The Hoya: March 29, 2019

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

Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 100, No. 23, © 2019

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2019

Mystic Energy

The Guide predicts you will learn about the psychics that occupy the streets of Washington, D.C.

EDITORIAL Georgetown must increase resources for women of color survivors of sexual assault.

DEMANDS TO DIVEST GU Fossil Free announced a five-year plan for Georgetown to divest from fossil fuels.

OPINION, A2

NEWS, A6

GSC Demands Epicurean Comedian Minhaj Praises Support Staff, Fire Managers Representation in Media ASHLEY ZHAO Hoya Staff Writer

Members of the Georgetown Solidarity Committee called for fairer working conditions for workers at Epicurean and Company in a petition delivered to the Epicurean manager Monday.

Around fifteen members of GSC, a student group dedicated to promoting workers’ rights, led a march beginning in Red Square toward Epicurean on Monday morning. Participating students held flyers and chanted in support of Epicurean’s workers. At the restaurant, students read out the petition’s demands, which included respecting breaks during shift and providing three to five sick days for workers per year, before handing the signed petition over to Michael Chon, the manager of Epicurean.

The petition alleged Epicurean had a long history of mistreating of its workers that included reported instances of wage theft and threats to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement on an immigrant employee.

The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 prohibits employers from discriminating or retaliating against workers on the basis of citizenship status. Washington, D.C.’s Wage Theft Prevention Amendment Act of 2014 also provides fines, penalties and possible suspen-

sion of the business licenses of employers who fail to pay their employees wages and provide written notice of their terms of employment.

All members of the Georgetown community should recognize this petition and support the workers of Epicurean because of the university’s core Jesuit values, according to GSC member Mariel Mendez (COL ’21).

“Workers on this campus make the University run, and it is shameful that they are not granted the respect and dignity they deserve.”

MARIEL MENDEZ (COL ’21) Member, Georgetown Solidarity Committee

“If we are truly committed to Ignatian values of social justice, we should support the workingclass people on this campus who are resisting abuse from managers, owners, and the University,” Mendez wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Workers on this campus make the University run, and it is shameful that they are not granted the respect and dignity they deserve.”

The petition also calls for the firing of seven managers who have all allegedly violated labor laws.

Complaints from four employees against Epicurean proprietor Chang Wook Chon led him to plead guilty to the charge of criminal contempt in March 2013. Chon was charged for attempting to settle a civil suit over allegedly failing to pay Epicurean employees for overtime outside of court without any lawyers present.

In light of the petition, Epicurean aims to adjust its policies to better support its employees, according to Michael Chon.

“We’re looking at this petition and some of the concerns that were raised as an opportunity to kind of do better,” Michael Chon said in an interview with The Hoya. “I’ve been meeting with some of the employees to kind of figure out what we’ve done well in the past, what we haven’t as much and what we can do better in the future.”

The petition also calls on the university to hold its contractors accountable and ensure they are abiding by both D.C. labor laws and the university’s Just Employment Policy, which dictates fair wage standards for university employees, according to Mendez.

“We need to remind everyone that years ago students went on a hunger strike to force Georgetown into adopting the Just Employment Policy which among many things sets a living wage for campus See GSC, A6

RILEY ROGERSON Hoya Staff Writer

Comedian and political commentator Hasan Minhaj reflected on the role of identity in his comedy and called for the inclusion of diverse perspectives in the media industry March 28.

Both of Minhaj’s parents immigrated to the United States from India and raised Minhaj in the Muslim tradition. In his first stand-up comedy special, “Homecoming King,” which was released in 2017, Minhaj focused on his immigrant family upbringing and experience with racism around his Indian Muslim identity.

Minhaj said his identities as a Muslim and a first-generation American encourage him to define himself on inclusive terms.

“I’ve never defined myself being Indian and being like that means, ‘I’m not Pakistani, I’m not Sri Lankan,’ I’ve never defined it that way,” Minhaj said at the event. “India has dozens of languages and hundreds of different ethnic groups and identities. I’ve tried to define it by inclusive principles, not exclusive principles.”

Held in Gaston Hall, the event was hosted by the South Asian Society and co-sponsored by 14 other campus groups and offices, including Lecture Fund and the Muslim

GU Prison Scholar Released After 22 Years

SHEEL PATEL/THE HOYA

Hasan Minhaj, left, spoke in Gaston Hall with former South Asian Society presidents Bhavya Jha (SFS ’17) and Vinoda Basnayake (MSB ’03).

Student Association. The event featured a discussion between Minhaj, SAS President Vishal Menon (MSB ’19) and former SAS Presidents Vinoda Basnayake (MSB ’03) and Bhavya Jha (SFS ’17) and was followed by questions from the audience.

Minhaj hosts a weekly newscomedy show, “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj,” which premiered on Netflix last October, making Minhaj the first Indian-American host of a weekly comedy show. The

show has covered topics including the 2019 Indian general election and political censorship in China. He has also commented on the death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in fall 2018, in an episode the Saudi Arabian government demanded Netflix remove.

Minhaj also previously served as a senior correspondent for “The Daily Show with See MINHAJ, A5

INTERSECTIONAL FEMINISM

Incarcerated at 17, Flowers forged relationships with students, professors

MAX LEVINE AND CADY STANTON Hoya Staff Writers

Halim Flowers, a Washington, D.C. local who took Georgetown University courses through the Georgetown Prison Scholars Program while incarcerated, was released from D.C. Jail on March

21 after serving 22 years.

Flowers began serving his 40-years-to-life sentence at 17 years old after being convicted as an accessory to murder.

He was released early because of the D.C. Council’s Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act, which allows a judge to commute the sentences of individuals convicted as ju-

veniles depending on their demonstration of personal growth while incarcerated.

Flowers started taking courses offered by Georgetown faculty through the Prison Scholars Program, which launched in January 2018, last fall. He enrolled in government and philosophy classes and attended a week-

COURTESY KRISTIN ADAIR

Halim Flowers, who published 11 books while serving a jail sentence, took government and philosophy classes with the Georgetown Prison Scholars Program beginning in January 2018. He was released March 22.

FEATURED

ly lecture series with guest speakers from across the humanities and social sciences.

The Georgetown program allowed Flowers to form mutually beneficial relationships with the students, professors and guest lecturers.

“Those relationships with the students and the professors, they are beneficial because they exposed me to resources I am not aware of, and I exposed them to resources they were not aware of, so it’s a cross-cultural exchange that benefits both parties,” Flowers said in an interview with The Hoya.

The Prison Scholars Program is a partnership between Georgetown’s Prisons and Justice Initiative, which studies and seeks to combat the issue of mass incarceration, and the D.C. Department of Corrections. Each semester in the program includes two credit-bearing courses, in addition to seven non-credit courses and a weekly lecture series for 50 men and women currently residing at the jail, according to the program’s website.

Marc Howard, a Georgetown professor and the founding director of Georgetown’s Prisons and Justice Initiative, knows Flowers personally See FLOWERS, A6

ROCHELLE VAYNTRUB/THE HOYA

Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), one of two Native American women ever elected to Congress, advocated for inclusive political discourse.

Story on A5.

NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

Joyful Shabbat Jewish Life celebrated its 50th anniversary at Georgetown with current and former students and faculty.

A7

Broaden Disability Spectrum The definition of disability should be expanded to foster a more expansive community for disabled people.

A3

Skid Snapped The Georgetown women’s lacrosse team ended a three-game winless drought with a 20-11 win over University of California, Davis.

A12

NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

Sexual Assault Advocacy A coalition called for increased representation among university staff to support black female survivors of sexual assault.

A5

Condemn Admissions Scandal Publicly shaming students implicated in the college scandal is warranted and productive.

A3

White-Out Senior guard Dionna White led the women’s basketball team to the second round of the WNIT with a 38-point performance.

A12

Published Fridays

Send story ideas and tips to news@thehoya.com

A2

OPINION

THE HOYA

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2019

THE VERDICT

Food insecurity should not be a campus reality. But O’Donovan Hall’s restrictive hours and closure during breaks leaves those dependent on the university for food desperately searching for affordable meals.

To reduce food insecurity on campus and allow students to use the meal plans they paid for, Hoya Hospitality must expand the operating hours of locations that accept meal swipes during weekends and remain open over breaks.

Last semester, the dining hall reinstituted “Late Night Leo’s,” extending its closing hours for the downstairs buffet Fresh Food Company from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Though these extended hours are a welcome reform, they apply only between Sundays and Thursdays, abandoning students on other days.

On weekends, however, finding a meal is more challenging. All five stations located on the dining hall’s upstairs level — Sazón, Olive Branch, 5Spice, Launch and Bodega — close at 4 p.m on Friday and do not begin service again until Sunday evenings. These hours stand in sharp contrast to their 8 p.m. closing time between Mondays and Thursdays.

Though Fresh Food Company is open until 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and Royal Jacket, located in the Leavey Center, is open until 10 p.m. on Fridays, these late-night options do not adequately satisfy students’ hunger, according to April 2018 reporting from The Hoya.

The absurdly early weekend closures fails to understand the reality of a college campus. Students are not going to sleep by 8 p.m. on Saturday and often must attend meetings, work or extracurricular commitments that extend past this time.

To accommodate the busy evening schedules of students and reduce the possibility of students missing meals, Hoya Hospitality should expand meal-swipe location hours until 11 p.m every day of the week.

Though on-campus restaurants Epicurean and Company and Bulldog Tavern are available after Leo’s closes, these locations do not accept meal swipes and burden those on a budget.

If students are paying the exorbitant cost of meal plans – a requirement for freshmen and sophomores living in residential halls – they should have access to campus dining that meets the needs of college life.

Moreover, the university should open all of its mealswipe-accepting locations over breaks in the academic semester, such as Thanksgiving or spring breaks.

Currently, all students unable to leave campus are burdened with finding their own food sources. For students unable to afford groceries or eat out, food insecurity is inevitable.

While Georgetown Scholars Program offers a grocery stipend aimed at alleviating food insecurity, the stipend can only cover GSP students; other students with financial need are left to anxiously scrounge for a solution.

Though Hoya Hub — an on-campus food pantry that offers free, nonperishable items to any member of the Georgetown community — is a critical studentled initiative, the university should also support campus efforts to reduce food insecurity over breaks and keep meal-swipe options open.

In expanding service at its meal-swipe locations, Hoya Hospitality should not simply slap on Late Night Leo’s service as a solution. Though Late Night Leo’s partially meets student demand for extended hours at meal-swipe locations, its menu has thus far failed to provide a filling and nutritional meal.

In restricting hours at upstairs Leo’s — key locations which are vital to meeting students’ dietary restrictions — the university fails to meet the diverse needs that drove the dining hall’s renovation.

O’Donovan Hall renovated in 2017 to increase variety for students with dietary restrictions, according to associate vice president for auxiliary services Joelle Wiese. Instead of the previous single vegan station, the new upstairs level would allow for diverse options at every location, according to Wiese.

Instead of regressing from the renovation’s purpose and relegating students with unique demands to the chicken strips and limp green beans at Late Night Leo’s, Georgetown should extend all of its meal-swipe location hours — including upstairs Leo’s.

To signal that it prioritizes student health over profit, Hoya Hospitality management must expand Leo’s hours, despite any costs associated with hiring more staff or overtime salaries.

Keeping students healthy is a foundational expectation of a university, and providing meals at reasonable hours is critical in fulfilling this aim.

Leo’s management must understand that the dining hall’s renovation is frustratingly irrelevant if its hours perpetuate food insecurity. Aesthetic lighting and vintage decor are useless if students are unable to eat.

C

April Fool(less) Day — With April Fool’s Day approaching, Microsoft released a statement Wednesday banning employees from conducting any public pranks.

In his internal memo, marketing chief Chris Capossela told employees they “had more to lose than gain” with such jokes.

C

Spawk Day — A hawk broke into a New Jersey home Wednesday, breaking two panes of glass as it flew through the bathroom window. According to a Facebook post from the Cranford Police Department, law enforcement found the hawk “relaxing in the jacuzzi.”

C

Extend Leo’s Dining Hours

Feta Wap — Researchers at the Bern University of Arts in Switzerland tested how music affects cheese. After six months of testing, they concluded in a March 14 press release that playing hip-hop led to the cheese having a “stronger, fruitier” taste.

C

EDITORIALS

C

Founded January 14, 1920

Big Workplace Energy — An employee at an Enterprise Rent-a-Car station in Missouri spiked his co-workers’ drinks with LSD, according to a local police department. The 19-year-old worker said to police that he drugged his colleagues because they had “negative energy.”

The Perfect Crime — A balloon stolen from Indiana was recovered at a festival in Florida, nearly 900 miles away from its original location. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said that it was their first balloon investigation since they opened 175 years ago.

EDITORIAL CARTOON by Alexandra Bowman

Support Black Survivors Last Friday, the Georgetown University S.T.O.P. coalition delivered a petition to the Office of the Provost calling on the university to increase resources for black female survivors of sexual assault. Today — the deadline for a public response as promised by Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson — the university should unflinchingly commit to supporting black survivors.

S.T.O.P., a coalition of black women frustrated and disappointed by the lack of diversity in support for survivors, formed in response to a heated debate at a March 13 event discussing masculinity hosted by the Black House.

Among its critical demands, S.T.O.P seeks to hire another black trauma specialist, increase black staff in the Title IX Office and implement bias training for the Georgetown University Police Department.

University support for minorities cannot end at rhetoric that espouses diversity in its mission statement and core values. To protect the safety of its students, the university must recognize the intersection between race and survivorship and provide more resources to aid black survivors.

Georgetown cannot take lightly the crucial need to support survivors: The rate of female undergraduates who reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact since entering Georgetown — 31 percent — is eight points higher than the average among two dozen peer universities, according to the 2016 Campus Climate Survey.

Though this high number can indicate good reporting, it is still disappointing. Moreover, on a national level, black women are more likely to experience assault than white women, according to research by Women of Color Network.

Despite these dismal statistics, the university has delayed in hiring a Title IX coordinator — the previous coordinator left 10 months ago — and failed to address the distinct needs of survivors from minority communities.

Ignorance and exclusion of minority experiences in sexual assault support is damaging to the safety of black survivors. Negative expe-

riences with police or authorities mean that black women often do not feel comfortable reporting instances of sexual assault, according to the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

The university’s failure to diversify support around sexual assault and mental health services only intensifies the barriers that black survivors must overcome to access resources and begin healing.

Currently there are no black Title IX contacts who work with undergraduates, according to the Office of Title IX contact page.

By increasing representation for minority communities in the Title IX office, Georgetown can begin to meet the needs of black students and earn their trust in the Title IX process.

Moreover, increasing implicit bias training and cultural competency training for GUPD is an important step to reduce racist or insensitive actions that would further diminish distrust in law enforcement on campus.

Georgetown should also act according to the petition’s demands to hire another black trauma-informed specialist. The responsibility of supporting every minority community cannot fall solely on Jennifer Wiggins, who is currently the only minority trauma specialist.

Only by hiring an additional black trauma specialist can the university adequately support every black student who requires care and signal that it is concerned with more than a black staff member that checks the box for diversity.

As Georgetown formulates its response to the petition, a vague statement affirming support for survivors cannot be the solution. S.T.O.P has proposed actionable and clear solutions; any delays or hedging by the university ignore the safety of black survivors.

To break barriers preventing women of color from receiving the support they need and deserve, the university must recognize race in survivorship. Georgetown cannot merely use diversity as a buzzword; it must also mitigate the distinct adversities of minority students.

Maya Gandhi, Editor-in-Chief Yasmine Salam, Executive Editor Will Simon, Executive Editor Catriona Kendall, Managing Editor Will Cassou, News Editor Deepika Jonnalagadda, News Editor Danny McCooey, Sports Editor Faris Bseiso, Guide Editor Kiera Geraghty, Guide Editor Yumna Naqvi, Opinion Editor Harrison Hurt, Features Editor Amber Gillette, Photography Editor Samuel Nelson, Design Editor Emily Shambaugh, Design Editor Susanna Blount, Copy Chief Kate Rose, Social Media Editor Caroline Porterfield, Blog Editor Tarina Touret, Multimedia Editor

Karena Landler Amy Li Mason Mandell Yolanda Spura Cady Stanton Allie Babyak Brendan Dolan Sarah Cammarota Suna Cha Maddie Finn Dennese Mae Javier Timothy McNulty Sela Dragich Jonathan Wiersema Doris Zhang Will Cromarty Meena Morar Natalie Isé Sheel Patel Kiki Schmalfuss Amanda Van Orden Mina Lee Janis Park Eloise Owen Katherine DeMatteo Sarah Donofrio Chau Le Victoria Lei Madison Carter Barbara McDuffee Isabel Roemer Irene Chun

Graduate Desk Editor Campus Life Desk Editor Academics Desk Editor City Desk Editor Campus Life Desk Editor Deputy Sports Editor Deputy Sports Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Opinion Editor Deputy Opinion Editor Deputy Opinion Editor Deputy Features Editor Deputy Features Editor Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Design Editor Deputy Design Editor Deputy Design Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Social Media Editor Deputy Blog Editor Deputy Blog Editor Deputy Multimedia Editor

Editorial Board

Yumna Naqvi, Chair

Elizabeth Ash, Matias Burdman, Juliette Leader, Maya Moretta, Rowan Saydlowski, Jenny Xu

Contributing Editors

Yasmeen El-Hasan, Caroline Pappas

HOYA HISTORY: March 27, 1969

April Fools: Dean of Students Arrested The long-standing dispute over division of authority in the Student Personnel Office seemed headed for solution last week as Dean of Men Edward Klein Jr. placed Dean of Students Charles Hartmann under arrest.

In an exclusive meeting with a reporter from The Voice — the Dean of Men does not grant interviews to Th e Hoy a — Klein revealed that Hartmann was under constant surveillance by Klein aide R.K. Judge, S.J., on the third floor of Copley Hall in a maximum-security maid’s closet.

Klein explained his reasons for the action taken against his former colleague.

Klein noted, “Ever since Charlie Hartmann arrived here some months ago, I have been suspicious of him … I decided in September when it became

clear that he intended to undo all that I had accomplished that something must be done … I ordered Hoya Station to begin watching his mail. With the aid of one of my more gifted finks, I received lists of all sorts of mysterious packages coming in for Charlie. I quickly put zero and zero together and deduced that he was engaging in illegal drug traffic. I had long since been aware that D.C. law on this matter was too liberal so I contemplated some subtle way of incarcerating Charlie.” Klein continued by saying, “Omnes adminestratores in tres partes divisi…”

The Voice reporter implied that there was a noticeable gleam in the Dean of Men’s eye as he brought out the charts and maps upon which he had his plans drawn up for Hartmann’s

abduction. Klein proceeded to relate the incident.

Klein phoned Hartmann on the morning of March 22 and asked him to drive to the Dean of Men’s farm near Dulles Airport for an emergency discipline board meeting on the fate of a student accused of poisoning one of Klein’s chickens. Hartmann, long since accustomed to Klein’s eccentric prosecution of tactics, agreed to the request.

Klein then radioed his two operatives in 1789 Restaurant to follow and capture the driver of a late model Corvette, the type of car the Dean of Students drives, leaving from the vicinity of 37th and N streets, the area near Hartmann’s home.

Paul Laverloony Hoya Editor

For letters to the editor and more online content, visit thehoya.com/category/opinion.

Tara Halter, General Manager Luke Sanders, Director of Alumni Relations Brian Yoffe, Director of Financial Operations Aditi Joshi, Director of Human Resources Kate Wittpenn, Director of Sales

Board of Directors

Anna Kovacevich, Chair Dan Crosson, Maya Gandhi, Tara Halter, Subul Malik, Margo Snipe, Hannah Urtz LETTER TO THE EDITOR AND VIEWPOINT POLICIES The Hoya welcomes letters and viewpoints from our readers and will print as many as possible. To be eligible for publication, letters should specifically address a recent campus issue or Hoya story. Letters should not exceed 300 words.

Viewpoints are always welcome from all members of the Georgetown community on any topic, but priority will be given to relevant campus issues. Viewpoint submissions should be between 600-700 words. The Hoya retains all rights to all published submissions.

Send all submissions to: opinion@thehoya. com.

The Hoya reserves the right to reject letters or viewpoints and edit for length, style, clarity and accuracy. The Hoya further reserves the right to write headlines and select illustrations to accompany letters and viewpoints.

CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS If you have a comment or question about the fairness or accuracy of a story, contact Executive Editor Yasmine Salam and Executive Editor Will Simon by email at executive@thehoya.com.

TIPS News Editors Will Cassou and Deepika Jonnalagadda: Email news@thehoya.com.

Guide Editors Faris Bseiso and Kiera Geraghty: Email guide@thehoya.com.

Sports Editor Danny McCooey: Email sports@thehoya.com.

GENERAL INFORMATION The Hoya is published once a week during the academic year with the exception of holiday and exam periods. Address all correspondence to: The Hoya Georgetown University Box 571065 Washington, D.C. 20057-1065

The writing, articles, pictures, layout and format are the responsibility of The Hoya and do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, faculty or students of Georgetown University.

Signed columns and cartoons represent the opinions of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the editorial position of The Hoya.

Unsigned essays that appear on the left side of the editorial page are the opinion of the majority of the editorial board.

Georgetown University subscribes to the principle of responsible freedom of expression for student editors.

The Hoya does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, disability, color, national or ethnic origin. © 1920-2018. The Hoya, Georgetown University weekly. No part of this publication may be used without the permission of The Hoya Board of Editors. All rights reserved. The Hoya is available free of charge, one copy per reader, at distribution sites on and around the Georgetown University campus.

Email: editor@thehoya.com Online at www.thehoya.com Circulation: 4,000

OPINION

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2019

INTO THE FEMININE GENIUS

THE HOYA

A3

GENERATIONAL GAP

Lydia Franz

Ordain Female Leaders

I

have more rosaries than I know what to do with. I have a glowin-the-dark rosary from Sunday school, a rope rosary with knots instead of beads, and plastic rosaries in every color of the rainbow.

My younger self saw these rosaries as little more than beautiful beads until my grandma taught me to pray the rosary. She guided me through each Hail Mary, laughing good-naturedly when I skipped a bead or fumbled through an unfamiliar prayer. When my grandma introduced me to the beauty of the rosary, she unlocked a new realm of spirituality and became the first in a long line of women who have guided me along my faith journey.

Women like my grandma are a powerful testament to the Catholic Church in the world today.

They serve the needy, welcome the stranger and act as Christ’s hands and feet through their care for those around them. Although many women embody this spirit of charity and service that is fundamental to the Catholic faith, the church does not permit the ordination of women to the diaconate — an office directly responsible for leading the parish.

Despite their exclusion from the church hierarchy, women serve as essential faith leaders whose spirituality inspires a deeper faith in Catholics like me. The Catholic Church should recognize and elevate women’s indispensable leadership by ordaining them to the diaconate.

Throughout my life, women have continually shown me what it means to live in faith, and their examples of feminine spirituality are the reason I continue to see God in a patriarchal church. As she cooked hearty meals for people in our parish experiencing the loss of a loved one, my mom quietly showed me how to love my neighbor.

I could share countless stories about the women of faith who have influenced me along my own spiritual journey. I’ve had female friends who showed me Christ’s forgiveness after an explosive fight and a neighbor who taught me to care for God’s creation in her backyard vegetable garden. At every step of my faith journey, there has been a woman walking alongside me, sharing her spirituality with me and teaching me what it means to be Catholic.

Despite the strong female lead-

ers who serve an essential role in Catholic faith formation, the church currently does not allow women to be priests or deacons.

In the early church, both men and women served as deacons. Though deacons rank below priests and cannot perform certain sacraments, they function as important preachers to congregations and teachers of the Gospel. When the church reorganized its clerical structure in the Middle Ages, it excluded women from the diaconate, depriving women of the opportunity to lead the faithful in a hierarchically recognized role.

The diaconate became tied to the priesthood rather than functioning as a permanent office in its own right, and women lost the opportunity to hold a respected position of authority in the church.

Today the church has no recognized female deacons. I hope and pray the church will look to its own history and again allow women to serve in the diaconate. Just as a deacon shares God’s word with parishioners during Mass, the women in my life have shared God’s word with me by example. For me and for millions of other Catholics, women already act as faith leaders, and the church should officially recognize their liturgical value by reopening the diaconate to them.

From the moment my grandma prayed the rosary with me, my faith has flourished because of women. Despite their exclusion from the church hierarchy, women powerfully influence my day-to-day experience of faith, using what power they have to shine God’s light into my life. I hope the Catholic Church will recognize the value of the female perspective on faith and give women the structural power to lead the faithful as deacons.

When I imagine the uniquely feminine spirituality that women deacons could provide the church, my heart fills with gratitude and grief. I am endlessly thankful for the women who showed me God’s love and painfully disappointed in the church, which does itself an immeasurable disservice by excluding women from ministerial and clerical roles.

Lydia Franz is a sophomore in the College. INTO THE FEMININE GENIUS appears online every other Monday.

I, too, love indulging in nostalgia, but while it may be easier than ever before to languish in the romance of the past, we should be careful not to make ourselves the Nostalgia Generation.

Resist Temptation of Cultural Nostalgia

Rachel Biggio

M

y family’s most sacred moments are memorialized by candy — the gumdrops we shared on a road trip, the Junior Mint my brother sat on while we howled with laughter, the M&M’s we snuck into the movies via my mom’s purse. To eat these treats now is to remember instances of communal indulgence, my most cherished childhood memories.

The ritual of finding significance in sugar derives from my mother, a California transplant who misses nothing about her state of origin — New Jersey — but the sugarcoated confections she remembers from her youth and cannot find on the West Coast.

About two years ago, however, my mother discovered that Amazon could eliminate her fruitless searches. Now, within two days, she can receive three-pound servings of any dessert she coveted as a child right to our front door.

Those of us currently in col-

lege do not have to wait as long as my mom did to receive technological assistance in satisfying our craving for nostalgia. In fact, we can flirt with the past almost as soon as it fades out of the present.

Spotify allows us to play “High School Musical” tracks whenever we want; Netflix shells out millions to offer up sitcoms from the early 2000s; fast fashion distributors churn out replicas of vintage staples like butterfly clips and cargo pants.

I, too, love indulging in nostalgia, but while it may be easier than ever before to languish in the romance of the past, we should be careful not to make ourselves the Nostalgia Generation. In order to ensure that our generational culture relies on innovation rather than recycling old ideas, we must resist the temptation to idolize that which evokes the past.

Take, for instance, Ariana Grande’s extremely anticipated music video, “thank u, next.”

Even given Grande’s superstar status and high-profile relationships, much of the conversation anticipating the video’s release revolved around Grande’s apparent plan to reference four comedies from the early 2000s: “Legally Blonde,” “Mean Girls,” “Bring It On!” and “13 Going On 30.”

Amid the buzz following the video’s release, however, writer

Gabby Noone tweeted: “trying to stay positive bc i love ‘thank u, next’ but there is something abt a nostalgia for the same 5 teen movies over and over in our modern culture that makes me sad for reasons I don’t know how to articulate.” Upon reading this take, I found myself agreeing with Noone; while I had loved the video, I ultimately worried that “thank u, next” relied upon a cultural crutch to garner commercial success.

I am not trying to be unnecessarily negative or take a public stance against Ariana Grande, but I do believe we must be wary of disproportionately valuing cultural products that reference or reboot.

Firstly, we are in a rapidly progressing society, and most works from the early 2000s do not reflect modern sentiments. By gratuitously affirming art produced when we were pre-pubescents, we do not leave enough space for new works made in a more progressive moment. For example, all four of the movies sampled

by Grande focus on white female protagonists with heterosexual happy endings.

I don’t blame Grande for these one-dimensional representations of femininity and love, but instead assert that by constraining ourselves to the canon of early

2000s teenage rom-coms, we amplify narratives that have already received enough attention. In 2019, we should prioritize telling different stories, especially given our moment of cultural reckoning with damaging and exclusive representations of gender on the big screen.

Moreover, by worshipping the reboot, we give into a fundamental human urge to nestle ourselves into that which feels safe. The music, movies and other treats of our youth feel so good because they lie safely in the past, when we didn’t seriously worry about summer internships or participating in recruitment season.

The future — the unprecedented — contains our most unruly fears. Within that mess of anxieties, however, lies our great potential, a concept waiting to memorialize this moment and ultimately improve our world. We must fight for the new, even when we are terrified.

We are a progressive, dynamic and innovative generation, so let’s get out there and innovate — even if we stop to listen to the Jonas Brothers’ new single along the way.

Rachel Biggio is a junior in the College. GENERATIONAL GAP appears online every other Monday.

DISCUSSING DISABILITY

VIEWPOINT • PRAVECEK

Clarify Disability Definition

Condemn Fraudulent Students

Anna Landre

A

s the international symbol for accessibility, a stick figure using a wheelchair has become nearly synonymous with the way our society conceptualizes disability.

However, the disabled identity encompasses more than just physical mobility issues. Today, the definition of disability favored by most scholars, lawmakers and disabled people is an “activity limitation … reflecting the interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives.”

Framed like this, disability is understood as a difference that can simply be accommodated by a change in the disabled individual’s environment rather than a medical defect or impairment.

Under this definition, a broad range of conditions — like heart disease, mental illness, chronic migraines and even severe food allergies — all fall under the umbrella of disability.

However, because this understanding of disability is not yet reflected in the mainstream, it is unlikely that most people with these conditions would identify themselves as disabled. Still, due to the way their atypical bodies and minds interact with the world around them, they share the quintessential disabled experience.

When segments of disabled people are isolated from the rest of the disabled community, both groups suffer. For the community to thrive and ensure its members receive the support they need, we need to take a holistic

approach to the way we envision disability. Rather than limiting our definition to the more common mobility and intellectual conditions that dominate the conversation, we should acknowledge the broad spectrum of the disabled identity.

Because of the more common, stigmatized understanding of “disability” as a medical defect, conditions that do not seem inherently medical or defective are often left out. Some people don’t want to identify with what they see as a negative label and remove themselves from the community by choice. Others never learn disability’s true definition and are never offered the chance to identify as such.

An amputee who has one arm may struggle with cooking in a traditional kitchen that isn’t built for them or driving a traditional car that doesn’t have adapted features. In the same way, a person with bipolar disorder might have trouble conforming to a regular work schedule or concentrating on specific tasks.

But when one of these individuals lacks a connection to the disabled community, their functional differences can appear to be inadequacies. If they aren’t seen as disabled, they may not be offered accommodations or ever understand that they deserve for their needs to be met in an unconventional way.

Though these disabilities differ in their specific challenges, the broad definition of disability is meant to unite them in their common experiences of adversity rooted in the way their minds and bodies interact with their environment.

Envisioning a broad conception of disability has enabled the formation of coalitions that otherwise would have never emerged. If it were not for the eclectic alliance of disabled people who collaborated to form the disability rights movement

of the late 20th century, it would have been impossible to pass groundbreaking legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act, which today ensures accommodations and increased equality for a wide range of disabled people.

When certain groups lack a consciousness of their connection to the disabled community or fear joining it due to stigma, it can be harder for them to live with the challenges they face. It can even deter them from asking for help or accommodations when they need them.

For example, someone with anxiety who lacks a connection to the disabled community may worry that their panic attacks are their fault or prove that they are less capable than others. But if this person develops an understanding of their anxiety as a disability, they’ll learn that it does not represent a personal defect and simply requires accommodations that will make their environment more suited to them. And beyond that, they’ll discover a network of people across the world who share similar struggles.

Because of the commonalities felt throughout the community, disability has grown from a pejorative medical diagnosis into an identity with a growing sense of cultural meaning — much more than the blue and white wheelchair depicted on ramps and elevator signs.

We need to ensure that the definition of disability understood in the mainstream becomes closer to the one that is written into laws and celebrated within the community. But to normalize this definition, we need to share it with the rest of the world — and I’m hoping that you share it, too.

Anna Landre is a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service.

DISCUSSING DISABILITY appears online every other Tuesday.

T

hree weeks ago, the Department of Justice released an indictment implicating parents and students in a college bribery scandal. Georgetown University was among the institutions named.

Since the news was released, Georgetown students have signaled — varying in form from memes to viewpoints in Washingtonian — that we do not tolerate bribery in the university’s admissions process.

While I thought the entire student body could agree that students who cheated and bribed deserve to be criticized, some are surprisingly responding to this scandal by defending the fraudulent students. An op-ed in The Hoya by Sarah George (SFS ’21) called for compassion for participants in the scandal, writing, “We should not be relishing or contributing to the shame of the implicated students or their families.”

John Oliver’s piece on public shaming could not be more timely. One of the most poignant parts for me is what he says of internet shaming: “When it’s well-directed, a lot of good can come out of it”.

Public condemnation of the knowing participants in the college admissions scandal is both warranted and constructive.

George called for compassion based on Georgetown’s Christian foundations. As a Catholic, I would like to remind everyone that according to Catholic faith we receive atonement only after we pay penance — which these students have not paid our community. Compassion in this situation is therefore misplaced.

The scandal is also not something that “happened” to these students, as George

suggests; it is something they were caught doing — and they would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for the meddling DOJ. The students implicated at Georgetown who were actively involved in the cheating process and caught gloating about it had every conceivable advantage in the college admissions process due to their socio-economic standing.

These parents had the capacity to provide the private school education, standardized test preparation and cultural capital that colleges look for in admissions processes.

And they still cheated the system. They did not bribe their way into Georgetown out of necessity, but out of pure entitlement — these parents believed their children deserved a degree from a selective university, regardless of merit, and were willing to commit crimes for undeserved prestige.

Most likely, the parents will not suffer the consequences of their alleged criminal behaviors; white-collar crimes receive far less jail time than others. Considering that some of these parents are celebrities, you can guess how “celebrity justice” will determine the rest of the story.

As for the students, even with impending expulsion, they may not suffer the consequences as a normal student would. Their families had the money to pay hefty bribes; therefore one could expect that their families can support them, regardless of expulsion. If these students are expelled — as they should be — they will have a safety net of economic and social privilege.

Public condemnation may be the only consequence they face, and it is important that they do face it. I hope the condemnation in my comments,

tweets and even my memes is heard by those who knowingly participated in the scandal. If their names are being dragged through the mud, it is because their actions merit it; these students and their parents have lost their privilege to a place on the moral high ground as they knowingly violated our community standards and values — not to mention the law.

The public condemnation is not only valid, it has utility: It signals that we are vehemently opposed to this criminal activity. Although we do not have a say in the DOJ proceedings or the expulsion of students, the student reaction to the scandal is solely our choice.

Showing compassion to those who lied, cheated and bribed their way into Georgetown falsely demonstrates that we tolerate deceitful behavior. Public condemnation gives the student body —students who actually worked for our spot here — a powerful voice in a situation where we are otherwise powerless.

The people targeted by memes are not the victims in this scandal; they are the criminals and they do not deserve our compassion. The victims are the students who had their rightful spots here stolen from them through trickery, bribery and privilege.

In her op-ed, George called for the punishment of these students, “to be delivered with a sense of sobriety and respect.” Leave the “sobriety” to the courtroom proceedings and the administration.

Georgetown students are angry, and I hope the perpetrators know.

MADISON PRAVECEK is a

senior in the School of Foreign Service.

A4

NEWS

THE HOYA

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2019

PAGE FOUR

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Peter Nouhan (GRD ’19) created a free program to train high school students to file taxes on behalf of low-income residents living in Washington, D.C. Story on A8.

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya.

verbatim

IN FOCUS THE WAR ON TRUTH

“

The stories and figures of our communal past contain powerful lessons for us.”

Ari Goldstein (COL ’18) on the 50th anniversay of Jewish Life at Georgetown Story on A8.

from our blog

AMBER GILLETTE/THE HOYA

Washington Post columnist Margaret Sullivan, left, and CNN White House Correspondent Jim Acosta spoke on the importance of in-depth context and fact-checking in accurate news coverage at an event hosted by the Georgetown journalism program March 27.

WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER Unprepared for second-round midterms and wishing we were back to sunnier days? Catch up on our article on post-spring break blues to commiserate in our collective suffering. blog.thehoya.com

University Considers Private Partnership for Energy Services MEENA MORAR Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown University administrators are exploring private partnerships to handle the university’s energy management, a process leading to concerns from workers in the utilities and energy program about their job stability and employment benefits.

“While there are no new partnerships to speak of at this time, the University is beginning to explore the feasibility of pursuing an energy partnership,” a university spokesperson wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Ben Kuo, Vice President for Planning and Facilities, and Chief Operating Officer Geoffrey Chatas held a March 19 meeting with employees of Georgetown’s central heating and cooling plant as part of a series of introductory meetings, according to a university spokesperson.

Some utilities workers expressed disappointment by the lack of information regarding the partnership, according to a central plant employee referred to by the pseudonym John, who asked to remain anonymous for concerns about his employment. John and one other worker notified The Hoya of the March 19 meeting. A reporter from The Hoya was asked to leave the meeting.

“They didn’t really give us any detail in the meeting as far as them wanting to contract out the operations of facilities, and of course, the Georgetown employees, that’s what they were worried about,” John said in an interview with The Hoya. “That was supposed to be what they were going to talk about; they avoided that direct conversation as much as possible.”

Under any partnership agreement, the university would ensure all utilities employees maintain an opportunity to work at Georgetown and does not plan to alter the collective bargaining agreement with the 1199SEIU labor union, according to a university spokesperson.

“We would also respect any collective bargaining obligations that the University may have with respect to such a potential decision and its effects on employees represented by 1199SEIU,” the spokesperson wrote.

Previous changes in campus service providers have negatively affected employment for some university workers. At least three Georgetown University Bookstore employees lost their jobs when

the university switched vendors from Follett to Barnes and Noble in May 2016.

The bookstore employees were covered by the university’s Just Employment Policy, which is designed to ensure fair treatment of employees.

Georgetown attempts to avoid job losses for current university employees when services change contractors, according to the JEP. Utilities workers remain concerned with potential changes to employment benefits, according to John.

“They told us they’re not going to get rid of any Georgetown employees,” John said. “That may well be true, but most of the questions were about how the benefits would work — what about the retirement and tuition assistance?”

Many workers rely on university benefits to keep their children in school, according to a facilities worker who also requested anonymity for employment concerns, referred to by the pseudonym James.

“Many of us have our children in colleges and many of us work at [Georgetown] for the benefits [the university] offers,” James said in an interview with The Hoya.

Several utilities workers have already started to look for other employment options, according to John.

“At least four have told me they’re looking,” John said.

The university’s consideration of partnerships with private companies, designed to reduce operating costs, is similar to its existing relationships with food-service companies.

“As a tuition-dependent institution, Georgetown is committed to reducing operating expenses and focusing our resources on our academic mission,” a university spokesperson wrote in an email to The Hoya. “This includes exploring partnerships similar to ones the University has for our hotel and food service management.”

The university currently partners with Aramark and Epicurean and Company for food-service management. Workers have faced problems with mistreatment or contract renegotiations within these partnerships.

The Georgetown Solidarity Committee, a workers’ rights student activist group, and La Casa Latina, a space for the Georgetown Latinx community, co-hosted an event designed to advocate for workers among Aramark’s contract renegotiations.

Last September, Epicurean assumed control of Bulldog Tavern from its previous vendor, Aramark. Since then, former Bulldog Tavern employees have filed lawsuits against Epicurean and Company in response to violations of the 1994 Displaced Workers Protection Act. GSC members delivered a petition to improve working conditions for Epicurean and Company workers March 25.

Although the university has not decided on a contract, workers are looking to previous examples of privatization at other universities for clarity, according to John.

“At Ohio State, which a lot of people are using as an example, they let people pick whether they let people pick whether they wanted to stay with [Ohio State] or go with the new company,” John said. “Every contract is negotiated differently, and we don’t know the details of the negotiations.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of specific details.”

Chatas guided a similar decision to privatize energy pro-

duction at Ohio State University, where he was previously employed as vice president for business and finance and chief financial officer.

OSU partnered with energy company and investment firm ENGIE-Axium, now known as Ohio State Energy Partners, in a $1.165 billion deal, according to an article by The Lantern, Ohio State’s newspaper of record. The deal was the largest investment in university history.

Chatas also entered a publicprivate partnership with CampusParc in 2012, privatizing Ohio State’s parking in a $483 million deal.

University administrators plan to seek input from community members throughout the process of establishing a partnership, according to a university spokesperson.

“We would explore this partnership through a transparent, consultative process with significant input from faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders,” a university spokesperson wrote in an email to The Hoya.

WILL SIMON/THE HOYA

Employees of Georgetown’s central heating and cooling plant met with university administrators March 19.

MARGARET FOUBERG/THE HOYA

Georgetown’s central heating and cooling plant is currently operated by university workers in the utilities and energy program.

Some employees are concerned that a partnership with a private company will affect their employment status or benefits.

NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2019

THE HOYA

A5

WGST Activists, College Dean STOP Coalition Petitions Meet After 17-Month Push For Survivor Resources AMY LI AND CONNOR THOMAS Hoya Staff Writers

Students and faculty met with Georgetown College Dean Chris Celenza to discuss considerations associated with expanding the women’s and gender studies program into a department March 21.

The meeting came after students delivered a letter to Celenza’s office March 1 urging Georgetown to respond to a 2017 proposal advocating for the WGST program to gain departmental status. The university has yet to publicly comment on the status of the proposal.

The opportunity to communicate directly with the deans is a huge step in the long campaign for a WGST department, according to Kory Stuer (COL ’19), a WGST major who attended the March 21 meeting.

“After over 17 months of no response from administrators, it is exciting to see that the Dean’s Office has now made addressing the disparities that WGST students face a priority,” Stuer wrote in an email to The Hoya. “I’m hopeful that the Dean’s Office is willing to make the necessary changes.”

Katarina Watson (COL ’21), a WGST major who is spearheading the current push for a WGST department, and WGST program director You-Me Park also attended the March 21 meeting with Celenza, Dean David Edelstein and Vice Dean Sue Lorensen. At the meeting, Celenza gave the students a letter, thanking them for the letter drop and laying out some ideas for next steps.

Celenza proposed that the university could hire a new WGST director who is already tenured and has experience working with a WGST department at another school. Celenza offered that this director could provide insight on the possible transition from program to department at Georgetown.

However, students are concerned about the implications of this action on current director Park, according to Watson.

“Then that also leaves the question open of what about You-Me

Park, because she’s our current director,” Watson said. “But she is not tenured.”

Because of Georgetown only has a WGST program, none of the WGST professors are tenured or on the tenure track, and only two of its 12 faculty members work full time. If WGST becomes a department, its faculty will be able to pursue tenure and receive pay comparable to professors in other departments. A WGST department would also open up opportunities for undergraduate research and expand class offerings.

Celenza also proposed forming an advisory board of students and faculty to continue planning a potential transition from a program to a department. He also offered students a timeline explaining what the university has been doing since the proposal was originally submitted in 2017.

In the months following the proposal’s submission, Celenza’s office created a committee of women’s and gender studies-adjacent faculty to review the proposal. The committee conducted interviews of faculty, students and alumni over the course of the 2018 spring semester to gauge opinions of what the administration should do going forward. The committee then submitted its recommendation to Celenza’s office in the summer of 2018.

The advisory board would be able to provide students opportunities to advocate for departmental status within institutional channels, according to Stuer.

“At this point, the emphasis for us is on working together with the deans’ office as much as possible and showing them that a department is the best way forward for WGST,” Stuer said.

Though the meeting was a welcome development, students will continue to garner support and engage in activism, Watson said.

“At this point I’m happy with any communication, but I did leave the meeting feeling kind of lackluster,” Watson said. “I don’t know the intricacies of how we form a department, but I know that we need more professors. We need more office space. We need

more mentorship. We need more research, and these are things we tell them time and time again and they seem to just kind of disregard it in a way.”

The initial proposal for a WGST department, submitted October 2017, asked for two full-time tenure-track positions, two to three additional full-time, nontenuretrack faculty positions and a fiveyear dual enrollment Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts program.

The College deans plan to open up communication with the student body in the near future, according to university spokesperson Matt Hill.

“The College’s leadership is continuing to meet with faculty and students to discuss the proposal and remains committed to Women and Gender Studies prospering at Georgetown,” Hill wrote in an email to The Hoya. “We look forward to providing more information in the coming months.”

Although no further meetings between the students and deans have been set yet, Watson said she hopes the dean’s office will be more transparent and responsive moving forward.

“It still doesn’t justify the complete lack of communication,” Watson said. “And that is something they addressed and something I think that’ll be a complete 180 from before because I’ve emailed Celenza, Edelstein and Lorensen now and they’ve all responded extremely promptly and have answered all my questions.”

Students pushing for a full WGST department held an interest meeting March 24. The group is currently collecting student statements about how WGST professors have helped them grow personally or academically via a Google form.

Students are focusing on spreading awareness of the campaign and engaging in continuous activism, according to Watson.

“We don’t need this to be drawn out, because we know what we need and want,” Watson said.

“With this sort of thing, activism should never stop, because complacency is very dangerous in these types of situations.”

TAYLOR KAHN-PERRY Hoya Staff Writer

The Georgetown S.T.O.P. Coalition, which advocates for black female survivors of sexual assault, called for greater trauma support for black women and femmes on campus in a letter delivered to the office of University Provost Robert Groves on March 22.

The petition has garnered signatures from 315 undergraduate students, including Georgetown University Student Association President Norman Francis Jr. (COL ’20) and Vice President Aleida Olvera (COL ’20).

The letter drop was organized

by S.T.O.P. and preceded by a walkout into Red Square. The drop comes after a March 13 discussion about masculinity hosted by the Black House revealed a lack of resources and university support for black women and femmes, according to the petition.

Chloe Diggs (COL ’19), co-organizer of S.T.O.P., read the letter to Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson and Senior Associate Dean Adanna Johnson in the lobby of the provost’s office, requesting an official response to the letter’s demands by March 29. Olson thanked the students for the letter and promised a response would be issued by their requested deadline.

The university must listen to black women about their experiences to develop appropriate resources, said Nile Bee (COL ’22), a student involved in the letter drop.

“It’s OK, in dealing with these types of issues and hearing the way that black women feel, if you don’t have any inherent experience tied to it,” Bee said. “It’s OK to not know; it’s just not OK to dismiss them or to dismiss us.”

The proposal calls for the hiring of an additional black trauma specialist. Currently, Jennifer Wiggins, assistant director for sexual assault response and prevention services, is the only black trauma specialist working on campus.

The letter also requests the university increase representation of black professionals in the Title IX office and the Office of Student Conduct to assist students with filing Title IX reports. The university has not had a full-time Title IX coordinator since Laura Cutway left her position unexpectedly in June 2018. Samantha Berner has been serving as both Title IX investigator and Title IX coordinator as the university searches for a new coordinator.

However, the university should not neglect qualifications and experience in pursuit of increased representation, Bee said.

“It’s not just hiring more black people, it’s hiring reputable, comprehensive, educated-in-that-areaof-policy black women and men and nonbinaries who can handle these things,” Bee said. “What I don’t want is for us to be so committed in pushing forward for diversity and then it not actually be represented in the policies because the black people that they then hire in response aren’t actually educated, experienced and prepared in the areas they’re supposed to help us grow.”

S.T.O.P. is designed to be an acronym that can be interpreted multiple ways, according to the petition. While the “S” always stands for survivors, the following three letters are interchangeable for phrases based on each survivor’s interpretation, according to the petition.

Potential meanings include Survivors Targeting Oppressive Policies, Survivors Taking Out Perpetrators, Survivors Transforming Our Pain, Survivors Taking Our Place, Survivors Telling Our Perspectives and Survivors Tending Organic Power.

In addition to greater representation in campus offices, S.T.O.P. seeks to develop comprehensive sexual assault education on campus that goes beyond programming developed by Health Education Services. The coalition also aims to strengthen relationships between ally offices such as the

Women’s Center and implement increased implicit bias training for Georgetown University Police Department officers that is designed with student input.

Students also proposed an evaluation and oversight system under which S.T.O.P. would publish a letter grade for the university each semester based on its compliance with the coalition’s demands. Students’ voices must be included to ensure that any new initiatives are in touch with the needs of black women and femmes on campus, Diggs told Olson at the drop.

Coalition leaders intentionally made the language around gender identity in the letter inclusive to all female-identifying individuals, according to Diggs.

“In this letter, the use of ‘womxn,’ as opposed to ‘women,’ is meant to speak directly to the experiences of both black women and femmes,” Diggs said.

Olson told the students that initial discussions about the letter would take place internally when asked by Shakera Vaughan (COL ’19), president of Georgetown University Women of Color, if students would be part of the administration’s discussions in response to the letter.

“I see all your concerns as legitimate,” Olson said. “I don’t know what else to say in this moment.

I take it very seriously. I promise that we will answer that question directly by next Friday. I don’t know what more I can say that would be satisfying.”

Vaughan told Olson that the university’s actions in response to the letter are more important than a written or verbal response.

Bee hopes the university will take serious action to provide the desired resources and stressed the role allyship plays in S.T.O.P.’s work.

“It can’t just be us,” Bee said.

“Because if it’s just us who are outraged, who are upset, who see the necessity of change, then nothing’s going to get done, because we can’t really do it by ourselves.”

Native American Rep. Advocates For Minority Political Activism NISHANT BHAUMIK Special to The Hoya

Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) urged indigenous women to advocate for the issues affecting their communities in political dialogue Tuesday.

The experiences of indigenous women give them a greater capacity to respect cultural pluralism and multilingualism, according to Haaland, one of the first two Native American women to serve in the U.S. Congress.

“I feel that what I bring to the table is my perspective as an indigenous woman.

I know how to respect cultures. I know how to respect traditions. I know how to be respectful when somebody is speaking their indigenous language,” Haaland said. “I know the United States has a trust responsibility to Indian tribes, and that goes for all Indian tribes.”

Haaland, who took office earlier in 2019, became the first Native American woman to ever preside over the U.S. House of Representatives this month.

Addressing her role as a female legislator, Haaland said that although women have to work harder to gain recognition in the U.S. government, they should use that platform to boost issues that their constituents care about.

“We just have to be ourselves and push forward and say we’re here because we care about the people we are representing,” Haaland said.

“We’re here because we want our ideas and our issues to be at the forefront, and that’s really why anyone should want to serve the public, because they care deeply about the constituency.”

Haaland participated in an event titled “Intersectional Feminism in Congress,” hosted by the women’s and gender studies department in the Reiss Science Building. The event was moderated by YouMe Park, director of the WGST program, and featured a conversation between Haaland and Donna Brazile, a WGST adjunct assistant professor and former chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Minority representatives should not be intimidated about advocating for issues that directly affect their communities, Haaland said.

“It’s all about getting involved, it’s all about making sure that you are advocating for the right things,” Haaland said. “Because quite frankly, there are a lot of folks in Congress who don’t know or understand even what tribes are, or what that relationship is, or what they should be doing.”

The barriers faced by minority representatives such as Haaland can only be dismantled once young American voters show the willingness to take political initiative, according to Brazile.

“We can make it possible that one day we wake up and we’re not counting two Native American women. And we’re not counting a handful of African-Americans, and a handful of Hispanics and a handful of openly gay candidates,” Brazile said. “Your generation, the largest generation

of voters, you can make that happen. And why you? I tell it to my students, you know, because there’s no one better.

And why now? Because tomorrow is not soon enough.”

Haaland is particularly concerned about addressing some of the issues faced by Native American communities, such as the high occurrence of disappearances and murders of indigenous women. Native women on tribal lands face a murder rate 10 times higher than the national average, according to a 2016 Department of Justice report.

Improvements must be made to law enforcement structures in native communities, according to Haaland.

“So much needs to be done,” Haaland said. “If tribal police are the only ones on the scene for miles and miles and miles, they need to know how to handle evidence. The FBI needs to have a unit in their organization that deals more with this issue, because it’s in epidemic proportions.”

ROCHELLE VAYNTRUB FOR THE HOYA

Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) spoke out against high murder rates of Native American women on tribal lands at an event Tuesday.

SHEEL PATEL/THE HOYA

South Asian Society, led by Vishal Menon (MSB ’19), left, hosted a discussion with comedian Hasan Minhaj in Gaston Hall on Thursday. The event was co-sponsored by 14 other Georgetown student groups and offices.

Netflix Show Aims to Amplify Overlooked Stories, Minhaj Says MINHAJ, from A1 Trevor Noah” and was the featured comedian at the 2017 White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Leading roles held by members of minority communities increased 13.6 percent from the 2011-2012 to the 20152016 seasons, according to the 2018 Hollywood Diversity Report from the University of California, Los Angeles. The increase in diversity has been significant not only on the screen, but also during the production process, according to Minhaj.

“Over the last five or six years there has been a big push for inclusion and diversity in the writers’ rooms and in casting in shows, which I think has been a big win for everybody.

I’ve seen that shift, and that has been really great,” Minhaj said. “A lot of time people think that inclusion and diversity is just in front of the camera, but there has been a lot of behind-the-camera stuff, in terms of the creation of the ideas producing the projects and all that stuff; that is a big deal.”

Universities and other communities should uplift diverse performers and empower new voices to share their perspective and humor, according to Minhaj.

“I think the good thing, and

I think the thing that Georgetown and a lot of schools can tap into, is just give that stage to a diversity of voices,” Minhaj said. “Whether it’s South Asian female voices, whether it’s queer voices, let those performers perform.”

The “Patriot Act” news team and writers seek to amplify underreported stories that shed a light on little-known but nonetheless important issues, according to Minhaj.

“The two biggest things that I try to look for on story are number one: hooking a story that makes people go, ‘Oh my God. How did I not know that?

How was I just kind of walking around in my day to day life not knowing that?’ Or two: it’s a story that makes people go, ‘Oh my God. thank you for saying that,’” Minhaj said.

Minhaj has been outspoken about college admissions practices on his Netflix show, criticizing a lawsuit by AsianAmericans suing Harvard University over the university’s admissions policy. In the show’s premiere episode, Minhaj accused the plaintiffs of potentially jeopardizing affirmative action with their suit, which alleges the university discriminates against Asian-Americans in its admission process.

In an interview with The Hoya before his event, Minaj commented on his views on

the recent admissions scandal affecting Georgetown.

A March 12 Department of Justice indictment alleged that former Georgetown tennis coach Gordon Ernst accepted bribes from parents in an admissions scheme involving seven other universities. Ernst falsely designated at least 12 applicants as recruits for the Georgetown tennis team, according to the indictment.

The admissions cases should start a dialogue around the value universities place on legacy admission, according to Minhaj.

“I think it has opened up a conversation around legacy admissions and I think that that is a big topic, especially because we are talking about meritocracy and everyone having an even playing field when they are applying to go to school,” Minhaj said in an interview with The Hoya.

Minhaj said the DOJ allegations of admissions fraud at Georgetown and other elite universities did not shock him.

“I wasn’t surprised at all,” Minhaj said in an interview with The Hoya. “I think we saw a lot of these stories coming out from the sports world before, and now that something so public is happening in academia I think, you know, I was disappointed to hear about it but I wasn’t surprised.”

A6

NEWS

THE HOYA

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2019

Students Petition Against Poor Flowers Released Early After Working Conditions at Epicurean Attending GU Classes in Jail GSC, from A1

FLOWERS, from A1

workers and protects their right to organize freely,” Mendez wrote. “The university needs to honor this policy and ensure that all of its contractors (and the university itself) are not only following the JEP but also federal and D.C. labor law.”

Members of the Georgetown community, including workers, have the right to a safe and harassment-free environment and are entitled to a competitive compensation package, according to the Just Employment Policy for Georgetown University.

Twenty-six students went on a hunger strike in 2005, demanding the university raise the total compensation for all contracted workers, which previously ranged from $11.33 to $13.42, up to $14.93 per hour. The strike lasted eight days before the university compromised and agreed to raise wages to $14 for contracted workers by 2007.

In response to the petition, Georgetown remains committed to ensuring fair treatment of its employees, according to university spokesperson Matt Hill.

“Over the past several months the University has engaged directly with Epicurean to make sure owners,

from the time he spent as a student in Howard’s class on the process of democratization. Howard posted on his Facebook wall welcoming Flowers home and documenting his release from jail March 21.

Flowers’ diligence and dedication towards his studies in the Scholars Program influenced the judiciary’s decision to release him from prison, according to Howard.

“My understanding is that his participation in the Scholars Program played an important role in persuading Halim’s judge that he had embarked on a rehabilitation and transformation process that made him ready to re-enter society safely and productively,” Howard wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Programs like The Prison Scholars Program have had demonstrable success at reducing reincarceration rates, according to research conducted by nonprofits. Incarcerated individuals who participated in correctional education were 43 percent less likely to return to prison within three years than those who did not, according to a 2013 study from the RAND Corporation, a policy analysis think tank.

Howard commended Flowers for his ongoing dedication to his education.

“I would say that he is one of the best students I’ve ever had in

SOPHIA NUNN/THE HOYA

GSC students marched to Epicurean to deliver a petition supporting better treatment of restaurant workers March 24. managers and employees understand and comply with the Just Employment Policy,” Hill wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“The University has taken a number of steps, including providing training sessions on the Just Employment Policy to managers and employees, recommending additional training for managers and ensuring grievance procedures are posted and available to employees.”

Eliciting a universitywide

response and commitment to changing the toxic work culture at Epicurean is the goal of the petition, according to Mendez.

“As students, we realize the limits of going through formal channels,” Mendez wrote. “The goal is for transformative and long-term change to be made, and the whole campus community needs to be engaged for that.

The petition served as the first step towards that goal.”

the classroom in my 16 years of teaching at Georgetown,” Howard wrote. “Over the time we’ve spent together in the D.C. Jail, and now outside, I can say that I have tremendous respect for Halim. He is a person of tremendous intelligence, dedication and integrity.”

Howard also taught a spring 2018 seminar titled “Prison Reform Project,” which led to the Sept. 19 exoneration of Valentino Dixon, who spent 26 years in prison after being found guilty of murder.

Through Howard’s classes, Georgetown undergraduates and inmates have the opportunity to meet and interact with one another. Incarcerated students participating in the program gain both an education and a chance for reflection through their interactions with other students, according to Hashwinder Singh (COL ’20), a Georgetown student who met Flowers through Howard’s classes at the D.C. Jail.

“The empowerment each of these men and women get from their Georgetown education cannot be overstated. Halim is simply the most visible benefactor of that,” Singh wrote. “Halim will be the first to testify how valuable his educational experience was in opening up his mind and worldview and one needs to look no further than the literature that he has written and constantly engages with.”

While incarcerated, Flowers wrote and published 11 books, including memoirs from his time in prison, self-help books and poetry.

His most recent book, #Unchainable, was published in June 2018 and is his fourth collection of poetry. Work from #Unchainable was featured in a multimedia installation that exhibited the experience of life in a prison cell at the inaugural By the People arts and dialogue festival in D.C. last June.

Flowers said writing while in jail was a way for him to spread his story and connect with individuals outside the prison.

“You are going to need people to help you get out and to help you when you get out, so if all of my conversations are just confined to the people that I’m inside of the institution with, then my effectiveness to be able to build a chain to get me out of prison, and to assist me when I get out is confined and limited,” Flowers said. “So by me writing books, and putting the books online and promoting them on social media, I’m connecting with a global audience.”

At the time of his release last week, Flowers is concurrently enrolled in two additional creditbearing courses, “English Literature” and “History of African American Political Thought,” as part of the Scholars Program, according to Howard. Flowers will be completing these courses outside of the jail, Howard said.

Altered GUFF Proposal No Longer Seeks Complete Divestment ASHLEY ZHAO Hoya Staff Writer

GU Fossil Free released a memo detailing its five-year plan for the university to divest from fossil fuel companies March 28 following a meeting with the university’s investment committee last week.

The memo resulted from a meeting between GUFF and the Committee on Investments and Social Responsibility, a group of university representatives charged with amending Georgetown’s investment practices. It provides a detailed plan for how CISR can achieve GUFF’s goal of complete divestment from fossil fuel companies by 2024.

“We have taken a hard look at the specifics of our proposed strategy and methodology as a result of this conversation, and, in addition to answering your questions, would like to elaborate on the potential for divestment from fossil fuels over a five-year timeline with engagement,” the memo reads.

The group’s original proposal, which was submitted to CISR on Jan. 16, recommended that the university divest from all fossil fuel companies by 2024. However, GUFF announced in its memo it now recommends the university only divest from companies that do not meet a set of energy standards that would be outlined by a proposed working group composed of students and CISR representatives.

CISR oversees the implementation of the Socially Responsible Investment Policy, which requires the university to refrain from investing in companies engaged in activities having a deleterious effect on the environment.

By only divesting from companies that do not meet these standards, the university will maintain relationships with companies that are more sustainability friendly and encourage companies that do not meet such standards to change their ways, according to GUFF’s memo.

The memo demonstrates to

the university that GUFF has a smart approach to divestment, according to Samantha Panchèvre (SFS ’19), GUFF member and Georgetown University Student Association sustainability chair.

“We were glad to hear some CISR members encourage us to think more creatively about how divestment along a fiveyear timeline would look like,” Panchèvre wrote in a message to The Hoya.

If Georgetown were to unilaterally divest from companies that fail to meet energy standards, the effects would be symbolic, GUFF wrote in its memo.

The importance of the move comes from the potential for other universities to join in divestment to create a much more influential movement, according to the memo.

“If these efforts were to be undersigned by multiple universities, however, it would be possible to carve out a unique space for educational institutions to meaningfully engage with fossil fuels companies,” the memo reads.

The meeting followed a Feb. 4 meeting that was adjourned early to allow the Georgetown University Student Investment Fund and the Graduate Investment Fund, student groups that manage investments for the university’s endowment and the Alumni Association, to prepare presentations on the topic.

The meeting was effective in advancing divestment with CISR, according to GUFF member Celia Buckman (SFS ’21).

“While there were no official agreements or policy developments finalized during the meeting, we welcomed the insight of CISR members regarding the proposal,” Buckman wrote. “This meeting was an example of the productive dialogues that can result from the protocols established by GUFF in conjunction with CISR in 2017.”

GUFF expects CISR to make a decision on the group’s divestment proposal in April, according to Panchèvre.

Georgetown is dedicated to

sustainability and intends to continue facilitating discussions on the divestment, according to university spokesperson Matt Hill.

“Georgetown University takes seriously matters related to social responsibility and its investments,” Hill wrote in an email to The Hoya. “CISR plans to meet again this semester to continue its review of GU Fossil Free’s proposal.”

GUSIF and GIF were not available for comment at the time of press.

GUFF, which has long been a strong proponent of the university’s adoption of more socially responsible investment practices, has been successful in its previous petitions to the university.

In 2017, Georgetown’s board of directors enacted a Socially Responsible Investing Policy aimed at aligning the endowment’s investment practices with the university’s ethical responsibilities. Later that year, the university removed all investments from tar sands after GUFF pushed for the university to divest from all carbon-based energies.

GUFF’s success in these previous petitions laid the foundation for the most recent proposal to completely divest from all fossil fuel companies, according to Buckman.

“We definitely feel that there’s much more groundwork for our proposal this year, given that it’s the first full divestment proposal since the passage of the SRI Policy; divestments from thermal coal, tar sands, and private prisons; and the divestments of peer institutions, such as Seattle University and Middlebury College,” Buckman wrote.

The issue of divestment is an ongoing process that will take input from both students outside GUFF and the university, according to Buckman.

“We’re looking forward to strategizing with the administration and the larger Georgetown community to divest from a place of genuine environmental and social concern and financial prudence,” Buckman wrote.

GU FOSSIL FREE/FACEBOOK

GU Fossil Free members Samantha Panchèvre (SFS ’21), bottom right, and Celia Buckman (SFS ’21), bottom center, urged Georgetown to divest from companies that do not meet select energy standards.

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation did not conclude that President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign conspired with the Russian government, according to Attorney General William Barr.

GU Students, Professors Urge Release of Mueller Report Georgetown University students and professors joined bipartisan calls for the full release of the findings of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference after Attorney General William Barr submitted a four-page report to Congress on March 24.

In a letter submitted to Congress, Barr summarized the report’s general conclusions, writing that the findings of Mueller’s investigation do not prove that President Donald Trump or members of his presidential campaign conspired with the Russian government in 2016.

However, Mueller did not offer a conclusive stance on whether Trump obstructed justice.

Since the election, 34 people and three companies have been indicted by the committee on allegations encompassing election interference charges, false statements charges and various other crimes. That group includes five of six former advisers to Trump.

Members of Georgetown University College Democrats are unsatisfied with the summary and are hoping Barr will release the special counsel’s full report, said Rebecca Hollister (COL ’21), chair of GUCD. “We’re surprised, we’re a little shocked; people were arrested during this process,” Hollister said. “So, we’re confused and we want more information is the bottom line.”

Members of GUCD are calling for the release of the full report in order to get a fuller understanding of what the investigation found, according to Hollister.

“We stand in support of House Democrats and Republicans who want the full report to be released because the truth is, if it does completely exonerate Trump, then there should be no issues releasing at least a large majority of the report,” Hollister said. “An attorney’s letter is not the equivalent of a report.”

Mueller was appointed special counsel by Deputy Attorney

General Rod Rosenstein in May 2017 to investigate Russian interference in U.S. elections, as well as possible obstruction of justice by Trump in his interactions with then-director of the FBI, James Comey.

Barr and Rosenstein ultimately decided that the evidence was insufficient to prosecute on charges of obstruction, according to Barr’s summary.

Georgetown adjunct assistant professor and former Democratic National Committee Chief Donna Brazile said on Twitter that it was critical for the full report to be released, in order to prevent similar attacks in the upcoming November 2020 election. Many of the Democratic presidential candidates for 2020 have also said the report should go public in its entirety, according to Fox News.

Republican senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Joni Ernst (RIA) joined Democrats and called on Barr to release the full details of the investigation, according to the Des Moines Register.

Not all members of the Georgetown community reacted with skepticism to Mueller’s judgment that Trump did not collude with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Georgetown University College Republicans welcomed Barr’s letter and elected to dedicate a portion of their March 26 scheduled general body meeting to host a “No Collusion Celebration Party,” GUCR President Hayley Grande (COL ’21) wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Along with students, Georgetown professors have also said Barr’s letter is not sufficient to judge Trump’s conduct accurately and clear his name in the eyes of the public.

In an opinion piece published in The New York Times, Georgetown Law professor Neal Katyal discussed several questions that arose after Barr submitted his letter to Congress.

Katyal argued that Mueller refraining from completely exonerating Trump of obstruction

of justice forces the attorney general to either reveal his justification for not pursuing any charges or release the report publicly in its entirety.

“No one wants a president to be guilty of obstruction of justice,” Katyal wrote. “The only thing worse than that is a guilty president who goes without punishment. The Barr letter raises the specter that we are living in such times.”

Though the Mueller investigation did not find that the president clearly committed a crime by obstructing justice, Mueller did not go as far to exonerate the president, leaving the decision to Barr. Barr’s summary did not cite any specific incidents that could be considered obstruction of justice, but said many of them were the subject of public reporting, such as pressuring Comey to stop investigating former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, firing Comey and two attempts at firing Mueller.

The wording of the memo suggests the full report might present a challenge to Democrats intending to use the document as reason for impeachment, Victoria Nourse, also a Georgetown Law professor, said in an interview with Vox, a left-leaning news outlet.

“Obstruction would be difficult legally and factually to prove,” Nourse wrote. “This report is likely to make efforts by those who seek to impeach the president more difficult.”

The reports of the investigation’s initial findings should not come as a surprise to Georgetown students, Grande said.

“It’s nice to see that a story that was created by the leftist media has now been completely disproved in a sense with the no means of impeachment and no means of collusion made by Attorney General Barr,” Grande said.

“We should be happy that our president wasn’t found colluding with the Russians, something that’s a net positive and I think people forget that, so that’s the best outcome in this situation.”

NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2019

THE HOYA

A7

Former Tennis Coach Pleads Jewish Life Celebrates 50th Not Guilty to Racketeering Anniversary at Georgetown RILEY ROGERSON Hoya Staff Writer

Former Georgetown tennis coach Gordon Ernst pleaded not guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge in a Boston federal court Monday, following his March 22 resignation from the University of Rhode Island.

Ernst’s plea comes after the U.S. Department of Justice brought charges against 50 defendants, including other coaches as well as parents, for college admissions fraud March 12. Eleven other defendants were arraigned with Ernst on Monday, all of whom pleaded not guilty.

The indictment alleges that Ernst accepted more than $2.7 million in bribes to falsely designate 12 applicants as athletes recruited to the tennis team to guarantee their admission to Georgetown.

Ernst was released on a $200,000 bond March 12 after the indictment charges.

Ernst allegedly channeled the bribes through a charity intended to help underserved youth and used the money to purchase a house in Cape Cod, according to federal prosecutors. Prosecutors are pursuing the forfeiture of the Cape Cod estate as well as Ernst’s Chevy Chase Club membership, among other assets.

The federal judge of the arraignment also approved expanded conditions of release after Ernst filed a petition Friday to travel within the continental United States to visit his mother and look for jobs as a tennis professional.

The college admissions scheme was led by William “Rick” Singer, who pleaded guilty to four charges including racketeering conspiracy March 12. Singer owned the college consulting company that facilitated the bribes by collecting payments from parents and distributing them to coaches.

The Department of Education sent a letter to Georgetown and seven other universities Monday to alert the institutions that the Ed Department is opening its own investigation into the bribery scheme. Universities have an obligation to notify the Ed Department of any credible information that an employee may have engaged in fraud regarding federal student aid programs.

Georgetown conducted an internal investigation into Ernst’s conduct in 2017 and asked him to resign after the investigation found that Ernst had violated admissions policies, according to the university’s website.

“While evaluating applications of students who were being recruited by Mr. Ernst to play tennis,

FILE PHOTO: ROCHELLE VAYNTRUB FOR THE HOYA

Georgetown investigated former tennis coach Gordon Ernst in 2017 for violating admissions policies, but did not find criminal conduct.

our Admissions Office discovered irregularities in the representation of their athletic abilities and other credentials,” the website said.

Following his resignation from Georgetown, Ernst began working as a tennis coach for the University of Rhode Island. URI announced that Ernst resigned at 3:47 p.m. on Friday, March 22. URI had placed Ernst on administrative leave March 12.

URI hired Ernst after Georgetown athletic director Lee Reed gave Ernst a positive recommendation, according to a URI statement.

Georgetown removed a June 2018 press release from its website thanking Ernst, referred to as “Gordie,” for his service to the tennis team, according to an op-ed written by URI President David Dooley and URI athletic director Thorr Bjorn in the Providence Journal on March 22.

“The University wishes Gordie all the best,” the release said.

Georgetown University Alumni Association program interviewer Mickey Lee (COL ’05) emailed to the university Monday a petition with 18,000 signatures urging the university to rescind degrees and admission to those implicated in the admissions bribery scheme.

Lee also blamed Georgetown Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Charles Deacon (CAS ’64, GRD ’69) for the scandal and requested his resignation.

“Georgetown must lead the way and by example through this bribery scandal by doing what it can in its power to deter future attempts to bastardize the meritocracy that is supposed to be education,” Lee wrote in an email to the university president’s office. “In this case, it all starts with rescinding admissions and degrees conferred to these cheating frauds as well as having the Dean of Admissions accept responsibility by resigning from his post.”

The university has not yet issued a public response to Lee’s email.

Yale confirmed Monday that it rescinded an admissions offer for a student linked to the college admissions cheating and bribery scandal, according to the university’s website. The University of Southern California rescinded the admissions of six students implicated in the scandal March 14, according to The Washington Post.

JAIME MOORE-CARRILLO Hoya Staff Writer

Jewish Life at Georgetown celebrated its 50th anniversary March 22 with a special Shabbat that brought together current and former students and faculty to remember the history of the Jewish community at Georgetown University.

The event included Shabbat prayer services as well as speeches by students and administrators. Numerous Jewish alumni and professors attended the ceremony, and University President John J. DeGioia gave the opening address.

Jewish Life, the Jewish faith chaplaincy at Georgetown established in 1969, runs weekly Shabbat services, hosts celebrations of recognized holidays and organizes community events.

Georgetown and its students have benefited from the contributions of the Jewish community and faith tradition, DeGioia said, referring to the Jewish concept of tikkun olam, which translates from Hebrew to literally mean “repair the world” and has to many become representative of the pursuit of social justice.

“We have a richer understanding of what it means to be a university when we are inspired by the spirit of tikkun olam, and for this, we are all deeply grateful,” DeGioia said in his speech.

“We are a stronger community because of the presence of this faith community.”

Reflecting on the past of the Jewish people is critical for the future of the community, according to Ari Goldstein (COL ’18), manager of special projects at the Museum of Jewish Heritage and a former historian for the Georgetown University Student Association.

“The stories and figures of our communal past contain powerful lessons for us,” Goldstein said in his speech. “Discerning those lessons is a job for each of us that we each must take on for ourselves as part of a collective conversation.”

Jewish life on campus started in 1834, when the Marx Lazarus enrolled as the first Jewish student to attend Georgetown. Still,

Jewish students faced significant barriers finding their way to the Hilltop long after. The university imposed a quota to limit the Jewish student population to five individuals each year throughout the earlier half of the 20th century.

Georgetown hired its first fulltime rabbi in 1968, more than a century after Lazarus enrolled at the university. While the university had historically hired parttime rabbis, Rabbi Harold White became the first full-time rabbi at a Catholic university in the United States.

“We have a richer understanding of what it means to be a university when we are isnpired by the spirit of tikkun olam, and for this, we are all deeply grateful.”

JOHN J. DEGIOIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

White, who retired from Georgetown in 2010 and died in 2015, also played an important role in creating the university’s Center for Jewish Civilization — referred to as the Program for Jewish Civilization when it was founded.

The CJC, a teaching and research center in the School of Foreign Service founded in 2003 that offers classes on Jewish civilization, is one of many outlets that have developed alongside Jewish Life to support the Jewish community on campus, including the Bayit LLC, a residential community to celebrate Jewish culture and heritage.

The Jewish chaplaincy’s primary goal has been to develop and connect Jewish students, according to its website.

“Jewish Life at Georgetown aspires to advance the life and

growth of every self-defined Jewish student through building their sense of Jewish Connection, Confidence, and Concern,” the website reads.

Experiences at Georgetown foster a stronger sense of Jewish identity for many Jewish-identifying students on campus, according to Goldstein.

“Virtually every single alumnus with whom I spoke told me that they graduated more knowledgeable, proud and engaged in Judaism than having entered Georgetown, and attending this Jesuit, Catholic school strengthened their Jewish identity,” Goldstein said in his speech.

Jewish Life is still grappling with the diversity of its community members, and opinions surrounding contentious issues like Israel continue to pose challenges, according to Katie Wysong (SFS ’19), a member of the on-campus Jewish community. Acts of hate against the Jewish faith both at Georgetown and nationally also remind Jewish Life members of existential concerns for their community.

“As our community has grown, these questions become more centrally engaged with,” Wysong said. “We also face external threats, with the swastikas drawn across campus and the Pittsburgh shooting last year demonstrating it all too clearly.”

This struggle and debate, however, has contributed to the strength of the Jewish community on campus, according to Wysong.

“However, out of those difficult moments and difficult conversations, we emerge stronger,” Wysong said in a speech.

Though the event served to remember the Jewish community’s past on campus, it also served as a prayer for its continued strength and vitality at Georgetown, according to Rabbi Rachel Gartner, director for Jewish life on campus.

“Tonight we will celebrate the generations of Jewish Hoyas and our staff who have fuelled and fanned the flames of Jewish life so that it could shine as brightly and as powerfully as it does right now through the eyes of the myriad students in this very room tonight,” Gartner said at the event.

Panelists Urge Inclusion GUSA Approves FY 2020 Of Female Voices in Church Student Activities Budget AFUA NYANTAKYI Hoya Staff Writer

Incorporating diverse voices, especially those of women, into church hierarchy is essential to healing and progressing beyond the clerical abuse crisis, panelists said Sunday.

Members of the church, especially women, are willing to challenge church tradition, according to Fr. Hans Zollner, S.J., founder and president of the Centre for Child Protection at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

“You have, now, a new generation of the religious who take ownership of their church and are not submitted and submissive to the bishops anymore,” Zollner said.

“There is a new understanding and a new self-assurance on the side of the female religious.”

Zollner is also a member of the organizing committee for the meeting on the protection of minors in the church, which recommends policies to address the sexual abuse scandal to the Vatican.

Kim Daniels, the associate director of Georgetown’s Initiative for Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, moderated the event in Copley Formal Lounge, which began with a one-on-one discussion between Zollner and Daniels.

Following Daniels and Zollner’s conversation, Kathleen Coogan, a member of the Parish Pastoral Council, a consultative body for Holy Trinity Catholic Church in the Georgetown neighborhood, and Michael Nugent, a member of the Washington, D.C. Archdiocese’s Child Protection Advisory Board and a survivor of clerical sexual abuse, joined in a panel discussion of clerical abuse.

Lay members have the potential to enact real change in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, Nugent said. Concrete guidelines, like those Nugent developed into a handbook and child policy waiver, are the key to safeguarding minors, Nugent said.

“You can go to this, and it’ll direct you to exactly what you need to do,” Nugent said. “This is really invaluable, and we’re very glad because if someone doesn’t do it, they wind up goofing things up — that’s happened once.”

The Archdiocese of Washington has a 32-page “Child Protec-

tion Policy” booklet outlining the Archdiocese’s policies for screening clergy before service, reporting abuse of minors and enforcing accountability. The guidelines require any adult seeking employment or volunteer work with an Archdiocesan school, parish or agency interacting closely with children to undergo a criminal background check and complete for a child protection workshop.

While women are excluded from many leadership roles within the Catholic Church, their continued participation is critical, according to Coogan. Coogan said she hoped women did not leave the church in the face of the abuse crisis.

“That many of us own this in our hearts, as Father Zollner stressed, is important if we’re going to make progress,” Coogan said. “I hope that by staying, I can also make a difference with my colleagues to make the church better.”

“There is a new understanding and a new self-assurance on the side of the female religious.”

FR. HANS ZOLLNER, S.J. FOUNDER, CENTRE FOR CHILD PROTECTION

The Catholic Church does not allow women to hold any clerical positions, though more than half of Catholic women who attend church believe women should be allowed to be ordained as deacons, according to a 2018 study by Georgetown’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.

The key to the church’s sustainability lies in incorporating more voices into the church, particularly those of women, according to Zollner.

“I don’t think it is a generational problem in the sense that it will grow out,” Zollner said. “It has to do with how much, for example, women are present in seminary formation, how much human formation is really taken into account as much as it is necessary for religious and Christian formation.”

The Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life has hosted multiple events this year addressing clerical abuse, including a Sept. 25 panel on the connection between Catholic social teachings and the sexual abuse crisis, an Oct. 24 panel on the need for change in church culture and a Dec. 4 event on political and social turmoil.

This panel was also the first hosted by the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life since The Hoya reported that Georgetown had failed to acknowledge 10 members of clergy with records of abuse and ties to the university.

Despite the important role laypeople can take on within the Catholic Church, addressing the problem requires conviction from priests, Zollner said.

“The point is how can we learn to understand that you also need to own the issue with your heart,” Zollner said. “And you are not only obliged because the law or the norm tells you to do so, but because you are fully convinced that needs your full attention.”

Much of the anger in the American Catholic laity toward leadership is related to the church’s inability to resolve the issue since a 2002 Boston Globe report uncovered decades of clerical abuse and the subsequent coverup, according to Zollner.

“The great disillusionment and the huge disappointment and the fervent anger about your leadership partly comes from the fact that you believed in 2002 that it was over — we have done it, we found the system and solution to this,” Zollner said. “And then you find out that bishops still covered up and did not do what was even in the guidelines, even in the norms, even in the charter.”

The ultimate consequences of the Vatican’s inability to resolve the sexual abuse crisis not only fall on survivors of abuse but also on the sustainability of the church as a whole, according to Nugent, who is skeptical of whether substantive reforms have been implemented.

“I’d need evidence,” Nugent said, referring to progress on sexual abuse prevention in the Church.

“But I do know, on my own account, that the nine o’clock mass is not as well attended as they used to be.”

CADY STANTON Hoya Staff Writer

The full Georgetown University Student Association senate voted unanimously to approve the 2019-20 fiscal year student activities budget March 24, after passing an amendment to change the budget previously approved by the finance and appropriations committee.

The amendment, proposed by FinApp Chair Hayley Grande (COL ’21), reallocated funds from the Student Activities Commission, the Media Board, Georgetown Program Board and Outdoor Education to GUSA. The FinApp committee, which is made up of 12 GUSA senators, first released its draft budget Feb. 26, allocating $1,092,000 to six advisory boards, GPB, the Georgetown University Lecture Fund, the GUSA executive and other applicants.

Though the overall budget increased 2.4 percent from last year, student group funding requests totaled $1,321,040.80, resulting in cuts to individual budgets.

Budget deliberations began Feb. 26 at the FinApp summit, where applicants for funding gave presentations explaining their budget requests. Public appeals sessions in which the student groups appealed against the draft budget were held March 13 and 17. The FinApp committee approved the budget at the end of the appeals session March 17.

Of the 13 student groups and boards FinApp funded for the 2019-20 academic year, six appealed their allotments. The six groups that appealed were the Center for Social Justice Advisory Board for Student Organizations, the Student Activities Commission, GPB, the Advisory Board for Club Sports, the Performing Arts Advisory Council and Outdoor Education.

The Lecture Fund received $85,000 of its $98,000 request, matching its allocated funding from last year.

The Advisory Board for Club Sports received an allocation of $225,000, a decrease of 27.36 percent from its initial request. This allocation is $10,000 less than the board’s budget from last year.

The FinApp committee allocated $304,300 to the Student Activi-

ties Commission, a 6.4 percent cut from its request but $32,000 more than its budget last year. As the advisory board for the majority of clubs on campus, SAC distributes funds to over 110 student organizations.

The committee also approved $140,942.61 for GPB in its budget, 5.09 percent less than the club’s requested budget of $148,500 and $5,000 more than its allocation last year.

GUSA allocated Georgetown Opportunities for Leadership Development $4,500, 56 percent of the group’s initial request. This marks an increase of $500 from fiscal year 2017-18, the last time GOLD applied for funding. GOLD was funded as a Part B applicant, an option open to any student groups not supported by an advisory board who can apply for funding but are not guaranteed consideration by FinApp. The other two Part B applicants who received funding were Outdoor Education, who received 53 percent of their requested funding, and the Transfer Council, who received 94 percent.

The budget requested by GUSA executives Norman Francis Jr. (COL ’20) and Aleida Olvera (COL ’20) for GUSA as a whole faced the largest cuts, with the pair receiving only 11 percent of their requested funds. The executives initially requested a budget of $26,760, which was cut to $1,735 in the budget approved by the FinApp committee March 17. Last year, FinApp granted GUSA $13,955.

At the senate meeting Sunday, GUSA senator Grande proposed an amendment allocating an additional $1,222.39 toward GUSA expenses. Grande proposed the bill in her capacity as a senator, and not as FinApp Chair. The amendment moved $200 from the Student Activities Commission, $200 from the Media Board, $322.39 from GPB and $500 from Outdoor Education to provide GUSA with a final budget of $2,957.39.

While most of the cuts to GUSA’s original request were manageable, more money was needed to cover necessary expenses, according to Grande. These expenses include a fee for the group’s partnership with the group TurboVote, charges for the GUSA and

SaxaFund SquareSpace website, and money toward funding for an ongoing GUSA initiative, which began during the term of former executives Kamar Mack (COL ’19) and Jessica Andino (COL ’18), to replace broken ropes on the existing hammocks on campus.

Grande said the additional allocation to GUSA this year comes from unexpected fees left behind by previous GUSA executives.

“In short, it seems that previous administrations have gotten tied into certain contracts, complications that were not put into the record, were not very explicit, and were not known by the committee until this morning,” Grande said. “I have a lot of problems with this, but it’s kind of the current state of things.”

The amendment changed a decision made during appeals last week to increase funding of Outdoor Education to properly train guides and subsidize trips for students. No representatives from Outdoor Education were present at the Sunday meeting.

Senator Dylan Hughes (COL ’19), a member of FinApp and liaison to the transfer council, proposed an amendment to Grande’s amendment, requesting that the $500 taken from the Outdoor Education budget instead be taken from the performing arts council. Hughes’ amendment failed on voice vote.

The senate then gave unanimous approval of Grande’s amendment and voted unanimously to approve the budget as a whole. The budget awaits final approval from Francis, who plans to sign the budget, according to Winston Ardoin (SFS ’21), chief communications director for the GUSA executive.

The GUSA executives hope to expand the FinApp funding procedure to include greater student input in the future, according to Ardoin.

“Norman and Aleida believe that the process could be improved to promote student voices,” Ardoin wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Though Norman and Aleida still do not know exactly how they wish to implement this change, they do wish that students who worked more directly within the funding boards or within the clubs themselves had more of an input.”

A8

NEWS

THE HOYA

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2019

Georgetown Names Director GU Grad Student Founds Program For New Graduate Career Center To Provide Free Tax Assistance CALLIE DIMODICA

CAROLINE FINN

Annie Rao (GRD ’04) was appointed the inaugural director of the Graduate Career Center made specifically for students of Georgetown’s Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

The new career center is expected to open in the fall of 2019 and is set to be located in Car Barn Suite 312, the graduate school announced in an email to Georgetown community members March 21.

Over the coming months, the new graduate career center will phase in new programs in advance of its official opening, according to university spokesperson Matt Hill.

By providing individually tailored career services to graduate students, the center will work to fulfill Georgetown’s mission of preparing students for professional careers, according to Hill.

“After an intensive review process that solicited feedback from faculty, students, and staff from across the university, Georgetown decided to create the Graduate Career Center and provide a more tailored career services approach to serving graduate students,” Hill wrote in an email to The Hoya.

The university announced its intention to establish a career center for students of the graduate school September 2017, declaring plans to open the center in the fall of 2018. The opening has since been delayed, and the center is now expected to open next fall.

Rao previously worked at The George Washington University, where she served as director of Graduate Career Management in the GWU Business School.

Rao also worked at National Geographic in digital marketing as well as at American Express as a business analyst.

Rao’s experiences working the private sector have contributed to her success as a career counselor, she wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“It is my 15 years of professional experience in the corporate world that really allows me to connect the dots for students who are unsure of their career options or how to go about achieving their goals,” Rao wrote.

The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Career Center will

Peter Nouhan (GRD ’19) started a new program that trains high school students for free to file taxes on behalf of low-income individuals in Washington, D.C., primarily within Ward 7.

Nouhan founded SEED Tax Prep Ambassadors after receiving the 2018 Baker Innovation Grant, a $20,000 grant to fund social and political programs founded by graduate students from the Baker Center for Leadership and Governance, within the McCourt School of Public Policy.

The program trains students at the SEED Public Charter School of Washington, D.C., a local public charter boarding school in Fort Dupont, to help their community members earn tax refunds.

So far, high school volunteers from the program have assisted over 70 people in filing their taxes, nearing their goal of helping 100 clients this season.

Low-income earners often miss opportunities for saving when they file their taxes, according to Nouhan.

“The earned income tax credit is one of the biggest social welfare programs that’s hidden in the tax code,” Nouhan said in an interview with The Hoya. “So many people in D.C. alone aren’t taking advantage of this program

Special to The Hoya

Special to The Hoya

CATRIONA KENDALL/THE HOYA

The university announced its intention to establish a career center for graduate students in 2017. The center is expected to open fall 2019. work independently, but collaboratively, with the undergraduate Cawley Career Education Center, according to Susan Campbell, director of Cawley.

“Dedicated resources for graduate students provided by this new center as well as other existing graduate career centers will allow us to sharpen our focus on undergraduates while continuing to partner with other centers in ways that benefit all students,” Campbell wrote in an email to The Hoya.

The Cawley Career Center, Georgetown’s current career center for both graduate and undergraduate students, has drawn criticism from students for a lack of available appointments, low support for international students and turning students away during drop-in hours.

The graduate career center will join Georgetown’s six established career centers: Cawley for undergraduates, one for each of the four graduate schools and Alumni Career Services.

“To create a campus-wide ecosystem that supports holistic career development, Georgetown is working to build a career services model that breaks down traditional silos and integrates career services with academic programs and co-curricular activities in all

undergraduate and graduate schools,” Campbell wrote.

The new center will take a holistic approach to career services, according to Rao. “It goes far beyond resumes, cover letters and interviewing but those things are the foundational components, and there are proven practices to make them effective,” Rao wrote. “That’s the science part and it is non-negotiable. The art is figuring out how to make yourself stand out from all the others whose skills also meet the needs of the organization.”

The new graduate career center will emphasize sensitivity to the specific needs of graduate students, including balancing coursework with family and jobs, according to Rao. “We will consider the unique factors of being a graduate student while developing our suite of career services, resources, and programs,” Rao wrote.

Preparations for the services the center will provide are ongoing and supported by other career resources on campus, according to Rao. “I am meeting with and listening to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and employers to understand the specific needs of graduate students and those who hire them,” Rao wrote.

because they don’t have access to affordable, quality tax preparation.”

The federal earned income tax credit, created to benefit workers with low to moderate income, provides tax refunds and may lower the amount of tax owed for those who qualify and file a tax return.

The median household income for Fort Dupont, the neighborhood surrounding the SEED Charter School, is $34,487, and the national poverty line for a household of three is $21,330.

The program was developed with the help of Hoya Taxa, a Georgetown student-run tax assistance program founded in 2013 that offers free tax assistance to low-income communities throughout the District, according to Daphne Chiang (MSB ’19), a member of the Hoya Taxa mentorship team.

“Peter wanted Hoya Taxa to help out as much as possible, and since this program was so new, he was very open to ideas,” Chiang wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Peter did not have experience filing taxes or with Community Tax Aid, and looked to Hoya Taxa members’ experiences to get a better idea of the filing process.”

Since traditional tax filing can take up to three hours, volunteers use a “Drop-Off” model currently used in Detroit and New York, which allows a client to spend only

PETER NOUHAN/FACEBOOK

High school volunteers from SEED Tax Prep Ambassadors have assisted over 70 people in filing their taxes since the program’s start.

20 minutes filing taxes, according to Nouhan.

High school volunteers are trained and certified to handle the tax documents, which includes intaking the client’s information including tax documents, photo ID and social security card, and uploading them to a secure Google Drive. A certified public accountant then prepares the taxes remotely. The client returns a week later to go over their return, then everything is submitted to the IRS, according to Nouhan.

The training got easier over time, but some volunteers questioned their participation in the program after the work increased in complexity, according to Kendriss Johnson, a member of the SEED team.

“The training was challenging in the very beginning,” Johnson said in an interview with The Hoya.

“I was like, ‘Do I really want to do this? Will I understand how to do this?’”

Hoya Taxa will provide a foundation for the Tax Prep Ambassador program’s future, according to Luisa Boyarski, the Assistant Director of the Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership at the Baker Center.

“While Peter will be graduating this year, Hoya Taxa will be stepping to to lead the work with the high school students, creating meaningful mentorship opportunities that can have important impacts beyond tax preparation,” Boyarski wrote in an email to The Hoya.

The Tax Prep Ambassadors program can serve as a model for similar programs across the country, according to Boyarski.

“By engaging both high school and college students in this work, Peter’s model is helping educate the next generation before they have to file their taxes for the first time,” Boyarski wrote.

Volunteering for SEED has been a rewarding experience because of its contributions to the Seed Charter School community, Johnson said.

“The most meaningful part is knowing that I’m helping people in the community,” Johnson said. “There aren’t a lot of people that can say they helped someone do something that’s so stressful, so I’m just happy to help anyone who needs it.”

Georgetown Ranks Among Top Schools for Alumni in Peace Corps TAYLOR KAHN-PERRY Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown University ranked ninth among medium-sized universities for the number of alumni joining the Peace Corps in 2018, the organization announced March 21.

With 27 undergraduates joining in 2018, Georgetown ranked among the top 25 volunteer-producing medium-sized schools; however, the number marks a marginal drop from 2017, when the Peace Corps announced Georgetown had provided 31 volunteers and ranked sixth among similarly sized schools.

The Peace Corps was founded by President John F. Kennedy to develop servicelearning opportunities that create long-lasting change in communities across the globe.

Georgetown’s top ranking

with the Peace Corps reflects the similarity between the service-oriented goals of the two institutions, according to Emily Zenick (GRD ’98), chief of staff of the School of Foreign Service.

“The goals of the Peace Corps dovetail perfectly with the mission of Georgetown — to train people in key areas to provide needed services to people in other countries,” Zenick, a Peace Corps alumna herself, wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Service work opportunities and organizations like the Peace Corps have consistently had a strong relationship with Georgetown because of the university’s commitment to its Jesuit values, according to Beth Schill, an adviser at the Cawley Career Education Center whose focus includes the Peace Corps.

“Georgetown’s mission of

preparing students to be persons for and with others, combined with the intellectual curiosity students have about our world is a perfect match for the mission of the Peace Corps,” Schill wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Volunteers with the Peace Corps sign a two-year contract to work in a country abroad to work on an issue area such as education, health or economic development. Applicants select a specific country they intend to volunteer in during their period of service and interview via video conference before receiving an acceptance.

Among medium-sized universities, considered schools between 5,000 and 10,000 undergraduate students, The George Washington University produced the most undergraduate alumni volunteers at 54, according to the report.

The University of WisconsinMadison led large-sized universities with 75 undergraduate alumni joining the Peace Corps in 2018.

The Peace Corps provides an effective way to channel American values abroad, according to Grace Nagel (COL ’11), who is currently focusing on female empowerment in Senegal.

“Serving in the Peace Corps is not the same as taking up arms for one’s country, but Peace Corps Volunteers are often the closest thing to an American ambassador in many corners of the world,” Nagel wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Knowing that I could represent the best ideals of America — diversity, friendliness, and positivity — was inspiring to me.”

Beyond bringing important values to Senegal, the Peace Corps immerses its volunteers in different cultures, accord-

ing to Nagel.

“Peace Corps Volunteers must integrate into their community — you cannot develop effective trainings or encourage behavior change if you don’t live how your community lives,” Nagel wrote.

More than 980 Georgetown graduates have volunteered with the Peace Corps since its founding in 1961, according to the organization. The university readies its students for the responsibility of a Peace Corps volunteer from both its commitment to teaching international perspectives and its on-campus opportunities, according to volunteers.

Service initiatives housed in the Georgetown Center for Social Justice can help prepare students for work in the Peace Corps, according to Joy Robertson (SFS ’16), who is currently a teacher in Mozambique.

“I was active in (probably too

many) student organizations as an undergrad, but I can definitely attribute my comfort in the classroom to being a DC Reads tutor and a co-teacher in the Summer Institute for Teaching and Learning (STIL), both housed in the incredible CSJ,” Robertson wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Georgetown prepares students for larger service efforts such as the Peace Corps by examining issues through both a global and community lens, according to Bianca Clark (SFS ’18), who is focusing on youth development in Morocco.

“The discussions I had on campus, both inside the classroom and out, have allowed me to see my service in a greater social justice context and solidified my commitment to the use of community assets to address community identified needs,” Clark wrote in an email to The Hoya.

NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2019

THE HOYA

A9

Late-Night Diner Opens 2nd DC Councilmember On Wisconsin Avenue Fined for Ethics Violation ALEXANDRA BOWMAN Hoya Staff Writer

Mono Diner, located on Wisconsin Avenue NW in Georgetown, unofficially opened March 4 following multiple cases of property mishandling, lawsuits and corporate conflicts over the past few decades involving its owner Mohammad Esfahani.

The diner, which aims to recreate the atmosphere of the golden age of Hollywood, remains open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Mono also operates between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. for the remainder of the week and between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Sundays. A date has not yet been set for the restaurant’s official opening, even though the diner began serving patrons March 4, according to Harmon.

The diner’s hours are designed to accommodate late-night drinkers and Georgetown University students, according to Mono Diner supervisor Neil Harmon.

“We’re trying to take advantage of Georgetown’s great nightlife,” Harmon said in an interview with The Hoya.

Since opening, the restaurant has also been popular at early morning hours during the week, according to Harmon. Mono Diner

distinguishes itself from other Georgetown dining establishments because of its attention to clients and all-day breakfast menu, Harmon said.

Eric Spruill-Jenkins, the former general manager and leading chef of Mono Diner, recently left his positions with reasons for his departure unknown, according to Harmon.

Spruill-Jenkins, formerly a corporate trainer at a since-closed pizza restaurant in Maryland, met Esfahani through a work contact.

Despite severing ties with Mono Diner, Spruill-Jenkins still plans to work with Esfahani to create branches of the fast-food branch All About Burger in Chinatown, the Ballston Quarter and Virginia, according to D.C. Eater.

Esfahani previously owned stores on M Street NW, including Mon Cheri Cafe, where Sprinkles now stands, and Tahoga, where Le Pain Quotidien is now located, according to a local news network.

Esfahani leased another property located on Wisconsin Avenue in 2002 as part of his earliest venture into opening a diner in Georgetown. However, the mid19th century building collapsed shortly after he assumed ownership of the building after he placed a tar machine on the roof.

MONO DINER/FACEBOOK

The Mono Diner’s chosen hours are designed to accomodate late-night customers and Georgetown University students.

Esfahani was fined $1,000 for the damages, and the diner he had planned to establish at the location was never built, local media reported.

Esfahani publicly denied any responsibility in the building’s collapse, even refuting that he had ownership of building at the time, though city permits indicated these claims were false, according to the Patch.

In 2011, Esfahani leased another address on Wisconsin Avenue NW where he planned to open a franchise of a local burger chain, Z-Burger, according to The Washington Post. The entire back of this building collapsed in November 2011.

Although Esfahani claimed that this damage was caused by a water leak in the property next door, a Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs inspector determined that the collapse was most likely caused by removing too much dirt from underneath the footings of the building’s north and south walls, according to local media.

Following the collapse, Esfahani hired workers to pour a new concrete slab. A Washington, D.C. DCRA inspector, who visited while the work was being performed, found that the contractors were operating without a permit. Esfahani denied that his contractors were performing work illegally and claimed that he had a permit to perform the work, according to local media.

The Esfahani brothers ultimately split with Z-Burger co-founder Peter Tabibian after Tabibian claimed they shut him out of the day-to-day operations of their ZBurger branch. The dispute ended in a lawsuit, which determined that the Esfahani brothers had to rebrand their restaurants, according to The Washington Post.

While Esfahani attempted to reconstruct 1424 Wisconsin Avenue without a permit in 2011 and again in 2013, no outstanding claims or issues exist that would prevent Mono Diner from operating legally, according to Tim Wilson, spokesperson for the DCRA. “There’s nothing that should keep them from running a 30-seat restaurant that can fit 37 people,” Wilson said. “They’re all good, unless something changes.”

MOIRA RITTER Special to The Hoya

Washington, D.C. Councilmember Brandon Todd (DWard 4) was fined $4,000 by the Office of Campaign Finance March 18 after he improperly used government resources in an attempt to influence the D.C. State Board of Education election last year.

A number of Ward 4 constituents received a Nov. 30 campaign email from Rhonda Henderson, Todd’s favored candidate in the SBOE race.

Recipients had been placed on the email list because they had contacted Councilmember Todd at some point, according to the emails.

D.C. law strictly prohibits the use of government resources to endorse or oppose a candidate running for office. The law specifically states that these resources include “nonpersonal services, including supplies, materials, equipment, office space, facilities, and telephones and other utilities.”

The OCF, which administers campaign finance law in D.C., referenced this law in their order released March 19, which fined Todd $4,000 for violating the D.C. law by misusing government resources to create the email list. Todd’s fine may be decreased to $2,000 if he attends ethics training at the D.C. Council’s Board of Ethics and Government Accountability within the next 60 days, according to the order.

Recipients of the emails were concerned by the idea that their emails had been shared without their knowledge.

Ward 4 resident Andrew Hunt was bothered by the email he received because he supported another candidate in the race and therefore had not agreed to receive mail from Henderson, he said in an interview with WAMU. Todd is currently reviewing the order from the OCF, according to Joshua Fleitman, Todd’s director of communications.

“He looks forward to moving past this and remains focused on doing the important work

BRANDON TODD/FACEBOOK

The Office of Campaign Finance fined D.C. Councilmember Brandon Todd (D-Ward 4) for misallocating government resources. of advocating for and serving the residents of Ward 4,” Fleitman wrote in an email to The Hoya.

However, this is not the first campaign scandal that Todd has faced. In 2015, after he won the special election to fill D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) vacated seat, Todd’s campaign finance came into question. After a city audit of his campaign, Todd’s campaign was unable to provide documentation for over $150,000 worth of contributions and donations. Todd was issued a minor fine after this incident, according to the Washington Post.

Because Todd is well-funded, fines and reprimands do not do much to discourage him, according to Todd Brogan, an elected member of the D.C.’s affiliate of the Democratic Party.

“Councilmember Todd is well known as a legislator who doesn’t particularly like legislating and as a lawmaker who

doesn’t particularly like following campaign finance laws,” Brogan wrote in an email to The Hoya. “He is well-funded by the District’s deepest pockets, and the occasional fine has never been much of a deterrent for him.”

Todd’s fine was issued the day before Evans was reprimanded by the D.C. council for using his government email to solicit corporate deals. Todd voted in favor in of reprimanding Evans.

A competitive 2020 primary would give voters a chance to make a statement about appropriate conduct from D.C. councilmembers, Brogan said.

“Hopefully we’ll have a competitive primary in 2020 so the voters of Ward 4 can decide whether they want to keep a councilmember who cheats to win, or whether they want someone who holds themselves to a higher standard,” Borgan wrote.

DC to Ban Gas-Powered Md. Legislature Considers Leaf Blowers in 2022 Endorsing DC Statehood CONNOR THOMAS Hoya Staff Writer

The sale or use of gasoline-powered leaf blowers in Washington, D.C., is set to be prohibited after Jan. 1, 2022, according to a bill published in the D.C. Register on March 15.

Violators of the Leaf Blower Regulation Amendment Act of 2018 will be subject to a fine of up to $500.

The law seeks to address D.C. resident concerns that leaf blowers are loud, cause pollution and generate particles hazardous to human eyes and was signed into law Dec. 26 by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D). Gas-powered leaf blowers were deemed a public health issue by Quiet Clean D.C., a public health nonprofit advocacy group.

Gas-powered leaf blowers use two-stroke engines, which pollute urban centers by releasing more carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and particles than newer fourstroke engines, according to a report published by scientist Carol Portera in Environmental Health Perspectives, a peer-reviewed journal.

Lawn equipment is one of few

remaining industries that still use two-stroke engines, according to Quiet Clean D.C. Two-stroke engine leaf blowers can produce more pollution than cars, according to The Wall Street Journal.

A ban would be useful, but should not be implemented yearround, according to Clemente Borgogni (SFS ’21) who is from Westchester County, N.Y., which permits gas-powered leaf blowing only during certain times of the year.

“I’d be in favor of a ban, maybe not a year-round one,” Borgogni said. “Since they are as efficient as they are, I think it’s important for people who actually need them to use them at times of year when they are especially necessary.”

Many residents and businesses that have already switched to battery-powered leaf blowers showed their support for the ban at a public hearing in July 2018, according to DCist.

Mobilization against the leaf blowers began in 2015 in the Wesley Heights neighborhood, just northwest of Georgetown, according to DCist. A citizen group called Concerned Wesley Heights Neighbors pinned leaves to their clothes

to symbolize its cause and first presented their case against noisy leaf blowers at a Nov. 4, 2015, meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3D, which meets monthly to pass resolutions on local issues.

James Fallows, a writer for The Atlantic, attended with supporters and blogs about the issue.

“Mainly this is a story of the effect of hyper-local-level civic engagement,” Fallows wrote Feb. 25.

“Several years ago, the standard response to even talking about leaf-blowers was, ‘Seriously? This is what you’re concerned about?’

Now more and more media mentions treat the acceptance of leafblowers as an inexplicably unsafe, dirty, socially destructive, easily correctable artifact of modern life.”

Leaf blower regulations vary from state to state and municipality to municipality, according to HD Supply, a facilities maintenance company. Over 50 cities, towns or counties, including Los Angeles and Tampa, Fla., have previously banned or restricted leaf blower use.

Gas-powered leaf blowers will remain legal on federal land and facilities, according to the legislation.

FILE PHOTO: AMBER GILLETTE/THE HOYA

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) signed the Violators of the Leaf Blower Regulation Amendment Act of 2018 into law Dec. 26. The law is set to take effect in the District on Jan. 1, 2022.

AFUA NYANTAKYI Hoya Staff Writer

A Maryland House of Representatives Joint Resolution urging Congress to grant Washington, D.C. official statehood is under consideration for the Maryland General Assembly, contributing to both regional and national pushes for D.C. to become the 51st state.

The bill was first heard Feb. 25 but did not receive enough votes to move forward, meaning it will be held under review by the House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee until it receives another hearing.

A Maryland House Joint Resolution undergoes the same procedure as a bill; however, resolutions are generally introduced to supplement continuing or emergency appropriations. House Joint Resolution 7, introduced to the House of Delegates by Del. Gabriel Acevero (D-District 39) continues the ongoing resurgence in support for D.C statehood.

The Maryland House Joint Resolution, co-sponsored by 36 delegates, follows the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, or H.R. 51, which was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) on Jan. 3 and aims to establish D.C. as the 51st state.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, the primary investigative committee in the House, promised to hold a hearing and markup on the bill.

This is the first time a D.C. statehood bill has received a hearing in 26 years, according to D.C. Statehood Yes We Can!, a group which advocates for D.C. legislative and budget autonomy.

Despite its positive reception among Democrats, D.C. statehood should be received with bipartisan support, according to Josh Burch, founder of Neighbors United for D.C. Statehood, a grassroots advocacy group.

“We’re the only democracy in the developed world where we deny the residents of the capital equal political rights. So, to me it’s not a partisan issue,” Burch said in an interview with The Hoya.

@ELEANORNORTON/TWITTER

The statehood endorsement bill follows an act introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.).

“I think that the real question is: Why isn’t the other party supporting it? I think that’s the real tragedy.”

The For the People Act, or H.R. 1, was introduced to the House on the same day as H.R. 51 and includes language endorsing statehood. The For the People Act, sponsored by Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.), has since been passed by the House and awaits a vote in the Senate.

The District’s population of over 700,000 residents is comparable to the populations of other registered states and even supersedes the populations of Wyoming and Vermont, according to a 2017 Census Bureau report referenced in the House joint resolution.

However, D.C. currently operates as a district under federal jurisdiction. D.C. voters are allowed to participate in mayoral and city council elections and elect a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. This delegate can only participate in procedural votes and may not vote on the house floor.

Although H.R. 1 was passed in the House by 236 votes, it is unlikely to pass the Senate, as the majority Republican Senate has historically opposed D.C. statehood.

Majority Leader Mitch McCo-

nznell previously referred to H.R. 1 as a terrible bill, and said he would not give it any floor time in the Senate.

D.C. residents have not received the same benefits as other U.S. citizens, and achieving statehood will allow residents to have more of a voice in government, according to Burch.

“It is a power grab by the people of the District of Columbia who have been denied power in our union for over 200 years,” Burch said. “It’s about ensuring the people of the nation’s capital have shared rights and responsibilities.”

While the District’s statehood presents valid concerns for both Democrats and Republicans, other aspects, such as D.C.’s small size, have the potential to affect its viability as a state, according to TJ Mukundan (COL ’21), director of roundtables for the Georgetown Bipartisan Coalition. GBC seeks to promote discussion between Democrats, Republicans and independents.

“D.C. would be an incredibly small state, and I would be more interested in examining alternative means of giving D.C. residents representation that stop short of full statehood,” Mukundan wrote in a statement to The Hoya.

A10

SPORTS

THE HOYA

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2019

TRACK AND FIELD

TENNIS

GU’s Struggles Continue; Georgetown Opens Both Squads Lose on Road Spring Season at Penn JAKE WEXELBLATT Hoya Staff Writer

The Georgetown men’s and women’s tennis teams continued their losing streaks last Sunday. The men fell to Navy 4-3, while the women lost to Richmond 4-1.

The men’s team got off to a slow start against a formidable opponent in the Midshipmen (21-13, 1-0 Patriot League), who entered the match with a strong record of 20-12. The Hoyas (3-10, 1-2 Big East) lost the doubles point and went on to lose the first two matches of singles as sophomore Rohan Kamdar and senior Michael Chen fell to Navy’s top two players.

This loss was uncharacteristic for Georgetown’s top players, as Kamdar and Chen have been stellar throughout the season. Chen won both a singles match at Lynn University and a doubles match over the University of Texas, Arlington so far this month.

With their backs pressed up against the wall, the Hoyas went on a late run, as victory was still attainable at that point in the afternoon. Down 3-0, the men’s team won the next three matches with strong contributions from Hoya underclassmen.

Freshman Andrew Rozanov (6-1, 6-3), sophomore Connor Lee (6-4, 6-0) and freshman Luke Ross (6-3, 6-4) each won consecutively at the No. 4, No. 3 and No. 6 spots to give the Hoyas a legitimate chance

to win with only sophomore Charlie Sharton still on the courts.

Unfortunately, Sharton lost 6-7, 3-6 and extended the Hoyas’ losing streak to seven matches in a 4-3 defeat. While this heartbreaking loss will sting for a substantial amount of time, the team showed a lot of grit to come back from an early deficit. Additionally, all of the winners for Georgetown in this match have at least two more years on the team, which certainly bodes well for the future of the program.

Down 3-0, the Georgetown men's tennis team won the next three matches with strong contributions from Hoya underclassmen.

The women faced the same struggles that have plagued them this year, as they dropped the doubles point and could not acquire enough momentum to recover from the slow start against the Spiders (7-6, 2-1 Atlantic 10). Although Georgetown (2-12, 1-4 Big East) got off to a strong start in five of the six singles matches, only one of the women, senior Risa Nak-

agawa, was able to maintain the start as she converted it into an eventual 7-5, 6-1 victory.

Freshman Elena De Santis led the team by winning the first set 6-1, yet she lost her rhythm, dropping the next two sets 6-4, 7-5. Junior Anna Short experienced a nearly identical momentum swing at the five slot, eventually losing 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

While the matches did not end up reaching the end and thus no victor was decided upon, sophomore Sofie Moenster was in a great position to win with a 3-0 lead in hand in the third decisive set, while senior Cecilia Lynham had won the first set and only trailed 5-4 in the second, indicating that she also had a strong opportunity to win were the match to continue.

The 4-1 loss was not the result Georgetown was hoping for, but the strong starts to each of the individual matches, as well as the Hoyas who had set themselves up in positions to succeed in the two unfinished matches, indicate that the team can change directions with a few matches left in the season.

Both teams will look to end their winless droughts in the coming days. The men next take to the court on the road against William and Mary on Tuesday, April 2.

The women’s team next competes against cross-town rival George Washington on Friday, April 5.

SIDNEY LEE

Hoya Staff Writer

The Georgetown track and field teams opened their outdoor seasons Saturday, March 23, in Philadelphia at the Penn Challenge. The men’s team finished in fifth place overall while the women’s team finished in seventh.

However, both teams showed signs of promise in specific events.

Both the men’s and women’s teams performed well in the steeplechase event, with a number of freshmen making their outdoor debuts. The steeplechase event is an obstacle race around the track in which athletes jump onto and off of beams during the run.

The Hoya women claimed the top four spots in the 2,000-meter steeplechase, with freshman Katie Dammer first, junior Meg Mathison second, freshman Katherine Modrall third and freshman

Rachel Sessa fourth.

The Hoya men saw three members of their team place in the top five of the 2,000m steeplechase. Graduate student Christian Liddell finished in first place, followed by junior Eion Nohilly in second place and freshman Price Owens in fourth place.

Freshman Alyssa Aldridge gave the women’s team another top-three finish by earning third place in the 3,000m run with a time of 10:08.94.

Sophomore Lawrence Leake, who earned his first All-American honor at the NCAA championships two weeks ago, put on another impressive performance last weekend. Leake raced to second place in the 400m hurdles for a time of 55.78.

Sophomore Nate Alleyne placed fourth for the men in the 400m dash, notching a time of 49.05.

In the 100m dash, sophomore Denzell Brown earned fifth place with a time of

11.183. Brown’s teammate, sophomore Josiah Laney, raced him neck and neck to cross the line just .003 seconds after.

Picking up another pair of top-five finishes, junior Johnathan Chavez placed fourth, and freshman Rusty Kujdych placed fifth in the 3,000m run.

The 4x400m relay team of Alleyne, Leake, sophomore Kino Cheltenham, and junior Kenneth Rowe closed out the day’s events with a first-place finish. The quartet clocked a time of 3:16.72.

The Blue and Gray will split into two groups next weekend to travel to Gainesville, Fla., for the Florida Relays at the University of Florida and to Stanford, Calif., for the Stanford Invitational held by Stanford University.

The Florida Relays will start Thursday, March 28, and the Stanford Invitational will begin the next day, Friday, March 29.

BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL

Baseball Falls to Hartford; Softball Beats Creighton Twice NATE KRAL

Special to The Hoya

After splitting its previous four-game series with Princeton, the Georgetown baseball team ran into another rough patch as it dropped all three home games in its series against Hartford on March 23 and 24. In the same weekend, the Georgetown softball team bounced back from a 15-4 loss to take two games out of three against Creighton in its opening series of Big East conference play.

After the first game in the Hartford series was postponed in the fourth inning because of inclement weather Friday, March 22, the Hoyas (6-18) struggled to get any offense going and were outscored 14-1 by the Hawks (5-11) in the continuation of that game Saturday morning. Georgetown’s lone run in the game came from sophomore infielder Eddie McCabe, who drove in sophomore outfielder Kai Nelson in the ninth inning when the outcome of the game was already all but decided.

The second game of the series was a much tighter contest, featuring strong pitching performances from junior Brent Killam and sophomore Owen Lamon, who combined to allow only two runs over nine innings.

Georgetown was down 1-0 going into the eighth inning when junior infielder John Simourian laid down a pinch-hit safety squeeze to bring home sophomore catcher Ryan Davis.

Davis had doubled to get into scoring position and advanced

to third on a groundout. The game, unfortunately, ended in heartbreak for the Hoyas, as a Hartford solo home run in the top of the ninth spoiled the late Georgetown rally.

In the final game of the tripleheader, Hartford scored all four of its runs in the third inning. Graduate student transfer outfielder Kyle Ruedisili helped Georgetown pull within three in the fourth inning with an RBI single, and sophomore infielder Yareb Martinez scored later in the inning on a wild pitch. The Hoyas managed to put runners on base in both the eighth and ninth innings but could not muster up a big hit to keep the rally alive and fell 4-2.

After a tough sequence of games, Georgetown will look to bounce back in the last game of its five-game home stretch against Navy on Wednesday, March 27, at Shirley Povich Field before embarking on a three-game road trip to face Eastern Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tenn.

The Georgetown softball team saw better outcomes in its three-game series against Creighton to open Big East conference play.

The series began with a doubleheader Saturday, March 23, where the Hoyas (9-22, 2-1 Big East) suffered a painful lategame loss. Georgetown led 4-2 going into the top of the sixth inning when chaos ensued.

Creighton (10-11, 1-2 Big East) scored 12 runs in the inning, seven of them unearned, and went on to win the game 14-5.

The crunchtime collapse in the first game would be the only blemish on an otherwise

excellent day — and series — for the Hoyas. In the second game, the Blue and Gray was down 4-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, when junior outfielder Alexa Dolby hit a goahead three-run home run to put Georgetown back on top by one.

Creighton then responded with a two-out solo home run to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Freshman infielder Mae Forshey finished off what Dolby started in the previous inning with a walk-off single to seal the 6-5 win and split the doubleheader.

Notably, junior pitcher Anna Brooks Pacha recorded 10 strikeouts in the first contest, which pushed her to third all-time in program history.

Senior catcher Sarah Bennett also had a standout day, totalling three home runs and four RBIs across the two contests and earning Big East player of the week honors.

The last game of the threegame series featured another exciting Georgetown comeback. The Hoyas entered the bottom of the sixth inning trailing 4-1.

With two outs and the bases loaded, senior utility player Kelly Amen stepped to the plate and delivered the goahead grand slam over the leftfield fence. Bennett had another great game as she reached base four times in the contest, and the Hoyas went on to win the game 5-4.

The softball team will look to build on its momentum as it travels to Queens, N.Y., to face St. John’s in another threegame Big East showdown.

GUHOYAS

Senior infielder Ryan Weisenberg, above, runs the bases after a hit. The Georgetown baseball team lost all three home games in its series against Hartford on March 23 and 24.

GUHOYAS

Sophomore Vicki Milledge, above, finished ninth in the women's 100-meter hurdles to open her outdoor season. Overall, the women's team finished seventh at the Penn Challenge.

UNDER REVIEW

Despite Productive Offseason, The Padres Are Contenders

Jeff Swanson Major League Baseball’s opening day March 28 commences the start of the baseball season.

At the dawn of a new baseball season, every team is filled with the hope of capturing a World Series trophy. Thus, it is an appropriate time to shine a light on a surprise contender in 2019.

Look no further than the San Diego Padres.

Third baseman Manny Machado was the key acquisition of the Padres’ off-season after signing a 10-year, $300 million contract.

Machado is a star slugger who will fill a gaping hole at the hot corner for the Padres.

Last season, San Diego tried to play Wil Myers at third without much success. Now, they add a fielder of Gold Glove caliber while enabling Myers to transition back to his more natural position in left field.

However, the Machado signing was viewed skeptically by analysts because the Padres historically run a low payroll and the enormous signing seemed too early for a club that was still in its rebuilding stages. While the Padres may be an incredibly young team this season, they

still possess the potential to play meaningful baseball in September.

After all, 2019 is an odd year, so Eric Hosmer should bounce back after a lackluster inaugural campaign for the Padres.

By some strange coincidence, since Hosmer began his career in 2011, he has performed superbly in odd years while failing to replicate the production in even years.

In the odd years 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017, Hosmer averaged a robust .303 batting average, 20 home runs and 86 RBIs. Meanwhile, in the even years 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018, Hosmer batted an uninspiring .255 average, 17 home runs and 73 RBIs. Yet the Padres’ success in 2019 will be determined by the performance of rookies and second-year players, who possess tremendous talent despite their youth.

The Padres’ rotation is led by the triumvirate of Eric Lauer, Joey Lucchesi and Chris Paddack.

Lauer and Lucchesi pitched in the Padres’ rotation for the majority of the 2018 season and notched ERAs of 4.34 and 4.08.

These pitchers need to improve in their sophomore campaigns by reducing both walks and home runs.

Paddack is a hard-throwing right-hander who is touted as one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball. Paddack’s strong spring training enabled him to claim a spot in San Diego’s rotation, thus capping off a

monumental comeback following two Tommy John surgeries.

Yet the Padres are likely to be vigilant in monitoring Paddack’s innings during his rookie campaign.

In an era when there are delays to the promotion of prospects, Paddack’s early call up to the majors bodes well for fellow top prospects Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Urias.

Tatis is a rare five-tool player at shortstop with possible MVP potential. Meanwhile, Urias is a tremendous contact hitter, who profiles well at second base.

Given the combination of youth and talent, the duo will likely form San Diego’s middle infield for the next decade.

Finally, last year’s trade of closer Brad Hand to the Cleveland Indians has positioned the Padres for success. The team netted Francisco Mejia, who provides the valuable ability of hitting for average at catcher.

Furthermore, the Padres also experienced minimal drop-off in the bullpen as Kirby Yates capably fulfilled the closer’s role.

For the Padres to make the playoffs in 2019, a lot will need to break in their favor. It is unlikely that San Diego will unseat the reigning Los Angeles Dodgers as National League West champions, but it is quite possible that the Padres will still compete strongly for a playoff spot.

Jeff Swanson is a senior in the McDonough School of Business. UNDER REVIEW appears every other Friday.

SPORTS

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2019

MEN’S LACROSSE

THE HOYA

A11

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

GU Defeat Friars to Keep Season Alive WNIT, from A12

MARGARET FOUBERG/THE HOYA

Sophomore midfielder Jack Elders cradles the ball up the field.

Despite a 6-0 Hoya run to end the game, Georgetown lost 9-8.

Georgetown Falls Short Against Marquette MARQUETTE, from A12

five-minute scoring drought, Bucaro joined his teammate to record a hat trick as well. Soon after that, freshman midfielder Declan McDermott buried the Hoyas’ sixth unanswered goal to pull the home team within one.

The Hoyas then had a chance to win the game after a key faceoff win, but Wittenberg crossed his own feet on a dodge attempt and fell, turning the ball over. The 9-8 margin was as close as Georgetown would get, as Marquette’s defense pitched a scoreless final four minutes to seal the game.

Opening conference play with a loss was not the start the Hoyas were hoping for, especially against an unranked team. However, this outcome also is not out of the ordinary, and there is plenty of lacrosse left to play this season.

All four one-goal losses to Marquette since 2015 have been in Georgetown’s first conference game of the season. Despite the loss to the Golden Eagles last year, the Hoyas were still able to win the conference tournament and get an NCAA tournament berth.

With a talented, experienced roster and the leadership of Head Coach Kevin Warne, the Hoyas can bounce back this coming week as they continue conference play on the road against No. 15 Denver on Saturday, March 30.

make the score 2-1 after the first quarter.

Marquette scored two quick goals less than 30 seconds apart at the outset of the second quarter to take a one-goal lead. After a small lull in the action, the visiting team was able to widen this margin substantially, netting four more unanswered goals to cap off a 6-0 second quarter. Entering halftime, the Golden Eagles led the Hoyas 7-2.

Marquette picked up where it had left off at the start of the third quarter, putting two more shots in the back of the net to set the scoreboard at 9-2.

After Marquette’s ninth goal, 11:30 remained in the third quarter. Marquette’s lead was commanding, but there was plenty of time left to play.

From there on out, the Hoya senior leadership fought hard for the team’s first regular-season career win over the Golden Eagles. Bucaro scored twice in two minutes and added an assist on a Wittenberg goal as well. At the end of the third quarter, the Hoyas still trailed 9-5, but their momentum was undeniable.

Neither team scored for the next five minutes, until Wittenberg once again buried the ball low and away from the Marquette goalie with his third goal of the day. After another

Georgetown points to begin the fourth quarter, all of which came from the free-throw line and prevented Harvard from taking complete control of the game.

Near the five-minute mark of the third quarter, Head Coach James Howard called a timeout after a Harvard bucket in the paint reduced the margin to 6462. The Hoyas were pressured into burning another timeout after the Crimson scored three quick points to take their first lead. Shortly thereafter, both teams exchanged possessions without registering a point.

Down one, the Hoyas came up with a stop and got the ball into the hands of White, who took control and drove the lane to hit a contested layup that gave Georgetown the onepoint advantage.

On the ensuing series, senior guard Brianna Jones blocked a shot attempt and secured the rebound before being fouled.

With less than 30 seconds to go, Jones stepped to the line and knocked down a pair of

free throws that extended the Georgetown lead to 68-65.

With just 16 seconds left in regulation, Harvard had one last chance to force the game into overtime. Off the inbounds pass, the Crimson managed to get a look from three, but White recovered defensively and got a hand on the shot, which prevented it from reaching the rim. Jones came down with the deflected shot and quickly found White, who was intentionally fouled.

To effectively end the game and propel Georgetown to the third round, White hit the free throws, capping off a 38-point performance. To go along with this, White snatched down 12 rebounds to record the doubledouble.

White’s performance defined clutch and senior leadership. She earned the praise of her coach for her efforts in a postgame interview with GU Hoyas.

“Dionna has been carrying us all year, and without her ability to score, to rebound and to defend we would not be where we are right now,” How-

ard said. “Tonight she gave us what we needed to win and she’s someone we’re going to miss. She scored 2,000 points for a reason, and if you think about everything she’s accomplished over her career, you know that’s Dionna White.”

Georgetown’s victory over Harvard was followed by a tight game against Providence.

In the third round of the WNIT, the Hoyas again found a road victory to keep their season alive. This time, their matchup was with fellow Big East foe Providence (19-16, 8-10 Big East), a team that the Hoyas had beaten twice already this season.

Both teams kept pace with one another offensively in the first, as the game was tied at the end of the first quarter.

However, Georgetown fell into a shooting slump in the second and found itself in a 10-point hole after the team failed to register a basket in the last 4:27 of the quarter.

Georgetown answered in the third quarter, however, as graduate student guard Dorothy Adomako and White pro-

pelled the Hoyas to a 9-2 run to close the gap to three. Down one later in the quarter, White knocked down a three to recapture the lead for the Hoyas for the first time since the first quarter. The Friars came back with a bucket in the final minute to tie the game at 34 before entering the final stanza.

The fourth quarter saw the Hoyas jump out to a six-point advantage, only to have Providence tie the game again.

White, the hero of the previous game, added to her 19-point total by knocking down a pair of free throws that gave Georgetown a lead it would not relinquish. The team fought off Providence’s last efforts in the final few minutes to come out on top, 53-46. Adomako led the Hoyas with 20 points, which helped Georgetown overcome the halftime deficit.

Advancing to the quarterfinals of the WNIT marks the furthest Georgetown has gone in the tournament since 2009 when it lost to Boston College.

The Hoyas will await the winner of James Madison and Virginia Tech for their next test.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Veteran Leadership Guides Hoyas to Win UC DAVIS, from A12

As a team, the Hoyas outperformed the Aggies in every aspect of the game. The Blue and Gray attempted 28 more shots, committed eight fewer turnovers and picked up four more ground balls than its opponent.

In net, senior goalie Haelle Chomo totalled five saves in the contest, while junior goal-

ie Micheline DiNardo stopped two shots in 14:08 minutes of play.

Georgetown dominated the game on offense but has room for improvement in efficiency of shots taken, according to Head Coach Ricky Fried.

“It always feels good to get a win,” Fried said in a postgame interview with GU Hoyas. “Statistically, we dominated a lot of possession, but

we weren’t very disciplined on how we were shooting today. We need to make sure we’re coming out with a higher sense of urgency from the very beginning.”

Although Georgetown has dropped three of its last four games, it has put up strong performances against formidable opponents in all the defeats.

This pattern was especially

true in a 13-10 loss against No. 15 Loyola Maryland.

Lynch led the way for the Hoyas with a hat trick and an assist for four points in the game.

The Hoyas will look to show more discipline and urgency next week as they enter Big East conference play. The team will travel to Indianapolis to face the Butler Bulldogs on Saturday at 12 p.m.

SUDOKU

6 3

9

9 4 6 3 5 2 4 3 5 2 8 8 4 5 5 3 9 8 1 1 4 9 4 2 6 9 8 5 6 4

5 4 7 9 3 6 2 8

1 6 8 7

MARGARET FOUBERG/THE HOYA

Senior defenseman Josephine Zinn, above, takes the ball up the field in a dominant home victory over UC Davis. Zinn has started in all 10 of Georgetown’s games this season. She has totalled 19 ground balls and one assist over the course of 2019.

PROFESSIONAL POSITIONING

Curry, Rose Exemplify Guard Evolution

Last issue’s solutions

8 6 4 7 9 2 3 5 1

7 3 5 1 6 8 9 4 2

1 2 9 4 3 5 6 7 8

2 9 8 3 4 6 7 1 5

GILLIGAN, from A12

4 7 1 8 5 9 2 3 6

3 5 6 2 7 1 8 9 4

5 8 3 9 2 4 1 6 7

9 4 2 6 1 7 5 8 3

6 1 7 5 8 3 4 2 9

occasions and ultimately pave the way for other point guards to take control of the game rather than facilitate.

After seeing Iverson’s success, many young point guards realized they could focus more on their scoring potential rather than organizing offenses and passing.

Most notably and recently, we’ve seen the likes of Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose electrify defenses with their scoring prowess.

Rose went on to become the youngest NBA MVP of all time at age 22. His stunning athleticism allowed him to blow by defenders and finish creatively in the paint.

Westbrook plays very similarly to Rose; however, he has been able to score at a higher rate. In fact, Westbrook has won the scoring title twice in

the past four years, most notably in the 2016-17 season when he tallied a remarkable 31.6 points per game. He received the MVP award that season, averaging a triple-double.

Curry has arguably been the most dominant point guard in recent history. He won back-toback MVP awards in 2015 and 2016. In fact, he was the first unanimous MVP in NBA history during the latter year.

Curry also won the scoring title in that 2015-16 season with an average of 30.1 points per game. Furthermore, he has won three NBA titles in the past four years, being at the forefront of the Warriors’ dynasty.

Although these players have achieved success as scorers, many point guards since Iverson have still embodied the traditional form of the position.

The best examples are Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Tony Parker and Chris Paul.

These players have found immense success in the league without scoring the ball at a high rate.

This new scoring approach from the point guards has brought endless excitement to the league and forced players to change the way they play.

However, it is evident that their style of play is becoming relatively outdated in the league nowadays.

The huge increase in relying on the three-point shot has

taken the league by storm and resonates heavily in the point guard position.

Curry proved how deadly teams can be when their point guards can shoot the lights out from beyond the three-point line. Since then, the rest of the NBA’s teams and players have tried to play catch-up to Curry’s offensive dominance.

Overall, it is undeniable that Georgetown’s own Iverson revolutionized the point guard position. Since Iverson, players like Rose, Westbrook and Curry have continued this revolution and brought it to new heights.

This new scoring approach from the point guards has brought endless excitement to the league and forced players to change the way they play.

Shane Gilligan is a sophomore in the College. PROFESSIONAL POSITIONING appears in print every other Friday.

Sports

Women’s Lacrosse Georgetown (6-4) vs. Butler (3-7) Saturday, March 30, 12 p.m.

Indianapolis

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2019

NUMBERS GAME

TALKING POINTS

TRACK Sophomore Nate Alleyne placed fourth for the men in the 400m dash at the Penn Challenge on Saturday.

See A10

MEN’S LACROSSE

“

Tonight [White] gave us what we needed to win, and she’s someone we are going to miss.”

Women’s Basketball Coach James Howard

10

The number of years it has been since the Hoyas have been to the WNIT quarterfinals.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

White Scores 38, GU Advances in WNIT BRENDAN DOLAN Hoya Staff Writer

MARGARET FOUBERG/THE HOYA

Sophomore midfielder Jack Elders, left, wards off a Drexel defender in a home bout March 16. The Hoyas defeated the Dragons 13-10.

Despite Comeback, Hoyas Drop Big East Opener at Home HENRY MIHM

Hoya Staff Writer

In the first game of Big East conference play, the No. 14 Georgetown men’s lacrosse team fell 9-8 to unranked Marquette on Saturday, March 23, on Cooper Field.

The Hoyas (7-2, 0-1 Big East) nearly completed a spectacular comeback, but the Golden Eagles (5-3, 1-0 Big East) stopped them just short of it and secured the upset. With this result, Georgetown has lost to Marquette by a onegoal margin for the fourth consecutive season.

On the offensive end, senior attack Dan Bucaro and senior midfielder Lucas Wittenberg each posted three goals and

one assist, while junior attack Jake Carraway contributed a goal and an assist as well.

On the other end of the field, it was a tale of two halves. The Hoya defense, led by a 14-save performance from sophomore goalie Owen McElroy, initially struggled to keep the Golden Eagles from scoring but then clamped down and held Marquette scoreless for the final 26:30 of the game.

Both teams tested each other in the early stages of the game, but the first frame saw very little action. Carraway drew first blood with a rush to the cage, and the teams traded goals after this play to See MARQUETTE, A11

The Georgetown women’s basketball team began its postseason journey by dominating Sacred Heart 90-59 on March 22 in the opening round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. The women followed this win with a 70-65 victory over the Harvard Crimson on March 24. Georgetown then kept its postseason alive with a come-from-behind 53-46 victory over the Providence Friars on March 26 to advance into the quarterfinals of the WNIT. The win over the Crimson (17-13, 9-5 Ivy League) marked the first time in a decade that the Hoyas (19-15, 9-9 Big East) have made it to the third round of the WNIT. The Hoyas jumped out on top right away during the first quarter, opening up a 6-0 lead while the Crimson failed to register a point in the first four minutes. Harvard then closed the gap with six points of its own, before freshman guard Nikola Kovacikova tallied eight straight points that allowed Georgetown to regain the lead.

By the end of the first, the Blue and Gray led 16-11.

Georgetown quickly extended the lead to double digits in the second quarter. With the game at 24-15, the Hoyas forced the Crimson into calling a timeout after senior guard Dionna White hit junior guard Morgan Smith with a crisp outlet pass that she converted into a layup. White continued to lead the charge and apply the pressure for the Hoyas for the remainder of the half, tallying 19 total points. When the horn sounded signalling the period’s

KIRK ZIESER/THE HOYA

Graduate student guard Dorothy Adomako, right, tallied a team-high 21 points for the Hoyas in a win over Sacred Heart in the opening round of the WNIT at McDonough Arena on March 22. end, Georgetown maintained its double-digit lead by a score of 37-26.

The direction of the game changed quickly in the third quarter, however, as the Crimson rattled off a 7-0 run of their

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

GU Ends Losing Skid With Home Win BEN GAVER

Hoya Staff Writer

After three straight road losses, the Georgetown women’s lacrosse team got its season back on track with a dominant 20-11 win at Cooper Field against University of California, Davis on March 24.

The Hoyas (6-4) started the game with a goal from senior midfielder Francesca Whitehurst just three minutes into the first half. After the Aggies

(6-6) responded a few minutes later, the Hoyas answered, scoring five straight goals.

Following two more goals from Whitehurst and a goal from junior midfielder Natalia Lynch, Georgetown was up 10-4 going into halftime.

At the beginning of the second half, the Aggies started to cut the deficit. After a UC Davis goal 43 seconds into the half and a response by Georgetown senior attack Taylor Gebhardt, UC Davis went on to score three unan-

swered goals. Following the scoring spree by the Aggies, the Hoyas came back by tallying three scores of their own to make the game 14-8 with 14:32 left on the clock.

The two teams traded goals back and forth until the Blue and Gray finally took control, scoring five straight to finish the game and cruising to a 20-11 victory. The 20 goals Georgetown finished with are the most the team has scored all season.

Georgetown continued to

receive help on offense from a variety of sources. While Whitehurst led the team with five goals and an assist, nine of her teammates contributed in the scoring column.

Gebhardt also got involved, finishing with three goals and two assists. Junior attack Michaela Bruno notched two goals and two assists of her own, and Lynch ended the game with two goals and one assist.

See UC DAVIS, A11

MARGARET FOUBERG/THE HOYA

Senior midfielder Francesca Whitehurst controls possession for the Hoyas. Whitehurst led Georgetown with five goals and an assist in the team’s 20-11 route of UC Davis on March 24. She has recorded 18 goals and 15 assists so far this season.

Visit us online at thehoya.com/category/sports

own to cut the score to 42-37 in favor of the Hoyas. Harvard then narrowed Georgetown’s lead to four by knocking down a contested three. Moments later, White answered the call by hitting a layup in traffic that mo-

mentarily stopped the bleeding before the quarter’s end. The Hoyas clung to just a 53-47 lead heading into the final frame.

White scored the first seven See WNIT, A11

PROFESSIONAL POSITIONING

Shane Gilligan

Iverson Pioneered New NBA Era Of Scoring Guards The point guard position is incredibly interesting because it has drastically evolved over time. In the early years of the NBA, the point guard was primarily a distributor. The job of the person playing this position was to bring the ball down the court, organize the offense and get the ball to the primary scorers.

Players such as Magic Johnson, John Stockton and Walt Frazier were point guards.

Although these players could score, they were not considered the primary offensive weapons. Magic had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Stockton had Karl Malone and Frazier had Earl Monroe.

The point guards acted as floor generals and would move the ball to get the offense going. Of course, there were a few exceptions to the position’s concentration on passing, such as Isiah Thomas on the “Bad Boy” Detroit Pistons in the late 1980s.

Thomas was one of the main offensive weapons, though big men like Joe Dumars and Bill Laimbeer were also heavily relied on to score.

The player who revolution-

ized the point guard position to be more scoring-oriented was Allen Iverson. Iverson was drafted first overall by the 76ers in 1996. He dominated the Big East during his two years at Georgetown, averaging over 20 points per game during both of his two seasons as a Hoya.

Iverson was relatively undersized, being listed at just under 6 feet tall. However, he was able to use his shifty footwork, quick first step and trademark crossover to get to the hoop and score prolifically. He immediately took the NBA by storm and averaged 23.5 points per game, earning the rookie of the year award.

Iverson then etched his place into NBA history by making an improbable run to the 2001 NBA finals, earning the MVP award on the way. Iverson averaged a staggering 31.1 points per game that year, while the secondhighest scoring player on the 76ers averaged a meager 12.4 points per game.

Iverson would earn the NBA scoring title on four separate See GILLIGAN, A11