GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY’S NEWSPAPER OF RECORD SINCE 1920 thehoya.com
Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 97, No. 13, © 2015
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015
DREAM FULFILLED
Former Georgetown lacrosse player Reilly O’Connor was selected seventh in the NLL Draft.
EDITORIAL With their remaining time, Luther and Rohan must strike a balance.
TAKING RISKS This year’s TEDx conference seeks to augment its interactive offerings.
OPINION, A2
NEWS, A4
SPORTS, A10
Midway, GUSA Executive Reorients Toby Hung
Hoya Staff Writer
When Georgetown University Student Association President Joe Luther (COL ’16) and Vice President Connor Rohan (COL ’16) launched their campaign in February, they only had two serious points — regarding sexual assault and mental health — on their otherwise satirical platform.
the student engagement that helped them win the election in February. Master Planning Luther and Rohan estimate that they have spent half of their time in office on the issue of master planning. With deliberations concerning the
2018 Campus Plan under way, the duo meets frequently with administrators to discuss student concerns about housing policies and construction on campus. “We’re continuing conversations about what’s a senior living in Georgetown look like, in terms of students maintaining the abili-
ty to live off campus,” Luther said. In March, fresh off their campaign’s victory, Luther and Rohan and the GUSA Campus Plan Subcommittee launched “Let’s Not Get Screwed Again,” an online petition calling for the greater representation of See MIDTERM, A6
“GUSA is intrinsically an advocacy body, and in order to get anything done, the university has all the resources. It’s on us to constantly be working with the university.”
JOHN CURRAN FOR THE HOYA
The Duke Ellington School for the Arts will receive $9.8 million to complete renovations.
$47M Funds Citywide Projects
JOE LUTHER (COL ’16) President, Georgetown University Student Association
Luther and Rohan, who gave themselves a B-plus for their term, have negotiated with the administration on a range of issues, prioritizing sexual assault policy reform, disability access reform, master planning and mental health reform in their first seven months in office. In the future, the pair said they hope to delve deeper into these issues while reinvigorating
All wards to receive infrastructural infusions
ISABEL BINAMIRA/THE HOYA
GUSA President Joe Luther (COL ’16), left, and Vice President Connor Rohan (COL ’16) are poised to reposition themselves toward student engagment, delegating policy initiatives.
Marina Pitofsky Special to The Hoya
MADNESS DESCENDS
Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a $47 million funding plan to aid city education, infrastructure, small businesses and parks across all eight wards of Washington, D.C., on Oct. 9. The funding comes from the $25 million that the District gained in accepting a corporate sponsorship from the Potomac Electric Power Company for the development of the D.C. United Soccer Stadium, with the remainder sourced from city-wide underspending in the 2015 fiscal year. The announcement on the mayor’s website highlighted the plan’s aim to enhance the city’s infrastructure, facilities and economy. “Mayor Muriel Bowser is committed to investing in the priorities that are important to District residents,” the website reads. “These community improvements will boost the local economy and create pathways to the middle class.” The Duke Ellington School of the Arts at 35th and R Street will receive a $9.8 million share of the funding to complete its $115 million renovation of its Georgetown campus. According to a Department of General Services report on the project, this renovation will
Minimum Wage Proposal Stalls Ian Scoville
Special to The Hoya
DAN KREYTAK/THE HOYA
Rapper 2 Chainz performed at Hoya Hoops Madness in McDonough Arena on Friday to mark the start of basketball season.
See BOWSER, A6
Lombardi Receives NIH Grant Matthew Larson Hoya Staff Writer
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health awarded The Lombardi Comprehensive
Cancer Center and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences $4.5 million to study environmental factors leading to breast cancer Oct. 8. USU associate professor Celia By-
FILE PHOTO: DAN GANNON/THE HOYA
The Lombardi Center is the co-recipient on a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to study breast cancer factors. Newsroom: (202) 687-3415 Business: (202) 687-3947
rne and Lombardi professor Marybeth Martin will lead the study, a continuation of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ 2003 Breast Cancer and Environment Research Program that seeks to identify both the causes and potential cures of the disease. Byrne explained that research into environmental factors affecting breast cancer could prove crucial to prevention efforts. In a press release, she noted that the issue is prevalent in Washington, D.C., as it has a high occurrence of breast cancer compared to the nation. “Our study will work to address the reasons why Washington, D.C. has one of the highest rates of breast cancer incidence in the country,” Byrne said. “This type of research is important.” According to a 2015 American Cancer Society study examining new breast cancer cases from 2007 to 2011, D.C. had a rate of 143 per 100,000 women, compared to the national average of 123 per 100,000 women. The five-year study will focus on the effects of the hormone estradiol, which plays a crucial role in the development of breast cancer.
Beset by ongoing legal challenges from the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, grassroots efforts to increase Washington, D.C.’s minimum wage to $15 by 2020 have stalled for the foreseeable future. Launched by a coalition of both local and national labor and social justice oriented advocacy groups this past April, including Restaurant Opportunities Centers United and Working Families Organization, the campaign seeks to eliminate the current submini-
mum wage paid to tipped employees by establishing a ballot measure for the 2016 election. The measure aims to create a $15-per-hour wage floor by 2020 and ensure tipped restaurant workers the same $15 wage floor by 2025. At present, the minimum hourly wage in the District, currently set at $10.50, will reach $11.50 by July 2016, per the Minimum Wage Amendment Act of 2013 that raised the rate from $8.25 per hour in annual increments. The coalition’s efforts for See WAGE, A6
FEATURED
s
NEWS 5K Against Homelessness 219 The Georgetown Ministry Center and CSJ’s charity event drew 300 participants. A5
NEWS St. Teresa Turns 500
An all-day conference commemorated the quintcentenary of the saint. A5
Sports Comeback Falls Short
13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter were not enough, falling to Colgate. A10
OPINION Feel the Bern
Bernie Sanders proved, once again, his appeal to Georgetown students. A3
NEWS Air and Space
The Smithsonian museum expands educational offerings with a $5M GE partnership. A7
OPINION Undeclared, Unpeturbed The freedom of indecision allows the exploration of many diverse interests. A3
See RESEARCH, A6 Published Tuesdays and Fridays
Send story ideas and tips to news@thehoya.com