The Hoya: March 15, 2013

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Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 94, No. 37, © 2013

friday, march 15, 2013

GOTHAM GOES GRAY A look back at the Hoyas’ historic Big East Tournament games

EDITORIAL Conclave highlights the Jesuit community’s need for diversity.

GUIDE, G6

First Jesuit Elevated To Papacy

OPINION, A2

NEWS, A4

Unsuccessful GUSA candidates tapped for new executive staff Annie Chen

Hoya Staff Writer

SPORTS, A10

provide strong institution experience.

“We want to work with him on student space, reducing bureaucracy, cutting the red tape. He’s somebody that we’re going to really be able to count on for advice,” Tisa said.

Appelbaum served as director of Student Life Report implementation for outgoing GUSA President Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13) and Vice President Vail Kohnert-Yount (SFS ’13). He identified student space as a commonality between his campaign platform and Tisa’s.

“We’ll be focus a lot on student space, which was a point of similarity between Maggie’s and my platform and Nate and Adam’s platform. Getting more student space on campus, making sure there is more student voice in the decision making on campus,” Appelbaum said.

Walsh (MSB ’14), a computer science minor, will be director of technology. One of the central initiatives in Walsh’s platform was increasing GUSA engagement through more

The men’s basketball team hoists the Big East regular season trophy Saturday after defeating Syracuse 61-39 at Verizon Center.

Despite coming up short in this year’s GUSA election, Jack Appelbaum, Shavonnia Corbin Johnson and Spencer Walsh will feature prominently in the next executive staff.

“It takes a lot of guts and dedication to run, and when forming our team, we looked to these people first as students who have proven their commitment to making Georgetown a better place,” President-elect Nate Tisa (SFS ’14) said.

Appelbaum (COL ’14), who was front-runner in the Georgetown University Student Association race and finished a narrow second to Tisa and Vice President-elect Adam Ramadan (SFS ’14), will serve as a senior counselor in the next administration. Tisa predicted that Appelbaum, as former chair of the Student Activities Commission, will

Profs Once Mentored ByAcademic Legends

Expanded Weekend Shuttles Launch Today

Lacey Henry

Penny Hung

Drew Cunningham Special to The Hoya

See POPE, A5

MSG CURTAIN CALL We recap every Big East tourney game as GU seeks a top NCAA seed.

Tisa and Ramadan Form Teamof Rivals

GOING OUT ON TOP

Georgetown’s Jesuits react to a new pope of multiple firsts Nearly an hour after white smoke began billowing out of the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday afternoon, Fr. Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., formally introduced himself to the world as Pope Francis.

The choice of Francis, who previously served as the archbishop of Buenos Aires, was a surprise to the many faithful observers and oddsmakers watching the conclave, as his papacy represents a number of firsts for the Roman Catholic Church: He is the first pontiff from Latin America, the first to take an entirely new name since Pope Lando in 913 and the first from the Society of Jesus.

“I think a lot of us are just surprised. We have a Jesuit pope. I don’t think anyone was expecting that to happen.” Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J. (COL ’88), vice president for mission and ministry at Georgetown, said.

At Georgetown, the Healy Hall bells rang out as the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in the United States celebrated the elevation of a Jesuit pope.

Many students joined in, some even running from Healy Circle to Wolfington Hall with Vatican flags. The Office of the Vice President for Mission and Ministry quickly organized a Mass of thanksgiving in Dahlgren Chapel later that evening.

Kieran Raval (COL ’13), former grand knight of the Georgetown University Council of the Knights of Columbus, said that he was thrilled to hear about Francis’s elevation.

“I think my first reaction was really just joy,” Raval said. “I think there’s a very palpable sense of unity in the Church when over a billion people worldwide are coming together in a spirit of prayer and celebration, with the added twist that it’s our first Jesuit pope and we’re at the nation’s oldest Catholic and Jesuit university. That made it particularly special.”

O’Brien, who gave the homily at Wednesday’s Mass, believes that Francis’s experience as a Jesuit will influence his papacy.

YEAR IN REVIEW The eventful term of the current GUSA exec comes to a close Sunday

CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

Special to The Hoya

With professors like former Secretary of State Madeline Albright and journalist E. J. Dionne Jr. teaching undergraduates every semester, Georgetown students are no strangers to sharpening their minds in the midst of prominent intellectuals.

Many Georgetown professors, too, were inspired and educated by world-renowned academics and icons of the 20th century.

Thirty years ago, Jan Karski (GRD ’52), an active member of the Polish World War II resistance movement, was on the search committee that hired Eusebio Mujal-Leon, a professor in the government department. Karski earned his doctorate from Georgetown in 1952 and began his 40-year-long teaching career in the government department in 1954. Before

coming to Georgetown, however, Karski was held in German and Soviet captivity, enduring intense torture during his efforts to enlighten the world about the Holocaust.

“I didn’t know him well, but I certainly admired him,” MujalLeon said. “Just knowing about him affects you. It was clear that he was an exceptional person. He was really a fixture at this university. To me, the most powerful way of describing him is as an honorable man.”

Posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012, Karski is commemorated on campus with a statue outside of White-Gravenor Hall. According to Mujal-Leon, Karski was a very popular professor who told captivating stories during class.

“The stories were not just of the See PROFESSORS, A5

See STAFF, A6

Hoya Staff Writer

A Friday and Saturday neighborhood shuttle service to Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan will launch tonight, Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson announced in an email to the student body March 12.

“Our responsibility is to provide this service, and we think we’re providing this service as a safety measure for students more than anything,” Vice President for Planning and Facilities Management Robin Morey said.

The shuttle service, which will run Fridays and Saturdays from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., will use 22-passenger busses and cost $12,000 for the remaining eight weeks of the CHRIS GRIVAS/THE HOYA semester. The shuttle will run from Administrators hope free shuttles the tennis courts by McDonough

will further decrease noise in the

See SHUTTLES, A6 neighborhood.

Fiscal Plan Responds to Backlash

PAPAL THANKSGIVING

Penny Hung

Hoya Staff Writer

LEONEL DE VELEZ/THE HOYA

Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., led a Mass of thanksgiving in Dahlgren Chapel on Wednesday evening in celebration of the elevation of Pope Francis.

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

University President John J. DeGioia announced revisions to his financial plan for the upcoming fiscal year in a letter to the Georgetown community March 14 after receiving backlash in response to a proposal that would have frozen pay raises for staff while maintaining increases for faculty.

The new plan, which reflected recommendations by University Provost Robert Groves and the university’s executive vice presidents, called for a 0.75 percent increase to the staff merit increase pool, a six-month delay in the scheduled faculty salary plan increases, a continuation of the salary raise freeze for DeGioia, the executive vice presidents, the senior vice presidents and deans, three additional paid vacation days between Christmas and New Year’s Day and no increase to parking and daycare fees.

“Taken as a whole, these meaPublished Tuesdays and Fridays

sures provide for a fairer and more balanced approach to staff and faculty compensation in a highly constrained economic environment and keep us on track to significantly improve the university’s financial performance,” the recommen-

“It’s not the best of both worlds, but it’s a better response than what we had before.”

Peter pfeiffer German Department Chair

dation team wrote in its March 13 memorandum to DeGioia.

In contrast, the original proposal called for a full raise freeze for staff, with both tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty remaining eligible for merit-based pay increases. The financial plan still includes provisions to reduce

expenditures in non-academic university departments by 1 percent annually, decrease projected compensation growth by $7 million and increase graduate student enrollment.

The financial plan ultimately seeks to eliminate the university’s $19 million deficit over the next five years.

“We have taken a conservative approach to allocating resources ensuring that we focus our attention on critical competitive issues such as access and affordability, faculty and staff salary plans, vital academic capital projects and investments in innovative programs,” DeGioia wrote in the letter. “We are facing a challenging environment in higher education, which impacts the financial decisions our community must make.”

DeGioia added that the federal automatic budget cuts threaten See PAY, A6

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OPINION

THE HOYA

FRIday, MARCH 15, 2013

THE VERDICT

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Founded January 14, 1920

EDITORIALS

Jesuit Diversity Neglected Wednesday’s white smoke emerging from the Sistine Chapel signified not only the election of a new pope but also the culmination of reviewing the most diverse array of papal candidates in Catholic history. The cardinals on the suspected short list came from a variety of nations, including Brazil, Argentina, Ghana and Canada, bringing with them a multitude of varying life experiences and points of view.

With the election of the new South American and Jesuit pope in mind — both firsts — it is worth considering the value of increasing the diversity of Georgetown’s own Jesuit community in order to bring a richer pool of backgrounds and opinions. The university is well known for being one of the most progressive Jesuit institutions in the country, yet it lacks any formal program for expanding Jesuit diversity.

The university’s current ethnic breakdown for its 51 Jesuits — with four Hispanic and one black Jesuit — is surely in part a result of the available pool of candidates, but putting

a focus on diversity when seeking out new Jesuits would be worthwhile to broaden the spectrum of Jesuit voices.

Marquette University has an affirmative action program for Jesuit hiring in place, and instituting such a program at Georgetown could spur administrators to look harder for qualified Jesuit candidates that bring different perspectives and life experiences to the table. Our current Jesuit diversity may simply be in line with our peer institutions, but Georgetown has the opportunity to lead the way in increasing diversity across all Jesuit universities. As devoted educators, the Jesuits would seemingly jump at the chance to broaden their horizons by bringing in a diverse array of Catholic teachers. After all, one of Georgetown’s finest attributes is the plurality of its professors.

On any given afternoon, the ICC Galleria is filled with lively conversations on a variety of worldly topics in a multitude of languages. It would be highly beneficial to bring this same spirit to Wolfington Hall.

Expand Emergency Systems On a given campus tour, guides can be heard espousing the many qualities that make Georgetown a great place to live and learn. One on-campus feature commonly cited is the blue light emergency system, a network of call boxes dotted throughout campus that allows students to directly contact the Department of Public Safety with the push of a button if they feel they are in danger.

While some might see these as obsolete with the proliferation of cell phones, the battery life of these devices — especially when students are out late at night — remains an issue. The call boxes are a cost-effective safety net for students who might find themselves in a scenario in which their cell phone is inoperable.

However, there exists not only a severe lack of call boxes but also a randomness to

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Ignatian Representation — Georgetown rang its bells on Wednesday to celebrate the election of the first Jesuit pope, Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

Space for Rent — Georgetown’s historic post office has been sold to D.C. real estate company EastBanc.

Up to Hoyas — The Georgetown group Up to Hoyas is one of ten finalists in the nationwide Up to Us competition, which focuses on educating students on the federal debt. If the group wins, it will donate the $10,000 prize to a charity of Georgetown students’ choosing.

Clean Sweep — A vote Tuesday won basketball player Otto Porter Jr. Big East Player of the Year and Coach John Thompson III Big East Coach of the Year.

Working Overtime — Metro accidentally overcharged riders peak fare levels between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. following Daylight Savings Time.

A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD US ... @DalvinButler Mar. 11 Excited to see @thehoya4E’s new web development! @Brendan62 Mar. 13 A Jesuit! Way cool RT @thehoya Argentine Cardinal Bergoglio has been chosen as the new Pope, Francis I, the first Jesuit to become Pontiff. @GTWNJACK Mar. 13 The hilltop is alive with the sound of music…RT @thehoya: The Healy Bells are ringing to celebrate the election of the new pope.

EDITORIAL CARTOON by Arturo Altamirano

their allocation and distribution throughout campus.

Many students are often unaware of their function, location or both. Oft-traversed routes along both Prospect and 37th Streets are completely absent of these boxes.

While crime rates in Georgetown are relatively low compared to those in other wards of Washington, D.C., the university should consider installing call boxes into more trafficked locations, such as around off-campus housing. The university could also consider investing in an application for smart phones that mirrors the blue lights’ function as an SOS device.

With the renewed emphasis on student social life both off and on campus, the university should remember to prioritize not only the well-being of its neighbors, but its students as well.

An Affordable 99 Days There are many poignant aspects of one’s home stretch of college. There comes added pressure to make the most of one’s remaining time on the Hilltop, and one tradition that helps seniors do just that is The Tombs’ 99 Days Club.

Available to all seniors, the promotion requires all participants to visit The Tombs each day until graduation and purchase at least one item. Seniors who finish the program have their names immortalized on a plaque on the restaurant’s wall.

The 99 Days Club is a senior class favorite — and for good reason. It encourages seniors — who are often preoccupied with sorting out future plans — to take at least some time out of their days to take a break and spend time with friends at a Georgetown landmark.

And while The Tombs makes an effort to help seniors complete the challenge with its accommodations for spring break and out-of-town policies, many seniors find the financial burden a roadblock to partaking

in the tradition. With the cheapest items on the menu running around $2.25 and alcoholic beverages running even higher, the cost of the 99 Days Club definitely adds up, a factor which likely affects the retention rate for the club.

To increase participation and retention in the 99 Days Club, The Tombs should consider introducing a system of graduated discounts. Once students make it past the first 30 days, for example, they could receive a discount of a certain percent on their purchases, then more for the next 30 days, and so on. And the discount need not apply to all items. The restaurant could set aside certain items for which the discount applies. This would not only benefit studens; a higher retention rate would obviously make The Tombs more money.

The 99 Days Club is a great Georgetown tradition, and a way to make it more accessible to a larger group of students is certainly worth considering.

Danny Funt, Editor-in-Chief Braden McDonald, Executive Editor Victoria Edel, Managing Editor Emma Hinchliffe, Campus News Editor Hiromi Oka, City News Editor Ryan Bacic, Sports Editor Sheena Karkal, Guide Editor Hanaa Khadraoui, Opinion Editor Leonel De Velez, Photography Editor Zoe Bertrand, Layout Editor Hunter Main, Copy Chief Molly Mitchell, Multimedia Editor Lindsay Lee, Blog Editor

Contributing Editors Michelle Cassidy, Patrick Curran, Suzanne Fonzi, Evan Hollander, Upasana Kaku, Sarah Patrick Steven Piccione, Lauren Weber, Emory Wellman

Penny Hung Eitan Sayag Ted Murphy Will Edman Arik Parnass Josh Simmons Kim Bussing Nicole Jarvis Emily Manbeck David Chardack Shannon Reilly Sean Sullivan Katherine Berk Alexander Brown Chris Grivas Erica Wong Jessica Natinsky Kennedy Shields Ian Tice Karl Pielmeier Kate Wellde

Deputy Campus News Editor Deputy Campus News Editor Deputy City News Editor Deputy Sports Editor Deputy Sports Editor Sports Blog Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Opinion Editor Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Layout Editor Deputy Layout Editor Deputy Layout Editor Deputy Blog Editor Deputy Blog Editor

Editorial Board Hanaa Khadraoui, Chair Arturo Altamirano, Patrick Gavin, TM Gibbons-Neff, Alyssa Huberts, Sam Rodman

CORRECTION The article “Syracuse Last Hurrah for Jack” (A1, March 1, 2013) incorrectly reported that Jack the Bulldog is retiring. While he performed his famous box-eating stunt at Verizon Center for the final time at the basketball game against Syracuse March 9, he will continue to serve as Georgetown’s mascot indefinitely.

Mary Nancy Walter, General Manager Mariah Byrne, Director of Corporate Development James Church, Director of Finance Mullin Weerakoon, Director of Marketing Michal Grabias, Director of Personnel Michael Lindsay-Bayley, Director of Sales Kevin Tian, Director of Technology Natasha Patel Glenn Russo Martha DiSimone Nitya Rajendran Jonathan Rabar John Bauke Molly Lynch Pauline Huynh Esteban Garcia Addie Fleron Preston Marquis Taylor Doaty Brian Carden Eric Isdaner Simon Wu Sean Nolan

Alumni Relations Manager Special Programs Manager Accounts Manager Operations Manager Publishing Division Consultant Statements Manager Treasury Manager Marketing Research Manager Public Relations Manager Human Resources Manager Professional Development Manager Institutional Diversity Manager Local Advertisements Manager Online Advertisements Manager Systems Manager Web Manager

Board of Directors

Lauren Weber, Chair

Kent Carlson, Danny Funt, Evan Hollander, Dylan Hunt, Mairead Reilly, Mary Nancy Walter

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OPINION

FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

VIEWPOINT • Olson

Let Magis Guide Conduct R

espect is a core Georgetown value. High standards define our students, our university and our local community. The Jesuit ideal of seeking the magis is a great model for us. Magis is about feeling grateful for all we’ve been given and giving back by seeking the very best in ourselves and in our community. It’s about living out our mission in visible ways. If we are to build a sustainable future for ourselves as a university and as a neighborhood, we need to respect one another and to demonstrate that respect through our behavior.

As we returned from spring break this week, I sent an email to all students addressing issues both off campus and on. The off-campus focus was all about respect, high standards and expectations for being a good neighbor.

Those points matter a great deal, and students hold the key to making this spring a positive one for all of us. It is

This is hard work, and it calls on all of us to be just a bit more considerate, more thoughtful and more aware of others. simply unacceptable for us to behave in ways that disrupt life for our neighbors. We all have the chance — and the obligation — to raise our game in the weeks ahead.

The on-campus focus of my message was about new opportunities for student social life on campus — the new shuttle routes, the exciting new ideas for social events on campus and the hard work of the Campus Life Working Group are all evidence of that. Our commitment to building a vibrant social life on campus cannot be a hollow pledge. It needs to turn into action, and I see the first steps of that action taking place right now. Administrators and students need to work together to move that action forward. My colleagues and I are committed to that, and I’ve seen great evidence that students are committed as well.

The models of partnership, both informal and through the new Georgetown Community Partnership, I have seen in the past few months have been remarkable. Students, university leaders and neighbors are sitting down together to discuss common interests and points of tension. These partnerships, encouraging as they are, will only be successful if they lead to positive change — in our respect for one another and in the life we build together on this Hilltop.

This is hard work, and it calls on all of us to be just a bit more considerate, more thoughtful and more aware of others. I am asking for and counting on your help. You will face hundreds of small choices in the weeks ahead, some of them very relevant to these issues. When you face the choice to shout down a quiet street at 1 a.m. or to talk quietly as you walk along, I urge you to seek the magis — to be the best neighbor and the best Hoya you can be.

Todd Olson is vice president for student affairs.

Pat Gavin & Alex Honjiyo

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esterday, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina became Pope Francis I, taking St. Francis’ name.

Perhaps Christ’s guidance for the Italian saint applies to the new pope, too: The new pontiff, like his namesake, stands in a Church that is falling down.

The pope will have new, modern challenges on his hands, but he brings new life and perspective to the job. Born into a humble family of Italian immigrants and railway workers in Buenos Aires, Pope Francis is the first Latin American cardinal to become the spiritual leader to the world’s largest faith. He is also the first Jesuit pope.

Pope Francis brings firsthand experience to the job. As archbishop of Buenos Aires, he lived in and among poverty.

Known to many of his neighbors simply as “Padre Jorge,” Pope Francis forsook the luxurious bishop’s mansion for a simple apartment. He cooked his own food, took the bus and tried to emulate the simple living to which St. Francis of Assisi and St. Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, aspired.

To read more from Gavin and Honjiyo on Pope Francis’s elevation, see thehoya.com.

THE HOYA

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AS THIS JESUIT SEES IT ...

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First Jesuit Pope True to Order

esterday, for a few moments, the world fell silent.

About an hour after the white smoke appeared above St. Peter’s Square, inciting the crowds to cheer and chant, the new pope, Francis, stepped out on the balcony to thunderous applause. After a few words of thanks and prayer for his predecessor, the pope asked for the blessing of the hundreds of thousands crowding the square as well as the billions watching around the world. Francis bowed and, in majestic silence, received the people’s benediction.

On an historic day in the Catholic Church’s history, this moment above all stood out for me. It spoke volumes of the humility of the man who, just minutes before, had assumed the chair of St. Peter. This was a gesture of service, openness and friendship.

Those moments of silence in a day filled with the chatter of expectation and prognostication of what the new pope will do, reminded me that we first need to stop and listen to God and to one another before acting or pronouncing.

In Francis, we have the first Jesuit pope. To be a Jesuit means to be steeped in the spiritual and intellectual tradition of St. Ignatius, who founded the Society of Jesus in 1540.

At the heart of our formation as Jesuits is the Spiritual Exercises, a series of prayer experiences where the person learns to find God in the midst of ordinary life and to make practical decisions about putting faith into action.

One learns to listen more attentively to God and to the subtle movements of the mind and heart. Bowing to the crowds in silence — showing contemplation in action — was the most Jesuit of gestures.

To be a Jesuit is also to be commit-

To be a Jesuit means to be steeped in the spiritual and intellectual tradition of St. Ignatius. ted to the service of faith, of which the promotion of justice is a central part.

Faith and justice go hand in hand.

By all accounts, Francis has lived by that creed. Forgoing the trappings of privilege as archbishop of Buenos Aires, he chose to live in a simple apartment, cook his own meals and ride public transportation. As archbishop, he was as comfortable in the slums of the city as in the halls of power. In a telling gesture, he washed the feet of AIDS patients. Francis’ election reminds us to stand with the poor and marginalized. Even better, it reminds us to bring them to the center of our life, for they can teach us about what our priorities must be.

To be a Jesuit is to be committed to

a thinking faith. God gave us minds to inquire, and so we put that intellectual force into the service of the Church and the world. In the popular imagination, Jesuits have a reputation of pushing the envelope and challenging authority. Whatever the merits of that reputation, Jesuits never exist apart from the Church.

St. Ignatius includes rules for thinking and serving with the Church in his Spiritual Exercises. Among the other religious orders, Jesuits alone take a special vow of obedience to the pope with regard to missions that he may send them on. To question does not mean to be unfaithful.

Any good Jesuit will question — even push and cajole — but in the end will

VIEWPOINT • Tisa & Gustafson

Better Social Life A Two-Way Street

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s the incoming and outgoing presidents of the student body, we find ourselves in parallel states of reflection: one looking at past accomplishments and the other looking to future plans for making Georgetown a better place. As we prepare for transition in the GUSA executive, one of the biggest issues on the table is community relations.

There has been a fairly hostile relationship between students and neighbors in the past. Anyone who is currently a senior remembers walking by the “Our Homes, Not GU’s Dorm” signs in the neighborhoods near campus freshman year. We have also all heard the stories of neighbors calling the police on someone having a glass of wine on their front porch so many times that he no longer uses his front porch.

However, have you also heard about the vomiting contest that took place in a neighbor’s backyard during a student party? Have you heard about the neighbor that works for the State Department who sees Georgetown students peeing in her bushes every weekend? There has undeniably been disrespectful behavior on both sides.

While the relationship between students and neighbors has been contentious in the past, the Georgetown Community Partnership, which formed as part of the final agreement of the 2010 Campus Plan, presents a new opportunity to explore the many issues on which our interests are aligned.

Students, administrators and neighborhood leaders are coming together to talk about the biggest issues facing both parties. We have discussed safety with the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission, drawn and launched new shuttle routes with university administrators and even explained flip cup to Dr. Olson while discussing alcohol policy. All of this is possible because of a real shift in the philosophy around student engagement at the higher levels of the Georgetown administration brought about by student involvement in the GCP. This shift is due in large part to students working with our neighbors and sharing our experiences as individual students and student organizations. Solutions to the problems the student body has faced for decades — and the goals GUSA has pursued for years — have been pushed up the agenda and made attainable for the

first time. The free shuttle to Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle on Friday and Saturday nights is not a new idea, but it is now a reality; we cannot wait to make use of it. This new relationship with the neighbors enables us to have two parties at the table outlining the critical need for reforms and new services, like the free shuttles, in order to improve social life on campus.

There will be challenges this semester. The increase in enforcement off campus is nothing new, and we will continue to do everything in our power to protect student rights and make sure the disciplinary process is fair for all involved — including extending the Clear and Convincing evidentiary standard off campus. GUSA will continue to advocate for individual students through the Student Advocacy Office and the Disciplinary Review Committee by ensuring that the DRC puts forth a legitimate plan to implement the review of the Student Conduct Office.

The time is now to ensure that our on-campus social life is improved. There are, as any student knows, huge obstacles to truly living out Georgetown’s motto of cura personalis on-campus for individual students and student organizations. Now, more than ever — in part because of new attitudes brought about by the campus plan — there has been movement on solving many of these bureaucratic and policy problems.

Students must continue to interact with the highest levels of the Georgetown administration on a daily basis in order to keep up the momentum of positive change.

As long as students keep pushing administrators to engage in productive conversations about the problems we face, we will not fail, and we will keep moving forward.

Because there are so many students with creative ideas, we hope you will help us come up with innovative solutions and make campus the best it can be. It is our hope that the work of GUSA and many others on conduct reform, the alcohol policy, student safety, access to benefits and student life policies will make next fall and the coming years even better, easier and more vibrant for the generations of students to come.

Nate Tisa is a junior in the School of Foreign Service and GUSA president-elect. Clara Gustafson is a senior in the School of Foreign Service and GUSA president.

be faithful in service to the Church.

That includes the pope.

To be a Jesuit is to have an expansive vision. We are the first missionary order, committed to going to wherever the needs of the world and the Church are not being met.

The pope took the name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the great 13th century saint known for his simplicity of life, his commitment to the poor and his spiritual reform of the Church. The example of another St. Francis is also telling.

Francis Xavier, one of the first Jesuits, served as a missionary in India, Japan and beyond. Our home is the world, so the Jesuit saying goes.

Francis’ election as the first pope from the Americas reminds us of the Church’s universality and its vitality in prayer and service far from the centers of power in Rome.

Yesterday was a big day for the man who was known simply as Jorge around his former home. But it was also a big day for all of us, Catholic or not. In both the applause and the silence of yesterday, we were reminded of our need to listen, to serve and to reach out in new ways.

Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J.

Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., is the vice president of mission and ministry. AS THIS JESUIT SEES IT … appears every other Friday.

VIEWPOINT • Mercer & Cohen Derr

Key to Vibrant Campus Life Lies With Students

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epending on where you are in your Hilltop career, you might be thinking about pregaming in your room, finding the weekend’s best house party or dancing at the Tombs or somewhere down M Street. Georgetown students are lucky; we have all kinds of options when it comes to social life. For most students, the goal is to avoid the university administration on weekend nights, with the threat of write-ups, conduct meetings, fines and sanction hours. However, the university can be an important partner in our social scene.

Our weekend nights are completely disconnected from the regular contributions we make to the campus community. Most student organizations are seen as the place for building leadership skills and friendships or creating a more vibrant campus community. Socializing with student organizations really takes place outside of official events. With just one major exception, most student organizations don’t typically incorporate alcohol and partying on campus. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

As chair of the Senior Class Committee and director of the Center for Student Programs, we’ll be the first to tell you that there is an appropriate time, place and manner for partying on campus. Student organizations can be a part of that.

The Senior Class Committee is a great example of how: It’s about respect, safety and a mix of friends, acquaintances and people you’ve never met. When SCC members are hosting parties, there’s an understanding, however subtle, between us about the fun atmosphere we’re providing and the respect and attitude we receive back. Seniors know that there’s a right way to enjoy our events. Student leaders and university administrators work together to provide a fun and well-managed environment in which our seniors can socialize.

But it only happens because a student organization and its leaders take responsibility. It’s not always easy to be the host of the party. Everyone who comes to our parties has to live up to the expectations we and the university set out: be on the guest list, be in good standing with the university, show valid ID, pay a small contribution toward the cost of the party and behave reasonably so everyone can have fun. As students and fellow seniors, we’re the ones who have to say no to our friends that want to bend the rules.

We have to make sure the 5 percent that don’t want to follow these standards don’t dictate how the rest of

us are treated. If you think about it, the same thing applies to how we as a university community interact with members of our neighborhood.

For most of us, the memories we create on the Hilltop are a blend of time spent together in class, in student organizations and in the campus community. We work hard, and many of us want to play hard too. The university wants us to build these connections with each other and with Georgetown, and it knows that many of them happen as a result of unforgettable nights celebrating together. The SCC has the chance to help create those memories by hosting parties on campus that make it easy, safe and fun for us to party on campus and to drink and dance without worrying about noise violations or sanctions. If we live up to the expectations, pay a little money to offset the costs and watch out for our friends and fellow students, we can all enjoy a vibrant on-campus party scene. And if you’re so inclined, we wouldn’t mind a little help cleaning up, too!

And maybe, just maybe, a more responsible student body can work with the university to expand opportunities like this for everyone — imagine what a monthly 21-plus keg party in Leo’s could be? Or perhaps your student organization’s formal event catering has a nice complement of wine for attendees?

What might your student organization do to socialize more on-campus together?

We will admit that taking responsibility for managing our collective social life is not always easy. As students, we’ve all been inclined to break the rules now and then, and we may not want to hold others accountable if they do the same. But remember this: We are all Georgetown. We all have to uphold community standards, even when that means facing our peers and taking responsibility for each other’s actions. Because if we don’t, we are letting that rowdy minority dictate the rules for the rest of us, meaning harsher sanctions, party restrictions, constant oversight and more university regulations determining our social life.

And is that really how you want to party?

Justin Mercer is a senior in the College and the chairman of the Senior Class Committee. Erika Cohen Derr is the assistant dean for student engagement and the director of the Center for Student Programs.

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THE HOYA

PAGE FOUR

NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE Professor Maureen Corrigan sat down with journalist and author Margaret Talbot.

Read story at thehoya.com.

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya.

IN FOCUS

verbatim

ACTING OUT

“ I can’t even keep track of all the gays anymore.

”

Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) at a talk Wednesday on the growing staff of the LGBTQ Equality Caucus.

See story at thehoya.com.

from

LINDSAY LEE/THE HOYA

ARIEL POURMORADY/THE HOYA

Grayson Ullman (COL ’16), left, and Katie Mitchell (COL ’15) in a scene of “Polk Street.” The production, a collaboration between Nomadic Theatre and Mask & Bauble, opened Wednesday and runs until Saturday in Walsh Black Box Theatre.

EXTREME MAKEOVER: 4E EDITION Head to the Fourth Edition to check out the blog’s brand new layout, complete with plenty of fresh content. blog.thehoya.com

Gustafson and Kohnert-Yount: A Year in Review ANNIE CHEN

Hoya Staff Writer

In their 2012 campaign, GUSA President Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13) and Vice President Vail Kohnert-Yount (SFS ’13) prioritized social justice, diversity, student space and academic life. One year later, as the pair leaves office, their accomplishments have mostly surpassed the promises they made in their campaign, despite some setbacks.

Diversity Upon taking office, Gustafson and Kohnert-Yount brought two historic moments to Georgetown: the first all-female executive ticket and recordhigh turnout for any Georgetown University Student Association election.

They then began fulfilling their promise to increase diversity within the student government.

In assembling their executive branch, the pair chose 11 women and 13 men — marking a shift toward diversity when compared with the cabinet of their predecessors Mike Meaney (SFS ’12) and Greg Laverriere (COL ’12), which included four women and 22 men.

During senate elections in the fall, the pair attended more than 20 club meetings to encourage students to run for the senate. As a result, nine female senators were elected, an increase from the five women who held seats last year.

Earlier in January, members of the GUSA Senate also participated in a Diversity Summit that focused on reenergizing GUSA’s diversity agenda.

“If one of our legacies to the next GUSA executives and forevermore is that we were able to bring issues of diversity and inclusion to the table so that they had to be talked about, then I think we’ve accomplished a lot,” Kohnert-Yount said.

Student Safety The beginning of Gustafson and Kohnert-Yount’s term was characterized by heated debate over the inclusion of an LGBTQ-friendly checkbox on freshman housing surveys. In a viewpoint published in The Hoya (“Acceptance Shouldn’t Be Optional, But Expected,” A3, March 27, 2012), Nick Shaker (COL ’12) criticized the proposal for implying that acceptance and tolerance were optional.

The debate eventually led to the formation of the Safe Transitions Work-

ing Group that worked extensively during the summer to evaluate the proposal and other potential means of increasing on-campus safety for LGBTQ students.

Although the original checkbox initiative fell through, Gustafson said she was satisfied with alternative measures that resulted from the working group, which included a non-discrimination statement that all students must sign as part of the housing process and a Safe Spaces Program that will train student volunteers to mediate conflict and provide resources to victims of discrimination.

“Out of that came a much more comprehensive approach to something that we were trying to solve with a bandage. There are ideas that we are able to have but things that we are not ultimately able to see and we need more people to be brought into the process to solve a problem that we were trying to address with our little idea,” Gustafson said.

A working group on promoting awareness and prevention against sexual assault during New Student Orientation has also been formed as part of an effort to create a safer campus.

“We’re probably going to see more progress in the next year on those issues than we had seen in the last 10 years on those issues, and that’s something, frankly, if two women haven’t been in this role, that issue would have never come up on the table,” KohnertYount said.

Increasing Student Voices One of Gustafson and KohnertYount’s primary focuses throughout their term was to secure student participation in the university’s decisionmaking process after the pair saw little student involvement in the negotiated 2010 Campus Plan last summer.

“We have pushed incredibly hard to make sure student perspectives have been included in every conversation about students on campus,” KohnertYount said.

Their most notable success was collaborating with the GUSA Senate to hold a referendum last fall urging Vice President of Students Affairs Todd Olson to change the Student Code of Conduct’s burden of proof for the evidentiary standard from “more likely than not” to “clear and convincing.”

The referendum saw a record turnout of 2,629 votes, with 96 percent in support of the change. When Olson

finally accepted the recommendation in late October, he said the GUSA referendum played a significant role in his decision.

“I am also grateful to the leadership of GUSA, who brought the voice of the student body very clearly to university administrators on this topic. I considered heavily student opinions, most recently expressed through the recent referendum vote overwhelmingly supporting this change,” Olson wrote in the Oct. 18 email announcement.

“You have to educate students on why it’s important to vote and organize behind this incredibly powerful force, and use that momentum to translate into an actual push,” Kohnert-Yount said.

However, the pair’s commitment to ensuring student voices are heard extends beyond the referendum.

After a summer spent petitioning the university for greater student input in town-gown discussions, Gustafson secured a spot on the Georgetown Community Partnership, a body composed of members of the university and multiple neighborhood groups that develops the campus plan.

According to Gustafson, the working groups under the GCP — which are concerned with student life, conduct and safety, environmental issues, landlord issues, transportation and parking, communications and engagement, metrics and data — have helped shape productive conversations between neighbors and students.

“Students, administrators and neighbors work together to talk about the issues and come up with ways to not ensure everyone’s happy, but create a better quality of life for everyone involved. It’s going to be a challenge and will continue to be one, because it’s a relationship-based discussion, and you have to be willing to listen and speak up,” she said.

GUSA has also held town halls to encourage student input on designs of the New South Student Center. Earlier last month, Gustafson and KohnertYount signed a memorandum with Olson to ensure student staffing and 18-plus events at the NSSC Pub. The memorandum guaranteed student input and involvement in the future development process.

Furthermore, Gustafson is in the process of communicating with the Department of Human Resources to generate a list of recommendations on how administrators can effectively

partner with students, such as by utilizing HoyaLink and IdeaScale.

“If we have someone from GUSA going to the first employee training no matter what their job is, saying students want them involved in their lives, I think sends a huge message on how we want to interact with each other, treated with respect, and being included in every process, however it affects us,” Gustafson said.

Results and Unfinished Projects One of the largest initiatives of Gustafson and Kohnert-Yount’s campaign platform was to promote intellectual life. The pair has spearheaded the Campus Ministry Report and Intellectual Life Space Report, which are slated to be released by April.

They have also delivered on their promise through collaboration with the Inter-School Academic Council to make professor and course evaluations directly accessible through MyAccess and to sponsor the first university-wide undergraduate research symposium, which will take place on the last day of their term Saturday.

Despite these tangible results, the pair said they encountered difficulties in completing some of their initiatives, notably the failure to establish an Office of Sustainability.

Gustafson explained that the 2010 Campus Plan last summer altered the administration’s priorities. “[The campus plan] refocused the university administration to the longterm, which is great, but we wanted an office now because there is a lot of need for centralized ways to do sustainability issues at Georgetown,” she said.

Kohnert-Yount agreed and pointed out that the university’s limited resources prevented the executive from accomplishing all of its goals.

“The campus plan brought a lot of priorities to the forefront that made the Office of Sustainability challenging. There were a lot of competing priorities,” Kohnert-Yount said.

The pair, however, expressed optimism for the creation of the office as Vice President for Housing and Facilities Robin Morey took office this semester.

“A lot of results we won’t see happen in our term, but we’re there advocating and planting the seed by saying, ‘Hey, you need to think about this and come up with a plan,’” Kohnert-Yount said.

The pair also saw limited success

in improving facilities and spaces for arts and athletic student groups, but stressed that they maintained active participation in discussions about NSSC and the new Intercollegiate Athletic Center.

“Space is a challenging issue, and it will always be, but we held the status quo during a time it could have been lost,” Gustafson said.

Introducing athletic trainers for club sports was also an initiative that Gustafson and Kohernt-Yount’s administration worked on with limited success. The Advisory Board for Club Sports’ proposal to establish athletic trainers was denied at the GUSA Finance and Appropriations Committee’s Budget Summit Feb. 24.

GUSA Director of SAFE Reform Colton Malkerson (COL ’13), who also ran against Gustafson and Kohnert-Yount in 2012’s GUSA race, said the pair provided him strong support to oversee the implementation of the three SAFE proposals, which include establishing the Social Innovation and Public Service Fund, installing solar panels on townhouses, and renovating the New South Student Center.

“Clara and Vail gave me very specific tasks but also gave me flexibility to do my job. They should certainly be getting credit for overseeing the final implementation of the SAFE reform,” he said. “I think they did what they campaigned on and what they told students they would do. Obviously there are areas and policies or approaches that I agreed with and I disagreed with, but when it pertains to my role, I think they’ve done a good job.”

Tyler Sax (COL ’13), who also ran for the GUSA presidency against Gustafson, approved of the pair’s performance over the past year.

“I was happy to see them taking the reins despite not winning myself,” Sax said. “They’ve served Georgetown admirably and they can boast a record as GUSA executives that will stand for a long time.”

Overall, the pair said they were satisfied with their ability to increase interaction between the university administration and the student body and ensure students were delivered the education promised by Georgetown’s Jesuit values.

“The fact that we were able to be women for these men and women for others has been such an honor,” Kohnert-Yount said.

News

friday, March 15, 2013

Francis First Jesuit Pontiff POPE, from A1 “Francis spent many decades of his life as a Jesuit, and that will no doubt inform how he is as a pope — his style [and] maybe his priorities,” he said. “The Jesuit spirituality is very earthy, very grounded in the belief that we can find God in all things — that we should meet people where they’re at. … I think he’ll bring that type of spirituality with him to his office.”

History professor Fr. David Collins, S.J. emphasized the importance of Francis’ experience training other Jesuits in his role as a novice master, a position which required him to foster the newest members of the Society of Jesus.

“There’s a lot of Jesuit training that will be imported into the way that he operates,” Collins said. “There’s a certain pragmatic, let’s-get-it-done attitude the Jesuits have.”

Collins said that he believes Francis will bring this mentality to the Curia, the Vatican’s bureaucracy, which many — such as Roman Catholic expert George Weigel — consider poorly managed. Nevertheless, Collins was quick to point out that Francis’s Jesuit background is one of many important qualities that will influence his papacy.

Some say that the pope’s humility will be a defining characteristic for the new pope.

“He’s a man interested in a kind of noble simplicity,” Raval said. “He seems likely to bring the Vatican back into focus on the basics of the faith: preaching the truth — the whole truth — with faith and love, administering the sacraments, caring for the impoverished and being an evangelical force as well.”

O’Brien agreed.

“He’s a man of great poverty and humility. I think that’s what made the selection of his name so important,” O’Brien said. “I think he’ll bring his commitment to poverty and to social justice to the papacy.”

Raval added that the pope’s choice to take the name Francis — which was inspired by St. Fran-

cis of Assisi, a priest devoted to serving the poor and founder of the Franciscans — reinforced the idea of the new pontiff’s commitment to social justice.

That Francis is the first pontiff from the Americas, however, is considered by many to be the most remarkable aspect of the Catholic Church’s new leader.

“I think that [the fact that] he’s from Latin America is the huger, bigger deal,” Collins said.

“Europe and the Mediterranean world — that’s where Christianity began — and this is the first time that it’s leapt out of that world.”

For Sam Dulik (SFS ’13), vice president of public affairs for the Latin American Student Association, the pope’s election was an exciting revelation.

“We’re so phenomenally proud, just buoyant,” Dulik said.

“This [Latin America] is where the growth is. I think this is a huge sign from the College of Cardinals that this is an area they want to invest in.”

Fr. Matthew Carnes, S.J., a government professor who specializes in Latin America, stressed that the election of Francis is an important step for the Church.

“This clearly reflects where the concentration of Catholics really are,” Carnes said. “There are more than twice as many in Latin America than in Europe.

So really, where is the center of Catholicism? It’s in the global south.”

Carnes believes that socioeconomic conditions in Latin America have shaped the Catholic Church’s attention to social justice and that this experience has led the Latin American Church to be more humble and place an increased focus on serving the poor.

According to history professor Erik Langer, director of the Center for Latin American Studies, Pope Francis has earned a reputation for being at odds with the Argentine government.

“One thing to understand is that the Church hierarchy in Argentina is very conservative. It’s probably one of the most conservative — if not the most con-

servative — in Latin America,” Langer said. “And although the pope is seen as moderate within that hierarchy, that still makes him somewhat conservative. He has, in the past, criticized very heavily Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, the president of Argentina. He is seen as someone who is not very friendly to the president or to any of the populist, new left leaders in Latin America.”

Francis must now address the many challenges facing the Vatican. Externally, the Church must confront declining faith among European Catholics — Europe was the only region in the world to see a decrease in the number of Catholics between 1990 and 2010, according to figures from the Vatican — and the global rise of Islam, which had an increase of over a million European followers since 2001, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

In addition, the new pontiff must face the Church’s ongoing sexual abuse scandal, which intensified during the papacy of Benedict XVI when many Catholics, especially in Europe, stepped forward with abuse claims.

Internally, the Church is divided within its administration on issues such as management of the Vatican Bank and meeting international standards of anti-money laundering laws, which was revealed in secret documents recently leaked to the Italian media.

According to Carnes, the pope needs to be able to exert his influence to make real changes.

“People get very used to the idea that ‘This is the way we’ve always done it,’ and I’m sure he had to overcome that already three or four times today,” Carnes said. “My hope is that he’ll keep doing that in every respect. Then, that really is a witness for the rest of us. We can break down our own fears of what would happen. I’m hopeful he can break down the structures and invite us to a different kind of living Church.”

THE HOYA

A5

Professors Remember Mentors, Teachers open people in the profession.”

E.J. Dionne, columnist for The Washingnormal, ordinary kind, but reflected his life ton Post and professor in the government experiences. That type of learning is very department and Georgetown Public Policy valuable,” Mujal-Leon said. “There are differ- Institute, has studied under several highent types of knowledge and lived knowledge profile individuals. He said that these figures enriched his interest in the relationof a tragedy is something extraordinary.”

Philosophy professor Nancy Sherman ship between politics and religion, topics he recalls her own experience learning from teaches as a professor.

As an undergraduate at Harvard, Dionne celebrated philosophy professor John Rawls at Harvard University. Considered to by learned from leading philosophers Michael some as the greatest political philosopher Walzer and Robert Nozick — whose office of the 20th century, Rawls is known for his was down the hall from Rawls’.

“All these years later I am still a student of revision of the traditional social contract theory as well as his historical understand- Michael Walzer. There are a lot of things in ing of moral and political philosophy. While those courses that stayed with me,” Dionne a graduate student at Harvard, Sherman said.

According to Dionne, the most relevant was enrolled in a handful of his courses on subjects including the theory of justice and course he ever took was called “Eschatology and Politics,” taught by moral philosophy. famous liberal theolo“Rawls was famously “There are a lot of things gian Harvey Cox. Years modest and self-effaclater as a reporter for ing,” she said. “That cer- in those courses that The New York Times in tainly characterized my the mid-1980s, Dionne picture of him as well. stayed with me.” was assigned to be the He was very humble E.J. Dionne JR. Rome bureau chief covand also an extremely Government Professor ering the Vatican, Pope demanding scholar.”

John Paul II and Pope Sherman says she remembers that he lectured entirely from Benedict XVI. Dionne’s experience learning from Walhandwritten notes, at times up to 24 pages long. Rawls also served as one of Sherman’s zer stayed with him as he covered the pope, just as his experience in the Vatican stays advisers for her thesis on Aristotle.

“He said to me ‘I’m happy to mentor you, with him as a Georgetown professor.

“Thirteen years later, I find myself coverbut I don’t know much about Aristotle’s ethics.’ Of course, he certainly did but didn’t ing the Vatican when folks from our class want to present himself as an Aristotle eth- readings were at the center of the news,” Dionne said. ics scholar,” she said.

Dionne is not alone in having drawn on In his graduate years at the University of Chicago, government professor Keir Lieber the teaching and academic practices of esstudied under renowned political scientist teemed professors.

Lieber said he seeks to emulate a similar John Mearsheimer, who is known for his contributions to the theory of offensive realism. clarity and straightforward approach with “People have good ideas, but a lot of peo- his students.

“One of [Mearsheimer’s] teachings is that ple are ‘complexifiers.’ He’s a simplifier,” Lieber said. “He is able to articulate his views we are fortunate to be professors,” Lieber and arguments in a way that almost anyone said. “As part of that opportunity, we have can understand. His view is that ... professors a social obligation to try and say something shouldn’t hide behind needlessly complex about important real world problems. I think that’s a good guide to one’s career.” jargon.”

Sherman, too, said her approach to phiLieber worked as Mearsheimer’s teaching assistant for the course “War and the Nation losophy resembles that of Rawls in her commitment to the history of moral philosophy State.”

“Students loved him. He was very funny. and fidelity to text. But perhaps above all, He makes provocative arguments,” Lieber she remembers Rawls for his venerable classsaid. “He used to be called the dark prince room presence.

“We all knew we were at the foot of a great because of his views … [but] in reality, he is one of the kindest, most generous, most master,” she recalled.

PROFESSORS, from A1

A6

THE HOYA

news

friday, march 15, 2013

Ex-Candidates Join Exec Staff DeGioia Approves Fiscal Plan Revisions STAFF, from A1

body noticed it was pushing against an open door.”

But German department Chair Pemillions of pay dollars in possible ter Pfeiffer, who had submitted a letter funding.

“We have been working to identify opposing the raise freeze to the univerways to eliminate our operating defi- sity’s board of directors, said that the cit, ensure Georgetown’s competitive- discussion process reflected a willingness and maintain our commitment ness to listen to faculty and staff input.

“I think this shows the campus comto access and affordability,” DeGioia munity can come together in positive wrote.

However, some faculty members ways that include everyone,” Pfeiffer are still unhappy with the revised pro- said. “It may have been a process that was flawed early on, but the way the posal.

School of Foreign Service Faculty campus has responded since then, Chair David Edelstein acknowledged including the response by the adminthat the 0.75 percent pay raise for staff istration, has been actually a very positive sign.” does not keep up with inflation.

Edelstein agreed that the revision “A 0.75 percent pay raise for anybody represents a good is, in real terms, a faith attempt by pay cut,” Edelstein “[It] draws attention to the administrasaid. “I don’t think tion to address a that is a situation the fact that this perplexing finananybody wishes cial problem. anybody was in. inequality still persists.”

“I don’t know All of the faculty david edelstein what I would have think that our School of Foreign Service Faculty Chair done differently. staff work awfully It’s a really difficult puzzle. I don’t hard.”

Edelstein acknowledged that these know that they got it right, but I don’t efforts attempted to decrease the in- know that I could get it more right in equality between treatment of faculty a way that wouldn’t anger the people they’ve angered,” he said. and staff.

Pfeiffer agreed.

“There was some effort in the new “I think it shows that there is a more plan to introduce some money back into the staff pool, but they did it in a equitable way of … [assuring] the uniway that, yes, introduces some money versity is financially stable and is preback … but only in a way that draws pared for some eventualities that may more attention to the fact that this in- be coming down the pipe,” Pfeiffer said. “I think everybody can live with equality still persists.”

Additionally, Edelstein emphasized this, and I think it’s not the best of that some of the university’s conces- both worlds, but it’s a better response than what we had before.” sions were empty gestures.

Until the university releases its bud“What they were trying to do was they were trying to find ways that they get for the upcoming fiscal year, the can give things to staff that frankly effects of this revised plan will remain don’t cost them all that much,” Edel- uncertain.

“Full budgets haven’t come out yet, stein said. “Truth be told, the university is basically always closed between and everyone’s waiting to see what Christmas and New Year’s. DeGioia those will look like,” Edelstein said. “All announces in the fall that we’re mak- [of the plan] adds up to revenues and ing those special holiday days, and the expenditures. … No one knows what university closes. I suspect that gesture, the budget looks like yet, so it’s hard to while appreciated … probably every- speculate what the effects will be.”

PAY, from A1

efficient use of technology.

Most notably, Walsh was an outspoken critic of the GUSA website, which was unavailable from the beginning of last fall until the end of this January due to a platform switch.

“The administration is only in office for a year. How do we get things done quickly? How would you engage students with technology with innovative ways? Flyers and emails can only go so far,” Walsh said.

Tisa said that one of Walsh’s central goals would be to shift GUSA records to the website to facilitate student access.

Corbin Johnson (SFS ’14), who emphasized her involvement in diverse

extracurricular groups during the campaign, will be director of group outreach.

“Shavonnia, during the campaign, talked a lot about reaching out to groups and connecting to diversity and advocacy groups, so we have a lot of faith in her ability and passion for getting contact with students,” Tisa said.

Senate Speaker Zach Singer (SFS ’15), who was formerly vice speaker and took over Tisa’s position as speaker after Tisa was elected president, will serve as chief of staff. Singer served as Tisa’s campaign manager and must resign the senate to join the executive.

“I’m excited for this position. Something I feel very strongly about is the

free speech on campus, for example.

As chief of staff, I will be able to work closely and intensively with such issues,” Singer said.

Ben Manzione (SFS ’15) will be transition chair, while Emily Perkins (COL ’14), a former copy chief of The Hoya, will be director of communications.

Tisa will announce his deputy chiefs of staff, communications team, director of special initiatives and senior advisers Saturday.

The GUSA executive comprises two branches: the staff and cabinet. Staff members are handpicked by the executive leaders, while cabinet positions are chosen among applicants from the student body. Applications to cabinet positions will open Sunday and are due the following Thursday.

Shuttles Align With GCP Goals SHUTTLES, from A1 Gymnasium to the corner of 20th Street and Massachusetts Avenue in Dupont Circle, with a stop at the corner of 18th Street and Columbia Avenue in Adams Morgan. Olson emphasized that the shuttles will benefit all students, not just upperclassmen.

“Both Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan have some appealing features open to everybody, not just those over 21 specifically,” Olson said, citing options like Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe in Dupont.

Morey said that the route, which uses the university’s Canal Road entrance and avoids the residential portion of Georgetown, was chosen to avoid disturbing neighbors.

“This is our initial take on the route,” Morey said. “If we find out there’s a better way to do it, we’re going to take that feedback and consider it.”

Unlike the Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle, which is catered to faculty, staff, undergraduates and graduate students and operates infrequently on weekends, this shuttle will target undergraduates specifically,

similar to the shuttle service to Burleith and M Street launched in fall 2011.

According to Morey, although the idea for a new shuttle has been on the table for a while, the Office of Student Life, Facilities Management and the Department of Public Safety officially proposed the idea three weeks ago with student input. Two Georgetown Community Partnership working groups — one on safety and student life and one on transportation and parking — vetted the idea and officially approved the route March 13.

This shuttle is the latest attempt to improve the quality of student social life on campus and minimize late-night activity in the neighboring community. In his email, Olson emphasized the importance of enhancing student life as part of reducing noise and disruptive behavior in the surrounding neighborhoods.

“I’m hoping this might make the city more accessible for students and also make things smoother in the neighborhood, too,” Olson said. “The potential difference in number of people walking on Prospect might have to do with the number of them look-

ing for cabs, but we have not analyzed things like cab usage in detail.”

Olson said the proposal balances the goal of the 2010 Campus Plan to bring social life back to campus.

“One of the things I’ve heard from students is that they are supportive of the idea, and we don’t want to isolate the students from Washington,” Olson said. “The shuttle is one of the ways to accomplish both goals — taking part of the social life out of the local neighborhood while also pursuing stuff to bring social life back to campus — we need to do a balancing act making sure there are options in the city.”

GCP Transportation and Parking working group member Jake Sticka (COL ’13) cited the new shuttle service as an example of a GCP success.

“The shuttles are really a product of GCP working,” Sticka said. “All sides involved in the community partnership — the students, the university and the neighbors — all sort of recognized something that would be great for all of us. It really shows the power and the potential of GCP when it’s working the way we all hope it will.”

A8

Sports

THE HOYA

softball

Hoyas Drop Home Opener in Extras Tom Schnoor

Special to the Hoya

Like many of their classmates, the members of the Georgetown softball team (4-18, 0-0 Big East) headed south last week.

Unlike their peers, however, the Hoyas enjoyed little rest and relaxation during spring break, playing 10 games in nine days over the course of two tournaments.

The first weekend of break found the Hoyas in Kissimmee, Fla., competing in the Citrus Classic at the Disney Wide World of Sports complex. The Blue and Gray opened the tournament with two straight losses to Illinois State (13-12, 0-0 MVC) and Temple (5-9, 0-0 A-10).

The Hoyas recovered to win two games later in the tournament, a 5-0 shutout over Fairfield (7-4, 0-0 MAAC) and a dramatic 6-5 victory over Boston College (4-11, 0-3 ACC). Sophomore pitcher Lauren O’Leary took the mound against Fairfield and didn’t give up a run, pitching a complete game and striking out five.

Against Boston College, Georgetown recorded its most dramatic win of the year to date. The Hoyas jumped out to an early 5-2 lead after two innings, but the Eagles battled back and tied the game at five in the top of the sixth. That set the stage for some late-game drama from freshman Samantha Giovanniello, who hit a solo home run — the first of her collegiate career — in the bottom half of the inning that would ultimately prove to be the game-winner.

Georgetown then traveled to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for its second tournament of the week, hosted by Coastal Carolina. As has often been the case for the Hoyas this season, the team struggled offensively in South Carolina, scoring just five runs in five games.

The lone bright spot of the second tourney for the Blue and Gray was a 4-2 win over lowly Middle Tennessee State (1-19, 1-1 Sun Belt). Georgetown scored two runs in both the first and second innings, and sophomore pitcher Megan Hyson did the rest, striking out 12 Blue Raiders in the victory.

On Wednesday, the Hoyas returned to Guy Mason Field for their long-awaited

home opener against Drexel (7-13, 0-0 CAA). O’Leary got the start for the Hoyas and didn’t disappoint, shutting out the Dragons through seven innings and allowing only two hits while striking out ten.

Unfortunately for Georgetown, Drexel’s Tara Konopka matched O’Leary pitch for pitch.

“We let her dictate what we were doing up at the plate,” Head Coach Pat Conlan said. “We swung at a lot of pitches that were out of the zone, and we weren’t aggressive with the ones that were in the zone.”

With neither team on the board through seven innings, the game headed into extras. Although Hyson warmed up during the bottom of the seventh, it was O’Leary who returned to the circle for the Blue and Gray in the top of the eighth.

“I did not [think about pulling O’Leary] at all,” Conlan said.

Conlan’s decision to keep O’Leary in the game did not pay off, however, as Drexel finally broke through in the eighth. A leadoff single and subsequent sacrifice bunt set the stage for the Dragons to take a 2-0 lead. O’Leary then walked the next batter and allowed another single before recording the second out of the inning. In the next at-bat, a pitch got away from O’Leary and hit Drexel catcher Madison Timoteo, forcing in the Dragons’ third run of the inning.

The eighth inning marred what had otherwise been a phenomenal outing for the sophomore pitcher.

“Going through their lineup a couple of times, they started seeing my pitches better and hitting better,” O’Leary said.

Georgetown mounted a promising comeback in the bottom half of the eighth when lead-off singles by junior centerfielder Elyse Graziano (3-for-3 on the day) and Giovanniello and a passed ball put runners on first and third with no outs.

A sacrifice fly by junior second baseman Hannah Slovacek was the best the Hoyas could manage, though, and the game ended with a score of 3-1.

A trip to the UMBC Tournament is up next this weekend in Baltimore, where Georgetown will hope for better fortunes.

friday, march 13, 2013

raising the bar

Streaks Fraught With Drama S

eth Greenberg has 383 career victories, boasts a career .567 winning percentage and was twice named ACC men’s basketball coach of the year. During his time at the helm of Virginia Tech and Long Beach State, Greenberg reached the NCAA tournament three times and had postseason berths in 11 of his 22 years as a college basketball head man.

So, naturally, last week Greenberg found himself on SportsCenter discussing the Chicago Blackhawks.

Those Blackhawks are the talk of the NHL these days. The league’s hottest team was in the midst of its record-setting streak, eventually notching 24 games without a regulation loss to start the year.

Sitting at a roundtable with NBA analyst Tim Legler and the face (and hair) of NHL breakdown, Barry Melrose, Greenberg was asked about the Blackhawks’ scorching start. While he acknowledged the validity of such an unprecedented run, the former Hokies coach remained mostly unimpressed. There was something else on his mind. Something equally as “hot.”

Greenberg chose to instead focus on the accomplishments of the Miami Heat, who are currently entrenched in a win streak that has now stretched to 20 games. Much to the dismay of Melrose — but to the surprise of no one — the former basketball coach stayed true to his roots, decisively favoring the round ball over the puck.

And with good reason: The cream of the NBA crop has steamrolled nearly every team to have the misfortune to cross its path during the past month.

The funny thing is, no answer Greenberg could have given would have been right — there is no better streak. While all the banter would have us believe otherwise, superiority is a murky business when it comes to comparing the streaks. Each run is an entirely unique beast.

For one, the teams’ respective seasons are incongruent. While the Heat are in the dog days of another grueling 82-game NBA season, the Blackhawks have only just begun their abridged NHL campaign. The lockoutshortened season, with a mere 48 games, means the 2013 NHL is more

a sprint than a marathon. With the abbreviated season comes a quirky schedule, too — the Blackhawks will only suit up against Western Conference foes this season, amounting to a greater concentration of games against their fellow Central Division rivals, which Melrose has deemed the best division in hockey. To reach the halfway point of the season without a regulation loss, with the added difficulty of the compact lockout season, is an undoubtedly monumental achievement for the ’Hawks.

The sizzling opening to 2013 for Chicago’s finest is even more remarkable considering the chaos the lock-

Peter Barston

The two teams’ runs are entirely unique beasts. out wreaked on the preamble to the NHL season. There was no extended training camp for the Blackhawks — just a few days on short notice to craft the chemistry that would glue the team together. The Heat, on the other hand, had defending champs’ momentum, training camp and three months of regular season play under their belt before beginning their February takeover.

But it would be a grand mistake to ignore the basketball being played in South Beach right now. Thanks to their middle-of-the-season burst, the Heat have already sewn up a playoff spot with one month remaining on the regular season NBA calendar. Let’s not forget, either — this is 20 straight W’s for LeBron James and company, by an average of over 11 points per game. With three shootout losses during their fantastic flurry to begin the season, the Blackhawks’ best run of consecutive regulation victories was just 11.

The Heat haven’t taken advantage of a lull in their schedule either; rather, their victims during the run are a nearly comprehensive list of choices, both popular and dark horse, for deep playoff runs this year. Houston, both Los Angeles teams, Oklahoma City, Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Indiana all have been felled by the streaking Heat.

And really, how could you ignore any win streak that involves LeBron James? The pre-eminent star of the NBA has piloted the Heat during their extraordinary stretch, with game averages of 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while shooting an astronomical 60 percent from the field.

In the end, though, all the back and forth between the two streaks is nice, but it distracts from the most important takeaway — the very fact that we are comparing them.

At the outset of 2013, who could have guessed that we would be mentioning the poster boy of superstar melodrama, LeBron James, in the same breath as unassuming Canadian captain Jonathan Toews? That the Blackhawks, a team that has fallen on hard times since bringing the Stanley Cup back to the Windy City in 2010, would be in the same conversation as the NBA’s next dynasty, the presumed eventual home of all those trophies LeBron promised?

Whichever streak you favor, whichever explosion of success you see as more impressive, remember to take a step back and appreciate the enthralling sports theater before us. That hush? That’s LeBron, slowly silencing his critics. That roar? That’s Patrick Kane tallying another goal. That chatter? That’s the NHL and the NBA being talked about. Equally. Finally.

Remember these moments of sports fan utopia. Not for one streak being better than the other. That’s too hard to call. Remember these runs for the two being one, hockey and basketball together at the summit of the sporting world.

Peter Barston is a freshman in the McDonough School of Business.

RAISING THE BAR appears every Friday.

sports

friday, march 15, 2013

women’s lacrosse

THE HOYA

A9

men’s lacrosse

MSM Worsens GU Woes Beno Picciano Hoya Staff Writer

FILE PHOTO: ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

Following a heartbreaking loss to Duke, junior midfielder Kelyn Freedman registered five goals and one assist in a bounce-back win over Johns Hopkins Wednesday night.

Freedman, Dominant Start Help Hoyas Past Hopkins Laura Wagner Hoya Staff Writer

After a heartbreaking one-point loss to Duke last week, the Georgetown women’s lacrosse team (5-1) soundly defeated Johns Hopkins (4-2) 15-8 Wednesday night in a matchup nationally televised on ESPNU. The Hoyas jumped to an early lead and never relinquished it, repeatedly winning draws and forcing turnovers to gain possession. The Hoyas also relied on an impressive five-goal, one-assist performance from junior Kelyn Freedman and numerous freeposition goals to both build and maintain their lead.

Junior midfielders Hannah Franklin gave the Blue and Gray an early two-goal lead in the first half, scoring both goals on free position shots. Minutes later, it looked as if Georgetown would widen the lead to 3-0 as freshman attack Corinne Etchison streaked down the field toward an open cage.

Hopkins’goalie Cosette Larash, however, managed an extraordinary diving save to slow the Hoyas’ momentum, and the Blue Jays responded a minute later on the other end of the field scoring to cut Georgetown’s lead to one point.

The Hoyas responded in a big way, scoring five unanswered goals to go up 6-1. In the waning minutes of the first half, the Hoyas traded goals with the Jays to hold a commanding 8-2 lead going into the break.

Head Coach Ricky Fried was pleased with his team’s performance in the first half, especially in comparison to how the team came out against Duke.

“I think we played looser — we played with more confidence,” Fried said. “It’s always easy when the first couple shots go in because you feel a little bit more positive, whereas in the Duke game, the first couple shots didn’t go in, and I think we got a little tight.”

The second half started just like the first, with Georgetown scoring off a free-position shot from Freedman. Minutes later, senior attack Dina Jackson threaded the needle perfectly to get the ball to sophomore attack Caroline Tarzian, who sprinted up the field and buried the shot in the back of the net to put the visitors ahead 10-2.

The Hoyas’ defense also had an exceptionally strong day, holding Hopkins’ leading scorer, freshman midfielder Dene’ DiMartino, scoreless until five minutes into the second half. Fried credited improved communication as the key to the defense’s success on the day.

“[We had to] figure out when to double and when not to double,” he said. “I think the big mistakes in the Duke game were that we got antsy and we became reactive.

[We] had two and three people playing together as opposed to seven. Last night, we had all seven people playing on the string, reacting at the same time.”

After DiMartino’s goal, the Hoyas scored two of their own to go up 12-3 with 18 minutes left to play. The Jays were not going to make it easy, though, and scored two goals in under a minute to pull within seven. Not willing to give Hopkins a chance to get back in the game, Georgetown tallied one of its own before Fried called a timeout.

“They were beating us to the 50/50 balls and outhustling us a little bit,” Fried said. “[The players] responded to what we talked about at the timeout, and they came out and got the next couple draw controls, which is what we were looking for.”

The Hoyas scored two more goals, including a beautiful fake-low, shoot-high goal from Freedman off a free position. Hopkins scored three more goals after the timeout, but it was too little too late.

Free-position goals, which Fried says the team is continuously working to improve on, undoubtedly helped seal the victory for the Hoyas.

“We want to shoot about 55 percent.

There is still a defense out there and there’s still a goalie, so [free positions are] not just a gimme,” Fried said.

The Hoyas were 6-of-7 from the hash marks, well above that 55-percent goal and markedly better than they performed against Duke, when they went 1-7.

Though Freedman scored three of her goals from the arc, she was quick to credit her team with her career-high scoring performance.

“I think it’s more like a team thing. The way I got my goals is really exciting because it was in a bunch of different ways, and I think that reflects on what our whole team did throughout the game,” Freedman said afterward.

According to their coach, the Blue and Gray won because they were able to finally play at the level at which they are capable — something Fried emphasize after the game. , we don’t want to play to the scoreboard [and] we don’t want to play to the opponents’ jersey. We want to play our brand of lacrosse as often as we can,” Fried said.

Georgetown takes the field next against No. 3 North Carolina on Saturday in Chapel Hill.

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Following its spring break trip to storm-ridden Boston, the Georgetown men’s lacrosse team might have hoped that better weather would help bring a better result in Tuesday night’s trip to Mount St. Mary’s.

There was no such luck for the Hoyas, however, as the Blue and Gray (2-3, 0-0 Big East) fell 14-6 to the Mountaineers (4-4, 0-0 NEC) in Emmitsburg, Md. The loss snapped a 14-game win streak versus Mt. St. Mary’s and wrapped up a disappointing five-day stretch for Georgetown, which also fell at Harvard 8-6 on Saturday in a game delayed by winter storms. The Hoyas will now enter Big East play with a losing record and the need to right a ship veering quickly off course.

Head Coach Kevin Warne is focusing on taking constructive lessons from the recent setbacks to push team development forward before the Hoyas’ next outing.

“The past two games have shown us some things that we need to work on,” Warne said.

“Within those two losses, you always try to take something positive from them, and we’ve done some good things at times in both of those games, but this week at practice has really been based around what we need to do to be successful.”

The Blue and Gray never led in Tuesday’s matchup, falling behind less than two minutes into the game. Georgetown was able to equalize at 2-2 with 7:52 remaining in the first quarter when senior attack Travis Comeau gathered a pass from senior midfielder Jason McFadden, but the advantage was back to the Mount a mere 44 seconds later when Daniel Stranix gave the hosts a 3-2 lead.

From that point forward, the Hoyas were seemingly stuck in

FILE PHOTO: ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

Senior attack Brian Casey scored twice in the fourth quarter for the Hoyas in an eight-goal loss to Mount St. Mary’s. neutral while the Mountaineers kept on climbing. The game was still up for the taking as the Blue and Gray trailed just 6-3 at the half, but a 4-0 third quarter run gave Mount St. Mary’s a commanding 10-3 edge heading into the final session.

By the final whistle, Mount St. Mary’s had stretched its lead to a game-high eight despite a pair of fourth-quarter scores from senior attack Brian Casey.

The Mountaineers finished with a decisive 39-19 advantage in shots and 28 groundballs to the Blue and Gray’s 17. Jeff Fountain was the only other Hoya to score multiple times in the game, finishing with two scores.

A bright spot as of late has been redshirt junior Tyler Knarr, whose 63.2 percent success rate in face-offs is sixth-best in the NCAA. The long stick midfielder went a career best 12-for-16 in Saturday’s shortcoming at Harvard, earning a selection to the Big East’s weekly honor roll.

The Blue and Gray as a whole were better in Cambridge last Saturday, battling back to tie

Harvard at 5-5 midway through the third quarter. The Crimson responded with the next two goals, however, and nursed a 7-6 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Hoyas’ offense was unable to make a breakthrough in the fourth quarter, despite a 9-6 shot advantage in the period.

Casey again led the Hoyas with two goals.

Georgetown must now prepare to host an undefeated Providence squad on Saturday in both teams’ Big East debut.

The Hoyas will take the remainder of the week to take a look at the game tapes and recognize areas for potential improvement.

“We need to step away from worrying about our opponent and worry about us more,” Warne said. “That’s no disrespect to Providence, but we need to get better, because we feel like at times, we’ve been shooting with mistakes that are very correctable. If we can correct those mistakes, we have a better chance at having success.”

Face-off with the Friars is set for noon Saturday at MultiSport Field.

down to the wire

Goodell’s Sanctions Unfair Y

ou would think that as commissioner of the most watched, most popular and most profitable sports league in North America, Roger Goodell would make it a priority to be fair and equitable to his teams. And yet he has once again found a way to superimpose himself on the game, enough so that even with a healthy Robert Griffin III, making the playoffs will be a tough task for the Redskins.

The Redskins have $18 million less in salary cap space to work with this year than they should. With a cap of $123 million for 53 players, $18 million makes a huge difference.

Last offseason, Goodell docked the Redskins $36 million and the Cowboys $10 million in salary cap room to be spread out over the 2012 and 2013 offseasons. Why? The Redskins and Cowboys owners spent too much during an uncapped year.

Read that again. An uncapped year.

Please allow someone who spends way too much time reading about NFL contracts and labor deals to give a little background.

In 2006, the NFL and NFL Players Association extended their collective bargaining agreement through the 2010 season. One detail was that if the two sides didn’t agree to a new CBA before the 2010 offseason started, there would be no salary cap for 2010. During the 2010 season, the Redskins and Cowboys owners — Dan Snyder and Jerry Jones, respectively, possibly the two highestspending league owners in NFL history — decided to make use of the lack of a salary cap and, logically, spend more money on better players to make their teams better.

And then they were penalized for it. The NFL explained the penalties by saying that the Cowboys’ and Redskins’ actions “created an unacceptable risk to future competitive balance.”

In other words, if you use the rules in place to improve your team, make sure that you aren’t too much better than other

teams, because that could get in the way of “parity.”

How in the world does that make sense? It’s not the teams’ jobs to make sure that the rest of the league has an equal shot, because a professional sports league doesn’t run the same as a tee-ball league for five-yearolds. When you’re kids, the losing team might be allowed eight outs in the final inning to make sure they tied the score so that both teams could be happy and enjoy Oreos and Gatorade after the game.

If the NFL didn’t like the fact

Tom Hoff

It’s not the teams’ jobs to make sure that the rest of the league has an equal shot. that teams could spend more than the amount that they normally do, they shouldn’t have allowed that clause into the CBA. Don’t blame Snyder and Jones for caring more about their teams than they did about their balance sheets, The NFL’s explanation doesn’t make sense in part because it’s a lie. Simply put, Roger Goodell and the NFL have a problem with the league’s owners paying the players more money than they are “supposed” to.

Goodell worries that if there is a way that the players can make more money than expected in a given year, their expectations for future contracts will be heightened. The NFL wants to put a stop to this in order to control player salaries even if it comes at the expense of owners who are just trying to win, even if it’s the NFL’s job — not an individual team’s job — to keep bad

clauses out of their CBA. There is an even more recent example of the NFL trying to undermine clauses that the NFLPA has worked into the CBA. This year, the NFLPA inserted a threeday shopping weekend before the start of free agency, which could drive the players’ market prices up before anyone could actually get signed. Goodell sent all 32 teams a warning memo stating that tampering investigations could be launched into any deal that was hatched during the three-day period, scaring teams away from seriously talking with players. The teams realize the dictatorial and draconian ways that Goodell punished the Redskins and Cowboys for defying him, and they all stepped in line.

I have no idea how taking away cap space from the Cowboys and Redskins was legal; if either team were to actually take the NFL to court, the penalties might not actually hold up. But when looking at the lack of legal action combined with all 32 teams being scared away from signing free agents because of a memo, it seems that the all-controlling NFL is free to throw its weight around without worrying about whether its actions are completely moral — or even legal. During Goodell’s tenure, the NFL has also suspended players without proof (the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, for one), acted on concussions only when the mainstream popularity of football seemed threatened and preached player safety in a violent sport while trying to add two more games to the season.

In a league where the commissioner and the owners seem to have complete power over their players and media members, it’s amazing that Goodell and the league office can also flex their muscles at owners who aren’t simply being the obedient foot soldiers that the NFL and its executives want them to be.

Tom Hoff is a sophomore in the McDonough School of Business. DOWN TO THE WIRE appears every Friday.

SPORTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL Hoyas (25-5) vs. Syracuse (25-8) Friday, 7 p.m.

Madison Square Garden

FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

DOWN TO THE WIRE The Redskins and Cowboys took salary cap penalties for fair free agent dealings.

See A9

TALKING POINTS

“

NUMBERS GAME

We don’t want to play to the circumstances, [and] we don’t want to play to the clock.

3 ”

Women’s lacrosse Head Coach Ricky Fried

The number of times that Georgetown will have faced Syracuse this season after their tourney matchup Friday.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

CURRAN

GU Boasts Defense Keys Tourney Revenge of UC March Intangibles PAT CURRAN

Hoya Staff Writer

T

oughness.

It’s one of the talking heads’ favorite concepts, tossed around on any one of ESPN’s 100 shows to justify everything from a football team’s upset win (“They were just the tougher squad”) to a coach’s firing. (“He doesn’t instill toughness in his players!”)

It’s the perfect catch-all buzzword for any unexpected result, any unexplainable phenomenon in modern sports media. Any athlete that comes out on the wrong side of the argument too many times — think Chris Bosh or Jay Cutler — is subjected to endless ridicule that’s nearly impossible to shake.

But where do we get these ideas?

What happens in the course of a game that allows the media to make a sweeping assertion about a player’s character?

The short answer is that it’s complicated — and usually more hyperbole than fact. But every once in a while, we see a play or sequence that exemplifies everyone’s favorite intangible.

Like yesterday’s Georgetown game.

The Hoyas have an undeniable tendency to make big plays at the right times — and not just any big plays, but the kind that require outsmarting and outworking the opponent rather than relying on simple talent to turn the tides of tight contests.

So while Georgetown obviously owes

much of its success to Otto Porter Jr.’s talent and John Thompson III’s coaching, the Hoyas wouldn’t have won many of their games without the timely toughness of Porter Jr. and nearly all his teammates.

During yesterday’s game, for example, Cincinnati had stormed back from a 16-point deficit to take a 33-31 lead in the opening minutes of the second half. The Blue and Gray looked on the verge of collapse, and an all-too-familiar feeling settled into the stomach of every Georgetown fan.

But Nate Lubick got the ball on the left block, backed down his man and spun baseline for a jump hook that stopped the bleeding and set the stage for a game-saving Georgetown run.

That’s a tough play.

Later, Jabril Trawick would judge the angle of a rebound perfectly, rip the ball from the reach of a taller Bearcat and immediately push the ball up the court. That’s a tough play. Porter Jr. missed a jumper on the other end, but freshman D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera — all six feet, three inches of him — would sneak in for a difficult tip-in. That’s a tough play.

Aaron Bowen’s flying tip-in against Louisville. Porter Jr.’s game-winning layup at UConn. Moses Ayegba’s perfectly timed block of Rakeem Christmas at Syracuse. Those are the kinds of plays that Georgetown has been able to count on all season, and they’re the reasons why the Blue and Gray are in contention for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament after starting the season unranked.

Whether this will be enough to beat out teams as talented as Duke and Indiana for the national title remains to be seen. But when you hear the big-headed basketball commentators singing the praises of the Hoyas’ “toughness” this March, don’t dismiss it as the usual hot air.

While they might be late to the party, they won’t be wrong: Whatever “toughness” is, Georgetown has it.

PAT CURRAN is a junior in the College and former sports editor of The Hoya.

Georgetown’s offense-neutralizing machine has claimed its first victim of the postseason.

The No. 5 Hoyas (25-5) withstood a spectacular one-man rally from Cincinnati guard Cashmere Wright and cruised to a 62-43 win over the Bearcats (22-11) in their Big East tournament quarterfinal Thursday at Madison Square Garden.

Sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr. scored most of his game-high 18 points at the line in a foul-filled game typical of the two physical Big East squads. Junior guard Markel Starks added 14 on 6-of-10 shooting.

“All the attention Otto is getting is well-deserved, but at the same time, knowing that going into games that he’s going to have that attention, we have to step up,” Starks told the Associated Press.

The opening minutes were played at an unusually torrid pace, as both teams came out of the gates in fullcourt presses and with quick triggers on the long ball. Georgetown’s

guards were more sure-handed and its defense more sound, though, and the top-seeded Hoyas quickly gained an edge.

Cincinnati Head Coach Mick Cronin picked up an early technical that may have been intended to energize his team but, if anything, had the opposite effect. By the five-minute mark, Georgetown had opened up a 24-8 lead.

Then, Wright woke up.

The 6-foot senior hit three absurdly long three-pointers in a threeminute span, closing the gap rapidly with the help of backcourt mate JaQuon Parker. The Hoyas sputtered on offense and lost all their momentum before halftime; they left for the locker room holding a five-point edge that seemed much smaller.

The opening minutes of the second half were no different. Parker and Wright continued their rampage after the break, and a leaning floater from the latter gave the Bearcats a two-point lead.

Georgetown’s response justified its No. 1 seed, to put it mildly. Junior forward Nate Lubick hit a baseline jump

hook to tie the game at 33, then back-to-back buckets from freshman guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera gave his team some breathing room.

Buckets from the usual suspects (Porter Jr. and Starks) followed, the Hoyas locked down on defense and a parade of free throws sealed the win.

“We turned it up at the defensive end. We started getting stops, which then helped our offense,” Head Coach John Thompson III told the AP. “For the most part, this group doesn’t get rattled.”

Wright scored 14 points and shot 4-of-5 from long range to lead his team. Cincinnati’s star player, junior guard Sean Kilpatrick, struggled against the Hoyas once again: He scored four points on 2-of-12 shooting after putting up 12 on a 3-of-13 mark earlier this year.

The Hoyas will next take to the court in tonight’s 7 p.m. semifinal against all-too-familiar Syracuse.

The Orange are suddenly hot after trouncing Seton Hall Tuesday and then holding on to top Pittsburgh, 62-59, in Thursday’s second afternoon game.

FILE PHOTO: CHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA

Otto Porter Jr. had 18 points to lead Georgetown over Cincy.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Hoyas, Cards Vying for No. 1 Seed at MSG 46(OT) - 42

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61 - 44

In a battle between two of the Big East’s worst teams, Rutgers outdistanced DePaul Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, leaving them in the conference cellar for the fourth straight year. Junior forward Wally Judge set a spark under the Scarlet Knight, making all nine of his field goals en route to a 20-point performance. Sophomore guard Myles Mack chipped in 19 points for the Scarlet Knights, his fourth-straight game scoring in double figures.

The Blue Demons, meanwhile, shot just 41.5 percent from the field — against 61.1 percent for the Scarlet Knights — including a hideous 3-for-18 from beyond the arc. Junior forward Cleveland Melvin scored 25, but that was not nearly enough to make up for his team’s failure to grab boards and make buckets.

Let’s just say that there’s a reason why these two squads were both in action on Day 1. In an offensive display that would be, well, offensive to even the most seasoned members of the Hoya faithful, the Bulls and Pirates finished regulation tied at a measly 37, needing an extra period to even break the 40-point barrier. In the end, Pirates junior forward Fuquan Edwin’s 17 points helped the future Catholic Seveners prevail, putting a merciful end to a 12-vs.-13 game that lasted (at least) five minutes longer than any of its observers probably wanted to watch. USF — which won two games in last year’s NCAA tournament after entering in a 12-seed play-in game — shot an abysmal 16-of-66 (24.2 percent) from the field to bring about its early exit.

In what might have been deemed an unlikely matchup before the season, underachieing Cincinnati defeated a streaking Providence on Wednesday 61-44 in the Big East’s second round. Cincinnati jumped out to a 15-4 lead built on easy layups and free throws as Providence struggled to score early, hitting just two of 15 field goals to open the game. A pair of seniors led the Bearcats’ scoring attack, as second-team all Big East guard Sean Kilpatrick put up 17 points and backcourt companion JaQuon Parker posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Cincy fell at the Dunkin Donuts Center 54-50 in early February and proceeded to drop five of its next seven, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell from its first showing at MSG.

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66 - 53

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On an otherwise exciting afternoon for the nation’s premier Jesuit university, Georgetown fans who tuned into the Big East tournament’s second round Wednesday were treated to Syracuse dominating the entire second half of a comfortable win over Seton Hall. The Pirates’ Kyle Smythe led a three-point barrage early on that kept the underdogs ahead for much of the half, but any hope Hoya Nation had of seeing its archrivals embarrassed was extinguished midway through the second frame. In a show that had to have been concerning for the higher seeds, James Southerland couldn’t miss; Michael Carter-Williams was unstoppable at the point; and Brandon Triche didn’t take a bad shot all game. The top-5 Orange of the first half of the season were suddenly back.

Finally, by virtue of their comfortable victory over the Johnnies on Wednesday at the Garden, the bubblicious Wildcats have all but punched their tickets to the Big Dance.

It wasn’t pretty — each side coughed up 16 turnovers in what was hardly an exhibition of stifling defense— but ’Nova was eventually able to pull away largely due to cold shooting from Steve Lavin’s team in crunch-time. Senior forward Mouphtaou Yarou went 6-for-6 from the floor to carry the ’Cats in the first half, putting up a game-high 18 overall to go along with seven boards. St. John’s sophomore guard D’Angelo Harrison, who poured in 35 in the teams’ January matchup, was sidelined for Wednesday’s rematch with a suspension; his absence loomed large.

For flashes of Wednesday night’s game, Notre Dame showed why it could beat anybody in the league. With smart play, good passing and outstanding outside shooting — converting 58 percent of their three-point field goals — the Irish jumped out to an early lead and held on to put away Rutgers in a game that wasn’t even as close as the score suggested. Each time the Scarlet Knights cut at the deficit, the Fighting Irish would respond by sinking a wideopen three, usually out of the hands of sophomore guard Pat Connaughton, who finished with 21 points to lead all scorers. As is typical of Rutgers, sophomore guard Myles Mack did all he could do to keep the game competitive, with 18 points, but Notre Dame’s shooting proved too much to surmount.

62 - 59

74 - 55

73 - 65

Syracuse continued to show off its return to form in Thursday’s quarters, as Brandon Triche and James Southerland showed off their usual strokes from long range, and the zone is playing with renewed vigor. Even so, the Orange very nearly blew their game against the Panthers game in spectacular fashion. Down six in the final two minutes, Pittsburgh suddenly found themselves with two consecutive and-one baskets and a chance to tie it up. But Talib Zanna missed the free throw on the second, Michael Carter-Williams hit both of his on the ensuing possession and the Panthers coughed it up on their last possession. Syracuse’s narrow win sets up a date with — gulp — Georgetown. Hold on tight.

In a game reminiscent of last year’s run to the title, Louisville ran past Villanova 74-55 Thursday night. Brooklyn native Russ Smith shined in his return to the concrete jungle with 28 points, and he was joined in double figures by junior wing Luke Hancock (12) and last season’s tournament MVP, Peyton Siva (10). The ’Cats had upset the Cardinals when they were ranked No. 5 on Jan. 22 but were plagued by their usual turnover problems this time around, giving the ball away 24 times on the night. Louisville had 18 turnovers itself, but ’Nova was ultimately unable to come up with point production beyond Yarou and sophomore forward JayVaughn Pinkston.

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On the back of six three-pointers from Connaughton, Notre Dame pulled away in the final minutes and secured a 73-65 win over Marquette in Thursday’s last quarterfinal. The Irish, donning especially fluorescent green uniforms, trailed by as many as 13 points early, but junior center Garrick Sherman — who had 16 points off the bench — helped propel them to a 29-25 halftime lead. Senior guard Junior Cadougan, junior guard Vander Blue and junior forward Jamil Wilson then answered to bring the Golden Eagles back to 50-50 with 6:33 remaining, but Connaughton took over from there. After his two big treys, foul-prone Marquette sent three different Notre Dame players to the line in the final minutes to ice it.