Archive

“Frothy mixture” definition hurts more than Santorum campaign

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has become an object of ridicule in popular culture. Santorum’s statements—including ones describing how President John Kennedy’s 1960 speech on religious liberty made him want to “throw up” and claiming that Obama wanted to send more kids to college to make them liberals—raised eyebrows even inside Republican spheres.

By Connor Jones March 15, 2012

Carrying On: Capitalism on cable

While surfing TV channels over spring break, I noticed a show on ABC called Shark Tank. A knock-off of a British and Canadian show called Dragon’s Den, Shark Tank provides entrepreneurs and ambitious small business owners with a chance to pitch their business or product to boardroom of “sharks,” shrewd, self-made millionaire investors with a considerable talent for making money. The contestants approach the sharks requesting a specific dollar amount for a percentage of their company, make their pitch, and wait to see if the sharks care to make them an offer. Many propositions are immediately dismissed as ridiculous and hopeless, while others are so potentially lucrative that the sharks will compete with one another for the contestant’s partnership.

By Daniel Kellner March 15, 2012

Hunger pains: Teens starving for better literature

March 23 is generally not a particularly memorable date. But this year, it is a day of incredible importance for a multitude of children and young adults: At 12:01a.m. on Mar. 23, 2012, the first Hunger Games movie premiers. The first book of Suzanne Collins’s trilogy appeared in print in September 2008 and has since become a critical success, having been named one of the New York Times’s “Notable Children’s Books of 2008,” translated into 26 languages, and published in 38 countries. But all this hype begs one very important question: does The Hunger Games deserve of all its acclaim?

By Jill Robinson March 15, 2012

Corp controversy shows need for more civil discourse on campus

In the past few weeks, media attention has fixed on Georgetown as a result of Rush Limbaugh’s slanderous comments against Sandra Fluke (LAW ’12). President John DeGioia came to the defense of Fluke and Georgetown women with a well-received letter to the Georgetown community.

By Abby Sherburne March 15, 2012

Editorials

We are all to blame for sensationalist media

Even for the exceedingly low standards applied to the American press, in these past few weeks our media machine has outdone itself. The public has been exposed to an uncommon amount of sensationalized, dubious news reports surrounding topics like insurance coverage for contraception and the Invisible Children documentary about Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony. Although not altogether uncommon, this round of media malarkey is especially destructive for what it covers up—the civilian killings in Afghanistan, a pressing transportation bill in the house, Voter ID laws, and more. Sensationalism has become a natural part of our media’s culture, as people follow trends instead of properly informing themselves. We must commit to consuming thoughtful, competent media and shaping a society where others do the same.

By the Editorial Board March 15, 2012

Editorials

Voter ID laws undermine American democracy

On Monday, the U.S. Justice Department blocked a proposed voter identification law from taking effect in Texas, saying it violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The measure, approved in May 2011, would have required voters to show photo identification in addition to already stringent voter registration requirements in the state. The DOJ’s move is undoubtedly the correct one, but more must be done to combat these overt conservative efforts to disenfranchise minority voting blocs.

By the Editorial Board March 15, 2012

Editorials

Military culture must change after killings

In the early morning of March 11, a U.S. Army sergeant stationed near Kandahar, Afghanistan, slipped away from his base and murdered 16 civilians, including women and children. Evoking memories of the Haditha killings of 2005, as well as the recent urination on civilian corpses by U.S. Marines and the burning of Qur’ans on military bases, the tragedy provides an opportunity for the leaders of our armed forces to examine a military culture in which these atrocities arise.

By the Editorial Board March 15, 2012

Ewan McGregor fishes for compliments with Yemen

As long as you don’t have plans to seriously pursue becoming a fisherman in the desert, Ewan McGregor will charm you in his attempt at this impossible task. Though his latest film, the aptly titled Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, is blithely unconcerned with the gritty details of this aquatic pursuit, the movie portrays an entertaining and inspiring tale of unlikely individuals working together toward an even unlikelier end.

By Jane Conroy March 15, 2012

Too little, too late: Artisphere paints Kahlo’s life

If you are offered a magnifying glass while walking into an art exhibit, it is natural for a bit of confusion to set in. These sentiments set the tone for Frida Kahlo: Her Photos, the highly anticipated U.S. premiere exhibition at Rosslyn’s Artisphere, as Kahlo’s photos hold their own element of surprise.

By Mary Borowiec March 15, 2012

Leave your house to go see Jeff, Who Lives at Home

Writer/director/actor brothers Mark and Jay Duplass have, in recent years, been known for a brand of off-beat humor associated with a film movement called “mumblecore.” This genre is usually defined by a socially downtrodden middle-aged man going through some event and handling it in the way that a socially downtrodden middle-aged man would, often with self-deprecating humor, as in the FX show The League. Jason Segel and Ed Helms, who play brothers in Jeff, Who Lives at Home, the brothers Duplass’ most recent effort, are perfectly cast for the film’s niche humor and surprisingly well-suited for the movie’s sentimental notes.

By Will Collins March 15, 2012

Trash Talk: America(n Muslims), fuck yeah!

In the post-9/11 era, American Muslims have struggled to assert their patriotism while simultaneously observing a religion that many perceive as fundamentally at odds with American society. Naturally, reality television programs have latched onto this conflict, featuring a batch of American Muslims who buck the gruesome American stereotype of bomb-wielding, misogynistic extremists.

By Keaton Hoffman March 15, 2012

Box Office, Baby! Bad Casting: What Dafoe?

You probably know who Willem Dafoe is—you’ve seen him as the Green Goblin in Spiderman, or recognized him in Platoon, The Boondock Saints, or American Psycho. But to this writer, he’s more than just an actor. He’s an artist. No, he’s an icon. Maybe it’s his deep, grainy voice. Maybe it’s the intensity of his facial features. Whatever it is, Dafoe has a lure that keeps me shelling out money to see him on the big screen, as I, in a state of fanboy hypnosis, continually ignore the title or synopsis of the film I’m about to witness. Forget the movie; it’s Willem I’m paying to see.

By Mark James March 15, 2012

Critical Voices: Lucero, Women and Work

With the way it pushes the boundaries of country and punk, infusing the two seemingly disparate styles into alternative rock, Lucero is something of a musical anomaly. But the band makes its unusual group of influences work, due largely to lead singer Ben Nichols’ bourbon-soaked voice, which brings this unlikely pairing of genres together brilliantly. With their tenth release, Women and Work, Lucero dives right into its Memphis roots to demonstrate a side of the band not seen in their previous work.

By Shom Mazumder March 15, 2012

Critical Voices: Say Anything, Anarchy, My Dear

Of Anarchy, My Dear, Say Anything’s first release in three years, front man Max Bemis said that the band has moved past its days of writing “petty songs about hating people” and found new stability and maturity. Like many of us, Say Anything has graduated from its early-aughts anxiety, but Anarchy retains the band’s awkward, hyper-personal character to create a balanced, introspective album.

By Connor Jones March 15, 2012

Page 13 Cartoons

We’re Going All the Way

By the Voice Staff March 15, 2012

Sports Sermon: In ‘Melo we trust

Label me optimistic, but I think Melo and company will ultimately provide more good times than bad.

By Kevin Joseph March 15, 2012

Fresh start for Hoyas against Fresno State

The Georgetown’s women’s basketball team (22-8) will play the Fresno State Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon in Chapel Hill in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Going into the game, the team is focusing all its energy on taking the tournament title.

By Rob Sapunor March 15, 2012

Emily Infeld shines at Nationals

“I am still very shocked and excited,” Infeld said. “I have strived to win for a long time and am…excited that my training paid off, but I am more so excited that I was able to work on the mistakes of my race [from Friday’s race].”

By Melissa Sullivan March 15, 2012

Double Teamed: Parity for Hoyas in NCAAs

After Ohio and VCU, I’m well aware that Belmont could win. They could, but they shouldn’t, because Georgetown is very good at stopping teams from doing the things Belmont is good at. It’s not as reassuring as predicting a win, but at least I can take solace in that.

By Tim Shine March 15, 2012

Georgetown begin dance with clash against Belmont

After a tremendous regular season in which the Georgetown men’s basketball team exceeded every fan’s and analyst’s wildest expectations, the third-seeded Hoyas will take on 14-seed Belmont in the second round of the Midwest Regional in Columbus, Ohio on Friday afternoon.

By Daniel Kellner March 15, 2012

Features

Behind the Counter: How the Corp balances its motto of “students serving students” with its role as a social institution

“One of the reasons I came to Georgetown was because of the Corp,” said Stephanie Wolfram (MSB ’13). “I came here during a random weekend, someone was showing me around and showed me the Corp, and I thought it was awesome that students were running this business.”

By Connor Jones March 1, 2012

To the old, new social networks hard to pin down

Last Thursday, a couple of my friends and I were asked to appear in a news segment for CNN. What hard-hitting story marked my national television debut? No, it wasn’t an in-depth commentary on Harry Potter—it was a piece on not-so-new social media sensation, Pinterest.

By Iris Kim March 1, 2012