GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY’S NEWSPAPER OF RECORD SINCE 1920 thehoya.com
Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 100, No. 22, © 2019
FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019
The Women’s Issue
Explore The Guide’s special issue, chronicling the legacy of women in arts and culture on the Hilltop and beyond.
EDITORIAL Georgetown must reduce summer housing costs for students with financial need.
CAREERS AFTER COLLEGE Nearly half of Georgetown students pursue finance or consulting work after graduation.
OPINION, A2
FEATURE, A4
Petition Calls for Punishment Law Center Expands Of Falsely Admitted Students Campus Near Capitol Hill SANA RAHMAN AND RILEY ROGERSON Hoya Staff Writers
An online petition calling for Georgetown University to revoke the degrees and admission of all current and former students involved in the college admissions bribery scheme has gained 16,678 signatures as of press time. Georgetown alumnus and admissions interviewer Mickey Lee (COL ’05) tweeted the petition March 13. The petition refers to a U.S. Department of Justice indictment of 50 parents and athletic coaches involved in an admissions bribery scheme, where parents bribed athletic coaches at eight selective universities to secure their children’s admission. The March 12 indictment charged former Georgetown tennis coach Gordon Ernst with accepting $2.7 million in bribes for fraudulently recruiting 12 applicants for competitive tennis teams. The indictment also named five Georgetown parents. The scandal reveals the inequality in the admissions process, according to Lee. “People can definitely buy their way legally into the school or make it very favorable to the admissions process by donating enough money to buy a building and having it in their name,” Lee said in a phone in-
terview with The Hoya. “I think it sucks, but that’s just the nature of it, but this is so obviously and blatantly illegal.” The petition comes after the University of Southern California rescinded the admission of six students implicated in the scandal March 14, according to The Washington Post. Georgetown has the opportunity to lead other institutions involved in the scheme by quickly revoking admission and the degrees, according to Lee.
“Kids who were involved in this scandal are kind of taking away the spots of people who have worked really, really hard.” YALDA ZARRABI Prospective Georgetown student
“If we take action, I think we can set the standard instead of just waiting for Stanford to do something or USC to do something. I think that we should be the first to do it to show that, you know, we are serious about this and we want to clear our name and we want to show the world that our university means business and we’re clean, you know, to the extent that we can be,” Lee said. “The
world is really watching.” The university will not comment on any disciplinary action against the students who were allegedly admitted to Georgetown with fraudulent applications because of protections offered by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, according to university spokesperson Matt Hill. FERPA is a federal law that protects the confidentiality of student education records. The university is committed to equitable admissions and will take action if necessary, University President John J. DeGioia wrote in a March 15 campuswide email. “Now that the government’s investigation has detailed the extent of the alleged fraud, we are reviewing the indictment and will take appropriate action,” DeGioia wrote. “We have no indication that any other Georgetown employees were involved.” The university also disclosed that it had enacted measures in December 2018 to mitigate fraud for student-athlete applicants, including restrictions on gifts and fundraising as well as audits to determine whether recruited studentathletes appear on rosters, according to a FAQ page posted on the university website. The university has also hired a third party to conduct an audit of athletic recruiting and See ADMISSIONS, A6
RILEY ROGERSON Hoya Staff Writer
Georgetown University purchased a full block of property half a mile from the U.S. Capitol Building on March 18, less than two months after Johns Hopkins University acquired the Newseum Building. With this new property at 500 First St. NW, Georgetown plans to expand the Georgetown University Law Center campus, house administrative offices and accommodate graduate programs. The $70 million purchase follows a push by U.S. universities including the University of California, New York University and Arizona State University to expand student programs to Washington, D.C., according to The Washington Post. The physical proximity of the property grants students greater exposure to the nation’s political center, according to Law Center Dean William Treanor. “The building location is ideal, located just steps from the U.S. Capitol and the U.S. Supreme Court,” Treanor wrote in an email to The Hoya. “It also allows the Law Center to expand its footprint, completing a city block for the University.” The building will house space for new academic programs, including the Center for Security and Emerging Technology, the largest center focused on artificial intelligence and security policy in the country.
The Capitol Applied Learning Lab, which offers undergraduate students internship opportunities and provides academic opportunities related to policy and public service, will also begin operating in the new building in spring 2019. The location is set to facilitate CALL student’s integration in downtown D.C., according to Randall Bass, vice provost for education and a CALL administrator. “The whole purpose of the CALL is to create a place downtown that
can be a nexus for student immersion experiences in internships and related opportunities,” Bass wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Having the building is critical for that. It will serve as the home base for the cohort of students at the CALL.” The redesign of the building plans to involve student input, according to Bass. “We want to make it as comfortable and multi-functional as See NEW BUILDING, A6
SHEEL PATEL/THE HOYA
Georgetown University’s Monday purchase of a property in the Capitol Hill area closely follows a similar acquisition by Johns Hopkins University.
New GUSA Execs Stress Approachability Circulator Buses To Remain Free, Bowser Announces CADY STANTON Hoya Staff Writer
Georgetown University Student Association President Norman Francis Jr. (COL ’20) and Vice President Aleida Olvera (COL ’20) are emphasizing approachability and student engagement as they begin their term in the GUSA executive. The pair were sworn in March 16 following the GUSA
senate’s confirmation of the election results Feb. 10. Francis and Olvera were elected Feb. 8 by a margin of 40 votes, narrowly defeating solo candidate Nicki Gray (NHS ’20) in an election that saw the lowest voter turnout in seven years. Francis and Olvera’s priorities for the semester follow their campaign pillars of diversity, transparency and academic accessibility.
The executives said they will increase opportunities for students to engage with GUSA during their term. “That’s one thing that we really want to do is make sure we are as approachable as possible,” Francis said. “So another thing that we want to start implementing is town halls that we’ve seen from other executives, most recently the last elected executives, that was one thing that they
FILE PHOTO: AMBER GILLETTE/THE HOYA
Aleida Olvera (COL ’20), left, and Norman Francis Jr. (COL ’20) plan to prioritize student outreach and diversity after being inaugurated into the Georgetown University Student Association executive March 16.
FEATURED
wanted to implement and that’s something that we’re looking to as well.” Francis and Olvera are replacing former GUSA President Juan Martinez (SFS ’20) and former GUSA Vice President Kenna Chick (SFS ’20). The biggest challenge facing the new executives is translating their plan for incorporating student voices into action, Martinez said in his March 14 exit interview with The Hoya. Francis and Olvera, who ran on a platform of transparency, reform, accessibility and progress, abbreviated as T.R.A.P., hoped to prioritize outreach to student groups and focused on diversity while assembling their senior staff over the past couple of weeks. “One thing that we really tried to make a thing was trying to reach out to as many student groups as possible,” Francis said. “Also, we tried to message out to different student groups, especially cultural groups, so that they knew that this was an option that they could look into and that they were able to apply.” The pair hopes to promote diverse candidates to run for the April 11 elections to the GUSA senate during their term, according to Olvera. “Especially when time for See FRANCIS/OLVERA, A6
YOLANDA SPURA Hoya Staff Writer
The D.C. Circulator Bus, which provides transportation across six different routes in the District and Rosslyn, Va., will continue to provide service to riders free of charge indefinitely, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) announced during the State of the District address Monday. The Circulator began operating for free Feb. 1 as part of the “#FairShotFebruary” initiative, launched by the mayor’s office to improve access to city services for D.C. residents. The extension comes amid Bowser’s push to improve affordability and accessibility in housing and public transport during her second term in office. Eliminating the Circulator’s cost, which used to be $1 per ride, has helped make public transportation more affordable for residents, who have expressed their desire for the continuation of the program, Bowser said in her address. “We may not think about it, because it’s just a dollar each way, two dollars a day, but for a working person, it adds up,” Bowser said in her address.
Bowser’s commitment to improving the accessibility of public transport also includes calling on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to reinstate late-night services on the Metro. A strong system of public transport is vital to D.C. residents, according to Bowser. “We know a resilient and sustainable public transportation system is the key to building a resilient and sustainable city,” Bowser said. Late-night Metro hours need to be reinstated to help public transportation cater to workers with varying schedules, Bowser said. In a Feb. 28 vote, the Metro board elected to continue on a reduced-hours schedule, despite a petition circulated by Bowser for the restoration of late hours. “We have always prioritized safety, reliability and building the capacity for Metro,” Bowser said in her address. “So now we need a commitment from Metro that they will return to latenight hours and that they will not become a system that only caters to white-collar workers commuting from the suburbs.” See CIRCULATOR, A6
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
Modelling Africa’s Economy International economists argued that developing countries are unlikely to adopt U.S. economic models March 19. A8
End Scandal Mockery Students should show compassion to those implicated in the college admissions scandal. A3
Dragon Slayers Behind senior attack Dan Bucaro’s five goals, the Georgetown men’s lacrosse team defeated the Drexel Dragons 13-10 Sunday. A12
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
Black Female Empowerment The fourth annual BRAVE summitt provided women of color with tools for effective activism March 16. A7
Reject Islamophobia Rebuff white nationalism in solidarity with Muslim communities in light of the mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand. A3
Hoyas Fall in Postseason A promising men’s basketball season came to a close in a three-point loss to the Harvard Crimson on Wednesday. A12
Published Fridays
Send story ideas and tips to news@thehoya.com
A2
OPINION
THE HOYA
FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019
THE VERDICT
Punish Fraud, Recognize Privilege On March 12, the U.S. Department of Justice charged 50 people across eight universities in the largest college admissions scam in history. Five Georgetown University parents and two current students were implicated in the indictment, shocking and breaching the trust of the university community. These two students were complicit in using fraudulent means to gain acceptance into Georgetown. Nearly two weeks after the report’s release, however, both are still students at the university. To regain any integrity in the admissions process, Georgetown must expel the involved students. Students and administrators should also reflect on privilege in the admissions system. Rhetoric on campus suggests that affirmative action privileges students of color in the admissions process. This line of thought fails to acknowledge that wealth — not race — is the predominant influencer in college admissions. As the indictment receives national attention, students must recognize that the influence of wealth in admissions extends beyond these two students. The two students involved in the scandal colluded with former Georgetown tennis coach Gordon Ernst to write emails and essays to gain entrance into the university, according to the indictment. Ernst was charged with accepting bribes from parents in return for recruiting students to the tennis team who did not play competitive tennis. Though Georgetown parents had bribed Ernst, both students were involved in the fraud. One of the current students participated in the scheme by writing a personal email to Ernst claiming he played competitive tennis, even though he did not play the sport. The other student gloated with her proctor after cheating on the SAT. In total, the students and their families spent $950,000 to enter the university. Unlike other students mentioned in the indictment who were unaware of their parents’ backdoor deeds, both Georgetown students were active participants. The university should remove these students from Georgetown. Failing to do so would signal acceptance of this illegal behavior and reward fradulents with spots never meant to belong to them. In addition to flouting national laws, these actions violated university policy. Students are expected to be honest in all dealings with the university, as per definition 27 of the Code of Student Conduct. Though they were not students at the time of writing their applications, their actions still show a disregard for the
spirit of university conduct. Moreover, they also committed a slew of honor code violations by cheating on SAT exams, submitting college essays altered or written on their behalf and falsifying academic documentation. The severity of these actions merits expulsion. Though both students may have built community, fostered friendships and carved a space for themselves in extracurricular involvements, these opportunities were gained through unscrupulous and dishonorable methods. (Full disclosure: One of the implicated students previously served as a cartoonist for The Hoya.) While losing these connections may be painful, any discipline besides expulsion would not adequately address these students’ admission under false pretenses. To rebuild trust in its admissions process, Georgetown must immediately rectify the breach of the university’s integrity. However, to move forward, students and administrators should also reflect on the pervasive role of wealth in college admissions. Students of color — and low-income students — at Georgetown face the pressure of proving that they are worthy of admission, according to Alana Hendy (SFS ’21). As a black student at Georgetown, Hendy has received flippant comments and rhetoric suggesting that minorities get into elite schools such as Georgetown without working as hard as others. Such comments minimize the intelligence and talent of students of color by suggesting that they are undeserving of a position at Georgetown and were admitted only because affirmative action lowered the standards for them. This rhetoric, however, ignores ignores the incredible barriers that low-income students and people of color must surmount to attend Georgetown. Wealthier students do not face nearly as many systemic disadvantages in the process. Suggesting students of color are privileged in college admissions is unfair and inaccurate. As the scandal has made abundantly clear, the wealthy have hidden and magnanimous influence in the admissions process. Students have a responsibility to reflect on this systemic inequality and be vocal when they hear rhetoric suggesting otherwise. But the university must also address the immediate fraud at Georgetown. Only by expelling the two implicated students can Georgetown can start rebuilding integrity and trust in the admissions process.
Devin Moo-nes — House Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) is suing a parody Twitter account pretending to be his cow for $250 million. After the announcement of the lawsuit Monday, the account reached 467,000 followers, surpassing Nunes’ follower count of 395,000.
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BIO-420 — The University of Connecticut is offering a class on growing cannabis. With over 300 students registering, the class is in high demand. Students are very excited to finally learn something they can apply outside of the classroom.
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EDITORIALS
C C C
Founded January 14, 1920
Lemonade Freedom — The Texas House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday to legalize lemonade stands operated by children. The practice is currently prohibited in the state because it was deemed unsanitary.
Eat Mor Chikin — A cow weaved through several lanes of traffic toward a ChikFil-A in Nobleville, Ind., on Sunday. The Nobleville Police Department chased the cow around the east side of the city before capturing it.
Tough Crowd — A pursuit by California Highway Patrol on Tuesday ended when a suspect breakdanced while being held at gunpoint by police. The 10-second performance ended when he was handcuffed and taken into custody.
EDITORIAL CARTOON by Alexandra Bowman
Reduce Summer Housing Costs In the next few weeks, Georgetown University students will hear back from summer internship programs. But for many students with financial need, the university’s prohibitive summer housing costs overshadow the good news of receiving an internship offer in Washington, D.C. Georgetown charges $450.60 a week for summer housing occupied longer than seven weeks. The rate — nearly $90 greater than the average double room rate for an entire semester — is not currently subsidized for students with financial need. The university’s exorbitant summer housing prices deter low-income students from accepting the invaluable networking and future job prospects that a D.C. internship can offer, even unpaid. Students should not be forced to choose between their careers and staying afloat financially. To promote equal access to opportunities, the university should provide reduced-rate summer housing for financially disadvantaged students pursuing unpaid internships. Internships for undergraduate students are crucial for career development: These opportunities help students narrow career possibilities and provide students with professional credibility after graduation. Though internships are available during the academic year, summer internships can be more attractive for students with multiple commitments during the semester. Students’ free time during summer vacation also allows them to commit to a full-time internship and develop a more extensive skillset. While Georgetown offers a myriad scholarships, these scholarships are often not enough to cover the entire cost of summer housing. The School of Foreign Service Alvarez Memorial scholarship — branded as a way to assist students who would otherwise be unable to accept unpaid internships — is just $500. With Georgetown housing fees nearly nine times this amount, the scholarship is not enough to aid students. Moreover, these scholarships are competitive and only assist a few students. For example, the Georgetown Summer Fellows Program, which provides free housing to students pursuing an unpaid summer internship for 10 weeks, only selects 10 students. But financial need on campus extends beyond 10 students. By reducing Georgetown’s summer housing costs
for financially disadvantaged students, the university could allow more students to accept unpaid internships beyond the few who receive scholarships. Though limited paid internships are available, in most fields, unpaid internships are the norm for undergraduate students. Students are already accepting a loss by working for free, and Georgetown’s prohibitive costs only exacerbate the financial difficulty. Georgetown’s housing costs are an added burden on transportation and food for low-income students pursuing D.C. internships, according to Aleida Olvera (COL ’20), vice president of the Georgetown University Student Association. Though off-campus housing is cheaper, these options are still unaffordable. In the Georgetown area, a single room can cost over $2,000 for two months. Prices are cheaper in neighborhoods further from the city center, but require burdensome commuting costs, according to Miranda Felton (SFS ’21), who received an offer for a summer internship in D.C. Off-campus housing, unlike university housing, can also require deposits, disadvantaging students who do not already have money accumulated. The lack of affordable housing in D.C. is especially concerning for students who live far from major metropolitan cities. Though internships are available in these areas, they may not match up to the student’s field of interest or be of a similar quality to opportunities available near Georgetown, according to Felton. Low-income and first-generation students are already at a networking disadvantage; being unable to intern only exacerbates unequal access to resources. To help students take advantage of the critical career development available in unpaid internships, the university must offer reduced-rate summer housing. The university touts its location as an asset for students to gain professional experiences on its website and admissions materials. Yet housing costs rob the students from achieving this possibility. Georgetown must provide reduced-rate housing to maintain its promise to prospective students. The university’s responsibility to provide equal access to opportunities — including unpaid internships — does not end once summer arrives. Summer housing must be subsidized for low-income students.
Maya Gandhi, Editor-in-Chief Yasmine Salam, Executive Editor Will Simon, Executive Editor Catriona Kendall, Managing Editor Will Cassou, News Editor Deepika Jonnalagadda, News Editor Danny McCooey, Sports Editor Faris Bseiso, Guide Editor Kiera Geraghty, Guide Editor Yumna Naqvi, Opinion Editor Harrison Hurt, Features Editor Amber Gillette, Photography Editor Samuel Nelson, Design Editor Emily Shambaugh, Design Editor Susanna Blount, Copy Chief Kate Rose, Social Media Editor Caroline Porterfield, Blog Editor Tarina Touret, Multimedia Editor
Karena Landler Amy Li Mason Mandell Yolanda Spura Cady Stanton Allie Babyak Brendan Dolan Sarah Cammarota Suna Cha Maddie Finn Dennese Mae Javier Timothy McNulty Sela Dragich Jonathan Wiersema Doris Zhang Will Cromarty Meena Morar Natalie Isé Sheel Patel Kiki Schmalfuss Amanda Van Orden Mina Lee Janis Park Eloise Owen Katherine DeMatteo Sarah Donofrio Chau Le Victoria Lei Madison Carter Barbara McDuffee Isabel Roemer Irene Chun
Graduate Desk Editor Campus Life Desk Editor Academics Desk Editor City Desk Editor Campus Life Desk Editor Deputy Sports Editor Deputy Sports Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Guide Editor Deputy Opinion Editor Deputy Opinion Editor Deputy Opinion Editor Deputy Features Editor Deputy Features Editor Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Photography Editor Deputy Design Editor Deputy Design Editor Deputy Design Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Copy Editor Deputy Social Media Editor Deputy Blog Editor Deputy Blog Editor Deputy Multimedia Editor
Editorial Board
Yumna Naqvi, Chair
Elizabeth Ash, Matias Burdman, Juliette Leader, Maya Moretta, Rowan Saydlowski, Jenny Xu
Contributing Editors
Yasmeen El-Hasan, Caroline Pappas
HOYA HISTORY: March 20, 1969
Mayor’s Lecture Expects Student Protests It can be said that Mayor Joseph Alioto of San Francisco expected little or no trouble at Georgetown. He would come to deliver a Gaston lecture on a subject most familiar to him, “Law and the Campus.” The University of California, Berkeley, is a 10-minute drive from the mayor’s city, and he had dealt with San Francisco State University. What possible trouble could he have at Georgetown? In San Francisco on Tuesday, March 11, Alioto received word from the FBI that the Students for a Democratic Society would attempt to disrupt his lecture. Although this information meant that Genaro Alioto would not come as planned, the mayor’s reported reaction was, “Let them demonstrate.” He was used to such threats and thought little of it. Georgetown was also contacted
on Tuesday. The news was passed along to the two people most directly involved in the planning of the lecture, Robert Dixon and Don Casper. Dixon is director for student activities, and Casper, editorin-chief of The Hoya and a friend of Alioto’s, had invited the mayor to Georgetown. On Wednesday, Dixon and Casper received two more items of bad news. The first came in the form of an SDS flyer which, among other things, predicted the end of “Adolph Alioto”. The second was a piece of information from Hoya reporter Steve Kruft. While waiting for an interview at the Georgetown SDS quarters at 3611 Prospect St., he happened to see the minutes from the recent meeting. The minutes indicated that the Alioto lecture was to be the group’s first major confronta-
tion at Georgetown. A preliminary decision had been made by the administration to hold the university’s policy, excluding the Metropolitan Police Department of D.C. On Thursday, Dixon and Casper were worried that the mayor’s 5:45 arrival at the main gate, planned a month before in the original schedule that Casper had drawn up, would be disrupted. Wanting to reroute him to the Canal Road entrance to the campus, they telephoned his office in San Francisco to find out his whereabouts in Washington, D.C. However, they were not able to contact him and at 5:30 they began waiting at the main gate.
Jim Horan and Carey Brazeman Hoya Editors
CORRECTION: Last week’s front page incorrectly identified a photo of Fr. Harold C. Bradley, S.J. as former Jesuit priest H. Cornell Bradley.
For letters to the editor and more online content, visit thehoya.com/category/opinion.
Tara Halter, General Manager Luke Sanders, Director of Alumni Relations Brian Yoffe, Director of Financial Operations Aditi Joshi, Director of Human Resources Kate Wittpenn, Director of Sales
Board of Directors
Anna Kovacevich, Chair Dan Crosson, Maya Gandhi, Tara Halter, Subul Malik, Margo Snipe, Hannah Urtz LETTER TO THE EDITOR AND VIEWPOINT POLICIES The Hoya welcomes letters and viewpoints from our readers and will print as many as possible. To be eligible for publication, letters should specifically address a recent campus issue or Hoya story. Letters should not exceed 300 words. Viewpoints are always welcome from all members of the Georgetown community on any topic, but priority will be given to relevant campus issues. Viewpoint submissions should be between 600-700 words. The Hoya retains all rights to all published submissions. Send all submissions to: opinion@thehoya. com. The Hoya reserves the right to reject letters or viewpoints and edit for length, style, clarity and accuracy. The Hoya further reserves the right to write headlines and select illustrations to accompany letters and viewpoints. CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS If you have a comment or question about the fairness or accuracy of a story, contact Executive Editor Yasmine Salam and Executive Editor Will Simon by email at executive@thehoya.com. TIPS News Editors Will Cassou and Deepika Jonnalagadda: Email news@thehoya.com. Guide Editors Faris Bseiso and Kiera Geraghty: Email guide@thehoya.com. Sports Editor Danny McCooey: Email sports@thehoya.com. GENERAL INFORMATION The Hoya is published once a week during the academic year with the exception of holiday and exam periods. Address all correspondence to: The Hoya Georgetown University Box 571065 Washington, D.C. 20057-1065
The writing, articles, pictures, layout and format are the responsibility of The Hoya and do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, faculty or students of Georgetown University. Signed columns and cartoons represent the opinions of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the editorial position of The Hoya. Unsigned essays that appear on the left side of the editorial page are the opinion of the majority of the editorial board. Georgetown University subscribes to the principle of responsible freedom of expression for student editors. The Hoya does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, disability, color, national or ethnic origin. © 1920-2018. The Hoya, Georgetown University weekly. No part of this publication may be used without the permission of The Hoya Board of Editors. All rights reserved. The Hoya is available free of charge, one copy per reader, at distribution sites on and around the Georgetown University campus. Email: editor@thehoya.com Online at www.thehoya.com Circulation: 4,000
OPINION
FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019
WOC WISDOM
THE HOYA
A3
VIEWPOINT • GEORGE
Omaris Caceres
Foster Informal Care
M
y culture — Dominican culture — prevents my community from recognizing mental illnesses among the women. My family describes certain aunts as “nervous,” instead of possibly dealing with anxiety, or the great-aunt as “very organized and particular,” instead of someone who might have OCD; even the cousin who likely has depression is just “always sad and alone.” My family often takes the easier path of dismissing mental illness as a personality flaw. Very few women in my family ever pursue therapy; in fact, therapy is not even openly discussed as an option. Despite the cultural barriers that stifle women of color from seeking and accepting professional help, we still carve out spaces in our communities to build each other up and find support. When I started therapy this past semester, I noticed the extent to which my culture held me back from taking advantage of the space. I struggled to name and claim my depressive episodes and panic attacks by avoiding words like anxiety and depression and using humor to deflect. I was afraid that once I claimed these identities, I would join the women in my family with “personality flaws” and be isolated because of my mental health. I also purposely withheld information because I was trained by my culture to think that problems should be kept and solved within the family — strangers didn’t need to know our business. As a minority community, my family constantly deals with judgements, prejudice and different forms of oppression — having a mental illness is viewed as yet another way that other communities could judge us. For this reason, I was raised not to tell people outside of my culture about my “intense feelings” and “character flaws,” but rather I am fine and improving. Mental health is thought to be best handled by my community, but it doesn’t even have the tools to address mental health care properly. Additionally, therapy was challenging because it required me to put work into myself – an action at odds with my culture. In my experiences, my culture expects women to be selfless and entirely focused on improving everyone else around them, which made the process of focusing on myself difficult. The experience made me realize the ways that my culture failed me — and many other women of color — in never giving me the lan-
guage and validation I needed in order to freely work through my emotions and trauma. Though my culture failed to give me the language I needed, it has also taught me how women of color work to overcome these failures by creating emotional spaces and validation for ourselves. Women in my family often do not have access to formal therapy sessions because of financial limitations and many being busy as working mothers. Formal therapy sessions also are not culturally accepted as a way to combat mental health issues. Instead, the women in my family created discussion, chisme, circles discussing daily life and gossip during family events, encouraged long phone calls that involved informal mental health check-ins and repeated words of validation, and offered each other post-dinner cafecitos to prolong conversations that came after a large meal. At Georgetown, I have healed from finding community with strong women of color that also build informal spaces for healing. This includes lunch conversations on the couch of the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access to impromptu check-ins and familystyle dinners with friends. I actively sought community with women of color around me, including mentors and peers on campus. The interactions reminded me of my community and provided me the space to recenter myself with my goals and aspirations while also giving me the opportunity to debrief and process my emotions. Women of color in both my home life and on Georgetown’s campus carve spaces in which we can build each other up. I have learned to value the lessons from the women of color before me, to appreciate those currently supporting me and to share that love to uplift the community as a whole. They overcame the barriers placed in front of them to create spaces for themselves through timeless cultural practices that I hope to instill in my daily life. Yet as a community, we must still actively advocate for the acceptance of mental health resources and work against the aspects of culture shoving mental health aside. We should support each other in seeking help, advocate for more accessible resources and uplift those who need support. Omaris Caceres is a junior in the School of Nursing and Health Studies. WOC WISDOM appears online every other Thursday.
To any of the students who have found themselves embroiled in this scandal, I would like you to know that I am sorry that the responses to your circumstance have largely been glee and callousness.
Stop Relishing College Scandal
I
magine that one of the worst decisions you had ever made was suddenly common knowledge and playing across every screen. Imagine that memes mocking your mistake were amassing hundreds of likes, loves and laughs every day. Imagine that the people in your community were the ones with the most hurtful things to say. For a select number of people across the country — and on this campus — there is no need to imagine. This is their reality. Last Tuesday, news broke that fraud and bribery had tainted the admissions processes of multiple elite institutions. Georgetown’s inclusion in their ranks rocked this campus, and an outpouring of indignation continues to sweep across the Hilltop, engulfing classroom and common room conversations. But in the wake of this scandal, we should not be relishing or contributing to the shame of the implicated students or their families. Unfortunately, as the scandal has unfolded, that is exactly what has occurred. As a Hoya and a person of faith, I have been incredibly disheartened by the over-
whelmingly vitriolic and smug responses being splashed across social media and promulgated among the student body. The satisfaction that so many seem to find in seeing these students and their families brought low depresses me, but at the same time, I understand why people are angry. I understand that some feel this is proof that money means more than merit. I know that this has left the sour taste of cynicism in the mouths of students here and across the nation. However, addressing inequality does not require a derisive smear campaign, and ensuring justice is done is not dependent on maximizing the guilty party’s shame. I am not saying that what these individuals did wasn’t wrong or isn’t worthy of penalty, but the punishment — whatever it may be — ought to be delivered with a sense of sobriety and respect. Our aim should never be to heap more pain on an already painful situation, and the fact that some people seem to be finding pleasure in doing exactly that makes me ashamed to be a Hoya. In all likelihood, this is probably one of the most embarrassing moments of these people’s lives, and to relish it
VIEWPOINT • PALUCH
is, to me, unconscionable. And yet that is what we have done. We have spent the last week lambasting these students, and it simply cannot continue. Not if we want to retain any sense of respect for ourselves or others. Going forward, three things need to happen. First, we must immediately put an end to any and all mockery — be that publicly, privately or personally. Someone’s life imploding is not funny. Period. Second, for those who have been trumpeting in vindication, take time for self-reflection. While you and those close to you might not be guilty of admissions fraud, we are all guilty of something, and I sincerely doubt that the treatment currently being meted out would be a treatment you’d enjoy being turned on you. Finally, I ask that we remember certain things that ought to inform our responses going forward. To my fellow Christians, I would ask you to remember that grace and humility are meant to be our first and best responses to every circumstance. Condescension and condemnation have absolutely no place in the body of Christ. To my fellow Hoyas, I would
ask that we remember to be “people for others.” These people, our peers and their parents, didn’t stop being people when they did something we didn’t like or didn’t approve of, and we are meant to be for them still. To any of the students who have found themselves embroiled in this scandal, I would like you to know that I am sorry that the responses to your circumstance have largely been glee and callousness. Whether or not you had any part in the decisions that brought you here, you deserve more than being the brunt of jokes and mean-spirited jibes. As your community, we have failed you. Given the opportunity to show you compassion, we have shown you contempt. Given the opportunity to be gracious, we have been graceless. Given the opportunity to be kind, we have been cruel. Georgetown, I know we can do better, and I firmly believe we can come together and address this without giving into knee-jerk epicaricacy. So please. Let’s stop the memes and really think before we speak.
SARAH GEORGE is a sophomore
in the School of Foreign Service.
VIEWPOINT • MOHAMED
Increase Diplomatic Ball Access Combat Islamophobic Rhetoric
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his year, tickets for the School of Foreign Service’s annual Diplomatic Ball are $81 including tax — a significant amount of money for any Hoya. Those who are hit hardest, however, are students already under financial distress. Arguably a bucket-list event for Georgetown students, the Diplomatic Ball gives Hoyas the opportunity to converse and dance with individuals in the diplomatic community, all of whom have valuable stories and advice to share. However, the sky-high Diplomatic Ball prices are a reminder for financially disadvantaged Hoyas that their inability to pay a hefty amount can mean being excluded from a valuable experience. To ensure all students have access to this event, Georgetown should make tickets more affordable. While Georgetown has done a good job of making many events accessible, either by offering financial assistance or making the event free, now and again underprivileged students are reminded of how the massive wealth gap of Georgetown’s student body can exclude them from what is a cornerstone of the elite Washington, D.C. experience. Though the exorbitant cost of attending the ball may not be of concern to some students, for others it is another jarring reminder of this wealth gap. There are many reasons why your average Hoya would want to attend the Diplomatic Ball. For one thing, it is an opportunity for valuable networking and for students to get advice from people in ca-
reers in which they see themselves in the future. For many students, this very opportunity to network and exposure to the outside D.C. community may have been one of the reasons that they chose to attend Georgetown in the first place. The ability to have conversations with accomplished people is a privilege that shouldn’t be reserved for only those who can afford it. Everyone deserves an experience like that. Additionally, the Diplomatic Ball is also a chance for students to dress up with their friends and mingle with some accomplished people in a fun setting. Dip Ball affords a time to escape from the stressful time of midterms and papers. As the campus becomes abuzz with excitement for the event, it would be unfair for students who can’t afford the exorbitant tickets to be left out. Everyone should be able to have the opportunity to dress up and have fun. The high costs of attending our elite university extend beyond tuition, room and board. Students who struggle to find winter clothes, fund trips home or find business casual attire for job or club interviews can also feel social pressure when they sacrifice social outings for extra shifts at work. The added exclusion from this essential Georgetown experience can mean additional social ostracization. If I didn’t have the privilege of having a steady on-campus job and a generous scholarship through the Georgetown Scholarship Program, I would be unable to afford to attend the ball. However, students
should not need scholarships to access the Diplomatic Ball. Just like Georgetown itself, the ball would be a more valuable experience with more socio-economic diversity; students from different socioeconomic backgrounds can offer unique points of view and represent Georgetown more accurately to the diplomats who attend this ball. Though tickets are already sold out, the university should act to make the tickets more affordable next year for all students. Last week, for example, I received an email from the Georgetown Scholarship Program about a raffle for 25 students to receive free tickets thanks to a generous donation. Of course, students may still face barriers beyond just entry to the ball; the costs of finding a dress or a tuxedo and transportation can make the Diplomatic Ball out of reach even for students who can afford the outlandish price of the ticket. Nevertheless, it would be a step in the right direction to fully or partially subsidize the price of tickets for students with financial need. There is a lot of improvement to be done. Dip Ball is a quintessential Georgetown experience, and active inclusion efforts through financial assistance can foster a greater sense of community and belonging for students who may sometimes feel overlooked. It is time that the ball stopped being an event solely for the financially elite.
JULIA PALUCH is a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service.
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ast week, two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, were attacked during Friday prayers. Masjid Al Noor and Dar Al Hijrah collectively lost 50 community members, alerting many outside of the Muslim community to the harsh reality of Islamophobia. But when news of the attack in New Zealand surfaced, neither I nor my Muslim friends and family were surprised. I felt grief when looking at pictures of the victims, apprehension about the future and even bouts of mournful pride when hearing of the heroism of those attacked, but never once did I experience shock about the attack or the shooter’s motivations. What happened at Christchurch could happen at any of the mosques Muslims call home and at any moment, a possibility that I worry about constantly. Even as others express shock that our faith community could be so heinously targeted, Muslims have been acutely aware of the threats we face for years. We hire mosque guards, secure our Sunday schools and tell women who wear hijabs to learn selfdefense in case they are targeted in an Islamophobic attack. Nearly all the mosques I know of try to build barriers against hate crimes as anti-Muslim violence becomes increasingly normalized, and it is exhausting. The burden should not be placed on Muslims to protect themselves against hate. We can better secure the safety of Muslims by representing the diverse experiences of Muslims and being careful not to treat the faith identity as a monolithic category. After the shooting, mainstream commentary worked to underplay the threat of white nationalism by
emphasizing the danger posed by Muslims. In one example of this, an Australian senator brazenly stated, “The real cause of bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration program which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place.” Despite the attacker’s 74-page manifesto of white nationalism, this rhetoric positions Muslims as the true problem and blames the victims for the violence they experience. Even after the blood of their friends and family members has been so publicly spilled, Muslims’ right to live in their own country is questioned. The message rings clear: Muslims are still presumed to be guilty, even in their most vulnerable moments. The New Zealand shooter has done what so many throughout history have done: transforming the cruelty of hate speech into a targeted act of violence. He is not alone. To isolate the New Zealand shooter’s actions from the global framework of Islamophobia, racism and xenophobia is a form of secondhand violence that erases the struggle of Muslims to be recognized as full citizens and as human beings. Capitalizing on a system that often works to protect them at any cost, white nationalists propagate a dangerous ideology with impact that moves beyond the realm of obscure chat rooms. Within our own campus community, Muslims have grown up in a post-9/11 world in which our national identity, loyalty and innocence are frequently questioned and debated in classrooms, political speeches and Twitter rants. At Georgetown, we are privileged to be surrounded by frequent expressions of support from empathetic faith
communities and students, but it would be foolish to assume that this level of understanding is present throughout this country or the world at large. In the United States, mosques are routinely the target of vandalism. Muslims, such as Texan Councilmember Shahid Shafi, are questioned about their loyalty to American democracy. The Rohingya fleeing from Myanmar and the repression of the Uighurs in China are ongoing reminders that Muslims remain restricted in their ability to openly practice their faith. With so many examples of Muslim marginalization, the events in Christchurch added a tragic addition to a story that Muslims already know far too well. If there is a path out of this tragedy, we must listen and recognize the Muslim voices expressing the reality of the distinct threats they face from racism and xenophobia. Dismantling the rhetoric of Muslims as dangerous threats to society and calling on our representatives to do the same should be on everyone’s political agenda. As the chalk in Red Square this week reminded us, it is possible to build positive solidarity across diverse experiences, but only if we are willing to openly and repeatedly reject Islamophobia from political figures, in our media and in our curricula. Against this tide of white nationalism, the best way to honor the lives of the 50 victims in Christchurch is to ensure the world becomes a safer and more just place for those they have left behind.
MENA MOHAMED is a junior in
the School of Foreign Service.
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THE HOYA
FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019
PAGE FOUR
INSIDE THIS ISSUE The fourth annual BRAVE Summit, founded by Georgetown students to support black female empowerment, was held March 16. Story on A7.
Your news — from every corner of The Hoya.
IN FOCUS JOHN MEARSHEIMER
verbatim
“
We need to learn from the indigenous to live in harmony with the land, with the earth, with the water.” Cardinal Pedro Barreto on environmental advocacy in the Amazon. Story on A8.
from our blog
JULIA GIGANTE FOR THE HOYA
John Mearsheimer, a distinguished professor of political science at the University of Chicago, spoke at the Inaugural Theory and Practice of Security Conference on nuclear weapons and international security in the Lohrfink Auditorium on March 19.
NEED MARCH MADNESS ADVICE? Having trouble filling out your NCAA tournament bracket? Look no further than 4E’s 2019 March Madness Advice for everything you need to know about basketball. blog.thehoya.com
Students, Faculty Seek to Diversify Career Opportunities JOSHUA LEVY Hoya Staff Writer
Consulting and finance typically dominate the employment outcomes for Georgetown graduates. Yet both students and faculty seek to expand the horizons of students exploring the job market. One year after graduation, more than 21 percent of the class of 2017 was working in the financial services industry alone, according to data published in the Cawley Career Education Center’s First Destination Report, which surveys graduates and publicly available employment information. Over 70 percent of the class of 2017 was employed full time within one year of graduation, mirroring a similar trend of previous years. Finance and consulting were the top employment destinations for the class of 2017, followed by information technology and services, education, government and health care. Financial services and consulting industries have consistently hired over 40 percent of fully-employed graduates over the past seven years. Consulting, financial services and health care have consistently been the top employers for the School of Foreign Service, McDonough School of Business and School
of Nursing and Health studies respectively since 2012. In the College, consulting has steadily risen as a top employing industry while education fell precipitously, from above 20 percent of fully employed graduates in the class of 2012 to less than 10 percent for the class of 2017. Some students attribute the popularity of consulting and finance to the flexibility and challenges offered by those fields, but others cite pressure to enter those industries from a culture driven by prestigious firms and their early recruiting practices. Although the majority of students find jobs outside of financial services or consulting, students and faculty recognize that Georgetown students might benefit from exploring a wider array of career opportunities.
FINANCIAL FOCUS
To many students, working at a consulting firm after graduation is a way to gain exposure to a variety of industries. Andrew Zhan (MSB ’20), who plans on interning for the financial services division of PricewaterhouseCoopers, looks forward to learning about different business structures. “I definitely chose consulting to get a broad range of experiences because in consulting you work with a bunch
of different clients across a bunch of verticals,” Zhan said. “So, I think consulting was a good path for me to get my foot in the door in a lot of these different industries.” A post-graduation job in consulting can often prepare graduates for other kinds of work, according to Susan Campbell, the director of Cawley. “‘Consulting’ is a pretty broad term,” Campbell wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Some of the graduates who end up in consulting are doing federal consulting, which is often a first step in a career in government service.” However, some students may be attracted to the prestige of consulting and financial firms rather than the work itself, according to Zhan. “I think that the deeper issue is that people want the clout and prestige from these firms,” Zhan said. “Georgetown students in general seem to want to be highachieving individuals and going to a Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan or McKinsey and Bain will fulfill that prestige.” Many banks have already started recruiting sophomore students this spring for internships for the summer of 2020. Alec Camhi (COL ’20) thinks that early recruiting practices not only force some students to make hasty decisions, but can also hurt firms
SAMUEL NELSON/THE HOYA
Since the class of 2012, finance and consulting have been the top two employing industries for Georgetown graduates within one year of graduation. Employment in education has fallen significantly.
seeking to find qualified applicants. “The recruiting system for jobs in the financial sector and consulting is insane,” Camhi said. “If you’re the sophomore in this situation, your career objectives might change. If you’re the firm in this situation, you don’t have as much information about whether this person is going to be a good fit a year out as you would a few months out.” Cawley itself has pushed back against the early recruiting timeline. In a Nov. 19 public letter to financial services firms, Cawley stressed that second-semester sophomores are still exploring majors and career options. The letter requested that firms looking for interns for the summer of 2020 wait to begin interviewing until the end of the academic year. Yet Zhan knows students seeking finance internships even before their sophomore year. “I know freshmen that are going to recruitment events trying to finesse their way into a bank in their freshman year summer,” Zhan said.
CHASING CAREERS
While intensive recruiting practices could create the impression that Georgetown graduates only pursue careers in finance and consulting, the majority of graduates find jobs outside of those fields, according to Campbell. Camhi said Georgetown students should not underestimate the worth of public service internships despite their demand. “When someone is interning on the Hill, the reaction is ‘Oh, that’s classic Georgetown,’” Camhi said. “We shouldn’t lose sight of the face that interning for the United States Congress is a privilege that a lot of people don’t get.” Since the beginning of the academic year, Cawley has hosted more than 50 events with other campus bodies and groups that explicitly do not focus on finance or consulting, according to Rebecca Cassidy, associate director for employer relations at Cawley. Some of these events include widely-attended career fairs, such as the Government, Education and Nonprofit Career Fair which regularly draws over 900 students, according to Campbell.
However, some students feel as though Cawley provides inadequate resources for exploring different career paths. Caitlyn Brandon (NHS ’20) learned much from a Cawley event on nursing specialties but has had trouble finding additional support for pursuing a career in nursing. “Otherwise, I have no guidance in how to look for jobs,” Brandon wrote in an email to The Hoya. For Peter Liu (SFS ’22), Georgetown’s job portal Handshake felt crowded by events for the financial service industries. “I do understand the Career Center is trying to show other opportunities but when I go onto the website and I click on the events tab on Handshake, all of the events I see are just finance or consulting related,” Liu said. “It’s a huge let down to me.” While Cawley holds many events for industries outside of finance or consulting, students do not regularly attend them. The attrition rate for employer events outside the fields of finance or consulting tend to be 50 percent or higher, according to Campbell. University deans have started to recognize the lack of student engagement at Cawley. Many students have not even interacted with the Cawley at all, according to Sue Lorenson, vice dean for Undergraduate Education for the College. “Many students have never visited the career center, have not opted in to an industry-specific newsletter, and haven’t signed up for a consultation or workshop,” Lorenson wrote in an email to The Hoya. Camhi has not felt the need to rely on Cawley’s resources and generally finds his own career opportunities. “This isn’t a knock on the career center, but I just haven’t really utilized their services that much,” Camhi said. “In general, I’ve just done my own networking to find my way.” Yet other students who engage with Cawley seem happy with their services. Shine Aung (SFS ’21) said the staff were helpful when navigating career options ranging from journalism to law. “They have been very helpful in giving me many tools to look at — different websites and different people to reach
out to,” Aung said. “For each path I’ve considered they have offered resources for me to look at, which I think is very helpful.”
SCHOOL SPECIFIC SUPPORT
The university’s undergraduate schools have also taken steps to introduce students to a broader range of career options, such as nonprofit work. Daniel Byman, School of Foreign Service vice dean for undergraduate affairs, detailed efforts spearheaded by SFS Dean Joel Hellman to expose students to public sector and nonprofit opportunities, such as coffee chats with industry professionals that began in spring 2016. Gary Xie (SFS ’19) attended a coffee chat with Scott Guggenheim, an anthropologist who has worked in international development for 25 years. He felt the talk offered meaningful guidance for his career aspirations. “The coffee chat really opened up my horizons to see how my Georgetown experience could be applied to have real-life policy implications,” Xie said. The McDonough School of Business’ Undergraduate Office of Professional and Leadership Development has established programs to introduce students to different industries. “Host a Hoya” is a program that allows students to shadow alumni in their workplaces, while “Fridays in the Field” let students spend a day in various workplaces in the Washington, D.C. area. In the College, Dean Thom Chiarolanzio worked to establish a pilot program called the “Social Responsibility Network” in January 2019 to connect current students with alumni who work in nonprofit and education sectors. Byman believes that Georgetown students should ultimately chart their own career paths while using guidance from faculty and building networks with their peers. “Students will, and should, make their own decisions, but we hope that faculty, alumni, deans, and career services staff will be there to help,” Byman wrote. “We also hope students will form networks and otherwise help one another advance and find a fulfilling career.”
NEWS
FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019
THE HOYA
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Student Groups Make Appeals Students Sue GU, Claiming To GUSA FinApp Committee Unfair Admissions Process MAX LEVINE
DUSTIN HARTUV
Student group Outdoor Education appealed for $3,800 more in funds after expressing safety concerns over training during the Georgetown University Student Association Finance and Appropriations Committee’s deliberations on the final budget plan March 17. The committee held a public appeals session on March 13 and 17. Of the 13 student groups or boards FinApp funds, six appealed their allotments for the upcoming academic year. These groups included the Center for Social Justice advisory board for student organizations, the Student Activities Commission, Georgetown Program Board, the advisory board for club sports and performing arts advisory council. FinApp, which is made up of 12 GUSA senators, allocates money to seven advisory boards, the Georgetown Program Board, the Georgetown University Lecture Fund and the GUSA executive. Each of these applicants had the opportunity to present proposed budgets in front of the committee at the Feb. 24 FinApp summit. At the March 17 session’s end, where FinApp approved the final budget, the most significant percentage cuts were experienced by Outdoor Education, the performing arts council, GUSA and SAC. Outdoor Education ultimately received a final budget of $7,000, a 43 percent reduction from the group’s initial request. The final budget for the performing arts council was 33.3 percent less than requested, and GUSA received an allotment 93 percent less than initially requested. The decision is still pending approval by the full senate and GUSA President Norman Francis Jr. (COL ’20) at a meeting scheduled for March 24, according to FinApp Chair Hayley Grande (COL ’21). After tabling budget discussions on March 13, senators reconvened Sunday. As most of the $1,092,000 budget had already been drafted during Feb. 27 deliberations, the March 17 discussion focused mainly on an appeal for a budget increase by Outdoor Education, a student group that holds trips throughout the year including skiing, hiking, biking and backpacking. Representatives from Outdoor Education Ellen Bannon (SFS ’19) and Will Thacher
Two college students and two parents filed a class action lawsuit against Georgetown University on March 15, alleging monetary harm after revelations that applicants were fraudulently admitted to the university. The suit follows an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice uncovering a service that parents used beginning around 2011 to bribe athletic coaches and administrators of standardized tests to guarantee their children admission to elite universities. The investigation’s findings, which indicted 50 parents and athletic officials, were announced March 12. Gordon Ernst, the former Georgetown men’s and women’s head tennis coach, was charged for accepting bribes to fraudulently designate select students as athletic recruits to fast-track their admission. The lawsuit, which targets the eight universities involved in the larger bribery scheme, claims an unfair admissions process emotionally and economically damaged the students who were rejected from Georgetown. Students paid application fees, for which Georgetown charges $75, to join an unequal application process, according to the complaint. “Each of the admissions processes at these universities was tainted by corruption, such that those parents with children who had mediocre grades and test scores were allowed admission based upon the amount of bribery money they paid university insiders,” the complaint reads. Georgetown is invested in ensuring a fair admissions process, according to University Spokesperson Matt Hill. “While we do not comment on pending litigation, Georgetown University takes the integrity of our admissions process seriously and is committed to a fair, holistic process whereby each application is carefully reviewed,” Hill wrote in an email to The Hoya. “We review all applicants without consideration of a family’s financial consideration or ability to pay.” The operation was spearheaded by William Singer, a college consultant who used his nonprofit, the Key Worldwide Foundation, to pay bribes, according to the indictment. In addition to Georgetown, the college students are suing
Hoya Staff Writer
Hoya Staff Writer
GUSA
Outdoor Education, the performing arts advisory council, the Student Activities Commission and the GUSA executive face significant cuts. (COL ’19) attended the committee session to appeal for more funding. While Bannon and Thacher agreed to cut their funding request for gear, including replacing hiking packs, tents and water filtration systems, by 50 percent, they made several cases for an increased budget to fund training for guides and subsidization for trips. Funding would prohibit guides from being properly licensed and trained, raising safety concerns for students, Thacher said. “Training is just a cost that we can’t get around, but the guides need to be trained to lead kids in the field, mostly for reasons of safety,” Thacher said. “If we don’t get the money that we requested for training, it’s just going to impact other parts of the program.” GUSA senator Karan Chauhan (SFS ’22) advocated for meeting at least part of Outdoor Education’s appeal for $3,800, citing the funding’s ability to promote equal access to the climbing team and making the activity safer. “We’re also looking to make sure that activities aren’t costprohibitive to people who participate in them, and what I got from their presentation is more that the cuts would fall on the guides who need to go through these trainings,” Chauhan said. Chauhan suggested allot-
ting an additional $1,500 to Outdoor Education, moving $500 from the performing arts council, SAC and GUSA to Outdoor Education,. Though this represents an increase from the initial draft, Outdoor Education ultimately still saw its requested budget decrease by 43 percent. Outdoor Education’s budget cuts come amid significant cuts to the Georgetown Opportunities for Leadership Development and performing arts council. The $4,000 more dollars granted to club sports at the first appeals meeting drew $1,000 from the GOLD budget and $3,000 from that of performing arts council. The CSJ advisory board also gained $14,980 during appeals that came from cuts to media board, the performing arts council, GUSA and GOLD. The committee cited CSJ advisory board’s cut into reserve funds in previous years and the need for funds to expand programming for the group. The performing arts council lost 17.8 percent of its allocation between the draft budget and the end of appeals. To provide Outdoor Education with the $1,500 increase, senators suggested drawing from other organizations, including the performing arts council, SAC, GUSA, GPB and the Campus Ministry Student Forum.
Stanford University, Yale University and Wake Forest University. Singer, who allegedly received $25 million from 32 parents to facilitate the scheme, is also named a defendant. The lawsuit is unlikely to win settlement funds from Georgetown because it has a high bar to prove the university was complicit, according to J. Peter Byrne, a professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center. “This case can prevail against Georgetown only if higher ups at Georgetown knew or should have known about the cheating,” Byrne wrote in an email to The Hoya. “The plaintiffs’ lawyers reveal no knowledge of this and likely are fishing for lucky evidence and a settlement to make them go away.” Should the college students win the case, all individuals who were rejected from any of the colleges involved in the alleged scheme between 2012 and 2018 would be eligible to receive the funds, according to the complaint. Stanford students Erica Olsen and Kalea Woods originally filed a class action suit against the universities on March 14. The case was voluntarily and permanently dismissed without prejudice on March 15, meaning it could be refiled, and was done so without Woods as a plaintiff. The argument of the new case is largely similar to the previous case, but different individuals are suing the universities. The lawsuit no longer alleges that the value of academic degrees
for students who were admitted to the universities named in the indictment have been devalued. Georgetown is committed to fairness in its admissions process, University President John J. DeGioia wrote in a campuswide email March 15. “Our longstanding policies of need-blind admissions and meet-full-need financial aid, our partnerships with programs such as the Cristo Rey Network, a network of Catholic high schools in underserved communities, and our programs that provide opportunities and support to our first-generation and low-income students advance a foundational commitment to equity and access for all members of our community,” DeGioia wrote. The suit comes after a petition by Micky Lee (COL ’05), a former instructor for Georgetown’s Tae Kwon Do club, called for the university to rescind all degrees granted to students involved in the admissions scheme. The petition, which has earned 16,252 signatures as of press time, requests the university take such action to maintain its reputation. “I implore the administration to rescind admissions and any degrees conferred to all students involved in this scandal,” the petition reads. “In addition, a written public apology needs to be made to all university alumni and students as well as applicants/families of those who were deferred or not admitted at these cheaters’ expense.”
FILE PHOTO: ROCHELLE VAYNTRUB FOR THE HOYA
A lawsuit filed by students March 15 claims the universities named in the bribery investigation caused rejected applicants harm.
Alumnus Donates Georgetown Graduate Programs Rank Highly Toward Financial Aid, Campus Ministry MYROSLAV DOBROSHYNSKYI Hoya Staff Writer
GREY ROSENZWEIG Hoya Staff Writer
Georgetown’s board of directors long-time benefactors Arthur Calcagnini (CAS ’54) and his wife Nancy donated $10 million to support the Office of Mission and Ministry and financial aid, University President John J. DeGioia announced in a campus-wide email March 12. The university will use $7.5 million of the funds for undergraduate scholarships, and the remaining $2.5 million will go toward campus ministry. Campus ministry will use the funds to hire a new chaplain and support the ESCAPE program, a retreat program for freshmen and transfer students that encourages reflection that was endowed by the Calcagninis. The donation is one of the largest endowments Georgetown has received for funding financial aid, according to DeGioia. “Their generous support advances two of our University’s highest priorities—our commitment to access and affordability and our identity as a Catholic and Jesuit institution committed to interreligious understanding,” DeGioia wrote. A portion of the $2.5 million donation tied to campus ministry is allocated to hiring a full-time chaplain for the university’s athletes. The hiring is intended to make chaplains more accessible to student athletes, according to Rachel Pugh, Georgetown’s senior director for strategic communications. “Georgetown’s student athletes don’t have the flexibility to participate in many campus ministry programs, including retreats, due to their academic and athletic schedules,” Pugh wrote in an email to The Hoya. The chaplain will focus on pastoral care and programming and will also serve the general student
body in addition to athletes, according to Pugh. Arthur Calcagnini, who currently sits on the university’s board of directors, began donating to the university soon after graduating. He has worked with the university in developing ESCAPE for the past 20 years. In 1991, Nancy and Arthur Calcagnini donated $1.5 million to support ESCAPE. In 2010, the Calcagninis donated an additional $17 million to build the Calcagnini Contemplative Center, the Virginia property where students travel for many religious and secular retreats, including ESCAPE. The CCC is located on 75 acres of land in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and can hold up to 78 students. The Calcagninis’ work on campus has already brought important benefits to Georgetown, according to DeGioia. “Their generosity has strengthened our University in incalculable ways—helping us to bring the very best students to Georgetown and to provide opportunities for members of our community, across faith traditions, to come together in reflection and contemplation,” DeGioia wrote. As one of the largest donations to financial aid in Georgetown’s history, the $7.5 million in funds will boost Georgetown’s financial aid offerings. The average endowment of the top 20 universities is just over $10 billion, significantly larger than Georgetown’s endowment of around $1.5 billion. The university has cited the relatively small endowment of Georgetown as a barrier to attracting lower-income students to attend the university because other elite schools with larger endowments can provide better financial aid packages.
The McCourt School of Public Policy and the McDonough School of Business both performed well in recently released nationwide and global surveys, with the MSB named first in the world for having the best-trained MBAs. The McCourt School moved up across three specialty categories in the latest U.S. News & World Report’s Best Schools of Public Affairs ranking released March 12. The school rose a combined 17 spots from last year’s rankings, with the largest increase in the public management and leadership category, from No. 33 to No. 21 out of 282 schools. Overall, the McCourt School placed in the top 10 percent of public policy graduate programs nationwide. The McCourt School’s higher rankings are evidence of the meaningful work conducted at the school, according to Dean of the McCourt School of Public Policy Maria Cancian. “In my short time here, I have been incredibly impressed with our students, and the teaching and scholarship taking place at our school and research centers,” Cancian wrote in an email to The Hoya. “It is great to see the growing reputation and impact of McCourt reflected in the U.S. News specialty rankings.” McDonough’s MBA programs were also ranked highly in a March 6 survey of recruiter responses conducted by Bloomberg Businessweek, where the school was first in the world for having the best-trained graduates. Additionally, McDonough was in the top seven schools of all six categories surveyed. McDonough’s rating from the employer survey is positive for the school’s reputation, Senior Associate Dean of MBA programs Prashant Malaviya said. “According to business leaders, our MBA graduates are among the best trained in the world for serving the needs of global businesses,” Malaviya wrote in an email to The
KIRK ZIESER/THE HOYA
The McCourt School moved up three specialty categories in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Schools of Public Affairs rankings, while McDonough School of Business MBA graduates were ranked best-trained. Hoya. “These graduates have relevant knowledge, skill sets and mindsets to make a strong contribution to business, and they do this in a way that also makes a positive difference in society.” In the survey of recent full-time MBA graduates conducted last spring, MBA recruiters listed McDonough as first in the world for having the best-trained graduates. Additionally, it was ranked third in the world for both having the most creative graduates and for showing exceptional entrepreneurial skills. Businesses often seek individuals who can identify creative solutions to issues spanning business, policy, law and diplomacy, according to Malaviya. The rankings are a reflection of the well-rounded education that Georgetown provides, centered in Jesuit values, Malaviya wrote. “Such an education is possible at Georgetown because of our location in DC, because of our worldrenowned colleges and because of our Jesuit heritage,” Malaviya wrote. In the U.S. News rankings, The McCourt School was No. 25 nationwide, placing it in the top 10 percent of public affairs graduate programs in the United States. Compared to last year’s rank-
ings, the McCourt School performed better in three categories: international global policy and administration, public policy analysis, and public management and leadership. In a new specialty area, social policy, the school was ranked No. 20 out of more than 280 programs. The rankings reflect the school’s growth and increased stature in academia and policy communities, Michael A. Bailey, the Colonel William J. Walsh Professor of American Government and professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy, wrote in an email to The Hoya. “We’re a relatively young school and it is great to see that our rankings-based reputation is catching up with the reality,” Bailey wrote. The McCourt School officially launched in October 2013 following a record-breaking gift of $100 million from former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt Jr. (COL ’75). The gift provided the resources to increase the number of faculty at the school, expand scholarship funds to attract gifted students and support innovative research aimed at solving complex policy problems. The McCourt School has continued to focus on expanding its research capabilities by hiring notable faculty and building strong
community connections, according to Bailey. “We are building more ties to the policy community, ties that will help us affect policy and will also inform our research and teaching,” Bailey wrote. In recent years, the McCourt School has brought on notable scholars such as Nobel Laureate George Akerlof and distinguished professors like Pamela Herd, Sheila Foster and Donald Moynihan. In September 2015, the McCourt School launched the Institute of Politics and Public Service, or GU Politics, to foster public service and empower students to engage with the practice of politics. Although the higher ranking is encouraging, the primary focus of the McCourt School is to continue increasing its influence as a public policy school, Cancian said. “While we are gratified by the positive results, our focus is on expanding our impact and reach,” Cancian wrote. “We will continue to focus on producing the highest quality policy-relevant research, effective engagement with policy makers, and giving our exceptional students the tools and experience needed to lead across public, nonprofit and private institutions to contribute to the common good.”
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THE HOYA
FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019
After JHU Purchase, Francis, Olvera Sworn Into GUSA Presidency McCourt Joins Law Center in Capitol Hill FRANCIS/OLVERA, from A1
NEW BUILDING, from A1 possible,” Bass wrote. “We also want to engage the first cohort of students in helping us to customize the space to feel like their space. We want to co-design the look and feel with the students.” Certain McCourt School of Public Policy classes are also set to relocate to the new building, according to McCourt School Dean Maria Cancian. “We are excited to expand the McCourt School’s presence to Capitol Hill,” Cancian wrote in an email to Th e Hoy a . “The move creates new opportunities to collaborate with our Law Center colleagues on key issues like technology, climate and immigration policy.” Georgetown purchased the 130,000 square foot property from Office Properties Income Trust, a real estate investment trust. The property was originally built in 1969 and was vacant before Georgetown purchased it Monday, though the building once functioned as the Federal Bureau of Prisons headquarters. Law students will reap the benefits from the property
acquisition as their programming moves closer together, according to Treanor. “The Law Center has seen unprecedented growth over the last decade, including our Centers and Institutes, which are deeply woven into the Washington, DC landscape,” Treanor wrote. “Having the ability to bring together centers and institutes from across campus in one location will be extremely beneficial for our students, allowing them to work across disciplines with top experts addressing critical global issues today.” The expansion is being funded by Georgetown Law Center alumnus and owner of Boardwalk Auto Group Scott Ginsburg (LAW ’78), who donated $10.5 million to the project. Ginsburg’s donation is the largest single donation to the Law Center in the school’s history. Ginsberg also donated to the Scott K. Ginsburg Sport and Fitness at the Law Center, located in the same block as the new 500 First St. NW property. Georgetown hopes that Ginsburg’s donation will inspire more contributions, according to a university statement released March 19.
senate elections comes around, we’re going to encourage people to run that probably wouldn’t have ran previously because they see how the majority demographic is represented,” Olvera said. “But with us as executives, we’re really pushing to make sure that we’re as inclusive as possible because we know what it feels like to be alienated in these white spaces.” As vice president, Olvera plans to collaborate with members of GUSA’s policy teams to prioritize academic accessibility in the pair’s term. “I want to work very closely with the academic affairs chair to make sure that we’re thinking of everyone’s walk of life and make sure we are building a team that is once again inclusive of as many students as possible,” Olvera said. “So I’m going to be closely monitoring that policy chair because that’s something that’s really close to my heart.” In response to concerns about a lack of stability and trust in GUSA, the pair plans to focus on connecting with student constituents, according to Francis. “A big part of trust is also just sort of a lack of knowing someone, so I think that’s what a big push that we want to make this year with our communications team is definitely getting ourselves out there and basically integrating ourselves with the community,” Francis said. “That’s a big thing that we tried
FILE PHOTO: AMBER GILLETTE/THE HOYA
Norman Francis Jr. (COL ’20), right, and Aleida Olvera (COL ’20) were elected Georgetown University Student Association president and vice president by a margin of 40 votes Feb. 8. to stress during our interviews with our senior staff is basically how well are they going to be able to integrate themselves with students.” GUSA has experienced instability in recent history with multiple executive resignations. Former GUSA Vice President Naba Rahman (SFS ’19) and 10 other executive cabinet members resigned Sept. 11 as part of a push to remove then-GUSA President Sahil Nair (SFS ’19) from office. Nair officially resigned later that morning. More recently, vice presidential candidate Sam Appel (COL
’20) stepped down from the executive race and the GUSA senate Jan. 28. Francis and Olvera hope to hold the university administration to its word by choosing not to stand down on issues students deem important. “The way I’m going to hold administration accountable is I’m not afraid to make them feel uncomfortable with questions,” Olvera said. “I want them to know this is something we’re thinking about, and if we push them and put pressure on them in this way, even if they don’t feel comfortable with us push-
ing a certain agenda, we want to make sure that they’re hearing students want this.” Francis looks forward to getting to know more students and increasing his visibility on campus so he can build trust with the Georgetown community. “I want folks to feel comfortable reaching out to any aspect of GUSA and feeling like work is going to be done that they can trust,” Francis said. “I realize that we might not be at that place right now, but I want to try to be there by the time that we finish.”
Inequality in Admissions Scrutinized Nationally ADMISSIONS, from A1 make recommendations about how to adjust admissions policies. Georgetown said it discovered irregularities in Ernst’s recruitment practices and put him on leave in December 2017, but that the university did not know of his criminal conduct until it was contacted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in November 2018. Ernst received a positive recommendation from the university’s athletic director, Lee Reed, in July 2018. Any statements following Ernst’s resignation only endorsed his athletic performance, according to university spokesperson Meghan Dubyak. “It was widely known that Mr. Ernst had been on leave since December 2017 and had not been permitted to coach students since that time,” Dubyak wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Any statement Georgetown made after asking him to resign focused on his athletic record only.” Enrolled students Isabelle Henriquez (COL ’20) and Adam Semprevivo (COL ’21), whose parents are charged in the indictment, are currently not listed in the student directory. Hill did not specify why Henriquez and Semprevivo are no longer included. (Full disclosure: Adam Semprevivo formerly served as the cartoonist for The Hoya.) “The university strives to protect the privacy of community members, so there are a variety of reasons personal information may not be visible in the contact directory,” Hill wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Appearing in the directory is optional.” Henriquez and Semprevivo were not available for comment at the time of press. Though Lee’s petition calls for the university to rescind the admissions and degrees of all students involved in the scandal, different disciplinary action should be taken against
DC CIRCULATOR/FACEBOOK
Rides on the Circulator bus have been free since Feb. 1 as part of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) socio-economic inclusivity initiatives.
Bowser Promises Expanded Funding For Public Transport BLUE AND GRAY
Prospective students attend a tour of campus, led by a guide from Blue and Gray. Some students now applying to Georgetown have expressed frustration with an admissions process perceived to be unjust. students who knew of their parent’s fraudulent acts and those who were unaware of their parents involvement in the scam, according to Laura Arenas (COL ’22), who signed the petition. “For the people who already graduated and whether they knew or not, I think it’s harder to say, because they did complete the work that is necessary to gain a degree from Georgetown, and if they didn’t know their parents
were doing that, then they’re not really at fault,” Arena said. “It’s kind of complicated when it comes to rescinding degrees, but I think at the very least there should be some sort of definite action against the girl who was still here and knew about what her parent’s actions were.” Students involved in such schemes deprive others who might better deserve admission from the opportunity to attend
selective colleges, according to admitted student Yalda Zarrabi, who currently attends HoltonArms School in Bethesda, Md. “People work for these specific universities so hard for four years to get into them and they’re some really deserving people, and kids who were involved in this scandal are kind of taking away the spots of people who have worked really, really hard,” Zarrabi said.
FILE PHOTO: AMBER GILLETTE/THE HOYA
Mickey Lee (COL ’05), an alumnus interviewer for Georgetown University, launched a petition calling on the university to rescind degrees and revoke admission from students involved in the college admissions bribery scheme uncovered by the Department of Justice on March 12.
CIRCULATOR, from A1 Ride-share subsidies, proposed by Metro to subsidize Uber, Lyft and other ride-share trips for late-night workers, are not an adequate substitute for reinstituting late-night services, Bowser said. “We’re not going to replace Metro with Uber and Lyft because we can’t move our region forward by further clogging our roads,” Bowser said. “We need a Metro system that works as hard as our workforce and stays open as late as our region.” Bowser also announced a $122 million investment in a new K Street Transitway that would create a middle lane for buses on K Street. This investment will help improve road accessibility and safety in D.C., according to Bowser. In addition to improving public transportation, guaranteeing affordable housing as property values in D.C. continue to rise remains a priority of Bowser’s administration, the mayor said in her address. “We know the number one issue on the minds of Washingtonians is affordable housing,” Bowser said. “Rising housing costs have created new challenges for homeowners and renters alike, particularly for those on a fixed income and those who are struggling to make ends meet.” Bowser also promised millions of dollars to District programs that aim to ease housing costs for D.C. residents in her address. Bowser proposed an additional $2 million in funding for the “Safe at Home” program, which provides seniors and adults with
disabilities with preventative adaptations such as handrails and chairlifts to reduce accidents. Bowser also proposed increasing investment in affordable housing by granting $30 million more in funding to the Housing Production Trust Fund, which aids in the production of low- to moderateincome-accessible housing projects. Recognizing D.C.’s high homeless population, Bowser used her address to announce that D.C. will invest $26 million in Homeward D.C., a strategic plan with the goal of eliminating long-term homelessness in D.C. by 2020. D.C. also plans to invest $11 million to support recentlyopened family shelters across the District, according to Curbed DC, a local D.C. news outlet. By using funds taxed from commercial real estate transactions, the city will be able to invest in generating affordable housing, Bowser said. “In the coming fiscal year, we’re asking our commercial property owners to share some of the upside,” Bowser said.“With this budget, we will capture more from commercial real estate transactions and therefore be able to invest more in affordable housing.” Current policies should be altered to focus on supporting the livelihoods of all D.C. residents, according to Bowser. “In a city as prosperous as ours, it is our responsibility to decide how and when we adjust our policies to ensure that everyone living and doing business in the District is giving and getting their fair share,” Bowser said.
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FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019
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After Separating From Parents, GSP Debuts Speaker Series, Freshman Founds Scholarship Celebrates Advocacy Week RACHEL FRIEDMAN Special to The Hoya
Seth Owen (SFS ’22) has raised over $30,000 for his scholarship fund toward financial assistance for LGBTQ high school students after it officially launched last month. Owen was able to found the Unbroken Horizons Scholarship Fund following a $25,000 donation from Ellen DeGeneres and Cheerios. The fund, which launched Feb. 25, will provide five LGBTQ students with $2,500 in its inaugural year and has already raised $31,126 of its $37,500 goal since it was first posted on gofundme.com. Owen, who identifies as gay, rose to national attention after his high school biology teacher started a campaign to pay for his college tuition when he left home because of tensions with his parents regarding his sexual orientation, jeopardizing his ability to attend Georgetown. His teacher raised $140,000 through the GoFundMe campaign before Georgetown University adjusted Owen’s financial aid package to fully cover his tuition. Though the effort to develop the fund is still ongoing, Unbroken Horizons has already received attention for its achievements. Owen and Unbroken Horizons Senior Vice President of Communication and Marketing Kaylee Petik were recognized at the Equality Florida Greater Jacksonville Gala with the Voice for Equality Award in honor of their activism supporting educational opportunities of LGBTQ high school students March 9. Many other LGBTQ students face difficulties affording higher education, according to Owen. “Whereas I had my educators that I could lean on and ask for support, we understand that it’s not always that easy for people to trust their educators and the faculty at
their school,” Owen said. Owen’s work with the scholarship stems from his own difficulties affording his Georgetown education, according to the GoFundMe page. However, the scholarship is aimed towards LGBTQ students of color whose stories may not galvanize the same level of public action, Owen wrote. “After realizing that I would not have received the same support from the community if it weren’t for my perceived race, I knew I needed to speak up and do something, thus Unbroken Horizons was born,” Owen wrote. LGBTQ communities of color suffer from additional discrimination and marginalization, which is why the scholarship is geared toward LGBTQ students of color, according to Jacob Imber (COL ’22), communications director for Unbroken Horizons. “Unbroken Horizons tries to focus on the fact that, as lucky as Seth was to have the support and help that he did in his situation, students who aren’t white or who come from other marginalized communities typically don’t have that sort of luck,” Imber said. According to The Atlantic, around half of LGBTQ students of color reported verbal harassment because of their their racial or LGBTQ identity, and another study found that less than half of queer students of color reported harassment of bullying they experience in school to an educator. Though LGBTQ youth make up around five percent of the youth population, LGBTQ youth make up nearly 40 percent of the youth homeless population. Owen wanted students and members of the Georgetown community to serve on the board of directors for Unbroken Horizons, he said. “I think that it’s really important that we have students on our board of direc-
tors,” Owen said. “We have to keep the students’ perspective in mind.” In addition to educators and administrators who serve on the board of directors, three undergraduate Georgetown students also joined Owen in his venture. Emma Chuck (COL ’21), Matthew Mita (COL ’21) and Jaye Thomas (COL ’22) also serve on the board of directors of Unbroken Horizons. In addition to expanding educational opportunities available to LGBTQ high school students, the fund also provides a unique leadership experience for the undergraduates who serve on the board, Thomas said. “I’ve never been on the board of anything or in a leadership role in this way,” she said. “I’m still learning how to speak out and be comfortable in that space.” Despite difficulties getting used to the responsibility, both Owen and Thomas credit the Unbroken Horizons team for helping ease the transition into their new leadership roles. “They’ve coached me along and helped me assume those leadership position,” Owen said. “So it’s been a pretty smooth ride so far.” Unbroken Horizons is currently comprised of 30 students, but the organization is aiming to expand its staff and influence to students across the country, according to Owen. The beginning weeks after launching the scholarship already show good signs for the fund’s potential, according to Thomas. “I think we’ll be seeing a lot of growth with our foundation,” Thomas said. The fundraising campaign’s success is critical to the scholarship’s sustainability, according to Owen. “I really hope that our new GoFundMe campaign for the foundation specifically takes off so we’re able to award additional scholarships,” he said.
ASHLEY ZHAO Hoya Staff Writer
The Georgetown Scholarship Program emphasized allyship through its family dinner, a film screening and the organization’s first speaker series event during its fifth annual GSP Advocacy Week, also known as GSProud. Founded in 2004, the Georgetown Scholarship Program has served over 1,600 first-generation and low-income Georgetown students and currently provides support for over 650 undergraduates, according to the GSP website. GSP helps even the playing field between low-income and first-generation students and their affluent peers, according to Aleida Olvera (COL ’20), the vice president of the Georgetown University Student Association and a member of GSP. “It’s easy to forget that financial stability is something students struggle with when the median family income at Georgetown is $229,100, whereas only 3.1% of students’ family income falls in the bottom 20%,” Olvera wrote in an email to The Hoya. “With GSP, the ground is somewhat leveled with our affluent peers.” The group’s advocacy week raises awareness of and support for first-generation students at Georgetown, which has a reputation of attracting a relatively wealthy student body, according to GSP Executive Director Melissa Foy (COL ’03). GSP debuted its speaker series, which served as a forum for Georgetown students, staff and faculty to share their experiences and reflect on ways to create a more supportive environment for first-generation and low-income students, March 21. The series featured professors, students and alums, including Marcia Chatelain, Queen Adesuyi (COL ’20), Hashwinder Singh (COL ’20) and Derrick Arthur-Cudjoe (NHS ’19). (Full disclosure: ArthurCudjoe formerly served as a deputy photo editor for The
GSP/FACEBOOK
The Georgetown Scholarship Program held its inaugural speaker series event Thursday as part of its annual GSP Advocacy Week. Hoya.) This year, GSP prioritized in-person events over social media posting. Liz Fieschko (SFS ’20), GSP strategic partnerships and advocacy team member, highlighted the goal of creating a stronger relationship not only among GSP members but also within the Georgetown community as a whole throughout GSP Advocacy Week. “Throughout our programming and outreach campaign for GSProud2019, we hoped to make clear our theme of allyship,” Fieschko wrote in an email to The Hoya. “With these efforts, the GSProud Campaign, today, serves as reminder of the aspiration for a more integrated and interconnected Georgetown.” The week began on Monday night with the “GSProud: I Am Phenomenal” dinner for GSP members. GSP partnered with female arts magazine Bossier for a “Colors of Your Personality” creative painting event Wednesday. GSP hosted a screening of the documentary film “Unlikely,”
which depicts five individuals’ stories regarding the college dropout crisis and the barriers in students’ educational and professional pursuits, Thursday evening. This year’s GSP advocacy week comes at a time when many first-generation and lowincome students at Georgetown may need more support and recognition from the university as a whole given the recent college admissions scandal. Through GSP advocacy week, GSP staff members and student leaders hope to send out a message of solidarity and inclusivity to both GSP and non-GSP members at Georgetown, according to Olvera. “For students in GSP, I hope this week encourages you to use your story and experiences to leave an impact in whatever spaces you occupy,” Olvera said. “You belong at Georgetown. We bring in perspectives, experiences and narratives that no one else has. Be proud of the work you put into getting into this university and the work that you are putting in to graduate.”
Annual BRAVE Summit Promotes Black Female Activism CASEY FERRANTE Special to The Hoya
The fourth annual BRAVE Summit, a day-long conference dedicated to black female empowerment, highlighted the role of activism in daily life March 16. The keynote address was delivered by Yandy Smith, criminal justice reform activist and reality star from VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop: New York,” who said activism and media coverage complement each other well. The activism of black women should be celebrated and not stereotyped, Smith said. “More of us need to celebrate the way we talk, the way we walk, the way we are super passionate about the things we believe in because our passion runs deep,” Smith said. “It comes from a generation of things that we care about, and sometimes it hits the surface and it explodes, and they think that’s just an angry black woman thing. No, it’s a
passionate black woman thing.” This year’s theme, “Vigilant: Maintaining the Movement,” was derived from the fourth letter in the acronym of BRAVE — black, resilient, artistic, vigilant and enough — and examined how activism shapes the lives and experiences of black women, according to Deirdre Jonese Austin (SFS ’19), marketing director for BRAVE. “When we considered what it means to be vigilant for a black woman, activism came to our minds,” Austin wrote in an email to The Hoya. Approximately 275 people attended the summit, which marks a slight decrease from the figures in 2017. The event included opening remarks from the BRAVE directors, or #MelaninMilitia as they refer to themselves, three mainstage panels and eight breakout sessions. Breakout sessions centered on topics such as activism in politics, entrepreneurship, student leadership and the LGBTQ com-
munity. A panel called “A Cultural Transformation: #MeToo as a Contemporary Social Movement,” focused on the culture of silence and disbelief surrounding black sexual assault survivors, empowering black women to reclaim their bodies. Black female survivors face distinct, intersectional difficulties when they speak out about assault, according to panelist Chandra Robinson, deputy director of the D.C. Rape Crisis Center. “The majority of women who are sexually assaulted are sexually assaulted by men of color, but we don’t want to say that and I understand,” Robinson said. “We are already a marginalized group and so we are sometimes forced to sit in this chair of ‘Do I protect myself?’ or ‘Do I protect my race?’ and that is a very hard choice.” Epigenetics plays a role in the physiological consequences of silence, according to panel-
ist Wendi Cherry, host of “The Sanctuary,” a radio show about the commodification of indigenous, holistic methods of healing from the black community. “If you are silent, you are pretty much re-traumatizing yourself, and then you’re setting it up for your babies, and then your babies’ babies,” Cherry said. “Because if they are sitting in a womb, and they’re sitting in that space, and you’re feeling all this sadness and anxiety and guilt and shame, that’s in their DNA.” Black women must support each other in their activism to achieve justice, according to Cherry. “Now it’s up to us to save ourselves,” Cherry said. “Black women have been saving black women since the beginning of time.” Black woman survivors need greater representation in campus resources to feel comfortable seeking help about experiences with sexual assault, according
to Rosemary Kilkenny, vice president for institutional diversity and equity at Georgetown. “We need to have more black women in our counseling center, we need more black women in Health Education Services,” Kilkenny said at the panel. “We really need to have that safe space so that we can reveal what is happening to us and see that what we are experiencing can be addressed in a really specific way.” Robinson echoed Kilkenny, calling for structural changes that can combat systematic sexual violence towards black women. “There is healing and empowerment in telling your story, I will never take that away from a survivor,” Robinson said. “But that’s not enough.” The summit also featured panelists Makia Green, Black Lives Matter D.C. organizer; Sadarie Holston, attorney litigation specialist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and LaToya
Stubbs, a member of the board of directors for Rainbow Families, an organization that seeks to empower LGBTQ families. BRAVE was founded by Alexis Oni-Eseleh (COL ’16), Bserat Ghebremicael (MSB ’17) and Candice Milner (MSB ’16) in 2016 with the mission to uplift black women who are often overlooked on campus and in the United States, according to Austin. At the time, the organizers sent out an email to approximately 20 students, highlighting the need to have a summit that offers a space for black women on campus. This year’s summit aimed to provide attendees with practical tools for activism, according to Austin. “We hope that attendees left ready to implement and practice activism within their own lives and with skills on how to advocate for themselves and their needs in the workplace, in the classroom, and in other areas,” Austin wrote.
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THE HOYA
FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019
Proposed Metro Budget Doubles Amazon to Receive $23 Million Trains, Expands Service Lines Incentive Package Despite Protests MEREDITH MILLER Hoya Staff Writer
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority plans to double the number of trains at approximately 12 stations to increase service amid historical lows in Metro ridership. There will be no fare increases or service cuts in other areas despite these extended service proposals. The proposal is part of a preliminary $3.4 billion budget for the fiscal year 2020, beginning in June, that was preliminarily approved by the Metro board on March 14. The goal of the budget is to increase service on the Red and Yellow lines and promote use of the metro, which is at its lowest ridership level since 2000, according to WAMU, Washington, D.C.’s primary NPR station. The Metro averaged 595,000 users per week in the second half of 2018, a significant drop from almost 752,000 average weekday rides in 2008, according to WAMU. The Yellow line would also be extended to Greenbelt, currently the last stop on the Green line, instead of Fort Totten or Mount Vernon Square. The Red line would cease turnbacks at Silver Spring, instead extending the line from Glenmont to Shady Grove. Though extending the Yellow line will cost upwards of $8 million, the agency expects costs to be somewhat offset by 1.7 million new trips annually,
according to The Washington Post. Similarly, the Red line extension would cost approximately $3.1 million, while leading to about 600,000 new trips per year. The drafted budget is set to be voted on during Metro’s full board meeting March 28. Under the new budget, the price of SelectPass, the current unlimited monthly rail pass option, would drop from $17.50 to $15. Of the proposed budget, $2 billion is set aside for operating costs, while the other $1.4 billion will be used for capital funding and system improvements, according to a Jan. 16 news release by Metro, which contained a draft of the budget proposal. Metro is committed to investing money into improving equipment and Metro stations to improve safety and reliability, according to the news release. “Metro’s Capital Budget invests $1.4 billion into safety and reliability improvements, rebuilding the Metro system, and improving the effectiveness of the current rail and bus network,” the news release said. “This includes modernization of the fare collection equipment; station renovations like brighter lights, new platforms and escalator replacements; parking garage rehabilitations, and other customer improvements.” A potential proposal for the budget would have restored late night services, which were
abolished after the agency’s SafeTrack construction effort in 2016, an accelerated building program which sought to renovate railways after numerous safety lapses. The proposal was ultimately left out of the budget because the Federal Transit Administration threatened to withhold federal funding if Metro restored late night services. Additionally, adhering to current service times will allow preventative maintenance work to continue. To compensate for the lack of late night services, Metro proposed to subsidize ride-share services such as Uber and Lyft for late night city workers. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) criticized the idea during her March 18 State of the District speech. Ride-share subsidies are not an adequate substitute for reinstituting late night services, Bowser said in the March 18 speech. Other proposals missing from the budget include an effort to increase trains to their maximum length of eight cars at all times to boost capacity and an expansion of the peak fare hours during weekdays, according to The Washington Post. Originally, board members also proposed a $2 flat-fare on Saturdays and Sundays, fixing the cost for all regardless of distance, according to The Washington Post. This action, however, did not make the proposal that was voted last Thursday.
CONNOR THOMAS Hoya Staff Writer
Amazon is set to receive $23 million in incentives after a unanimous vote by the Arlington County Board on March 16. Amazon’s second headquarters will occupy over six million square feet of office space in Northern Virginia through 2035 in exchange for the approved local and state subsidies, according to The Washington Post. The incentives package is a new model for economic development, according to Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey. “This performance agreement is really just the beginning of what I believe will be a long and productive partnership between Arlington and Amazon,” Dorsey said in a March 16 news release. “Our vote today reflects our strong belief that Amazon will bring significant benefits to our community, to neighboring Alexandria, the region and the state.” Crystal City earned one of two winning bids in Amazon’s HQ2 contest in November 2018, with cities from across the nation competing to host the online merchant’s second corporate headquarters. Amazon cancelled its plans for the second headquarters, planned for New York, in February after local leaders opposed providing approximately $3 billion of tax incentives, according to POLITICO. Supporters of the new headquarters say Amazon’s presence in the region will bring economic benefits, but opponents believe the influx of high-paying jobs and residents could drive up housing prices for current residents. Some residents were opposed to Virginia winning the bidding war, which included 238 cities, because Amazon has a large number of employees in Northern
Virginia already, according to Business Insider. Additionally, incentives demanded by the company would come at a cost to taxpayers. Amazon executives attended the vote and hearing March 16, but their testimony was interrupted by shouts from protestors, eventually forcing them to leave the room, according to The Washington Post. Amazon’s expansion into Alexandria and Arlington will result in mass displacement of nearby low-income communities of color in February, according to a Feb. 11 report by the New Virginia Majority, a group that mobilizes minority communities to address economic, social and environmental issues. The company’s high salaries will cause housing prices in the area to increase, pushing out local residents, according to the report. Local activists, including the group “For Us, Not Amazon,” organized to fight the move and have continued their opposition to the ruling. The group has called for the county board to hold a hearing with Amazon in attendance, but the board did not comment on such a meeting and went ahead with its vote, according to The Washington Post. The focus should remain on area residents who would be negatively impacted by HQ2, according to Bethany Davis, an organizer of “For Us, Not Amazon.” “We oppose HQ2 because its arrival will hasten displacement and gentrification already happening,” Davis wrote in an email to The Hoya. “The state and county have made no concrete plans with dedicated funding to prevent this.” The board’s vote to approve the incentive package was disappointing but not surprising, according to Davis. “The county board members
acknowledged the legitimacy of our concerns and in several places noted where Amazon has failed to meet their own expectations,” Davis wrote. “Nevertheless, they chose to side with corporate class against the people.” Amazon has engaged in outreach and promised to invest in the local community, according to the Washington Post. Amazon HQ2 is expected to bring roughly 25,000 workers with a $150,000 average annual salary to Crystal City and the surrounding area, according to PC Magazine. The majority of residents in Northern Virginia - 72 percent - supported Amazon HQ2, with businesses, universities and nonprofits especially favoring the deal, according to a December 2018 poll conducted by Christopher Newport University. Schools including Virginia Tech and George Mason University supported the move because Amazon could provide more opportunities for their STEM programs and students, according to The Washington Post. The NVM report also criticized Amazon’s involvement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Amazon provided ICE with the technology to identify immigrants for deportation, profiting $600,000 a month off this technology, according to MIT Technology Review. “For Us, Not Amazon” will continue to push for increased transparency from public officials and protection for low-income communities, according to Davis. “Our concerns do not disappear after the vote,” Davis wrote. “We will continue meeting and organizing to hold the board accountable, demand transparency as the process continues and to work towards protecting the communities most at risk by this decision.”
African Nations Aim to Model Chinese Growth, Economist Says VICTORIA LIU
Special to The Hoya
FILE PHOTO: SHEEL PATEL/THE HOYA
A proposal to provide Metro riders with an increased number of trains and extended service on the Red and Yellow lines gained initial approval by the Metro board March 14.
Priests Urge Indigenous Input In Environmental Advocacy CHARLIE GOETZMAN Hoya Staff Writer
The Catholic Church needs to incorporate indigenous people into its environmental advocacy to effectively combat the degradation of the Amazonian ecosystem, Catholic priests and environmental activists said March 20. A movement to protect the environment must incorporate indigenous peoples in its advocacy, according to Patricia Gualinga, an indigenous rights activist from the Kichwa people of Ecuador. “This struggle that is coming at us and which will come cannot find us isolated or fragmented, because the situation is going to be so complex that it needs to be done not only for the indigenous people in the Amazon, but for the whole planet,” Gualinga said at the March 20 press conference. Gualinga spoke with other indigenous rights activists and church officials at the press conference for a three-day convention titled “Integral Ecology: A Synodal Response from the Amazon and Other Essential Biomes/Territories for the Care of our Common Home,” hosted by Georgetown. The event brought together church leaders, indigenous human rights activists and members of Red Eclesial Panamazónica, a network of Latin American church officials and indigenous groups that aims to counter environmental degradation across the world. REPAM organized “Integral Ecology” as part of its efforts to address environmental threats facing indigenous inhabitants of the Amazon. Though “Integral Ecology” was closed to the press and
public, priests and activists participated in the press conference to shed light on their working meetings. Energy corporations are particularly responsible for devastating the land of indigenous communities, according to Cardinal Pedro Barreto, the archbishop of Huancayo, Peru, and the vice president of REPAM. “The direct threats come many times from the corporations — the oil-extracting corporations — and often with cooperation from South American states,” Barreto said at the press conference. These corporations threaten the livelihood of the indigenous groups that have lived in Amazon for centuries, but often face punishment for advocating for their rights, according to Gualinga. “Communities are being criminalized; some are in prison, some are threatened and harassed,” Gualinga said. “This creates a lot of fear in those who are dedicated to protecting the Amazon.” The church has focused on outreach to indigenous communities for its environmental efforts during the new papacy, according to Fr. Matthew Carnes, S.J., Georgetown associate professor of government and director of the Center for Latin American Studies. Carnes cited the Church’s collaboration with indigenous rights activists in forming REPAM as a recent example of this outreach at the conference. The conference is inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si,” a document that critiques environmental degradation and calls for the care of our planet as a common home.
The conference also precedes an upcoming October 2019 synod, an assembly of bishops called by Francis. Titled “Amazonia: New Paths for the Church and for an Integral Ecology,” the synod will address issues similar to those highlighted in “Laudato Si” as they apply to the Amazon basin and will be the first in Church history focused on a particular region of the world. The property rights of Amazonian indigenous people have to be respected because they settled on the threatened land long before others tried to extract resources from the land, according to Barreto. “The indigenous peoples have been there in the rainforest for centuries,” Barreto said. “Nevertheless, they are not recognized as the owners of their land, and this is the most important issue at stake. So we need to learn from the indigenous to live in harmony with the land, with the earth, with the water.” Deforestation will leave 27 percent of the Amazon without trees by 2030 if the current trend continues, a problem largely attributable to deforestation for agricultural and ranching land, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature, an environmental advocacy group. The effort is focused on bringing together individual, small voices to form a powerful network, according to Barreto. “I like to use the image of a river: here we are, little rivers, coming together into a big river and bringing the voices of the indigenous communities trying to speak out on behalf of the care of our common land,” Barreto said.
Developing countries have less incentive to model their economies after the United States and allies following the success of China’s economy amid global stagnation, according to international economist Dambisa Moyo. People around the globe are increasingly skeptical of a Western model of markets and democracy. Distinct from the West’s emphasis on market liberalization and free enterprises, the Chinese model adopts a form of state-led capitalism. This is particularly relevant as countries in Africa face a choice between the Western and Chinese models of economic development, according to Moyo. “We have now different models of geopolitics and economics, China being one example, that has proven themselves able to deliver economic growth in a sustained way and move hundreds of people out of poverty,” Moyo said in her March 19 keynote address. Economic downturns across the globe have compounded skepticism towards market capitalism and lib-
eral democracy, according to Moyo. “Fundamentally, we are in an economic situation where economic growth has slowed and continue to slow, and we’ve run out of bullets,” Moyo said. “We’ve used a lot of traditional tools of economics, both in terms of monetary policies, like interest rates, and also fiscal policies.” Fears of persistent weak economic performances and economic stagnation led the International Monetary Fund to cut its prediction of global economic growth in 2019 from 3.7 percent growth rate to 3.5 percent. In developing countries, the IMF predicted a decrease in economic growth due to trade tensions, increasing U.S. interest rates and volatile oil prices. Moyo named six challenges that require solutions to prevent economic slowdowns and sustain growth: demographic changes, technological development, income inequality, natural resource scarcity, debt and productivity growth. The keynote address was part of the Lannan Spring Literary Symposium and Festival titled “Africa Imagines:
ROCHELLE VAYNTRUB FOR THE HOYA
Slow growth and high income inequality have made developing countries skeptical of Western markets, economist Dambisa Moyo said.
Reversing the Gaze,” which aimed to provide African perspectives on the continent’s economic development and global affairs. Hosted by the Lannan Foundation, Georgetown University’s Lecture Fund and the African studies program, the keynote address delivered by Dambisa Moyo focuses on international development and sustainable economic growth. Born in Zambia, Moyo is a global economist and worked at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. From 1993 to 1995, she coauthored the World Bank’s annual development report. Currently, she serves on the board of Barclays Bank. Despite differences between the Western and Chinese models identified by Moyo, both face persistent issues of growing income inequality, she said. “The biggest puzzle is that these two countries, number one and number two with complete different political systems and economic systems, have roughly the same Gini coefficient, which is the measurement of income inequality.” In order to maintain the benefits that economic growth has granted countless citizens of developing countries, their governments must reckon with resource scarcity and excessive debt for sustainable development amid demographic growth and environmental challenges, according to Moyo. “We have to figure out a way to ensure that people are going to be able to continue to enjoy improvements in their living standards, even though arable land, potable water, the supply of minerals and energy are increasingly becoming a challenge,” Moyo said. All of these considerations present important questions to world leaders who face important crossroads between liberal democracy and protectionism, according to Moyo. “We are living at a time when the world is becoming more fractured; people are becoming more protectionist in terms of trade, in terms of ideas, in terms of movements of people, in terms of movements of capital,” Moyo said. “Globalization is under threat. The question is, ‘How do we move on from here?’”
NEWS
FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019
THE HOYA
A9
Maryland Congress Votes DC Employee Exchanged To Raise Minimum Wage Welfare Assistance for Bribes HARRISON MCBRIDE Special to The Hoya
A bill raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 passed the Maryland House of Delegates and Senate this week and awaits the approval of Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R). The proposed legislation intends to raise the minimum wage initially to $12.50 from the current $10.10 by 2022, and later increase the wage to $15 by 2025. The initial bills, sponsored by Del. Diana Fennell (D-Prince George’s) in the Maryland House and Sen. Cory McCray (D-Baltimore City) in the Maryland Senate respectively, were resolved into a single bill after the convention of a conference committee. The resolved House bill passed in the Maryland House 96-44 on March 1 and in the Maryland Senate 3215 on March 14. Before voting on final passage of the bill, both chambers voted on several different amendments to the legislation. Amendments ranged from making geographical tiers for implementation of the bill to easing requirements for small businesses. In the end, none of the proposed amendments were adopted, according to The Washington Post. An increase in the minimum wage will help local workers support themselves and their families, but may pose difficulties for small businesses, according to Maryland resident and Georgetown student Zahraa Hotait (NHS ’22). Policymakers should work to strike a balance between the interests of business owners and Maryland employees, Hotait said. “I worked in a restaurant throughout high school and witnessed many of the hardworking servers struggling to support themselves or their
families, even while holding multiple jobs,” Hotait wrote in a statement to The Hoya. “However, the community where I live in Maryland deeply values its small town cafés and independent shops, and it may be difficult for these establishments to survive at such a significant increase in wages for their staff.” The bill’s passage in both chambers also came after negotiations with Hogan (R), who wants to raise the minimum wage to just $12.10 by 2022, according to the Washington Post. In a letter to the Maryland House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert), Hogan asked to delay the measure past 2022 in order to allow the neighboring states to increase their minimum wages and offset Maryland losses if the bill were to be enacted, according to The Washington Post. Critics of the bill, along with Hogan, argue that the increase in the minimum wage would reduce Maryland’s competitiveness with surrounding states, according to Capital News Service, a University of Maryland College Park news agency. Currently, both Virginia and Pennsylvania have $7.25 minimum wages and West Virginia and Delaware have $8.75 minimum wages. In contrast to its neighbors, Washington, D.C., has a minimum wage of $13.25, though the minimum wage is supposed to rise to $14 on July 1, 2019, and again to $15 in 2020. Despite Hogan’s request to wait for the surrounding states to meet a combined 80 percent of Maryland’s wage to implement the second phase of the bill, both chambers of Maryland’s state government passed the measure.
Hogan’s stance on the bill’s current form and whether he intends to veto it remain unclear. Democrats do, however, hold enough seats in both chambers to override a veto, should Hogan decide to reject the legislation. Under Maryland’s constitution, Hogan has 30 days to choose to veto the legislation, or the bill will be implemented. Roughly two out of three Marylanders wanted to raise the minimum wage to $15, according to a recent Goucher College poll. The same poll also found a majority of Maryland voters supported legalizing marijuana recreationally, raising the minimum age for tobacco sales to 21, banning the use of styrofoam in the state and passing the proposed “aidin-dying” legislation. The push to increase minimum wage comes amid other progressive policies in Maryland chambers, such as legalizing recreational marijuana and banning 3D printed guns, as Democrats were able to increase their majorities in both chambers in the most recent elections in 2018, according to The Baltimore Sun. Maryland’s efforts to raise the minimum wage comes after D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) push to raise the minimum wage to $15 in 2016. Critics of Bowser’s proposal cited the complicated system of wages for employees who receive tips in the District. Despite these criticisms, the District passed legislation to raise their minimum wage to $15 by 2020. If implemented, Maryland would join a growing number of states who have recently raised their minimum wages to $15. In addition to D.C., California, Massachusetts and New York all have measures to raise their minimum wages by 2022, 2023 and 2021, respectively.
Trump’s Proposed Budget Ends DC Tuition Assistance WILL CASSOU AND KARENA LANDER Hoya Staff Writers
President Donald Trump’s fiscal year 2020 District of Columbia budget, released Monday, threatens to eliminate funding entirely for the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant Program for the second year in a row. The D.C. Tuition Grant Assistance Program provides educational grants for Washington, D.C. residents to attend universities around the country. After its funding became jeopardized under Trump’s requested FY 2019 budget, DCTAG ultimately received $40 million from Congress in the enacted budget. The requested 2020 D.C. budget once again seeks to end DCTAG, but Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) announced her opposition to the budget and continued support of the program in a Monday news release. “Like last year, the President’s budget is dead on arrival in Congress,” Norton said. “We defeated most of these proposals last Congress and will do so again.” D.C. residents should not worry about the existence of grants that help them afford their college tuition, Norton said. “DCTAG has always been funded every year by Republican and Democratic congresses alike
and, until President Trump, Republican presidents as well,” Norton said. Currently, students can receive up to $2,500 in grants to cover tuition for private institutions and HBCUs in the D.C. area and up to $10,000 for public institutions across the country. As a nonprofit private university in D.C., Georgetown University is a DCTAG-eligible school. The program has received $40 million in funding for the past four years, even as Trump has proposed eliminating the grants and as Congress initially proposed $30 million for DCTAG for FY 2019. The program was enacted to help D.C. residents afford a college education, as they do not benefit from in-state tuition through state university systems. DCTAG is no longer necessary because of D.C.’s financial growth in the past 20 years, according to the budget. “While this program has helped many D.C. residents afford college, the financial position of the D.C. government has significantly improved since 1999 providing D.C. with flexibility to allocate local funds to support its residents,” the budget reads. The proposed budget also contains four provisions which limit D.C.’s ability to self govern. These provisions, however, are down from the seven
included in the 2019 proposed house budget. These provisions would restrict the District from spending its local funds on abortions, commercializing recreational marijuana, the death with dignity act, which allows terminally ill patients the decision to end their lives and the reproduction non-discrimination act. The proposed budget, however, leaves the potential for the District government to use funds not appropriated by this budget to pursue the commercialization of marijuana, according to Marijuana Moment. This provision was included in the 2019 budget, and Congress altered the language to restrict the district it from using any funds, eliminating this possibility. Trump’s proposed cuts to DCTAG came the same day as Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) promised to increased spending to continue improving the district’s affordability and accessibility at her State of the District on Monday. “These have been and continue to be very good times for Washington, D.C.,” Bowser said in her address. “To keep D.C. a city that works for both residents and businesses, in the coming fiscal year, we’re asking our commercial property owners to share some of the upside.”
WHITE HOUSE
Though President Donald Trump and members of Congress have tried to cut funding, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) has secured $40 million for the D.C. tuition assistance grant program for the past four years.
AFUA NYANTAKYI Hoya Staff Writer
A former Washington, D.C., employee pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges for distributing $1.4 million in food stamp and temporary assistance benefits to individuals in exchange for $380,000 and sexual favors. Demetrius McMillan pleaded guilty March 14 following a yearlong investigation into federal fraud charges. McMillan had worked at the D.C. Department of Human Services for 13 years, and court documents show that the criminal conduct began last year, according to The Washington Post. Between April and July 2018, McMillan made 779 fraudulent assistance payments to approximately 305 beneficiaries, 296 of whom were women. Authorities found text messages between McMillan and 50 of the women soliciting sexual favors as payment, according to a March 14 news release by the U.S. Attorney’s office. McMillan also solicited more than $380,000 in cash commissions from those who received his payments, and accepted at least $150,000, according to the news release. McMillan could spend nine to 11 years in prison, an estimation in accordance with federal sentencing guidelines. McMillan’s sentencing is set to occur in June, and he has already agreed to pay $1.46 million in restitution, according to NBC News. The case is currently being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the D.C. Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General to discern if McMillan abused his authority in any other capacities. Investigators announced publicly they will not comment at this time on whether new charges will be brought to light. Whether recipients of fraudulent payments will be held liable for any criminal offense remains unclear. McMillan’s case occurred two weeks after another former federal employee was charged with
FBI
Demetrius McMillan could spend nine to 11 years in prison for making 779 fraudulent assistance payments to beneficiaries. fraud in late February. Gary T. Holliday, who also worked at the Department of Human Services, pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud charge. Holliday fraudulently channeled the $400,000 to himself from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a program that assists families for a limited time when guardians are unable to provide for their children’s basic needs, according to The Washington Post. Both former employees manipulated the process of underpayments, in which social service workers authorized up to $2,000 in payment adjustments for clients enrolled in TANF or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. There have been previous efforts to prevent fraudulent practices in the welfare system which have been directed towards recipients. Despite reports of SNAP fraud levels resting at 1.5 percent from a Jan. 2017 audit by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, D.C. initially launched a federally-funded advertising campaign in spring 2018 encouraging residents to
report food-stamp fraud. However, DHS officials cancelled the campaign after receiving critiques accusing the ads of being insensitive and encouraging low-income individuals to spy on each other, according to The Washington Post. The D.C. government plans to cooperate with investigators and takes these allegations seriously, according to Dora Taylor-Lowe, Public Information Officer of the Department of Human Services. “The District government takes suspected abusive and fraudulent activity seriously, and will always work and cooperate with our local and federal partners to ensure that those who engage in criminal behavior are held accountable,” Taylor-Lowe wrote in an email to The Hoya. Observers of potential fraudulent behavior should report such behavior, Taylor-Lowe wrote. “Anyone who suspects waste, fraud or abuse should immediately contact the Office of Program Review, Monitoring, and Investigation,” Taylor-Lowe wrote.
Councilmember Evans Rebuked for Email Misuse YOLANDA SPURA Hoya Staff Writer
Washington, D.C. Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) was reprimanded by a council vote after using his government email to solicit corporate deals March 19. Beyond the reprimand, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) removed some of the responsibilities Evans holds as chair of the Committee on Finance and Revenue, but did not strip him from his position as chair of the committee. The additional changes will be voted on by the council in April, according to The Washington Post. The punishment came after several organizations — such as the D.C. Democratic State Committee and D.C. Working Families, a progressive advocacy group that seeks to raise living standards for working families, — published open letters and petitions calling on Evans to resign. The reprimand sends a clear message about the values of the council, according to D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D-At Large). “The Council is acting swiftly and clearly to condemn the action by any member who uses government resources for personal business and who knowingly advertises the prestige of his office for private gain,” Mendelson said at the council’s March 19 legislative meeting. The decision to reprimand Evans came after a grand jury subpoenaed documents relating to legislation benefiting Digi Outdoor Media, a digital commercial advertising firm, last September, as part of a federal investigation. Evans, the longest-serving member of the D.C. Council, allegedly used his influence and connections as councilmember to help solidify client deals, according to The Washington Post. Mendelson announced he would introduce a resolution to reprimand Evans in a March 5 news release, but did not call on Evans to resign. “Our Code of Conduct states
JACK EVANS/FACEBOOK
Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) was stripped of certain responsibilities after allegedly using his position to solicit corporate deals. explicitly that a Councilmember ‘may not knowingly use the prestige of office or public position for [his] private gain,’ and that government resources shall not be used for personal business,” Mendelson said. “This reprimand will send a clear message that Mr. Evans’ actions are not only unacceptable but are inconsistent with the Council’s ethical standards.” As chair of the finance and revenue committee, Evans will retain his oversight of the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority and the D.C. Lottery, which regulates the recently approved mobile sports betting program. Changes to his influence in these agencies will be decided in a vote scheduled for April, according to The Washington Post. Evans, who faces the threat of a recall election if a recall petition receives 10 percent of the approximately 52,000 registered voters in Ward 2, should not be stripped of his chairmanship, according to Mendelson. “I am not recommending that, for the primary reason that the council has never removed a member from his chairmanship without an investigation,” Mendelson said
at the March 9 meeting. “To remove a chairmanship based only on allegation will set a precedent that we will not only regret someday, but that disregards due process.” However, an additional council investigation into Evans’ alleged wrongdoings is unnecessary and would be hindered by the current federal criminal investigation, according to Mendelson. “First, I believe fundamentally that we must express our disapproval quickly, and an investigation takes time. Second, I believe an investigation would be hindered by the ongoing federal criminal investigation,” Mendelson said. “I don’t believe that our own investigation at this time would be viable.” Evans will work toward restoring the trust of his constituents, councilmembers and D.C. residents, he said at the hearing. “I have brought embarrassment to this council, to myself and my family, that being the most painful part of all of this,” Evans said. “Going forward, I will work tirelessly to restore the trust of my constituents, of my colleagues here on this council and of the residents of the District of Columbia.”
A10
SPORTS
THE HOYA
FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019
MEN’S BASKETBALL
GOLF
Hoyas Fall to Pirates, Powell In Big East Tournament SEAN HAGGERTY Hoya Staff Writer
GUHOYAS
Senior Alexa Popowitz finished in 57th place after carding a three-round score of 12-over par 228. The women's team finished 14th in the Briar's Creek Invitational on March 18 and 19.
Men’s and Women’s Golf Struggle in Season Openers JP HARRISON Hoya Staff Writer
The Georgetown women’s golf team started its spring season at Briar's Creek Invitational hosted by the College of Charleston on March 18 and 19. Earlier in the week, the men’s team kicked things off at the University of South Florida Invitational in Tampa, Fla., on March 11 and 12. After the opening round at the USF Invitational for the men, juniors Eduardo Blochtein and Hardin Councill sat tied for sixth place with a pair of 70s. The Hoyas were in third place in a field of 15 teams with a team score of 288 after the first day. At the end of Tuesday’s ac-
tion at Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club, the Hoyas finished in eighth place, wrapping up the 2019 USF Invitational with a team score of 897. USF won the event with a score of 854. Blochtein led the Hoyas’ team effort and tied for 12th overall after rounds of 70, 77 and 72, for a total of 219. Freshman Will O’Neill was close behind after shooting 73, 74 and 74 for a total of 221 to tie for 21st. The women’s team faced a strong 17-team field at the Briar’s Creek Invitational. After Monday, it found itself in 15th place with a team score of 605 through 36 holes. Senior Alexa Popowitz was the top finisher for the Blue and Gray, finishing in 57th place after carding a three-
round score of 12-over par 228. Senior Christina Parsells followed up for the Hoyas in 67th place with a 16-over par 232. By the end of Tuesday’s final round at The Golf Club at Briar’s Creek, the Hoyas jumped up one spot to 14th place, finishing ahead of Boston College, Charleston Southern and University of North Carolina Asheville. Michigan State won the event with a team score of 8-under par 856. Georgetown women’s golf team will resume action at the Bryan National Collegiate, March 29 through March 31 in Greensboro, N.C. The men’s team will compete next in the Florida Atlantic University Spring Invitational in Boca Raton on March 29 and 30.
Georgetown’s hopes of making its first NCAA tournament in five years were crushed when it lost to Seton Hall 73-57 in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament on March 14. Despite failing to make the NCAA tournament, Georgetown earned a bid to play in the National Invitation Tournament. The team went on to play Harvard on Wednesday, falling 71-68 in the first round of the NIT in McDonough Arena. The Hoyas (19-13, 9-9 Big East) struggled in the first half as they could not stop Seton Hall’s (20-13, 9-9 Big East) junior guard Myles Powell, who outscored the entire Georgetown team with 29 points in the first half. The Blue and Gray failed to find the bottom of the bucket in the first frame, shooting just 36 percent from the field
and 1-7 from the three-point line. On the other hand, Powell’s 29 points in the first half propelled the Pirates to 58 percent shooting from the field as they headed into the locker room leading 53-28. The Hoyas showed some fight after the halftime break, starting the second half on a 10-0 run. Freshman guard James Akinjo and senior center Jessie Govan led Georgetown with three straight buckets to start the half as Seton Hall struggled on the other end. Despite the quick start from the Hoyas, they continued to hurt themselves by wasting important possessions with turnovers as time ticked away. Georgetown suffered in the game with 14 turnovers, and Seton Hall responded sufficiently with 22 points off turnovers. The Hoyas shot a much improved 50 percent from the field in the second half, but a 14-point deficit was the clos-
est Georgetown got to Seton Hall in the second half. The game against Seton Hall was Georgetown’s first quarterfinal reached in four years. The Hoyas finished the game shooting 42 percent compared to the Pirates’ 41 percent. Seton Hall found great depth from the three-point line, shooting 34 percent compared to Georgetown’s 16 percent. Powell finished the game with 31 points and eventually led the Pirates to the Big East championship, where they fell to Villanova 74-72 on March 16. This is Villanova’s third-straight Big East Conference title. Georgetown’s strong regular season granted it a threeseed in the NIT. The Hoyas played in their first NIT in five years, since they last fell in the second round to Florida State University. The Hoyas are 15-13 all time in the NIT and have earned 12 bids to the tournament.
SAILING
2 Georgetown Teams Place In Top 10 at Away Regattas KELTON MILLER
Special to The Hoya
The Georgetown sailing team competed in two regattas on Saturday, March 16, earning a top-10 finish in both. In the Graham Hall Interconference Regatta, hosted by Navy, the coed team placed third behind Yale University and the College of Charleston. Georgetown also finished seventh, one point behind Cornell, in the St. Mary’s Women’s Interconference Regatta, hosted by St. Mary’s. In the coed Graham Hall Regatta, Georgetown looked strong throughout the round robin stage with a record of 12-3. A group of upperclassmen led the way for the Blue and Gray. Senior Andy Reiter, junior Sean Segerblom, senior Noah Kelleher and junior William Logue served as the team’s skippers in the race. Both Charleston and Georgetown finished with the same record, leading to a head-tohead tiebreaker sailoff. The
Hoyas lost, settling for third in the sixteen-team field. The conditions were difficult as a lot of unpredictable wind shifts for Georgetown caused them to struggle in this contest for second place, according to Head Coach Michael Callahan. “It was not really that fair,” Callahan said. This stroke of bad luck, however, did not sully the weekend for the Hoyas. “The important part for us was beating competition in our conference where we did well. We were the top conference team,” Callahan said. The Georgetown women’s team was also pleased with their weekend, especially considering the struggles of last season in which they finished outside of the top-25 for the first time in several years. The race took place on the St. Mary’s River where Georgetown compiled 227 points in the 14 races in an eighteen team field. Callahan attributes part of the reason for an uncharacteristic season to the absence
of senior Haddon Hughes. Securing a finish in the top-ten bodes well for the Hoyas as Hughes returns to the lineup for the rest of the year. “Our best sailor, Haddon Hughes, was doing an Olympic campaign, and so she is now back in school which has been helpful for us,” he said. Hughes led the A Division for the Hoyas with freshman Annabelle Ayer. This squad totaled 152 points for Georgetown. The coed team has already clinched the conference playoffs, so the top team will be resting this weekend as the younger sailors gain valuable experience in their stead. The women’s team is trending upward with an increase in their teamwork, according to Callahan. “They are seeing a general trendline upward in a lot of cooperation amongst the girls working with each other to get better,” he said. Yet the outdated away goals rule gives the advantage, or at least a major opportunity, to the away side.
GUHOYAS
The Georgetown coed team took to the water against a field of 16 teams in the Graham Hall Interconference Regatta on March 16. The Hoyas tied for second but lost a sail-off to Charleston.
MARGARET FOUBERG/THE HOYA
Freshman guard James Akinjo scored 16 points against Seton Hall. The Pirates defeated Georgetown on March 14, knocking the Hoyas out of the Big East tournament.
DID I HEAR THAT RIGHT?
Ravens’ Offseason Focused On Young Quarterback
Grant Zangwill In the beginning of the NFL’s offseason, every day has seemingly sent a star player to a new team. Le’Veon Bell’s signing with the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns acquisition of Odell Beckham Jr. may have provided the most headlines, but shifting pieces in Baltimore caught the eye of Fox Sports 1 host Marcellus Wiley. The Baltimore Ravens have surprised fans by choosing to focus their off-season attention to attaining more offensive pieces for their young quarterback. They chose not to re-sign veterans that created the foundation of their strong defensive unit. C.J. Mosley, Eric Weddle and Terrell Suggs are the most notable players to leave town, but outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith’s loss is sure to be felt as well. Wiley is not concerned about the Ravens’ future because of his trust in starting quarterback Lamar Jackson. In fact, he claims that putting emphasis on offense, which the Ravens have done by signing running back Mark Ingram and letting the aforementioned free agents walk, is their best path to future success. Wiley points out that the league has become dominated by offense. Furthermore, the prospect of a dual-threat quarterback enhances offensive capabilities. Wiley says Jackson will pass the ball efficiently with improved play from the pocket.
Thereby, “[the rest of the league] is going to have problems,” he said. The Ravens’ culture is focused and independent of any individual players, according to Wiley. Unfortunately for the Ravens and Wiley, culture may be necessary for success, but it is not sufficient. Talent is also needed, and in this department, Jackson falls woefully short. With one year under his belt at quarterback, Jackson’s numbers make a Ravens fan cringe every time a passing play is called. Jackson threw just six touchdowns in the seven games he started, which projected out over a full season would put him 27th amongst all quarterbacks. Let’s look at passing yards, a key statistic for analyzing quarterback play. Jackson’s 1,201 yards through the air last season ranks 37th amongst all NFL quarterbacks. There are only 32 teams in the league. All of this came in a season when passing was at an alltime high. Ben Roethlisberger, who ironically leads the Ravens’ rival Pittsburgh Steelers, averaged over double the amount of passing yards per game as Jackson. Keep that in mind when thinking about who will be “causing problems” next season. Much of the appeal surrounding Jackson’s future comes as a result of his running ability, and his rushing numbers are indeed impressive. In fact, Jackson crossed the goal line five times in his stint under center last season. He evades pressure and sprints down field faster than anyone else. The only problem is that he tends to run so fast the ball gets left behind. Jackson fumbled 10 times throughout the season, leading all players by a wide margin.
The next closest in the category was Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott with six, and he carried the ball over twice as many times as Jackson. Passing and rushing both factor into overall quarterback rating, the most holistic measure of a quarterback’s play. In this metric, Jackson ranks 31st out of 33 eligible quarterbacks. Even in Jackson's struggles, the Ravens were able to ride the league’s best defense to an AFC North title. In their home playoff game, Jackson set a new low. He committed more turnovers, three, than completions, two, in the first half of the game. Early into the fourth quarter, Jackson had 25 passing yards with 27 yards lost on sacks, meaning his net passing yardage was negative. In fairness, Jackson deserves credit for finishing the game strong, giving his team a chance in the final minutes. Wiley believes that the dynamic quarterback will improve in his second season. Historically, quarterbacks have a tendency to regress once they become a known commodity. For every player like Carson Wentz who took a leap forward in his second year, there are multiple Robert Griffin III’s and Dak Prescott’s who struggled after a first-year honeymoon. All the more, Wiley, a football player himself, should know the chance of injury to a player with Jackson’s style. To advocate doubling down on him is risky. I am not arguing that the Ravens made the wrong call in drafting Jackson or even in moving on from veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, but to release key players on the defensive side of the ball will cost them. Moreover, the only problems Jackson will be creating next year will be with the Ravens.
SPORTS
FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019
BASEBALL
THE HOYA
A11
MEN’S LACROSSE
Hoya Offense Defeats Drexel at Home DREXEL, from A12
GUHOYAS
Sophomore catcher Ryan Davis went 3-5 with two runs in the team’s 10-6 win over Princeton last weekend.
were hectic, with the two teams trading off goals almost every possession. The Hoyas’ settled offense was refined, and the attack unit generated 11 of the 13 goals, while senior Lucas Wittenberg and junior Massimo Bucci were the only midfielders who scored goals all game for Georgetown. Despite the low scoring from midfielders, Head Coach Kevin Warne expressed confidence in the team’s depth. “Nothing concerning, I think because we have two pretty dynamic attackmen, who had pretty good days today, they certainly were able to control the tempo of the game,” Warne said. “Those shots will come, today was the attack’s day, next week could be the midfield’s day. It’s a very selfless group and we don’t care who gets the goals or assists, we just care about having good possessions every time the ball is down at our end.”
The selflessness of the offense was seen in how effectively they settled the ball on offense. In the first quarter, Bucaro and Carraway controlled the tempo, taking shots early in possessions. The Hoyas rushed taking shots in the first quarter, a marked change in the new era of the NCAA’s adjusted shot clock rule, under which teams have to get a shot on goal in the first 80 seconds of a possession. This frantic play of the first quarter resulted in some quick goals for Georgetown but also induced turnovers, which led to strong transition play for Drexel, who scored off three Georgetown turnovers in the first quarter. Midway through the second quarter, the Hoyas started to find their flow, slow down on offense and keep better control of the ball. The team’s ability to adjustment to a more settled tempo in the second half was key, according to Warne. “Sometimes you have the ten-
dency, when you shoot the ball, to look where it goes, and at that point they’re counter attacking back the other way, and we got caught a couple times,” Warne said. “But I thought we did a much better job in the second half just trying to keep the game to a six on six game more than a half-field game.” As soon as the Hoyas were able to moderate their pace offensively, they widened the scoring gap to more than one goal. Almost all of Drexel’s goals came from unforced turnovers by Georgetown or off of penalties. However, Georgetown’s man-down unit still proved effective, shutting down three out the Drexel’s four man-up opportunities. Sophomore defenseman Gibson Smith led the defense with three caused turnovers and nine groundballs. Aside from his defensive prowess, Smith was a vacuum on the faceoff wing, helping freshman faceoff specialist James Reilly win possession even when Reilly was un-
able to win the clamp. The game was contentious, and the Dragons were able to stay in sight of victory al most the whole game. What remains in question is if the Hoyas will be ready for their important Big East games against top-ranked teams like Denver or nonconference games versus teams such as Loyola. This Drexel game is a promising foreshadowing for the rest of the season. The Dragons showed the Hoyas that they had a unique playing style — they were a strong transition team that would capitalize off of turnovers and move the ball quickly in transition. This look at a new style of play will help the Hoyas as they open their conference schedule. “The good thing for us is that I think we’ve seen a couple of different styles that will get us ready for Big East,” Warne said. “It’s college lacrosse. So anybody can beat anybody on a given day.”
first-year Hoyas continued Georgetown’s hot shooting as they each contributed baskets to give the Blue and Gray a 6-0 run. With under 10 minutes remaining in the game, the Crimson would not go away as Aiken led them on an 8-0 run, taking advantage of Georgetown’s six-minute scoring drought, ended by a pair of free throws from senior guard Greg Malinowski. The Hoyas then trailed Harvard 61-60 with four minutes remaining. Georgetown regained the lead as Pickett dished a pass to LeBlanc, who raised the loud McDonough crowd to its feet with a mid-range jump shot. Despite the sellout crowd and rising momentum for Georgetown, Harvard remained poised and drew critical fouls to hold its lead at three points. With 14 seconds remaining in the game, Govan was unable to score his three-point at-
tempt. Malinowski grabbed an offensive board, but also came up just short as the buzzer rang. Harvard ended the contest on an 8-3 run to secure a first-round victory in the NIT, ending Georgetown’s season. Although disappointed in the loss, McClung turned his attention to next year and the coming offseason. “I’m going to work on becoming a leader and work out with elite trainers,” he said. “I’m going to make a difference next year.” Georgetown concluded their season with a 19-14 record, a four-win improvement in Ewing’s second season. The game marked Georgetown’s first postseason appearance in four seasons in a year where the Hoyas were also just short of making the NCAA tournament. “I believe that we had a very good year,” Ewing said. “We want to make the NCAA next
year. Right now it hurts. It was a tough loss. Now is the time to recruit and get ready for next year.” The team had many honors as Govan earned all-Big East first team honors, and the three freshmen starters McClung, Akinjo and guard Josh LeBlanc were all named to the Big East all-Freshman Team. Akinjo was also awarded Big East Freshman of the Year. The future is bright for the Hoyas as they are returning four of their starters, welcoming top 100 recruits and hoping to earn a bid in the NCAA tournament next year. The Hilltop says goodbye to four of its seniors, guard Kaleb Johnson, Malinowski, Mourning and Govan. Govan gave some parting words to his successors on the hardwood for next season. “Stay together and enjoy every single moment of it,” Govan said.
Hoyas Split Series Against Princeton, MEN’S BASKETBALL Fall to GMU Govan Finishes With 25 in Final Game
BASEBALL, from A12
a 10-6 win and a 2-2 split of the series. The Blue and Gray then travelled to Fairfax, Va., on Tuesday to take on George Mason (10-9), hoping to extend its two-game win streak. Cushing started for the Hoyas, battling through a badly injured pitching hand. The right-hander fought through the injury for six impressive innings, firing eight strikeouts and allowing two earned runs. George Mason scored a pair of runs in both the seventh and the eighth innings, leaving Georgetown in a 7-2 hole at the top of the ninth. The Hoyas opened the top of the ninth with back-to-back pinch-hit home runs, one from Davis and one from sophomore outfielder Kai Nelson. Despite the late game heroics, the Hoyas’ comeback fizzled, and the team lost 7-4. Wilk remains confident in his team going into the final stretch of their strictly nonconference schedule. “We’re a better baseball team than our record says,” Wilk said. “It’s gonna turn around here. Everybody in that dugout believes it. We’re all pretty confident in who we are and where we’re going.” Georgetown next faces Hartford on Friday, March 22, starting a three-game series at home.
the morning game of a Saturday double-header. His valiant effort was not enough, as Princeton shut out Georgetown en route to a 5-0 win. Despite the injuries and dropping the first two games of the series, Head Coach Pete Wilk was not discouraged. “I’m really proud of how we got through that weekend facing the loss of those three key guys,” Wilk said at the end of the series in an interview with The Hoya. “Guys stepped up. Guys threw probably a little bit more than they should have. We just got together and battled.” The Hoyas rallied behind the faith of their head coach, bouncing back Saturday afternoon with a 9-6 win. Junior pitcher Brent Killam delivered 11 strikeouts in six and two-thirds innings pitched. In the final game on Sunday, Georgetown fell behind 4-2 through six and a half innings. However, the Hoyas’ offense ignited in the bottom of the seventh, sparked by a three-run home run from sophomore catcher Ryan Davis. The Hoyas cycled through the entire lineup in the inning, and Davis once again delivered with a two-RBI single, responsible for five of the Hoyas’ eight runs in the inning. Davis’ effort lifted Georgetown past Princeton to
HARVARD, from A12
half with a rising jumper over Aiken to give Georgetown a 36-35 lead at the end of the first frame. The Hoyas shot 45.5 percent in the first half but struggled from the three-point line, making only one of their eight attempted shots. Similarly, Harvard shot 46.2 percent from the field but also struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 10 percent. Govan found his groove at the start of the second frame, draining three straight threepointers on consecutive possessions to counter Harvard’s hot shooting. Govan and Harvard exchanged threepointers on both ends to tie the game for the seventh time. The Hoyas finally found some breathing room as McClung found the bottom of the basket on a tough drive, putting his team up 48-45. The three
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DERRICK ARTHUR CUDJOE/THE HOYA
Junior guard Jagan Mosely, right, dribbles along the baseline. Georgetown fell to Harvard team in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament on March 20 at McDonough Arena. Senior center Jesse Govan was the leading scorer with 25 points.
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Qatar 2020 Unearths Corruption, Crisis
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the Qatari government, which effectively operates as a modern-day slave state through its laws which give sponsors the ability to deny workers’ movements, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation. However, FIFA is also responsible for the suffering currently taking place. By choosing Qatar for the World Cup, it has knowingly created the need for $100 billion infrastructure projects amid dangerous labor conditions, and it has not taken any action to pressure Qatar into improving such conditions. Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, defended the situation in October 2018. “When you think about all the debates on human rights and workers’ welfare,” Infan-
tino said. “Without the World Cup, these debates would not have happened.” In other words, the launching of construction projects leading to a death toll in the thousands is somehow justified by the awareness created by these travesties. While some reforms have taken place in Qatar after an agreement was signed with the United Nations’ International Labor Organization in 2017, including a temporary minimum wage, many workers are still vulnerable to abuse and human trafficking. With only three and a half years until the World Cup, now scheduled for the winter of 2022 to avoid extreme heat, long-term sweeping reforms will not likely come before the infrastructure needs to be finished, meaning human rights abuses will
continue. Despite the chaos in Qatar, FIFA is currently considering expanding the 2022 World Cup from 32 to 48 teams.
With only 3½ years until the World Cup, longterm sweeping reforms will not likely come before the infrastructure needs to be finished, meaning human rights abuses will continue.
Aside from the fact that the idea is questionable for formatting reasons as it would give each team only two
group-stage games, it serves as another indication that soccer’s governing body will do anything for the prospect of more revenue. A larger tournament would mean more necessary infrastructure, and it is now abundantly clear that Qatar is not suited to build it. Corruption and bribery in the FIFA organization have been problems among its leadership for decades. However, the schemes have never affected the game, and more importantly, innocent people more than today. Their actions to award the games to Qatar not only worsen one of the world’s greatest sporting events, but are leading to the death of thousands of workers. Indeed, the country should never have been considered to host this event in the first place.
Sports
Men’s Lacrosse Georgetown (7-1) vs. Marquette (4-3) Saturday, March 23, 12 p.m. Cooper Field
FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019
NUMBERS GAME
TALKING POINTS
WOMEN’S GOLF Led by senior Alexa Popowitz, the women’s golf team showed potential in its first tournament of 2019.
See A10
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I’m really proud of how we got through that weekend facing the loss of those three key guys.” Head Baseball Coach Pete Wilk
45
The number of points senior attack Dan Bucaro has this season.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEN’S LACROSSE
Georgetown Falls to Harvard in NIT Battle SEAN HAGGERTY Hoya Staff Writer
MARGARET FOUBERG/THE HOYA
Junior attack Jake Carraway’s four goals give him 43 points on the season, and move him up to 13th on the all-time program scoring list.
Hoyas Claim 5th Consecutive Win NICOLO PISONI
Special to The Hoya
The Georgetown men’s lacrosse team continued a five-game winning streak last Saturday against Drexel, winning 13-10 and holding steady at No. 14 in the polls. A strong offensive performance for the Hoyas (71) gave them the edge over Drexel (3-4) who was coming off an upset victory over No. 11 Villanova. Senior attack Dan Bucaro opened scoring on Cooper Field less than a minute into the game with a masterful move from behind the cage. Once he got the ball at behind the cage, Bucaro dodged to his left hand, came around the goal for a jump shot over his defender and put the ball in the back of the net. Bucaro
did this exact same dodge three more times during the game, and the Drexel defense simply could not stop him. He tallied five goals and an assist on the day and became the fifth all-time points leader in Georgetown’s program history. With 45 points this season already, Bucaro is fourth in the country and continues to be a viable candidate for the Tewaaraton Award, which is given to the best men’s lacrosse player in the nation. Junior attack Jake Carraway also had an impressive day, tallying four goals. He also moved up in the all-time program scoring list to 13th and is just 10 goals away from making his way into the top 10. The first 20 minutes of play See DREXEL, A11
The Georgetown men’s basketball team came up short against the visiting Harvard Crimson 71-68 in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament on March 20, concluding a rollercoaster season that was highlighted by the development of young stars. Senior center Jessie Govan shined in his final game for the Blue and Gray (19-14, 9-9 Big East) in front of a sellout crowd at McDonough Arena, scoring 25 points with 18 coming in the second half. Freshmen guards James Akinjo and Mac McClung also ended their season with stellar performances as both finished in double figures. Head Coach Patrick Ewing (CAS ‘85) attributed the loss to getting outworked late in the game. “They wanted it more than we did,” Ewing said. “I’ve seen big people and small people, you just have to go get it, and that’s where we struggled at the end of the game.” Harvard (19-11, 10-4 Ivy League) opened the game with impressive shooting led by sophomore guard Bryce Aiken, who had a team-high 18 points on the night. Harvard made its first five shots of the game, but McClung responded with a steal and a layup on the other end to bring the Hoyas back to within three points, trailing 15-12. Akinjo and senior center Trey Mourning continued Georgetown’s momentum with back-to-back jumpers to tie the game at 16. With eight lead changes in the first half, the Hoyas and
DERRICK ARTHUR CUDJOE/THE HOYA
After losing to Harvard, Georgetown has not recorded a postseason victory since 2014 when it defeated West Virginia at the National Invitation Tournament. Georgetown finishes 2018-19 at 19-14. the Crimson continued to trade buckets at both ends. After Harvard dropped a deep three from the right wing, Akinjo responded with a steal on the defensive end, leading to sophomore forward
BASEBALL
GU Wins Home Opener Over CSU TIM ROTERMUND Special to The Hoya
The Georgetown men’s baseball team fought through injuries to split their last six games over the past week 3-3. They found victories over Coppin State and in two wins over Princeton while dropping two other games to Princeton and George Mason. Georgetown (6-15) started this stretch by defeating Coppin State 14-5 in the Hoyas’ home opener last Wednesday
at Shirley Povich Field, rolling past the Eagles on the strength of 11 hits and three home runs. Freshman pitcher Carter Bosch took the mound for the Hoyas, earning his first win of the season on five innings pitched and three earned runs allowed. Senior second basemen Ryan Weisenberg and junior first basemen Freddy Achecar III led Georgetown’s offense. Weisenberg went three for three with two doubles and two RBIs, and
Achecar III went two for three with two RBIs and a home run. Georgetown sacrificed two runs in the top of the first to Coppin State (9-7), but immediately answered with six runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. The Hoyas effectively ended the game in the bottom of the third, adding four more runs to take a 10-3 lead. It was smooth sailing the rest of the way to a 14-5 victory. Riding the momentum of
its dominant home opener, Georgetown then geared up for a four-game weekend home series against Princeton (3-11). However, the Hoyas’ pitching staff was short-handed with senior pitcher Jack Cushing and junior pitcher Nick Morreale limited by injuries. On Friday, the Hoyas fell short in a 10-6 loss to the Tigers. Despite a bloody throwing hand, Morreale started See BASEBALL, A11
GUHOYAS
Graduate student outfielder Kyle Ruedisili follows through while at bat. Against Coppin State, Ruedisili had two hits, helping Georgetown pick up a win. Following the win against Coppin State, Georgetown went 2-2 against Princeton. Visit us online at thehoya.com/category/sports
Jamorko Pickett’s commanding dunk to put the Hoyas up three. Akinjo continued his impressive play with another three-pointer on the next possession to give the Hoyas a
30-26 advantage, their largest lead of the first half. Harvard once again responded with four unanswered points, but Akinjo ended the See HARVARD, A11
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Dean Hampers
FIFA’s Decision Leads to Human Rights Disaster When FIFA announced that the World Cup, an athletic event with a level of global importance and requisite infrastructure second only to the Olympic games, would be hosted in Qatar in 2022, a wave of confusion ensued. At first, most could not understand the selection based on soccer logistics. There were better, more fit bidders in the United States, South Korea and Japan. Now, new problems have arisen - not only of soccer but of corruption and human rights. The small peninsular country is historically dismal at soccer, having never qualified for a World Cup. When it was chosen to host the tournament, it had only one soccer stadium seating less than 41,000 people. Perhaps most problematically, temperatures in Qatar reach above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, an unsuitable climate for such a physically taxing sport. The peculiarity of the choice led to allegations of bribery, which have been heavily substantiated by documents leaked this month
showing Al Jazeera, Qatari state-run media, secretly offering $400 million to FIFA 21 days before the decision was announced. The 2022 World Cup not only reveals FIFA’s greed and corruption, but it also makes the organization complicit in a major humanitarian crisis. Migrant workers hired to build the infrastructure in Qatar have been systemically abused, being denied promised salaries and living in dilapidated conditions. Many workers could not regain their passports unless they signed false statements claiming they had received wages, according to Amnesty International. An investigation by The Guardian found 44 Nepalese workers in Qatar had died in just two months in the summer of 2013, half from heart failure and work-related accidents. It is estimated that a total of 4,000 workers will have died by the time the tournament begins. The most direct culprit for the humanitarian disaster is See HAMPERS, A11