Archive

Fragmentation deconstructs reality

If you happen to be one of the many people who decry abstract art to be nothing more than blobs of paint haphazardly splattered on canvas, then the Morton Fine Art Gallery’s newest exhibit, Fragmentation and Integration, probably isn’t for you. If you have an appreciation for the form or a mind open to exploring new mediums, however, the exhibit offers a thought provoking experience for both art-enthusiasts and newcomers alike, largely due to its laid-back environment and the relative accessibility of some of the works.

By Sam Wolter March 14, 2013

It’s hard to deny a mandate to Chilean political film No

After taking Cannes 2012 by storm and snagging an Oscar nomination, director Pablo Larraín’s No is finally stateside. Following the media campaign launched against the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet during his 1988 plebiscite election, Larraín’s film also presents a fascinating critique of mainstream media and a harrowing tale of survival and victory under the repressive regime.

By Will Collins March 14, 2013

Critical Voices: Mindless Behavior, All Over the World

It’s not difficult to imagine the kind of drunken scenario in which teen band Mindless Behavior was named, and their latest album fails to indicate any deeper thought. Though promising addictive tracks that perfectly fit the definition of “ear candy,” All Around the World offers the kind of forgettable music that we see flit across pop charts on a daily basis.

By Zakiya Jamal March 14, 2013

Critical Voices: Eric Clapton, Old Sock

As the only three-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Eric Clapton has little left to accomplish. Already described as one of the most influential guitarists of all time, the British rock and blues artist can look on his 51-year career with a certain pride, but he does so with tremendous gratitude directed toward the early influences that brought him to the top of the music world. Clapton’s 20th studio album, Old Sock, pays tribute to these giants by respectfully drawing on their repertoire while injecting his unique Clapton-esque style into every note.

By Kirill Makarenko March 14, 2013

Under the Covers: Laura makes the sun shine

I was having one of those days. It was nauseatingly bright all morning and dreary when the afternoon covered the sky with clouds. No one was saying the right thing, and to the friend that asked if I was “sick or tired or something”: yeah, don’t even say that when I’m in a good mood. On the way back from class, prepared to hide from the world in a shuttered room with only Netflix for company, I got the unfailingly splendid email from the RHO announcing a package.

By Emilia Brahm March 14, 2013

Reel Talk: That’s some funny shit

Tommy Wiseau: a name that sends a shiver down the spine of scrupulous movie critics. This heavily-accented film auteur came into the spotlight when audiences took note of his pet project The Room. What should have been an easily dismissed shitty two-hour soap opera gained an instant cult following precisely because its inane script, sloppy acting, and lurid sex scenes appealed to audiences’ craving for that rare “incomprehensibly bad” movie.

By Mark James March 14, 2013

The Sports Sermon: World Baseball Classic throwdown, Canada v. Mexico

With Major League Baseball’s Opening Day still over two weeks away, baseball fans usually turn to Arizona and Florida at this point in the year to satiate their hunger for the diamond. This season, though, they have been given an additional appetizer before the regular season kicks off. The third installment of the World Baseball Classic arrived last week and has since provided some exciting action. Amongst the upsets and late inning comebacks, though, the biggest news to come out of the tournament has been the brawl between North American rivals Canada and Mexico.

By Steven Criss March 14, 2013

Double-Teamed: Thompson Jr. sets ‘em straight

People don’t find it hard to disagree with John Thompson Jr. After all, during the 1980s, the Georgetown Hoyas became the NCAA equivalent of the New York Yankees, according to former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese. Thompson was the mastermind behind the hatred, speaking directly and never mincing words. His brash attitude rubbed people the wrong way, as did his Hoyas’ newfound physical style.

By Kevin Joseph March 14, 2013

Despite loss, Rodgers’s legacy sweet

A 31-point deficit stood between the Georgetown women’s basketball team (15-16, 5-11 Big East) and their hopes to advance to the third round of the Big East Women’s Basketball Championship in their 89-58 loss to Villanova (21-9) last Saturday. The rout ended the season for the Hoyas as a tournament record-breaking number of three-pointers from the Wildcats—17—put the game out of reach. The light that never seems to go out for the Blue and Gray, senior guard Sugar Rodgers, gave both Georgetown and women’s college basketball a night for the history books.

By Steven Criss March 14, 2013

Men’s lax struggles to finish

One month has passed since the opening of the 2013 Georgetown men’s lacrosse season and the Hoyas have put together a meager record, despite dynamic play in most of their matches. In their first season under Head Coach Kevin Warne, Georgetown (2-3, 0-0 Big East) has played five exhilarating contests. The Hoyas have come out on top in two of the five—prevailing 9-8 in overtime against Navy (3-3) and beating Dartmouth (2-2) 10-9—and fell in the other three against Lafayette (2-5), Harvard (2-2), and Mount St. Mary’s (4-4).

By Brendan Crowley March 14, 2013

To invest in America’s communities, divest from fossil fuels

Two weeks ago, I attended the Power Up! Divest Now! Student Convergence at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Students working on divestment from across the country gathered to learn from each... Read more

By Sydney Browning March 13, 2013

Chavez sparked the revolution, time to set it on fire

Hugo Chavez is dead. As a Venezuelan of my generation it’s a reality I find difficult to accept, or even wrap my head around. Chavez came to power in 1999—in... Read more

By Patricia Cipollitti March 13, 2013

Unregulated drone wars threaten U.S. prestige abroad

The Senate has finally confirmed John Brennan as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, yet controversy over the Obama administration’s drone program still lingers. The criticism came to a... Read more

By Bardia Rahmani and Sam Wolter March 13, 2013

Carrying on: Birth of a self-made man

The thought of being my own boss is surreal. Taking on some kind of entrepreneurial endeavor, making my own hours, being responsible for a group of people, and doing things... Read more

By Kevin Joseph March 13, 2013

Features

The vagina dialogue: Women’s integration at Georgetown

In the fall of 1969, Georgetown’s College of Arts and Sciences admitted its first class of female students. This first class of 50 women were the first to break a long tradition of single-sex education in the College, which then constituted the majority of the undergraduate student body.

By Julia Tanaka February 28, 2013

Writing on the wall: Roger Gastman pumps up the Corcoran

Sterile, white-washed walls of art galleries often eclipse the very artwork they present, sending the comparatively insignificant pieces into a void beyond the reach of memory and effortless appeal. Pump Me Up: D.C. Subculture of the 1980s, the Corcoran’s latest exhibit running through Apr. 7, evades this danger and becomes a vibrant work of art in and of itself while cataloguing the tumult of the D.C. underground scene.

By Kirill Makarenko February 28, 2013

Curb your enthusiasm about Stoker

A mother tells her daughter, “Personally speaking, I can’t wait to watch life tear you apart.” The mother proceeds to flirt with her recently deceased husband’s brother. You think the daughter’s going to just sit there and let this happen? Probably not.

By Mark James February 28, 2013

aCHORDance and University fail to achieve harmony

With a cappella groups an established fixture on college campuses everywhere, Georgetown students are hardly unique in their desire to belt. Though the Hilltop isn’t typically known for the arts, it nevertheless boasts nine University-recognized a cappella groups.

By Julia Lloyd-George February 28, 2013

Pre-Raphael art returns

In his creative manifesto Concerning the Spiritual in Art, the great Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky writes admiringly about the non-materialism of the Pre-Raphaelites—men who “sought for the ‘inner’ by way of the ‘outer.’”

By Katherine Propper February 28, 2013

Critical Voices: Autre Ne Veut, Anxiety

There’s something unsettling about Autre Ne Veut, a.k.a. Arthur Ashin, and it’s not his inscrutable French. The formerly anonymous indie rock artist known for distorting 1980s R&B on his 2010 self-titled debut has a way of getting under your skin, his superb sophomore effort undeniably stronger proof of this ability to draw from a variety of influences to create an ethereal and dissonant sound. True to its name, Anxiety is marked by a perpetual state of instability, yet it disturbs in the best possible way.

By Julia Lloyd-George February 28, 2013

The Sports Sermon: NASCAR making headlines

One of America’s most-watched sports surprisingly made headlines this weekend, but not for any reason that actually has to do with an athlete’s performance or the outcome of a match.... Read more

By Steven Criss February 28, 2013