Top Stories of 2012

As the year draws to a close, we decided to look back on some of the biggest stories from the past year. There were historic milestones, bitter disappointments and intense controversies.

News:

Healy Clock Hands Stolen April 30, 2012

The clock hands from the front face of Healy Tower were stolen April 30, reviving a longstanding university tradition that had been dormant for seven years.

Dead Body Found Near Campus Jan. 19, 2012

The body of 55-year-old Clark Carvelli was found in the woods adjacent to the university’s Canal Road entrance Jan. 19, resulting in a Metropolitan Police Department investigation into the cause of death.

Georgetown Community Partnership Unveiled June 6, 2012

The university and Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E announced the formation of the Georgetown Community Partnership, heralded as a compromise solution to disputes surrounding the 2010 Campus Plan, June 6. As part of the campus plan agreement, the university announced that it has hired Forest City Enterprises to find a tract of land in Washington, D.C., to facilitate future expansion. The Editorial Board of The Hoya weighed in on the campus plan.

Evidentiary Standard Raised for On-Campus Incidents Oct. 18, 2012

Vice President of Student Affairs Todd Olson announced that the evidentiary standard for Code of Student Conduct violations will be raised from “more likely than not" to "clear and convincing evidence" effective Jan. 1, 2013. A September GUSA referendum had garnered 96 percent student support for such a shift.

Two Students Elected to ANC Nov. 9, 2012

Peter Prindiville (SFS ’14) and Craig Cassey (COL ’15) were elected to local Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E Nov. 6. This marks the first time in a decade that there have been two student representatives on the commission, a change that was facilitated by a winter redistricting.

Gustafson, Kohnert-Yount Win Election Feb. 23, 2012

Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13) and Vail Kohnert-Yount (SFS ’13) were elected the first all-female GUSA executive ticket with over 57 percent of the vote Feb. 23.

The Guide:

A Different Neck of the Woods April 20, 2012

Inspired by Carvelli’s death, the guide looked at the homeless population of Georgetown that lives by the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.

Double Lives Oct. 18, 2012

Upasana Kaku told the stories of students who are open about their sexuality at Georgetown but remain closeted at home.

Grappling With Class March 16, 2012

the guide dug into the unspoken divide between social classes that all students encounter at Georgetown.

Opinion:

“Gun Rights Gone Wrong” Aug. 31, 2012

“The government has a responsibility to protect its citizens, and today's gun control laws aren't doing an adequate job,” Pat Curran (COL ’14) wrote on this hot-button issue.

“Raw Deal For Leo’s Workers” Sept. 18, 2012

The Editorial Board wrote, “The creation of the Center for Social Justice was one of the crowning achievements of former University President Fr. Leo J. O’Donovan, S.J. With that in mind, one wonders how O’Donovan would react to hearing that this university has tolerated injustices in the dining hall that bears his name.”