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Featuring artistic media ranging from painting and photography to drawing and printmaking, the senior art major showcase is the result of this unique dynamic. Beginning yesterday, April 24, seven graduating Studio Art majors are showcasing their thesis projects in an exhibition entitled Pit Stop, now on display at the Spagnuolo Gallery in Walsh through May 17.

While many students at Georgetown seem most keen on policy jargon and their next internship opportunity, these seven seniors have decidedly struck out on their own.

Laura Thistle (COL ’13) is a Philadelphia native who served as captain of the field hockey team this year. Her contribution to the exhibition comes through the medium of oil paints, specifically “somber landscapes that convey not only a sense of loss of physical things, but also the fleeting quality of moments themselves,” she wrote in an email to the Voice.

After arriving at Georgetown, Thistle surveyed the landscape of potential majors and settled on Studio Art, in a department that, she notes, “is barely known around campus.”

However, her perception is not necessarily a reality, according to fellow Studio Art major Swedian Lie (COL ’13). “I think it is too easy and simplistic to just prescribe to that belief,” he said. “As an active member in the theater community as well as a Studio Arts major, I find myself surrounded by individuals from the MSB, from the SFS, from the NHS, and so forth who are all exercising their artistic minds in various capacities on campus.”

A certain charm exists within this kind of small group working together. Greta Rasmus (COL ’13), who has a series of charcoal drawings on display, talked about her appetite for this niche.

“There is something entirely unique about spending time in a studio for five hours a week with your professors and classmates that allows you to really delve into the art you’re doing, but also to simply get to know the people who are working around you,” she said.

The title of the exhibition, Pit Stop, provides a double meaning for both the artist and the viewer. These are seven young artists, unsure of the future of their craft and their lives, eager to make their first step into the real world a positive one. This show is only a brief respite along the way, and it could prove to be an enlightening break for the viewer as well—as a welcome interlude from the chaos of the twenty-something’s journey, a haven from the unknown.

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The rip-roaring, fast-paced production, loaded with extravagant movements and ladles of charm, had me enraptured throughout. This came as a surprise—I had not expected 17th century Spanish humor to gel with my own, but I found myself responding heartily to the plays’ unexpectedly relatable wisecracks.

Cervantes, a pet favorite of Professor Mujica, is an apt and intelligent choice for this particular endeavor, given his plays’ relative brevity. In fact, the entreméses were originally meant as interludes between longer plays. Their brevity allowed for a spartan set design, which was effective in keeping the overall mood intimate and the drama unfettered by ornamentation. The audience could concentrate fully on the characters themselves, and the only sensory enhancements were the skillful use of light and sound.

I was admittedly relieved at the availability of English subtitles on the background screen. The incongruence of any improvisation made with the subtitles present would have caused some awkwardness, but not once did the neophytes slip up on their lines—a nod to their robust efforts. The screen simultaneously provided a visual backdrop, demonstrating their thoughtful use of multimedia.

The director also did well to modify a 17th century script—with certain elements and archaic terms bound to be lost on us—to suit a contemporary cast and audience. There was a clear attempt to connect to a younger crowd, with modern garb, motorcycles, and even an amusing iPod mention, but the effect was never confusing oranachronistic. Cervantes’s humor and social satire remained dominant throughout.

I could imagine several audience members identifying with his ever-relevant themes of adultery, prejudice and patriarchy. While we should certainly thank Cervantes for his tremendous insight into our core human condition, this feat was achieved in no small part due to the clever dramatic choices to infuse modernity.

Due to the confines of working with limited professional cachet, one may expect noticeable compromises to be made, but the brilliant casting and adept use of resources made these “compromises” seem purposeful. The ostensibly American accents of the non-native speakers somehow worked marvelously with the comic elements—it was hysterical watching the comedy in accordance. The lead, Yoel Castillo (GRAD ‘16), in both plays deserves special mention for his uncanny comic timing and roguish, cheeky swagger. Even the small venue seemed to me a purposeful decision, for the lack of voice projection was less of an issue.

With signature Cervantes style, these plays are works of levity that are filled with fallibly human moments that are the mark of great comedy. The cast and crew manage to bring the playwright’s wit and social commentary to the stage in an inspired, sensitive and modern fashion—no Apple products included.

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After the push toward football caused the exit of several members of the former Big East, college basketball fans rejoiced at the creation of a new league that would have a significant focus on men’s basketball. Although the new composition of the Big East brings in new competition for Georgetown’s men’s basketball team, it is not the only major athletic program here on the Hilltop that will be greatly affected.

The program that will arguably be the most affected by the changing landscape of the Big East is the College Cup Runner-Up men’s soccer team. Both Creighton and Xavier were contenders in the National Championship tournament, with Xavier losing to the champion Indiana in the second round and Creighton losing to them as well in the semifinal.

The changes to the Big East have set up a soccer conference that contains five teams that competed in the tournament, meaning half of the teams in the new Big East qualified, more than any other conference.  The addition of Creighton is the most notable for men’s soccer, as this program has returned to the semi-final in three of the last five seasons.

“You’re adding teams that thrive in men’s soccer. The teams that remain—St. John’s, Marquette, ourselves, Villanova—have very strong men’s soccer programs. The Big East as a whole last year was the best conference in the country,” said men’s soccer Head Coach Brian Wiese. “The emphasis on our sport in the new conference is very exciting for us. The league and the schools that sponsor men’s soccer, which every single school does, and the emphasis on success.”

Women’s soccer will not receive the same high quality replacements as the men’s program, and will lose noteworthy competitors such as Notre Dame. Not one of the new schools joining the Big East next season qualified for the National Champion tournament. Both Creighton and Xavier’s programs finished with conference winning percentages lower than  .125. With a weaker conference schedule next season, women’s soccer will have to focus on building a more competitive out of conference lineup in order to prepare for postseason play.

“The overall strength of the conference is not as strong as the old Big East was … What we have to do now is, we have to do a much better job with our non-conference scheduling,”said women’s soccer Head Coach Dave Nolan. “We have to load up with tougher games at the start of the season to give us a greater strength of schedule and a greater RPI. Times have changed and we’ve had to make the best of the circumstances.”

The three new schools joining on July 1 will contribute to more than just soccer, though, with women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, and baseball all receiving fresh challenges for the coming season.

Creighton’s women’s basketball team not only made the tournament this past season, but also was second in the nation in three pointers. Xavier’s men’s and women’s tennis teams are both undefeated in the Atlantic-10 so far this spring. Standing at third currently in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 22-9 record, Creighton’s baseball team will provide the middling Hoyas with another solid weekend series.

The positives of the new additions to the Big East will come with losses, though, as schools with thoroughly developed athletic programs are dropped from the Hoyas’ schedules. Without major rival Syracuse and other schools that perennially compete for Big East titles in several sports, such as Louisville and UConn, the Big East is losing some of its luster both in and out of men’s basketball.

Non-conference matchups will become a much larger issue in wake of splitting off from many of Georgetown’s former competitors. A more concerted effort to schedule top-rated teams will have to be made in order to keep Hoya programs ready for a challenging postseason.

When the first contests get underway in the late summer, the new Big East will usher in a fresh start for an undeniably talented group of schools. Although it will take time for new rivalries and traditions in each sport to take form, the Big East is sure provide Hoyas with substantial competition and passion in the coming years.

Said Wiese,“We’ve got new rivalries we have to get in place. We got to start kicking each other a little bit to get used to each other and that takes time. Who’s going to be the new Syracuse? Somebody’s got to be that so we’ll see.”

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A few years ago, this story was the Michael Vick scandal, then it was “Is Brett Favre really retiring?” For a while it was Tim Tebow, the most talked-about backup in the history of the NFL. This year, the story has unquestionably been about the Lakers.

It’s relatively normal to hear about a big-name franchise like the Yankees or the Patriots during postseason runs or after big offseason signings. However, the recurring line during the current season has been “Shouldn’t the Lakers be winning?”

The season began with the signings of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, pieces that would complement a Lakers core that already included Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and the artist formerly known as Ron Artest. Many believed that this team, by filling its largest problem spot with the league’s best center and adding a veteran two-time MVP to run the offense, would rival Miami and make the race for the West a foregone conclusion.

However, the season started slowly and Head Coach Mike Brown was fired. The Lakers continued to struggle, only clinching a playoff spot on the last day of the regular season. The Clippers, traditionally the little brother, became the main attraction in Los Angeles. Bryant tore his Achilles tendon shortly before the conclusion of the regular season, and now the Lakers look to be helpless after losing Game 1 of their first round playoff series to the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs in a game that never really resembled a contest.

Headlines everywhere praise extraordinary performers, and rightly so. Miami’s sensational streak was covered each and every day, but “What’s wrong with the Lakers?” occupied the same amount of attention for an even greater length of time. As the season went on, headlines became even more of a joke. Stories became more dramatic and speculative than sports-related news.

It’s common for hyped teams to fail to meet expectations (just look at the Nationals) but the extent to which the media covers the failings of teams like the Lakers and the Yankees, is too much. All year, a disgusting amount of time was given to stories like the “feud” between Howard and Bryant, how “Kobe is finally passing more!” or now, a headline on the front page of ESPN: “Kobe’s Tweets.”

Maybe some fans like to hear speculation about why their team is falling toward the bottom of the standings, but I certainly don’t. The Bucks, who sat at the bottom of Eastern Conference playoff picture, near where the Lakers were in the Western Conference, did not receive much media attention, showing that the brand of Laker basketball is driving the news rather than the actual relevance of the team itself.

It may bring more viewers to talk about certain teams regardless of what is being said, but as one of many who sees sports news regardless of its ridiculousness, I would appreciate hearing less about why a big-name team is underperforming and more about spectacular plays, interesting history, and intense competition.

After a certain length of time, it is no longer a story that a team has failed to live up to expectations, it is simply that this team is not elite, and thus, does not warrant hours of superfluous coverage.

There is plenty to talk about in the NBA. LeBron, personal opinions aside, is one of the greatest players in the history of the game and is dominating at the peak of his career. The show in Oklahoma City is playing the role of rival and seems poised to take on Miami in a Finals rematch. The Clip Show is relevant for the first time in my memory, and let’s not forget about Derrick Rose and the controversy that his potential return is stirring up.

With all these headlines available, it seems to be a waste to spend so much time on a team that struggled its way into the playoffs and is now hopelessly falling out of the postseason without its aging star. The face of the NBA is clearly not in Los Angeles. Now can we actually hear about some basketball?

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United kicked off their MLS campaign with an away loss to the Houston Dynamo. Newly signed James Riley scored an own goal in the 80th minute, exemplifying the team’s tendency to beat themselves.

United’s fortunes improved on March 9th during their first home match against Real Salt Lake of Utah. Neither side put in a particularly coordinated effort. The only difference between the two was a goal in the 60th minute off a header of Lionard Pajoy, which gave United the 1-0 win.

The Black and Red found further reason to remain optimistic as they managed to hold off the dynamic New York Red Bulls on the road at Red Bull Arena on March 16th. New York dominated possession, struck the woodwork, and had an appeal for a goal waved away by the referee. Despite the Red Bulls outshooting United 24-5, D.C. walked away with a point thanks in part to the remarkable performance of their goalkeeper Bill Hamid.

Hamid has come up huge for United so far this season, keeping  them in games they would otherwise lose by a wide margin. His stellar play has not gone unnoticed, as he was recently named MLS player of the week, as well as nominated for MLS Save of the Week. Thanks to Hamid’s heroics, initial fears of the United faithful have revolved around a weak offense that has struggled to convert.

Defensive frailties contributed greatly in losses to the Columbus Crew, Sporting Kansas City, the Red Bulls, and most recently with their  I-95 rivals the Philadelphia Union. Frustration concerning these errors and poor results has permeated the stands, the press box, and the locker room.

Captain Dwayne De Rosario expressed his disappointment with the result against the Union. “We started lumping the ball and we have guys that can play. I mean, there’s no need for that,” he said. “We started playing into our weaknesses instead of into our strengths and that’s a huge problem for us right now.”

Thankfully, the general atmosphere of RFK stadium isn’t totally determined by wins and losses. Fan sections, such as the Barra Brava and the Screaming Eagles, cheer for the Black and Red right up until the final whistle of any game. With affordable ticket prices and a metro stop two minutes away from the stadium, United boasts one of the most festive and affordable sporting experiences in the city.

It’s not all doom and gloom in the United locker room either. Dwayne De Rosario and his fellow players refuse to let this loss, or any loss for that matter, dictate how they play the rest of the season.

“We still have a lot to play for. We still have a long season. I’m not going to give up. I’m still going to play and fight,” De Rosario said. “We have the fans support, we have the support of the group, and we’re going to fight right to the last game.”

United are back in action, away from home, on May 27 when they take on the Columbus Crew. Their next home game is against the Houston Dynamo on May 8 at RFK Stadium.

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At this point, the expectations can’t really get much higher for Los Angeles Angels’ right fielder Josh Hamilton, who has been feeling the heat recently for his .221 batting average and 23 strikeouts so far this season. There is more than just the $25 million going into his pocket at the end of each season that should be pushing him to contribute offensively.

After leaving the Rangers to play for their division rival, Hamilton has been subjected to constant scrutiny and so far his play has not responded well. That needs to change though, if the Angels want to be a contender for the playoffs this season, because he will be the factor that helps the team to surpass the A’s and Rangers. With Mike Trout and Albert Pujols looking to continue their solid starts, it will be Hamilton’s plate appearances that, if improved, will make the Angel’s lineup the most feared in the AL West.

The Angels have an opportunity this season that is relatively new to them. They both have experienced and young talent in their lineup, despite being plagued with signing aging and underperforming has-beens during past seasons in an attempt to bring some star-power to Anaheim. But this year, with the blooming of Trout last season and the continued efforts from Mark Trumbo and Peter Bourjos, the Angels possess a lineup that could do some real damage for years to come. This year the team has promising youth and real power on the offensive half, but now must worry about their men on the mound.

The team’s ace Jered Weaver is currently on the DL and the rest of the pitching staff is struggling to keep their ERAs under 4.00. In ten of their eleven losses so far this season, the team’s pitching has allowed five or more runs. Although the blame for these losses can easily be placed on the pitchers, the responsibility falls upon the batters. Knowing that it will take a near miracle to keep their opposition under four runs in most of their outings, the hitters must bear the burden of racking up runs.

This is where Josh Hamilton comes in. The pitching won’t make any sweeping improvements over the next few weeks (although that would be preferable), so Hamilton needs to feel the pressure not just from his critics, but from what he sees up there on the mound.

It’s not that his lack of offensive production has caused the Angels to have a losing record after the first month of play, because there are a lot more things going wrong than just his bat, but almost half of the teams losses have been by only one or two runs. The clean-up hitter needs to be a game-changer, getting hits in key situations with runners in scoring position, and Hamilton has been absent from that role so far.

Manager Mike Scioscia was right in dropping Hamilton down to the fifth slot for that brief period of time with the hope of sparking some kind of determination in him to get going. The Rangers and A’s have proven that they are not pushovers anymore and if something doesn’t shape up for the Angels, they will very well see themselves entering the summer stuck behind two tough ball clubs.

The most obvious answer to the problem is driving in runs from the four spot and if Hamilton can fill that role, the Angels will be very difficult to beat. The bats that surround Hamilton when he hits clean-up are as good as any in the whole league and that just leaves him to carry his weight. A Hamilton who drives in runs creates a one through five in the lineup that will win ball games on its own, despite the woes of the pitching staff.

The former MVP has the opportunity to make his club a playoff and possible World Series contender, but without him the odds are highly stacked against them. Scioscia can move Hamilton up and down all he wants but regardless of where he ends up, he’s going to need to hit.

The beginning of summer play is a vital point in the season where teams can no longer use the excuse that they’re still figuring things out. Hamilton needs to turn things in the right direction in the coming weeks if the Angels want to seriously contend for the AL West title. If not, it’s going to be a long, hot summer of sneering Texans and the all too familiar August panic for the Angels.

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First-year Head Coach Kevin Warne decided to start the game with six men on the field, instead of 10, which resulted in a penalty on the Hoyas, and the Orange starting the game with the ball. Warne wanted to send a message to his team due to team policy violations committed by multiple players. Despite the decision, the Hoyas responded with a stop on defense.

At halftime, the Hoyas led 5-4 thanks to two early goals from senior attack Travis Comeau. Comeau’s fourteenth and fifteenth goals were a game high for the Hoyas. Syracuse opened the second half with Derek Maltz scoring his 24th goal of the season 4 minutes and 26 seconds in. The Hoyas responded quickly with junior long pole face–off specialist Tyler Knarr winning the faceoff, who raced down the field and scored his first goal of the season. Georgetown led 6-5 after the goal.

In the second half, the Hoyas hot play simmered due to poor offensive possessions and Syracuse’s imposing team defense. The Orange took advantage by scoring four unanswered goals and led by a score of 9-6 with 12:56 remaining.

However, senior midfielder Dan McKinney’s unassisted goal with 2 minutes left broke the Hoyas’ scoreless streak, which lasted for 23 minutes and 29 seconds, and made it 9-7 Syracuse. Soon after, sophomore midfielder Charles McCormick scored a goal making it a 9-8 game. Following a wild scramble for the ball after  the face-off, Georgetown gained possession and called a time-out.

After the timeout, with 40 seconds to go, fans were on their feet to see a potential game-tying goal. Georgetown’s sophomore attack Reilly O’Connor went one-on-one with Syracuse senior midfielder Steve Ianzito, when Ianzito’s stick broke. As a result, Ianzito dropped his stick and sprinted to the sideline. Due to the chaos that ensued, the Hoyas  panicked and turned the ball over off a bad pass, which allowed Syracuse to hold on for the victory.

“We got a little frazzled only because Ianzito broke his stick, and all of a sudden there was a scramble situation,” said Coach Warne. “We overthought the situation rather than playing, but these things happen.”

The Hoyas will have a chance for some postseason magic as they enter their final regular season game against Rutgers (2-12, 0-5 Big East) with the opportunity  to clinch a berth for the Big East conference tournament with a win in New Brunswick, NJ this Saturday.

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DPS Chief Jay Gruber explained the reasoning for the change. “We’re seeing that the student guards are paying more attention to the laptops and tablets than they are to their surroundings,” Gruber said. “They’re not being proactive. They’re not doing what we, in a lot of cases, expect them to do.”

Ideally, student guards are trained to ask for GOCards from every visitor, compare the photo to the person presenting it, and make sure that it scans properly, according to Gruber. In the event that someone makes it into a building without presenting a GOCard or form of identification, it is the student guard’s duty to report it to DPS immediately.

“We want [the guards] to be able to observe their surroundings and see if anything is unusual, see people who look out of place,” Gruber said. “Then they can make a decision if they should contact public safety.”

However, Gruber has found that many student guards are not living up to these requirements, which he alleges caused an increase in on-campus burglaries this year. While Gruber remains convinced that the change will improve building security, the student guards themselves question DPS’s decision to prohibit laptops.

“They say that next year the guards are allowed to be on their smartphones, but I personally think that being on a smartphone is more distracting than being on a computer,” student guard Cynthia D’Andria (MSB ’13) said. “Yes, you’re looking at your computer, but at least you still have a view, whereas on your smartphone you’re actually looking down. I’ve found that I’m more distracted when I’m on my phone than when I’m on my computer.”

Other guards believe that, without laptops, the student guard program will not be as attractive as it is to students now. “When I look at the whole approach to increasing security in the dorms, I believe that taking away the laptops will only make students not want to work these jobs,” said student guard Justin Pinn (COL ’13).

“The whole purpose of student guard jobs is to provide an atmosphere where underprivileged students achieve and make money at the same time,” Pinn said. “They’ve already instituted the policy of having card readers, where guards actually look at the cards, and I think that’s effective … but I believe the policies they’re enacting are counterproductive to what they’re actually trying to achieve.”

Gruber said that if smartphones prove to be equally distracting, guards potentially will not be allowed to use them either.

Not only do student guards doubt the effectiveness of the new policy, but they also say it asks too much of the student guards. “All my homework’s on my computer,” D’Andria said. “I’ve spoken to other people who were really angry about the fact that they couldn’t use their computers.” D’Andria said that if she were not graduating this year, she would likely quit her position as student guard.

Nonetheless, Gruber doubts that DPS will have a lack of guards as a result of this policy change and pointed out that it is unusual for workers in general to have complete freedom to use computers when on the job.

“Just go around campus and look at student jobs,” Gruber said. “Very few of them involve sitting somewhere and enjoying the time watching a laptop or typing into it.”

Regardless of potential complaints from student guards, DPS stands by its decision. “The whole purpose of this change is to make our buildings safer and make our students safer,” Gruber said. “It was not an arbitrary decision. It was a well thought-out decision in favor of the safety of our students and our buildings.”

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