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Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 94, No. 17, © 2012
FRIDAY, november 2, 2012
SEEKING STATEHOOD
The District is embroiled in a decadeslong fight to become the 51st state.
COMMENTARY Club sports get the short shrift when it comes to practice space on campus.
NEIGHBORHOOD Leaders of the Georgetown Community Partnership met for the first time.
MEN’S SOCCER The Hoyas face St. John’s tomorrow in the Big East tournament.
GUIDE, G8
OPINION, A3
NEWS, A7
SPORTS, A10
$20M Gift Funds New Initiative Sarah Patrick Hoya Staff Writer
LEFT: EVAN HOLLANDER/THE HOYA; RIGHT: ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA
Papyrus on Wisconsin Avenue (left) was one of several area businesses that sealed its doors and windows in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy. On campus, a student braved the winds and heavy rain before the storm struck in full force late Monday afternoon.
DC Back in Business Facilities Addresses Storm Damage In Wake of Sandy Penny Hung
Hoya Staff Writer
Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc along the Atlantic coast Monday, killing at least 80 and leaving millions without power, but the Washington metropolitan area escaped largely unscathed. Although D.C. airport and metro services were disrupted, dozens of roads were closed and power was lost in some areas, most city services resumed normal opera-
tions by Tuesday or Wednesday. Around 44,000 of electric service provider Pepco’s D.C. customers lost power, according to company spokesperson Bob Hainey, but more than 90 percent of outages were fixed by Tuesday night and all power was restored by 10 p.m. Wednesday. District airports were unaffected by power outages, but airlines cancelled all flights on Monday and
DPS Staff Learns on The Job
See CITY, A6
Penny Hung
Hoya Staff Writer
Having navigated the emergency procedures and campus closures necessitated by Hurricane Sandy, the university is now in the process of addressing the 308 maintenance requests caused by the storm. The Category 1 hurricane ripped through the District Monday, prompting the university to close for two days and issue a
“shelter-in-place” warning urging students not to go outside between 5:30 p.m. Monday and 8 a.m. Tuesday. The decisions to cancel classes and issue the warning were made by a team comprising members of the Office of the Provost, the Department of Public Safety and other administrative offices. “The decision is driven primarily by safety,” university See DAMAGE, A6
LAYING A FOUNDATION FOR REFLECTION
Carly Cianci
Special to The Hoya
From 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Erica Lumpkin’s schedule is like that of any other student: class, recitation, lab and then homework. But when the clock strikes 3 p.m., she swaps her backpack and civilian clothes for a gun, handcuffs and a blue uniform bearing the words “Georgetown University Department of Public Safety.” Lumpkin is one of six DPS officers currently enrolled in a degree-granting program via a contract benefit that grants Georgetown employees free tuition at local universities. As a member of Georgetown’s post-baccalaureate program, Lumpkin has had to juggle her pre-med coursework with a fulltime job as a DPS officer. “It’s been a slow journey,” she said. “One of the great things in my department is they are really flexible in terms of scheduling our shifts around school. … Even though we have a commitment to the community, we have a commitment to ourselves as well, and the department really honors that.” DPS Chief of Police Jay Gruber said the offer of free tuition is a significant component of what draws many officers to the Hilltop. “It is a big recruitment tool that we have here,” he said. “A college education here costs a lot of money, so many officers forsake a traditional university [experience] to get access to this opportunity.” Unlike other institutions, Georgetown See DPS, A6
COURTESY CHRISTOPHER JORDAN
Construction on the Calcagnini Center, GU’s new home for retreat programs, will finish fall 2013.
With the help of a $20 million anonymous donation, the university formally launched the Georgetown Environment Initiative Thursday afternoon. The initiative aims to promote the interdisciplinary study of the environment across Georgetown’s main, medical and law campuses. Both it and the donation, which was given by an unnamed family affiliated with the university, were announced in an email from University President John J. DeGioia to the campus community Thursday. According to Vice President for Advancement R. Bartley Moore, $15 million of the gift will be used to compensate and fund the research of three new faculty chairs in fields of environmental science. The remaining $5 million will fund an administrative center that will help coordinate and expand collaborative interdisciplinary research on the environment. “That will advance one of the university’s principle strategic objects, which is to grow our capacity in sciences through additional investment in people and programs,” Moore said. According to DeGioia’s email, the gift is the largest contribution made to Georgetown’s capital campaign, “For Generations to Come: The Campaign for Georgetown.” The campaign has raised $935 million — including the $20 million anonymous donation, which was given last month — since its launch in 2006. “Apart from the great generosity of the gift, in a larger sense, what it means for Georgetown is we are demonstrating our ... ability to join the strategic objectives of the institution with the philanthropic objectives of donors to achieve these sorts of significant investments in the growth of the university,” Moore said. The expansion of Georgetown’s science faculty was one of the capital campaign’s primary goals. Since 2009, a working group comprising faculty members from all three Georgetown campuses and led by department of biology professor Matthew Hamilton has been developing a plan to bolster the university’s capacity to conduct interdisciplinary environmental research. According to Moore, this group’s recommendations provided the basis for the initiative. “The faculty … has been in the lead on this project,” he said. Hamilton is now the chair of the environment initiative. According to Moore, hiring the three new faculty chairs will take roughly three years, but the donation will be put to immediate use in the form of grants to fund research projects. “We see this extraordinary gift as an opportunity to become a global leader in this increasingly important area,” DeGioia wrote in his email.
Prindiville Discusses ANC Bid at Meeting Tia Baheri
Special to The Hoya
Peter Prindiville (SFS ’14), who is running uncontested for a seat on Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E, was officially introduced at the organization’s monthly meeting Wednesday. Prindiville is on the ballot to represent single member district 2E 08, which comprises Nevils, Alumni Square, Copley Hall, Harbin Hall, Village C East and Henle Village, as well as the two square blocks between 36th and 37th Streets, between Prospect and O Streets. Although he is running in an SMD mostly inhabited by university students, he stressed at the meeting that he aims to work for the benefit of the entire community.
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“I believe that we should work to make our neighborhood better for all residents, regardless of their age or zip code,” he said at the meeting. “I see my campaign not as a referendum on the university … although many want it to be one. I come rather … with a resolve to work together to make Georgetown better for all.” Prindiville said that his recent discussions with residents in his district have revealed that there is an appetite for dialogue and political engagement at the local level. “I have been struck by the desire of [voters] to have a voice in local discussion, a voice many of them feel they have never had,” Prindiville said. “I believe that a consistent
CONNOR BERNSTEIN/THE HOYA
Peter Prindiville, who is running to represent district 8 on ANC 2E, See ANC, A6 shakes hands with Chair Ron Lewis after being introduced Wednesday.
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