Archive

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

Finally, an online home for politically-minded loudmouths

Recently, Votizen, a new media startup, has grasped the attention of entrepreneurs and policymakers alike—including the 2012 U.S. presidential hopefuls. The startup seeks to change how our democracy works by using a national database of 200 million voting records to connect to friends on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn on the basis of ideological preferences.

By Ambika Tripathi March 1, 2012

Virginia is for lovers, unless you love women’s rights

With presidential campaigns intensifying in the face of the upcoming elections, attention has recently been drawn to the state of Virginia and its numerous reproductive rights bills targeting issues like contraception and the definition of personhood. News of these bills, currently being discussed in the state’s legislature, has spread over the past few weeks.

By Ana Smith March 1, 2012

Carrying On: “I’ll make a man out of you”

Princesses, distressed damsels, and sidekicks—for years these roles have composed the majority of female roles in children’s literature and film. Even Pixar, with twelve animated major productions since 1995, has yet to produce a film with a female protagonist. This comes as no surprise.

By Kate Imel March 1, 2012

New GUSA executive discusses semester priorities

A week after winning the GUSA executive election, President-elect Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13) and Vice President-elect Vail Kohnert-Yount (SFS ’13), are planning their transition strategy and selecting their cabinet with the help of Jake Sticka (COL ’13), who will act as their Executive Chief of Staff.

By Vanya Mehta March 1, 2012

Student Life Report released

Last Friday, the Student Life Report Committee released its final product, a comprehensive and sweeping look at almost every aspect of student life at Georgetown.

By Matthew Weinmann March 1, 2012

HR addresses paycheck issues

In an email to student University employees last Friday, Vice President of Human Resources Mary Anne Mahin apologized for errors in Georgetown’s new computerized payment system that has left a number of student paychecks delayed or missing this semester.

By Vanya Mehta March 1, 2012

Student groups submit proposals at FinApp Budget Summit

Last night, the GUSA Finance and Appropriations committee met to prepare a preliminary budget to be passed after spring break, based on last Sunday’s annual Budget Summit, during which student group leaders submitted proposals for student fee money allocation.

By Morgan Manger March 1, 2012

Editorials

Crimes expose twisted safety priorities

On Sunday, February 26, Georgetown students received email alerts from the Department of Public Safety regarding two crimes committed that day against students within blocks of the front gates: one sexual assault and one armed robbery. These reports are worrisome not only because the very occurrence of such crimes so close to campus is shocking, but also because the language employed in the reports perpetuates a blame-the-victim attitude with regard to sexual assault that is harmful and irresponsible.

By the Editorial Board March 1, 2012

City on a Hill: Liberty and justice for some

Back in April, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray and a number of City Council members received significant press coverage for their arrests during a protest for District voting rights.

By Gavin Bade March 1, 2012

Editorials

Georgetown undervalues alternative opinions

On Sunday, the Georgetown Occupy contingent facilitated eight hours of workshops and teach-ins in Red Square, in direct response to a Wall Street Boot Camp training session that occurred on the same day. Georgetown students, faculty, and even alumni from the Chimes a capella group contributed to the vibrant discussions of the day.

By the Editorial Board March 1, 2012

Editorials

Racial prejudice alive and well in America

This month, several media outlets have been criticized for their use of racial slurs in coverage of New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin’s ascent to stardom. ESPN.com published an article about Lin with the word “chink” in its headline, a clear allusion, intentional or not, to the racial epithet, and Fox Sports reporter Jason Whitlock publicly apologized after tweeting a joke about Lin’s sexual capabilities. Saturday Night Live responded with a skit in which four reporters, two black and two white, made racial jabs at Lin. The script flipped when a white reporter began making jokes about blacks, and the others admonished him for his offensive allusions to social conditions still stifling the growth of black communities—which they had all done to Asians moments before.

By the Editorial Board March 1, 2012

Ghibli makes a big splash with Arrietty‘s little world

For Arrietty Clock, carrying a sugar cube through the kitchen is a Herculean task. At only three inches tall, the young girl, a member of a group of miniscule people known as “Borrowers,” is in an unusual situation, and as protagonist lends a unique vantage point to Studio Ghibli’s newest film The Secret World of Arrietty. Based on Mary Norton’s novel The Borrowers, this latest marvel from the famed Japanese animation company uses new techniques to revitalize an old classic.

By Julia Lloyd-George March 1, 2012

This District ain’t big enough for more than one Kitchen

Amid the variety of D.C. restaurants springing up under the banner of organic and cruelty-free produce, District Kitchen manages to maintain a competitive advantage that differentiates it from the grass-fed herd. While this newest member of the Woodley Park restaurant community serves up what appears to be classic mid-Atlantic cuisine, the twist on traditional recipes and the ever-changing house specials add variety to the otherwise predictably bland buffet of green D.C. eateries.

By Kirill Makarenko March 1, 2012

Campaigns from radio to Reddit

“There is no democracy without elections. And there can be no elections without the press.” Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin made this declaration in a world of print and radio, long before today’s era when Twitter consistently breaks news faster than the New York Times. Nonetheless, Goodwin’s observation still holds true, and the quote invites visitors into the entrance of the Newseum’s newest exhibit, “Every Four Years: Presidential Campaigns and the Press.”

By Mary Borowiec March 1, 2012

Blast That Box: Imma let you finish… college

Declaring an album a “classic” is a meaningless exercise that I will leave for the writers at Pitchfork. Glowing reviews, no matter how abundant or how laudatory, are ultimately irrelevant—an album reaches that magical pinnacle when it strikes a chord for you alone, bringing you back time and again.

By Matt Pacana March 1, 2012

God Mode: Study geometry with Hexagon

A few days ago, I was studying for a midterm, which obviously meant I was looking for anything to do other than study for my midterm. The Internet, as always, provided. Through my haphazard blog-reading and link-clicking I eventually arrived at the Flash-based game Hexagon, made by the appropriately titled Distractionware. In five seconds I knew I wasn’t studying any time soon.

By Tim Shine March 1, 2012

Critical Voices: Rotary Club, Second Year in Swine

If Wilco raided the Velvet Underground’s wardrobe, stole the Kinks’ haircuts, and then teamed up with Cursive, you’d end up with an image of Rotary Club’s newest album. The band’s experimental, ever-changing lineup packed in a thick sphere of homages on its sophomore attempt Second Year in Swine, but while the LP weaves in plenty of innovative subtleties, Rotary Club’s sound plays it safe by catering to fans of major alternative artists of both recent and long-gone years.

By Will Collins March 1, 2012