Archive

Carrying On: Georgetown Day letdown

Earlier this week, The Hoya broke the news that Georgetown Day would be scaled back this year, due to a delay in planning caused by “a lack of student interest” this past fall. Of course, “lack of student interest” and “Georgetown Day” aren’t phrases you commonly find in the same sentence, and sure enough, Vox Populi editor Jackson Perry shed a little more light on what happened to Georgetown’s annual end of the year celebration in a blog post.

By Tim Shine March 22, 2012

Features

Spring Fashion 2012: Primary Colors

If vibrant patterns are fashion statements, then their absence can create an equally distinctive look. Solid-colored slacks, skirts, and tops can magnify the effect of your favorite hue from this season’s primary-colored palette—bright reds, deep greens, and Smurf blue. Life is too short for taupe, and browns and greens prove vague and uninspiring.

By Nico Dodd March 22, 2012

Scandals obscuring real issues: In defense of uncivil dialogue

After the controversy surrounding Mike Daisey’s fabricated stories in This American Life and the subsequent attacks by leading journalists from almost every major publication, I became keenly aware of both the average reader’s priorities and the nature of corporate media: the news cycle is, to put it bluntly, suicidal.

By Vanya Mehta March 22, 2012

A return to marathon running yields 26.2 miles of chafing

From the time I was a little kid, I had imagined myself triumphantly crossing the finish line of a marathon, with my hands clenched high over my head like Rocky—ideally with the Rocky theme playing. Last Saturday I had my opportunity to fulfil this dream, but unfortunately, as I crossed the finish line, I looked more like Rocky after he got the shit kicked out of him by Apollo Creed.

By Rob Sapunor March 22, 2012

Irish heritage marred by St. Patrick’s Day culture

I have developed a sixth sense during my time at Georgetown, and five times a semester, as each of my new professors calls attendance for the first time, I am able to use it. “Here,” I interject, recognizing the glimpse of panic on the professor’s face moments before he or she is surely about to butcher my name. “It’s pronounced like Aidan.” At times I’ve entertained hearing what awful, but understandable, pronunciation they might offer, but usually I save us both the embarrassment.

By the Voice Staff March 22, 2012

Katniss Everdeen hits the mark in The Hunger Games

Watching Katniss Everdeen raise her bow in defiance to the Capitol emboldened me to make a heretical statement of my own—The Hunger Games movie is better than the book. While author Suzanne Collins wove intricate themes of class struggle, civil war, and even counterinsurgency strategy into her trilogy, The Hunger Games movie conveys with complex cinematography and precise casting what prose marketed to eleven-year-olds could not.

By Heather Regen March 22, 2012

At the Smithsonian, the cake is a lie

In 2010, critic Roger Ebert proclaimed that “video games can never be art.” Up against gamers who appreciate the increasingly cinematic qualities of the medium, the debate over whether video games are a legitimate avenue for art is a contentious one that has been invigorated by new graphic and technological capabilities. Unfortunately, the new Smithsonian exhibit The Art of Video Games ignores the artistic process in the development of video games, focusing instead on the 40-year history of video game consoles.

By Mark James March 22, 2012

Georgetown falls to Loyola, ends winning streak

Until now, the Hoyas have ably maneuvered through the first half of their schedule. The bulk of the Big East schedule still remains, but the upcoming battle against the Blue Devils will determine if the season will be one for the memories.

By Kevin Joseph March 22, 2012

José Andrés shows DC his flautas with Pepe the food truck

From Minibar to Jaleo, Spanish-born chef José Andrés has slowly been indoctrinating lovers of fine dining and small portions in the D.C. area. While the quality of his bite-sized cuisine has become one of the major attractions of the District, there’s always been one drawback, until now—the food did not literally come to those desiring to taste the legendary tapas. With the launch of Pepe, Andrés’s first food truck, this contrived problem is resolved.

By Kirill Makarenko March 22, 2012

Real trees wear pink

When they first came to the District back in 1912 as a gift from a Tokyo mayor, cultural ambassadors doubted that Japanese cherry blossoms were strong enough to take root in D.C.’s soil. But now, 100 years later, the longevity of the brilliant blooms has proven these amateur botanists incorrect. This year, the centennial 2012 National Cherry Blossom Festival reveals this same strength in the Japanese people, reflecting on the March 2011 tsunamis while celebrating the enduring spirit of Japan.

By Julia Lloyd-George March 22, 2012

God Mode: Gamers of the world, unite!

Over the past few months, my housemates and assorted visitors have spent an inordinate amount of time playing video games. Sadly and unsurprisingly, I don’t have much to show for it, save one semi-profound realization. I’ve discovered the secret to great multiplayer game design—socialism.

By Tim Shine March 22, 2012

Blast That Box: Too cool for old school

The words “hipster” and “rapper” have pretty disparate connotations—keffiyehs and boxy glasses versus platinum grills and blunts. But hipster rappers exist, and their influence is altering the crowd that follows and enjoys rap music. Acts like Das Racist, The Cool Kids, and Chiddy Bang have changed the formula for successful hip-hop, infusing their music with wide streaks of irony or influences from disparate genres.

By Matt Pacana March 22, 2012

Critical Voices: Anti-Flag, The General Strike

As its name suggests, Anti-Flag is notorious for its leftist brand of political punk. And, perhaps because of a recent trend of distaste with the government and capitalist institutions, the band has found friendly ears for its latest album, The General Strike. While by no means for everyone, the LP is a must-hear for those who find themselves identifying with people who spent some part of the past six months camping out in parks.

By Shom Mazumder March 22, 2012

Critical Voices: The Shins, Port of Morrow

“You gotta hear this one song. It’ll change your life, I swear.” Back in 2004, when dinosaurs roamed the earth and the Shins still consisted of its original members, the band was forever immortalized in the words of Natalie Portman’s character in Garden State, as “New Slang” catapulted the group to indie stardom and exposed them to a wider audience. But since then, James Mercer, the frontman and beating heart of the band, has dismantled the original line-up to introduce an entirely different cast of characters. Their new LP, Port of Morrow, consequently sounds more like Mercer’s side project, Broken Bells, than traditional Shins, which might alienate some fans who preferred the more charming sound of Oh, Inverted World.

By Julia Lloyd-George March 22, 2012

Students advocate for University Office of Sustainability

Last week, a group of students and faculty planted flowers and removed trash along O Street between 35th and 36th Streets in an effort to improve neighborhood relations and demonstrate environmental commitment.

By Tiare Dunlap March 22, 2012

GUSA executive appoints diverse cabinet and staff

Last weekend, newly inaugurated GUSA President and Vice-President Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13) and Vail Kohnert-Yount (SFS ’13) announced their selections for their executive cabinet. Out of a record 80 applicants, the executive appointed six women and five men, including former GUSA senators Colton Malkerson (COL ’13) and Yupang Chang (MSB ’15), forming a staff that will be one of the most diverse cabinets in recent memory.

By Vanya Mehta March 22, 2012

University to implement anti-sweatshop regulations

As early as this summer, Georgetown is likely to implement the Designated Suppliers Program, a system in which all suppliers of University apparel must verify that they pay their workers a living wage and allow their workers to unionize and collectively bargain, according to Associate Vice President for Federal Relations Scott Fleming.

By Connor Jones March 22, 2012

City on a Hill: Troubled by preemptive arrests

Back in October, Metropolitan Police raided two Capitol Hemp locations in Adams Morgan and two in Chinatown, confiscating water pipes that they claimed were up for sale expressly for the consumption of marijuana. While offering these pipes (most people call them bongs) at head shops is perfectly legal, the police justified their actions by pointing to other items for sale in the store that expressly referenced cannabis use and evasion of law enforcement, such as the book Saying Yes: In Defense of Drug Use, and the DVD 10 Rules for Dealing with Police.

By Gavin Bade March 22, 2012

Sports Sermon: Hoyas, meet D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera

“He’s better than advertised, and most kids that come out of high school are not,” Smith said. “D’Vauntes, he doesn’t really have any weaknesses.”

By Kevin Joseph March 22, 2012

Hoyas follow UNC win with Penn victory

The Hoyas went out and upset the Quakers, 11-9, in Philadelphia. Junior Sophia Thomas scored six goals and freshman Caroline Tarzian chipped in one goal to go with three assists.

By Melissa Sullivan March 22, 2012

Double Teamed: Goodell sets NFL standard

Justice has been served, and while Saints fans might not be happy, this is an important step toward making the NFL a more safe and honorable league.

By Daniel Kellner March 22, 2012