Archive

Size doesn’t matter: Oscar shorts at E Street Cinema

The live-action shorts are one of the Oscars’ most alienating categories—no one promotes them, few even know anyone who has seen them, and even the actors are unrecognizable. But this week, E Street Cinema is making this obscure category a little more accessible to the masses, running them in succession and allowing the audience to decide which should get the award. If you can’t make it down there, here’s a quick guide to what you need to know about this year’s five live-action nominees.

By Paul Quincy February 23, 2012

Cardamom to caviar: A modern take on American cuisine

Even if you haven’t taken high school Latin, Unum, a new addition to the D.C. dining scene, makes its esoteric name clear from dish one. While E Pluribus Unum—“out of many, one”—might be the nation’s de facto motto, every course at this M Street restaurant takes the mantra to heart.

By Heather Regen February 23, 2012

D.C. takes on D&G at Fashion Week

While D.C. is used to its share of questionable creations, they usually come in the form of congressional bills rather than runway fashions. But although the nation’s capital is not known as a center for fashion, D.C. Fashion Week represents an effort to change that conception, with a full line-up of stylish events running from Monday, Feb. 20 through Sunday, Feb. 26. Showcasing both local and international up-and-comers in design, the collections will spotlight fall fashions that even the haute couture denizens of New York have not had the privilege of seeing.

By Julia Lloyd-George February 23, 2012

Child stars: All work and no pay

If you’re eager to watch scantily clad children spreading their legs for the cameras, you’re either a pedophile or a fan of Lifetime’s hit show Dance Moms. Centered on Abby Lee Dance Studio in Pittsburgh, the show follows a group of fanatic moms, their dancing daughters, and head choreographer and coach extraordinaire Abby Lee Miller, who weds the near-psychotic rage of Teresa Giudice with the vituperation of Simon Cowell in perfect reality television matrimony. In spite of all this, her character—because I refuse to denigrate any human being to that level of callous virulence—is rather entertaining, propelling the show into a successful second season.

By Keaton Hoffman February 23, 2012

Box Office, Baby! Little gold men please Academy

There’s something special about the Oscars. Maybe it’s the glamorous red carpet entrances, where the freshly Botoxed faces mumble on about their bewilderment (and our bewilderment) at being invited to the Academy Awards without having appeared in any of the nominated films. Maybe it’s the gathering of unnatural-looking old men who have several lifetimes’ worth of accomplishments packed under their belts. Maybe it’s the celebration of cinema, both old and new. But most of all, the real meaning of the Oscars is berating the Academy for consistently handing those little golden men to undeserving candidates.

By Mark James February 23, 2012

Critical Voices: Sleigh Bells, Reign of Terror

A press release from Sleigh Bells describes their new release, Reign of Terror, as “the sonic equivalent of a beautiful shotgun to the head.” While the imagery certainly fits their 2010 debut Treats, the duo’s “beautiful shotgun” seems to have been loaded with blanks here. Terror is, on the whole, an enjoyable LP, but the added noise on a number of tracks is distracting. Despite that their sound is largely defined by volume, Sleigh Bells allows this din to overwhelm many tracks that would benefit from a more focused sound.

By Kirill Makarenko February 23, 2012

Critical Voices: Eleanor Krause, Hold on Daylight

Not since they started making maple syrup has Vermont produced something as remarkably rich as the haunting tracks of Eleanor Krause’s Hold on Daylight. The Burlington-based crooner’s debut album lays out a simple combination of beautiful vocals and quiet guitars, which results in a moving sense of nostalgic serenity. The soft melodies of Daylight lend the album a folksy atmosphere reminiscent of Joan Baez, if Baez had honed her skills in the light of an Indiana campfire.

By Claire McDaniel February 23, 2012

Editorials

Government, colleges failing students on debt

A group of students at the University of California, Riverside have proposed a plan to put themselves through college while avoiding massive student loans: students would pay their tuition after graduation by giving up 5 percent of their annual income over a twenty-year period.

By the Editorial Board February 23, 2012

Editorials

Vandalism displays need for wider dialogue

In the early hours of Saturday morning, a vandal spray-painted the words “U.S. wanted for murder” in capital letters on the campaign banner of GUSA executive candidates Colton Malkerson (COL ‘13) and Maggie Cleary (COL ‘14), which was in the form of the United States flag. A heated debate on campus revealed the divergent opinions on whether this was a legitimate form of expression, or whether the insult of a national symbol should be condemned regardless of circumstance.

By the Editorial Board February 23, 2012

Editorials

MPD’s bogus statistics betray public trust

Because of a statistical manipulation, Chief Cathy Lanier’s Metropolitan Police Department reported an impressive 94 percent homicide closure rate for 2011. But by artificially inflating its success, MPD is exaggerating how much safer the city has gotten during Lanier’s tenure, and in effect betraying the trust of the public. The artifice is especially puzzling in light of the fact D.C.’s violent crime rate has dropped in real terms during Lanier’s tenure.

By the Editorial Board February 23, 2012

Big East favorite Hoyas have high expectations

Coach Fried admits that the Hoyas lack an offensive go-to player as of yet, but he believes that with time they will be able to develop the necessary strength up top. The team added a promising freshman class this year, with young players stepping up to fill spots in each set of positions.

By Steven Criss February 23, 2012

Sports Sermon: Maryland needs a new game plan

Maryland has eight varsity sports going down the drain, and budgetary problems growing immensely over the next few years. Maybe it’s time for Kevin Anderson to realize that the Terps need a lot more than a basketball game with the Hoyas to fix their own problems.

By Kevin Joseph February 22, 2012

Hoyas regroup for Gray Out against Villanova

The annual matchup with the Wildcats is always a highly anticipated affair, due to a rivalry that stretches back to 1985, when the heavily favored and No.1-seeded Hoyas led by senior center Patrick Ewing fell in the NCAA Championship to the No. 8-seeded Wildcats

By Daniel Kellner February 22, 2012

What Rocks: Zac Guy back in action

“Just watching the rest of the year was pretty difficult,” Guy said. “But now, I’m all healthy and ready to go.”

By Kevin Joseph February 22, 2012

Double Teamed: The enigma of JaVale McGee

The team needs to decide whether to make a big bet this summer when JaVale McGee becomes a restricted free agent. I, for one, hope that Leonsis doesn’t hesitate to re-up McGee.

By Tim Shine February 22, 2012

Page 13 Cartoons

The Hoya Spring

By the Voice Staff February 20, 2012

Features

Meet the issues: GUSA Executive candidates’ platforms explained

The Voice reads the GUSA Executive candidates' platforms—so you don't have to!

By Rachel Calvert February 16, 2012

Approaching one year, Japan disaster already overlooked

Usher videos don’t normally cause me much concern. Occasionally I feel a twinge of curiosity—how is his head still affixed after all that bobbing? Usually a glance is more than enough, and I move on. The “Without You” video, however, was different. After watching it with my roommate, I was filled with distaste.

By Julia Tanaka February 16, 2012

Carrying On: Longtime hostility against Iran

While watching the Republican debates over the past few months, I’ve been taken aback by the incredibly violent rhetoric that the candidates direct towards Iran. The three main contenders left in the Republican field, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich, have all asserted they would use necessary military force to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, a recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center claims that at least 58 percent of Americans agree with the Republican candidates, including half of the nation’s Democrats. As a result, I’ve found myself wondering how Americans can be so eager to start another war after our more than 10-year debacle in Iraq.

By Daniel Kellner February 16, 2012

From finance to fielders, navigating the New York Mess

Earlier this week, a professor of mine asked the class if anyone was a baseball fan. I raised my hand but was tempted to add a disclaimer: As a Mets fan, I felt that this affirmation required a pretty loose definition of the word “baseball.”

By Leigh Finnegan February 16, 2012