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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2026

After Democrats’ Midterm Rout, GU Students Question Voters’ Long-Term Support Gabe Tiano, Veera Jetley and Annie Quimby Hoya Staff Writer, Special to The Hoya and Campus Life Desk Editor

Georgetown University students pointed to affordability, immigration and global conflict as potential reasons for major Democratic wins in the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Democrats won control of both the U.S. House and Senate, flipping seven Senate seats and around 40 house seats as of Nov. 6. As Democrats take full control of Congress for the first time since 2023, students say the outcomes represent a rejection of the second Trump administration’s policies. Desh Girod, a government professor who teaches a class on Trump’s presidency, said this year’s elections are historically significant as a rebuff of Trump administration practices. “Part of what’s really striking, historically, is just how much more of a rebuke this was,” Girod told The

Hoya. “It was such an enormous, very clear statement, with so many flips, even in red states.” Zach Krivonak (CAS ’29), the Georgetown University College Democrats (GUCD) campaigning director who led the club’s efforts to help elect Democrats across the country, said the results were astonishing. “We worked on a lot of different campaigns across the country, and we had a 100% success rate with who we worked with,” Krivonack told The Hoya. “Everyone we worked with directly won, so we’re very proud of that.” Democrats across the country campaigned on platforms that highlighted affordability, combatting corruption and ending the Iran war as priorities to address if elected. Democrats saw victories in places they have traditionally struggled to win statewide races, including Texas, Kansas and South Carolina. See MIDTERMS, A7

MATTHEW GASSOSO/THE HOYA

Georgetown University students said affordability, immigration and the Iran war drove Democrats’ Nov. 3 midterm success.

MATTHEW GASSOSO/THE HOYA

Georgetown University’s Advisory Committee on Business Practices, which is responsible for recommending employment policies, has not met its suggestions for subcontracted worker membership since at least 2013, a review by The Hoya found.

GU Left Worker Seats on Committee Empty Noah de Haan and Brendan Fijol

Senior News Editor and City Desk Editor

When Georgetown University inaugurated its landmark Advisory Committee on Business Practices (ACBP) in 2004 to advise university administrators on labor policies, it pledged to include one hourly employee and one hourly subcontracted employee “to the extent possible.” But the ACBP has not included a subcontracted employee representative for at least the last 13 years, according to public archives reviewed by The Hoya.

Multiple times across that same period, the committee did not include a directly hired hourly employee — and neither a subcontractor or direct hourly employee currently sits on it. The ACBP has been central to Georgetown’s labor rights disputes: it supported shuttle bus drivers in a fight to remain university employees, backed graduate student workers in their quest to unionize and in 2005, recommended the university’s keystone Just Employment Policy (JEP). Chadwick Lazarescu (COL ’20), who served on the committee from 2018 to 2020, said the

absence of such employees during his tenure was concerning. “The Just Employment Policy applies for all workers, but it was initially around a lot of those contracted-out workers to ensure that those employers maintained just employment,” Lazarescu told The Hoya. “Having them never be on the committee about a policy that primarily was designed to protect them just feels wrong.” A university spokesperson did not directly dispute The Hoya’s findings but said the committee includes a representative from the Staff and Academic and Administrative Professionals (Staff/AAP) Council, which

represents administrative staff, and has invited subcontracted employees to speak with committee members. “The Advisory Committee on Business Practices (ACBP) includes student, faculty, and staff representatives, as well as a representative of the Jesuit community on campus,” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya. “In recent years, the ACBP has included a representative from the University’s Staff/AAP Council. The ACBP has also invited additional University employees and subcontracted employees to See ACBP, A7

New Petition Urges GU Divest MBA Applications Fell by 22% From Companies Tied to Israel Amid Trump’s Visa Crackdown Chloe Taft

Senior News Editor

Over 125 Georgetown University community members have signed a petition demanding the university divest from companies tied to the Israeli military and end its partnerships with Israeli academic, political and cultural institutions. Georgetown’s chapter of the advocacy group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) launched the petition Nov. 2. The petition comes 18 months after then-Interim University President Robert M. Groves declined to enact a nonbinding student referendum with similar demands. Jackson Schnabel (SFS ’27), an SJP member who signed the petition, said Georgetown’s continued investment in companies like Alphabet, Apple and Microsoft makes the university complicit in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. “Over the past three years, Israel committed genocide in Palestine, and over the course of this genocide, Georgetown has continued to invest in companies directly profiting off of these crimes,” Schnabel told The Hoya. “Instead of divesting from these companies, reducing Georgetown’s involvement with them, Georgetown has continued to ramp up its investments in companies profiting off of this genocide, and it is something that simply must end,” Schnabel added. Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, which initiated the most recent phase of the conflict, killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in the

abduction of about 250. The Israeli military’s counteroffensive has led to the deaths of 75,000 Palestinians and displaced at least 80% of Gaza’s population. A growing body of scholars and advocates — including the leading International Association of Genocide Scholars and a United Nations commission — have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Israel, often with the support of the United States, has consistently denied these claims, characterizing them as antisemitic or anti-Israel. Ayelet Kaplan (CAS ’28) — a member of Students Supporting Israel (SSI), an unaffiliated proIsrael student group and the Georgetown Israel Alliance (GIA), a student organization that supports Israel — said she believes the petition goes against Georgetown’s Jesuit values. “As a Jesuit institution, we seek to understand and to learn from other perspectives, and this petition goes against the values that this university stands for,” Kaplan told The Hoya. “Because of that, we strongly condemn the petition.” InApril2025,Georgetownstudents approved a referendum asking the university to divest from companies that have ties to the Israeli military, including Alphabet and Amazon. SSI, GIA and the Jewish Student Association issued a joint statement condemning the referendum, citing concerns about academic censorship and discrimination. The university declined to accept the referendum the same day it was approved, and

Georgetown increased its holdings in the two companies between April and September 2025. The university body for responsible investment also declined a May 2025 divestment proposal similar to the student referendum from Georgetown’s chapter of Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine. Valli Pendyala (SFS ’27), who signed the petition, said the university’s immediate response to the referendum was disrespectful. “I think it made it clear that the university, regardless of the outcome, would have rejected it anyway,” Pendyala told The Hoya. “They weren’t even interested in seeing what the outcome was.” “We should have divested from these companies long ago, and doing so would put Georgetown in line with the values that it professes to hold,” Pendyala said. A university spokesperson did not comment on the petition, but University President Eduardo Peñalver previously said he will consider student input in divestment-related discussions with the board of directors, which controls the university’s investments. “The question of divestment or endowment investment policy is ultimately a board decision and not an administrative decision,” Peñalver told The Hoya in August. “I will meet with student advocates and listen to their perspective and faithfully convey that as appropriate to the board to inform their deliberations,” Peñalver added.

Joshua Lou and Gabe Tiano

GUSA Desk Editor and Hoya Staff Writer

Applications to the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business’ (MSB) full-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree fell 22% for the Class of 2028, according to admissions data reviewed by The Hoya. The drop comes as the federal government cracks down on immigration, prompting a corresponding decline in Georgetown’s sizable international graduate student population. The MBA program’s cohort also shrank by more than 20%, dipping from 248 students in the previous cycle to just 197 this year. Sudipta Dasmohapatra, the senior associate dean of the MSB’s MBA programs, said the degree continues to attract high-quality applicants. “Georgetown McDonough is not alone in navigating these trends and remains competitive among its peer institutions as we strive to attract and enroll a talented, globally-minded full-time MBA class,” Dasmohapatra wrote to The Hoya. “Regardless of class size, students benefit from the close-knit cohort experience and strong sense of community that are hallmarks of the Georgetown MBA,” Dasmohapatra added. “We are proud to reflect this strength in the new incoming class and look forward to seeing what they accomplish in MATTHEW GASSOSO/THE HOYA the years to come.” As the Trump administration restricts immigration, declining See MBAs, A7 international student enrollment is driving down applications.

See DIVESTMENT, A7

NEWS

OPINION

GUIDE

SPORTS

SNAP Increases Proactive Contacts

Deliver for Employees, Students

Turnstile Brings Punk Back to DC

Hoyas Break Eagles’ Wings

A12/A11

CSJ Marks 25th Anniversary

Center Workers in Dining Decision

‘The Debut’ Suffers Beginner’s Luck

GU Trounces Loyola in Opener

A12/A11

Georgetown’s neighborhood patrol increased proactive contacts by 75% last year as GUSA condemned its policies.

University President Eduardo Peñalver celebrated the Center for Social Justice Research, Teacher & Service’s 25th year.

The Editorial Board urges Georgetown to meaningfully reform campus labor standards and respond to its constituents’ concerns.

Grace Fu (CAS ’30) argues Georgetown has long ignored workers and must prioritize dining employees as it chooses a new food provider.

Turnstile brought an infectious stage presence, reinvigorating the Washington, D.C. punk rock scene, writes Cash Moore (CAS ’28).

Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti are at their best in “The Debut,” but the film’s plot flatlines, says Brad Derfner (CAS ’27).

Published Fridays

The Georgetown women’s basketball team defeated American University in a hometown matchup, securing a 75-65 victory.

The Georgetown men’s basketball team dominated Loyola University Maryland in its season debut.

Send story ideas and tips to news@thehoya.com

A2 | THE HOYA

THEHOYA.COM | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2026

OPINION EDITORIAL

Deliver on Promises to Workers, GU The people who work behind the scenes to cook meals, clean campus and drive buses keep Georgetown University running. Without them, students would not enjoy the Georgetown they call home. In 2005, Georgetown passed its keystone Just Employment Policy (JEP), which guarantees full-time university employees and contractors adequate compensation and benefits. However, while toeing the line of its contractual obligations, the university has repeatedly failed to uphold the spirit of its agreement. Georgetown supposedly passed the JEP to enshrine workers’ dignity in line with the university’s Jesuit and Catholic values, but from Georgetown bus drivers to administrative staff to information technology employees, the university has consistently disrespected its workers and endangered their jobs. A student petition and referendum this semester sought to bring change by calling on Georgetown to reform the policy to include an annual “democratic” review and broader benefits. In response, Georgetown established a working group to review the JEP, an outward signal that administrators will address community concerns. But Georgetown must go beyond simply convening a committee. The Editorial Board urges the university to give workers a direct representative on the working group and incorporate the petition’s suggested reforms. This includes revising how the JEP calculates a living wage and preserving seniority status for contracted workers under a new vendor. Georgetown’s record on labor issues, despite the landmark JEP, is mediocre at best. Last year, the university tried to quietly move Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle (GUTS) drivers to a third-party contractor, stripping them of most university benefits. It took a protracted campaign to force Georgetown to retract the plans — and even then, GUTS drivers later alleged the university was retaliating against them. Georgetown’s mistreatment is not limited to facilities workers. In February, Georgetown reorganized the University Information Systems (UIS) office, requiring about one-fifth of the department to reapply for their jobs. Most recently, in April, the College of Arts & Sciences moved to restructure administrative staff, severing internal department ties and effectively demoting some employees. Georgetown must do better. A university spokesperson said Georgetown actively seeks to uphold the JEP and “appreciates the views of the 2,630 undergraduate students who voted in the referendum.” “Guided by our Jesuit values and Catholic heritage, Georgetown is deeply committed to honoring the spirit and core principles of the Just Employment Policy and protecting the dignity, well-being, and fair treatment of every community member,” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya. In her response to the petition, Georgetown Chief of Staff Anne Moran committed to engaging with students, faculty and staff representatives, but failed to make the same commitment to workers — the employees whose livelihoods rise and fall with the working group’s results. This lack of representation sends the message that the university does not value workers’ experiences when making policies, but

HOYA HISTORY

instead only wants to appease student activists. Elinor Clark (CAS ’27), who helped lead the petition drive, said direct worker representation is crucial to ensure they are being treated with dignity and respect. “The fact that workers are not being included on this committee is extremely frustrating and speaks to Georgetown’s history of excluding the very people who are affected by the JEP from the decision-making process,” Clark told The Hoya. While the working group can be a meaningful forum for administrators to listen to worker experiences, simply listening is not enough. Georgetown must follow through on the reforms that students and workers have long been demanding. Recent university history gives a bleak picture of the likelihood that the university will listen to its students. In 2019, after students demanded Georgetown pay reparations for its past reliance on enslaved labor, Georgetown established a donor-led fund that would grant $400,000 annually to “community-based projects” benefiting those enslaved people’s descendants. Seven years later, The Hoya reported in September, Georgetown has only allocated one-third of the grants it initially promised. In 2020, then-University President John J. DeGioia (CAS ’79, GRD ’95) established a board of directors working group to oversee the university’s response to clerical sexual abuse. Today, this group is not listed on the board’s website and has not taken any public action in the six years since its creation. Most recently, in a 2025 referendum, students voted to demand Georgetown divest from and disclose engagement with companies tied to Israel’s military. The university expressly refused this call. Time and time again, the university has sidestepped student demands, failed to carry them out or outright refused. The working group cannot be the university’s sole answer to student advocacy. Most importantly, Georgetown must allocate seats for representatives who are directly chosen by workers or their unions. When selecting its next dining provider, the university should require the provider to retain existing workers while respecting seniority and benefits. Finally, Georgetown should adopt the proposed $25 hourly minimum wage to reflect rising living costs. Jackson Schnabel (SFS ’27), a workers’ rights advocate, said Georgetown must pay workers a livable wage that doesn’t count benefits toward the wage. “Total compensation doesn’t actually pay the bills,” Schnabel told The Hoya. “At the end of the day, you need a living wage. You need enough money to pay for food, for rent, for everything that you need to survive.” Georgetown’s review of the JEP must include workers so they can influence the policies that affect their wages, working conditions and voices. The people who contribute so much to make Georgetown the place it is deserve to work for an employer that recognizes that.

IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE

“

Time and time again, the university has sidestepped student demands, failed to carry them out or outright refused. The working group cannot be the university’s sole answer to student advocacy. The Editorial Board

“Deliver on Promises to Workers, GU” thehoya.com

POLL This week, the Editorial Board addresses recent student advocacy around Georgetown University’s Just Employment Policy (JEP), arguing that the university must center its constituents by including a worker representative on its working group and meaningfully revising the JEP to align with student demands. To gauge student opinion, The Hoya asked its readers if they believe Georgetown has adequately responded to community members’ concerns about the JEP. Of the 50 respondents, 80% said no, 10% said yes and 10% said they were unsure.

EDITORIAL CARTOON by Apara Chandavarkar

The Hoya’s Editorial Board is composed of six students and is chaired by the opinion editors. Editorials reflect only the beliefs of a majority of the board and are not representative of The Hoya or any individual member of the board.

Since its first issue in 1920, The Hoya has served to inform Georgetown’s campus dialogue. The following article is a glimpse into The Hoya’s rich history, allowing readers to appreciate the evolution of college journalism.

GSC Demands Workers’ Rights October 6, 2016 As the union representing facilities workers continues contract negotiations with the university, student advocacy group Georgetown Solidarity Committee has accumulated more than 400 signatures from members of the community on a petition to push the university to address a series of contract demands, including a 5 percent raise and further raises tied to the cost of inflation. The petition, launched online on Sept. 28, will run for the next few weeks, according to GSC organizers. GSC hopes to obtain 1,000 signatures before submitting the petition to university administrators. The petition is part of a campaign to promote awareness of ongoing contract negotiations. The university has been negotiating terms for a new labor contract with the Service Employees International Union 1199 Union Local since early September. GSC is pushing the university to offer workers raises that are tied to cost of living increases and inflation. The university is currently offering a 2 percent increase in wages over the course of three years. GSC and Union 1199 are pushing for a 5 percent raise. GSC members have also specified goals of ending understaffing and alleged racism and discrimination in the workplace and a minimum wage starting at $15 per hour. The District’s minimum wage is currently $11.50 and will reach $15 by 2020.

University Media Relations Manager Ryan King said Georgetown is searching for a fair compensation package and hopes to finalize a deal soon. “We are committed to providing fair and competitive compensation packages for all university employees,” King wrote in an email to The Hoya. “We have a long history of collective bargaining with 1199SEIU and we have reached mutually acceptable collective bargaining agreements with the union in every negotiation.” Students can sign the petition in person at Red Square on Wednesdays and through an online Google form advertised on the GSC Facebook page. GSC also organized rallies and protests near McShain Lounge in McCarthy Hall, the site of ongoing negotiations, on Sept. 22. The group also published and distributed pamphlets outside O’Donovan Hall seeking to educate students and workers about the goals of the negotiations. Though GSC has raised awareness on issues pertaining to understaffing and the mistreatment of workers, the negotiations are mostly centered around the increase in wages. GSC member Joseph Gomez (SFS ’19) said the petition aims to raise student awareness and remind the administration that students care about workers on campus. “Because it’s the beginning of the year, we want to reinvigorate

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 Editors Nico Abreu, Opal Kendall and Ajani Stella at executive@thehoya.com. NEWS TIPS News Editors Noah De Haan and Chloe Taft: Email news@thehoya.com. Guide Editors Anandita Agarwal and Isabelle Cialone: Email guide@ thehoya.com. Sports Editors Sam Fishman and Ethan Herweck: Email sports@thehoya. com.

student support for workers and to show administration that students on campus support the workers,” Gomez said. Previously, the organization has used petitions in conjunction with coordinated campaign efforts. In 2013, GSC disseminated petitions in an effort to persuade the university to cut its sportswear manufacturing contract with Nike after the company was accused of workers’ rights violations. GSC organized a petition drive in 2015 as part of a campaign that sought improved work and wage conditions for Aramark workers during their contract renegotiations with Aramark. Aramark employees and management agreed to a contract in April 2015, which included a 40-hour paid work week, plans for unionization and less expensive health insurance. Joshueua Pena (COL ’17) said he hopes this campaign succeeds in advocating for workers’ rights, but he remains cynical about its impact. “They’ve done this stuff before and nothing changed, maybe slightly, but not a huge impact,” Pena said. Pena said workers’ issues require more than student activism. “This is an ongoing issue that’s not going to be solved by petition. It needs something more drastic,” Pena said. “I appreciate the effort, but they are not having a tangible impact.” Adam Schlomi

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. © 1920-2026. 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: 1,000

Founded January 14, 1920

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Nico Abreu, Opal Kendall and Ajani Stella, Executive Editors Jackson Roberts, Managing Editor Noah De Haan, News Editor Chloe Taft, News Editor Jacqueline Gordon, Features Editor Serene Pai, Features Editor Thejas Kumar, Opinion Editor Leo Zhang, Opinion Editor Anandita Agarwal, Guide Editor Isabelle Cialone, Guide Editor Sam Fishman, Sports Editor Ethan Herweck, Sports Editor Angela Lekan, Science Editor Eva Siminiceanu, Science Editor Lucy Jung, Design Editor Anish Raja, Design Editor Elizabeth Hoerter, Copy Chief Allison Ma, Copy Chief Grace Rutherford, Copy Chief Katherine Hart, Blog Editor Yaya Hang, Multimedia Editor Miranda Kristina Santiago, Multimedia Editor Matthew Gassoso, Photo Editor Ella O’Connor, Audience Editor Caroline Woodward, Audience Editor

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Andrew Jiang Academics Desk Editor Annie Quimby Student Life Desk Editor Liv Sanchez Graduate Desk Editor Brendan Fijol City Desk Editor Joshua Lou GUSA Desk Editor Michael Shtrom Events Desk Editor Caroline Garland Deputy Features Editor Sophia Tully Deputy Features Editor Caden Larrenaga Deputy Opinion Editor Juan Almanza Deputy Guide Editor Eliza Doty Deputy Guide Editor Grace Ko Deputy Guide Editor Eliana Kut Deputy Guide Editor Penelope Snoep Deputy Guide Editor Finn Balon Deputy Sports Editor Golnar Jalinous Deputy Sports Editor Jacob Nolan Deputy Sports Editor Sasha Ahmad Deputy Science Editor Jaya Alenghat Deputy Science Editor Kaitlyn Lee Deputy Science Editor Adhithi Rajesh Deputy Science Editor Maddie Williams Deputy Science Editor Autumn Dunlop Deputy Design Editor Abby Kopf Deputy Design Editor Emilie Andrews Deputy Copy Editor Lucas Liang Deputy Copy Editor Sebastian Pallant Deputy Copy Editor Serena Nguyen Deputy Copy Editor Vivian Welch Deputy Copy Editor Connor Emmert Deputy Photo Editor Rohini Kudva Director of Human Relations Jacob An Director of Logistics Stefano Rangel Haddad Director of Outreach

THE HOYA | A3

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2026 | THEHOYA.COM

OPINION

VIEWPOINT • CHIN

Diversify Math Guidance

ike many college students, I arrived at Georgetown University seeking community. As I considered my academic trajectory over the next few years, I eventually stumbled upon the math department’s website, where the Georgetown University Association for Women in Mathematics (GUAWM) was listed. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to meet and connect with fellow Hoyas who had similar backgrounds, experiences and goals — the perfect foundation for a community. Unfortunately, my dream was soon crushed as I realized the club had gone quietly dormant within the past few years. When I emailed the faculty advisor about what to do, she made an unexpected suggestion: I could become president. Admittedly, I hesitated at first. I am not a particularly outgoing person, and building a club from the ground up seemed like the job for a much more extroverted person. Still, I saw how valuable GUAWM could be — not only for myself but for Georgetown as a whole. My individual experiences represent a wider struggle to find guidance and community in Georgetown’s mathematics major. The department must take ownership of mentoring its students, whether that be through greater faculty partnership with student math organizations or more structured career guidance. In a major as diverse as mathematics, the need for focused academic and professional guidance is real. Math is an incredibly flexible undergraduate focus, leading to careers spanning economics, data science, finance, policy and academia. Unfortunately, such versatility cuts both ways. Math majors are often told that they can do “anything,” which, in practice, can feel like being told nothing at all. At Georgetown, the department’s size makes this problem particularly visible. Georgetown only has 22 fulltime math faculty compared to Boston College’s 37 or Notre Dame’s 44. In more introductory courses like linear algebra or multivariable calculus, you might see a crowded room, but many of these students are math minors, economics majors or students meeting another core requirement. By senior year, the group of actual majors thins, and many of those that remain are double majors headed in very different directions.

A large department can rely on sheer numbers to create informal student networks, where an upperclassman down the hall might know about a firm or graduate program that another student is unfamiliar with. Yet a small department cannot. It needs to build these networks purposefully, and early. GUAWM ultimately represents what students can do on their own but also the weaknesses of student-run programs. Since restarting the club, I have worked to grow engagement, bringing in guest speakers and creating a space where students — especially women, who remain underrepresented in mathematics — can feel like they belong. Over time, however, I have also learned that student-led groups face built-in limits. Leadership turns over every year or two, and there is no math institutional channel to reach first-years in that crucial phase before they might decide math is not for them. Our mailing list is limited to those already in the math department or the people we can capture by flyering around campus, which may not wholly represent all prospective mathematicians at Georgetown. Faculty involvement and advertisement often rely on goodwill. When the club fell dormant a few years ago, nobody caught it; it simply disappeared until I stumbled across it. Greater faculty involvement in these student organizations could help promote their outreach. GUAWM, Math Club and similar groups could be listed in advising materials and intro course syllabi, helping students find them early on. The department could also cosponsor a career panel, inviting math graduates to meaningfully connect with current students. Collaborating with the Cawley Career Education Center to provide career guidance and offer events might help illuminate future paths for students. I will not minimize the work that the faculty has already done; they have been incredibly helpful in running and organizing the events GUAWM and Math Club propose. But there are simply some gaps that students alone cannot fill.

VIEWPOINT • FU

MATTHEW GASSOSO/THE HOYA

Prioritize Workers’ Voices in GU Dining Contract

Georgetown University first contracted Aramark to be the university’s dining provider in 2006. In 2016, they renewed this contract, and now Georgetown faces a similar question — whether to continue with Aramark or switch to one of its other candidates, Compass or Sodexo. Discussions about this decision thus far have concerned sustainability, allergen-free options and more, but miss a fundamental fact about Georgetown: it is a community that stands out for its Catholic and Jesuit ideals of people for others, care for the whole person and faith that does justice. Verbally committing to these values is not enough; the promise of a community like Georgetown’s demands it act them out. As Georgetown selects a dining provider, it must consider the ethics and labor practices of its partners and, most importantly, prioritize the just treatment of workers. In the selection process, the university has not publicly solicited feedback from workers, leaving them out of the discussion as they did in 2016, when a petition demanded that Georgetown address Aramark workers’ alleged low wages, understaffing, poor working conditions and lack of benefits, garnering over 2,000 signatures. These conditions persisted in the years following and remain a stain on the values the Lauren Chin is a senior in the university claims to hold so highly. College of Arts & Sciences and Beyond its problematic history was the president of GUAWM at Georgetown, Aramark’s record in Spring and Fall 2025. is riddled with an extensive

VIEWPOINT • CHERTORIVSKI

history of alleged labor violations. The company also profits from contracts with prisons and artificial intelligence data centers and has provided services to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers. Though Aramark has denied allegations of contracting with immigration enforcement, equally troubling is the uncertainty surrounding workers’ futures. At their town hall, Aramark did not provide a plan for employee retention. Instead, they pointed to their record of keeping the employment base during COVID-19, and did not adequately address existing concerns voiced by workers about their benefits package. Another contender is Sodexo, which shares a similarly problematic history of alleged union-busting, labor violations and prison ties outside the United States. Sodexo publicly committed to recognizing the rights of its workers to unionize, but in 2004 the National Labor Relations Board ruled its anti-union behavior — including captiveaudience meetings and firing workers for union activity — to be unlawful. Sodexo also provides services to 84 prisons overseas and fully manages five in the United Kingdom. These face a litany of allegations of safety issues and abuse. In 2019, Sodexo admitted that prison staff at one of its facilities illegally strip-searched several incarcerated women. The company claims not to contract with any U.S. prison entities. At George Mason University, which partners with Sodexo, workers have alleged

discrimination, mistreatment and disrespect from management. If selected at Georgetown, Sodexo stated its goal to retain at least 80% of the current dining staff, but, like Aramark, did not share plans for employee benefits. When asked at their town hall, the company said its aim was to make employees whole, which is concerningly ambiguous. Compass, the third provider Georgetown is considering, is also subject to multiple lawsuits alleging unfair labor practices, primarily wage and hour violations. In its partnership with George Washington University, students reported hazardous food quality and cleanliness issues. University of Minnesota workers have alleged discrimination, abuse and severe mistreatment from management. The company has, however, largely divested from the U.S. prison system. At their town hall, they outlined a plan to retain 100% of current dining employees, retain or payout all time off and honor the collective bargaining agreement between the UNITE HERE Local 23 union and Aramark. Workers are the heart of the Georgetown community. Many have been here far longer than students on campus, and whichever provider is selected will impact them greatly. Companies that contract with Georgetown must adhere to the Just Employment Policy, which aims to guarantee a living wage and “avoid employee job loss,” but our focus should go beyond continuing to employ current staff; the

university should also make sure workers maintain key benefits, seniority and paid time off. If Georgetown wants to adhere to its vision as a “leading research university with a heart,” it should show us that the heart is indeed there. That means not just picking the dining provider that is better for business but the one that recognizes the humanity in the people that keep this campus running. Anything otherwise is putting profit over people, a manifest betrayal of what we stand for. None of these choices are perfect, and the decision will be difficult for Georgetown to make. In these situations, transparency and active community engagement are critical — one cannot happen without the other. Students must be well-informed in order to give the administration clear feedback. Workers especially cannot be left in the dark when their livelihoods are at stake. The university and prospective contractors must clearly outline their staffing plans regarding employee retention, wages and benefits. Moreover, Georgetown should do more to give workers a seat at the table by explicitly seeking out their input like they have attempted to involve students in these same decisions. As for the Georgetown community, we must demand that the university uphold its stated values and continue to show up for the workers that show up for us. Grace Fu is a first-year in the College of Arts & Sciences.

COLUMN • CONATON

Recognize Miami’s Latino Heritage Seek Authenticly Creative Experiences

iami is often called the “capital of Latin America.” For many people in the region, it is their first point of contact with the United States — a city where families resettle and businesses establish relationships across borders. Those communities have helped make Miami a center of international commerce. Georgetown University is now weighing whether to establish a presence there. The McDonough School of Business (MSB) has been exploring the Georgetown Miami Initiative that could include undergraduate and graduate programs. In September, the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) began surveying students about a semesterlong program in the city. Georgetown should pursue this expansion to give students access to international business networks and opportunities to study trade, migration and regional policy firsthand. But to make the most of Miami, Georgetown must engage with the Latin American communities that helped build those networks. In a September statement to The Hoya, a university spokesperson acknowledged Miami’s economic and cultural ties to Latin America. “Miami has rapidly become one of the most important business and cultural gateways in the Americas, connecting economic activity between the United States, Latin America, and global markets,” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya. While the university recognizes Miami’s connections to Latin America, it has yet to explain how those relationships would shape the courses, partnerships and academic experiences offered through the proposed expansion. Miami’s economic case is strong. More than 1,200 businesses have established regional headquarters there for their Latin American operations. The first international branch of Chile’s Banco Bci operates in Miami, and Brazil’s Bradesco operates a bank in South Florida. McKinsey describes its Miami office as “a gateway into Latin America” for consultants seeking opportunities

across the region. The attraction is not simply Miami’s location. It is also the relationships and regional knowledge concentrated there. Those relationships reflect decades of migration. More than 70% of Miami residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, nearly 58% were born outside the United States and more than three-quarters speak a language other than English at home, according to U.S. Census data. People from Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia and elsewhere have brought language skills, business experience and commercial ties across borders. A recent McKinsey report traces how Miami-based Quirch Foods grew from a family-owned importer of Latin American foods into a distributor with more than $4 billion in annual sales. Its growth illustrates how knowledge of regional customers and cross-border networks can become a business advantage. This is why students should learn from Miami’s communities rather than treating the city solely as a place to secure internships. For someone entering finance, consulting or technology, understanding a business also requires understanding its clients, markets and commercial relationships. An internship might teach students how to analyze a deal or advise a client. Engagement with local entrepreneurs and communities would help them understand the context in which those decisions are made. The academic possibilities extend beyond the MSB. Proposed graduate offerings include the master’s in international business and policy, which is in partnership with the School of Foreign Service. In a liberal arts CAS program, meanwhile, students could study migration, bilingualism and Caribbean history by directly engaging with Miami’s institutions and communities. Coursework and partnerships should reflect those connections rather than treating the city’s Latin American presence as a backdrop for professional recruitment. Cost remains a legitimate concern. One student in a university

focus group called the proposal “a waste of money” amid Georgetown’s austerity measures, according to The Hoya. Dennis Quinn, McDonough’s senior associate dean for global strategy, has said the initiative would be externally funded if launched. This commitment helps address concerns about diverting resources from existing programs while reinforcing the importance of ensuring that the expansion delivers meaningful academic opportunities. Building partnerships with Miami’s Latin American communities would help Georgetown make the most of this investment and offer students an educational experience grounded in what makes the city distinctive. As a former vice president of Georgetown’s Latin American Student Association (LASA), I believe Latin American students should help shape the program from the start. Students familiar with different countries and markets can identify potential questions, partners and perspectives that program leaders might otherwise miss. Mia Deschapelles (CAS ’27, GRD ’28), who is from Miami, suggested programs on the city’s bilingual communities, immigration history and Hispanic culture. Such ideas could help Georgetown offer an education grounded in the city and communities that make it distinct. The university has said student input will help shape its next steps. The College and MSB should consult Latin American undergraduate and graduate students, alongside Miamibased community and business organizations, before finalizing courses and partnerships. Georgetown should go to Miami, but its ambition should extend beyond giving students access to international business opportunities. A successful program must prepare them to understand the people, cultures and relationships that have made those opportunities possible in the first place.

teach swim lessons for young kids, and we often use toys. Thanks to the kids’ imaginations, these toys always come with fascinating stories. I can remember making up these same stories when I was little, but I would be hard-pressed to think of the last time I did so. As we barrel toward adulthood, it can seem like we must leave creativity behind with our childhood. In our uniquely open position as college students, however, we can choose to build a future without these compromises, one brimming with our own forms of creativity. We might think other aspects of our lives will come to fill these gaps. If I had a dollar for every job posting I’ve read on Handshake that’s looking for “creative problem solvers” or “innovative thinkers,” I would be rich enough that I wouldn’t need to apply to them. It doesn’t have to just be jobs either — maybe coming up with hundreds of situations as to why that special someone hasn’t texted us back is a sign that our creativity is alive and well. Still, these everyday endeavours don’t seem to fill the creative shoes our younger selves have left vacant. Maybe that’s a problem of personal framing. These new situations fit the real world, a shift to be expected given the vast experience differential between a college student and a toddler. While making up scenarios and solutions that fit the real world doesn’t necessarily mean they are less creative, I don’t think it captures the whole picture. A key difference between these more “adult” examples and the stories of a 5-yearold is that the creativity they display is purely for themselves, while the creativity we display is increasingly for the purpose of others — a class, a job, a Victoria Chertorivski is a relationship. This doesn’t graduate student in the Walsh necessarily make that creativity School of Foreign Service. less valuable — you are still

creating something. Why shouldn’t that something get you a good grade, or a paycheck or a relationship? But I would argue that no matter how creative your classes or jobs require you to be, that still isn’t enough to satisfy your imaginative itch. In the perhaps menial conclusion that our world needs more work-life balance, I believe we should be doing more things just for ourselves — especially creative things. One study showed that aging does not inherently indicate a decline in most areas of creativity. So we might just, like any muscle, need to exercise it more. That might look like trying to write a ridiculous story like the ones you used to come up with as a kid, rearranging your dorm, reading a book just for fun or simply doodling during class. Rather than scrolling mindlessly, we can use our time to embrace what we used to do for fun and find fulfilling uses for our time through creativity. Another study found that our seeming decline in creativity is often due to an increased fear of rejection and failure. How do we get rid of these fears? That’s probably a question better suited for your therapist than me. Again, I think embarking on creativity for your own sake comes as a solution. If we are doing something independently, the only person we have to fear rejection from is ourselves, and if that is a major, hindering fear for you, you probably should talk to a therapist. While class rubrics often require you to cater to the specific tastes of your professor or the demands of your class, choosing your own projects and being the sole arbitrator of your creative demands gives you free rein to see all the places your mind can take you. By strengthening our creative skills through self-motivated tasks, we gain confidence in our creative

abilities. This makes us more likely to conquer these fears and use them in other situations, too. Take the time out of your day to write a five-minute story. Learn a new skill — drawing, pressing leaves, photography. You could paint your nails or learn how to DJ; you could even decorate your dorm for the upcoming holidays. Or you could do something completely creative, coming up with something interesting and unique to do rather than taking verbatim advice from a rambling column like mine. Use that hour that, let’s be honest, you’re going to procrastinate either way, to make something for yourself. All these solutions are framed as something very simple — “just” find time to do something for yourself and “just” use that time to make something completely new. But these tasks don’t actually feel that simple. We live busy lives. If you’re not going to class, doing your homework, working or hanging out with friends, you are exhausted from doing those very same things. It doesn’t necessarily seem like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel either — post-graduation, the majority of us will take on nine-to-five jobs that have little regard for work-life balance. So is it really worth it to spend what little free time we have trying to figure out how to be more creative? Maybe not. But we should at least try. Every choice we make creates the one life that we will live. Maybe those everyday creations are enough, but instead of settling for the bare minimum, I think we should strive to create more. The only way to find out if this current path is enough for that one life is by testing it against something else. Norah Conaton is a firstyear in the School of Foreign Service. This is the second installment of her column “Dazed and Confused.”

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A4 | THE HOYA

FEATURES

First Year on Common Application Previews Uncertain Landscape for GU Admissions

ILLUSTRATION BY ANNIEK VOETEN/THE HOYA

Ahead of Georgetown University’s first cycle on the Common Application, admissions volunteers and tour guides are preparing to meet increased applicant interest.

As Georgetown joins its peer institutions on the near-universal Common Application, college counselors and former admissions officers say this change could transform the university’s admissions process.

Caroline Garland

Deputy Features Editor

fter avoiding the Common Application for half a century, Georgetown University upended its undergraduate admissions process last year, moving to adopt the unified application portal used by more than 1,000 other higher education institutions for the 2026-27 admissions cycle. Georgetown was the last of its self-identified peer institutions to join the platform — albeit on a three-year pilot program. Kellen Howell — the college counseling director at Regis High School, a private, Jesuit New York City high school that sends dozens of applications to Georgetown each year — said the Common App is crucial for elite colleges. “It controls the playing field,” Howell told The Hoya. “There’s really only a handful of schools out there that have their own application.” The Common App provides a standardized platform for students to apply to multiple schools. Students and counselors say this shift will likely expand the applicant pool, driving down Georgetown’s acceptance rate and transforming its admissions landscape. The new application system begins as University President Eduardo Peñalver said he will prioritize accessibility and affordability. Kate Widbin, a leading college counselor, said joining the Common App helps colleges become more widely known across demographics. “When a college goes to the Common Application, they just inevitably open up access to a lot of students from more backgrounds and just more classes that maybe would not have otherwise had Georgetown on their radar,” Widbin told The Hoya. Students and advocates have long accused Georgetown of lacking racial and economic diversity, which experts say the university’s restrictive application may have exacerbated. Melissa Costanzi (SLL ’95, GRD ’18), Georgetown’s undergraduate admissions dean who joined after the Common App shift was finalized, said the new system will expand Georgetown’s applicant diversity. “We are excited to add the option to use the Common Application to Georgetown’s undergraduate application process and hope it will broaden Georgetown’s applicant pool by attracting students with a wider range of individual experiences,” Costanzi wrote to The Hoya. “It will also enable the university to connect with more prospective applicants who are interested in Georgetown but may not have otherwise applied.” “In developing the plan to join the Common App, university leaders determined that it would make Georgetown’s admissions process more accessible to students from a wide variety of backgrounds,” Costanzi added. Anish Patel (CAS ’28), a tour guide for Georgetown’s Blue & Gray Tour Guide Society, said the move will have far-reaching effects.

“It’s a dichotomy where having something more accessible will definitely end up being more competitive in the end,” Patel told The Hoya. The Common Sense Move Georgetown’s long-standing refusal to join the Common App — driven by a desire to recruit highly interested students — made the university an outlier among top U.S. colleges. Columbia University, the last of Georgetown’s self-identified peers to use only an independent application, joined the platform in 2011. Many of its other peers, like Dartmouth College and Brown University, have been members for over three decades. In a 2013 interview, former Dean of Admissions Charles Deacon (COL ’64, GRD ’69) said Georgetown’s separate application portal creates opportunities for students to appeal directly to the university. “We feel constrained by what the Common Application gives you,” Deacon told The Hoya. “We’re encouraging students to express themselves to us, rather than to a common process.” But over 10 years later, Georgetown has embraced the Common App. The move will likely result in a lower acceptance rate as the number of applications increases while the number of acceptances remains relatively stable. When Georgetown announced its plans to join in 2025, only seven of the U.S. News & World Report’s top-50 schools — six colleges in the University of California system, which have their own unified system, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) — did not use the platform. Chloe Christman, a high school senior in Ohio currently applying to Georgetown on the Common App, said MIT’s separate application discouraged her from seriously considering the school. “MIT was so hard to navigate that I just decided not to apply at all, so I considered myself thoroughly weeded out,” Christman told The Hoya. Lauren Randle (COL ’08), a college admissions consultant and former Georgetown admissions officer, said Georgetown’s decision was unsurprising. “At this point, it’s MIT and most of the military academies that have exclusively their own application,” Randle told The Hoya. “That’s not really Georgetown’s peer group.” After the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) joined the portal in 2023, the school received nearly 6,800 more applications than the year prior. When Rutgers University was added to the Common App the same year, 233% more students applied. Experts say this trend will likely hold at Georgetown, where increasing application submissions and a relatively constant number of acceptances will result in a decreased acceptance rate. Kristy Bleizeffer, a rankings editor for the business school magazine Poets&Quants, said their ranking for schools like Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business is deter-

mined by acceptance rate, alongside other factors like employment rates and average starting salaries. “If Georgetown’s move to the Common Application results in a lower acceptance rate for McDonough, that could improve its score on this measure and, perhaps, its overall ranking,” Bleizeffer wrote to The Hoya. After joining the Common App in 2023, UT Austin’s U.S. News & World Report public undergraduate college ranking climbed to seventh the next year, up from its No. 13 spot in 2020. Georgetown, however, has long insisted that it could recruit qualified applicants without the Common App, citing fears that the unified portal would make it harder to find unique prospective students who fit into Georgetown’s ethos. In the 2013 interview, Deacon said he was not interested in joining the Common App and lowering Georgetown’s acceptance rate “for the sake of appearance” if students would rashly throw their applications in alongside Ivy League universities. “We’d only be adding people who otherwise wouldn’t have gone to the effort,” Deacon said. “They would look really good because their other options are Harvard, Princeton and Yale, but somebody who might have gone through the effort might end on our waiting list. How does that help anybody?” Widbin said Deacon’s insistence Georgetown remain off the Common App earned him high regard throughout the college admissions community. “I think a lot of people really respected him for that, to have a strong enough sense of self and who Georgetown is, that they can build and shape an excellent class regardless, and they don’t care if they have 40,000 more applicants,” Widbin said. Costanzi said rankings did not drive the university’s decision to join the Common App. “Throughout the deliberations about whether to join the Common App, university leaders’ motivations have always been about making our process more accessible to more students,” Costanzi wrote. “I’ve never been part of a meeting where rankings were even discussed as a factor.” As the field widens, Robin Doran, who owns a college consulting group, said students must make additional efforts to appeal to Georgetown, which will no longer be able to distinguish a student’s determination just by their decision to apply. “If you’re serious about this school, you need to make sure they know it because the applicant pool is going to be larger, and because you don’t have early decision, it’s harder to know who’s going to come and who’s not,” Doran told The Hoya. The new system, Doran added, “makes it harder to predict who was serious and who wasn’t.” Small Fish, Bigger Pond The Georgetown application’s newfound accessibility, students and college counselors say, could change who ends up applying.

Serena Warner-Williams (COL ’03), an alumni interviewer, said the Common App will better reach first-generation college students like herself, who only applied to Georgetown because a teacher specifically encouraged her to do so. “I don’t know that it would have come my way by any other means,” Warner-Williams told The Hoya. In 2017, only 13.5% of undergraduate students fell into the bottom 60% of households by wealth, according to a New York Times study. The Times concluded that Georgetown had a disproportionately large number of students from the top 1%. Just 27% of lower-income students said they felt it was easy to find peers at Georgetown, according to a 2020 campus culture survey. When Georgetown decided to join the Common App in 2025, Interim Provost Soyica Diggs Colbert (COL ’01) said in a press release that the Common App will ensure Georgetown’s applicants have a “rich set of backgrounds and life experiences.” Doran, the college consultant, said Georgetown’s individual application portal dissuaded students with fewer resources — such as those without private college counselors or dedicated high school counseling teams — from applying. “Students who didn’t have access to that kind of advice saw it as daunting,” Doran said. “They thought that the application was going to be so much more work — all these new essays and all these new things. They just didn’t feel like they had the time or bandwidth to do that.” At the nation’s top colleges, students from private high schools make up a disproportionate amount of the student body. Private institutions account for nearly 40% of schools that have established elite higher education pipelines. Georgetown’s separate platform requires students to pay an $80 application fee before accessing the portal — inverting the Common App’s process, where students pay the fee right before submitting their applications. Doran said Georgetown’s individual application portal may have made it harder for qualified students to apply due to a lack of resources or time. “Not everybody has the access to jump through all of the rules and all of the hoops that they had in front of students,” Doran said. Widbin said Georgetown’s move to the Common App would make it more accessible for students who do not have much college counseling help. “Think of large public high schools where counselors have huge caseloads, and there’s not even the education that Georgetown has its own application or what Georgetown is like and why you’d apply,” Widbin said. “At least having it up on the Common App now as an option gives a student a moment to pause and say, ‘Oh, maybe I’ll submit there.’” In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious admissions practices were unconstitutional in higher education, a decision Georgetown

publicly condemned. A year later, in the first admissions cycle after the Supreme Court’s ruling, Georgetown data indicated that the university enrolled fewer students of color. In response to concerns about socioeconomic diversity, Georgetown simultaneously decided to consider students’ eligibility for Pell Grants — a federal grant to students demonstrating financial need — when evaluating applications. Former Interim President Robert M. Groves said streamlining the process to consider students’ financial need would ensure low-income students would not be overlooked in admissions decisions. “The observation that we were leaving on the table some low-income applicants, terrific students, because we didn’t know they were low-income, we were fully needblind — we repaired that by sending from the financial aid office to the admissions office whether each applicant was or was not Pell-eligible,” Groves told The Hoya in 2025. For the Class of 2028, however, only 15% of students were eligible for Pell Grants, falling far short of the national average. Widbin said expanding access to Georgetown’s application, especially for first-generation, low-income students, will ultimately diversify its student body. “That they can really have a much more rich applicant pool in terms of background and experience and access and bringing in students with so many different voices,” Widbin said. “That’s really important on any campus.” Behind the Screen As the first admissions cycle on the Common App is underway, Georgetown’s admissions volunteers and tour guides are preparing for an influx of interest, while prospective students and counselors worry about this year’s competitiveness. In an August interview, Peñalver recommitted to Georgetown’s longstanding tradition of offering all applicants an alumni interview. Now, the Alumni Admissions Program (AAP), which coordinates this aspect of the admissions process, is working to recruit additional volunteers, according to multiple sources familiar with the program. Jim Barnett (CAS ’86), AAP regional chair for Northwest Washington, D.C., said the program will add to its staff and shift more interviews online. “We were worried we just wouldn’t be able to keep up,” Barnett told The Hoya. Widbin said more applicants may force Georgetown to reevaluate its interview policy. “I wouldn’t be surprised if some adjustments are made down the road,” Widbin said. “I know it’s kind of a first-come, first-serve thing for certain universities, and some have dropped the interviews altogether.” In the 2025-26 application cycle, Northwestern University and University of Pennsylvania, two of Georgetown’s self-identified peers, stopped

offering alumni interviews, partially due to increasing applications. Blue & Gray is also prepared to give more tours if demand rises, according to current tour guides. Marisa Gracias (SFS ’27), Blue & Gray’s president, said the organization is prepared for heightened interest. “Blue & Gray is well equipped to meet any increase in demand,” Gracias wrote to The Hoya. “Our organization has grown steadily over the past few years, so we have more tour guides to give tours. We also train our tour guides to lead groups of up to 100 people, if need be.” Charlie Gawthrop (MSB ’29), a Blue & Gray tour guide, said the expected rise in applicants, and corresponding admissions rate drop, could affect how many students tour Georgetown. “A lot of the ranking systems care about acceptance rate, and if it becomes a top-20 school in U.S. News or something like that, then I could see more people applying just for the reputation and then needing more tour guides because of that,” Gawthrop said. Georgetown’s yield, the percentage of how many admitted students accept a school’s offer and decide to enroll, has hovered around 47% for the past few years. Georgetown currently lets students apply through early action — a nonbinding, early application which restricts students from applying to binding, early programs at all other colleges — or regular decision rather than early decision, which is binding. Randle, the former Georgetown admissions officer, said she predicts Georgetown would move to an early decision program, which many other schools use, if the school were to admit too many applicants who did not end up enrolling. “If application numbers go up dramatically and yield suffers in the long run of the Common App, I wouldn’t be surprised in the next couple of years if they go to early decision,” Randle said. “That early decision is the way to control yield.” Maximizing yield rates helps schools boost their rankings and make the school seem “in-demand.” Kelly Fraser, the founder and principal consultant at another consulting firm, said Georgetown’s unprecedented decision to use the Common App leaves many counselors unsure of the implications on prospective students. “It’s been a while since a school of Georgetown’s caliber and popularity has moved to the Common App,” Fraser told The Hoya. “They’ve all been on it for such a long time, so it’s just we don’t have a lot of contemporary data to support what will happen.” Patel, the Blue & Gray tour guide, said the change will empower a new class of students to apply to Georgetown. “It might get a little more restrictive, it might be harder to get into Georgetown, but I think that that’s what makes Georgetown, Georgetown, in the sense that we’re being more accessible to everyone,” Patel said.

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SCIENCE

How Psychology of Horror Underlies GPB’s Annual Haunted Healy Design Jasmine Arora Science Columnist

The Georgetown Program Board’s (GPB) annual Haunted Healy event Oct. 24 linked psychology and neurobiology to frighten attendees. Every October, students gather outside Healy Hall for Haunted Healy, an event that transforms university hallways into a maze of horror, with students stepping into the darkness and subjecting themselves to heart-pounding suspense, along with unexpected jump scares. The event lies at the intersection of spatial design and neurobiology, using surprise scares and building anticipation to evoke controlled, terrifying reactions. Casey Brown, a psychology professor, said that when stepping into a haunted house, the brain undergoes a cascade of physical and emotional reactions. “Fear in a controlled environment can still elicit activation in regions of the brain like the amygdala, along with a sympathetic nervous system response, resulting in a classic ‘fightor-flight’ pattern,” Brown wrote to The Hoya. “The heightened response can cause elevated heart rate, rapid breathing and heightened skin conductance, while cognitive processing is assessing

that the situation is safe, and allowing people to enjoy the arousal.” Brown said that controlled fear offers a unique stimulation that allows participants to experience physiological arousal while remaining safe. “Fear without physical threat can feel exhilarating rather than dangerous,” Brown wrote. “Some people seek novel sensations that they don’t experience often in real life.” Engineering that reaction requires spatial tactics and calculated design. Turning modest campus hallways into a nightmare engine relies on exploiting human sensory limits, such as dimming lights to blind line of sight, using strobe effects to disrupt motion and leveraging narrow spaces to trap visitors in close quarters. GPB president Kira Casler (SFS ’27) said the team engineered suspense through spatial design. “We strategically placed our decorations so there was at least one focal point on each wall and tucked our scare actors into hidden corners to maximize the jump scares,” Casler wrote to The Hoya. “We designed the layout to make the most of the tiny hallway, extending the experience and creating as many opportunities for scares as possible.” Chirag Tailor (CAS ’28), a psychology student, said that jump scares

work by activating the body’s natural fight-or-flight mechanism. “A jump scare will put you into a fight-or-flight mode and give you a surge of adrenaline, which is why our heart rates spike at a jump scare,” Tailor wrote to The Hoya. Casler said even during her safety walkthroughs, she experienced the fear firsthand. “The funny thing is that they never know it’s me coming through until after they’ve scared me, and they still get me every single time!” Casler said. “I can definitely attest to the fear factor of Haunted Healy.” Beyond physical jump scares, much of the Haunted Healy’s terror is crafted in the visitor’s mind before an actor even moves. Anticipation forces the brain to run constant threat simulations, creating a psychological strain that often outstrips the moment of revelation. Brown said human cognition craves predictability, and navigating unknown darkness only amplifies tension. “People don’t handle uncertainty well, so the anticipation of when something is coming and how bad it will be can be the worst part,” Brown said. Niyat Theodroes (CAS ’27), who navigated the maze with friends,

@GTOWNPB/INSTAGRAM

Haunted Healy used psychology and neurobiology principles to frighten Georgetown University students.

said the psychological weight of suspense proved more terrifying than the scares themselves. “I’m already a pretty jumpy person, so I’d say I was more scared of the anticipation and not knowing what would jump out at me,” Theodroes told The Hoya. “Once someone actually did, though, it wasn’t as scary, especially when I recognized some of them from my classes.” Theodroes’s reaction illustrates a crucial cognitive shift. Uncertain events cause anxiety to build, and knowing a threat is coming can increase anxious feelings. The moment a monster is recognized as a classmate, exposure and familiarity instantly comfort our ‘fight-or-flight’ responses.

High-arousal environments can also act as potent social catalysts, breaking down interpersonal barriers faster than routine interactions. Brown said that joint exposure to threats — even simulated ones — forges rapid interpersonal bonds. “Snuggle theory in psychology suggests that people like watching horror movies on dates because it makes people seek comfort and protection, giving them a reason to snuggle! Shared high-arousal emotional experience could foster interpersonal synchrony that promotes social bonding,” Brown wrote. Theodroes said that shared adrenaline transformed the dynamic of the group she was in.

“I went with two friends I was already close to, but they also brought friends I hadn’t met before. After going through the haunted house together, I’d say it definitely broke the ice,” Theodroes said. Ultimately, Haunted Healy succeeds by bridging neural architecture with campus culture. By pairing spatial craft with our innate need for social connection, student organizers transform instinct into social connection on campus. Casler said manufacturing Haunted Healy’s scares was fulfilling. “There’s something really fun about seeing how much thought and creativity goes into creating a genuinely scary experience for other people,” Casler wrote.

Researcher Evaluates AI Model for Sporting Events THE HOYA ECO CORNER As Horror Series Highlights Climate Issues Nationwide, Students Must Take Action

Mustafa Kilicarslan Hoya Staff Writer

An International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) researcher analyzed the potential impact of a developing artificial intelligence (AI) model that can narrate sports events and design quantum circuits at a Georgetown University event Oct. 30. Rogerio Feris — a principal research scientist and manager at the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, a group of researchers at MIT — presented Granite Vision, an open-source AI model that reads complex business documents and images to efficiently extract their data. At the talk, which was part of the computer science department’s Distinguished Lecture Series in Artificial Intelligence, Feris analyzed how the model can replace announcers at tennis matches and be trained to design components for quantum computing. Feris said the team is using Granite Vision — which has about 3 billion parameters, or internal settings a model adjusts as it learns — to build an AI announcer that can call tennis matches on its own. “If you go to the U.S. Open, you have many courts that have absolutely no coverage just because there are not enough commentators to narrate them,” Feris said. Feris said that to make the commentary sound natural, the team trained the model to predict prosody — the rhythm, pitch and emphasis of speech — alongside the words themselves.

“The message here is that models should learn how to say it, not only what to say,” Feris said. IBM built Granite Vision with researchers at MIT and released it in February 2025. The model turns complex business documents, including charts, tables and infographics, into structured data. The model, which has been downloaded about 4 million times since its release, analyzes the code behind charts, allowing data to be analyzed without translating the text from the documents, making data extraction more efficient. Lisa Singh, the computer science department’s chair, said the lecture series aims to help the Georgetown community understand both the promise and limits of new AI tools. “We want to try to bring people to campus who are leaders in AI but who are thinking broadly about AI and how it connects to society,” Singh told The Hoya. “That way we can actually understand what the benefits and limitations are of the different technologies.” Feris said carefully checked training examples are central to how well the model performs. “Data is certainly a key aspect,” Feris said. “I would say not data, but high-quality data. Getting even a small subset of high-quality data is better.” Since 2017, an IBM system that measures crowd noise, player celebrations and match data has selected the official video highlights for the U.S. Open, Wimbledon and the Mas-

Jasmine Arora Science Columnist

MUSTAFA KILICARSIAN/THE HOYA

An IBM researcher argued artificial intelligence models that can design quantum circuits and narrate sports events could replace some jobs.

ters Tournament, work that earned the team a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award, according to Feris. Feris said his group’s newest project teaches a language model to design quantum circuits — the sequences of basic operations that a quantum computer runs on. “The main question that we wanted to address here is: can large language models understand and reason over quantum operators?” Feris said. The model reads each quantum operation as an image and picks one circuit step at a time. In tests on 2,000 circuits it had never seen, the model solved about 88% on its first try, according to Feris. Alex Ament (CAS ’29), a government and computer science major, said the talk showed how much AI already shapes everyday life. “The lecture really highlighted just how much AI already impacts our daily lives, for better or worse, in

a million small ways,” Ament told The Hoya. “It’s being used to write news articles, evaluate our resumes and now even to generate commentary for major sports events watched by millions of people.” Singh said the series has drawn listeners well beyond the computer science department. “Not only have computer science students and faculty come, but people from across campus have come,” Singh said. “By identifying these individuals and bringing them here, I think it also enhances our knowledge of AI all the way across the campus.” Feris said he hopes AI can eventually help quantum researchers discover new algorithms, correct errors and calibrate their machines. “This is an area that not many people are working on, but it’s very promising,” Feris said. “I believe that in the next few years we’ll see a lot more of that.”

PEPTIDES & POLICY

Expanding Peptide Access Could Sideline Research Jaya Alenghat

Deputy Science Editor

This July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (PCAC), a panel of experts that provides medical advice to the FDA, debated whether seven popular peptides, or short chains of amino acids, should be allowed in compounded medications despite limited clinical evidence of their safety and effectiveness. When the results were announced, the PCAC, which rarely votes against the FDA’s written recommendations, broke with the federal agency’s opinion. While FDA staff expressed concerns, the committee voted to recommend six of the seven peptides under review for inclusion on the 503A bulks list, a list of substances that can be used in compounding under certain legal conditions. Peptides, which are the molecular building blocks of proteins that play different roles in the body, are often used in FDA-approved medications, including GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and weight management. Others have become popular in wellness communities for supposed benefits like muscle recovery and anti-aging. While supporters of this decision argue that adding peptides to the list could provide a safer alternative to unregulated online suppliers and benefit compounding pharmacies financially, critics worry that broader access could make these treatments

seem medically approved and reduce the need to conduct clinical trials. While expanding access through compounding pharmacies could reduce risks associated with gray-market products, I believe the greater concern is that broader access could make unproven treatments seem more legitimate. That increased perception of legitimacy could sideline the clinical trials needed to establish their safety and effectiveness, a risk the committee overlooked in its decision. Compounding pharmacies make customized medications for individual patients, usually when commercially available drugs do not meet their needs. Many assume that adding a peptide to the 503A bulks list means the FDA has approved it and that it works. However, this assumption is completely false. Unlike FDA-approved drugs, compounded medications are not individually reviewed by the FDA for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed. Compounded medications, however, often face complications with formulation, dosing and quality. Pharmacy oversight can help address concerns about ingredients and manufacturing, but it cannot establish whether a substance benefits patients or whether its risks are worth taking. There should be serious caution surrounding peptides without strong human clinical evidence, as important questions about their effects remain unanswered. Patients should be aware that a prescription does not prove that a

treatment works. Just as inclusion on the bulks list could give consumers a false sense of security, access through a medical professional may make these substances seem tested and approved, even when sufficient clinical research has not been conducted. Developing a drug requires time and money. Clinical trials help researchers determine appropriate doses, identify side effects and establish whether a treatment actually works. Without that evidence, patients and clinicians cannot reliably weigh a treatment’s potential benefits against its risks. Additionally, if companies can profit from compounded peptides without clinical trials, they may have less reason to fund research confirming their safety and effectiveness. Peptides have become more popular alongside biohacking and online wellness trends. Some sellers promote them for recovery, weight loss and anti-aging, even though research has not established many of these benefits. When demand is high, consumers will find the product. Push the market underground, and it may become harder to see, not easier to control. Consumers have been turning to overseas suppliers or websites selling products labeled for research use, where ingredients and manufacturing practices can be difficult to verify. Supporters of the 503A decision argue that allowing pharmacies to compound these peptides could provide a more controlled alternative.

Although restricting access does not make demand disappear, the greater concern is that broader access could reduce incentives to conduct clinical trials. These trials form the foundation of evidence-based medicine, and weakening the incentive to conduct them could undermine our ability to determine which treatments are safe and effective, ultimately putting patients at risk. The FDA does not have to follow its advisory committee’s recommendations, and the July vote did not automatically change the regulatory status of these six peptides. Earlier this month, federal officials were reportedly considering temporary access through an enforcement policy while developing further regulations. The debate extends beyond these seven peptides. It echoes arguments over marijuana legalization, where policymakers have also grappled with whether restricting access protects the public or pushes demand into unregulated markets. In both debates, regulators must weigh the risks of limiting access against the consequences of making a substance more widely available. While access may offer an alternative to the gray market, it cannot replace scientific evidence. When these goals conflict, clinical research must take priority. Consumer demand should never replace the evidence needed to ensure treatments are safe and effective.

Netflix’s 2026 horror-thriller series “Below” functions as a compelling eco-anxiety thriller. The show centers on environmental destruction through five key elements: a contaminated iceberg leaking toxins into coastal waters, an ancient giant squid displaced by warming ocean temperatures, a collapsed local fishery, corporate resource extraction and rising sea temperatures that ultimately kill the newly hatched squids despite human rescue attempts. While the show uses creature horror to channel environmental dread, oceanographic data demonstrates that its plot points reflect actual marine crises. “Below” brings real global climate issues to light and teaches essential lessons about how we can adapt to this inevitable change. For students at Georgetown University, the climate crisis is far from a remote television plot. Georgetown’s location in the hub of national environmental policy, Washington, D.C., makes the real-world governance decisions and Atlantic ecological shifts spurring the warning in “Below” very real. In “Below,” rising ocean temperatures serve as a central plot device. Real-world oceanographic data validates this premise. Global oceans have absorbed 90% of excess atmospheric heat and nearly 30% of emitted carbon dioxide. This absorption has increased rapidly: 16% of total accumulated heat entered seawater after 2018 alone. Atlantic regions also experienced over 300 days of marine heatwaves in 2023. As seawater warms and the ocean becomes more acidic, marine species face severe stress. In the Mid-Atlantic, thermal expansion reduced dissolved oxygen levels and forced marine life to migrate. This trend had a sharp acceleration in the 1980s and a steady climb since. For Georgetown students, Atlantic warming directly destabilizes regional marine food webs along the Eastern Seaboard. This should force Georgetown students to consider climate change an issue worthy of policy changes. The economic collapse of Snook’s Arm, the town in “Below,” directly mirrors real-world fishery crises by overexploitation and climate shocks. For example, the ancient giant squid is forced out of its abyssal habitat by rising sea temperatures. This then triggers a whole series of events, including the loss of revenue when the sea ice becomes infected and no longer safe for commercial use. 37.6% of monitored wild fish stocks are harvested at unsustainable levels globally, while data also shows a 59% de-

cline in global marine wildlife populations since 1970. U.S. federally managed fisheries face compounding threats from extreme heat events and toxic algal blooms. Between 2014 and 2019, climate shocks accounted for 95.3% of commercial fishery disaster revenue losses. Crucially, proposed federal budget cuts for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) threaten to cripple the scientific monitoring required to protect marine stocks. Sitting miles from Capitol Hill, Georgetown students are uniquely positioned to advocate for science-based fishery management. Some important first steps include setting limits on fishing and updating management plans to reflect how climate change is affecting our oceans. In “Below,” the Crocker family’s industrial mining scheme symbolizes the destructive impact of corporate capitalism exploiting vulnerable coastal habitats. In the real world, industrial companies are pushing to open deep seabed mining for seafloor minerals. In the show, the main minerals that are being sought after are nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese, commonly used for industrial battery supply chains and energy infrastructure. Scientific literature warns that abyssal mining inflicts long-lasting damage; experimental seafloor mining tracks carved in 1979 remained visibly unhealed 44 years later, with megafaunal communities severely depressed. Environmental analysis emphasizes that deep seabed mining creates a dangerous security paradox. Opening abyssal plains to commercial extraction causes clouds of sediment and food chain disruption without securing mineral safety. For Georgetown students pursuing degrees in international affairs and law, deep seabed mining represents an urgent governance battleground requiring international oversight. Just as the contaminated iceberg in “Below” leaks foul substances into Snook’s Arm, global oceans suffer from chronic waste pollution. 52.1 million tonnes of plastic waste enter oceans annually, creating 24.4 trillion microplastic particles that pollute food webs across 4,000 marine species. “Below” delivers an important lesson: localized rescue efforts cannot overcome systemic climate shifts. For the Georgetown community, this lesson carries profound urgency. As leaders in the nation’s capital, Georgetown students must translate pop-culture eco-anxiety into political action. We must demand federal accountability, protect marine science budgets and champion ocean governance.

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GU Professor Wins DC Congressional Seat

Your news — from every corner of The Hoya

WHAT’S NEW IN MULTIMEDIA? The Hoya Setlist: Rumspringa Performance Check out the fourth episode of “The Hoya Setlist,” where The Hoya showcases and interviews student musicians, artists and bands live from the office’s Copy Cave. The Hoya hosted Rumspringa, a 5-member student band, to play six of their hits. COURTESY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Robert White, an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, won the race to be Washington, D.C.’s nonvoting U.S. House of Representatives delegate Nov. 3.

All videos are available on YouTube and thehoya.com.

African, Arab Studies Experts Urge GU Catholic Social Thought Leader More Attention to Sudanese Civil War To Consult for US Bishops’ AI Task Force Natalie Kwan Hoya Staff Writer

Foreign policy advocates argued Sudan’s ongoing civil war has been shaped by shifting alliances, international interests and a long history of military rule at a Georgetown University event Nov. 4. The speakers, hosted by Georgetown’s African Studies Program and Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, said Sudan’s war has displaced millions and left public services dysfunctional. The panelists also condemned U.S. media’s failure to adequately cover the civil war, urging students, scholars and advocates to pay greater attention to the growing humanitarian crisis. Ahmed Kodouda — a former advisor to the civilian-led transitional government in Sudan — said the current war should be understood as part of Sudan’s longer history of conflict, not as an isolated event. “The April 15, 2023 war did not necessarily begin on April 15, 2023,” Kodouda said at the event. “It is in many ways a manifestation of the historical legacy of the cycle of conflict that Sudan has been in since the colonial period.” Following decades of civil war and South Sudan’s 2011 independence, Sudan’s military overthrew President Omar al-Bashir in 2019. A civilian-military, power-sharing arrangement collapsed after a 2021 coup, which experts say contributed to the current civil war. Two military groups — the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — are now vying for state control in a protracted war that has evolved into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Kodouda said the 2021 coup allowed both the RSF and SAF to rise in power. “After the removal of the civilian component from the transitional period, the tension between the two main armed forces started to increase until the beginning of 2023,” Kodouda said. “No country can have two armies and not go into civil war.” Kholood Khair — the founder and director of Confluence Advisory, a think tank that works on peace and governance — said the war in Sudan is a three-fold crisis. “The war in Sudan is taking place in three battlefields simultaneously,” Khair said at the event. “One is the battlefield, territorially; the other is the information space and sort of the war of narrative that’s taking place as the SAF and the RSF vie for legitimacy, and the third is the mediation space.” The current civil war is in its fourth year. The SAF holds roughly 60% of the country — primarily the north and east from the force’s capital in Port Sudan — while the RSF dominates the west, including most of Darfur and large parts of Kordofan. Isma’il Kushkush, an independent journalist who is The New York Times’ former acting East Africa bureau chief, said there is currently a gap between the gravity of the crisis and its international visibility. “The war in Sudan has been described as the ‘forgotten war,’” Kushkush said at the event. “Those media outlets that wanted to send journalists to cover the conflict had an issue with access. Getting access to go into the country, I think, has been an issue, whether it be getting visas or security concerns.” The war has pushed Sudan into a displacement crisis and a humanitarian emergency. Over 14 million people have been

forced to flee their homes, including millions seeking refuge in neighboring countries like Chad and Egypt. About 19.5 million people also face acute hunger. Rowida Tariq — an education program coordinator for the Norwegian Refugee Council who is based in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital — said the war has disrupted education across the country. “We estimate that over 16 million children and adolescents are currently out of school in Sudan,” Tariq said at the event. “Sudan bears the highest rate of out-of-school children globally. The structural damage to learning is staggering.” Khair said many countries and organizations involved in mediation efforts have their own interests, hindering progress. “One thing we see is that there is no shortage of different countries and multilateral organizations that have thrown their oar in and said that they have sort of volunteered to be part of the mediation processes, but not all for good reasons,” Khair said. “Almost all of these institutions are either compromised or have some kind of direct vested interest, which of course is one of the reasons why we haven’t had any kind of breakthrough thus far.” Khair said the two military factions are more interested in violence than governance, so civilians must lead reconstruction efforts. “None of the armed actors, not the SAF coalition, not the RSF coalition, has a plan of how to keep people alive,” Khair said. “We have a long fight ahead of us,” Khair added. “We need to keep at it because that horizon where things get much better in Sudan is something that too many people have died for right now for us to abandon.”

Annie Quimby

Campus Life Desk Editor

The director of one of Georgetown University’s leading Catholic research groups will serve on the U.S. bishops’ national artificial intelligence (AI) task force, the university announced Oct. 22. Kim Daniels — who directs the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, which promotes faith-based dialogue — will serve as one of three consultants for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) task force on “preserving human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence.” The task force, established in September, will also include eight bishops from across the country and two professors from the University of Notre Dame and the Catholic University of America. Daniels said her approach to AI policy focuses on preserving human dignity and the common good, as outlined by Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas.” “As a teacher, as a parent, as a member of the Georgetown community, I’m really struck by the importance of keeping our appreciation of what is most human about ourselves front and center,” Daniels told The Hoya. “Namely, our ability to love and care for others and be loved, our appreciation of what’s transcendent, our ability to understand the human dignity of each and every person we encounter.” Georgetown administrators have adopted a similar ethos as the university attempts to position itself as an AI leader, announcing plans to establish a university-wide framework and creating a faculty-led steering committee. The College of Arts & Sciences inaugurated an AI ethics and application certificate this semester, while the School of Continuing Studies debuted a new master’s degree focused on AI and leadership. Anthony Granado, USCCB associate general secretary, said the

Catholic Church’s role mandates a human-centered approach to AI. “The Church, as a moral voice, has a pivotal role in raising the importance of ensuring that technological development always places the human person at the center,” Granado wrote to The Hoya. “Practically speaking, the USCCB task force will help further coordinate and make recommendations to the bishops on policy and pastoral concerns.” Daniels said she hopes the task force’s work results in concrete policy changes. “I hope that in the long term, the bishops and Catholics’ conversations and efforts around ‘Magnifica Humanitas’ might also result in policies that put human dignity and the common good at the center,” Daniels said. Granado said the technology industry is crucial to the task force’s success because of AI’s holistic impacts. “A year from now, success could mean the task force is working closely with USCCB standing policy and pastoral committees; the Vatican Commission on Artificial Intelligence; and partners in technology, academia, the dioceses and other key sectors,” Granado wrote. “This collaboration will be crucial in developing and recommending policies and guidelines that address the moral, pastoral, social, economic and cultural impact of artificial intelligence.” Eswyn Gray (CAS ’27), a student fellow for the Initiative on Catholic

Social Thought and Public Life, said Daniels’ academic experience will allow her to advocate for Georgetown students’ perspective on AI. “She’s a clear leading expert on the Catholic Church and Catholic social thought, but she’s also a professor,” Gray told The Hoya. “She works at Georgetown, so I think she really sees that student perspective, and that’s unique to Georgetown — how students are affected by AI, how young people are affected by AI.” “I think that Georgetown students in the Georgetown community can look at professor Daniel’s appointment to the task force as a way of saying, ‘Oh wow, look, we also have a seat at the table,’” Gray added. “We have a role in this conversation. Our voices are being heard.” Daniels said Georgetown’s Jesuit values provide a foundation for the university to be a leading voice on AI regulation, informing her role on the committee. “Georgetown is very well positioned to lead as a Catholic and Jesuit university with a commitment to care for the whole person and strong leadership on AI ethics and policy. It can lead in the national conversation,” Daniels said. “It can lead on what it means to be an institution of higher education committed to human dignity at this transformative moment,” Daniels added.

MATTHEW GASSOSO/THE HOYA

Kim Daniels was chosen as a consultant for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ task force on artificial intelligence.

GU Off-Campus Patrol Raised Proactive Contacts Last Year Amid Student Outcry Chloe Taft

Senior News Editor

Georgetown University’s neighborhood patrol increased its proactive contacts with students living off-campus by 75% throughout the 2025-26 academic year, continuing a trend that began in Fall 2025, according to data reviewed by The Hoya. The Student Neighborhood Assistance Program (SNAP) — which both responds to complaints and actively patrols for possible conduct violations in surrounding neighborhoods — doubled its contacts with students during the 2025-26 academic year, according to data reviewed by The Hoya. The rise in cases comes as Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA) representatives advocate against SNAP policies and urge the university to overhaul the patrol. A university spokesperson said SNAP aims to address neighborhood concerns. “We are pleased that the number of referrals to the Office of Student Conduct from SNAP interactions continue to decline year-over-year,” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya. “The number of overall SNAP contacts, and proportion of contacts that were proactive, fluctuate year to year

but have remained relatively steady since students returned to campus in 2021.” The Hoya reported in April that SNAP contacts more than doubled in Fall 2025 compared to Fall 2024, and new data published in October shows that the trend mostly continued for the rest of the academic year. The total number of proactive contacts increased from 28 in the 2024-25 academic year to 49 last year. Zadie Weaver (CAS ’28), GUSA’s president-elect, said she hopes to work with university officials to propose an alternative system to reduce proactive SNAP contacts. “I have been quite troubled by the rise in SNAP contacts, both proactive and shutdowns,” Weaver wrote to The Hoya. “The increase in numbers this year only shows the necessity for more attention to the issues.” “We really want to develop a SNAP waiver program, so that your neighbors can sign on and say, ‘Don’t proactively SNAP this house, we’re ok with the party,’” Weaver added. In September, the GUSA Senate passed a bill calling for better collaboration with Georgetown’s Office of Neighborhood Life and SNAP. The bill also proposes a waiver system

that would allow students living off-campus to ask for their neighbor’s permission before hosting a party to reduce contacts with SNAP. Leo Ledlow (SFS ’27) — treasurer of Americans for Neighborhood Cohesion, a political group that calls for Georgetown students to engage with hyperlocal government — said the Georgetown students deserve a more fair system. “We think even beyond proper SNAPs policy that gives students a fair shot at living in their community. We need a fair conduct policy that gives students a fair shot once they’re found to have violated some policy.” Mira Banker (CAS ’27), who lives off-campus in the West Georgetown neighborhood, said proactive patrols continued even after her and her roommates respected a ban on parties in their house. “One day there were people smoking outside of our house, and they proactively stopped at our house,” Banker told The Hoya. “Nobody called or anything. People were just standing outside of our house smoking, and they came to our house and said that they had to write us up.” “I feel like it is just extremely absurd to have people patrolling the

neighborhood who can just stop wherever, even if it’s not causing a disturbance to the actual neighborhood,” Banker added. Banker said the increase in SNAP contacts has made students fearful of hosting off-campus events. “Nobody wants to host anything because everybody’s scared of getting SNAPsed,” Banker said. “We haven’t had anybody over since August because we don’t want to get further sanctions on our record, and we know a lot of people who also have had to stop hosting. It’s sad because one of the main perks of living off campus is having friends over and doing fun things, like having a little bit more freedom.” Weaver said that to address student life concerns, Georgetown must curb SNAP contacts. “It is integral to college life that you be able to build friendships and socialize outside of the classroom or academic contexts,” Weaver wrote. “I’ve spoken to admin about how students feel stratified and isolated, but it seems as though they don’t understand the root issue that we are seeing huge decreases in times and places where students can socialize with one another. We can’t shut down parties and then wonder why students don’t feel as close and a stronger sense of community.”

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Student Neighborhood Assistance Program contacts increased by 75% throughout the 2025-26 academic year.

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NEWS

Students Praise Democratic Platforms Seats for Hourly Workers on GU’s After Resounding Midterm Victories Labor Committee Remain Empty MIDTERMS, from A1 Krivonak said dissatisfaction with the current administration likely drove youth participation. “I think most young people felt discouraged going into this election with the state of the country, and I think the result last night reflects that, Krivonak said. Voters aged 18 to 29 shifted 33 percentage points toward Democratic candidates, a reversal from the 2024 presidential election. Over 60% young men voted Democratic, also in contrast to 2024 trends when 56% voted for Trump. Knox Graham (SFS ’27), an Arkansas resident who voted for Republicans, said he thinks the party’s losses in the House and Senate were a result of U.S. involvement in the ongoing Iran war. “I’m not particularly upset,” Graham told The Hoya. “I just think that there’s, unambiguously, one big mistake. You don’t go to war without an ex ante reason to do so.” “The war gave people something tangible to point to to direct their frustration,” Graham added. The Trump administration launched airstrikes on Iran in February in coordination with the Israeli military. In response, Iran’s military closed access to the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial choke point for oil transport, leading to increased fuel prices across the globe. Over the past year, average gas prices across the United States have risen over a dollar per gallon, while diesel prices jumped two and a half dollars. Girod said voters may have voted for Democrats due to disillusionment with Trump’s leadership, making it difficult to draw concrete conclusions about future voting trends from the midterm results. “I do wonder to the extent that these votes are not really showing us where the mainstream and farright stand — all of those voters: disaffected Trump voters, former Trump voters who didn’t want to vote for his candidates or for any Republican, but also did not want to vote for any Democrat,” Girod said. Nina Cushman (CAS ’29), a Texas resident, said unity was key to Democratic success in her state. “There’s a lot of distaste among the new blue wave or liberalism in Texas that we’ve seen over the past few years, but I feel like both of these candidates were very good about emphasizing togetherness and unity and a strong Texan identity, regardless of specific party affiliation,” Cushman told The Hoya.

In Texas, Democrats won control of all statewide elections, including a competitive U.S. Senate seat that James Talarico flipped. Gina Hinojosa was also elected as the country’s first Latina governor, deseating Republican Greg Abbott after 12 years holding the seat. Eddy Ortega (MSB ’30), a Latino student from Texas, said he was happy to see a governor who shares his identity in office. “Since I come from a Latino Hispanic background, I feel like that’s a community that’s definitely underrepresented in politics,” Ortega told The Hoya. “I feel like it’s really cool to be able to see that not only from a woman, but just specifically that background in general.” Kate Halabi (SFS ’27), a Kansas voter, said she was initially unsure of Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton’s ability to defeat incumbent senator Roger Marshall. “I didn’t think that he was going to win until maybe a couple days before the election, when some of the polls were just so ahead,” Halabi told The Hoya. In Kansas, Democrats won a U.S. Senate seat for the first time since 1932, with Hamilton besting Marshall by about five percentage points. Halabi said increased arrests by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) likely contributed to Democrat wins in the state. “Certain counties in southwest Kansas where there had been a wave of ICE arrests went blue, and that to me was a sign that the Democrats had done a much better job of registering people to vote, and that there was a sort of moral wave against the ICE arrests in Kansas,” Halabi said. In September, ICE conducted a series of unannounced raids in south and western Kansas to arrest and detain undocumented immigrants, drawing pushback from local lawmakers. Jackson Washburn (CAS ’29), a Georgia voter, said increased support for Democrats after Republican wins in the 2024 presidential election made him feel proud of his home state. “I was really happy,” Washburn told The Hoya. “I was really proud to be from the South.” Georgia elected Democrats to all statewide offices, including Keisha Lance Bottoms, who will serve as the country’s first Black female governor. Jon Ossoff (SFS ’09) was also reelected as senator.

Jonah Hanson (CAS, McCourt ’30), a voter from North Carolina’s 13th District, said he was surprised to see a Democrat win the district. “I met the Democratic candidate there, and it was very clear that he was not just an underdog, it was rated as a safe Republican seat,” Hanson told The Hoya. “He was really grasping at straws. I looked on election night, and he actually won. That was like a complete shock.” Graham said he does not believe flipped seats in swing states will remain in Democratic control, citing many conservative ballot measures that passed around the country. “You see a lot of these, for example, North Carolina seats that you’re sitting in R+12, R+15 territory, and they went blue this year,” Graham said. “That’s not a vote that I imagine can possibly hold consistent, especially when you compare names and party identifications on ballots to ballot initiatives across the country.” “I don’t think that people are convicted in progressive ideas, because I think that the results from ballot initiatives do not reflect this kind of progressive wave,” Graham added. Lowell Redmond (CAS ’30), an Illinois voter and GUCD member, hopes Democratic leadership will pass an ethics bill, legislation that would enforce rules of conduct and transparency for elected officials. “I hope once we get in office in January, we’re able to pass an ethics bill or an ethics law that bans stock trading and things like that because the majority of the population is really hoping for that right now,” Redmond told The Hoya. Graham said Republicans need to reestablish control of the economy to win in the 2028 elections. “I think if Republicans want to win in ’28, the first and most necessary thing is get economic credibility back under control and get a handle on it,” Graham said. Girod said it is hard to determine if the the Trump administration’s midterm losses will translate to long-term Democratic success. “There might be something that we’re not seeing in these results, particularly regarding the right and more general, how extreme the different kinds of policy alternatives that we’re thinking about across the country really are,” Girod said.

ACBP, from A1

discuss issues or concerns with the committee on a number of occasions.” Since 2013, the last year with publicly available membership records, the ACBP has not included a subcontracted employee. From 2020 to 2022, and again currently, the committee included no directly hired hourly workers. The charter’s policy on worker membership is nonbinding. Although it must include four members appointed by Georgetown’s senior vice president, those only need to be salaried and hourly employees “to the extent possible.” Currently, a law professor and two McDonough School of Business professors sit on the committee. Elinor Clark (CAS ’27) — facilities team lead for the Georgetown Coalition for Workers’ Rights, a campus labor rights organization — said including workers is cardinal because students alone cannot represent workers. “If workers aren’t a part of the decision-making process, then their needs will not be adequately met, and it’s paramount that Georgetown not only include them and keep them informed, but also ensures that the workers themselves are driving the process,” Clark told The Hoya. “Students, at the end of the day, cannot speak for workers.” After recommending the JEP, the ACBP was made the central body in its implementation. Last year, it played a key role in preserving university bus drivers’ employment status. In addition to its employee membership, the ACBP’s charter recommends it have two representatives from the Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA), Georgetown’s student government, one student appointed by the vice president for student affairs and one Student Bar Association representative. Currently, the committee does not have a vice presidential student appointee. Sahli Negassi (CAS ’29), a current committee member appointed by GUSA, said hourly workers’ perspectives are crucial to labor decision-making processes. “You have students, and you have professors and you have staff with very different perspectives on what’s important to make the university run,” Negassi told The Hoya. “Hourly employees — many of them have been working at this campus longer than I’ve been alive and have a really rich and personal history with this campus, and a deep knowledge of what it takes to make it so.” “I would say their perspective is pretty invaluable for discussion on how to meaningfully enforce

employment policy and promote justice in Georgetown’s employment policy,” Negassi added. Lazarescu, the former committee member, said that without workers, the committee felt distant from the people labor policies actually impacted. “From my recollection, it’s a lot of VPs talking about these things that affect other people,” Lazarescu said. “As students, we did our best, but obviously we weren’t the people primarily affected by this stuff.” In addition to advising the JEP’s implementation, the ACBP votes on labor policy recommendations, specifically ethical and moral issues that apply to hourly employees and subcontracted hourly employees. The ACBP provides recommendations to Georgetown’s senior vice president and chief administrative officer, who serve on the committee as nonvoting members. Clark said because the ACBP’s charter calls for workers on the committee, their absence is a blow to workers’ autonomy. “The ACBP charter is very clear that workers are meant to be members of this committee in order to represent their interests as the people directly affected by this policy, by the JEP,” Clark told The Hoya. “The fact that there are no workers on this committee and Georgetown has not put any workers on this committee is extremely frustrating and speaks to the lack of transparency and democracy, which Georgetown workers are owed.” In recent months, Georgetown’s JEP has come under scrutiny from workers and student advocates. A petition and student referendum in October called on Georgetown to incorporate higher compensation and a public annual review, prompting university administrators to establish a working group that will review it. Clark said because the ACBP oversees the JEP’s implementation, worker representation on the body is crucial. “One of our key demands for the amended Just Employment Policy is for increased democracy and transparency,” Clark said. “It is completely unreasonable to expect a policy which is not being directly implemented by workers to be successful in protecting those same workers. The ACBP recognizes this in their charter by outlining that worker representatives are to be on the committee.” Obed Ventura (SFS ’19), who represented GUSA on the committee in 2018, said advocates should rely on public action, rather than advisory committees like the ACBP to bring about change.

“Advisory boards, committees like this, we’re not going to create change there,” Ventura told The Hoya. “The point is to leverage it, but organizing, direct action, agitation, that’s how we’re going to create change. And so getting a representative on there was just never a big priority.” In October 2025, following student rallies, the ACBP recommended Georgetown not subcontract its shuttle bus drivers. In December 2025, the university followed the ACBP’s recommendation, allowing drivers to remain full employees. Ventura said the ACBP can still hold the university accountable despite functioning only in an advisory capacity. “Ithinkoneofthebiggestusefulness of committees like this is preventing the university from having plausible deniability about labor issues that happen,” Ventura said. Cadence Kupfner (LAW ’27), the Student Bar Association’s current ACBP representative, said because the committee is only an advisory body, she believes its deliberations do not truly impact Georgetown workers’ rights. “I think it’s really important for people to recognize that it doesn’t have decision-making or voting power, and so at the end of the day, there is a strong optics function,” Kupfner said. “It still is helpful to get discourse and get input to important decision makers, but they publish art.” Lazarescu said he believes Georgetown’s labor decisions should be democratic, rather than presided over by committees. “My takeaway upon reflecting, years after graduating, is that these committees are not the right place to have these conversations that affect large blocs of the Georgetown community,” Lazarescu said. “The community should be involved, the workers should be involved. It should be much more open and not relegated to really small groups controlled by VP.” In October, Georgetown announced the formation of a working group to review the JEP. ACBP representatives will serve on this group, which is a response to calls to amend the JEP to better support workers. Clark said not hosting hourly workers on the ACBP is antithetical to the university’s employment policies and Jesuit values. “It’s extremely frustrating because the spirit of the policy is to hold Georgetown accountable to its Jesuit values,” Clark said. “And by finding workarounds for goals meant to protect the dignity of the people who make our campus run, Georgetown administrators are going against what the creation of the Just Employment Policy represented.”

according to a report by the Graduate Management Admission Council, but the drop for MBA programs — 27% — was particularly pronounced. Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business nearly halved its incoming cohort this year. UCLA’s Anderson School of Management received 21% fewer applications than the previous cycle and cut its class by about 6%. Yadav, who started class six weeks late due to visa issues, said the current immigration landscape is exhausting. “I am one of those affected students,” Yadav said. “So yes, definitely there are consequences because of this visa situation.” Mihir Sharma (GRD ’27), another MBA student from India, said international students do not want to pursue a U.S. education if there is no guarantee of a U.S. career. “Very few firms are willing to sponsor visas, especially to offer jobs to international students,” Sharma told The Hoya. “From what I see, that is directly related to a drop in international student enrollment.” Evan Goldschneider (GRD ’01), an adjunct professor in the MSB, said international students contribute to the MBA cohort with distinct perspectives and experiences. “They all have different perspectives,” Goldschneider told The Hoya. “Each different perspective is a piece of the puzzle. You take one piece of the puzzle — there’s multiple pieces of the puzzle — you start to put that puzzle together. Diversification of viewpoints is huge.” Yadav said that although business doesn’t have to be learned in school, there are benefits exclusive to an MBA. “Getting a degree in an MBA is about how well you are getting into business, because you can learn business from anywhere,” Yadav said. “If you don’t come to business school, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have business acumen, but

getting a business degree teaches you far more than that.” Georgetown reported that 78% of the full-time MBA Class of 2025 received a job offer within three months, with the top companies for graduates including Deloitte, EY, Jefferies Financial Group and JPMorganChase. Sharma said that since many prospective international students in the field often pursue careers before they attend business school, they are now unwilling to abandon their current jobs in an uncertain academic environment. “People that have already been in the industry for five years are thinking, ‘Let’s wait for things to stabilize a bit more and maybe then think about doing an MBA,’” Sharma said. “It’s just not a good value proposition right now.” “To ask somebody to shell out almost $160,000 over two years and then not have a job at the end of those two years is just something that people are not willing to take,” Sharma added. In September 2025, the Trump administration added a $100,000 fee to skilled worker H-1B visa applications, prompting many major companies to eliminate their sponsorship programs. An appellate court decision lifted the restriction in July 2026, but H-1B applications dropped by about 25% from 2025 to 2026. Yadav said the pressure to become employed in the United States is driving international students away from pursuing MBAs. “Students are not preferring to apply to U.S. universities because of complexities that they would face,” Yadav said. “Things are uncertain right now. Prior to that, at least you have an idea that ‘yes, after that, we get a job.’” “Right now, everyday you hear something different,” Yadav added. “That’s uncertainty that has been created.”

Petition Calls on GU to Divest 18 GU MBA Applications Dropped Months After Similar Referendum Nearly a Quarter as Class Size Fell DIVESTMENT, from A1

The petition demands Georgetown publicize its investments in companies tied to Israel or its military, divest those positions and reinvest its funds in “socially beneficial companies” that are not tied to the arms industry. Darin Eberhardt (SFS ’29), an SJP member, said administrators must respond to their student constituents. “As people who are invested in this university and the community, we deserve to be able to see where tuition money goes,” Eberhardt told The Hoya. The university invests 90% of its endowment indirectly into private equity and hedge funds, which are not publicly available. Schnabel said public disclosure of Georgetown’s investments is an important accountability mechanism. “The petition right now specifically called out Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet, as those three are actually listed on this form, but it remains possible that there are others that are also arming the Israeli military that are also complicit that are not disclosed,” Schnabel said. The petition also calls on Georgetown to end its academic partnerships with Israeli universities. Georgetown currently has exchange programs with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University. Kaplan said calls for an academic boycott hinder the university’s scholastic growth. “I strongly believe that this demand is problematic and goes against university values such as freedom of inquiry and academic curiosity and academic freedom,” Kaplan said.

AalyNanji(CAS’29),anothersignee, said the university’s prior response towards divestment contradicts its existing record on social justice and responsible investment. “There’s a broader mindset for the university of being incompatible with some of these values — supporting genocide, supporting apartheid regimes — and it seems like this has been largely not applied to the issue of Palestine,” Nanji told The Hoya. The university’s Socially Responsible Investing Policy, which it adopted in 2017, guides the “ethical management” of Georgetown’s endowment. Following student advocacy, Georgetown committed to divesting from businesses with connections to apartheid South Africa in 1986, coal in 2015, tar sands in 2018 and all fossil fuel companies in 2020. Laura Kopec (SFS ’27), a Georgetown Coalition for Workers’ Rights representative, said the coalition decided to support the petition because they believe the university’s investments are tied to its labor policies. “Georgetown does not pay its workers enough, but it somehow manages to invest in companies that actively contribute weapons and technology to the Israeli army to enact genocide,” Kopec told The Hoya. Nader Hashemi, the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding director who also signed the petition, said student activism is an essential catalyst for change. “The university is not going to by itself wake up one day and have an epiphany — we shouldn’t be investing in genocide, in these companies, and we were wrong to do it,” Hashemi told The Hoya. “They’re going to do it because

of organization, public pressure, mobilization, activism, exposing the details of how Georgetown is profiting from these companies who are complicit in this genocide.” Noor Long (SFS ’28), who also signed the petition, said the petition’s asks are straightforward. “This petition for divestment is not asking that Georgetown completely divest and never invest in a company ever again,” Long told The Hoya. “It’s simply asking that Georgetown disclose its investments, that Georgetown divest from harmful companies and that they reinvest.” In July 2025, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives summoned Groves to a hearing that questioned certain universities’ responses to anti-semitism. At the hearing, Groves cited Georgetown’s immediate rejection of the divestment referendum as a testament to its commitment to combating hate speech. Eberhardt said SJP hopes Peñalver will be more receptive to the petition’s demands. “We hope that we can have more momentum with President Peñalver than we did with Groves,” Eberhardt said. “We’re really trying to do this again because it continues to be an important issue.” Hashemi said Georgetown has a moral responsibility to engage with complicated issues, including the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. “It’s the job of a great university to have these types of public debates and conversations,” Hashemi said. “I think the students now have a really unique opportunity with a new president coming in to try and engage him on the moral responsibility of a university like Georgetown to respond to a genocide that’s happening in our time.”

MBAs, from A1

Since January 2025, the Trump administration has increasingly restricted international students’ ability to work and study in the United States. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) finalized a new rule in July requiring international students to renew their visa every four years regardless of their academic program’s duration, though a federal judge later blocked the measure from taking effect. DHS also restricted international students’ eligibility to work off-campus and is now weighing a $70,000 fee for post-graduation visa extensions. Raman Yadav (GRD ’28), an MBA student from India, said these ongoing restrictions have made international students more hesitant to apply to U.S. MBA programs. “Students are not preferring to apply to the U.S. universities because of the complexities that they would face in future years,” Yadav told The Hoya. “Things are uncertain right now.” While international students account for just 6% of the national higher education population, they make up about 19% of Georgetown’s full-time student body and 44% of the full-time MBA program cohort for the Class of 2027. In 2025, however, university officials predicted a 20% decline in Georgetown’s international graduate student enrollment and a consequent $17 million loss in tuition revenue. Hyeokjin Jang (GRD ’28), an MBA student from South Korea, said even if students get accepted to a program, there is no guarantee that their visa application will be approved. “It’s definitely going to be a big hurdle for international students who want to get an MBA in Georgetown, also in the U.S. as a whole,” Jang told The Hoya. International applications for graduate business programs declined across the country this year

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GU Medical Professor Named Director of International Disease Center Meera Shah

Features Staff Writer

A Georgetown University professor was named the executive director of an international organization working to end AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria Oct. 28. Dr. Mark Dybul, a professor at Georgetown Medical Center and co-founder of the Center for Global Health Practice and Impact (CGPHI), will begin his four-year term at the Global Fund — which raises and invests over $4 billion annually to strengthen healthcare systems in countries hard hit by epidemics — in early 2027. As executive director, Dybul will lead the organization in its mission to defeat AIDS, TB and malaria amid shifting funding realities and technological advances. Dr. Ibrahim Bola Gobir, a field resident director for the CGPHI and medical professor at Georgetown Medical Center, said Dybul’s past roles across sectors prepare him to lead the Global Fund, pointing to Dybul’s experience as executive director of PEPFAR — the U.S.’s global health initiative to end the AIDs epidemic. “He has now occupied multiple roles, and has had to interface with different donors and foundations,” Gobir told The Hoya. “So I see someone who is bringing a wealth of experience.” “Global Fund is lucky to have somebody like Dr. Dybul,” Gobir added. Dybul (CAS ’85, MED ’92) previously served as executive director of the Global Fund from 2013-2017 after helping create the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

in 2003, which supports HIV prevention and has provided treatment to 20.6 million people worldwide. Dybul returned to Georgetown in 2017 where he co-founded the CGHPI, which aims to provide HIV and TB care to Haiti, Cameroon, Eswatini, Kenya and Nigeria. Martha Cameron (GRD ’25, ’30), a Georgetown doctoral fellow and member of the Women’s HIV Research team, said her experience as a patient under Dybul’s PEPFAR program demonstrated his expertise in global healthcare. “I am a person living with HIV: I was diagnosed in Zambia, and I was one of the first recipients of PEPFAR,” Cameron told The Hoya. “That speaks to his amazing commitment and expertise that he has brought to the issue of HIV. Especially at a time like this, they need somebody who has seen the full spectrum of global aid to the rest of the world for the Global Fund.” Sharon Kibwana, the program director at the CGHPI, said the Global Fund should help countries develop stable healthcare institutions amidst declining global funding. “The Global Fund has played a key role in ensuring that countries are supported to maintain access to life-saving services with great success over the years,” Kibwana told The Hoya. “Now the issue is going to be how to protect those achievements while helping the countries to build the institutional capacity and the financial capacity to sustain them over time as external funding is declining.”

In January 2025, the United States paused most of its aid supported projects worldwide, terminating over 90% of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) programs, through which the United States channeled 73% of its global healthcare assistance. This largely dismantled PEPFAR, as 60% of its assistance is funneled through USAID, ultimately decreasing access to HIV treatment globally. Dr. Norman Beauchamp, executive dean of Georgetown’s medical school, said Dybul’s leadership will help the Global Fund address these emerging challenges. “Mark understands both the urgency of protecting the progress already made and the opportunity to rethink how we work together,” Beauchamp wrote to The Hoya. “I believe he will help the Global Fund continue its lifesaving mission while strengthening an approach in which countries and communities are not simply recipients of assistance but partners and leaders in creating lasting solutions.” “He understands that our goal cannot simply be to deliver care today. It must also be to help countries build the capacity, infrastructure and leadership to provide that care for generations to come,” Beauchamp added. Kibwana said Dybul’s commitment to global collaboration will help him effectively adapt to the changing healthcare landscape. “He brings a real depth in terms of technical knowledge and real

visionary leadership,” Kibwana told The Hoya. “He has always believed and pushed us to ensure that the country comes first, so I think he understands how to bring all of those things together — he understands the importance of partner-

ship and knows how to bring all the key stakeholders to the table.” Beauchamp said Dybul’s career sets a powerful example for Georgetown students and graduates. “He has devoted his life to ensuring that people — often living thou-

sands of miles from us — have access to lifesaving care and the opportunity for a better future,” Beauchamp added. “In doing so, he reminds us that compassion has no geographic boundaries. That is Georgetown’s mission at its very best.”

MATTHEW GASSOSO/THE HOYA

A Georgetown University Medical Center professor will take charge of the Global Fund, an organization fighting AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, the nonprofit announced Oct 28.

GU Professor Awarded GU Irish Studies Initiative Inaugurates 6 Students Joint Grant to Support As Campus Ambassadors to Promote Engagement Data Privacy Research Liv Sanchez

Graduate Desk Editor

Andrew Jiang

Academics Desk Editor

A Georgetown professor received a joint grant for his research on online data privacy, the university announced Oct. 27. Kobbi Nissim, a computer science professor, and his collaborator Uri Stemmer, a professor at Tel Aviv University, were awarded a joint grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and Israel’s Binational Science Foundation (BSF) to fund their research project on data privacy modeling. Nissim and Stemmer’s project will examine existing data privacy methods against emerging technologies to develop new strategies for protection. Nissim said the project will develop new frameworks to help regulators and researchers ensure the effectiveness of privacy protection standards in the legal and corporate environment. “We aim to develop new privacy-preserving data analysis paradigms that researchers, industry and government agencies can actually use, including in settings where today’s tools force an unacceptable choice between privacy and accuracy,” Nissim wrote to The Hoya. “We want to provide regulators and privacy-law scholars with rigorous tools to reason about privacy in our ever-changing data ecosystem, so that legal protections can rest on sound technical foundations,” Nissim added. Privacy laws regulate the handling of consumer, employment and business data, which minimize data collection to the necessary amount and give end users more flexibility. Regulation and enforcement are updated by agencies or legislation to close loopholes created by new technology. Nissim said he was grateful to be recognized by the NSF. “I am very excited about this research, and about the opportunity to deepen my collaboration with Prof. Uri Stemmer of Tel Aviv University, who was my Ph.D. student and has been a close collaborator for many years,” Nissim wrote. “I was also happy to see that the NSF reviewers appreciated the research directions we proposed.” Nissim said the research will fund a doctoral candidate at Georgetown, as well as the development of course materials for students. “The grant will support a Ph.D. student and a postdoctoral fellow here at Georgetown, who will work on the project’s core research questions,” Nissim wrote. “More broadly, some of the project’s findings will be integrated into our academic curricula, and all research materials will be disseminated publicly, so

researchers at every level will be able to engage with this work,” Nissim added. Lisa Singh, chair of the computer science department, said Nissim’s work pushes boundaries in the area of data privacy. “This particular grant, I was very excited because I knew it was one that he had worked quite hard on,” Singh told The Hoya. “He has had a lot of pioneering work within the space of data privacy, and this is the next step in his trajectory of work that he does. I was really ecstatic that he has the opportunity to do that with the funding that he needs to accomplish what he hopes to do in this space.” Singh said Nissim’s research will advance the department’s goal of analyzing the ethical applications of digital technology. “There are those who think computer science and computer technologies are kind of bullies right now in the world, and there are those who want to use technology to make the world better in different ways,” Singh said. “And I think our department has been showing through many different research projects how to do the second part — how to actually think about technologies and think about their governance structures, their ethical structures, their privacy structures.” “I think his work very much aligns and also inspires us to continue to try to do research that has this type of societal impact,” Singh added. Micah Sherr, a computer science professor, said Nissim’s award was well earned. “I’m delighted for Kobbi — he’s an amazing and brilliant professor and a huge asset for Georgetown,” Sherr wrote to The Hoya. “I’m sure it was very well deserved and, knowing Kobbi, that it will lead to significant scientific advances that improve people’s privacy and security,” Sherr added. Nissim said he hopes his project will advance Georgetown’s reputation as an institution dedicated to advancing the common good. “Privacy is one of the defining challenges of the data age, and this project will hopefully strengthen Georgetown’s position as contributing to its study for the benefit of society, where it connects naturally to Georgetown’s strengths in law, ethics and policy,” Nissim wrote. “The fact that the project speaks simultaneously to theoretical computer science and to regulation is, I think, very much in the Georgetown spirit of research that serves the public good.”

Georgetown University’s Global Irish Studies Initiative (GISI) has launched a campus ambassador program for undergraduate students, announced Oct. 26. The Campus Ambassadors Program is comprised of six undergraduate students chosen by GISI, which promotes the study of Irish history, literature, politics and business. Ambassadors will interact with students attending events hosted by GISI, promote GISI through social media outreach and answer any questions undergraduate students may have about the program. GISI Director Darragh Gannon said he founded the ambassadors program to pave new directions for the initiative’s campus footprint. “Since I became the new director of Global Irish Studies in August of 2026, I wanted to set a new course for our initiative on campus,” Gannon told The Hoya. “One of the key priorities for me is to engage with our undergraduate population at Georgetown,” Gannon added.

Gannon said in addition to driving engagement, he views the program as a celebration of GISI’s 10th anniversary. “I think to a certain extent, undergraduates are not aware of Global Irish Studies because we’re a relatively new program — we’re nine years young, and so ahead of our 10th birthday next year, I really wanted to make a splash, and I really wanted to make this a celebration,” Gannon said. “So the Global Irish Studies campus ambassadors are our contacts with the undergraduate community, and they are there on campus to answer your questions, to point you in the right direction towards future Global Irish Studies events and to make you feel a part of our Global Irish Studies community.” Gannon said the ambassadors were chosen based on their interest in Ireland and Irish studies. “I wanted to give back to the student community by giving those students who I felt were most passionate about Ireland, and above all most communicative about their interest in Ireland, an opportunity to showcase that and to spread the good

word,” Gannon said. “So those students were chosen because of their interest in the subject, because they’d taken my classes, and because I knew that they would be great ambassadors for our program on campus.” Mikenzie Hapworth-Eldridge (CAS ’28), one of the current ambassadors, said she appreciates the opportunity to educate other students about GISI. “We are serving as ambassadors for the Global Irish Studies Program here at Georgetown, because not a lot of students realize that we have a Global Irish Studies Program,” Hapworth-Eldridge told The Hoya. “We are not a major or a minor yet,” Hapworth-Eldridge added. “We’re more so classes that are offered in history, writing and culture, and they’re multidisciplinary courses.” Chandler Paulk (CAS ’28), an ambassador with no Irish heritage, said he has long been interested in the country and culture, especially throughout his time at Georgetown. “I’ve just always had an interest in Ireland,” Paulk told The Hoya. “That interest, when I came to Georgetown, really grew after I took Irish

literature with Professor O’Malley in the English department.” Hapworth-Eldridge said she looks forward to promoting GISI’s public events. “One of the really cool things about Global Irish Studies is that we have a lot of speakers come that are really cool,” Hapworth-Eldridge said. “A lot of students aren’t quite aware of it, so as Global Irish Studies ambassadors, part of our jobs is attending these events and acting as familiar faces, greeting people, saying hello, but also spreading awareness of the program,” Hapworth-Eldridge added. Paulk said the ambassadors program has allowed GISI to become more accessible to the Georgetown community and learn more about the culture and history of Ireland. “The work that we’re doing, and that Professor Gannon has done, has been really based on trying to make an insular community, open it up to other people and to really give students at Georgetown a space for which to move in this context and to have opportunities to study Ireland, to understand their own context and global context,” Paulk said.

Middle East Expert Warns of Gridlock After Israeli Elections Zeynep Sari

Special to The Hoya

A Middle East policy expert argued that high voter turnout could challenge coalition building following Israel’s elections at a Georgetown University event Nov. 2. Shira Efron, distinguished chair for Israel policy at Middle East research organization RAND, analyzed the outcomes of Israel’s Oct. 27 elections, which have not resulted in a parliamentary majority. Efron contended that while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lost popularity, his core support — and a potential path to retaining the government — remains. Efron said Israeli citizens are disillusioned by rising political uncertainty. “We’re all exhausted,” Efron said at the event. “It’s very difficult because if we look at the last three years, obviously Israel has been at war on multiple fronts.” “There’s the fallout from the elections, a disappointment, and different framing on both sides, and an objective difficulty to separate the signal from the noise,” Efron added. Israel is currently involved in the latest Israel-Hamas war and in the Iran war. Israel is also involved in conflicts in Lebanon, Yemen and Syria. In Israel’s parliamentary system, a party needs 61 seats out of

120 in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, to form a government and choose a prime minister. In the Oct. 27 elections, Netanyahu saw his coalition win 53 seats, failing to secure the necessary majority and losing 15 seats to other parties. Efron said the results exemplify Netanyahu’s controversial standing with the Israeli public. “They voted against the agenda of this government, whether you like it or not, and so there’s no way of framing this as Netanyahu winning,” Efron said. “However, if we thought that these elections were sort of a referendum, and on Netanyahu, you can see that at least his core base has not left him,” Efron added. While Netanyahu has positioned himself as a strong leader who can guarantee Israel’s security in the region, some critics hold his government responsible for increased corruption and democratic backsliding. Netanyahu is currently on trial in Jerusalem for alleged corruption and bribery. Although Netanyahu failed to earn the required seats to form a coalition, parties aligned with Gadi Eisenkot, the leader of the main opposing coalition, won just 48 seats. The opposition bloc consists of a diverse coalition of a few Zionist parties including

Yashar, B’Yachad, the Democrats and Yisrael Beyteinu, which lean more moderate than Netanyahu’s Likud party. Efron said partnering with the Arab parties — Ra’am and the Joint List, a coalition of the Ta’al, Hadash and Balad parties — poses difficulties for Eisenkot’s bloc due to their diverse beliefs, including on Islamic theology and cooperation with Zionist parties. Ra’am, an Islamist conservative party, won eight seats. The Joint List, which opposes the Israel-Hamas war and the existence of Israel as a Jewish state, won 11 seats. Efron said lingering tensions surrounding Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel played a role in electoral outcomes. The Oct. 7 attacks resulted in the death of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of about 250 people. The Israeli military’s counteroffensive has led to the deaths of 74,000 Palestinians and displaced at least 80% of the population in Gaza. Efron said these tensions may strengthen Netanyahu’s bargaining position because the opposition bloc refuses to cooperate with Arab parties. “I say this with great sadness,” Efron said. “I think the controlling narrative is that ‘You gave us a promise not to rely on the

Arabs’ — and we’re not racist, but after Oct. 7, how can you?’” “Therefore, the alternative is to go for a unity government with Netanyahu,” Efron added. Likud leadership has proposed a unity government led by Netanyahu. Eisenkot has pledged to not serve under Netanyahu. Internationally, the election has been viewed as a chance to reduce Middle East tensions, although researchers say the chances for conflict remain similar regardless of the election’s outcome. A growing body of scholars, advocates and nations — including the leading International Association of Genocide Scholars and a United Nations commission — have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Israel has consistently denied these claims, characterizing such claims as antisemitic or anti-Israel — often with the defense of the United States. Efron said the disputed election results make it more difficult for Israel to improve its global reputation. “For Israel, at least to start digging out of its place, it would have to elect a new government,” Efron said. “With what’s happening now and not being clear if there’s a new government, I think that it does not bode very well for Israel in the near term emerging from its isolation at the moment.”

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Students to Receive $21 More per Year Center for Social Justice Celebrates 25 for Laundry Following GUSA Advocacy Years Amid Federal Funding Threats Joshua Lou

GUSA Desk Editor

Georgetown University will raise students’ current laundry budget by 50%, the university announced in an Oct. 29 email. The increase from $42 to $63 each semester will go into effect in Spring 2027 after months of advocacy and repeated campaign promises from Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA) representatives. Despite the increase, some students hope for further improvements to laundry facilities. GUSA President Darius Wagner (CAS ’27) said GUSA’s strong relationship with the university’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) David Green made it possible to increase laundry allowance. “As GUSA, we don’t have the power to control the levers, but we have the ability to talk to people that do,” Wagner told The Hoya. “What we’ve seen here is through engaging our COO’s office for sort of over the course of nearly a year, we’ve been able to get a lot of things done.” Students who live on campus and do not have in-unit laundry machines receive the funds to pay for the Georgetown machines, which cost $3.50 per load — $1.75 for one washing cycle and $1.75 for drying. If students exceed the university’s allowance, they can add additional funds to their account. Ignacio Loaiza Sandoval (CAS ’28), the GUSA executive’s chief of

staff, said increasing the laundry allowance has been one of GUSA’s long-term priorities. “Students don’t have enough,” Sandoval told The Hoya. “There are 15 weeks in the semester. $42 is not enough to do one load of laundry a week for a semester. That’s not counting if you separate your light- and dark-colored clothing and separate your sheets.” “Sometimes, a load won’t dry properly, or machines are going offline,” Sandoval added. “We felt like this was a very justifiable ask. We pay a lot of money for our housing, and so the minimum bar should be raised a little.” Wagner said Georgetown administrators were receptive to GUSA’s feedback. “They’re not really out to get students,” Wagner said. “They want to see how they can use the resources to make things work for students, and so we just told them to put themselves in our shoes.” GUSA representatives have been advocating for an increased laundry allowance for years. In 2023, over 400 students signed a GUSA petition urging the university to end laundry charges. The senate also passed legislation in 2025 calling on the university to repair broken laundry machines and update the inspection system. Arnav Aggarwal (SFS ’29), who lives in Village C West (VCW), said the current laundry allowance is insufficient for an entire semester. “I’ve personally had to spend a lot of my own personal money on laundry a semester,” Aggarwal

told The Hoya. “Oftentimes, me or my friends have to run dryers at least twice because the machines are poor. I’m really happy to hear that they’ve increased it by 50%. I think that’s a great step towards making laundry more affordable and accessible for students.” Aggarwal said there are not enough laundry facilities on campus to support the entire student body’s needs, such as the single laundry room that serves both VCW and Village C East. “I also know my friends who live in Kennedy and McCarthy feel like having just one consolidated laundry room is not really great either,” Aggarwal said. “I’m not entirely sure what the solution is, but it seems like even though they’ve tried to consolidate laundry rooms in one place, we always have a shortage of machines, even during the week, not just during the weekend.” Sandoval said he hopes to utilize GUSA’s relationship with university administrators to continue to improve facilities. “This change is a testament to how our relationship has grown, where we’re able to present these issues and then come together on something that makes the situation better,” Sandoval said. “This is just the starting point. The university is moving toward new laundry facilities opening up. We should ensure that the machines are getting fixed in a timely manner, that they’re clean and don’t smell like mold. Issues like those will definitely still be on their radar.”

Michael Shtrom Events Desk Editor

Georgetown University’s Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching & Service (CSJ) celebrated its 25th anniversary at a Nov. 2 reception. The CSJ hosts the university’s main community outreach programs that work to advance social causes in the Washington, D.C. area — including DC Reads, which allows Georgetown students to tutor students at D.C. public schools, and the After School Kids Program, which helps students struggling to obtain their high school diploma. Amid university-wide austerity measures and federal restrictions on programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), CSJ staff and students said they hope to see continued investment in the center. University President Eduardo Peñalver, who spoke at the reception, said the CSJ represents the university’s core mission. “I’m really excited to be celebrating the 25th year of the Center for Social Justice,” Peñalver said at the event. “The merging and marriage of learning and service is what Jesuit education is all about: it’s not just trying to educate technically proficient graduates, but men and women for others who take that learning out into the world and make the world a better place.” “The Center for Social Justice is a key vehicle for accomplishing that part of our mission,” Peñalver added. The Center for Social Justice was founded in 2001 to house the social justice programs already in place at

the university, many of which were under the now-defunct Office of Volunteering and Public Service. Peñalver said the CSJ plays an important role in connecting the university with the greater D.C. area. “All the work that we do here, especially with D.C. Public Schools, is such a gift to us, certainly, and to the city and to the relationship that we have with our city,” Peñalver said. Darryl Christmon, the vice president and chief operating officer in the Office of the Provost, said the CSJ has become a vital part of Georgetown since its founding, when it conjoined several university programs. “What stands out to me is the way that the CSJ was able to live up to its name with teaching, research and service,” Christmon said at the event. “It’s connected the university more to the city, and I think it’s really helped the university achieve its mission. I do say it’s one of the crown jewels of Georgetown.” Joanna De Oliveira (CAS ’29), a coordinator for the DC Reads program, said she is proud of the center’s growth over the last 25 years. “I think it’s so great that there’s been so much improvement and so much more attention to our cause,” De Oliveira told The Hoya. “For DC Reads specifically, we started off super small, and now, not only have we increased our numbers, but the CSJ has constantly been growing and expanding. I just think it’s great that it’s become more of something that people are aware of.” Grace Denton (GRD ’28), a graduate intern at the CSJ, said that she

has enjoyed helping undergraduate students learn about the center’s scholarship opportunities. “There’s so much support for research, especially related to social justice here,” Denton told The Hoya. “ I hope that there’s more money to provide for those students that want to do research abroad or internally in the United States. I really love how they engage the community, and they have these opportunities available, so any student can get involved with the community at any time.” Denton said she hopes Peñalver reaffirms the university’s commitment to firmly support and properly fund the center. “I hope that he says it’ll stick around for another 25 years because we’ve seen so many budget cuts, programs being defunded,” Denton said. “For this to still be existing and thriving is really great because it’s few within the United States that have a center for social justice, so a concrete ‘I support it; I will protect it’ would be great.” The university began austerity measures due to federal funding cuts and declining graduate enrollment at the start of the second Trump administration. University administrators previously said that budget cuts will continue over the next few years. Christmon said the CSJ has had a lasting impact both at Georgetown and in the greater Washington, D.C. area. “The CSJ is wonderful,” Christmon said at the event. “It has helped the university serve out its Jesuit mission. I think the CSJ has a fantastic positive impact on thousands of Hoyas and thousands of city residents.”

Security Studies Professor Links Modern Political Climate to Historic Mob Violence Michael Shtrom Events Desk Editor

A Georgetown University security studies professor warned the United States’ modern political climate could reignite historical mob violence trends at a School of Foreign Service (SFS) event on Nov. 2. Daniel Byman, the former director of the SFS’ security studies program, cautioned that modern media could stir up political violence similar to how media historically proliferated Ku Klux Klan (KKK) riots and antisemitic violence. Byman’s talk drew on his new book, “American Pogroms: How Forgotten Massacres Shape America,” which expands on the history of U.S. mob violence and media organizations’ role in inciting it. Byman said he sees several parallels between the historical examples his book recounts and the current media environment in the United States. “The political leadership and roles of elites are very important, and we see much more extreme rhetoric from American media, and that is something that makes violence more likely,” Byman said at the event. “A second thing is that, although the mainstream media is still pretty good, the vast majority of people don’t get their news from mainstream media. The vast majority of people get their news from unfiltered sources where rumors are very common, and exaggeration is very common.” With the rise of social media and artificial intelligence, researchers say the risk of encountering misinformation is at an all-time high. Byman said misinformation and a lack of media literacy are significant threats. “The problem with misinformation and disinformation is that we want it,” Byman said. “They don’t want coverage of state and local stuff — you know, ‘Let’s talk about the school board meeting.’”

Byman said historically, the media has encouraged mob violence by sensationalizing aggressive attacks. “The emergence of the Ku Klux Klan is very, very locally led, but the idea gets a lot of press from the media,” Byman said. “I would say the media plays a very important transmission role.” The second iteration of the KKK, one of the most potent U.S. white supremacist groups, formed in the early 1900s, when it led lynchings of Black people. Contemporary media coverage inspired some readers to join the organization from information that they read in the news. Byman said he chose to describe mob violence using the term “pogrom” to narrow the specific instances he studied to only a majority acting violently toward a minority. “The term ‘pogrom’ goes back to a very specific use, which is mob violence in greater Russia against the Jewish community there,” Byman said. “It is mobs simply going in and ransacking neighborhoods. Initially, dozens would be killed; by the time you got to the World War I era, it was tens of thousands.” Byman said the use of violence by minorities is a new trend in the United States. “It is not until the relatively recent decades that you start to see American minority communities using violence as a way of showcasing their dissatisfaction,” Byman said. “Much more common was majority-on-minority violence. I feel that this is a category of violence that often doesn’t get the attention it deserves.” Byman cited the riots orchestrated by the Know Nothing Party, a 19th-century political party seeking to intimidate immigrants. Although the party itself was secretive and hidden, media coverage helped to spread its ideas to more consumers. Byman said modern media’s constant availability distinguishes it

from the types of media that have affected political violence in the past. “I just think that the technology makes it much easier to reach an audience, so the media environment change is a negative one along with leadership,” Byman said. “There are some things I’m very concerned about, but I am hopeful about the momentum, which has been largely positive.” With the advent of the internet and social media, it is much easier for consumers to access various forms of media. As information also becomes more accessible, alternative media companies can more easily spread misinformation and disinformation to a wider audience. Byman said technology companies should make changes to their algorithms to address the issues he identified. “I would like to see the tech companies themselves play a more responsible role,” Byman said. “They play negative roles in the sense of how their goal is to basically have your eyeballs be in the cloud, so the question is what keeps them there. That tends to be related content; that tends to be outrageous content. I’d like them to come to it themselves, but, in the end, we’re going against individual incentives or economic incentives, and those are all really hard to change without a very different kind of U.S. government approach to society.” Byman said as political polarization increases, efforts to combat misinformation may miscarry as leaders promote falsities. “As you start to think of this as a market, Trump is great because people love him or hate him,” Byman said. “Now, there are efforts promoting media literacy in schools and so on. Those tend to fail because they’re extremely hard to scale. You can do individual instances, but it’s hard to make them bigger and bigger.”

CONNOR EMMERT/THE HOYA

Georgetown University’s Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching & Service celebrated its 25th year Nov. 2 as university-wide austerity measures and federal cuts threaten its funding.

GUSA Senate Elects Committee Vice Chairs, Sets Calendar for Next Term Joshua Lou

GUSA Desk Editor

The Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA) Senate elected vice chairs for its internal committees and finalized its calendar for the upcoming term at its Nov. 1 meeting. The senate elected vice chairs for its core committees overseeing legislation, conduct, appropriations and diversity, as well as appointed a new representative to GUSA’s Ethics and Oversight Committee (E&O). The newly elected leaders announced plans to make GUSA more accessible to students and optimize GUSA Senate operations. The senate elected Iris Cho (CAS ’29) as Policy and Advocacy Committee (PAC) vice chair, responsible for reviewing proposed legislation before it goes to the full senate; Dima Al-Quzwini (MSB, SFS ’29) as Finance and Appropriations Committee vice chair, responsible for allocating funds to student groups; Roye Ganju (SFS ’29) as Resources, Accessibility and Inclusion Committee (RAI) vice chair, responsible for ensuring inclusive and equitable GUSA operations; Vincent Barahona (MSB, SFS ’27) as E&O vice chair, responsible for ensuring ethical conduct among GUSA members; and Braden Clements (CAS ’30) as senate representative to E&O. Cho said she aims to implement a policy tracker for PAC. “It’s really hard to keep track of the progress that we’re making and all of the policies that we’ve already started implementing,” BRENDAN FIJOL/THE HOYA Cho said at the meeting. “The whole point of the senate Daniel Byman, the former director of the security studies program, said misinformation could drive an increase in mob-style violence across the United States at a Nov. 2 event. and PAC is to really break down

and digest policies that are actually passed so that we can be able to implement them on campus,” she added. After legislation is passed by the senate, it is implemented in collaboration with GUSA’s executive branch. Beginning in January, Zadie Weaver (CAS ’28) and Sam Baghdadchi (CAS ’29) will lead the branch as president and vice president, respectively. Al-Quzwini — who was finance and appropriations (FinApp) vice chair last term, managing a $1.3 million budget for over 200 student organizations — said she was excited to serve in the same position again. “I love FinApp,” Al-Quzwini said at the meeting. “I’ve known about this committee for forever, and this was literally my goal in joining the senate.” The Finance and Appropriations Committee oversees and distributes GUSA’s student activities fee budget, which is approximately $1.3 million annually. The committee also oversees the Student Empowerment Fund, an initiative passed in 2020 to establish an interest-accruing endowment that GUSA will allocate $50,000 to annually out of its budget in order to sustain long-term club funding. Ganju said he plans to facilitate efficient communication between GUSA Senate Speaker Cameran Lane (CAS ’28) and RAI, hopefully improving collaboration between senators. “I share in Speaker Lane’s enthusiasm about the senate working together as well-oiled machinery, and that is something that I would like to prioritize,” Ganju said at the meeting.

Barahona, who campaigned for E&O chair last week, said he wants the committee to be stricter on senate attendance and conduct. “Last semester, that wasn’t how it was,” Barahona said at the senate’s Oct. 25 meeting. “I will get it back to what it was meant to be.” “I pride myself on organization, timeliness, making sure people are on time and attentive to GUSA meetings,” Barahona added. “I will work directly with Senator Lane to make sure that we have the highest attendance of any GUSA Senate ever.” The senate finalized meeting dates at the Nov. 1 meeting, running from November through the end of April 2027. While the election has not set definitive dates for the Spring 2027 elections, Lane noted that the elections will tentatively be between April 11 and 25. The GUSA Election Commission, independent of the senate or executive branch, establishes the timeline and regulates campaigning for GUSA Senate and executive elections. In the spring elections, senators for the Class of 2030, Class of 2029 and Class of 2028 will be elected. Cho said that, as PAC chair, she hopes the senate will better inform students on the inner workings of its policymaking process. “I would really like to emphasize in this role the public-facing aspect,” Cho said. “Sometimes we’re losing track of legislation, and we just have to imagine what voters and the electorate have to go through. People who choose us don’t necessarily know a lot of what’s going on regarding the legislation.”

A10 | THE HOYA

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2026 | THEHOYA.COM

SPORTS WOMEN’S SOCCER

MEN’S SOCCER

Huskies Best Hoyas in Final Game No. 2 GU Tops No. 9 Creighton After Dominating First Half With 8 Goals Golnar Jalinous

Deputy Sports Editor

The Georgetown University women’s soccer team could not best the University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies in a relatively even match for the season’s final game. Neither the Hoyas (5-7-5, 2-5-3 Big East) nor the Huskies (4-4-9, 2-2-5 Big East) could manage a goal for the majority of the game; a late penalty ended Georgetown’s regular season. Play at the Joseph J. Morrone Stadium started slowly as both teams were getting a feel for the game. Each side’s defenses were on high alert, preventing any genuine chances. The first sign of life came in the 13th minute when a scramble in the box allowed midfielder Gabby Miller to poke the ball past Georgetown’s defense. A video assistant referee (VAR) checked, however, and a foul on graduate keeper Reiley Fitzpatrick in the build-up kept the score level. The Hoyas’ first goal-scoring opportunity came in the 28th minute when sophomore forward Aliza Mannon found the space to take a shot. But goalkeeper Ava Yamas comfortably saved it, keeping excitement low and the score even. The Hoyas were able to pick up momentum. Senior defender Isabel Boodell and sophomore midfielder Maddy Nylen registered shots; although neither came to fruition, Georgetown was searching for a go-ahead goal. The first half ended with both

teams retaining possession and games and reach the third round of the NCAA championship before trying to get to halftime level. The second half started in much losing to Florida State. Georgetown’s away form last year the same way. The Hoyas continued to put the pressure on the Huskies’ was particularly strong. The Hoyas goal, and Mannon registered 2 more won all but two matches away shots on goal in two minutes. Again, from Shaw, a 1-0 loss at Vanderbilt however, the UConn defense was University and a 1-1 draw with the able to tidy up, keeping the game University of Virginia. However, the Hoyas lost their first away game of scoreless in the 64th minute. Despite Georgetown’s onslaught, this season against Stanford 2-0. Shaw Field, meanwhile, was the team could not create a genuine chance to go ahead. Its missed somewhat of a fortress last year. Georgetown won nine home chances proved to be costly. With 15 minutes left in this games — with notable wins game, forward Chloe Shimkin against the Providence Friars floated the ball into the penalty and the Butler Bulldogs, both box, prompting a tangle of legs ending 5-0 to the Hoyas. After its lackluster season, between senior midfielder Maya Wiese and midfielder Anaya Georgetown will look to improve Johnson, which was enough for the its goalscoring during the referee to immediately point to the offseason. Mannon and Abigail spot. Suddenly, UConn had a big Droner scored 13 goals between the opportunity to finish the regular two of them, while the rest of the season on a high. Johnson coolly squad scored nine goals combined. Head Coach Dave Nolan said the slotted the ball past Fitzpatrick to season’s end disappointed him. give UConn a late 1-0 lead. “This was a tough way for us to end The goal was a dagger through the Hoyas’ hearts — all the the season, another tough conference pressure throughout the game loss where I felt we deserved better,” was not enough. Georgetown Nolan said in a press release. continued to make an effort but “Considering we had nothing to play was unable to mount a comeback. for, the girls were still determined to This loss was the Hoyas’ third finish strong. UConn were fighting in a row and fourth game without for their season and put us under a win. It capped a disappointing some early pressure. However, after run that included only one win in an initial spell, we really managed to slow them down and created some their last five games. The 2026 season was overall good chances ourselves. We will lick underwhelming — especially since our wounds, and hopefully the team last season saw the Hoyas win 15 can get back on track next year.”

MATTHEW GASSOSO/THE HOYA

The Georgetown University women’s soccer team visited the University of Connecticut Huskies for its final game of the season Oct. 31, losing 1-0 to close out an underwhelming 2026 campaign.

CROSS COUNTRY

Men’s Runners Claim Big East Title Fiona Van Nice

Special to The Hoya

The Georgetown University cross country team claimed the men’s conference title with 33 points and finished fourth in the women’s competition with 93 points at the Big East championships on Oct. 30 at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, Va. All five scoring runners for the No. 11 Georgetown men’s team finished among the top10 competitors, securing the program’s first conference championship since 2018. Senior distance runner Barrett Justema delivered the top performance for the women’s team and won the individual championship, even though the team’s pursuit of a sixth consecutive conference title fell short. The men’s team’s victory marked Georgetown’s 11th Big East championship and followed a significant rise in the national rankings. Earlier in October, the Hoyas moved from No. 30 to No. 11 after placing seventh at the Nuttycombe Invitational, where they finished ahead of 14 nationally-ranked programs. That performance brought Georgetown into the conference championship ranked one spot ahead of the No. 12 Villanova University Wildcats, setting up a close contest between the two programs. In cross country, a team’s score is the sum of its first five scoring runners’ finishing places, and the lowest score wins. A team’s success therefore depends on the performance of its entire group — each finishing position contributes to the final result. At the conference championship, Georgetown’s strong team performance helped it nose out Villanova. The Wildcats finished second with 40 points, 7 points behind the Hoyas, while the

No. 30 Providence College Friars kilometer separated her from the other and the Butler University Bulldogs contenders and secured Georgetown each recorded 76 points. an individual title alongside the men’s Senior distance runner Birhanu team’s championship. Harriman led Georgetown Graduate distance runner through the eight-kilometer Audrey Suarez was the Hoyas’ course, placing third in 23 minutes next finisher, taking 21st in and 9.5 seconds. Graduate distance 20:56.5. Junior distance runner runner Joseph O’Brien followed Charlotte Bell followed in 22nd at in fourth at 23 minutes and 20.2 20:58.2, putting the pair less than seconds, giving the Hoyas two two seconds apart. runners near the front of the field. Sophomore middle distance Graduate distance runner runners Liv Sherry and Tess Sherry Luke Ondracek added a seventh- completed Georgetown’s scoring place finish in 23:29.8. Junior lineup in consecutive places. Liv distance runner Quinn Parrish finished 24th in 21:07.3, with Tess crossed ninth in 23:42.8, just taking 25th in 21:07.9. The Hoyas’ ahead of graduate distance second-through-fifth scores runner Daniel Winter, who finished within 11.4 seconds of one completed Georgetown’s scoring another. However, with four scoring group in 10th at 23:43.3. runners outside the top 20, the Parrish and Winter finished just women’s team could not extend half a second apart, securing the its championship streak despite final two places in the top 10, and Justema’s first-place finish. the Hoyas’ five scorers finished The Friars won the women’s within 33.8 seconds of one another. team championship with 30 Although Villanova had the points, followed by the Wildcats individual winner, Georgetown with 44 and the University won the team title by placing of Connecticut Huskies with all five scoring runners in the 59. The Hoyas finished fourth top 10. The Hoyas’ third, fourth, overall with 93 points. seventh, ninth and 10th-place The championship also finishes combined for the winning carried emotional significance 33-point total. for the cross country team. All five Georgetown scorers Former Georgetown coach earned first-team all-Big East Frank “Gags” Gagliano died five recognition. Men’s cross country days earlier. Gagliano led track Head Coach Brandon Bonsey also and field and cross country received the conference’s men’s from 1983 to 1999, during which coaching staff of the year award. Georgetown athletes earned In the women’s six-kilometer 140 All-America honors and 23 race, Justema gave the Hoyas an Big East championships across individual championship with a track and field and cross country. personal-best cross country time Alton McKenzie, the track and field of 19:31.5. She became the seventh and cross country director, credited runner in program history to win the the team’s victory to Gagliano. women’s conference championship. “This one is for Coach Gags,” Justema remained with a six- McKenzie said in a Georgetown runner leading group before moving Athletics release. ahead after the five-kilometer mark. Georgetown will look to build She ultimately finished 4.7 seconds on its conference performance ahead of Providence distance runner when both squads compete at Gabby Schmidt, earning first-team all- the NCAA regionals on Friday, Big East honors. Her move in the final Nov. 13, in Bethlehem, Pa.

Finn Balon

Deputy Sports Editor

The two teams went back and forth; Georgetown tightened up their defense, and the scoring slowed down towards the end of the half. The Hoyas, however, broke through again in the 42nd minute. Helfrich received a pass from senior midfielder Jack Heaps, finding himself on a rare trip inside the penalty box. He created space for himself before curling an effort over Creighton goalkeeper Matthew Hudson, scoring his first goal for Georgetown to make it 5-3 Hoyas going into halftime. Helfrich said he was proud of how he rallied after injuries earlier this season. “It meant a lot,” Helfrich told The Hoya. “It happened all in the game, but it’s a real full season of work that’s led up to it. Obviously, the injury, working back from it was tough, but you’ve got to give a lot of credit to everyone else on the team.” In the 49th minute, forward Bautista Rossi took a shot on goal for the Bluejays, but junior goalkeeper Charlie DeMarco came up with the save. Creighton’s only other shot on goal came in the 66th minute, and the Bluejays

were unable to find the back of the net. Although Georgetown did not score the rest of the game, they held the ball and came close to a sixth goal multiple times. The Hoyas closed out the game 5-3, earning a win against a top-10 team in their last home match of the regular season. Head Coach Brian Wiese said Creighton was a challenging matchup. “They ask a lot of questions of you,” Wiese told The Hoya. “The chances they create, they get two penalties — that’s a little bit of frustration for us that we let them back in the game.” Still, Wiese said the team made a remarkable comeback. “They don’t get too flustered with those things,” Wiese said. “They’re obviously frustrated to lose the goal, but there’s a resiliency to this group that has allowed us to have this run of wins that we’ve been on and the number of goals we’re scoring.” The Hoyas finish out the regular season against the University of Connecticut Huskies (8-7-2, 4-30 Big East) in Storrs, Conn., Nov. 6. They will enter the Big East tournament Nov. 12 as favorites to win the conference championship.

The No. 2 Georgetown University men’s soccer team faced off at home against the No. 9 Creighton University Bluejays on Oct. 30, winning 5-3 and delivering the Bluejays their first loss this season. Georgetown (14-1-1, 7-0-0 Big East) rallied offensively after conceding an early goal, scoring three times in the first 20 minutes to negate Creighton’s (11-1-5, 3-1-3 Big East) fast start. The Bluejays, meanwhile, capitalized on a pair of penalty kicks late in the half, but their efforts ultimately fell short. The Hoyas’ defense broke down early in the fourth minute. Creighton midfielder Ayden Kokoszka capitalized on a defensive mistake when senior defender Oliver Stafford left a lane open, driving into the penalty box and slotting home for a 1-0 lead. The Hoyas wasted no time retaliating, pressuring the Bluejays with repeated chances on goal. Though senior midfielder Matthew Van Horn and senior midfielder Mateo Ponce Ocampo were unable to break through on their initial attempts, junior defender Tate Lampman tapped a pass to Van Horn, who evened the match at 1-1 in the ninth minute. Georgetown piled it on just one minute later when Ponce Ocampo redirected a pass from first-year midfielder Terrance Reynolds to junior forward Mitchell Baker, whose flicked finish bounced in off the crossbar to make the score 2-1. In the 18th minute, Van Horn continued to pull his weight for the Hoyas, running onto a Ponce Ocampo pass and calmly finishing into the bottom left corner from inside the penalty box to put Georgetown up 3-1. Reynolds scored again just two minutes later after the ball bobbled around in the penalty box and Baker found him free to extend their lead to 4-1. Just three minutes later, when Baker committed a foul that awarded Creighton a penalty kick, the Bluejays had a look at a comeback. Defender Matthew Reed rifled the ball into the left side of the net, cutting the Hoyas’ lead to 4-2. Senior midfielder Matthew Helfrich committed a similar foul in the penalty box in the 28th minute. Defender Andrija Savic scored off the penalty kick, MATTHEW GASSOSO/THE HOYA and Georgetown found itself only one goal ahead after dominating Seniors led the way for the Hoyas on Oct. 30 as they handed for most of the half. Creighton University its first loss of the season in a 5-3 victory.

COMMENTARY

Top Pick Dybansta Shines in Wizards’ Hot Start, Gearing Up for Tough Season Noah Thomas

Special to The Hoya

Despite now being 4-4, the Washington Wizards started their season with a winning record for the first time since the 2021-22 NBA season, leading their NBA tournament group after a 16-point victory against the Charlotte Hornets (3-6) in their first group stage game. After missing the first four games of the season with an ankle sprain, forward AJ Dybantsa, the 2026 first-overall pick, has made an immediate impact. In the first quarter of his first game against the Cleveland Cavaliers (4-4), Dybantsa secured his first NBA bucket off a half-court alley-oop from star point guard Trae Young. Dybantsa has since continued to make highlight plays, averaging 16.5 points per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. Although his 3-pointers haven’t been falling, shooting only 25% from behind the arc, Dybantsa has found other ways to impact the game: his lockdown defense, with 1 steal per game, and high free-throw rate, averaging 4.8 attempts per game. Veteran forward Anthony Davis and supporting point guard Young have also significantly contributed to the team’s hot start. Young has been leading the league with 9.5 assists per game

while averaging nearly 20 points per game. He has embraced his role as a facilitator, creating open shots for players like Davis, Dybantsa and forward Kyshawn George, while securing scoring opportunities for himself in the process. Davis, 33, has turned back the clock to begin the year, leading the team in scoring at 23.4 points per game on solid efficiency. He started the season with a statement performance in their opening game against the Milwaukee Bucks, racking up 34 points and 12 rebounds, leading Washington to the win. Davis has also been a defensive anchor so far, averaging 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. Additionally, Davis — who has notoriously been plagued with injuries over the course of his career — has yet to miss a game. The Wizards will need him to be healthy if they are hoping to secure their first playoff appearance since 2021. The Wizards’ identity so far this season has been rooted in their defense. Two weeks into the season, Washington is second in opponent 3-point percentage (30.1%) and opponent field-goal percentage (42.6%). Teams are struggling to score on their tall, lengthy defensive lineups, with four of their five starters being taller than 6’8”. However, the team still has room for improvement, especially in the late stages of games. A

common trend in Washington’s games has been strong starts followed by lackluster secondhalf performances. They have been outscored in the fourth quarter in six of their eight games so far, struggling to close games down the stretch. A major issue that has led to this trend has been the team’s poor rebounding. As a team, they rank last in offensive rebounds per game out of the entire league, failing to create second-chance opportunities, which are crucial for offensive success. Veteran leader Davis said he attributes their late-game struggles to the team’s young age. David told Greg Finberg that when games are close, the team’s inexperience shows, but that as the season progresses, the younger players will learn. If Davis is correct, Washington will continue to mature in lategame situations over the course of the season, potentially leading them to become a scary team come playoff time. In the meantime, the Wizards prepare to face the Atlanta Hawks (5-4) on the road after dropping their first matchup at home. They will then embark on a four-game road trip against a tough slate of opponents, including the reigning No. 1 seeds from each conference last year: the Oklahoma City Thunder (6-2) and the Detroit Pistons (6-2).

THE HOYA | A11

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2026 | THEHOYA.COM

HOYAS BY HASSNER

SPORTS MEN’S BASKETBALL

GU Was Done, Then Beard Inspired Iwuchukwu, Lowe Lead Hoyas to 1-0 Stepped in as Quarterback LOWE, from A12

HASSNER, from A12

The offense kept rolling in the following game against William & Mary. The Hoyas scored 4 touchdowns, each due to Beard’s accurate arm. The game had many offensive fireworks, including a ridiculous 41-yard touchdown pass from Beard to junior wide receiver Jonathan Alexander through a window smaller than the entrance to the Southwest Garage. The Hoyas won the game in thrilling fashion on a fourth-down touchdown pass from Beard to senior wide receiver Hassan Mahasin. Beard said he reached a flow state in the game’s critical moments. “Honestly, I kind of just blacked out and started playing football. If you let the moment get to you, then you’re not gonna perform under pressure,” Beard said. “I just trusted my guys, put the ball in their hands and played ball.” Some have suggested the new spicy garlic noodles at Wok Street or the cheery autumn spirit are what turned the Hoyas’ season around. Others bravely credit the previous installment of this column with convincing Head Coach Rob Sgarlata to hand Beard the reins and catalyzing Georgetown’s recent success. Surprisingly, Beard did not point to any of these factors to explain his team’s turnaround. Instead, he said, the answer is committing to a methodical approach. “I would say a lot of it is mental,” Beard said. “We were down these past two games and we had to come back, so having the mentality of being process-oriented.” “You can only control what’s ahead of you, and the play right now,” Beard added. Sgarlata should take pride in his decision to stick with Beard as Georgetown’s starting quarterback. Beard has 3 interceptions in the past three games, but they are far overshadowed by his unblemished record. If Beard can continue connecting with his receivers, the team should be promising to watch for the remainder of the season, starting this Saturday, Nov. 7, against the Holy Cross University Crusaders (4-5, 4-2 Patriot League). After all, Beard is only a true freshman. His growth and potential are encouraging for the future of Georgetown football.

in overtime stemmed from imprecise offensive play compounded by a crumbling defense and missed kicks. In all four losses, nothing seemed to click when it mattered, but that all changed after Beard’s first start. Beard said the team did not let early-seasonstrugglesdefinetheiridentity. “I don’t think the record says all about what we have here at Georgetown,” Beard told The Hoya. “These past three wins have just shown we can hang with anybody.” The Hoyas’ streak began Oct. 10 with a 21-14 win against the Bucknell University Bison (1-8, 0-6 Patriot League). Beard threw for 158 yards, but seemed to show signs of growing pains as he failed to throw for a touchdown. The numerous penalties his offense accumulated did not help. Running backs were largely responsible for the win, particularly junior Clay Ash, who muscled his way to 2 touchdowns. On defense, graduate cornerback Wedner Cadet returned from injury with a vengeance, snagging 2 pivotal interceptions, including one that sealed the victory and sent Bucknell packing. The Hoyas have not lost since Cadet’s return. As the Barstool Hoyas account highlights, the team has also won every game since University President Eduardo Peñalver’s inauguration, but this contention may cause a fuss about correlation and causation. The one-game winning streak seemed in jeopardy the following Saturday when Georgetown went down 17-0 early against No. 19 Colgate. But midway through the second quarter, Beard found senior tight end Burke Carroll in the end zone. Carroll’s score kickstarted an unanswered 27-point run, during which Beard threw 2 more touchdowns in a dominant performance. Beard said he has grown in confidence as he has gained in-game experience. “I’ve gotten more comfortable,” Beard said. “Nothing compares to live reps. Watching from the sideline, it’s one thing, but when you get in there, adjusting to the speed from high school, it’s obviously different.”

the rim at 5:05. After showing off the athleticism that made him a five-star recruit out of high school, Jackson sank both free throws to bring his first-half tally to 7, and the Hoyas’ lead to 34-15. At the half, Georgetown held a comfortable 44-20 lead. Despite shooting an unsustainable 50% from the 3-point line, largely due to Lowe’s heroics, the Hoyas played ethical basketball, turning the ball over only 3 times and dishing 14 assists. Buckets from junior guard Kayvaun Mulready, junior forward Caleb Williams and Iwuchukwu helped keep Georgetown’s gap wide to start the second half, but Loyola came to life from beyond the arc in the next phase. The Greyhounds went on an 11-0 run from 16:46 to 14:12, during which they went 4-of-4 from the 3-point line to cut the Hoyas’ lead to 50-39. Three

Lowe layups ended Georgetown’s drought and brought the Hoyas’ new star to 23 points on the night, but Loyola stayed hot. With 11:56 remaining, Georgetown led 56-43. Cooley said that, similar to a stretch during the Hoyas’ exhibition win over George Washington University, he purposefully avoided calling a timeout during Loyola’s run, which cut the lead to 11, to force his team to fight through the adversity themselves. “As we get later in the season, mostly back-to-back threes, I’d call a timeout right away,” Cooley said. “They cut it to 12 with 10 or 11, and we just let the game play. So you got to trust your men that they’re going to deal with the adversity, and they respond, and I was proud of them for that.” The Hoyas recovered, stretching the lead back to 15 off a Jackson jumper at 8:47 to make it 60-45. On Loyola’s next possession, Jackson flashed his athleticism

again, stealing the ball and flashing down the court. His dunk attempt jammed between the backboard and the basket, but the Hoyas kept the ball, and Iwuchukwu slammed it home. After his dunk, Iwuchukwu took over the game, turning in 2 and-1 and adding 4 more free throws to bring his total to 20 and the Hoyas’ lead to 70-45, near their largest of the night, with five minutes to play. Iwuchukwu finished with a plus-29, with 21 points and 9 rebounds. He will have a much tougher test Saturday against University of Maryland center Pharrell Payne, but if his performance Monday is any indication, the Hoyas could have an all-Big East caliber center on their hands. With Georgetown up 26 and three minutes from the buzzer, first-year forward Justin Caldwell checked in for his regular season debut and immediately found a layup for

his first collegiate points. Junior guard Mason Moses relieved Lowe, who played a hefty 34 minutes, of his duties to finish things off. Junior guard Michael Van Raaphorst and first-year Athan Olivier IV also made their season and collegiate debut, respectively, as time wound down. The Hoyas closed it out 80-58 on opening night. The Hoyas are back home Nov. 7 for a huge clash against the University of Maryland Terrapins (1-0). Cooley said he is already thinking about that game, and stressed the broader significance of it as a clash of local programs, which Georgetown fans must turn out for. “We need that home court advantage,” Cooley said. “This to me will feel like a tournament game. You’ve got to win your home games when you’re trying to revitalize a community and turn around a program.”

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Hoyas Blast Hornets in Comfortable Opening Win HORNETS, from A12 The Hoyas’ defense forced a shot clock violation in the last minute. Building on that momentum, Agubata hit another 3-pointer, but Delaware State point guard Skye Pepp answered with a layup. Georgetown got the ball back and held it until about six seconds remained, when Agubata drove in for a shot and drew a foul. She made both free throws to put the Hoyas up 28-14 at the end of the first quarter. To begin the second quarter, Lockhart pushed in for an easy layup. The Hornets came back swinging, and after a few fast passes, guard Jaida Helm found herself open for a 3-pointer, seizing on a rare defensive lapse. Georgetown missed 2 shots in a row before the Hornets regained possession as the Hoyas struggled to capitalize even after claiming the initial offensive rebound.

Delaware State pushed closer with 7 unanswered points, cutting their deficit to 32-21. Georgetown rattled off a couple more misses, but a foul set them up for 2 free throws. Donahue made both to end the scoring drought, and Miller added 2 more to put the lead back at 36-21 with six minutes remaining in the half. Soon after, Lockhart broke in for a much-needed layup on a Byars assist. The Hoyas committed a travel on their next possession but got the ball back before the Hornets could convert. On Delaware State’s next possession, Georgetown stripped them again at half court, and junior guard Winner Bartholomew broke away for another layup, making it 41-28 with two minutes left on the clock. At the end of the half, both teams exchanged heated words following a foul. Teammates had to hold back players on both sides, though what either team

said remained unclear. Play resumed and the half ended with Georgetown up 41-28. The teams traded 3-pointers early in the third quarter, which was the Hoyas’ highest-scoring quarter of the game. In it, they earned 29 points, 9 of which came from the free-throw line, an indication that Delaware State could not defend Georgetown in the paint. Georgetown ended the third quarter with a 70-37 lead. In the fourth quarter, Georgetown’s dominance continued. First-year guard Kendall Perry swished a 3-pointer on an assist from junior forward Clarence Djuela, stretching the lead to 75-40 with six minutes remaining. As the game came to a close, Georgetown’s defense prevented the Hornets from buzzing, allowing just 10 points from them. The Hoyas capitalized on more free throws; 6 of Georgetown’s 14 fourth-quarter points came from

free throws. In the end, Georgetown came out with an 84-47 victory to begin their season. The Hoyas’ dominance was visible in multiple categories on the stat sheet. Of note was their free-throw percentage at 74%, substantially better than the Hornets’ 36%. Georgetown also outperformed Delaware State in 3-point shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and steals. Head Coach Darnell Haney stayed level-headed about the win and showed no overconfidence. He said the team’s defense still has room to grow, in particular. “It’s what we do, it’s who we are, right?” Haney told The Hoya. “So, we’re a defense-first team. We make sure we get stops, and we try to pile up the floor. I wanted us to be a little bit more solid today.” Georgetown will look to build on this early-season momentum when they battle the American University Eagles at home Nov. 5.

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GU Downs American, Wins Local Bragging Rights AMERICAN, from A12

MATTHEW GASSOSO/THE HOYA

First-year quarterback Gavin Beard has breathed new life into the Georgetown University football team this season.

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and Agubata delivered timely baskets to keep them at bay. Agubata knocked down a crucial 3-pointer with approximately five minutes remaining to extend her team’s advantage to 67-53. American continued to pressure Georgetown defensively and managed to cut the deficit to 10 points with 1:21 remaining. However, the Hoyas converted key opportunities down the stretch to secure the 75-65 victory. Haney said he was pleased with the victory but disappointed by his team’s inability to maintain its early intensity and execute consistently on both ends of the court. “I think we just lost our discipline,” Haney said at a postgame press conference. “I think when we got up, we kind of rested on our laurels a little bit and we lost our

discipline, got out of position defensively and then gave up some stuff that we shouldn’t have.” Georgetown shot just 19.4% from the field in the second half, compared with 52.9% in the first, as American outscored the Hoyas 35-29 after halftime. Haney partly attributed the team’s late offensive struggles to fatigue and poor shot selection, saying the Hoyas became too dependent on perimeter shots rather than attacking the basket. “We were looking for threes, so we were looking for fadeaway pullups,” Haney said. “We were looking for stuff that’s not for-sure baskets.” Georgetown leaned heavily on its returning players throughout the game. Byars, Miller and Agubata, three of just four players returning from last season’s roster, combined for 52 of the Hoyas’ 75 points.

Haney said they were crucial. “It’s very important that they were able to come back because they’re able to help us in times like this,” Haney said. Beyond improving to 2-0, the victory also carried significance for Georgetown’s efforts to strengthen its recruiting presence in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia (DMV) region. Haney said winning local matchups is important not only for bragging rights but also for attracting recruits. “We want to make sure that we put a kind of chokehold recruitment on the DMV, and winning games like this helps us do that,” Haney said. The Hoyas will continue their nonconference slate at home against Saint Peter’s University (0-1) on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 2 p.m.

Despite American’s efforts, the Hoyas entered halftime with a comfortable 46-30 advantage, having shot 52.9% from the field in the opening two quarters. Agubata, who contributed 9 rebounds, opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer, and a second-chance layup from Byars followed by a jumper from Agubata helped extend the Hoyas’ lead to a game-high 21 points. From there, however, Georgetown’s offensive efficiency declined significantly. The Hoyas made just 3 of their 18 field goal attempts in the quarter, including going 1-for-10 from behind the arc, as the Eagles gradually narrowed the deficit. A 3-pointer from American guard Madisyn Moore-Nicholson cut Georgetown’s advantage to 15 points, and American continued to apply pressure throughout the remainder of the period. The Hoyas suffered another setback late in the third quarter when junior guard Winner Bartholomew, who finished with 9 points and 5 rebounds, went down after contact with Moore-Nicholson while pursuing the ball. Bartholomew headed to the locker room and did not return. Head Coach Darnell Haney said Bartholomew had been poked in the eye and was doing well, adding that he hoped she would be available for the team’s next game. Georgetown managed just 12 points in the third and entered the final period leading 58-44. American carried its momentum into the fourth quarter, continuing to draw fouls and capitalize on Georgetown’s offensive struggles. With approximately eight minutes remaining, the Eagles had trimmed the Hoyas’ advantage to 11 points. Georgetown also faced foul trouble, with Miller picking up her fourth personal foul early in the MATTHEW GASSOSO/THE HOYA period and returning to the bench. Senior forward Brianna Byars chipped in 18 points and 7 rebounds in the win, while senior With the Eagles threatening to cut further into the lead, Byars guard Khia Miller and junior guard Destiny Agubata were hot on her tail with 17 each.

Sports

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Georgetown vs. Maryland Nov. 7 @ 7:30 p.m. Washington, D.C.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2026

TALKING POINTS

WOMEN’S SOCCER

NUMBERS GAME

The Georgetown University women’s

It’s all about who’s on, who’s filling in

soccer team’s season ended with a 1-0 loss

that day. Coach Cooley’s got what he

to the University of Connecticut on Oct. 31.

calls the ‘deepest bag in the country.’

See A10

Senior Point Guard Jaland Lowe

The Georgetown University men’s soccer team is ranked No. 1 in the country before their last regular season game.

HOYAS BY HASSNER

Gavin Beard Brings Back GU Football Michael Hassner Sports Columnist

As November dawns and attention turns to basketball season, the Georgetown University football team is making a case for campus relevance. The 2026 season started with four straight losses and looked extremely bleak, but then October began, and like Halloween zombies, the Hoyas rose from the dead to win three games in a row. Such a stark turnaround often follows a coaching change, but for the Hoyas, it was instead a landmark coaching decision: choosing a quarterback. Georgetown’s (3-4, 3-2 Patriot League) offensive success during this winning streak has undoubtedly centered on the confident play of first-year quarterback Gavin Beard. For the first four games of the season, Georgetown unsuccessfully rotated between senior Jacob Holtschlag and junior Jack Johnson. Beard came LEAH GALIBOIS/THE HOYA into the game in the third quarter of Senior point guard Jaland Lowe led the Georgetown men’s basketball team with 23 points in its 80-58 opening night victory over Loyola University the team’s Oct. 13 loss to the Cornell Maryland on Nov. 2. The Hoyas will need Lowe to step up again against the University of Maryland in their rivalry matchup Nov. 7. University Big Red (3-4, 1-3 Ivy League) and never looked back. He has started the last three wins, recording 7 MEN’S BASKETBALL touchdowns and 3 interceptions for an average of 200 yards per game and a 68.47 pass completion percentage. For his performances against the Colgate University Raiders (5-4, 4-2 PatriotLeague)andtheCollegeofWilliam senior center Vince Iwuchukwu’s Lowe immediately took center impressive, lauding him as a top his relief in the middle portion & Mary Tribe (3-5, 1-5 Patriot League), Sam Fishman 21 points and 9 rebounds, were stage following tip-off, pulling collegiate talent following his of the first half, throwing down Senior Sports Editor Beard received the Patriot League ofthe highlights in what was up majestically from beyond impressive display. multiple dunks and converting fensive player of the week and rookie an overall satisfactory team the arc to drain 3 of his first 4 “Jaland got us off to an an and-1 at 11:47, which pushed Senior point guard Jaland of the week awards twice in a row. performance against a Loyola 3-point attempts and deliver the incredible start with his the Hoyas’ lead to 21-8. Justamonthago,theHoyas’offense, Lowe had a debut to remember team ranked near the bottom of Hoyas a 14-2 lead at the under- shotmaking; that’s something for the Georgetown University Miller, who shined with 18 defense and special teams all seemed Division I. 16-minute media timeout. that we see every day in practice,” points in the Hoyas’ preseason faulty. Georgetown failed to commit to men’s basketball team in its 80While graduate center NJ Lowe said he and his teammates Cooley said in a post-game press victory against Wake Forest a starting quarterback and was routed 58 opening night victory over Benson did not suit up amid felt comfortable on the court. conference. “I think we have University (1-0), missed the the Loyola University Maryland by the Lehigh University Mountain eligibility disputes and junior “The game slowed down a lot for one of the best point guards in game following a procedure on Greyhounds on Nov. 2. Hawks (7-2, 5-1 Patriot League) and The University of Kentucky guard Vyctorius Miller also me, but I think my teammates also America that can play any way.” his right hand. Senior guard Cornell. Three-point losses to the Iwuchukwu looked more Elmarko Jackson filled in transfer and former all-ACC missed the game, first-year made it easy for me,” Lowe said in a University of Richmond Spiders (6-3, forward Pedro Pastre made his post-game press conference. “I think like his old self in the first half, admirably in his place, however, point guard scored 23 points 4-2 Patriot League) and the Columbia debut for the Hoyas, who cruised our guys just trusted me, and we had putting up 2 rebounds, a block tearing down the court off a University Lions (4-3, 1-3 Ivy League) and made 5 out of 8 3-pointers and a steal in a four-minute Lowe steal and drawing a foul at Monday night as the Hoyas (1-0) for the majority of the game and a good flow of what was going on.” led by double digits or more for Head Coach Ed Cooley stint to start the game. Junior dealt with the Greyhounds (0-1). See HASSNER, A11 See LOWE, A11 said Lowe’s shotmaking was center Chol Machot excelled in Lowe’s heroics, combined with the last 34 minutes of the game.

Lowe, Hoyas Get the Job Done on Opening Night

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Hoyas Vanquish Hornets in Season Opener GU Keeps Early Lead, Beats American 75-65

Lily Bendavid Sports Staff Writer

The Georgetown University women’s basketball team beat the Delaware State University Hornets 84-47 at home Nov. 2, earning their first win in their first game of the year. The game kicked off the season for Georgetown (1-0), who looked to build on a mediocre showing last year, which ended with a 14-17 record and an eighth-place finish in the Big East Conference. So far, so good for the Hoyas, who took it to Delaware State (0-1) and outscored the Hornets by nearly double. They looked sharp from the 3-point and free-throw lines, and their defense was notably strong. As they play tougher teams this season, Georgetown must improve its field goal percentage. Delaware State guard Maya McCorkle opened quickly with a 3-pointer, but Georgetown responded right away. Senior guard Khia Miller scored the Hoyas’ first 2 points on a jump shot in the paint. Seconds later, Georgetown fought for offensive rebounds, and junior guard Destiny Agubata hit a layup to secure 2 more points and the lead, 4-3, one minute in. The teams traded points throughout the start of the first quarter, keeping the score tied or within 1 until the Hoyas broke through minutes later. Junior guard Johnea Donahue made a 3-pointer on an assist from senior forward Brianna Byars; Miller’s jump shot added 2 more, and

Maddie Taylor Contributing Editor

MATTHEW GASSOSO/THE HOYA

The Georgetown University Hoyas took care of business at home against the Delaware State Hornets, capitalizing on free throws and strong defensive play to win 87-47. an Agubata 3-pointer suddenly put the team up 17-9 halfway through the first quarter. Georgetown looked particularly tough on defense in the last few minutes of the quarter.

The Hoyas forced the Hornets into a contested shot and an airball, regaining possession with a minute and a half remaining. Georgetown immediately lost it, but first-year forward Stel-

la Lockhart hustled back for a clean block. Seconds later, she stole the ball again to give her team another chance. See HORNETS, A11

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After a resounding 84-47 win against Delaware State University in its season opener Nov. 2, the Georgetown University women’s basketball team defeated the American University Eagles 75-65 on Nov. 5, overcoming a second-half offensive slump to secure its second consecutive victory. The Hoyas (2-0) controlled the first quarter, building a 15-point lead, but struggled to maintain their early momentum as the Eagles (0-1) chipped away at their advantage. Despite American outscoring Georgetown in the second half, the Hoyas never surrendered their lead. Senior forward Brianna Byars led the way for the Hoyas with 18 points and 7 rebounds, while senior guard Khia Miller and junior guard Destiny Agubata each contributed 17 points. American guard Molly Driscoll led all scorers with 23 points. Despite an opening 3-pointer from American guard Nina Višnjevac, Georgetown quickly took control of the game behind Miller’s dominant first-quarter performance. After Byars scored the Hoyas’ first points of the game, Miller knocked down a jumper to give Georgetown a 4-3 advantage. The Hoyas never trailed again. Miller set the offensive pace throughout the opening period, scoring from inside and beyond

the arc while also creating additional opportunities with her defensive pressure. With less than a minute remaining, she converted a steal into a fastbreak layup to extend the Hoyas’ lead to 26-11. Miller, who finished the first quarter with 15 of her 17 points, said she entered the game hoping to set the tone for her teammates. “I think I just wanted to initially come out with a lot of energy to bring for my team,” Miller said in a postgame press conference. “Just need to sustain that and make sure I stay disciplined throughout the rest of the game.” Georgetown’s defensive pressure also contributed to its early success. The Hoyas recorded 14 steals throughout the game, including 6 from junior guard Johnea Donahue, while American committed 19 turnovers. Georgetown continued its strong offensive start in the second quarter, with first-year guard Bo Frost and forward Stella Lockhart scoring on consecutive possessions to extend the lead to 20 points. American, however, continued finding success from beyond the arc. The Eagles connected on 6 3-pointers in the first half, accounting for 18 of their 30 firsthalf points, and three times cut Georgetown’s lead to 14 points in the second quarter. See AMERICAN, A11