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Day: September 18, 2008

Features

The Murphy Code

It was a dark, rainy afternoon in Bamberg, Germany, but Fr. G. Ronald Murphy wasn’t about to let inclement weather thwart his quest. The Jesuit priest, a professor in Georgetown University’s German Department and scholar of medieval literature, was not looking for an obscure manuscript or a quiet refuge in which to spend his sabbatical. Rather, he was seeking the single object that has had the power to capture the imaginations of men and women for centuries, a relic which has inspired works of art ranging from the Arthurian legend and The Da Vinci Code to Indiana Jones and Monty Python. He was looking for the Holy Grail.

By September 18, 2008

Voices

Trains: they’re the only way to fly

After a few too many flights where pilots sighed, “Well, we made it,” and fellow passengers made the sign of the cross as the wheels finally managed to stick their landing, I knew it was time to find a different way to get around. Because they seemed to succeed where planes failed—with wheels firmly attached to the ground at all times—I began to take trains everywhere I went.

By September 18, 2008

Voices

Give booze unto others as others gave booze unto you

While friends at large state schools reported that frats often charged entry fees to offset costs, all the parties I attended were free. I was sort of proud of this. As one particularly generous host explained, “It’s about taking care of our own. We crashed parties when we were freshman; now it’s our turn to pay it back.” His pay-it forward logic struck me as oddly chivalrous, especially for a guy in a “Kiss Me I’m Irish” t-shirt.

By September 18, 2008

Editorials

Feds shouldn’t take aim at home rule

In 1973, Washington won home rule: the right to govern most of its affairs free from Congressional interference. Now Congress is considering a bill that would take away the city’s self-government on one of the most important issues in the District: handguns.

By the September 18, 2008

Editorials

16 fewer townhouses for the rest of us

It sounds like an idyllic, almost utopian community: 16 groups of four students united by common interests and a commitment to social justice living together on a block of colorful townhouses just outside the main gates of Georgetown. But even if Magis Row—the new living and learning community that Residential Life has created for the 2009-2010 school year—manages to live up to the University’s high expectations, which seems unlikely given its ambiguous mission, the program’s benefits wouldn’t outweigh the damage it does to the student body as a whole. By taking 16 townhouses out of the housing lottery, the program subverts the fairness of the housing selection process and unduly favors a group of students hand-picked by the University over the general student population.

By the September 18, 2008

Editorials

Juicy Campus: thanks, but no thanks

Thought middle school was tough? You’ve probably never been to Juicy Campus. Within days of arriving at Georgetown last week, the gossip site was flooded with threads about who’s sleeping with whom, who the hottest person on campus is, who’s promiscuous, and who’s an asshole, to pick out a few topics. As if that wasn’t enough, all of the allegations, which frequently called out students by name, are made under the cloak of anonymity, without any repercussions for the posters. The answer to the Juicy Campus phenomenon is not for Georgetown’s administration to censor the website, cutting off access for students using Georgetown’s internet connection. Rather, it falls to us—the students of Georgetown—to practice a modicum of restraint on the site, always keeping the golden rule in mind—don’t say anything you wouldn’t want to be said about you.

By the September 18, 2008

Sports

Hoyas to host two Big East foes this weekend

The first goal of the season is always tough for a team to give up. But it’s especially tough when a team manages to log nine hours of play and five games before it comes. Such was the case for the Georgetown men’s soccer team, which surrendered its first goal of the year and suffered its first defeat of the season at Providence last Saturday.

By September 18, 2008

Sports

Thirteen years and still Mr. Clutch

On Tuesday, Derek Jeter surpassed Lou Gehrig’s record of 1,269 hits at Yankee Stadium, a milestone that has stood since 1939. This latest accomplishment adds to a laundry list of honors, including nine All-Star selections and three Golden Gloves for the shortstop. But perhaps the greatest accomplishment of his 13-year career with the Yankees is that he has never failed to reach the playoffs. That streak will almost certainly end this season, the last at Yankee Stadium.

By September 18, 2008

Sports

Shoot-out at Villanova

Sometimes a story is best told by the numbers: 13 games, 12 wins, 41 goals. That’s what the Georgetown and Villanova women’s soccer teams will bring in to their Big East opener on Friday afternoon. The Hoyas (5-0-1) and the Wildcats (7-0-0) have enjoyed success in the form of an offensive explosion to start off the season, so when the two meet in Philadelphia, something’s got to give.

By September 18, 2008

Sports

Dual quarterbacks look to power offense vs. Yale

The Georgetown football team suffered its first setback of the season last Saturday, losing on the road to Lafayette, 24-6. The team will need to address its offensive woes in order to repeat its D.C. Cup success, but they will have a tough time of it this weekend as they travel to Connecticut to take on Yale.

By September 18, 2008