Archive

Carrying On: Holy mole-y!

When I first heard there was a mole at Fox News, I was pretty damn excited. For years I have hoped for a popular backlash against not only Fox News, with its blatantly fear-mongering conservative agenda, but all the major American news networks, which consistently embellish, distort, and manipulate facts to boost both network ratings and the political stances they subscribe to. But after a week of behind-the-scenes leaks from “America’s most trusted news network,” I feel little more than disappointment for a lost opportunity to instigate a desperately needed change in the culture of news.

By Daniel Kellner April 19, 2012

You may be able to pay for school, but you can’t buy class

When the recession began in the United States in the fall of 2008, American universities felt the hit in all of their main sources of revenue—fewer students able to pay high tuition, attendance down at sporting events, and donors contributing significantly less to endowments. Georgetown, for one, set priorities based on financial constraints by attempting to stifle staff layoffs and focusing alumni money on financial aid.

By Ambika Tripathi April 19, 2012

A misunderstood mission: U.S. charitywork misses the mark

Growing up in an evangelical Christian household and attending a fundamentalist Christian high school, charity and service were held next to godliness. Each year our school sent off groups of students to preach the gospel and do charity work. Whether in Thailand, the Dominican Republic, or South Africa, we had God’s work to do—charity wasn’t a suggestion, it was a command. To aid us in this imperative, our school worked closely with local San Diego missionaries who were doing inspiring work building houses in Mexico or spreading literacy in Mauritania. Usually after a brief video showing starving babies covered in flies, these missionaries would teach us the tools of the trade—mosquito nets, ministry, and moral absolutism. One of these motivational speakers was a young man named Jason Russell, founder of Invisible Children and the filmmaker behind the Kony 2012 viral video that blew up this March and has been viewed over 100 million times since.

By Keaton Hoffman April 19, 2012

Emotions and self-expression should not be taboo

I was stalking my brother on Facebook last week when I came across a photo of him in stage make-up, posted by a girl who was working on the school musical. She clearly had too much free time. I nearly clicked past it, until I saw the comment that someone had left: “gay homo fag.”

By Julia Tanaka April 18, 2012

Editorials

Henderson’s record deserves examination

This Saturday, D.C. Public Schools chancellor and Georgetown alum Kaya Henderson (SFS ’92, G ’07) will receive an honorary degree from Georgetown for her contributions to education reform in the D.C. public school system since she first became chancellor in 2010. Henderson is known for transforming DCPS classrooms and was named one of “World’s 7 Most Powerful Educators” by Forbes in 2011, and her honorary degree from Georgetown is an opportunity to analyze and challenge her education policies.

By the Editorial Board April 18, 2012

Editorials

Spring should mean a new approach for Occupy

The key strategies of the Occupy movement have always been rooted in the idea of physically taking up space—democratically reclaiming it as a locus for populist action. However, as winter set in, police forces across the country brutally evicted the activist encampments. Eventually, though, as the movement’s energy fizzled, those who sought to reclaim its communal spirit looked forward to the spring, when they hoped Occupy could move back in to its former camping sites. So far, no major sites have been reoccupied. Now in the middle of what would be “Occupy Spring,” the movement is facing an identity crisis of sorts. If it wants to survive, it needs to rethink its position as a force for social change.

By the Editorial Board April 18, 2012

Editorials

U.S. needs new Latin American foreign policy

This past weekend witnessed the surfacing of long standing tensions between several Latin American countries and the United States at the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia. During the meeting, Washington was publicly criticized for the U.S.’s widely detrimental drug policy in Latin American countries, as well as its non-negotiable position on the disclusion of Cuba in the regional summit, among other U.S. stances.

By the Editorial Board April 18, 2012

Features

The Capital Swings: Jazz in the District

"Wait. I hate to do this, but we gotta start over.” Allen Jones is playing his first gig as the leader of his own group. Seconds after dropping his drumstick from the ride cymbal, he and his fellow musicians launch head-on into “Diamond,” one of the 18-year-old’s original compositions. Despite the false start, the crowd at The Dunes receives him warmly.

By Gavin Bade April 18, 2012

Page 13 Cartoons

Page 13’s Campus Plan

By the Voice Staff April 18, 2012

Julien Isaacs throws some glitter and makes it rain

In the basement of a Burleith apartment, the floor of Julien Isaacs’s (SFS ’12) art studio is covered in an inch of glitter. These are the remnants of his latest work of glitter-based iconic images, from a glitter sphinx statue outside his apartment to a glitter painting of Madonna. From this explosion of sparkles, Isaacs has taken Georgetown and the D.C. art community, by storm. Divine Chaos, his exhibit at the Adams Morgan coffeehouse Tryst, is running until May 31 after a sold-out opening night on April 5.

By Mary Borowiec April 18, 2012

Pleasant Pops takes off its training wheels for new store

In Adams Morgan, the cost of fame is steep, but it comes with delicious perks. For $1,000, anyone can become a “Pop Star” at Pleasant Pops—an honor which involves naming your own flavor and getting a free popsicle every time you walk through the door of the store, which opens this July. The Pleasant Pops D.C. food truck started out as a single pushcart at farmers’ markets in 2010, but with two years of experience and the help of a Kickstarter campaign, Pleasant Pops co-owners Brian Sykora and Roger Horowitz are rolling their business into a full-fledged store.

By Heather Regen April 18, 2012

Mock horror fans get Cabin fever

Let’s meet the cast of The Cabin in the Woods: there’s Dana (Kristen Connolly), a moderately attractive college student waiting to be deflowered by the right guy, and her best friend Jules (Anna Hutchinson), a more experienced blonde who is being courted by football stud Curt Vaughan (Chris Hemsworth). Accompanied by conspiracy-theory pothead Marty (Franz Kranz) and not-so-stupid jock Holden (Jesse Williams), they go to Curt’s cousin’s cabin in a setting that looks straight out of a hick-infested History Channel. Sounds like a classic horror movie setup, right?

By Mark James April 18, 2012

Trash Talk: This baggage is emotional

Have you ever wondered what happens to all that luggage that is never picked up from the baggage claim? I haven’t. I don’t even know anybody who checks luggage anymore, because of those ridiculous baggage fees. But apparently it’s a pressing matter, and Spike TV is hoping to capitalize on this obvious gap in the reality programming schedule with its newest series, Luggage Wars.

By Keaton Hoffman April 18, 2012

Box Office, Baby! Wes up with these films?

There’s nothing like a new Wes Anderson movie. For many fans, he has yet to release a poor film, and at his best, the acting, coolness, and sheer re-watchability of his films is unmatched among contemporary directors. Like his past achievements, Anderson’s upcoming feature Moonrise Kingdom will prove that Wes has maintained his status as a profoundly original director despite his allegedly homogenous filmography.

By Mark James April 18, 2012

Critical Voices: Maps & Atlases, Beware and Be Grateful

With the recent success of artists like Fun., Kimbra, and Neon Trees, the music market is starting to feel a little overloaded with quirky indie pop. Which makes Beware and Be Grateful, the latest release from Chicago experimental rockers Maps & Atlases, a small breath of fresh air—the band’s jangly guitars, lo-fi percussion, and bubbly vocals set them apart in a sea of homogenous synthesizers. Unfortunately, though, Beware’s splintering components do not meld into a cohesive album, and the resulting album is significantly less than the sum of its parts.

By Shom Mazumder April 18, 2012

Critical Voices: DragonForce, The Power Within

Despite, or perhaps because of, its constantly shifting roster of members, British power-metal band DragonForce has always framed its music around guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman, whose guitar solos never cease to blow the listener’s mind—and maybe the eardrums as well. And while relying so heavily on the duo has allowed the amorphous band to create a stable sound, such consistency is also largely due to the band’s maturity. As a stand-alone album, this year’s The Power Within is, for all intents and purposes, perfect.

By Kirill Makarenko April 18, 2012

Double Teamed: The forgotten Hoyas

The NBA is the brass ring that every college player reaches for, and like Clark and Sims, every one of those former Hoyas did everything he could to attract an NBA suitor before heading overseas.

By Tim Shine April 18, 2012

Hoya tennis looks to turn heads in Big East

“We’re really pumped because we want to show everyone how good we are as a team,” Tehrani said.

By Kevin Joseph April 18, 2012

Sports Sermon: Discovering hockey

Hockey has officially returned to its pre-lockout pinnacle. Heck, it’s probably been back for a couple of years, and I’m just late to the party. Either way, I won’t miss it this time around.

By Kevin Joseph April 18, 2012

Lacrosse falls to Irish

Unfortunately, the Hoyas were unable to build upon an impressive first half start, and faltered in the last two quarters to lose 9-7 and fall to 5-6 on the year.

By Steven Criss April 18, 2012