The Hoya: September 26, 2025

GU Reports Violent Flyers

Referencing Charlie Kirk’s Assassination to FBI

Patrick Clapsaddle and Nora Toscano

Executive Editors

Georgetown University public safety officials reported to the FBI the discovery of flyers on campus featuring graphic language relating to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the university announced in a Sept. 25 email to community members. Josh Bornstein, Georgetown’s vice president for public safety, said university officials removed the flyers following their discovery near Village A and Red Square.

“On Wednesday, September 24, flyers including violent language appeared on the bulletin board outside of the Village A apartment complex, and on Thursday, September 25, similar flyers with violent imagery and language relating to Charlie Kirk appeared in Red Square,” Bornstein wrote in the email.

Some of the flyers — which read, “Hey Fascist! Catch,” “We Protect Us. Do something more than symbolic resistance,” and “FOLLOW YOUR LEADER, REST IN PISS CHARLIE” — included a QR code that redirected those who scanned it to a Google Form titled “Georgetown John Brown Club Interest.” The form did not specify what the Georgetown John Brown Club is, nor does the university officially recognize the club. As of Sept. 25 at 10:09 p.m., the form is no longer accepting responses.

According to a Sept. 12 affidavit filed in a Utah court following Kirk’s assassination, the phrase, “hey fascist! CATCH!” appeared on

one of the bullet casings found near the site of the shooting. The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) — a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization dedicated to combatting all forms of violent political extremism — classifies the John Brown Gun Club as a far-left gun rights group which aims to combat white supremacy. However, no publicly accessible information on the John Brown Gun Club exists.

Bornstein said the university removed the flyers and is investigating their presence and potential implications for campus safety.

“In both instances, university officials acted quickly to remove them,” Bornstein wrote. “We are investigating these incidents, and we have reported them to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

“The safety and security of the Georgetown community is our highest priority,” Bornstein added. Lukas Pitman (SFS ’27), president of the Georgetown Bipartisan Coalition (GUBC), said the flyers are not indicative of the Georgetown community or its principles.

“This does not represent our Georgetown community,” Pitman told The Hoya. “I want that to be made clear. This is not representative of Georgetown. This is something that I think we’re all in agreement — specifically as political clubs — that this is not right, this is not okay, and for us to be construed as supportive of that; it’s wrong.”

See KIRK, A7

GU to Continue With GUTS Policy Change

Ajani Stella Senior News Editor

Georgetown University will move forward with plans to transfer management of its shuttle service to a third-party vendor after more than 1,160 university community members signed a petition opposing the switch.

The university’s new policy would require Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle (GUTS) drivers to shift to third-party contractor Abe’s Transportation — which would make them no longer university employees — or transfer to another

GU Privacy Law Group Says DHS Illegally Collecting DNA

Ajani Stella and Emily Dabre Senior

News Editor

and Graduate Desk Editor

A Georgetown University privacy law group accused the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of illegally collecting U.S. citizens’ DNA at immigration checkpoints in a Sept. 23 report. The Georgetown Law Center on Privacy & Technology, which focuses on surveillance and privacy law, analyzed data spreadsheets from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a DHS agency that manages border security, finding more than 2,000 instances where the agency collected detained U.S. citizens’ DNA from 2020 to 2024. The report’s authors argued that the DNA collection allows broad government surveillance that threatens U.S. citizens’ personal liberties, a finding that they hope will spur Congress to enact greater oversight over DHS. While immigration officials are permitted under federal law to collect the DNA of citizens arrested for federal crimes so agents can track and process arrestees, the report’s authors argue that many instances involved citizens who were merely detained and not charged. Emerald Tse, an associate at the Center on Privacy & Technology who co-wrote the report, said the report’s findings demonstrate that the DHS has been collecting DNA from U.S. citizens.

“From this update, we found that DHS has regularly and knowingly been taking DNA from U.S. citizens,” Tse told The Hoya. “It’s been doing so beyond its legal authority, and many times without justification.”

While CBP’s directives state its officers may never refer to U.S. citizens as detainees in logs, CBP’s own data shows that it did so at least 500 times, according to the report. Such instances in the report include DHS collecting the DNA of a 25-year-old citizen who was detained with no charge in March 2021 and of a 19-year-old citizen whom a prosecutor declined to bring charges against in August 2024.

A February CBP directive refers to DNA collection as a standard procedure akin to fingerprinting, which helps law enforcement identify and track individuals. Once immigration officials collect a detainee’s DNA, they submit it to CODIS, the FBI’s DNA database, becoming part of permanent law enforcement records.

The report’s authors argued the federal agents’ justifications for sending DNA information to the FBI were generally “legally questionable, nonsensical or altogether absent.”

Hilton Beckham, CBP’s assistant commissioner of public affairs, said DNA collection was necessary to reverse what she deemed the former President Joe Biden administration’s “reckless policies,” though the

report only includes data from Biden’s tenure.

“In order to secure our borders, CBP devoted every resource available to identify who was entering our country, making sure we do not let in human smugglers, child sex traffickers and other criminals into American communities,” Beckham wrote to The Hoya.

Though data from President Donald Trump’s second term was not available, the authors said they expect an “even broader and more reckless approach” under his administration due to his immigration policies.

Beckham cited two statutes that allow immigration officials different avenues to collect DNA: U.S. citizens who are arrested and charged with a crime, or noncitizens who are detained. Under the statutes, DNA can never be collected from U.S. citizens who are merely detained without a formal arrest and charge.

Stevie Glaberson, the director of research and advocacy for the Center on Privacy & Technology and another report co-author, said Beckham’s assertions do not address the report’s findings of allegedly illegal DNA collection.

“There is a federal statute that permits the collection of DNA from even U.S. citizens who are arrested, charged and convicted of crimes, but the second piece does not, by definition, include

See DNA, A7

university department, many of which pay less. After the university made the decision Sept. 24, the Georgetown Coalition for Workers’ Rights (GCWR), a student group advocating for labor rights that led the petition, said it would hold another “Week of Action” to place additional pressure on university administrators to reconsider.

The petition, which included 1,130 signatures when delivered to administrators Sept. 19, asked the university to stop pursuing a contract with Abe’s Transportation and maintain its independent bus fleet. GCWR demanded a university response by Sept. 24

and held a rally before delivering the petition to Joe Ferrara, the university’s chief of staff.

In the university’s email response to the petition, David Green, the university’s chief operating officer, said GUTS is an “essential service” for the university that requires thirdparty management going forward.

“We believe at this time that our best course of action is to partner fully with a third-party provider whose primary focus is on leading and managing bus systems,” Green wrote in the email. “This is an industry that requires true expertise — something we believe

is not a core business of a university, especially in a complex metropolitan area like Washington, D.C.”

After reading Green’s email, Noel Tiongson, a GUTS driver, said he did not believe the issues drivers brought up in their previous town halls about the change — including a reduction in benefits and lack of respect from the university — were settled. “I believe it is a reflection of the administration’s lack of transparency and sincerity to actually do what is proper and fair,” Tiongson wrote to The Hoya. “The Georgetown See GUTS, A7

Nearing Government Shutdown Creates GU Community Concerns

Ajani Stella and Shira Oz

Senior News Editor and City

Desk Editor

As the United States Congress remains deadlocked in budget negotiations, Georgetown University community members who work in government and public service remain concerned about the impact of a shutdown if no agreement is reached by Oct. 1. Democrats and Republicans in Congress must approve either the full budget or pass a short-term funding bill, known as a continuing resolution, when it returns to session Sept. 29. A shutdown would temporarily halt non-essential government services and place thousands of government employees on furlough, or temporary suspension of paid employment, the main concern for several students and faculty.

Shardul Krishna Kumar (CAS ’27), who is currently interning for Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), said many of the constituents who call his office will lose key government resources during a shutdown.

“That just put much more of a direct, personal perspective on what this shutdown is really about,” Krishna Kumar told The Hoya. “Ultimately, it is about the millions of Americans who are living in a time of uncertainty where they don’t know if

HAAN JUN (RYAN) LEE/THE HOYA

Georgetown University will move forward with proposals to swtich the operation of its shuttle service, the Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle (GUTS), to a third-party vendor despite outcry among community over concerns for GUTS workers.

THE HOYA FILE PHOTOS/THE HOYA

The U.S. Congress remains gridlocked over budget negotiations, raising concerns the federal government will shut down.

Gets Lost in Itself

by Jordan Peele, “Him” gets

Gorripatti (CAS’27).

Listen to GUTS Drivers’ Concerns, Keep Current Drivers’ Benefits

Since 1974, the drivers of Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle (GUTS) have served generations of students, carrying them to and from campus, internships and explorations in the city. However, its era as a Georgetown-run institution may be coming to an end.

On Sept. 8, The Hoya reported the university’s plans to shift transportation services from GUTS to a third-party contractor. This move would force drivers to transfer to other facilities positions on campus, many of which are lower-paying, or become subcontracted with an outside transportation company and risk losing many of their university benefits. While GUTS as a resource for students likely wouldn’t change, this move alienates GUTS drivers, many of whom came to work for Georgetown specifically because of the benefits the university offers.

The labor rights group Georgetown Coalition for Workers’ Rights (GCWR) organized a petition against these plans, amassing over 1,130 signatures before its Sept. 19 delivery to the university. Joseph A. Ferrara, Georgetown’s senior vice president and chief of staff, accepted the petition on behalf of others in the administration, assuring students that university officials would properly review the petition.

On Wednesday, Sept. 24, the university responded, declining to change its plans of transitioning GUTS to a third-party contractor. We strongly encourage them to reconsider. Georgetown emphasizes its core principle of people for others, a Jesuit mission that preaches care. We believe the proposed GUTS transition is incompatible with this mission.

Regardless of whether it decides to use a third-party contractor for shuttle services, the Editorial Board urges the university to adhere to its values of social responsibility and ensure that any policies enacted maintain the drivers’ current benefits.

A university spokesperson said the change stemmed from spending management amid recent actions by the federal government.

“Georgetown University, like all institutions of higher education, is facing unprecedented threats to its financial model due to actions by the federal government,” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya. “As Interim President Groves announced on April 29, 2025, this requires the University to make difficult decisions to limit spending and look for operational efficiencies to protect the academic and research mission of the University.”

The Editorial Board believes this rationale speaks to a lack of forward thinking. If the university plans to meet its expenses by charging the services GUTS provides to a separate contractor, it will result in a product that it has less control over, affecting generations of future Hoyas. These actions disregard decades-long relationships with GUTS drivers for the sake of short-term numbers on the balance sheet.

It is worth noting that GUTS drivers could earn more money working for Washington, D.C.’s public transit, as they currently earn approximately $22 an hour for Georgetown, compared to the nearly $31 an hour offered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Despite this, several drivers noted that they chose to stay at Georgetown because of the university’s benefit structure.

The proposals have left the GUTS drivers feeling blindsided because they planned to uti -

HOYA HISTORY

lize these benefits, such as tuition benefits like Georgetown’s Tuition Assistance Program or the university’s retirement package. The switch to the university’s preferred third-party contractor would change their benefits structure, making many of these options unavailable.

A university spokesperson said the university will continue benefits through the tuition assistance program for five years for impacted employees and 10 years for their dependents.

“Georgetown is committed to ensuring that any current employees impacted by this transition receive employment with comparable compensation and benefits, unless they accept another position with the University,” a spokesperson wrote.

Though this aspect of benefits will remain available in the short term, the Editorial Board believes these benefits should be available beyond the tenured time.

Elinor Clark (CAS ’27), GCWR’s facilities team lead, said the university should exhibit greater transparency about its benefits process.

“Georgetown University needs to show the respect that these drivers deserve after their decades of service,” Clark told The Hoya.

The Editorial Board requests that the university continue to honor the commitments made when they welcomed GUTS drivers into our community. We urge the Georgetown administration to heed students’ concerns and preserve GUTS in its current form, ensuring that drivers continue to enjoy the benefits they have been promised for decades.

The university has committed itself to ensuring comparable benefits for GUTS drivers in their new role. However, this claim must be accompanied by verifiable action. The Editorial Board urges the administration to follow institutions like the University of California, Riverside, which requires all contractors to offer comparable benefits to university employees when conducting university work. If Georgetown is committed to outsourcing this work, it must ensure the process is handled with respect.

These buses are the lifeblood of our connection to the city. Helming them every time was a driver who was part and parcel of this community, someone who had Georgetown students as regular passengers — students who thanked them every time they stepped off the bus. Leaving these drivers to fend for themselves with a third-party contractor over essential benefits is wrong.

Clark echoed this sentiment, saying students have solidarity with GUTS workers.

“All members of Georgetown’s community are Hoyas, whether they are students, or professors, or alumni, or workers — in this case, bus drivers,” Clark said.

To students, get involved. While the petition was ultimately dismissed, the next step is action. Join events hosted by groups like GCWR that demonstrate students’ attention to these issues and refusal to stay silent. Because of all they have done for us, it is our responsibility to demand the university treat GUTS drivers with the respect they deserve.

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.

Replaces The Corp’s Shuttle

September 3, 1974

Georgetown has initiated a bus service of its own this year. This service, the Georgetown University Transportation Society (GUTS), consists of three routes. Designed for the needs of students, faculty, and staff members who do not live on or near campus, the service will be the most comprehensive ever offered at Georgetown. It supersedes last year’s shuttle service, which unlike GUTS was operated by the Students of Georgetown Inc., not the University. The service will provide fast, comfortable transportation to the Georgetown University Law Center, various government agencies, downtown museums, Arlington Towers, Lee Highway, Alban Towers, Spout Run, and American Univer -

sity. The charge per ride will be twenty-five cents; tickets will be available through ticket machines at Healy gate, St. Mary’s switchboard, the Law Center, and Alban Towers. Legal technicalities prevent the handling of cash on the bus.

Unlike last year, GUTS will run seven days a week. Weekend service will be more limited than weekday service. If GUTS is successful, it could serve as a model for similar plans being made by the Consortium of Universities in Washington. The buses were purchased at a cost of $25,000 each. This was made possible by a $105,000 loan directly from the University to GUTS. The sale of tickets will help to pay back that loan. Each bus can seat nineteen passengers, with room for ten standing. The buses are air

conditioned and heated; they use diesel fuel which is more economical than gasoline.

Completed schedules have been printed and are available at the Traffic Department in O’Gara. GUTS will soon have its own office at the north gate house, 37th and O streets. It is expected that GUTS will be revising its schedule once the operation has been underway for several days. GUTS will be under the administration of Lawrence Lorch, Traffic Administrator. All drivers will be students of Georgetown University. There are still openings for qualified drivers; those interested should contact Dave Ralston at the Office of Planning and Physical Plant in New South (625-4026).

Myron Bretholz

These buses are the lifeblood of our connection to the city. Helming them every time was a driver who was part and parcel of this community, someone who had Georgetown students as regular passengers — students who thanked them every time they stepped off the bus.

On Sep. 19, The Georgetown Coalition for Workers’ Rights (GCWR) delivered a petition demanding the university end its plans to transfer management of its shuttle service, Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle (GUTS), to a third-party vendor. On Wednesday, Sep. 24, the university responded, declining to change its plans of transitioning GUTS to a third-party contractor. This week,

the Editorial Board urged the university to preserve benefits for GUTS drivers impacted by the transition. To gague opinion, students were asked if they believed the university should maintain benefits given to GUTS drivers, whether or not it chooses to use a third-party contractor for the buses. Of the 111 respondents, 89.2% said yes, 8.1% said no, and 2.7% said they were unsure.

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Friendships, Faux Pas, The Fear of Missing Out

Welcome back from summer break, advice lovers.

This week, we’re tackling stress — if you’ve panicked over missing a friend’s Tombs night or slogged through a pile of work you pushed off, then this column has you covered. And if you’ve been losing sleep at night over a problem I haven’t answered, submit it to this anonymous form and I’ll help you out.

I feel like everyone around me has more friends, gets invited to more parties and just generally has more fun than me — and I feel like it’s my fault that I’m not. What can I do to make this feeling go away?

It’s normal to compare yourself to everyone else, but when you do, remember that everyone else does it too — even the people you think are having fun all the time. Looking on social media, you’re only seeing the best, most curated parts of someone’s life, not the difficult or low moments that everyone experiences. When you start to spiral, take a minute to remind yourself about the parts of your life you enjoy! Get off social media for the day and spend some time on a hobby that makes you happy with a friend whose company you enjoy. Putting in even a small amount of effort to do something that brings you joy can break the cycle of feeling left out and make your life feel more intentional. Constantly comparing yourself to others is an easy way to feel worse about yourself, but when you value your experiences for how they make you feel rather than how they compare to others’ around you, it’s easier to let go of that guilt. How do you have fun without feeling guilty about it? I went to a concert last week and enjoyed it tremendously, but then felt guilty when I got back because I got super behind on work for the rest of the week. Balancing a Georgetown course load with everything else in your life can be difficult, but you can’t succeed academically without giving yourself some time to have

fun and unwind. It’s important to recognize that work isn’t the only part of your life that matters — taking a break to do what you enjoy is just as important. While balancing your work and social activities may seem overwhelming, it’s very doable with a little bit of planning! If you know you’re going to a concert all night and have a paper due the next day, spend some time in advance thinking about your schedule and getting ahead of important assignments. By taking a few simple steps to make a plan instead of letting the stress overwhelm you, you can set work aside and enjoy yourself without the guilt, and you’ll feel better about how you’ve managed your time. I lost track of time and missed my friend’s Tombs night that I said I’d go to. I feel really bad and I want to make it up to her. What’s the best way to do that?

Have you talked to your friend about how she feels? If she’s upset that you missed it, a heartfelt apology goes a long way and would show her you care. But if she isn’t bothered, use this as an opportunity to schedule lunch or another time to catch up, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve spent time together. Chances are, she probably understands; we’ve all messed up and forgotten something important at some point in our lives. What matters now is showing her you value the friendship by making the time and effort to connect. Stress can feel overwhelming, especially during the transition back to school. When you start to feel that panic coming on, remember that you’re not the only one who feels this way. Take a deep breath, plan out a way to take a break with the people you love, and remember that you can do this!

Caroline Brown is a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences. This is the fifth installment of her column “Calling in With Caroline.”

Divest from Israel, Honor

eorgetown University must stand up for its students and the values it represents.

On April 29, 2025, the Georgetown University Student Association released the results of its democratic divestment referendum, in which nearly 70% of students who voted called on the university to divest from companies with ties to Israel’s military and establish an academic boycott of Israeli universities. The onus was placed on administrators to follow through; however, instead of acting, the university refused to listen to its students, citing Georgetown’s history and values. Our demands are neither new nor unprecedented: Georgetown has divested before. In 1986, the university divested from South African apartheid following student pressure — although not before the administration arrested dozens of community members protesting for divestment after they established a shanty town. Divestment was effective and ethical, and contributed to the end of apartheid. In 2020, Georgetown began divesting from fossil fuel companies, again in response to student activism. Given this history of divestment, why is the university so adamant to stay invested in what international organizations and scholars know as Israeli apartheid?

The university must follow its investing policy that claims Georgetown centers protecting human life and dignity in its investment practices. This is

Create Space for Meaningful Impact

When we think of public health infrastructure, hospitals and community health clinics often come to mind. But what about community spaces that create a sense of belonging, allow an ease and comfort of doing, and are curative for health and wellness for the common good? In Washington, D.C., Busboys and Poets, a restaurant, bookstore and community gathering place, has been doing just that for 20 years. A program entitled “Creating Public Spaces for the Common Good” was hosted by Georgetown University’s Capitol Applied Learning Lab (CALL) on Sept. 12. As part of a course, students are provided with an opportunity to embrace different perspectives by connecting with leaders across D.C. These leaders are creating and delivering innovative approaches in various settings to address community health needs.

Andy Shallal, founder and CEO of Busboys and Poets, was invited to speak about his new memoir: “A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets.” While there, he offered students a challenge: to lead differently — through empathy, belonging and community-centered action.

At a time when many students are asking how to make a meaningful impact, Shallal’s message is important. He made it clear leadership isn’t just about titles or career ladders, it is about the impact you leave. I implore students to not wait to take action, but look for opportunities during their time at Georgetown that expose them to diverse perspectives and opportunities to collaborate with others for innovative change.

Shallal’s book recounts his background and Busboys and Poets’ formation as a cultural hub, while Shallal reflects on how his values of inclusion and justice became the foundation of both a business model and a community space for sharing lived experiences. His vision emerged from frustration with spaces that exclude rather than

welcome and with leadership that prioritizes power over people.

In the following two decades, Shallal expanded his vision to eight locations in the D.C. area, creating a gathering space intertwining food, poetry, art and activism while serving as a meeting place that brings the community together. As an educator and participatory action researcher using narrative work to uplift stories for health change, I’ve long been an advocate for community spaces that provide a space to foster connection, support and restoration. Shallal has embodied this by creating a vibrant community-based cultural outlet in solidarity for better community health and well-being outcomes for the common good.

During the conversation, Shallal recounted personal stories, emphasizing how community discussions, mixed with food, books, poetry and art can serve as pathways to your physical, mental, emotional and social well-being.

Shallal’s Busboys and Poets is a positive example of an intentionally designed public space that is conducive to social determinants of health. Public health tends to concentrate on illness, disease and access to medical care, yet social connection, cultural expression and having a sense of community must also be a priority to create healthier and more equitable communities. In the long run, Shallal’s blueprint can lead to better health and improved well-being for us all.

As Shallal explained his vision, students learned that the restaurant was not simply a business or cultural space, but can also serve as an effective example of creative, community-based interventions. These interventions involve community members in their planning, implementation and evaluation to ensure effectiveness and sustainability.

Shallal shows what that looks like in practice and can do for

community health and wellbeing, especially when done in collaboration and with intentional daily practice. Serving as a powerful place for community healing — and even resistance — this is especially important in Washington, D.C, where a long legacy of historical segregation, disinvestment and inequity has resulted in continuing health disparities.

This is precisely the kind of learning that speaks directly to the university’s emphasis on cura personalis. It isn’t just about maintaining one’s own well-being; it is about creating a culture of empathy like the one at Busboys and Poets, which provides opportunities to promote the common good, especially toward those whose needs are so often ignored.

Andy Shallal is a testament to the kind of people who have provided a space for health and justice to operate outside traditional systems. That is what occurs when someone constructs a table — literally and figuratively — for social connection, inspiration, empowerment and justice.

I encourage more students to explore and engage in the Busboy and Poets’ community efforts and other places like this. In turn, work to make your own dreams a reality. Because the future of health — and leadership — depends not just on what we do for ourselves, but on what we choose to build together.

Brian Floyd is assistant dean of academic affairs at Georgetown University’s School of Health and a faculty member with the Capitol Applied Learning Lab (CALL) program. He teaches the course “Health Innovation for the Common Good,” which connects classroom learning with experiential community engagement across Washington, D.C.

irreconcilable with investing in genocide. The university chose to adopt this policy and its commitments, yet it is failing to fulfill them.

It is hypocritical for Georgetown to have divested from South Africa but to refuse to do the same in the case of Israel. The university should not pick and choose which state’s atrocities it opposes. For the university’s values to have any meaning, they must apply such values consistently.

Georgetown’s mission is to educate students for the betterment of humanity. The school’s website describes the community as dedicated to social justice. Profiting from the systematic erasure of Palestinians is antithetical to these ideals.

For nearly two years, the world has watched, in graphic detail, as Israel commits a genocide. Every minute is livestreamed to our phones. I wake up every morning to see unimaginable horrors being committed while my university sits idly by as its endowment grows.

As long as the university refuses to act, it remains complicit.

Israel has fought to silence reporters and hide the atrocities committed in Gaza from the world. In under two years, Israel has killed more journalists than have ever died in a war. It baselessly accuses Palestinian journalists of being terrorists in desperate smear campaigns and bans independent international reporters from entering Gaza.

Meanwhile, we don’t even know the true extent of Georgetown’s connection to these crimes, as the university refuses

to disclose its investments. We do, however, know the university has over $55 million invested in Alphabet and Amazon. These companies are developing technology for the Israeli military and its genocidal campaign.

Profiting from this is obscene.

Collaborating with institutions that aid in these crimes is horrific. Israeli universities develop weapons and doctrines used in its genocide and have a documented history of discrimination. While these universities facilitate Israel’s rampage, the Israeli military destroys Palestinian schools and universities in its scholasticide. Israel has attacked over 90% of Palestinian schools in its rampage. It has destroyed every university in Gaza. Israel’s relentless strikes have forced hundreds of thousands of children to go without school for nearly two years.

This July, I watched Interim President Robert M. Groves testify before Congress that Georgetown rejected the referendum, seeming to boast as if he were proud to ignore his students. He announced new rules that may amount to a mask ban, recklessly endangering his own students and faculty. He claimed these actions connected Georgetown with the Anti-Defamation League, a group supposedly dedicated to fighting antisemitism; however, its racist conflation of anti-Zionism and antisemitism is detrimental to genuine concerns of antisemitism. Rather than stand up for his own students and faculty, Groves brushed us aside.

The university may believe that refusing to divest will shield Georgetown from attacks by the federal government and President Donald J. Trump, but capitulation only incentivizes further assaults on our schools and our freedoms. The only way to defend Georgetown and all academic institutions in the United States is to show courage, defend academic freedom, champion free speech and denounce these repressive attacks. As federal agents roam our streets and our campus seeking to intimidate us, we must be clear that the students and faculty of Georgetown will not yield. The students made their voices clear. We demand transparency in Georgetown’s investments. We demand an academic boycott of Israeli universities. We demand total divestment from Israel’s war crimes — and we demand immediate action. Georgetown, please be true to your mission. Honor your policies and your students. Israel’s devastating attacks on Palestine have only accelerated since the divestment vote last spring. I want to take pride in my school for having the courage to stand up, do the right thing and cut any connection to this violence. I want Palestinians to live freely in their homeland with their rights protected. I want you to do what you can to save lives.

Jackson Schnabel is a junior in the School of Foreign Service.

Between noise citations, party sanctions and immediate write-ups, recent administrator emails to Village A residents this fall have demonstrated a clear crackdown on on-campus partying. This comes as little surprise to returning students who remember the wristbands and Georgetown University Police Department (GUPD) officers that restricted last year’s Georgetown Day celebrations.

While the desire to encourage safety is well-intended, the administration fails to realize that policing on-campus parties drives many students to attend off-campus social events. This trend accentuates socio-economic divisions and separates students from key university safety resources. The Georgetown administration should scale back on-campus partying restrictions, and in turn, student groups should host free and accessible on-campus social gatherings.

Last Georgetown Day provides a perfect example of the risks associated with restricting oncampus partying. Georgetown Day, held on the last day of classes, is the largest university tradition of the year and is often celebrated with parties on the Vil A rooftops. However, last April, despite repeated efforts from the Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA), university administrators severely restricted access to the complex. GUPD closed and patrolled the steps, allowing access only to residents and a small number of approved guests.

Unsurprisingly, these regulations drove students off campus in hordes. Instead of partaking in open celebrations like on Homecoming or St. Patrick’s Day, a group of my friends, along with hundreds of other students, begrudgingly purchased tickets costing up to $50, hopped in a $30 Uber, and headed 30 minutes off-campus to the “Gtown Day at Hook Hall” event.

Upon arrival at Hook Hall, students were met with a large,

clamoring crowd, all attempting to push past bouncers and enter the venue. Several students fell in the crush of people, while others entered verbal altercations with venue staff.

Once through the doors, my friends noticed that the crowd was primarily rich, white and wealthy. Many other students had chosen not to go due to prohibitive costs. My friends — and probably many others there — would have rather gathered with a larger group on the rooftops of Vil A, but university rules made this impossible.

Instead of a unifying celebration of Hoya pride, the day was fraught with chaos and split along economic lines.

This is not just a Georgetown Day problem. Each week, the social app Posh is flooded with events like “Bulldog Blastoff” or “White Lies at Wilson’s”. While these parties take place at downtown venues, they are typically hosted by Georgetown fraternities and draw a group of almost entirely Georgetown students. Between tickets, Ubers and drinks, parties like these often total upwards of $50 a person. It’s no wonder that Georgetown is criticized for having an elitist and exclusive social life, when students who cannot — or just don’t want to — spend this kind of money are forced to miss out. While there’s nothing wrong with choosing a night in, no student should be held back from a full college social experience because of their financial status.

Luckily, there’s another option.

In a viral video from St. Patrick’s Day, students from different majors, financial backgrounds and organizations gathered to participate in the annual “Run of the Gingers,” and their joy is palpable. With open access to Vil A rooftops and a myriad of accessible oncampus celebrations, this year St. Patrick’s Day celebrations were far more united than Georgetown Day. Open and accessible on-campus parties give students a chance to make memories and foster friendships outside of preexisting divides. On Vil

A rooftops, students can relax and get to know each other beyond preprofessional or academic contexts. As members of a generation suffering from a challenging job market and record-high levels of loneliness, these opportunities are crucial to happiness and balance. Furthermore, on-campus parties are simply more convenient. Without travel time and pricey tickets, it is easier to spontaneously join a celebration. It would be naive to claim that there are no risks associated with on-campus parties. When alcohol and drugs are involved, students are far more likely to make dangerous decisions. However, campus is full of supportive and accessible safety resources that students are educated on before they even set foot on the Hilltop. If something goes wrong at a Vil A party, Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service (GERMS) will respond within minutes. If something goes wrong at a downtown club, students are left to call 911 — or figure it out all on their own.

Administrators must dial back sanctions on on-campus parties, allowing students to gather without fear of shutdowns or writeups. In response, student social groups should host open and free events in places like Vil A rooftops and townhouses. Hosts should move away from apps like Posh with cost-restrictive tickets and seek to invite a diverse range of attendees. Students also must be responsible and open to working with administrators on safety concerns, acknowledging the dangers of drinking culture. If administrators loosen restrictions on on-campus parties and students host more accessible on-campus events, Hoyas can have a safer, cheaper and more convenient social life. HannahGilheany is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. This is the first installment of her column “Life Outside of Lau.”

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Open Access Exodus: MSB Clubs Disaffiliate, Move to Pursue First-Year Recruitment

Discontent with Open Access policies that limit fall semester hiring for first-years, GUSIF, Zeeba and other pre-professional organizations abruptly left the MSB, generating confusion among students.

Opal Kendall Deputy Features Editor

When Yugo Kuga (SFS ’26) first arrived at Georgetown University in Fall 2022, he had no experience in finance.

Three years later, Kuga serves as the CEO of Zeeba Investment Group, a student-run international equities fund, and recently accepted a job as an investment banking analyst at Bank of America after graduation.

Kuga said he wouldn’t have come into his interest in investing if he didn’t have the opportunity to join Zeeba during the fall semester of his first year.

“I’m an SFS kid — I had career interests beyond finance,” Kuga told The Hoya. However, Kuga said that one aspect of the joining process for clubs prevents first-year student involvement — the McDonough School of Business’ (MSB) 2023 open access policy. He said the policy requires MSB-funded clubs to train firstyears in a general membership tier in the fall before they can become applied members in the spring, preventing students from having the same space to explore their interests.

Kuga said that the open access policy primarily benefits students who arrive at university with a long-standing interest in finance.

“Kids who can stick through the program are kids who are already dead set on pursuing a career in finance,” Kuga said. “It really disadvantages kids who are unsure of whether or not they want to pursue a career in finance, but still want that opportunity.”

The training as part of the open-access requirement aims to support programs in providing new students with the same training, resources and community as formalized members without the extensive written applications or rounds of interviews these clubs typically require.

The system seeks to mitigate the harmful effects of a highly competitive club environment on inclusivity and sense of belonging, particularly among first-generation and low-income students, LGBTQ+ students and students of color. MSB administrators have documented the consequences of such competition — like feelings of stereotype threat and imposter syndrome — in a series of surveys dating back to October 2018.

The policy, however, has also placed new burdens on clubs themselves, forcing them to expand their reach under already strained circumstances.

In the last several years, the recruitment timeline for professional investment banking has also accelerated dramatically; rather than occurring in the fall of junior year, many recruitment processes now take place in the spring of sophomore year or even earlier. Investment banking giants like JPMorganChase, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America have already opened applications for Summer 2026 internships. Critics of the open access’ general membership requirement argue it prevents first-years from becoming applied members in the fall, cutting an additional semester of potential training.

Janani Sundaram (MSB ’26) — the CEO of Georgetown University Student Investment Fund (GUSIF), which manages over $1 million from the university’s endowment and Alumni Association — said

being able to train first-years in the Fall semester without the burden of professional recruitment is formative to future success as an analyst.

“Investors learn a lot of the fundamentals without the pressure of having to recruit for our internships,” Sundaram told The Hoya. “There’s a reason why the GUSIF structure was created the way it was.”

“Completely removing one whole semester of the seven semesters you’re in GUSIF really alters your ability to understand how the different levels of the clubs all intersect, understand how to navigate people and understand the technical parts of things,” Sundaram added.

Kuga said these limitations have also shaped the criteria of Zeeba’s hiring process, exacerbating the existing selectiveness inherent to a heavily business-focused applicant class.

“We have to take students who are already a little more polished, who are already dead set on whether they’re pursuing a career in finance, and who have a basic understanding of how it works because there’s less time,” Kuga said.

Despite these recruitment difficulties, both GUSIF and Zeeba spent four hiring cycles under the open access program, from Fall 2023 to Spring 2025. In early September, however, GUSIF disaffiliated from the MSB, conceding all benefits afforded to university-recognized clubs. Zeeba quickly followed suit. In exchange for their ability to reserve rooms, university funding and the right to participate in university events and advertisements, the groups gained one primary benefit — the ability to recruit first years as applied members in the fall.

A university spokesperson said clubs recognized by the MSB must comply with membership policy.

“Georgetown McDonough offers a dynamic and diverse array of undergraduate student organizations designed to enhance the academic, professional, and social experiences of business students and those interested in business,” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya

The First-Year Frenzy

Two years of the open access policy — and the resulting loss of training time — have created structural challenges for club leadership.

Sundaram said GUSIF’s move to disaffiliate itself from the university was driven by evolving gaps in the confidence and professional progression of analysts trained under the open access policy.

“Now that the current junior class was the first class to see open access, we can see a little bit of a delay in that sort of development,” Sundaram said. “They’re all incredible investors, incredible analysts, but we are able to see that there is that one semester’s worth of lag.”

“Freshmen are kind of the crux of the organization because they are analysts, and they want these big leadership positions, and they keep moving up, up, up,” Sundaram added. Sundaram said delaying entry for potential members by a year makes it difficult for clubs to build up institutional infrastructure and knowledge.

“When an organization is very sophomore-heavy, they lose focus because they’re worried about recruiting and all sorts of other things, which is totally fair, but that’s why we’ve been seeing that sort of lag,” Sundaram said.

Sundaram said GUSIF’s decision to disaffiliate reflected organization-specific challenges and was not intended to motivate other groups to follow suit.

“I’ve had a lot of different clubs reach out to me and ask me about our thought process behind it,” Sundaram said. “I definitely tried not to sway any club in any way. I didn’t even think about what other clubs would do.”

“I was just thinking about GUSIF, and I only had GUSIF in mind when I made a decision because we are unique in terms of our fiduciary responsibility compared to other clubs,” Sundaram added.

GUSIF’s actions, however, pushed Zeeba to make a similar decision. Five days after GUSIF disaffiliated MSB, Zeeba also left the MSB.

The club did not have existing plans to disaffiliate. Instead, Kuga said, the decision was prompted by a need to level the playing field.

“As a club, we cannot run open access if GUSIF is taking freshmen because we are direct competitors,” Kuga said. “We teach over 150 kids a semester — imagine if, in the middle of the open access program, 30 of them leave because they get into GUSIF.”

“Even if you’re more interested in Zeeba, it would be a no-brainer to apply for GUSIF because you’d get a semester more experience,” Kuga added. Despite the decision’s risks, Kuga said Zeeba stands to gain more than it lost by disaffiliating.

“Ultimately, whatever MSB was providing us,” Kuga said, “It’s not enough to incentivize us to pursue open access and not take any freshmen in the fall.”

GUSIF and Zeeba are not the first clubs to disaffiliate. In Fall 2024, the Hilltop Microfinance Initiative (HMFI), a nonprofit that provides financial coaching and microloans to small businesses, disaffiliated, citing concerns about sharing sensitive client information with general members.

Anvitha Reddy (SFS ’26), HMFI’s CEO, said general membership requires clubs to extend resources to prospective members, creating a dilemma for club leadership as to the value of expending resources on people who may not apply at all later on.

“There’s very little incentive to want to stay in a structure where you’re spending more time, spending more energy, and then ultimately not necessarily getting more dedicated or more interested applicants,” Reddy told The Hoya

Toni Marz (MSB ’26), president of the McDonough School of Business Student Advisory Board (MSAB), which liaises between MSB-affiliated clubs and university administration, has, however, been a proponent of the policy.

Fulldisclosure:ToniMarzformerlyserved as a Social Media Editor for The Hoya. Marz said the policy ensures all undergraduate students can meaningfully participate in business clubs regardless of background, experience or class year.

“Instead of students feeling pressured to apply to the ‘most selective’ groups just for prestige, they are able to explore a variety of organizations and identify which align with their genuine interests,” Marz wrote to The Hoya. “General membership gives students the chance to demonstrate commitment and enthusiasm over time, rather than relying solely on a one-time application.”

Leo Ledlow (CAS ’27) — the former chief human resources officer for Hoyalytics, a data analytics club that trains about 300 general members every year — said the open access policy has successfully helped to combat the insulation of competitive business clubs.

“Having a continuous stream of fresh faces and new ideas is really essential to keeping a club very socially healthy and building new networks on campus,” Ledlow told The Hoya Varied Administrative Responses Both club leaders say the disaffiliation process was far from cut and dry.

Sundaram, who began her yearlong term as CEO in December 2024, said GUSIF had been considering disaffiliation since well before the Fall 2025 hiring cycle.

“I can’t even count the number of meetings we’ve had at the dean’s office,” she said. “It started way before my board term.”

The dean’s office did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

A university spokesperson said that the dean’s office is committed to an ethos of equality.

“Student organizations are subject to the student organizations standards, including those around open membership,” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya. “Because of the University’s commitment to inclusion, membership in a McDonough undergraduate student organization must be nondiscriminatory.”

In a now-deleted Instagram post from Aug. 28, the same day as the MSB’s Back to Business club fair, GUSIF advertised that both first-years and sophomores would be eligible to apply to the group. While the Instagram post explicitly stated that GUSIF would accept first-year applications, Sundaram said they weren’t fully committed to the change.

“At the beginning of the semester, we were playing with the idea,” Sundaram said.

Sundaram said that GUSIF, having built a long-term relationship with the dean’s office in discussions regarding open access, had hoped to reach a compromise during these talks to either change the policy or obtain an exemption.

“We weren’t flat out being like, ‘Hey, we can take freshmen,’ but we also weren’t shutting people down,” Sundaram said. “We were definitely in contact with the dean’s office and had multiple meetings just within those two weeks.”

“We honestly really enjoyed our open access program,” Sundaram added. “We had absolutely no problem in terms of the open access part of things, but we also wanted the ability to take freshmen.”

In a Sept. 10 information session for prospective applied members in Lohrfink Auditorium, GUSIF officially announced it would accept first-years as applied members. The organization formally and immediately disaffiliated after the meeting.

Zeeba made a similar announcement in a Sept. 14 Instagram post; however, instead of two weeks, Zeeba had less than 24 hours to disaffiliate.

Kuga said the club believed, based on GUSIF’s experience, that the solicitation of first-year analyst applicants would not constitute a violation of MSB club policies.

“My impression was that advertising is fine,” Kuga said. “The

ILLUSTRATION BY ARIA ZHU/THE HOYA Inconsistent university treatment of MSBaffiliated student organizations sows frustration among club leadership, who have pursued different courses of action ranging from a strong commitment to disaffiliation to harboring hope for future.

violation comes when you start taking those freshmen, when we start accepting applications.”

Kuga said he did not notify the dean’s office of Zeeba’s announcement before posting, saying the club decided over the weekend.

In a Sept. 15 email exchange obtained and reviewed by The Hoya Marz informed Kuga the morning of Monday, Sept. 15, that the advertisement had cost the group their university benefits.

“I saw on Instagram that Zeeba has chosen to accept freshmen applications this semester, meaning that they are no longer a part of MSAB,” Marz wrote.

Kuga then clarified his distinction between advertising first-year analyst applications and accepting first-years as analysts, offering to remove the Instagram post.

In a 9:52 a.m. email on Sept. 15, Justin Smith, MSB associate dean of strategic initiatives, wrote to Kuga mandating that Zeeba’s board must finalize the club’s affiliation by the afternoon of Sept. 15.

“Before 2 p.m. today, you will need to make a decision: Continue as a member of MSAB, in compliance with all university/school policies or disaffiliate, in which case your access-to-benefits (space/reservations/email) will cease immediately,” Smith wrote in the email. “If I don’t hear back from you before 2pm, I will make a preliminary decision for you based upon what I know.”

Kuga met with Marz that afternoon, and Zeeba formally and voluntarily disaffiliated from MSAB before 5 p.m. Sept. 15.

Smith said, in the same email exchange with Kuga regarding the difference between Zeeba and GUSIF’s exits from MSAB, that the decision was rooted in “maintaining the trust” that comes with being a member of MSAB.

“At Georgetown, and especially within the Jesuit tradition, we hold ourselves to values of integrity, accountability and cura personalis,” Smith said. “That means we do not seek advantage at the expense of fairness, nor do we excuse one misstep by pointing to another.”

Smith did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Sundaram said GUSIF was in consistent contact with MSB administrators about their decision, being intentional not to undermine policy.

“We wanted to make sure we didn’t do anything under the table,” Sundaram said. “That’s why we left the day we had our first info session to show the MSB that we’re not trying to undermine them. We do want to play by the book.”

GUSA Intervention Historically, MSAB has been funded solely through donations made to the MSB undergraduate program and the MSB dean’s office rather than the student activity funds that support other advisory boards.

In 2024, however, the dean’s office announced that they would be shifting their funding priorities towards retreats aimed exclusively at MSB students, causing GUSA’s Finance and Appropriations (FinApp) Committee, a senate committee responsible for managing and allocating the university’s student activities fee to student organizations, to grant funding to MSAB for the first time — a sum of $3,968.

FinApp Chair Han Li (CAS ’27) said the allocation prompted new questions about the relationship between GUSA and MSAB, and FinApp voted unanimously to establish the MSAB Investigative Subcommittee on Sept. 21. “If you want our money, you have to play by our rules,” Li told The Hoya “For us, this poses the question of how we give the money back to students in the most effective way,” he said. “That’s what the MSAB problem is. Do we give them support? How much support do we give them? How do we do that in the best way possible, that aligns with our mission of supporting student life?”

The university has its own access to benefits policy for Center for Student Engagement (CSE) clubs, which also requires open membership, but notably allows organizations to seek exemptions from a student advisory board to assess applicants based on relevant criteria such as musical talent, public speaking skills or athletic abilities. Although housed under the MSB, MSAB is affiliated with the CSE. James Beit (MSB ’26), the chair of the subcommittee, said that the group will also explore potential paths for disaffiliated business clubs within this structure, including creating their own CSE student advisory board or approaching an existing board, like the Student Activities Commission (SAC), to request an open membership exemption.

“Georgetown has never sent so many people into so many high-level roles, basically in its history, until now, because of the actions and the alumni networks of these clubs,” Beit told The Hoya. “It’s having such a great impact on the success of graduates.”

“I feel like we have to face facts here, and say that this deserves an exemption,” he added.

Vincent Barahona (MSB ’27), who served as the development chair of the MSAB for the 2024-25 school year and has spoken out against MSAB since, said an exemption system would support much-needed distinctions.

“You just have to differentiate,” Barahona told The Hoya. “Simply put, there are two kinds of clubs in the MSB and under the MSAB system. There’s the ones that train, and then there are the ones that do the work.”

“I am not anti-open access. I think open access is what makes Georgetown clubs, at their best, special. But do I think that all Georgetown clubs are the same and fit the same mold? No. I think that there are certain clubs that benefit from open access, and then there are certain clubs whose missions are fundamentally antithetical to it and the work that they do is degraded,” he added.

On Sept. 26, MSAB will host a Leaders Lunch for all club leadership to listen to feedback on how the board can best support the clubs.

Zeeba is considering an optional open access program that would run concurrently with freshman applied membership. Sundaram said GUSIF, which will remain closely linked to the university due to the nature of its investments, hopes to reach a similar compromise with MSB administration.

“We’re hoping that at some point, in future semesters, these conversations continue where we can bring back open access and be able to take freshmen,” Sundaram said. “This is not the end of the journey.”

Kissing Bugs Carrying Potentially Deadly Chagas Disease Found in US

Eva Siminiceanu Science Deputy Editor

Chagas disease, an infectious parasitic disease spread by insects known as “kissing bugs,” is becoming increasingly prominent in the United States, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This infection, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a parasite usually found in the feces of infected triatomine insects, commonly referred to as kissing bugs due to their tendency to bite on and near the face. Chagas disease is most commonly found in South and Central American countries, where around 30,000 new cases occur each year.

While most cases of Chagas disease in the United States were once predominantly linked to travel to the region, kissing bugs have been recorded in increasing numbers within the country. This month, the CDC declared that Chagas disease is now endemic, or regularly occurring, within the United States. Though Chagas disease has not been recorded in Washington, D.C., its prominence is increasing.

Charlotte Philips (CAS ’28), a student studying biology, said it is important to inform the public about little-known diseases like Chagas disease.

“It’s not a very well-known or easily recognizable disease among the American public,” Philips wrote to The Hoya. “That can make tracking and treating it very difficult, which raises fear about the prevalence of asymptomatic cases that can irreparably damage someone’s health.”

Symptoms of Chagas disease include swelling around the site of the bug bite, fever and body aches. If the disease is not diagnosed and treated with antiparasitic medicine in its early acute stage, which lasts around two months, it enters a potentially deadly chronic stage for which there is currently no cure.

In this later stage, which lasts decades after the initial infection, around 20% of patients develop heart or digestive problems that can lead to death. Many cases of Chagas disease can be asymptomatic, so carriers can be unaware they have the disease until it is in its chronic stage, making awareness and prevention crucial.

Angela Sidhu (CAS ’27) said guidelines for prevention and medical support will ideally become more widely accessible as the prevalence of Chagas disease increases.

“I’m really afraid of these kissing bugs now,” Sidhu told The Hoya. “I don’t know what I can do to prevent the disease, and I wish there was more clear, tangible medical advice about this.”

Philips said the CDC’s recent endemic declaration will hopefully help accelerate mitigation efforts on both a national and local level.

“Hopefully this new declaration will mean more people get screened and tested, and that healthcare professionals will be more aware of the symptoms and the need to treat patients early,” Philips said.

While the kissing bugs are most commonly found in Texas and other southern states, students are concerned about university response if the issue migrates.

Anish Patel (CAS ’28), a student studying biochemistry and government, said public health issues often don’t receive necessary coverage until it’s too late.

“I feel like I haven’t seen much about the health issues in local D.C.,” Patel wrote to The Hoya. “I know that the tuberculosis cases

last year might’ve been reported through the Georgetown email, but I personally don’t receive most of this information until it’s something big or something actually hits national news.”

GU Faculty Discuss Dignified Care, Catholic Teachings

Ruth Noll Senior Science Editor

Georgetown University faculty members explored the principles of Catholic social teaching and how those principles can shape approaches to dignified care for people with disabilities at a Sept. 17 event.

The Georgetown University Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, which aims to promote dialogue on Catholic social thought, hosted the discussion in collaboration with the Georgetown University School of Medicine (GUSOM) student group Magis, a club where medical students come together to explore the meaning of being a Jesuit medical institution. Discussants examined how Catholic social teaching principles could be combined with political, social and medical efforts to advance quality care for people with disabilities, featuring three speakers who focused on different aspects of shaping care.

Dr. Amy Kenny — a disabled scholar-practitioner, writer, advocate and the inaugural Director of Georgetown University’s Disability Cultural Center — said Jesuit values such as Georgetown’s mission of community in diversity are particularly important in a discussion on disability.

“One of the Jesuit values that matters deeply to the work of the Disability Cultural Center is creating a community in diversity — we know that disability is a part of the biodiversity of humanity,” Kenny said at the event. “Another value that we hold really dear is caring for the whole person. And when we care for the whole person, we care for someone’s access needs.” Kenny added that, despite the benefits of such care, there is a lack of support for these principles in action in medical care.

“A recent study from Harvard talks about how 80% of us doctors don’t even offer disabled folks the same interventions because they think that we don’t have a good quality of life,” Kenny said.

Robin Shaffert is a Senior Policy Associate at the Georgetown University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities who focuses on policy issues that impact people with and at risk for developmental disabilities. Shaffert said the policy community has only recently begun to acknowledge the disparities in care between disabled and nondisabled people.

“One of the things with medical care is that, because of our system, a lot of people with disabilities do have medical insurance,” Shaffert said at the event. “So that’s a plus, because we always want to talk about positive things, but their outcomes across the board are worse.”

In 2023, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) stated for the first time that people with disabilities would be designated a population experiencing health care disparities.

Dr. William Sullivan, the Joseph P. Kennedy Senior Chair in bioethics at Georgetown’s Kennedy Institute of Ethics, said disabled people are underrepresented in research, leading care providers to lack appropriate knowledge for offering accurate care.

“Those health issues that are more specific to adults with intellectual disabilities only represent about — they represent about 1.5% of the whole population, and so likely they’re not going to get into these general health preventive care recommendations,” Sullivan said at the event. “But there are other types of evidence that typically are excluded, and I would call that evidence from the expertise of people who have lived experience of having a disability.”

Shaffert said that, although there has been a lot of progress towards improving the quality of care, many disabled patients still experience barriers to receiving dignified care, such as ableism or a lack of proper medical equipment.

“People with disabilities will rate their life experience, the quality of their lives, as high, notwithstanding all of these systemic problems that we’ve talked about; but doctors do not see it that way,” Shaffert said.

Shaffert added that another barrier to quality care is that many doctors do not support a disabled person’s agency — when disabled patients go to the doctor’s office with a nondisabled person, the medical professional will often address the nondisabled person rather than the disabled patient.

“That’s the first thing is you have to learn, as a physician to talk to people with disabilities, be comfortable doing that, find out

how they communicate, and how you can communicate with them, which is different for each person, that is really a big key to it, and then recognizing that that person is the decision maker,” Shaffert said.

Sullivan said Catholic social teachings can help resolve the lack of agency for disabled patients, noting that the moral element of health care is often excluded from discussions that focus on biological or psychological factors.

“There is no space for thinking about the human person in their fullness as moral as well,” Sullivan said. “And so, one of the things that I would say is that Catholic social teaching regarding subsidiarity can be an ethical guide that is deciding healthcare interventions and policies with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and not for or above or apart from them.”

Spotted Lanternflies Raise DC, GU Ecological Concerns

Sarina Hattiangadi Science Writer

Spotted lanternflies (SLFs), an invasive species of insect native to parts of China and Vietnam, have become increasingly common both in the Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) area and on the Georgetown University campus.

First documented in Pennsylvania in 2014, SLFs have spread across the mid-Atlantic region as a highly invasive species whose behavioral habits and physiological characteristics pose threats to a number of plant and tree species. Since being spotted in D.C. for the first time in 2018, residents of the District have witnessed a noticeable increase in SLF presence — so much so that they are beginning to show up on meteorological radars.

Lucy Zipf, an ecologist and Georgetown professor studying the effects of climate change on biological communities, said SLF population numbers are increasing, potentially allowing them to spread more widely across the country.

“Large numbers of SLF in D.C. this year mean this species is on

the move, expanding its range in the U.S.,” Zipf wrote to The Hoya. “In the U.S., quarantine zones have been established for SLF, these are regions where the movement of materials that may contain SLFs are limited.”

Braedan Lenehan (CAS ’28), an environmental biology major, said invasive species like SLFs often spread in non-native habitats as a result of human activity.

“Invasive species, plant or animal, appear in an environment where they don’t belong,” Lenehan wrote to The Hoya. “Most often, invasive species are caused by human activity, like the pet trade, or by accidentally taking species that stow away on shipping vessels. Invasive species can have devastating effects on their environments.”

Zipf said the 2014 arrival of SLFs in the United States occurred under unusual circumstances.

“This introduction event was unique in that the lanternflies were transported as egg masses,” Zipf wrote. “These egg masses can contain ~50 eggs, so many individuals were introduced to the U.S. at once.”

Martha Weiss, co-director of the environmental studies program and director of the envi-

ronmental biology major, said the insect’s name is misleading.

“Despite their name, they are not flies; they are true bugs, in a group called planthoppers,” Weiss wrote to The Hoya. “They are quite pretty, up close — the immature stages (nymphs) start out black with white spots, and then become bright red; the adults have spotted and patterned beige and black forewings, and bright scarlet patches on their hindwings.”

Lenehan said his first experience with SLFs in his hometown of New York City (N.Y.C.) stuck out, as many people often resort to stomping on SLFs in order to kill them and help reduce their presence in the environment.

“I learned about spotted lanternflies a couple of years ago when I was walking back to my apartment in N.Y.C., where I saw an older lady purposely squashing them,” Lenehan said. “I wondered why she was doing this, and soon after I got home, there was a notification on my phone about this invasion of spotted lanternflies in New York.”

Zipf said invasive species, like SLFs, can have negative impacts on the non-native environment

to which they are introduced, including the destruction of surrounding plant life.

“SLFs for example cause direct and indirect damage to many commercially important plant species, like grapes,” Zipf wrote.

“SLFs feed on a wide range of plant species, and cause damage and death as a result of their sap-sucking feeding behavior.”

Weiss said that, although stomping on adult lanternflies may help reduce the population size, there are more effective ways to prevent the spread of SLFs.

“Now that they’re here, there’s not a lot that we can do to eradicate them,” Weiss wrote. “The best thing we can do is learn to recognize the overwintering egg masses, which look like a beige clay patch about 1.5 inches in diameter, and remove those from trees, benches, cars, or other surfaces before they hatch in the spring,” Weiss said.

Weiss added that, despite the difficulty of eradicating invasive species, she would continue to support efforts to reduce the SLF population in the United States.

“I’d be happy to lead a lanternfly egg ID and eradication walk in early spring,” Weiss wrote.

Philips said it is imperative for the Georgetown University community to stay vigilant about the symptoms of the disease and track any new developments that could affect the District.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry, and hopefully increased awareness can help prevent these little-known and insidious diseases from spreading and harming people now and in the future,” Philips said.

THE POLICY PROGNOSIS

AI Involved in Insurance Authorization Processes

Leave Room for Denials

Shiva Ranganathan Science Columnist

Health insurance companies, which pay for health services of their patrons, can deny coverage of costs if they deem a procedure to be medically unnecessary. This insurer-guided verification of health costs is known as “prior authorization.”

Of roughly 50 million prior authorization requests sent to insurance companies in 2023, roughly 3.2 million were denied. However, when 11.7% of those denials were appealed, 81.7% of appeals resulted in a reimbursement from the insurer, indicating most of the appealed initial denials of provision were faulty.

Under the guise of reducing unnecessary spending, insurance companies make decisions to deny coverage of drugs or durable medical equipment, such as wheelchairs and breathing devices, to curb their costs. However, patients and providers are the ones who pay the price. In 2024, 93% of physicians said prior authorization delayed patient care and led to negative outcomes, while 87% claimed it was a waste of resources.

The usage of artificial intelligence (AI) has begun to pervade insurance companies’ drug authorization processes, further reducing providers’ ability to decide the best course of medical action for patients. Though AI can be trained to assist in diagnosing and creating treatment plans, its potential benefits must be weighed against the reality that AI tools are denying more claims and jeopardizing patient outcomes.

In the 2025 court case Lokken et al. v. UnitedHealth Group, Inc. — in which patients who had acute care coverage terminated accused a national health insurance provider, UnitedHealthcare (UHC), of abusing AI to process insurance requests — the court allowed the plaintiffs to continue suing UHC for possibly breaking its own plan promises, but not for violating federal Medicare laws.

Dr. Bruce Scott, the president of the American Medical Association, said these automated systems are denying more claims.

“Emerging evidence shows that insurers use automated decision-making systems to create systematic batch denials with little or no human review, placing barriers between patients and necessary medical care,” Scott said.

The lawsuit examined naviHealth Predict, an AI tool that analyzed cases using algorithms and data, rather than an individualized approach, to decide if a benefit should be provided. In an overwhelming number of cases, insurance was denied.

UnitedHealthcare and other private health care insurance providers are not the only coverage sourc-

es utilizing AI to inspect claims. Government-sponsored insurers are currently developing an AI pilot program to accelerate review of Medicare prior authorization requests across Arizona, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington. The new program, called the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model, is set to start Jan. 1, 2026. Concerns have arisen surrounding financial incentives for private AI companies contracted by the government to deny more claims. WISeR can easily be corrupted by employees training AI models to be biased towards denying claims, because companies are at less risk of losing money when they don’t have to compensate patients’ medical benefits. Additionally, the contracting process has been murky, with a government spokesperson not identifying the tech companies involved in the pilot. All of this is not to deny the United States’ health system is wasteful. In fact, overtreatment accounts for 2% to 8.4% of total U.S. health spending. This is a considerable proportion of the total health spending, which constitutes just under 20% of the U.S. gross domestic product. AI usage has its place in health care — confirming diagnoses assessed by doctors, personalizing treatment plans when properly trained and utilizing resources to break costs down effectively. However, extending that role to include the denial of coverage is a slippery slope that could accentuate the negative elements of government health systems, whose grievances mirror those of private insurance.

Reducing the brunt expense of health care is an important priority, but it should be handled with care. The answer to excess spending is not to encroach on the agency of providers, nor to further slow down an already sluggish process to obtain health services. Promoting value-based care and transparency can enhance patient outcomes without relying on algorithms unequipped to handle case-by-case claims. For example, surprise billing has a more pronounced impact on patient experiences and outcomes than wastefulness in overall health spending. Patients receive added health care costs that were not mentioned at clinic visits and end up paying beyond their capacities in many cases. In a health care system slowly evolving to replace financial incentives with outcome-centric ones, the verification of coverage is a delicate process. It needs to be handled and verified by nonstakeholders — those who do not stand to benefit from a lower quality of patient care.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Kissing bugs, which are native to the Americas and cause a parasitic infection that can be transmitted from their bite known as Chagas Disease, have been found increasingly in the United States.

RUTH NOLL/THE HOYA

Georgetown faculty discuss how Catholic social teachings can inform and improve dignified care for people with disabilities.

IN FOCUS

Russian Dissident Reflects on Soviet Dissent

Vladamir Kara-Muzra, a scholar and dissident-in-residence at Georgetown University, reflected on the lessons of Soviet dissent movements at a Sept. 25 event with a prominent historian and author.

SFS Qatar Campus to Launch New STIA Program for Fall 2026 Semester

Emily Dabre Graduate Desk Editor

The Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) School of Foreign Service (SFS-Q) will launch the science, technology and international affairs (STIA) major program in Fall 2026, university faculty confirmed to The Hoya The undergraduate major will build on the Washington, D.C. campus’ existing STIA program and give students the opportunity to explore energy transitions, food and water security and the shifting terms of international politics and diplomacy. GU-Q will draw from existing courses on the Hilltop campus while introducing new courses and faculty members to tailor the program to the region, according to STIA faculty.

Emily Mendenhall, the director of the STIA program at the Hilltop campus, said the introduction of STIA in Qatar will be key to expanding GU-Q’s focus beyond the social sciences.

“STIA in Qatar is long overdue,” Mendenhall wrote to The Hoya “Our colleagues have built a foundational hub for thinking about international affairs in the Middle East. Incorporating a science and tech component will not only broaden the capabilities for students but also for faculty working at these critical intersections.”

Akkshath Subrahmanian (SFS ’26), a STIA major who studied abroad in Qatar, said the foreign service-focused classes in Doha were less tailored to the sciences in comparison to the main campus.

“On the Hilltop, the STIA program has been growing quickly in regards to the number of students because people want to have a more interdisciplinary curriculum with the sciences,” Subrahmanian wrote to The Hoya. “In Doha, the classes are generally limited to support IPOL, IHIST, IECO and CULP students. As such, the chance to study science is limited.”

SFS-Q currently offers majors in culture and politics (CULP), international politics (IPOL), international history (IHIS) and international economics (IECO) — only four of the eight major programs offered at SFS on the Hilltop campus.

Ranneme Abu-Hajar (SFS-Q ’26), an SFS-Q student currently

studying abroad at the D.C. campus, said she believes introducing STIA to the Qatar campus would fill an important gap in the university’s academic offerings.

“I feel like CULP, IHIS, IECO and IPOL are all social sciences and humanities related, and I think bringing in STIA and STIA classes can bring our Georgetown educational experience full circle,” Abu-Hajar told The Hoya

“I was in Qatar this past summer, and people were talking about it, and so many students were really excited about it. It’s just something new, something different and something crucial that we need to bring to the table,” Abu-Hajar added.

Rowan Ellis, an assistant teaching professor of science at GU-Q who has been key in developing the program, said the importance of integrating diverse perspectives from the Global South into conversations around scientific and technological advancements was central to the decision to debut STIA.

“Increasingly, our students are very aware that the pace of scientific and technological innovation is bringing new environmental, ethical and policy issues rapidly into their purview as future global leaders,” Ellis wrote to The Hoya. “Equally, the development of STIA at GU-Q also represents an urgent and timely opportunity to enhance diversity within the ‘big’ conversations that the STIA program addresses, and to bring in more Southern, non-traditional voices to these debates.”

Qatar’s location, on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Pen-

insula, has also been important in the push to bring STIA to Doha.

Adeena Hossain (SFS-Q ’27), an SFS-Q student currently studying abroad at the D.C. campus, told The Hoya that the location was one of the most valuable features of the Qatar campus.

“Qatar is located in such a strategic, interesting location,” Hossain said. “We have Iran next to us, and then we also have the whole continent of Africa. I meant like, we’re literally in the middle of Asia, Africa and Europe. So we have a lot of access.”

Mark Giordano, the SFS vice dean for undergraduate affairs and a professor in the Hilltop STIA program, said the importance of science and technology fields in Qatar made STIA an even more important addition to students.

“Qatar is in the center of the world’s gas and oil industry but understands climate science, relies almost entirely on desalinated water, and uses cutting edge military technology for security,” Giordano wrote to The Hoya. “No science and technology, no Qatar. STIA is the second largest major in SFS. It is the second largest concentration in MSFS. I wouldn’t be surprised to see something similar in Doha.”

Ellis said the STIA program was especially necessary considering the current state of the sciences worldwide.

“We are at an unsettling and potentially pivotal moment in terms of the position and legitimacy of science within the public arena,” Ellis wrote. “As many parts of the world are facing existential challenges to scientific knowledge production, there is value in looking furtherafield for insight and leadership.”

Femme, Masc Lesbians Compete

Ruth Abramovitz Senior News Editor

Seventeen queer women competed for two titles of most performative masc lesbian and most performative femme lesbian at Georgetown University’s performative lesbian contest Sept. 21. The contest followed a Sept. 14 student-organized “performative man” contest, this time exemplifying the pinnacle of masculine (masc) and feminine (femme) lesbian stereotypes in an organic and loosely organized gathering. Both archetypes of masc and femme have more extensive histories than that of the performative man and feature more traditionally masculine or feminine, respectively, characteristics of dress, interests and appearance. College campuses across the United States have hosted performative lesbian contests as a spinoff

of the performative male trend; GUPride, a student organization supporting the LGBTQ+ community, promoted Georgetown’s contest.

Paige Benish (SFS ’28), who oversaw the contest’s ceremonial duties, said they wanted the contest to bring together queer people on campus in a different way than a formalized event would.

“This campus is like a desert when it comes to queer people. It’s not that there’s no queer people; it’s just that this is such not a liberal arts campus.” Benish told The Hoya. “This is a psyop to spot all the queer people and get them in one location so we’re not spread out — to get all the queer people together in a way that’s not institutional and more funny and silly.”

More than 100 students congregated on Copley Lawn Sunday afternoon to watch as four femmes, 12 mascs and one uncat-

egorized contestant donned flowy pastel patterns, cargo shorts, oversized sweater and — of course — carabiners with many an affixed lesbian sundry token.

Benish took the contestants through a series of questions, some of which poked fun at the trope that lesbians are overly emotionally attached to new and past lovers.

“Is it acceptable to be friends with your ex?” Benish said at the contest. “How many weeks do you have to know each other before it’s okay to move in together?”

The contest also played on masc and femmes stereotypes, asking the mascs to guess the price per hour of renting a UHaul truck.

The final round of questions was a “fit check” where competitors could show off their outfits and any props they brought to make their cases before the crowd and judges. Contestants displayed mixtapes

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Journalist

An award-winning journalist praised President Donald J. Trump for his criticism of the United Nations (UN) and shift in Ukraine foreign policy, yet criticized Trump’s failure to negotiate with Russian leaders at a Sept. 24 event in Georgetown University’s Gaston Hall.

David Ignatius, who has reported on foreign affairs and politics for almost four decades, writes a semi-weekly foreign affairs column for the Washington Post and is widely respected as an expert in international relations and diplomacy, having won awards in diplomatic reporting and commentary. Joel Hellman, dean of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, moderated the event as the annual Tanous Family Endowed Lecture, which celebrates the anniversary of Lauinger Library.

Ignatius said his column is guided by an understanding that the international order has shifted amidst a global turn towards right-wing populism.

“We had a rules-based order. This idea we have a fundamental rule of law — that order is under attack, and I find that just deeply worrying,” Ignatius said. “In all my columns, I’m sort of grappling with the same question leaders around the world are:

‘How do we live in this world?’”

Ignatius said Trump’s Sept. 23 speech at the United Nations General Assembly, where Trump criticized foreign leaders and immigration policies, showed an important shift in Trump’s stance on Ukraine.

“Donald Trump has changed, in a significant way, his position on Ukraine and Russia,” Ignatius said. “Really, for the first time, he was saying Ukraine should fight and retake all of its territory. Before, he was saying Ukraine would have to give up four provinces and Crimea as a price for negotiations and peace. He is not saying that now; he is saying ‘fight and win.’”

Before this week, Trump had not expressed full confidence in Ukraine’s ability to win the territory it had lost. Instead, he had promoted land exchange as a bargaining chip to settle the war with Vladimir Putin.

Ignatius said that while Trump had some valid criticism of the UN, his tone and delivery at the meeting were embarrassing for the United States.

“There were some criticisms I actually agreed with,” Ignatius said. “He said the UN is useless, really soft on crises and doesn’t stop wars. There are a lot of criticisms that I have made and would endorse about the UN’s failure, really, of carrying out the role it was conditioned when it was created after

and knit scarves given to them by ex-partners, multiple Japanese Breakfast albums, outerwear passed down from dads and — reminiscent of the performative men — books by bell hooks and Simone de Beauvoir.

After Benish asked attendants who were not queer women to remove themselves from the electorate, the judging panel and a cheering crowd crowned Lili Linder (CAS ’26) and Amah Mensah-Boone (SFS ’28) as the contest’s most performative masc and femme lesbians, respectively.

Linder said her friends paid her $100 to enter the contest because she fit the masc stereotype so effortlessly, saying she didn’t need any time to prepare for the contest.

“Absolutely no preparation.

Just being myself,” Linder told The Hoya. “I mean that truly, unfortunately; no performance needed.”

Linder captivated the crowd with pithy answers, a black short-

GU Recommended Skilled Foreign Workers Return to US After Trump Announces New Visa Fee

Georgetown University recommended current employees who are skilled foreign workers, eturn to the United States by 12:01 a.m. Sept. 21 after President Donald Trump announced a $100,000-peryear fee for visas for such workers.

See The Hoya’s website for more daily news updates throughout the week.

World War II, but the tone in which he did it — this sort of rambling, self-promoting style — embarrassed me.”

Hellman said Ignatius’s experience in foreign affairs as a journalist has given him deep insight into the international process.

“What sets David apart is his remarkable access to the intelligence community,” Hellman said at the event. “Over the years, he’s cultivated relationships with CIA operatives, foreign diplomats and policy makers that have given him unprecedented insights into how American foreign policy actually works.”

Ignatius also drew on his experience interviewing world leaders and covering foreign affairs for international publications to assess the United States’ current relations with other nations.

Last month, Trump hosted Putin at a summit in Alaska, Putin’s first time on American soil since 2015, in an effort to end the Ukraine War. However, no resolution came out of the meeting.

Ignatius said he blamed both leaders for the failure: Putin for being too focused on winning the war and Trump for believing Putin could be persuaded into settling.

“People like me have been writing for a couple years, ‘Putin is not interested in a negotiated settlement; he wants victory,’” Ignatius said. “This is his destiny, this war, and anybody who thinks he will settle without being absolutely forced to, I think, completely misreads it.”

Oleksandra Nikanova (CAS ’28), an international student from Ukraine who attended the event, said she was surprised by Ignatius’ insight into Ukraine.

“I wasn’t expecting him to focus so much on Ukraine,” Nikanova told The Hoya. “I would agree with almost everything he said about my home country, and I thought that he was very knowledgeable and very expressive.”

Reflecting on his coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, Ignatius said Israel’s military objectives in Gaza stood in contrast to the political goals of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“In every military sense, this war should be over,” Ignatius said. “The Israeli military told me more than a year ago, ‘We have achieved our military objectives. Hamas will never be able to threaten Israel the way it did on October 7. We have destroyed their military power.’ Netanyahu has a different conception of victory: total victory. Still not sure exactly what he thinks that means, but it has led to the reinvasion of Gaza and tremendous loss of life for the Israelis and Palestinians.”

sleeve button down, Dickies pants and a carabiner with a thrifted UHaul hat clipped to her belt loop.

Mensah-Boone showed the crowd her lesbian pride flag, a handful of Megan Thee Stallion photo cards, her most recent knit project and a denim jacket her dad thrifted in the ’80s.

Mensah-Boone said it was powerful to visibly celebrate lesbian culture in a political climate where queer people are being increasingly targeted.

“Lesbian’s like a bad word nowadays,” Mensah-Boone told The Hoya. “So I like that people actually came out and supported and were at least willing to talk about being a lesbian and lesbian culture in front of other people.”

“Being able to do events like this, especially when you know the government right down the street really does not approve of

Israel launched a ground invasion of Gaza City on Sept. 17, which the country expects to take “several months” to complete. Since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel — where the militant group killed over 1,200 people and captured around 250 hostages — about 200,000 Gazans have been killed or injured.

Ignatius said Trump has shown a commitment to ending the war through diplomatic outreach, even as Israel continues with its offensive.

“This war should end,” Ignatius said. “Trump knows that, says that and has tried negotiating directly with Hamas.” Ignatius said he fears the war will broaden beyond Gaza, which he said neither Gazans nor Israelis want.

“My biggest worry now, frankly, is that the war will move into a new phase in the West Bank,” Ignatius said. “I think that is a lot closer than people realize. I have so many Israeli friends, especially in military and security services, and I know how passionately they want this to be over, but unfortunately, their voices don’t break through.”

Daria Grishina (SFS ’28), who is studying international politics, said Ignatius’ expertise helped her understand the current state of global affairs.

“It gave really good insight into how the global order is changing in today’s world and future expectations we can see, especially with his comments on current conflicts like Ukraine and Gaza,” Grishina told The Hoya Ignatius, who has extensively covered the foreign policy objectives of world leaders, said the rise of Trump’s “America-first” foreign policy approach stems from Americans’ growing skepticism of elites.

“One reason we have a country that does not trust the elites is that the elites kept making these big, consequential mistakes,” Ignatius said. “Part of what Trump represents is a rational reaction to mistakes that were made by elites who thought they knew what they were doing but didn’t turn out to.” Ignatius said his long career as a journalist leads him to believe that a new world order, developing under Trump and an unstable global landscape, will include the United States and democratic norms.

“My great failing as a journalist, I’ve often thought, is that I am too much of an optimist,” Ignatius said.

“People often say about journalists, ‘Smell the flowers; they’re going to look for the funeral.’ I want to believe we are going to find a way order that’s not going to be a Chinese version, but that’s going to be a world version that the United States will help in that recreation.”

queer expression, is really important,” Mensah-Boone added. resident Donald Trump’s administration has issued multiple executive orders pertaining to the rights of LGBTQ+ people, including limits to gender-affirming care for minors and changes to the federal bureaucracy’s language that exclude language recognizing transgender identities. Benish, after the festivities, said the contest was meant to bring joy for the queer community at a politically troubling time.

“This is a time where it’s very hard to be queer, given the administration and the constant news — I don’t go to bed at night feeling very happy,” Benish said. “So we need events that’s celebratory and fun, and celebrating ourselves instead of living in constant news cycles of this and that that’s terrible for queer people.”

“We need silliness,” Benish added.

Sam Fishman Special to The Hoya

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

The Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) will add a science, technology and international affairs major in Fall 2026.

Violent Language on Flyers Related To

Kirk Reported to FBI, GU Says

KIRK, from A1

“It’s disingenuous to all the dialogue and all the relationships we built on campus together working toward the common good,” Pitman added.

Knox Graham (SFS ’27), director of political affairs for Georgetown University College Republicans (GUCR), said he appreciates the university’s swift response to the flyers.

“We are fully confident in the capabilities of Georgetown University in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate this occurrence and hold the perpetrators responsible, both with respect to the law and the code of student conduct if applicable,” Knox wrote to The Hoya. Linda McMahon, secretary of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), said in a Sept. 25 post on X that DOE officials were aware of the flyers and received confirmation from the university of their removal.

“I am aware of the appalling posters that were displayed on Georgetown’s campus today,” McMahon wrote in the post. “At a moment like this, Georgetown has to determine what it stands for as an institution. ED officials have spoken to Georgetown administrators, who made the decision to remove the flyers.” GUBC, Georgetown University College Democrats (GUCD) and GUCR said the university must

protect students’ ability to express opinions freely in a joint statement.

“While student groups retain the right to disagree with others, we have to draw a line when students feel unsafe actually expressing those opinions,” the organizations wrote in the statement. “We call upon the university to investigate the source of these posters and take action to remedy the harm done to our Georgetown community.”

Georgetown students have expressed anxiety and concern about increasing political violence in the wake of Kirk’s Sept. 10 assassination. Many reaffirmed their commitment to respectful dialogue across the political spectrum. Roughly 30 students attended a Sept. 12 vigil on the steps of Old North Hall to commemorate Kirk’s legacy and condemn political violence.

Bornstein said the university understands the possible impacts of the flyers and recent political violence on student life, directing students to campus resources for mental health and safety.

“We recognize these incidents have been distressing to members of our community,”

Bornstein wrote.

GUCD said the flyers — and all acts of threatening messages — are contrary to the university’s values and a danger to the right to free expression.

“We find the recent threats and hateful messages

celebrating the death of Charlie Kirk posted around our campus an inexcusable betrayal of our principles,” the organization wrote in the statement. “Such acts are reprehensible and must be met with a unified, consistent rejection; otherwise, we risk eroding our essential freedom of expression.”

GUCD added that discussions of free speech and public safety must account for all forms of political violence, including violence faced by marginalized communities.

“Political violence includes verbal threats, targeted harassment and dehumanizing rhetoric, which affect the daily lives of immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, and religious minorities on campus and across the country,” the organization wrote. “They cannot be ignored in conversations about free speech and safety.”

Pitman said freedom of expression is essential to students’ university experience.

“To be a student is to express yourself without fear, to express your own opinions without thinking that what you’re going to say is going to put you in personal harm,” Pitman said. “The posters that were put out throughout campus, they strike to the very heart against that idea that make students feel unsafe about actually expressing their opinions.”

GU Plans to Continue With GUTS Third Party Vendor Despite Petition

GUTS, from A1

University community has had a reputation for its civic and societal contribution to the idea of liberalism that is morally guided by doing what is best for everyone.”

Green said the university has endeavored to communicate directly with drivers and is working to “take into account” feedback from the community.

Elinor Clark (CAS ’27), GCWR’s facilities team lead, said GCWR will continue to advocate for GUTS drivers.

“We want to engage as many members of the Georgetown community, beyond just students, beyond just current faculty and workers — we want to engage alumni as well,” Clark told The Hoya Green cited university budget constraints and a D.C. law requiring private bus fleets to convert to 50% low-or-zero-emission buses by 2030 and 100% by 2045, echoing previous comments to The Hoya by a university spokesperson. A university spokesperson previously said not moving to a third-party vendor and remaining in compliance with the law would cost $60 million.

Green said the university has already seen the “benefits of an external partnership” as it currently partners with Abe’s Transportation to operate and maintain 35% of buses in the GUTS fleet.

Ariana Hameed (CAS ’26), GCWR’s archivist, said the university is focused on the fleet, not the drivers’ experiences.

“We were expecting some sort of lukewarm response, and that is what we got,” Hameed told The Hoya. “It’s obviously disappointing. They are ignoring the will of over 1,000 members of our community.”

“The GUTS bus is the GUTS drivers — there is no way to

separate one from the other,” Hameed added.

One GUTS driver, who was granted anonymity for fear of professional retaliation, said he feels the university is trying to remove drivers who have worked at Georgetown for decades.

“It makes me so depressed after dedicating 14 years of my life here at the university,” the driver told The Hoya. “There’s never been a day when they ask if I can work late and I didn’t say yes.”

“But now, all of the drivers here, we’re hesitant in doing anything now,” the driver added.

The student advocacy comes two weeks after The Hoya reported the shift to Abe’s Transportation could change many drivers’ benefits to more limited offerings, including switching off the university’s expansive health care and retirement packages. Drivers have said switching from the university’s healthcare plan to Abe’s Transportation would reduce their overall coverage, particularly for preexisting conditions.

The drivers will remain eligible for tuition assistance, which covers up to 67% of tuition, for five years, while their dependents will remain eligible for 10 years.

A university spokesperson said the university believes drivers will not experience a significant change in benefits as Abe’s Transportation employees.

“Georgetown is committed to ensuring that any current employees impacted by this transition receive employment with comparable compensation and benefits, unless they accept another position with the University,” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya

Fiona Naughton (SFS ’26), a GCWR steering committee member,

said students and faculty will continue to fight for GUTS drivers.

“The university wants to just push this under the rug and move on, and they want people to forget because that’s how their reputation is saved,” Naughton told The Hoya. “But people care deeply about GUTS.”

Tanvi Kamath (CAS ’26), another GCWR member, said advocacy must extend beyond the campus in order to protect GUTS drivers, encouraging graduates to apply financial pressure.

“The only thing that moves Georgetown, which really functions as a corporation, is threats to its flow of money or insurmountable public pressure that, beyond just students and faculty, is widespread enough that they’re shamed into oblivion,” Kamath told The Hoya Clark said community members should be concerned about the university’s rationale for its plans.

“If the bus drivers’ roles can just be eliminated like that, then what’s stopping the university from coming after more employees, more workers at Georgetown, and subcontracting them out under the guise of saving money?” Clark said. Clark added that GCWR will continue to advocate for GUTS drivers and other workers on campus, no matter the university’s response.

“Georgetown University cannot make decisions without the consent of the Georgetown community, and we will not stop fighting until our demands are met and Georgetown agrees to keep the bus drivers on as Georgetown employees,” Clark said. “Rallies, petitions, walkouts, flyering all send a message to the Georgetown administration that the community is aware, and the community will not give up.”

Shutdown Worries GU Community

SHUTDOWN, from A1

they can afford the most basic necessities of health care and food and so on.”

“That’s why my concern is the fact that Congress keeps on pushing the can down the road, which means that every few months there’s this hyper-extended time of complete uncertainty and fear of losing the key benefits,” Kumar added. “It’s the question of ‘who are we really looking out for?’”

Democrats have committed to voting against any funding measure that does not maintain certain Affordable Care Act tax credits, and in the Senate blocked a stopgap measure that had passed the House on the same day, Sept. 19. President Donald Trump canceled a Sept. 23 meeting with top Democrats to address the imminent shutdown.

While entitlement programs, such as Social Security and Medicare, will continue to send payments, and essential employees will continue to work without pay, most support systems and agency jobs will likely halt.

nent law, once appropriations are enacted, government workers are paid retroactively for the duration of the shutdown, so we get the same salary bill, but we miss out on their work.”

Katherine Whitfield (CAS, McCourt ’28), who is currently interning at the House Committee on Ways & Means, said a shutdown sidelines federal workers.

“I feel bad for the federal workers, who will, if this does end up shutting down, be having to go without pay and still have to work,” Whitfield told The Hoya. “I think that’s really unfair to them.”

Super said many workers designated as “essential” will face economic hardship because they are forced to work without a paycheck.

“Those people are required to keep coming to work even though they’re not being paid,”

whether their kids are in Head Start, or they have an immigration case that’s winding its way through the courts or, for D.C., if they want to get a marriage license,” Blessing told The Hoya . “During a shutdown, services might be interrupted in a way that would make them justifiably unhappy.”

Super said the university’s international community members could also face issues during the shutdown since many workers at the U.S. Department of State and embassies may be furloughed.

DNA, from A1

U.S. citizens,” Glaberson told The Hoya . “There is no authority to take DNA from a U.S. citizen solely on the basis that an immigration authority has quote-unquote ‘detained’ them. Yet, that’s what we see over and over and over again in CBP’s own data.” Civil rights and legal groups have frequently criticized the government’s DNA collection programs, including those used by immigration agents, arguing that it infringes on personal liberties. DNA collection has grown rapidly over the last five years as law enforcement agencies ramp up surveillance, according to a May 2024 report from the Center on Privacy & Technology. The Tuesday report, which was an update to the 2024 report, centers on an analysis of a series of spreadsheets that CBP released in February as partial compliance with a public records request. The analysis comes three months after the center accused DHS of obstructing information in a June lawsuit, which it filed alongside the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, a legal advocacy group.

Amelia Dagen, a staff attorney at Amica working on the suit, said the public should advocate for more transparency because the alleged DHS

overreach is a threat to constitutional liberties.

“Given the lack of any checks and balances on DHS’ DNA collection and the everincreasing number of people subjected to arrest by DHS, it is clear that more and more people’s constitutional rights will be bulldozed,” Dagen wrote to The Hoya. “That opens the door to more U.S. citizens’ DNA being stored without proper security measures against improper use, including through criminal investigation and prosecution.”

The Center on Technology & Privacy’s latest findings do not affect the lawsuit, according to Dagen.

The Center on Technology & Privacy is a think tank within the Georgetown University Law Center (GULC) that advocates for privacy and surveillance law and policy in the United States. The center’s experts conduct research alongside Georgetown faculty, host legal fellows and train GULC students in law, advocacy and policy.

Tse said the report helps advocates and policymakers better understand how to address the federal government’s actions.

“This tells us that these government surveillance practices that may appear to be targeted to a certain population really impact all of us,” Tse said.

“This was something that we knew back when we only theoretically knew that they could be taking DNA from U.S. citizens. Now

we’re certain that it’s happening, and it’s very clear that everybody should be concerned about this.”

“There’s very few limitations on DHS immigration agents taking your DNA,” Tse added.

Emily Tucker, the Center on Privacy & Technology’s executive director and the third report author, said the different treatment of citizen and non-citizen DNA collection demonstrates the extent of CBP’s unchecked power.

“It’s not actually more important that they’re taking DNA from citizens than that they’re taking DNA from everybody,” Tucker told The Hoya . “It’s really just evidence that there are absolutely no guardrails. There are no limits on who they’ll take DNA from, what reason they will take DNA or how they will go about doing it.”

Glaberson said anybody reading the center’s report should recognize that federal law enforcement overreach is a dangerous threat.

“If you think your status as a citizen, or that you have lawful status protects you from some of these authoritarian practices, you’re wrong,” Glaberson said. “We need to cut off these types of surveillance programs, these types of practices at their inception, because just because it’s not you today doesn’t mean it’s not going to be you tomorrow.”

The White House also plans to direct agencies to consider permanently firing employees from projects that will lose funding Oct. 1 and that are “not consistent with the President’s priorities,” according to a draft internal memo obtained by Politico.

Matt Glassman, a senior fellow at Georgetown’s congressional training organization, the Government Affairs Institute (GAI), said that a government shutdown would threaten services across the U, including in Washington, D.C.

“A government shutdown makes all sorts of government services worse,” Glassman told The Hoya. “In any shutdown, you’re going to have agencies that are less responsive, as furloughed workers aren’t there, and so even a basic thing such as getting something from the government, like a passport or a visa application, you might find that call center employees are no longer working and you can’t get them.”

David Super, a Georgetown law professor specializing in administrative law and the budget process, said shutdowns are “destructive and indiscriminate” because they require the executive branch to suspend many important government functions by furloughing employees.

“Even if there are some such functions that remain, it shuts down so many more things, so many useful things,” Super told The Hoya. “They’re also very wasteful, because under perma-

Super said. “So that means that a security guard on a Smithsonian Museum is effectively being required to donate their services to keep the museums from being broken into during the shutdown, and may have difficulty meeting their mortgage and feeding their family — all this over something that the security guard had no control over and no ability to avoid, which seems rather unfair.”

“They’re not in a position to solicit other job opportunities, so it’s going to get a lot of them in a jam with little ability to plan,” Super added.

Jenny Mattingley — vice president for government affairs at the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit advocating for good governance and federal workers — said federal employees are working in a “tough environment” since the shutdown would come after the Trump administration has severely cut down on the federal workforce.

“You’ve already got workers in government who are doing a lot of different jobs, a lot of work on their plates, and now they’re facing potential furloughs from a shutdown,” Mattingley said. “A lot of stress and a lot of potential to create backlogs in their work — it really changes the environment and the employee morale.”

Several Georgetown community members, such as Laura Blessing, a GAI fellow, are concerned about the broad impact of a shutdown on individuals nationwide, including Georgetown students.

Blessing said shutdowns impact all subsets of people across the country, noting programs such as Head Start, which provides early childhood education, will be put into jeopardy.

“There is some level of pain for different American citizens,

“They can need any number of things from the State Department, and those can’t get processed during a shutdown,” Super said. “Moreover, backlogs build up during shutdowns, which means that they may not get processed for quite a while after the shutdown ends.”

“Any number of seemingly minor issues — but for the individual involved, quite vital functions get put on hold,” Super added. Christopher Warshaw, a professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy, said Georgetown students should understand that the shutdown could significantly impact the nation’s immediate political future.

“It’s an illustration of the polarization in our political system,” Warshaw told The Hoya “It’s sad. It’s an unfortunate case study into the dysfunction in the federal government.” Kanmani Duraikkannan (CAS ’26), a Georgetown student who won a prestigious public service award in April, said the dangers of a shutdown make her concerned about a future in public service.

“It’s making me think more about what public service actually means to me or what it can realistically mean when I need a job and money to continue,” Duraikkannan wrote to The Hoya. “I thought I’d know exactly what I wanted to do my senior year, but it’s all open ended now.”

“Students are feeling less and less represented by those in power, I think this will just aggravate that feeling,” she added. “The paths we dreamed of don’t look the same anymore.”

Whitfield said that, despite the shutdown, she remains passionate about a career in public service and government.

“We need to figure out how to come together on issues that are so fundamental — as fundamental as giving health care to people and helping people afford it,” Whitfield said. “That shouldn’t be a question, and that shouldn’t be a fight.”

THE HOYA FILE PHOTOS

After Georgetown University students found flyers with graphic language about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, university officials removed the flyers and reported them to the FBI.

Three Former DOJ Lawyers Join GU Center for First-Year Law Students

Jaqueline Gordon Special to The Hoya

Three former Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers joined the Georgetown University Law Center’s (GULC) Legal Practice program, the university announced Sept. 12.

The three new faculty members — Ben Eisman, Bethany Lipman (LAW ’14) and Frances Walters — will teach first-year law students about legal research, writing and analysis through the program. The addition of the three new professors is part of GULC’s effort to reduce the sizes of class sections to facilitate more professor-student interaction, according to the university press release.

Erin Carroll, chair of the Legal Practice program, said the program aims to hire faculty from a variety of practices and legal backgrounds to offer students diverse legal mentors.

“It’s typical for those of us who teach legal practice that we have significant experience actually practicing law, given that that’s what we’re in the classroom doing with the students,” Carroll told The Hoya “We have people from all walks of practice. We have people from firms and public service. It’s wonderful to add three people who’ve been so committed to public service.” Eisman, who served as an attorney advisor in the DOJ’s Criminal Division, said he wants to stress the importance of accountability and counterargument to his law students.

“In order to maintain credibility with your reader, you can’t run away from counterarguments — you have to really engage it,”

Eisman told The Hoya. “But how do you effectively engage in counterargument? You have to empathize with it, you have to have an empathetic engagement with the counterargument and truly put yourself in the position of understanding, or try in good faith, to understand where the other side is coming from.”

Lipman, who worked in both the Criminal and Antitrust Divisions of the DOJ and graduated from GULC, said she felt nostalgic returning to campus as a professor.

“I always thought of Georgetown as a second home — I was very involved,” Lipman told The Hoya. “It’s been interesting to come back and see professors who I had. Some of them, it’s like visiting old friends — I’m like, ‘Wait, what do I call you?’” Lipman said she wants to show students how to communicate complex ideas, which she said is an important skill for lawyers.

“What practice-ready means to me is being able to take complicated areas of law and really clearly break them down and analyze them, and then convey that information to either other lawyers or laypeople, clients, et cetera,” Lipman said. Walters, who previously served as an attorney advisor for the Office of the Pardon Attorney at the DOJ, said she seeks to bring in her experiences in her curriculum, which she hopes sheds a different light on legal education.

“I’ve definitely tried to draw from cases I’ve worked on,” Walters told The Hoya. “So, for example, on Wednesday, we were talking about statements of fact in a memo, and I talked about how often you might tell a story chronologically, and

Biden Administration Officials Join McCourt Visiting Fellow Cohort

Pragnya Kaginele

Special to The Hoya

Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy announced its cohort of Doris Duke Distinguished Visiting Fellows, who bring political expertise in the fields of child well-being and social policy, Sept. 15. The fellowship is funded by the Doris Duke Foundation, which supports performing arts, medical research and child development. The 2025-2026 fellowship cohort includes three former officials from former President Joe Biden’s administration who will engage the McCourt community through lectures, courses and conversations with students and other leaders.

Shalanda Young, a fellow and the former director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Biden administration, said she views the fellowship as an opportunity to bring real-world policy experience, especially in federal budgeting, to Georgetown students.

“I’m ‘Ms. Budget,’ and the federal budget process and all that encompasses is pretty broad,” Young told The Hoya. “Before that, I was an appropriation staffer and staff director, where the largest part of our budget was defense. You end up getting to know a lot of policy and education and health care or defense because there’s almost nothing you can do without there being a budgetary impact.” Young said she chose to join McCourt because she views maintaining respectful dialogue as part of public service and universities as central to that mission.

“Given the breadth of OMB and what we do, I could have picked a financial services industry; I could have picked the defense industry,” Young said. “I thought, ‘What is a way to be able to talk about and share experiences that are still relevant?’ Universities seemed to make a lot of sense. I still get to interact with kids, some of which are doing active internships, and it kind of keeps me alive and engaged in current affairs.”

Liz Ryan — a Doris Duke fellow and the former administrator of the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, which coordinates national response to juvenile delinquency — said she has already met with several student organizations and hopes to meet with more to understand how to support McCourt students.

I was able to give an example of when a chronological telling was really important.”

Justin Dabre (LAW ’27), whose Legal Practice class was taught by Carroll, said the program is one of the most formative parts of the first-year curriculum.

“The Legal Practice program is probably the most unique course because all the other courses that we take are very doctrinal — they’re all about the cases in the law,” Dabre told The Hoya. “But Legal Practice is the class where you are actually learning about becoming a lawyer and what you’re going to have to do when you’re actually working.”

Dabre said the new professors’ professional experience is beneficial for students because it diversifies the faculty’s legal backgrounds.

“With these guys coming in from the DOJ, it’s a different perspective that we don’t normally get in the faculty, having someone working on the public side,” Dabre said. “I think that it’s a good thing to have, because not everyone who goes to Georgetown is planning to go into private law — a lot want to go into public law. Having someone who’s been there is good because a lot of legal practice professors serve as mentors, especially in the first year.”

Eisman said he enjoys teaching because he works with students who encourage him to be a better teacher.

“It’s been a fantastic experience and everything that I’ve hoped for,” Eisman said. “The students are so bright, so motivated and so thoughtful and deliberate that they are inspiring when it comes to doing the hard work of teaching.”

The Tombs Temporarily Revokes Controversial Cover Fee Following Student Pushback, Boycott

Shira Oz City Desk Editor

“I want to make sure that I’m maximizing my time here with what the priorities of the students are,” Ryan told The Hoya “I’m very interested in learning more about organizations on campus that have an interest in youth issues more broadly, as well as youth impacted by the justice system, and I would love to talk to anyone on campus who’s interested in that, particularly the organizations that are student-run.”

Robert Gordon — the third Doris Duke fellow and the former deputy assistant for economic mobility at the Domestic Policy Council, where he advised Biden on education, housing, anti-crime and anti-poverty policies — said students interested in policy should seek practical experiences in the field.

“I would say, go work in state or local government; work on something where you see the translation from policy into action because in school, it looks one way and in real life, it looks a different way, and seeing that difference is usually educational,” Gordon told The Hoya. “Go work somewhere, the closer to the ground, the better.”

Sienna Shah (CAS ’29), who is majoring in public policy, said she looks forward to learning from Gordon due to his domestic policy experience.

“I am excited to be close to the Capitol and to be able to have important political figures who have done important work for our government come and speak to us about the work that is currently being done and where they think we are headed,” Shah wrote to The Hoya . “I am excited to hear from Robert Gordon because he focuses a lot on domestic policy as well as economic mobility.”

Ryan said she aims to prioritize building relationships with students and hopes to work with them throughout her fellowship.

“I love the idea of connecting with students and finding out what they’re interested in, how I can support them, the ways we can collaborate on projects together or work together to really advance some of the policy changes that people are seeking,” Ryan said. “And for me, being in an academic environment also really helps to remind me of the importance of education and what a gift it is, how precious it is.”

“I’m grateful for the opportunity, and very excited about what can unfold while I’m at Georgetown,” Ryan added.

The Tombs, a beloved local campus bar and restaurant, revoked its $5 weekend nightclub fee after Georgetown University students rallied in opposition.

The restaurant recently instituted a new “cover charge,” which charged all patrons a $5 entry fee after 10:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, when the restaurant features a DJ and dance floor and is restricted to guests over the age of 21. Clyde’s Restaurant Group, parent company of The Tombs, temporarily removed the fee after a student-led petition calling for a boycott of the restaurant garnered over 700 signatures.

In a statement about the decision to pause the cover fee, John McDonnell, the president and owner of Clyde’s Restaurant Group, said the restaurant imposed the fee to cover the high costs of running a nightclub.

“This decision was driven by the increasing costs associated with operating as a nightclub after 10 p.m., including the expense of hiring a DJ and the additional security now required,” McDonnell wrote to The Hoya “Unfortunately, offering this ex-

perience at no cost is no longer financially sustainable.”

McDonnell added that the company paused the fee because of the student boycott and is evaluating whether or not to reinstate the cover charge or cancel the latenight programming altogether.

“We’ve heard the feedback from the student community and take it seriously,” McDonnell wrote. “As a result, we have decided to pause the cover charge while we further evaluate the situation. In the coming weeks, we will assess whether to reinstate the cover or, alternatively, shift back to a traditional restaurant model on weekend nights without the DJ component.”

Julia Swerdin (CAS ’26), who signed the petition, said The Tombs is an important part of the Georgetown community and she is happy to see students come together to bring about change.

“I think it’s inspiring that the Georgetown student body was able to unite around this issue to make real change,” Swerdin wrote to The Hoya “I think The Tombs is emblematic of our Georgetown tradition and is a real staple of the neighborhood, which wouldn’t be the same without it.”

Emily Eppel (CAS ’26), another signatory, said the cover charge made The Tombs less accessible.

“I didn’t agree with it because I think the cover charge makes it exclusive in a sense and takes away from it being a college bar, where you can just go in without having to pay a cover like other clubs or bars in the city,” Eppel told The Hoya Sasha Likhachev (CAS ’26) said she was pessimistic about another boycott being effective if they reinstate the fee.

“I see myself frequenting Tombs less if other people frequent Tombs less,” Likhachev told The Hoya. “I like it because all the seniors go there, and it’s so convenient; it’s right next to my house. So I get the whole boycott thing, but if they reinstate it, I have a feeling that a boycott is not going to do anything the second time.”

Likhachev added that the cover charge is less than the cost of going to another restaurant or bar.

“At that point, no, I’m not going to avoid The Tombs because I’m going to spend five times the amount of money Ubering to downtown, not see any of my friends there, and have to pay double the price for all the drinks and double the price for entry,” Likhachev said.

Eppel said The Tombs has better alternatives to raise money than the $5 cover charge.

“They could raise prices, I am sure, if they asked for donations

from alumni or had some sort of fundraiser that they could get support,” Eppel said. “There are student DJs who, I am sure, would be willing to DJ here and there. So I think there are alternative ways besides a cover charge to offset whatever costs that they might have.”

Swerdin said she would still go to The Tombs with a cover charge, but she would be disappointed that The Tombs did not prioritize accessibility.

“If the cover charge is reinstated, I wouldn’t necessarily stop going, but I would definitely be annoyed because Tombs has always been a free and accessible option for students, especially since D.C. is so expensive otherwise,” Swerdin wrote. Likhachev said she thinks it would be unfortunate for people to stop going to The Tombs, given its significance to Georgetown’s social scene.

“I think it would be a shame if they added a cover and people stopped going, because I think it’s one of the only places seniors have a community that’s athletes combined with regular students, with people that don’t even go out and are only there because of Tombs nights,” Likhachev said. “I think it would definitely change the social dynamic of Georgetown.”

More Than 50 New Faculty Join College of Arts & Sciences

Anna Lim Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown University’s College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) appointed 51 new full-time faculty and staff members for the 2025-26 academic year.

The new faculty and staff will teach in and manage many academic departments across CAS, including history, government, performing arts, English and various language programs. Others have joined various CAS initiatives, including the Prisons and Justice Initiative, which advocates for carceral justice through education; the Georgetown Humanities Initiative, which funds projects and programming that center humanistic learning; and the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor, which builds workers’ coalitions and innovates labor organization.

Stephen Trainer (CAS ’26), president of the College Academic Council, said the new faculty and staff represent the multidisciplinary diversity CAS fosters.

“As the College continues to grow, these hires underscore not only the range of intellectual diversity among its faculty and staff but also their striving to enhance student access, whether in the classroom or beyond,” Trainer wrote to The Hoya

The new faculty and staff bring extensive experience from prior

government roles, teaching positions at other universities and academic research projects.

Atif Qarni, a new professor who teaches in the Education, Inquiry and Justice (EDIJ) program, said his former positions, including as Virginia’s Secretary of Education, have informed his approaches to education and leadership.

“Before serving as Secretary of Education, I was a K-12 classroom teacher in a Title I school, where I saw firsthand the disparities students faced within the division I taught in,” Qarni wrote to The Hoya.

“My time as secretary gave me a broader understanding of how policy decisions affect schools, educators and students on a systemic level,” Qarni added. “I bring both perspectives into the classroom by connecting leadership theory to real-world challenges in education.”

Liza Offreda, a new disability studies professor, said her background as a soccer coach informs her approach to teaching and encourages her to prioritize understanding among her students.

“Both coaching and teaching also gave me a deep appreciation for individual stories, understanding each player’s or student’s journey was key to helping them succeed,” Offreda wrote to The Hoya. “That perspective shapes how I approach

disability studies and Deaf culture, where narratives and lived experiences are central to understanding identity and community.”

“I enjoy guiding students as they connect these narratives to broader questions about inclusion, culture and the value of diverse perspectives,” Offreda added.

Trainer said the new faculty’s diverse backgrounds show the commitment of David Edelstein, the recently appointed CAS dean, to liberal arts education.

“As he emphasized in a meeting with the College Academic Council, he aims to foster ‘a robust, global College identity’ in the liberal arts tradition,” Trainer wrote. “This constitutes a clear advance toward that aim, a kind of re-dedication to the mission.”

Derek Baron — a professor in the department of performing arts who teaches classes about music theory and music criticism

— said he is excited to be a part of Georgetown’s academic culture and its creative community.

“I have long been impressed by Georgetown’s Department of Performing Arts in general and its program in American Musical Cultures more specifically,” Baron wrote to The Hoya. “Studying American music in context — with all of its messy social and political significance — is at the core of my work, and I am thrilled to

join such a creative group of scholars and artists at Georgetown.” Richard Elliott, a professor in the government department, said he is passionate about encouraging his students to think and engage critically with politics, and he is impressed by Georgetown students’ responses to this approach.

“Because I work on language philosophy and its contribution to political theory, I also encourage students to think carefully about how theorists make their argument — to highlight that we are not simply passively absorbing ideas, but rather engaging with an argument that seeks to persuade (and at times to totally redefine how we understand political terms),” Elliott wrote to The Hoya

“The best part of teaching is undoubtedly the students here at Georgetown — students are not afraid to share their ideas or jump into debates, and I’m constantly impressed by the remarkable insight that they show,” Elliott added. Baron said his favorite part of working at Georgetown so far has been the community of people.

“Georgetown students and my faculty and staff colleagues are the best parts of my short time here so far!” Baron wrote. “That, and getting to work so close to the steps from the Exorcist.”

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

Three Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers will teach first-year courses at the Georgetown University Law Center (GULC) through the Legal Practice program.

As Part of Federal Crackdown on DC, House Passes Crime Reform Package

Anna Lim Hoya Staff Writer

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass four “toughon-crime” bills Sept. 16, including legislation that lowers the minimum age for youth to be tried as adults, as part of an ongoing federal effort to tackle crime rates in Washington, D.C.

The first pair of Oversight and Government Reform Committee bills, which some Democrats voted for alongside nearly all Republicans, consisted of the D.C. Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act, which lowers the age at which minors can be tried in felony court for certain offenses from 16 years to 14 years, and the D.C. Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe (CRIMES) Act of 2025, which reduces the maximum age of a youth offender from 24 years to 18 years.

As a result, most Georgetown University undergraduates would now be tried as full adults in the D.C. criminal justice system.

Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Tex.), the sponsor of the sentencing reform bill, said these measures are necessary to address juvenile crime in the District, which he attributed to failures of the city’s Democratic leadership.

“President Trump’s mandate and today’s vote further prove that Republicans are the party of law and order,” Gill wrote in a press release.“We are saving Washington, D.C., from the sins of the Democrats who have driven it to the ground!”

These bills come amid President Donald Trump’s moves to exert more federal control over the District after temporarily federalizing its police force, raising concerns over D.C.’s long-term autonomy. Though the city regained control of the Metropolitan Police Department Sept. 11, the Trump administration continues to deploy National Guard troops across the District.

Juvenile crime arrests in D.C. have increased each year since

2020, with more than 2,000 juveniles arrested in 2023 and 2024.

Jennifer Woolard, a Georgetown psychology professor who runs the Community Research Group focused on juvenile and criminal justice research projects, said prosecuting youth through an adult criminal justice system does not adequately address root issues at the heart of juvenile justice.

“From a scientific perspective, research indicates that the prosecution of youth in criminal court, as opposed to juvenile court, does not reduce recidivism and, in some cases, actually increases the risk of reoffending and reoffending more quickly,” Woolard wrote to The Hoya Alicia Yass — the supervising policy counsel at the legal nonprofit American Civil Liberties Union’s D.C. branch — said the bills are more aimed at short-term results in lowering crime instead of long-term, lasting change.

“Research shows that being tough is not the way to have long term impacts on reducing crime,” Yass told The Hoya. “We are seeing this play out in D.C. with the influx of federal agencies that have come into D.C., and there’s been more law enforcement on the ground. We’ve seen people are afraid to leave their homes, so of course that is going to affect crime numbers.”

A 2023 study from three University of California professors outlines alternative, community-based approaches to policing that, the authors argue, can more effectively reduce crime.

Jordan Smith (SFS ’28), a student from California, where “youth offenders” up to age 26 can have designated parole hearing to focus on treatment and reentry to society, said the District should not move away from its approach to youth offenders.

“It requires a lot of programming and therapy, but it also offers resources like increased parole opportunities and lower-security housing,” Smith wrote to The Hoya “The focus is on preventing crime

and recidivism, not seeking vengeance. It’s disheartening to see D.C. moving away from that.”

“There’s almost no evidence in deterrence theory that tougher punishments reduce crime. It’s unclear what tossing more young people in prison — especially without concern for their future — does for D.C.,” Smith added.

The House also passed the District of Columbia Policing Protection Act of 2025, which lifts current restrictions on officers’ ability to engage in vehicular pursuits, and the District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act of 2025, which revokes the D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission’s ability to appoint D.C. judicial candidates and reassigns it to the president, on Sept. 17. All four bills face an uphill battle in the Senate since they will require more buy-in from Democratic senators.

Woolard said considering adolescent development is important to forming an informed, youth-centered approach to crime intervention that is based in rehabilitation.

“The juvenile legal system is able to access those interventions, with its missions of both public safety and rehabilitation,” Woolard wrote. “The criminal legal system does not have a rehabilitative mission and does not offer the types of interventions, programming and trained staff that could work successfully with youth.”

In response to the D.C. Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act, Yass said the city’s approach should not be structured solely around specific violent cases committed by youth.

“Often examples are pointed to of really horrific crimes, but you can’t base all of your criminal justice system on those worst-case scenarios,” Yass said. “You really have to be looking at the criminal justice system as a whole and everyone that it impacts to be making sure that you’re doing what’s best for the whole and not just these single incidents that get the most attention.”

In Annual Bloomberg National Ranking, GU MBA Program Ranks 22, Up 1 Spot

Andrew Jiang Special to The Hoya Bloomberg Businessweek, a publication that focuses on global business and financial news, placed Georgetown University 22nd on its 2025 national ranking for full-time master of business administration (MBA) programs, one spot higher than the program’s 2024 rank. Bloomberg measures MBA programs based on compensation, learning, networking, entrepreneurship and inclusion, emphasizing return on investment, the extent to which students’ fiscal investment in an MBA pays off in the job market. To rank programs, they collected survey responses from graduates, students and corporate recruiters, as well as post-graduation employment data.

Sudipta Dasmohapatra, the senior associate dean of MBA programs, said the Bloomberg ranking affirms the program’s continued momentum and the value it delivers to students.

“Our advancement in the Bloomberg Businessweek ranking is a strong affirmation of the Georgetown MBA’s growing reputation and the exceptional outcomes our students achieve in their postgraduate careers,” Dasmohapatra wrote to The Hoya Lee Pinkowitz, an associate professor in the McDonough School of Business (MSB) and the associate director of the Georgetown Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy, said the rankings may not fully account for all aspects of the MBA program.

“Unfortunately, it’s really hard to measure certain things about an education,” Pinkowitz told The Hoya “Like, how much did you learn? That’s not really measured, so they come up with these measurable proxies for it.”

Pinkowitz said that although the MBA curriculum is currently changing for the first time in several years, such changes may have been too recent to be accounted for by the rankings.

“The curriculum is undergoing change now,” Pinkowitz said. “The MBA curriculum has not changed in many, many years. Individual classes obviously have changed, but the structure has not changed in many years.”

Allison Koester, an associate professor of accounting in the MSB, said she recently made changes to

her curriculum to include generative artificial intelligence (AI).

“With the increasing importance of understanding and using AI (including genAI) in the workplace and in our everyday lives, I have revamped my course to more thoroughly incorporate these types of technologies for how students access and engage with my course’s materials and topics,” Koester wrote to The Hoya Addressing the networking criterion, Pinkowitz said faculty members in the MSB help connect students to jobs and internship opportunities.

“I try to act as a bridge through my LinkedIn network of past students and try to connect current students,” Pinkowitz said. “I’m certain my colleagues do the same because everyone is committed to seeing Georgetown succeed and that means the alums also want to see students succeed.”

Christy Murray, the associate dean and managing director of the McDonough Career Center, said the MSB is committed to helping students translate their education into career opportunities.

“We aim to strengthen those bridges between the classroom and the workplace, giving students the support resources, and connections they need to secure internships and career paths that deliver both immediate impact and long-term success,” Murray wrote to The Hoya Pinkowitz said it is difficult to fit the MSB’s approach into rankings that prioritize the postgraduate salaries.

“The idea of the ethical nature of business, which Georgetown really pushes — does that fit into the rankings? Not necessarily,” Pinkowitz said. “Especially when you start talking about salaries, the rankings reward schools who put people in investment banking and consulting or tech, as opposed to nonprofits, NGOs, where the salaries might be lower.”

“I recognize the limitation in this, but I would really hope that the ranking agencies are doing their very best to come up with systems that are focused on the outcome of education, not just necessarily the salary outcome or jobs,” Pinkowitz added.

Koester said that while recognition in rankings is gratifying, her commitment to teaching and supporting students remains the same regardless of the school’s position.

“While I’m certainly pleased when rankings reflect faculty, staff and students’ commitment to these activities, neither the commitment to nor importance of these activities fluctuate like annual program rankings might,” Koester said.

Pinkowitz said Georgetown’s mission should continue emphasizing values that rankings might overlook.

“Our dean always says we want Georgetown students to be the best in the world, but also the best for the world,” Pinkowitz said. “The question is, is best for the world somewhere in those rankings? Because it sure should be.”

Commanders May Return to DC After City Council Approves RFK Redevelopment

Joshua Chilmaid Special to The Hoya

The Washington, D.C. City Council approved a redevelopment plan for the Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Memorial Stadium Sept. 17.

The Council approved the measure by an 11-2 vote, which will use $1.7 billion in city funds to bring the Washington Commanders, who have played in Landover, Md., since their departure from RFK Stadium in 1996, back to D.C. The redevelopment plan includes reconstructing the 65,000-seat stadium, planned to open in 2030, and a provision for new housing, retail and park spaces to be developed alongside the stadium.

A spokesperson for Ward 7 Councilmember Wendell Felder (GRD ’18) said the redevelopment project’s high multibillion cost will be offset by long-term benefits projected for the area.

“The publicly funded element of the RFK Stadium redevelopment is a targeted infrastructure investment that reflects the type of commitment we make for any major project of this scale across the District,” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya. “Resources will be reinvested directly into Ward 7 and other impacted neighborhoods to support community priorities such as housing stabilization, small business development, workforce programs and health equity initiatives.”

Ezra Tinsky (SFS ’26), a D.C.-area native, said allowing the Command-

ers to play in D.C. again is crucial both for the city and the team.

“Bringing the Commanders back to D.C. where they rightfully belong will likely help open up the Commanders to a new host of communities,” Tinsky told the Hoya. “In a time of divisive politics and slander against our great city, I believe that sports can be the great uniter.”

While the city’s contribution to the stadium will be raised through a new bond issuance, some critics argue development of the area would be better spent on other projects.

Dennis Sendros, political and organizing lead for D.C. YIMBYs, an organization advocating for increased housing development, said the D.C. government erred by prioritizing contributions to private interests over what he sees as more pressing issues.

“D.C. is paying billions of dollars for a stadium on valuable, metro-accessible land while our first responders and childcare workers can’t afford a place to live in the city,” Sendros told The Hoya. “We should prioritize using the remaining space to build homes to address D.C.’s housing shortage and make the city more affordable.”

The Commanders agreed to over $300 million in direct tax concessions to the city and an additional $50 million in community benefits.

A joint City Council press release from August said the project will also include new housing developments and generate billions in tax revenue.

“It is important to not overlook the core original benefits of the project: that it will bring 6,000 new housing units to the site (including 1,800 affordable units), generate $26.6 billion in redevelopment tax revenue…and bring the Commanders back to the District!” the statement read. The spokesperson for Felder said the proposal presented a unique opportunity for the city.

“Together, these investments will ensure that the RFK redevelopment delivers not only a world-class destination but also

GUSA Senate Passes Legislation On Renovations, Flex Expansion

Sofia Thomas GUSA Desk Editor

The Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA), Georgetown’s student government association, passed four bills that aim to include students in residential hall redevelopment plans, increase transparency for transfer credits and expand meal plan access at a Sept 21. senate meeting.

The legislation the senate approved included a bill asking for rooftops and student input in any redevelopment plan for Village A, clearer evaluations for transfer credit and the expansion of Flex dollars, a program included in some meal plans that allows students to purchase food and drink at on-campus dining locations, to student-run organizations. The senate also passed a nonbinding resolution in support of Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle (GUTS) drivers as the university plans to transfer management of GUTS to a third-party vendor.

Saahil Rao (SFS ʼ27), the speaker of the senate, said GUSA should express its commitment to maintaining Vil A’s social spaces, especially given recent crackdowns on parties.

“Given the climate of social culture at Georgetown — restricting Vil A, parties during homecoming, this new unofficial warning system — I thought it was prudent to express to the administration that GUSA, in no uncertain terms, wants similar rooftops on Vil A,” Rao said at the meeting.

The bill, which passed nearly unanimously, asks that the administration include at least one undergraduate student representative on Vil A’s planning and design committee and that any redevelopment proposal include rooftop access. According to a campus plan submitted in 2016, the university plans to renovate or expand Vil A by 2036.

Senator Cameran Lane (CAS ʼ28) said the student body strongly sup-

ports maintaining the Vil A rooftops as they are a central part of campus life.

“We overwhelmingly want to preserve the rooftops on Vil A, regardless of what the current status is — if it’s guaranteed, if it’s preliminary,” Lane said at the meeting. “We know that the student body overwhelmingly wants to see that space continue to be an integral part of student life.”

The senate unanimously passed a bill calling for transparency for credit evaluations for transfer students.

Senator Asha Gudipaty (CAS ʼ27), who introduced the bill alongside four other senators, said transfer students often face challenges when submitting their past credits to Georgetown.

“It has been a historically frustrating process because of credits not being transferred, credits not being counted toward certain majors, departments, and transfers have been left financially burdened,” Gudipaty said at the meeting. “It’s about making the policies more generous and more visible.”

The senate also unanimously passed a resolution in support of GUTS workers in response to a university plan that will require workers to either transfer to an outside contractor, which would mean they are no longer university employees, or shift to a position in another department, many of which pay less. The GUSA executive branch signed a petition launched by the Georgetown Coalition for Workers Rights (GCWR), which advocates for labor issues on campus.

In addition, senators voted unanimously to approve a bill that advocates for expanding Flex dollars to student-run organizations such as the Georgetown University Grilling Society (GUGS) and Georgetown Bubble, which sells bubble tea. Currently, on-campus dining locations and the student-run nonprofit The Corp accept Flex Dollars.

Senator Roan Bedoian (CAS ʼ28) said expanding Flex dollars

will increase financial accessibility for students.

“I think this is a great bill because it allows students to spend their Flex dollars in a way that is better suited to them,” Bedoian said at the meeting. “Some students have the means to eat off campus, some students don’t, and so I think expanding the options for students who don’t is in line with financial accessibility.”

“Meal plans have been an issue this year, so this is one thing that we can try to do to give students more flexibility, especially students with dietary restrictions who are having trouble eating,” Bedoian added.

The senate also confirmed five students to the executive and established the financial accessibility and equity subcommittee, which aims to increase student input around financial accessibility and produce legislation in the senate relating to financial aid, club accessibility and other issues of financial accessibility. Bedoian, who introduced the bill to establish the subcommittee, said it will work alongside the university’s office of financial aid to incorporate student feedback.

“It’s time we start doing something and establishing a working relationship with the financial aid office, but also more generally, that financial accessibility and equity becomes something that is a permanent issue in the GUSA senate because it’s something that’s really relevant here at Georgetown,” Bedoian said.

Bedoian, who introduced the bill to establish the subcommittee, said it will work alongside the university’s office of financial aid to incorporate student feedback.

“It’s time we start doing something and establishing a working relationship with the financial aid office, but also more generally, that financial accessibility and equity becomes something that is a permanent issue in the GUSA senate because it’s something that’s really relevant here at Georgetown,” Bedoian said.

Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA) advanced legislation on Village A renovations, transfer credit

SPORTS BUSINESS

MEN’S SOCCER

NASCAR Commisioner Emphasizes Motorsport’s Future at MSB Event Zengue Reflects on Success, Paths

Steve Phelps, the commissioner of NASCAR, discussed changing dynamics and increasing popularity in the field of professional auto racing at an event sponsored by the McDonough School of Business (MSB).

Phelps, who joined NASCAR in 2005 after an extended career both within and beyond the sports world, spoke to his personal and professional experience in conversation with Eric Petrosinelli, Georgetown University’s chief commercial officer.

Phelps at the Wheel Phelps said he had a lifelong love of racing, which he attributed to his childhood experiences watching races near his hometown in Vermont.

“Motor racing in general, but NASCAR particularly, is a very sensory experience,” Phelps said at the event. “Sound is huge, smell, you can touch the car — it’s just a kind of sensory overload, and at five years old, I was hooked.”

After being named NASCAR’s president in 2018, Phelps oversaw a merger between NASCAR and the International Speedway Corporation, which operated many of NASCAR’s racetracks. After a number of significant business steps for NASCAR — surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, negotiating a seven-year, $7.7 billion media deal and introducing new races — under his leadership, Phelps assumed the title of commissioner in March to bring NASCAR in line with other professional sports.

Last fall, two teams, including the Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing, sued NASCAR alleging antitrust violations, instead of signing a charter agreement, which NASCAR uses to guarantee places in the sport and broadcast rights payouts. 23XI Racing and the other team, Front Row Motorsports, allege that the charter agreements do not distribute revenue fairly to the teams.

“There were four that were not signed,” Phelps said. “Those four representing two teams decided to sue us. To me, that was a failure on my part.”

In text messages revealed in court filings, Phelps wrote to NASCAR executives that a

COMMENTARY

draft version of the agreement contained “zero wins for teams” and that the league was “dead in the water” if they proposed it. Litigation in that case continues, and it is set for trial early next year.

Shifting Gears

Phelps said NASCAR is looking to add Dodge to the four manufacturers currently racing. Currently, Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota field cars.

Ram, whose parent company also owns Dodge, is set to join NASCAR’s truck series next year. Dodge, a longtime NASCAR manufacturer, left the sport in 2012 as the auto industry suffered in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.

As part of negotiations to convince Dodge to rejoin NASCAR, Phelps said at the event that NASCAR is considering transitioning from the traditional V8 engine to a turbocharged V6 engine. V8 engines and their signature noise are part of NASCAR’s historical DNA, but they also use more fuel and are less common in modern road cars.

Phelps said he has to balance innovation in racing technology with the traditions that fans hold dearly.

“A turbo six will upset some of our race fans, because NASCAR is about bold, loud V8 engines,” Phelps said. “If you go away from that, what does that say about the brand?”

Phelps added that schedule variation is an important step in innovation, and he also hinted at potential new race venues.

“For 20 years, we raced at the same race tracks almost on the same day, and it was boring,” Phelps said. “We needed to create some excitement and schedule variation.”

NASCAR has recently raced in untraditional venues — the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and on the streets of Chicago, to name a few — and at international tracks, such as Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. While the Coliseum and Mexico City races are not on next year’s schedule, Phelps said NASCAR plans to continue venturing abroad, singling out Montreal as a likely destination.

In recent years, Formula One — an international

racing series bought by a U.S.based company in 2017 — has seen a massive explosion in American viewership, in part due to a popular Netflix series and a recent blockbuster movie starring Brad Pitt.

While NASCAR remains the United States’ most-watched motorsport, Formula One has begun to threaten its market share, including by adding two races in the United States in the past three years.

Phelps said he does not view Formula One as competition and is thankful for more racing fans.

“I actually like that they’re doing well and getting eyeballs, because those eyeballs will ultimately come to us as well,”

Phelps said. “Our racing is just better than theirs, full stop. And that’s not a joke, that’s a fact.”

Phelps said June 2020 was “the most difficult professional month that I’ve ever had, and it ended up being the most rewarding that I ever had.”

On June 8, 2020, in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, Bubba Wallace, who is the only Black driver in NASCAR’s top series, called on NASCAR to ban Confederate flags from all its events. Two days later, NASCAR banned the flags. At the time, NASCAR announced, “The presence of confederate flags at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment.”

Just days later, on June 21, a member of Wallace’s team found a noose in Wallace’s garage stall; NASCAR immediately united around Wallace.

After a two-day investigation involving local and federal law enforcement, the noose was found to have been a pull rope for a garage handle that had been in that garage well before the race.

Phelps said the events of that month changed NASCAR’s trajectory forever, adding that NASCAR’s strong stance in favor of inclusivity disproved stereotypes about the sport and led to a younger, more diverse fanbase.

“At the end of 2020, NASCAR was one of the 10 fastest growing brands with Gen Z,” Phelps said. “We have to keep innovating. We have to keep being bold in the decisions that we are making in order to meet you where you are.”

DC Cracks Down on HS Football

Following a wave of violence and disorder at high school football games, District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) announced new restrictions and tighter security measures, including requiring students to have a chaperone and separate student sections for each school. Two people were stabbed at a Sept. 6 game between Archbishop Carroll High School, a Washington, D.C. private Catholic school, and Friendship Collegiate Academy, a D.C. charter school whose athletic programs are regulated by the city. One person was arrested at the scene, and a spokesperson for Archbishop Carroll announced on Facebook that no one involved with the incident was a student at either school. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) did not release the identity of the assailant or victims because of their age.

Drewana Bey, a DCPS deputy chancellor, announced in a Sept. 12 email to parents the enactment of eight new measures at football games due to what she called “multiple instances of spectator conflict.”

Among the changes, students will now need to be supervised by an adult to enter the stadium. Seating will be divided between home and away fans to keep students from opposing schools further away from each other. The start times of games, usually Friday nights between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., have been moved to between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Bey said the changes will last at least through Oct. 10.

“These adjustments are being introduced to help reduce and prevent conflicts, and we will be monitoring their effectiveness closely,” Bey wrote in the email.

“Our hope is that these changes will be temporary, and we commit to reevaluating later in the season with the goal of maintaining safety and our football traditions.”

A spokesperson for DCPS declined to comment further.

A spokesperson for District of Columbia State Athletics Association (DCSAA) — which runs postseason competitions between Washington, D.C.’s schools — said the policy was DCPS’s decision alone but that the association was ready to support safety at games.

“DCSAA has discussed the importance of safety and security with all member schools. This is not a new issue nor is it just a D.C. issue,” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya. “We are committed to helping member schools ensure the safety of all players, spectators and coaches attending games.”

This wave of violence has not been confined within the borders of the District either.

Other D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area school districts have also instituted tighter security after disorder at their games.

After a fight, Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School in Prince George’s County, Md., announced it would move Friday night games to Saturdays in an effort to calm crowds. Prince George’s County Public Schools reversed that decision, though, and instead added additional security to all games.

Multiple fights broke out at a Sept. 19 game in Montgomery County, Md., between James A. Blake High School and Springbrook High School, involving students of those two schools and Paint Branch High School, according to an open letter from the principals of the three schools.

The principals said a police officer fired a riot control device to disperse the crowd and condemned the violence as inconsistent with their values.

“Fighting, causing injury, and creating unsafe conditions for others will never be tolerated. These actions put students, staff, and families at risk and undermine the safe, supportive environment we strive to maintain at all school events,” the principals wrote.

“Disciplinary actions will be taken against any individuals determined to have participated in or instigated these events.”

Montgomery County has an athletics safety plan — which has been in place since 2023 and requires chaperones for all students that do not attend the schools participating in the game at all times. The principals said this restriction was not enforced at the Sept. 19 game, but the county will check student IDs at stadiums going forward. A spokesperson for the school district told NBC Washington the county may go to Tier 2 of its plan, which would restrict student attendance to students of the host school only.

District and area officials plan to review their enhanced measures in October, but expect them to remain in place for now.

It feels like senior midfielder Zach Zengue was always destined for the big stage. As of Sept. 25, Zengue is ranked second in the nation in total goals and third in points, leading the Georgetown men’s soccer team to a 5-2-2, 1-0 Big East record, with standout performances against then-ranked No. 1 University of Vermont and ranked George Mason University teams. Zengue scored a hat trick against Butler University on Sept. 19 en route to a 5-0 win.

Zengue’s success was not always linear though. Zengue did not play in an organized soccer game until the age of 12. He grew up in Nigeria, Haiti and Sri Lanka, where there were no opportunities to play formalized competitive programs and limited resources for training.

“Not being in an organized system benefitted me a lot because I had the freedom to play however I wanted to,” Zengue told The Hoya

Fast forward to Zengue’s senior year of high school at ShattuckSt. Mary’s School, a preparatory school in Faribault, Minn., and Zengue is captaining the school’s under-19 soccer team, a nationally competitive program.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Zengue’s recruiting process was markedly abnormal. Colleges could not officially recruit Zengue to play collegiate soccer until the summer going into his senior year, making the process unusually overwhelming. Zengue said he sent his highlight tape and academic description to around 150 schools, with the goal of “trying to get recognized everywhere” without an idea of where he would end up.

After the quarterfinal game in a national playoff tournament with Shattuck-St. Mary’s, Georgetown University reached out, after which Zengue had a long conversation with men’s soccer Head Coach Brian Wiese.

“It was a very genuine, down to earth talk, and I didn’t get the same feel with other coaches as I did with Coach Wiese,” Zengue said. “I felt a connection

COMMENTARY

when we talked, which sparked my interest.”

Zengue took a visit to Georgetown, where he instantly clicked.

“It just made sense for me,” Zengue said.

Zengue’s father, a former professional player and coach in Cameroon, also lived in Washington, D.C., which contributed to Zengue’s decision to choose Georgetown.

During a tough first-year campaign during which Zengue did not see the field as much as he wanted to, Assistant Coach Brian Bouhl introduced him to the practice of meditation and recommended the John Main Center for Christian Contemplation. Zengue said the center changed his life.

Meditation is something Zengue has implemented since that conversation. Since then, things started to turn in the right direction for Zengue: He scored his first two goals as a first-year in Spring 2023 in a tournament against Wake Forest University, secured a starting spot and was gaining confidence on and off the field.

“Everything after that felt like it started to fall into place,” Zengue said.

After a successful sophomore season, Zengue was drafted in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft by the Columbus Crew in the second round as the 58th overall pick. This left Zengue with the difficult decision of either forgoing his junior and senior

years or staying at Georgetown, and turning pro after graduation.

“All the people around me were telling me to go back for another year and get closer to graduation,” Zengue said. “I trusted Coach Wiese, my mom and other alums who are playing pro who want the best for me.” Zengue had a similar sentiment after his junior season following a tough loss to North Carolina State University in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

“I can’t leave like this,” Zengue said. “It didn’t feel right to leave after three years without making it to a final four or farther in the tournament than I had been.” Wiese said Zengue was a key contributor to the team’s early successes this year.

“Zach evolved into a great leader for our team on and off the field,” Wiese told The Hoya. “This year he has proven to be a match winner for us in key moments which every great team needs.” Now, Zengue is more confident than ever about this Georgetown team and has high aspirations.

“This is the best team that I’ve played on at Georgetown,” Zengue said. “I’ve done the Big East regular season, I’ve done the Big East tournament, and I want to win those again, but my goal this year is to make it to a final four and compete for a national championship.”

HAAN JUN (RYAN) LEE/THE HOYA Senior midfielder Zach Zengue has starred for the Hoyas this year, and is currently the nation’s second-highest scorer.

Missing Daniels, DC’s Commanders Cruise Beyond Las Vegas Raiders

Former Heisman Trophy winner and backup quarterback Marcus Mariota led the Washington Commanders to a 2-1 record by securing a 4124 win against the Las Vegas Raiders Sept. 21, despite starting quarterback Jayden Daniels being out due to an injury.

The Washington Commanders (2-1) hosted the Las Vegas Raiders (1-2) Sunday afternoon at Northwest Stadium. With phenom Jayden Daniels out with a knee sprain, the originally lopsided game against the rebuilding Raiders squad was primed to be an entertaining matchup.

The Commanders started off the game with a bang off the back of a 69-yard kickoff return from wide receiver Deebo Samuel. With great field position, Washington was able to run the ball the rest of their opening drive, capping it off with a 2-yard rushing touchdown from Mariota.

Commanders kicker Matt Gay had a rough day — his struggles started with a kickoff that went out of bounds, giving the Raiders an advantageous field position. Las Vegas’ opening drive started off hot as quarterback Geno Smith connected with wide receiver Jakobi Meyers for a 45-yard pass into the red zone. However, with an amazing red zone stand by the Commanders, the Raiders were forced to settle for 3 points from a field goal by placekicker Daniel Carlson.

The next two drives for both teams ended poorly. Mariota had an electric run for 22 yards that unfortunately ended with a fumble recovered by the Raiders. Las Vegas were not able to get their offense moving, gaining only 4 yards and leading to a threeand-out. Washington got the ball back, and with some nice throws from Mariota, the Commanders found themselves in the red zone

again. The Commanders were unable to capitalize on their red zone chances and opted to kick a field goal, which Gay missed from 37 yards. The Raiders then ended the quarter with a three-andout and an injury to their 2023 second-round draft pick tight end, Michael Mayer, who was later assessed to have suffered a concussion on the final play of their drive. The first quarter ended with a score of 7-3 with the Commanders ahead by 4. Washington started off the second quarter with a promising drive that ultimately stalled out due to offensive holding and false start penalties, eventually leading to a 46-yard field goal from Gay. Las Vegas was finally able to get a touchdown on the board off a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tre Tucker, tying the game at 10-10 in the fifth minute of the second quarter. Washington was quick to respond with an electrifying 60-yard rushing touchdown from running back Jeremey McNichols — his first of the season. The Raiders punted the next drive. The Commanders, with 27 seconds left in the half, were able to get into the field goal range from a facemask penalty by defensive aid Malcolm Koonce during a sack attempt on Mariota — Gay drilled the field goal to put the Commanders up 20-10 at halftime. Coming into the third quarter, neither team was able to do anything with their first two drives as both ended in punts. The Raiders’ second drive of the half also ended in a punt that cornerback Jaylin Lane returned for a 90-yard punt return touchdown. Las Vegas then punted the ball for the third time in the third quarter. Mariota was then able to find wide receiver Terry McLaurin for a deep 57-yard bomb to reach the Raiders’ 1-yard line — running back Jacory CroskeyMerrit punched the ball in for the 1-yard rushing touchdown.

The quarter ended with the Commanders out in front 34-10. As the fourth quarter kicked off, the Raiders were able to find the endzone again with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Tucker. The Commanders punted on their first drive of the quarter. Las Vegas’ second drive looked promising with big throws from Smith, but the Raiders were inevitably shut down on fourth-and-1 by the Commanders’ defense. Washington was unable to capitalize on their defense’s efforts and punted the ball again. On Las Vegas’ next drive, Smith was able to connect with his favorite target, Tucker, for a 61yard touchdown to cut the score to 34-24. Tucker had an absolutely monster game with 8 receptions for 145 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 2 of those touchdowns coming in the fourth quarter. The Commanders were able to put the game away for good when Mariota found wide receiver Luke McCaffrey for a 43-yard touchdown right before the 2-minute warning, putting the Commanders up by 17. The Raiders, knowing the game was over, opted to run the ball out, leading to a final score of 41-24 for Washington. The Commanders were able to bounce back from the prior week’s tough loss against the Green Bay Packers despite missing their starting quarterback. The Commanders dominated the Raiders with a strong rushing attack that contributed 3 touchdowns and 201 yards, and a spectacular 90-yard punt return touchdown from Lane. Despite the loss, Smith had a great game with 289 yards and 3 touchdowns, demonstrating his ability to bounce back after his 3-interception showing last week against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Commanders will start their two-game road trip against the Atlanta Falcons (12) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 28.

Joshua Tippins Special to The Hoya

Julian Brown Special to The Hoya

Sam Fishman Special to The Hoya

Nate Seidenstein Senior Sports Editor

FIELD HOCKEY

MLB Playoffs Are a Participation Trophy Temple Downs Hoyas in Big East Opener

HERMAN, from A12

winners receive an automatic spot in the DS. The third division winner? Stuck in a wild card series. It makes no sense that teams play 162 games trying to win their respective divisions, yet one team that succeeds does not reap the benefits.

This is all not to mention that the way the wild card series themselves are structured is nonsensical. Three teams — the three top teams who did not win their divisions — make the wild card series, along with that ill-fated worst division winner. The top two wild card teams play each other, while the last wild card team is left to tackle the division winner. Except, the last wild card team is luckier than they should be. More than likely, the best couple of wild card teams have a better record than the worst division winner. Some divisions are more competitive than others, after all. This year, for example, my Yankees are second in their division and destined for the wild card — but they have a better record than every team in the American League save the Blue Jays, who lead the division.

If I were a wild card team, I would be a lot happier playing the worst division-leading Detroit Tigers than I would be playing the Yankees. Yet the lowest-seeded wild card team will more than likely get to face the Tigers, while the second wild card team will meet the Yankees. By this logic, being wild card team number three is a better spot to be in than wild card team number two, especially given that neither team earns home field advantage. This twisted logic will always hold true unless all three division winners somehow happen to be the three best teams in the league — an unlikely scenario. As it stands, the playoff structure almost always incentivizes being lower in the wild card standings. If I ever

write a column requesting that the Yankees lose, you will know why.

Further, there is no reason for 12 teams to make the playoffs. It forces some sort of odd structure where not all division winners are rewarded for winning the division and it gives mediocre teams the opportunity to benefit from the randomness of October baseball. As I eloquently informed my parents — who by now are sick of hearing me talk about baseball — “It should be an accomplishment to make the playoffs, not an 85-win activity.”

And the answer to why it is there in the first place is evident: By adding another team, MLB collects the revenue of the extra playoff games.

Instead of having one wild card game per league, there are now up to six: Each wild card series is a best of three. I suppose MLB felt that 10 extra games of revenue was worth having a clown show of a postseason. A clown show, indeed, but a boring one. Turning the wild card game into a three-game series yanked the exhilaration out of the wild card. In fairness, it also reduces the likelihood I suffer a heart attack — but what even is October baseball without a pulse over 100? And because MLB extended the postseason by adding extra games, it entirely did away with the single best thing in baseball besides Aaron Judge: Game 163. Now, if teams are deadlocked to end the season, absolutely nothing interesting happens. The winner of the division or wild card spot is the team with the better head-to-head record during the season. Gone is the opportunity for drama — and once again, what is baseball without sheer terror?

So for approximately the 100th time, I request that Rob Manfred stop ruining my life — or at least, my Octobers. Is there a difference, really?

ERIK DROST/FLICKR

Before MLB added a third wild card team, winning the division was a worthy accomplishment, Eilat Herman (CAS ’26)writes.

SUDOKU

from A12

TEMPLE,

The second quarter transpired similarly to the first but with far fewer penalty corners. Georgetown recorded the only penalty corner of the second quarter in the 17th minute of play but, despite a close shot, failed to find the goal again. In the 18th minute, Temple took the ball to Georgetown’s side of the pitch and sunk it in the goal, securing the early equalizer 1-1. Despite a couple solid breakaway opportunities, the rest of the second quarter only recorded one shot not on goal from Temple. The score and stats from the first half showed an even matchup between the Hoyas and Owls. Temple put up 6 shots in the first half; Georgetown put up 5. Temple recorded 5 corners; the Hoyas recorded 3. That all changed quickly in the third quarter. With a pair of corners, Temple was able to secure a goal in the 32nd minute of play, putting them up 2-1 over Georgetown. For the rest of the quarter, Temple controlled possession. The Owls secured 5 penalty corners throughout the third quarter and managed to put up 4 shots. The Hoyas had zero of either, quickly losing any chances they got to the opposing defense.

The fourth quarter, however, was a different story. The Hoyas dominated the Owls, securing 6 penalty corners to Temple’s 1 and sending up 7 shots — 5 on goal — compared to the Owls’ 1. With each corner, the anticipation built, and by the Hoyas’ final corner with 50 seconds remaining in the match, the pitch fell silent. Despite numerous chances, the Hoyas ultimately failed to convert, and the match ended in a 2-1 loss for Georgetown. Banks said the team performed well overall but faltered on some fronts more than others.

“I think today our forwards really went after,” Banks told The Hoya. “I think we struggled a bit in the midfield and defense to get organized. That’s kind of what hurt us and led to the two goals, but our forwards went after it.”

“We out shot them,” Banks added. “They out cornered us by two so we were right in this game, even though it wasn’t our best game which is unfortunate. But I do think we put up a good attack showing, so I was proud of that.”

The Hoyas will next travel to Providence, R.I., to take on the Providence Friars (4-3, 0-1 Big East) in their second Big East matchup of the season Friday, Sept. 26. Georgetown will be looking to secure their first conference win of the season.

Hoyas Shut Out in Disappointing

Game at Brown

BROWN, from A12

After yet another unsuccessful drive from Georgetown, Brown was able to find the endzone for the fourth time in the game. Following an offside penalty on the next point, the Bears decided to rub salt in the wound and go for two while already up by 4 possessions and were successful.

Thomas II threw his second interception of the game on the last play of the first half to Brown linebacker John Perdue, cementing the Bears’ 0-32 lead heading into halftime.

The second half, the Hoyas failed to score their best chance of the game, missing a 49-yard field goal attempt.

The Bears put 14 more points on the board late — one touchdown at the end of the 3rd quarter and one at the beginning of the 4th. These points put the Bears up 46-0, which would be the final score in the game.

Head Coach Rob Sgarlata said he told his players to move forward and try to learn something from the tough loss.

“When you fail, it’s a growth opportunity,” Sgarlata told The Hoya “You have a chance to learn from it. Failure is defined as quitting, and there’s no quit in our football team. I’ve been very happy with how the kids approached today.”

The Hoyas will look to bounce back in their next game on the road against the Columbia University Lions (0-1) on Sept. 27 in New York.

senior quarterback

Second

GMU, from A12

to finish a half-volley on top of the six-yard box in the 38th minute. Janssen scored again six minutes later, scoring off a deflected pass to give GMU a 2-1 lead at the half. The Hoyas tallied 8 corner kicks in the first half and 8 free kicks off of fouls, creating chances for defensive players.

A Georgetown corner kick from Van Horn sent first-year defender Will Caldwell in the air to tip the ball off his head, sending the ball barreling to the top right corner, but ultimately missing the goal. Off a free kick delivered by Van Horn, junior defender Oliver Stafford tried to capitalize on a deflection but was unable to convert for a Hoya goal. Georgetown returned from halftime looking composed and determined to take back control of the game. The equalizer came in the 71st minute when Zengue’s free kick bounced off a GMU defender and into the back of the net, making the score 2-2.

The Hoyas took the momentum from the second goal and ran with it. In the 78th minute, Van Horn’s corner kick reached sophomore defender Jack Lindimore, who soared above the defender to restore Georgetown’s lead. Less than a minute later, Zengue went for a

rebound in the box and was taken out by a Patriot defender, calling for a penalty kick. Van Horn finished the penalty kick in the bottom right corner of the goal to increase the Hoya advantage to 4-2. To cap their victory in the 84th minute, a handball in the box from a Patriots defender awarded the Hoyas another penalty kick. Zengue finished the kick to claim a 5-2 victory.

Head Coach Brian Wiese said his team’s tenacity shined in their match against the Patriots.

“It was really good to see the guys come to a team that’s having a great season, a really talented group, go down on the road and find a way to come back and win, which is a testament to the older guys on the team,” Wiese told Georgetown Athletics. Georgetown outshot GMU 28-8, and the Hoyas were awarded 14 corners to the Patriots’ 3. Zengue ended with 2 goals, marking his third consecutive game with a multi-goal effort. Senior goalkeeper Tenzing Manske earned 2 saves in the victory. Georgetown will return to Shaw Field Saturday, Sept. 27, for a Big East doubleheader. The Hoya women’s soccer team will face the University of Connecticut at 5 p.m. followed by the men’s game against St. John’s University at 7:30 p.m. The games will be

broadcast on ESPN+.

Zengue (above) scored 2 of Georgetown’s 5 goals,

third consecutive game with at least two goals.

CHIP DELORENZO/BROWN UNIVERSITY

With

Dez Thomas II starting in place of senior Danny Lauter, Georgetown’s offense looked stagnant and failed to score once on the road against Brown University.

Senior

Rob Manfred Needs to Stop Ruining My Octobers

Eilat Herman Sports Columnist

The Major League Baseball (MLB) playoffs are impending. As my anxiety grows in anticipation of the first game Sept. 30 — to which I have tickets, unless the New York Yankees utterly collapse and lose home-field advantage — so does my abject rage about the way the playoffs are structured. As I explained to my parents while half asleep, the postseason bracket is asinine for at least four reasons: It punishes division winners, encourages mediocrity, strips us of the opportunity to watch dramatic winner-take-all games and is an ill-disguised cash grab. Before 2022, 10 teams made the playoffs out of 30. In each league, the three division winners earned automatic placement into the division series (DS) — makes sense, right? — and the two top nondivision winners played a single wild card game for the last DS spot. If two teams ended the season tied, they played a final “Game 163” to determine who won the division or made the playoffs. This was an almost-perfect system. Winning the division was an accomplishment, fans got to watch a dramatic winner-take-all game or two and the playoffs were exclusive enough that mediocre teams did not earn a spot. Of course, Commissioner Rob Manfred — famous for derisively comparing the World Series trophy to “a piece of metal” — had to go and ruin it. Now, 12 teams make up the postseason — six from each league. The two highest ranked division

See HERMAN, A11

Liv Villella Sports Staff Writer

The Georgetown University men’s soccer team (5-2-2, 1-00 Big East) overcame a halftime deficit with a dominant second-half performance, defeating No. 25 George Mason University (GMU) (3-2-1, 0-0-1 A10) 5-2 Tuesday, Sept. 23 at George Mason Stadium in Fairfax, Va. The Hoyas won their fourth consecutive game, while the Patriots suffered their second home loss of the season. The Hoyas wasted no time getting on the board. Just four minutes in, senior midfielder Max Viera drove the ball down the left side to pass to senior midfielder Zach Zengue on top of the box. After being blocked, sophomore forward Mitchell Baker calmly tapped the loose ball in, giving Georgetown a 1-0 lead. The Hoyas dictated most of the play in the first half, firing off chances on the Patriots’ backline. Junior midfielder Matthew Van Horn, sophomore midfielder Jack Brown and Baker forced saves from the Patriots’ goalkeeper. Junior midfielder Matthew Helfrich and Viera constantly created danger down the flanks. Georgetown outshot the Patriots 11-5 in the first half. Despite the early lead and strong offensive chances from Georgetown, GMU made the most of their few chances in the first half. To tie the game up 1-1, Patriot forward Kelly Janssen charged the box

TALKING POINTS

When

Georgetown vs. Connecticut

Sept. 26 @ 5 p.m.

Shaw Field

Hoyas Return to Kehoe Field in Big East Opener

Madeline Wang Senior Sports Editor

The Georgetown University field hockey team (2-5, 0-1 Big East) fell to the No. 28 Temple University Owls (7-1, 1-0 Big East) 2-1 in a hard-fought Big East opener Friday afternoon, Sept. 19, on Kehoe Field. Despite outshooting Temple 1211 — 9-6 on goal — the Hoyas struggled to find the net, ultimately failing to secure a victory. Friday’s home opener marked the Hoyas’ first game on campus

since 2022 and their first game on Kehoe Field since 2007.

Head Coach Christy Banks said she felt enthusiastic about the team being able to play where they practice daily.

“It’s nice being able because this is the field we practice on every single day, to be able to come out here and be able to play a full game on here,” Banks told The Hoya. “Being able to have our friends, families, professors be able to come to the game and I just think it’s a great home atmosphere for the team.”

Coming into the match, the Hoyas’ momentum was high. Family and friends filled out the sideline, braving the unusual heat and high afternoon sun. Temple took a hold of possession for the first 4 minutes of play, though Georgetown was quick on the defensive uptake. The Owls generated 3 penalty corners in those first 4 minutes and sent up 2 shot attempts — junior goalkeeper Ella Fahey saved the single shot on goal.

The Hoyas quickly responded with their own set of penalty corners. Senior midfielder Lily Jamison sent in a shot off a penalty corner in the 5th minute, which was blocked by Temple goalkeeper Alex Lepore.

In the 8th minute, sophomore forward Nina Mayro stole the ball from Lepore, allowing junior midfielder Izzy Lee to force another penalty corner. Senior midfielder/forward Sydney Yodh sent in a shot off the penalty corner, which Lepore blocked, before Lee swept in and nudged the ball into the net, securing the first goal of the match. The rest of the first quarter continued without much of note. Temple forced 2 more penalty corners, though they were unable to capitalize off either one. Lee was shown a green card in the 14th minute, but the Owls were unable to profit from their two-minute advantage.

Nate Seidenstein Senior Sports Editor

The Georgetown University football team (2-2, 0-1 Patriot League) lost horrifically 46-0 to the Brown University Bears (1-0) on the road Sept. 20. The Hoyas traveled to Providence, R.I., but must have left their bear spray in Washington, D.C., in what amounted to a mauling. Georgetown played its first Patriot League game of the season last week and suffered a hard-fought loss to Lafayette to start conference play on a bad note. The team looked to bounce back this weekend against Brown, but seemed to have lost all composure.

Georgetown started off the game with what seemed to be their only win of the day: the coin toss. Their captains chose to defend to start the game, which in hindsight may have been a bad call. The Hoyas’ defense was unable to stop the Bears, allowing a touchdown and made extra point on the first drive of the game, putting Brown up by 7.

Senior quarterback Dez Thomas II, who started in place of senior quarterback Danny Lauter, started off Georgetown’s first drive well, running for 11 on his unit’s first play of the game. Unfortunately, Thomas did not fare as well on the next play, as he got sacked and fumbled the ball. Luckily for Thomas and the Hoyas, first-year offensive lineman William Evans was able to recover the ball and prevent a costly turnover.

Georgetown punted the ball that drive to the Bears’ own side of the field. Redshirt junior punter Josh Leff pinned Brown inside their 4-yard line.

The Hoyas’ defense successfully stopped the Bears this time around, allowing only 20 yards on the drive before getting the ball back on their own 35-yard line. Thomas II again lost possession of the ball on the second play of a drive, this time throwing an interception to Brown defensive back Cap Davis. Georgetown nearly thwarted Brown’s next drive as well, getting a stop on a third down attempt, but a late facemask penalty on senior defensive lineman Matthew Plunkett gave the Bears another chance. This led to their second touchdown of the game, and following a made extra point, the Hoyas were down 14-0. Each of the next two Georgetown possessions were as fruitless, ending in punts. Brown’s offense followed these punts by pushing the Hoyas into the red zone. The Bears were unable to finish this drive off and had to settle for a field goal, putting them up by 17 in the second quarter. Georgetown’s woes did not end there, as junior running back Udechukwu Enyeribe fumbled the ball while returning the kickoff — setting up Brown with only 6 yards to go. It only took the Bears three plays to score this time. After another extra point, Brown had scored 24 unanswered points to begin play.

FIELD HOCKEY