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Fall of GU Men’s Basketball Since 1920 FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2023
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Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 104, No. 09, © 2023
Dutch Prime Minister Discusses Foreign Policy, War in Ukraine
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The Jan. 17 event was hosted by the School of Foreign Service in partnership with the Atlantic Council.
Sophia Lu and Jack Willis Student Life and Grad Desk Editors
Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte joined Georgetown University students for a conversation on Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine and the importance of strengthening transatlantic partnerships. The Atlantic Council, a think tank focused on international relations and economic development, organized the Jan. 17 event in partnership with the School of Foreign Service (SFS). Rutte spoke on a few ongoing Dutch foreign policy initiatives in a discussion that explored the extent of the Netherlands’ support of Ukraine during the war, his collaboration with NATO, the legitimacy of government tribunals and hybrid warfare tactics. Jörn Fleck, a senior director with the Europe Center at the Atlantic
Council, introduced Rutte at the event, which was moderated by Amy Mackinnon, a national security and intelligence reporter for Foreign Policy magazine. Rutte said the Ukrainian cause is a top priority for the Netherlands because democracies should help protect other democracies across the world. “What Putin is doing is running directly against our values of not colonizing another country, not force grabbing land of a country, not threatening freedom of speech and freedom of journalism. These are all sacrosanct in the Western world,” Rutte said at the event. Much of the Netherlands’ current focus has been centered around directing financial and military resources toward assisting the Ukrainian fight for independence, according to Rutte. Since the start of the war, See NETHERLANDS, A6
GUHOYAS
Nearly 40 years after leading the Georgetown men’s basketball team to its first and only NCAA championship win, critics, fans and sports analysts are calling for head coach and NBA legend Patrick Ewing (CAS ’85) to resign.
There Goes Old Georgetown
Rushil Vashee and Saar Shah
Former Senior Sports Editors
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n April 2017, Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia (CAS ’79, GRD ’95) announced that basketball Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing (CAS ’85) would be the new head coach of Georgetown’s men’s basketball team. “Patrick’s commitment to Georgetown and to further animating our legacy of excellence is inspiring,” DeGioia wrote in a press release. “His experience
as a coach over the last 15 years with some of the best basketball minds in the country has prepared him to lead our program.” But Georgetown leadership did not just hope he would bring his experience in the front office to the Hoyas. They were banking on his success as a player — both in college, as a member of Georgetown’s 1984 NCAA men’s basketball championship team, and the NBA — to translate into success as a coach. DeGioia, the Georgetown administration and fans of the Hoyas all hoped the most accomplished player in the
program’s history would usher in another era of dominance. Ewing was aware that all eyes were set on him upon his return. “As successful as I was as a player, that’s how successful I want to be as a coach,” Ewing said ahead of his debut season in 2017. Six years after returning to the Hilltop, Ewing has fallen short of his lofty goals. Georgetown has not won a regular-season Big East game since March 2, 2021, setting an all-time conference record for most consecutive losses (27). As of Jan. 20, they are 0-8 in conference
play, dragging Ewing’s conference record as a head coach to 26-71. Although the Hoyas won the Big East Tournament championship in 2021, their postseason run ended in a 73-96 thrashing by the University of Colorado in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In 2017, Georgetown pitched Ewing’s hiring as a means of reviving a failing program. However, the university hasn’t sparked a revival of any kind. Instead, it has remained unwaveringly tethered to its decades-old brand: Patrick See BASKETBALL, A4
Students Get Free Access Georgetown Grad Becomes To Select News Publications 2-Time ‘Jeopardy!’ Champion Brooke DeLucia Hoya Staff Writer
A Georgetown graduate won $45,000 on the quiz show “Jeopardy!” on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6. Patrick Curran (COL ’14, GRD ’19) competed in three games of “Jeopardy!” during the show’s 39th season. Curran, a double Hoya and lifelong Jeopardy fan, qualified to appear on the game show after completing the show’s preliminary test. After a twogame winning streak, Cur-
ran lost by $11,399 despite correctly answering the final jeopardy question that asked about Jack Daniels, the largest employer in the dry county of Moore, Tennessee. Curran said it was sentimental to appear on a show he loved watching as a child. “I’ve been watching the show my whole life, just something that was always on growing up,” Curran told The Hoya. “My parents both love it, and my dad loved it. He died a few years ago. My mom still watches every sin-
gle night.” Curran said he prepared to compete on the show after practicing with an unusual tool — kids’ reference books. “This was a tip my mom gave me,” Curran said. “So I went down to the Georgetown branch of the D.C. Public Library and got out a bunch of simple books either explicitly directed to kids or just simple, basic reference books.” Beyond these books, Curran trained using online trivia See JEOPARDY, A6
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The Georgetown University Student Association and the Lauinger Library staff collaborated to provide the complimentary subscriptions to community members.
Georgia Russello Special to The Hoya
Following months of student advocacy, Georgetown University students, faculty and staff now have free access to The New York Times (NYT) and The Washington Post. Lauinger Library staff and the Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA) collaborated to secure the free subscriptions, which began Jan. 1. The subscriptions provide access to all current stories on the NYT and Washington Post websites, as well as to five articles a day from the NYT archives and all The Washington Post stories
published online in the last 15 years. The announcement comes ahead of GUSA’s intended timeline, which aimed to start providing the subscriptions in Fall 2023. The initiative gained momentum last fall, as GUSA began working more closely with Lauinger staff to negotiate alleviating the costs of student subscriptions. Amelia Frisbie (MSB ’26) said the new subscription will be helpful in her courses and outside of class. “I’m excited by the news that Georgetown is granting students access to the NYT and Washington Post,” Frisbie wrote to The Hoya. “These resources are helpful tools for students to employ
when researching for classes, staying informed on current events, and reading leisurely.” GUSA President Camber Vincent (SFS ’24) said GUSA’s goal for the subscriptions was to give students the ability to read more articles, especially ones necessary for class assignments which would typically be inaccessible. “Our rationale for the program was to increase student readership in general and provide access to articles relevant to classes or sometimes those assigned by professors that were locked behind paywalls,” Vincent wrote to The Hoya. “This is a great program for See READERSHIP, A7
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Trivia lover and former Hoya sports editor Patrick Curran (COL ’14, GRD ‘19) won $45,000 on the quiz show “Jeopardy!” in a two-day winning streak from Jan. 5-6.
NEWS
OPINION
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SPORTS
Mistreatment of Ukrainian Children
Georgetown Sustainability
‘Avatar 2’: The View is Worth It
Honoring the G.O.A.T.
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The world is grieving the death of Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, a visionary who transcended the game of soccer. A12
At a GU event, speakers discussed the conditions disabled Ukrainian children are facing because of the war.
A GU professor and administrator urge individuals to take action to combat irreversible climate change.
Alexis Kim (SFS ’25) says the visuals in “Avatar 2: The Way of Water” stun but warns that the storytelling disappoints.
GUSA Rolls Out New Website
The Rise of AI
Hollywood’s Rise and Fall
Men’s Basketball Falters Again
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After months without an updated one, the Georgetown University Student Association relaunched their website.
The Editorial Board proposes ways the university can combat the usage of AI technology to complete assignments.
Luke McMahan (CAS ’25) gives a timid review of “Babylon,” arguing that its excess gets in the way of true greatness.
Published Fridays
After a promising start to the game, the Hoyas extended their 28-game Big East losing streak after falling to Villanova.
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