend time with them.

“They are always texting me and calling me, trying to go out, trying to make me go back home, [even] when I have to study for a test,” he said.

At times, Robinson feels like he never left home, but in other ways, his life at Georgetown has been a complete change from the environment he was used to.

“I was never in a situation where the majority of people around me cared about going to classes as much as Georgetown students,” he said. “But just to see that everyone has the same mindset, they want to succeed in life and they’re not willing to let things go in the hands of fate, it’s amazing to me.”

STUDENTS REACH OUT Georgetown students have launched several mentoring and tutoring programs that work with the most underserved communities in D.C., aiming to expose students to college and the importance of higher education.

The Meyers Institute for College Prep, which is run by the university’s Center for Multicultural Equity and Access, works with local middle and high school students to help prepare them for college.

Each Saturday morning, MICP holds classes on Georgetown’s campus for students from a variety of at-risk schools to immerse them in a collegiate atmosphere.

“We bring Georgetown to the community and present it as a rich, vibrant campus that is a home within a home,” Executive Director of the MICP Charlene Brown-McKenzie (COL ’95) said.

Since the MICP was founded in 1989, six of its students have come to Georgetown as undergraduates and successfully graduated within four to five years, according to

Brown-McKenzie.

The Georgetown University Math & Science Hands-On Enrichment program, one of several student organizations at work in Wards 7 and 8, stresses the importance of college to its participants.

Angiela Sivakumar (COL ’13), secretary of GUMSHOE, said having members of the university engage with the community makes college seem like a more tangible option.

“Students are able to interact with undergraduates and get a sense of what college is like,” she said.

Strive for College, a national organization that recently launched a chapter at Georgetown, pairs college students with students from disadvantaged high schools to help them navigate the college application process.

“Many low-income students are completely qualified to go to college but don’t have the resources or support to go through the application process,” Brigid McCurdy (COL ’14), director of public relations, marketing and fundraising, wrote in an email.

RECRUITING FROM WITHIN Through its admissions process, the university has several programs to address the underrepresentation of D.C. residents on campus.

Kamilah Holder is senior assistant director of undergraduate admissions and coordinator of African-American recruitment.

She also heads recruitment efforts for D.C. and serves as the first point of contact for local students learning about Georgetown.

“It’s really important that we are representative … of the world, and we wouldn’t be an accurate picture if we did not have students that represented the variety of different backgrounds and perspectives that come with being a native Washingtonian,” Holder said.

Holder said that there is great diversity in the types of students from D.C. due to the District’s diverse array of school systems — public and private, charter and independent. The university has longstanding relationships with some schools in the city and is forming new ties with others.

“John Carroll faces outward to D.C. … Our connection to D.C. and having D.C. students be a part of that community is very important,” she said. “We aren’t Georgetown without D.C.”

CLASSIFIEDS

MISCELLANEOUS

800

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Classes will take place Wednesday & Thursday, February 22-23, 2012, from 5:30-7:30pm at the Centre de Danse, #13254 Prospect Street NW, Washington, DC 20007. Each class is $25. Some dance background preferred. Please call 202.337.0268 for more information.

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Annie Chen

Hoya Staff Writer

The presidents of College Democrats and College Republicans will meet with administrators, the Student Activities Commission and GUSA today to resolve a debate about funding for student groups to attend political conventions.

The issue was first raised when College Republicans requested money from the Georgetown University Student Association Fund to attend last week’s Conservative Political Action Conference in D.C. The club applied for funding from GUSA after SAC refused to cover the event registration fees, according to club Chair Maggie Cleary (COL ’14).

However, after the request was approved by GUSA, Cleary received an email from SAC Chair Jack Appelbaum (COL ’14) explaining that SAC could neither authorize the organization to spend the money nor provide permission to attend the conference as a representative of Georgetown University.

“The commission considered it, and then we deferred to university officials and the [Office of] University Counsel,” Appelbaum said. “Based on their interpretation and judgment of the policy, we asserted that it would be a violation of the policy and the commission couldn’t authorize them to go.”

Georgetown operates as a tax-exempt institution under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, which prohibits the university from engaging in or supporting any partisan political activity.

The Conservation Political Action Conference, or CPAC, was organized by the American Conservation Union Foundation, which aims to promote conservative education and is also registered under Section 501(c)(3).

“Read the headlines on

[the CPAC] website,” Associate Vice President for Federal Relations Scott Fleming said, justifying the university’s decision. “I would suspect anybody looking at the headlines that came out of this conference could have left with the impression that it was partisan political activity.”

Cleary, however, disagreed that the fees would fund a partisan political committee or candidates.

“The money for registration fees was going to the American Conservative Union that runs CPAC every year,” she said.

According to Appelbaum, the rule has been applied evenly to both College Democrats and College Republicans.

“I know one of the things that the university administrators did was to look back in history to see what SAC has funded, and they couldn’t find any other evidence of funding for an event of this nature that passed,” he said.

The College Democrats have not received funding to go to national conferences in recent years, but would like to attend the College Democrats of America annual conference this year, according to club Chair Joseph Vandegriff (COL ’14).

Several members of the College Republicans ultimately decided to register for the conference as individuals unaffiliated with the university. Fleming said he supported the university’s decision to withhold funding for the event, but was pleased that the students chose to attend on their own.

“It is our goal, to the extent we can, to find a way for you to do what you want to do in your organizations … within the constraints of the law,” Fleming said. “My understanding is that it didn’t stop anybody from going to CPAC. I’m glad they got to do it and it didn’t dust up our tax-exempt status.”

GPB Spring Concert Set for March 30 in McDonough Arena CONCERT, from A1 committee and an additional volunteer core of about a dozen students. These students act as representatives for the student body, suggesting artists that they think will be well received.

While the committee conducted a school-wide survey last spring in order to gauge student responses to certain artists, the current GPB board feels it was not a helpful tool in securing a performer and raising student interest in the

concert.

“The survey didn’t help much, and it wasn’t realistic,” Simpson said.

Henderson, who is in his first term as GPB concert chair, believes the annual spring concert will continue to improve in the future as donations from campus groups increase and planning is more efficiently executed.

“Hopefully in following years we can make serious changes to make the concert a bigger and better deal,” he said.

A8

sports

THE HOYA

BASEBALL

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Ravnaas Looks to Lead Offense at Charleston Kyle Franco Hoya Staff Writer

While most of the country is still feeling the effects of winter, mild-weathered Charleston, S.C., is ready for baseball. This weekend the Hoyas — led by preseason all-Big East outfielder Rand Ravnaas — travel to Charleston to kick off their season with a three-game series against Charleston Southern University.

The Hoyas, who finished last season 23-33, will look to Ravnaas to lead the offensive charge against Charleston Southern. The senior outfielder is fresh off a junior campaign in which he posted a team-high five home runs and .352 batting average, along with 37 RBI and 26 stolen bases.

In order for the Hoyas to hit the ground running like last year, when they started 7-3, they will have to rely on some new faces to compliment Ravnaas’s production. With the graduation of Georgetown career home-run record holder Sean Lamont and Washington Nationals prospect Erick Fernandez, Georgetown has gaping holes in the heart of its lineup.

To fill those holes, sophomore Steve Anderson slides into the first base slot while junior Trevor Matern mans the hot corner.

Despite these changes in the middle of the order, Head Coach Pete Wilk still has a lethal threesome atop the lineup. Besides Ravnaas, the Hoyas return junior outfielder Justin Leeson and redshirt junior shortstop Mike Garza.

Garza, a Stanford transfer, had an impressive first year for the Hoyas, lead-

friday, february 17, 2012

ing the team with 39 RBI. Leeson had an equally successful season in his first year of full-time action. Hitting leadoff, Leeson offered an impressive combination of agility and power. The viability of the Georgetown lineup will hinge upon these three bats.

This weekend, the Hoyas should have no problem getting their bats going.

Charleston Southern compiled a 29-30 record last season, relying on a potent, yet streaky offense. Although their lineup frequently posted double-digit run totals, the pitching staff struggled keep above-average hitters at bay. This season the Buccaneers return most of their big bats but still lack the dominant starter they so desperately need. In order for Georgetown to take this first weekend series, the pitching staff and bullpen will have stand tall.

To counter the Bucs’ batters, Wilk will turn to junior lefty Thomas Polus on Friday and senior righty Will Harris on Saturday. Sunday’s starter has not been announced, but there is chance that the 6-5 true freshman right-hander Will Brown could make his first career Georgetown start.

If the Hoyas are in a bind heading into the ninth, expect them to turn to their redshirt senior closer Pablo Vinent, who posted a dominant 1.94 ERA last season.

If Georgetown pitchers can avoid giving up the big innings that have sunk them in the past, the Hoyas should fare well against a formidable Charleston Southern squad.

First pitch for Friday’s game is slated for 2 p.m. at CSU Ballpark.

women’s basketbaLL

FILE PHOTO: Web Leslie/The Hoya

Starks is averaging 8.1 points per game on 47.9 percent shooting his sophomore season. If elected GUSA vice president, he says he plans on staying in touch while on the road via Skype.

Point Guard Makes Run forVP STARKS, from A10 that he “didn’t want to play the numbers game” — Starks approached his questions with a matter-of-fact tone and used humor to win over the audience.

“He did a pretty good job,” junior forward Hollis Thompson said. “I think he’s going to make a very good politician one day. He’s well poised, he knows what he’s talking about [and] he seems to be very passionate about it.”

Head Coach John Thompson III appeared somewhat less enthusiastic about Starks’ candidacy.

“Students have extracurriculars, and sometimes they pursue them,” he said.

Starks brushed off a moderator’s question about his ability to manage the major time commitments of Division I men’s basketball and participation

in student government, citing Skype and YouTube as methods he would use, if elected, to stay in touch with the student body, even while on the road.

“It’s not taking anything away from schoolwork or basketball. I wouldn’t have done it if it was taking away from that,” he said.

Starks is not the first men’s basketball player to run for vice president. Senior center Henry Sims ran last year alongside former GU Improv President Jed Feiman (COL ’12), garnering 39.4 percent of the vote in the final round of the election and finishing in second place to Meaney and Laverriere. Despite the loss, Sims still had a few words of wisdom to impart upon his younger teammate.

“I just told him to enjoy it, have fun. These chances don’t come around too often,” Sims said. “I think it’s something

he plans to do in the future as well. You learn from it, but stay focused at the same time.”

While opposing candidates may be able to school the point guard in the Xs and Os of budget policies, neighborhood relations and university bureaucracy, Wednesday night showed that Starks has a natural talent for political rhetoric.

That, combined with the name recognition he provides for his ticket, might propel Starks to a better finish than some expect. And even if he doesn’t win the GUSA vice presidency, the sophomore might have a bright future in politics.

“He had the whole room laughing,” senior guard Jason Clark said. “I’ve never really seen that part of Markel, but last night made me realize that he will be very successful in life, basketball or not basketball.”

SOFTBALL

GU Preps for Tournament in SC FILE PHOTO: CHRIS BIEN/The Hoya

Senior point guard Rubylee Wright scored 12 points and handed out four assists in Georgetown’s win over Villanova. The Hoyas play host to Providence next.

Rachael Augostini

Hoya Defense Closes Out Wildcats With 17-6 Run

After opening the season by splitting a set of four games, the Georgetown softball team (2-2) will travel to Spartansburg, S.C., this weekend for a tournament hosted by USC-Upstate.

The Hoyas will open the tournament with a game against UNC-Wilmington (11) Friday evening. They face George Mason (1-3) and Howard (0-3) in a doubleheader on Saturday and finish the tournament Sunday against host USC-Upstate (3-0).

After an inconsistent showing last season, the Hoyas hope to get into a better rhythm this year. Georgetown scored a total of 22 runs in the opening tournament at Elon but lacked consistency, being outscored by a total of 15-2 in its two losses.

“Consistency is the key,” Head Coach Pat Conlan said. “Our goal is to bring the same effort, energy and intensity to the field each game.”

Wins by large margins last weekend reinforced the idea that the Blue and Gray’s offense has talent. But they will continue to struggle to win games unless they can bring an elevated level of offensive and defensive toughness to every contest.

Georgetown’s pitching staff will need to mimic its perfor-

NOVA, from A10 Villanova’s] spread offense very long in the half-court.”

As is the case in most games, junior guard Sugar Rodgers paced Georgetown with 19 points. But she got muchneeded help from senior point guard Rubylee Wright, who had a strong game with 12 points and four assists.

Sophomore forward Andrea White posted seven rebounds, while senior forward Adria Crawford and Rodgers each had six.

The Wildcats came out of the gate strong, led by junior forward Laura Sweeney. Sweeney scored eight points in the early goings to help Villanova attain a 13-10 lead with 12 minutes left in the first half.

However, from that point on the Hoyas were able to do a good job of containing Sweeney, the Wildcats’ most prolific scorer and rebounder. Georgetown outscored Villanova, 17-6, in the final 12 minutes to take a 27-19 lead going into intermission.

“We tried to trap [Sweeney] and to get the ball out of her hands,” WilliamsFlournoy said.

Villanova fought back early in the second half, cutting its deficit to two points with 13 minutes left to play.

However, the Blue and Gray responded with a pair of treys from Rodgers and four points from senior guard Alexa Roche to push the score to 42-32 with eight minutes to play. Overall, the Hoyas shot an impressive 50 percent from beyond the arc.

But the Wildcats would not go down without a fight. The group stayed feisty and cut the lead in the final minutes of the game, coming to within three points with 30 seconds left to play.

However, clutch free throws from Rodgers and Wright put the game out of reach and sent the Hoyas out of The Pavilion with a win.

“We just had to stay disciplined in what we were doing,” Wright said of her team’s effort during the game. “We had to make a consistent effort to get out there and contest the three and push the ball in transition whenever we got the chance.”

The Hoyas return to action this Saturday when they take on Providence at home. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at McDonough Arena.

Hoya Staff Writer

mance in the win against North Carolina Central last Sunday, when three pitchers gave three solid performances contributing to the win.

Senior Mackensey Carter leads Georgetown’s pitching staff.

Carter has been a key piece for the Hoyas in all of her seasons on the Hilltop and remains the team’s most consistent pitcher.

There are also other options on the pitching staff, but the rotation remains in flux.

“We will spend the next few weeks evaluating our pitching staff so we can develop a solid rotation for Big East play,” Conlan said.

To make up for its uncertainty on the mound, Georgetown’s offense will have to step up. Led by senior infielder Cara Savarese, the Blue and Gray have four players hitting .400 or higher after four games.

In order for the Hoyas to come away with wins this weekend, the offense will need to consistently produce runs and give the pitchers the insurance they need.

“If we make solid contact and put the ball in play, we will be able to put pressure on the defense and make things happen offensively,” Conlan said.

The Hoyas certainly have a chance to improve their record this weekend in South Carolina, facing three teams that have struggled at the start of their

seasons.

The most challenging game for the Hoyas this weekend will be against the home team, as the Spartans are off to a 3-0 start.

USC-Upstate sophomore pitcher Hannah Alexander was key for the Spartans in all three of their wins and was named the Atlantic Sun Conference pitcher of the week.

The other teams appear to be a step down from the hosts.

UNC-Wilmington split a pair last weekend with Georgetown victim North Carolina Central.

The Seahawks, however, are an experienced team. Their roster includes seven seniors, including infielder Ashley Shingleton, who blasted two home runs in her squad’s first game.

Crosstown rival Howard should be an easier out for Georgetown. The Bison have yet to win a game this season and have been outscored 25-4 in their three games. George Mason’s record is poor, but it may not adequately reflect their talent. The Patriots kept the games close in two of their three losses.

“I expect that we will be better then we were last weekend,” Conlan said. “This season is a marathon, not a sprint, so it is important that we make progress every time we step out on the field.”

The Hoyas start tonight against UNC-Wilmington at 6 p.m.

Sports

FRIday, february 17, 2012

Playoffs Will End ‘Linsanity’ I why this enthusiasm should be dampened.

It’s easy to get caught up in the craze that surrounds Lin, as American sports fans are quick to pick up on the latest catchphrase, like Tim Tebow’s “Tebowmania” or Fernando Valenzuela’s “Fernandomania.” But getting caught up in “Linsanity” could result in quick disappointment. Lin does have the most points of any player in his first five starts in the NBA since the merger, but he also has the most turnovers of any player in the same span.

As it stands, Lin leads the league

Corey Blaine

Lin may be sensational when scoring, but he can be a bit of a liability at point guard. in eight-turnover games with just six starts under his belt. The trend here? Lin may be sensational when scoring, but he can be a bit of a liability at point guard, a position tasked with getting the ball to playmakers on the wings and in the post.

Last year’s NBA finalists, the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks, both succeeded despite a lack of a strong point guard, and the 2010 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers started the creaky Derek Fisher at point guard. As the league progresses, the current trend may be toward dynamic point guards like Derrick Rose and Chris Paul, but champion-

ships are still won with strong frontcourt play.

From this point, Knicks fans need to proceed with caution to avoid the inevitable heartbreak.

It’s undeniable that Lin has been awesome, but he’s unfortunately not the savior the team needs, and his impressive averages may be just the result of a small sample size. His points per game are inflated due to a combination of the absence of superstars Anthony and Stoudemire and the use of Mike D’Antoni’s run-and-gun offense. However, he will still function well on a team that unfortunately does not have the pieces or depth needed to reach the finals.

Against the athleticism of the Miami Heat or the strong play of Derrick Rose and the Bulls, Lin’s turnovers will undoubtedly become an issue as he moves from a regular-season sensation to a postseason liability. For now though, Linsanity has brought excitement back to MSG. For a fan base that still posted the 10th-best attendance in the league during the last year of Isaiah Thomas’ miserable tenure, Lin’s playmaking abilities have to be celebrated like a gift that has just fallen into the lap of Spike Lee in the front row. He has characters like Floyd Mayweather discussing his talent and the league commissioner commenting on his play, proving that the buzz is finally back in the Garden for something other than the Big East tournament.

While it lasts, Linsanity will be entertaining and certainly bring popularity to Knicks basketball.

However, New York fans should keep in mind their recent Super Bowl win when the bottom inevitably falls out for the Knicks this postseason against the more seasoned Eastern Conference teams.

Corey Blaine is a junior in the McDonough School of Business. THE BLEACHER SEATS appears every Friday.

TRACK & field

Women Target Title in NYC TRACK from A10 but it’s definitely a weekend we were pointing toward,” Henner said.

Heading toward the championship weekend, the Blue and Gray are backing off the training in order to rest up. The team is focusing on staying relaxed and poised.

“We didn’t train that hard this week, and now we just stand rested,” Henner said. “I’m very pleased. … It really shows we’re coming along.”

Georgetown traditionally scores the bulk of its points in the hurdles, but this year, that task may prove daunting given the level of competition. Henner is looking for the Hoyas to pick up points in the relays, middle-distance and long-distance events.

“The Big East has moved for-

ward, especially in hurdles,” Henner said. “[Graduate student] Jarret Eaton [of Syracuse] is one of the best hurdlers in the history of the sport. [Our hurdlers] are definitely going to have to bring down their times if they want to score some points.”

The men will be without freshman Tyler Smith, who was expected to score points for Georgetown in the Big East championship.

Meanwhile, graduate student Toby Ulm will be limited to just the relay events, as he is still recovering from a sore hip.

But the Hoyas will be working off the momentum they built up this past weekend as they move closer to the championships.

“I think [the athletes] are feeling good and are ready to go,” Henner said. “We’re going to

go in there and compete really hard, and I’m confident we can do really well. The women will be right up there competing for a title, but I think everyone we’re taking is primed and ready to go.”

Because so much of success in track is attributed to successful training, the athletes need to be ready at this point in the season in order to do well.

Strategy on race day is tailored to each athlete — not the entire team — so the mentality going forward must be positive if the Hoyas want to be successful this weekend.

“Staying relaxed and having fun competing [is] a huge part of it,” Henner said. “All the work’s done, and a vast majority of the coaching is done. And now, it’s on the athletes to go out and execute.”

A9

women’s basketball

The BLEACHER SEATS

t’s only been six games, but Spike Lee and the thousands of other fans that flock to Madison Square Garden may finally have something to believe in.

The sensational play of Jeremy Lin, the 6-foot-3 point guard out of Harvard University who has spent significant time in the NBA’s Development League, is sweeping New York at a time when Knicks fans need a hero.

The Knicks have been searching for a savior since Patrick Ewing and the 1999-2000 squad lost in the Eastern Conference finals. Since that time, the Knicks have failed to make it past the first round of the NBA playoffs and have suffered through the Isaiah Thomas coach/general manager debacle and two separate 23-win seasons.

With last season’s acquisitions of Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, it seemed as if longsuffering Knicks fans finally had a reason to celebrate their basketball team, with two of the league’s best players joining the roster in an answer to Miami’s “Big Three.”

However, neither of these players has lived up to his full potential, and the Knicks have found themselves in a very familiar situation.

Watching Jeremy Lin hit a buzzer-beating three-point shot against the Toronto Raptors on Valentine’s Day while closely guarded, Knicks fans can’t help but get carried away with excitement.

Unlike Stoudemire and Anthony, Lin steps up in the biggest of moments and plays with an intensity matching the league’s elite. Although the latest sensation is only six games old, the combination of the two all-star forwards and the upstart Lin has New York preparing for a playoff run reminiscent of the Ewing era.

The list of Lin supporters is long: Everyone from President Obama to longtime Knicks fan Spike Lee is rooting for the Harvard grad to lead the Knicks back to their glory days, but there are several reasons

THE HOYA

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

Senior forward Adria Crawfard pulled down six rebounds in 20 minutes of play en route to a 6054 win over Villanova last Wednesday. She also added one steal.

GU Set to Battle Providence Beno Picciano Hoya Staff Writer

Back on track after Tuesday night’s victory at Villanova, No. 15 Georgetown (20-6, 9-4 Big East) welcomes Providence (13-13, 5-8 Big East) to McDonough Arena this Saturday for a lateseason Big East matchup.

The Hoyas, currently fifth in the conference standings, sit a half-game behind St. John’s in the race for a top-four finish and the accompanying double-bye in the Big East tournament.

Should the Blue and Gray win out in their final three games, which include a home date with the Red Storm, a finish of at least fourth place is all but assured.

Georgetown’s success this season has come in spite of a league-worst 35.9 percent field percentage, but the hosts will be met by their fiercest challenger for this unenviable distinction —Providence is ranked 15th in shooting with a 36.2 percent average.

But while the Friars are likely to receive little sympathy from the Hoyas’ pressure-oriented defense, which holds opponents to the thirdlowest shooting percentage in the league, the Blue and Gray may have a golden chance to rediscover their shooting stroke. As a defensive unit, Saturday’s visitors allow opponents to shoot the highest average field goal percentage in the conference.

“We always want to try to shoot better, and we are taking each game as it comes,” Head Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said.

Georgetown enters the matchup having won five of its past six contests, though the lone loss at then-No.3 Connecticut came by a cringe-worthy 80-38 margin. Asked if the Hoyas would use the defeat as motivation entering the final stretch of league play, Wil-

liams-Flournoy instead emphasized that her team was moving on.

“We [have] put the UConn game behind us and move[d] forward. Our next opponent is Providence,” she said.

The Blue and Gray weren’t the only team to struggle in its trip to Storrs, Conn., however.

Providence found itself on the wrong side of a 96-35 rout at the hands of the Huskies on Jan. 10. The Friars have both struggled and surprised during their league campaign, but the struggles have certainly outnumbered the positives in their season thus far.

Led by redshirt senior forward Teya Wright’s 12.8 points per game, the Rhode Island squad beat then-No.17 Depaul, 60-52, on Jan. 7 and toppled third-place West Virginia the following week. The Friars have faded of late, however, suffering a 26-point home defeat to a mediocre Syracuse team and falling to 13th-place Cincinnati on Feb. 7. Providence enters the weekend with four defeats in its past five tries, with the lone win coming against last-place Seton Hall.

Despite Georgetown’s team shooting struggles, junior guard Sugar Rodgers retains her perch at the top of the Big East scoring charts at 19.5 points per game. Senior forward Tia Magee adds 11.3 points per game, while senior guard Rubylee Wright, who contributed 12 points and four assists in Tuesday’s victory, will orchestrate the offense from the point. Senior forward Adria Crawford leads the Blue and Gray in rebounding, with 6.1 boards per contest.

Georgetown prevailed in last season’s meeting with a 49-45 victory in Providence. It has been over a decade since the Friars have beaten the Hoyas, with their last victory coming in January 2002. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. this Saturday at McDonough Arena.

TOP OF THE KEY

Jayhawks Pose Biggest Challenge to UK’s Eighth Banner

K

entucky has secured a spot at the Final Four.

In assessing teams come tournathe top of the men’s basketball polls and has a good chance ment time, it’s advisable to look at of running the table in the Big East. squads in the same way that the But their biggest rival for the tourna- men’s basketball committee does ment won’t be Syracuse or even Ohio when it determines the NCAA tournament’s bracket: by examining State — it will be Kansas.

Just like every season, much de- the whole body of work. For the Jaybate ensues over which conference hawks, this means looking both at is the best. As is normally the case, their early season travails and their the Big East takes that honor again present success.

Bill Self’s squad did not play parthis year, although the Big 10 is giving Georgetown’s conference a run ticularly well early in the season, for its money. The Big 12 and ACC losing to Kentucky by 10 in a neuhave strong upper echelons, placing tral-site game at Madison Square a combined five teams in the top 10, Garden and falling in the Maui but aren’t as strong in their lower Invitational title game to Duke, alranks. No one would argue for the though Kansas did have to bounce SEC, which counts only Kentucky Georgetown en route to the finals. and Florida as top-tier teams this A home loss to Davidson, while not year, or the Pac-12, which is as mis- humiliating – as the Wildcats lead the Southern Conference and came erable as ever.

But out of all these conferences, close to beating other top teams – is the Big 12 is stacked with the best certainly not a positive on the Jaytop tier. Missouri appears to have hawks’ resume.

Led by senior guard Tyshawn come out on top of a three-way battle withtiming Kansas for and Baylor for Taylor and junior forward Thomas perfect conference supremacy. But exam- Robinson, Kansas seems to have ining performance and pres- overcome these difficulties. In the your past holiday specials ent talent, Kansas sticks out as a Big 12, which has seen a great deal contact virtual locksales@thehoya.com for the Elite Eight and of upsets, especially on the road, has a very good chance to reach the Jayhawks have only lost twice —

once to surging Iowa State in Ames and once to Missouri, also one of the nation’s top teams, at Columbia in a heated Border War matchup.

Taylor has always been an impact

Evan Hollander

Kansas sticks out as a virtual lock for the Elite Eight. player for the Jayhawks, but he has really stepped up his game this season by transitioning from the paint to the perimeter. This versatility has allowed him to become the secondleading scorer on the squad, and he now averages 1.7-made three-point-

ers per game. But he also distributes the ball well enough to average 5.1 assists per game.

Robinson averages a doubledouble and had 15 points and 11 rebounds in what was perhaps Kansas’ best win: a 68-54 beatdown at Baylor. The 6-foot-10, fundamentally sound big man has helped the Jayhawks out tremendously in the post.

Kansas has also gotten a major assist from redshirt junior guard Travis Releford, who took a major step up to average 9 points per game this season. But in games the Jayhawks have dropped, their opponents have successfully limited Releford. In the loss against Missouri, for instance, he scored only five points but picked up four fouls.

Still, Releford combines with Taylor and Robinson to give Kansas three scoring threats and cause opponents to scramble on both offense and defense. Bill Self, one of the greatest active coaches, has been able to harness these weapons effectively, and it is increasingly likely that the Jayhawks will be hot come March.

Despite three disappointing early exits in 2005, 2006 and 2010, Kansas has been a team that consis-

tently reaches the Elite Eight. And this year, if they can put everything together – which they seem to be doing – they should go beyond that and reach the Final Four.

In 2008, the last time the Jayhawks reached championship weekend, Self outwitted John Calipari, then the head coach at Memphis, in the national title game, shepherding Kansas to a 75-68 win over the Tigers.

Since Calipari moved to Lexington three seasons ago, Kentucky has been the most talented team in the tournament but has failed to hang an eighth banner at Rupp Arena.

But after three years of similar futility, the Jayhawks are just as hungry as the Wildcats.

Lots of things can happen in the Big Dance; that’s why they play the games. But looking at it today, a Kansas-Kentucky final seems possible, even likely. And that would be a game fitting of its location at the Louisiana Superdome.

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

Sports

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL No. 15 Hoyas (20-6) vs. Providence (13-13) Saturday, 2 p.m.

McDonough Arena

friDAY, febr uary 17, 2012

Recent Scores: big east woMEN’s BASKETBALL

ONLINE AT HOYA PARANOIA Check in for the sports blog’s postgame recap of the Big East track and field championship this weekend.

71 66

Louisville Pittsburgh

Providence Notre Dame

47 66

Rutgers WVU

50 60

Upcoming Games: big east woMEN’s basketball Rutgers at Villanova Tomorrow, Noon

DePaul at WVU Tomorrow, 4 p.m.

Marquette at Syracuse Tomorrow, 2 p.m.

“All of the work’s done, and a vast majority of the coaching is done. And now it’s on the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Patrick Henner athletes to go out and execute.”

Men’s Basketball

woMen’s Basketball

Hoyas Take on Struggling Friars Michael Palmer Hoya Staff Writer

As one problem goes away, an old one resurfaces.

Georgetown (19-5, 9-4 Big East) travels to Rhode Island on Saturday to play its second game this season against Providence (13-14, 2-12 Big East), who battled the Hoyas in an unexpectedly tough and ugly contest on New Year’s Eve. Georgetown barely survived in the 49-40 win.

“We expect the same thing: [from Providence] to play us tough, make everything difficult for us,”

senior center Henry Sims said.

The Hoyas turned the ball over just seven times against the Friars in December, before starting an eight-game stretch in which they averaged almost 15 giveaways a game. The string of unforced errors prompted the team to refocus its efforts on taking care of the ball.

“That’s definitely been a big concern for our team, especially me,” Sims said. “We turned the ball over more than we should, and we focused on that in practice: being smarter with decisions, being a little more patient, being 100 percent with our movements and our

FILE PHOTO: WEB LESLIE/THE HOYA

Freshman forward Otto Porter was named to the Big East weekly honor roll Monday after averaging a double-double in two games last week.

passes.”

The work paid off, as Georgetown has kept turnovers below double digits in two of its last three games, in part by avoiding almost all unforced errors.

“I think most of the games we lost, you’d seen a significant number of turnovers,” freshman guard Jabril Trawick said. “So that’s something we’ve been focusing on, just taking care of the ball and getting up shots.”

But that is exactly where Providence will look to create difficulties. The Hoyas shot just 31 percent from the field against the Friars, including a 2-of-13 performance from Sims, Georgetown’s primary inside scoring threat. “[Providence] did a very good job in protecting the paint,” Head Coach John Thompson III said.

“Who knows whether they’re going to do that again. They had some success with it. You have to anticipate that’s going to happen.

But it was not a question of not getting quality looks — the shots just weren’t going in.”

That was true for both teams, as the Blue and Gray limited the Friars to a 13-of-51 performance from the field on an abysmal shooting night for both teams. It was the only game in which Georgetown has been held to less than 50 points.

“I think the first time we didn’t really pay attention to detail. As in this game, I think we’re definitely going to guard better, and the scoring is going to work itself out,” Trawick said. “The primary objective is to guard them better. Our shots weren’t falling much. So when games happen like that, we have to defend. It was an ugly game, but we still pulled it out. Hopefully this time, we’ll be hitting shots.”

Providence, meanwhile, finds itself in last place in the Big East, at 2-12 in conference play and 13-14 overall. It’s been a rough season for the Friars, who had one surprising win against No. 19 Louisville back in January but have lost 11 of 12 since then, including close losses against Villanova, West Virginia and South Florida.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, R.I.

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

Junior guard and Big East leading scorer Sugar Rodgers scored 19 points in the Hoyas’ 60-54 road win over conference rival Villanova.

Rodgers, Wright Lead Charge at Villanova Leonard Olsen Hoya Staff Writer

The No. 15 Georgetown women’s basketball team (20-6, 9-4 Big East) is back on after defeating Villanova (1511, 5-8 Big East) on the road, 60-54, Tuesday night. The win came in the wake of a beating from No. 2 Connecticut last weekend and serves as a valuable recovery for the Hoyas.

Although the Wildcats jumped to an early lead in the game, the Blue and Gray responded to take the lead themselves with eight minutes left in the first half. Georgetown was able to hold on from there and sealed the game late for the win.

The Hoyas were bolstered throughout the game by a strong defense, holding the Wildcats to a mere 54 points and VILLANOVA 54 forcing 19 tur novers.

Georgetown 60 They also went on a few offensive runs that helped build their lead throughout the contest.

“We just went and pressured them a little bit more,” Georgetown Head Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said of her team’s defense. “We knew we had to pressure more in the backcourt so we wouldn’t have to defend See NOVA, A8

MEN’S BASKETBALL

TRack & FIELD

Infeld, Springer Lead GU Starks Crosses Over to Political Arena Charge to Championship Pat Curran

Hoya Staff Writer

Ashwin Wadekar Hoya Staff Writer

After impressive performances on both coasts, the Georgetown track and field team is making its final preparations to compete in the Big East championship at the Armory in New York City this weekend.

The Hoyas are coming off their best weekend yet after sending athletes to Washington State and Massachusetts. At the Washington Husky Classic, junior Andrew Springer clocked a time of 7:53.69 in the 3000-meter run, placing him seventh overall. Springer broke his personal record by over 16 seconds and qualified for both the Big East and NCAA championships in the process.

“When you put it in context of Georgetown’s history, it’s the number four [best] time ever,” Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Patrick Henner said. “And that puts him right up there with some of the great legends.”

On the other side of the country, junior Emily Infeld took the 3000m run with a time of 9:00.13 in the BU Valentine Invitational, which qualified

her for the NCAA championship. Her time was the best in Georgetown’s history and was her personal record by over six seconds.

“She ran a great race and looked really great out there,” Henner said.

But Infeld wasn’t the only athlete to impress in Boston. Every single runner set a personal record at the meet.

In the 800m run, sophomore Chelsea Cox ran a time of 2:05.88, and on the men’s side senior Theon O’Connor clocked 1:49.37.

“Chelsea had a big-time run. [It’s] number three in Georgetown’s history, and [in] any event 800m or longer, we’re one of the best programs in the country,” Henner said. “And Theon had a nice breakthrough, too.

[His race] put him 11th on the all-time list.”

The exceptional performances across the board are the result of a rigorous training schedule that has allowed the team to peak leading up to the Big East championship and nationals.

“This was a weekend we were pointing toward. … We can still run faster, See TRACK, A9

CHRISTINA LING FOR THE HOYA

Sophomore point guard Markel Starks addresses the audience during Wednesday night’s GUSA vice-presidential debate.

Visit us online at thehoya.com/sports

Basketball and politics.

Perhaps the two biggest obsessions of Georgetown students and alumni met Wednesday night when sophomore point guard Markel Starks participated in the inaugural Georgetown University Student Association vice-presidential debate.

Starks, who is GUSA Senator Daniel LaMagna’s (COL ’13) running mate, wants to eventually run for Congress, according to his online athletic department biography. But his interest in campus politics was minimal until fellow Georgetown Prep alum LaMagna approached him in the fall about running for office.

“Until I got invited to do this, I didn’t know who [GUSA President] Mike [Meaney (SFS ’12)] and [Vice President] Greg [Laverriere (COL ’12)] were. … I think Daniel and I want to make ourselves more available to everybody,” Starks said.

Despite his lack of GUSA experience, the 6-foot-2 point guard appeared relaxed and comfortable at the debate.

Though he avoided speaking about the details of fund allocation and policymaking — cracking at one point See STARKS, A8