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Editorials

Hoya women deserve their reproductive rights

Late last month, the Obama administration rolled out a new policy announced by the Department of Health and Human Services which mandates that all employers, regardless of religious affiliation, pay for FDA-approved contraceptives through their health insurance options, effective Aug. 1. Since then, Catholic advocacy groups across the country have promised to resist implementation of the policy. The issue is especially pertinent for students at Georgetown, as the University’s commitment to its Jesuit identity is so strong that it does not allow contraceptives to be sold or provided anywhere on campus.

By the February 9, 2012

Editorials

Study shows small schools a must for DCPS

Two weeks ago, an ongoing study tracking the performance of high school students in New York City released its results, showing students who attend smaller schools are more likely to graduate. According to the study, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, there is a discrepancy of more than eight percent in graduation rates between schools with fewer than 100 students per grade and larger schools. This disparity is consistent across races, socio-economic statuses, and eighth-grade reading and math scores.

By the February 9, 2012

Editorials

Police overreact in response to Occupiers

Early in the morning on Saturday, Feb. 4, United States Park Police—some in riot gear, some in hazmat suits, some on horseback—raided the McPherson Square Occupy D.C. encampment and arrested eight protesters. Although the purported reason for the raid was to enforce a recent ruling forbidding protesters from sleeping in the park, the preparations and actions of the police were both inappropriate and unwarranted, and were obvious attempts to intimidate those protesters acting within the law into abandoning their efforts.

By the February 9, 2012

Sports

Double Teamed: No moral victories for these Hoyas

It would be insulting to the Hoyas to call this game a moral victory. Because after 45 minutes of play Wednesday night, Georgetown proved that there are no such things as moral victories this season.

By February 9, 2012

Sports

Hoyas falter in overtime at Carrier Dome

In a game that saw 18 lead changes and no margin greater than six points, overtime seemed inevitable. The Orange ultimately prevailed over the Hoyas in overtime, 64-61.

By February 9, 2012

Voices

Carrying On: Who watches the watchmen?

The latest Internet-sharing apocalypse has struck the procrastinating college student in full force. Megaupload has been driven to an early grave, leaving many young adults with withdrawal-like symptoms, driving them right into the arms of cheaper, virus-ridden substitutes—vidxden.com, fullonshows.com, firststoptv.com, to name a few.

By February 9, 2012

Voices

To remain relevant, Occupiers must do more than show up

Saturday, Feb. 4, was a long day when it came to public transportation. Between going to the basketball game at the Verizon center and traveling to the Folger William Shakespeare Library in the afternoon, I spent a solid few hours sitting on buses and metro trains.

By February 9, 2012

Sports

Sports Sermon: Judging quarterback legacies

And so, with his second Super Bowl and subsequent MVP award under his belt, the question isn’t whether Eli is better than his brother Peyton, or even better than Tom Brady. The answer to those question remains a resounding and unequivocal no. The real question should be how long we, as fans, should wait to judge a quarterback’s legacy.

By February 9, 2012

Voices

Pain, mutilation, and abuse: All is not well on animal farm

When most people dig into a juicy steak or a pile of chicken fingers, they do not think about their food’s journey from farm to slaughterhouse to plate. That’s probably for the best; examining the conditions and treatment of food animals is a quick way to lose your appetite.

By February 9, 2012

Voices

Affirming the talking points on college brochures

During my visits to Georgetown both before and after applying, as well as during NSO, virtually every student speaker made a point to mention how Georgetown had become their home. I didn’t buy it. The idea sounded like a bullet point tacked onto an informational brochure minutes before printing by some frantic intern. The college search process forced me to examine the constant praise, merited or not, that schools heap upon themselves in the hope of attracting a few more students. With at least a little cynicism, this sentiment of Georgetown as a “new home” never came across to me as truly genuine.

By February 9, 2012

Sports

Baseball opens season at Charleston

After a subpar finish in the Big East last year, the Georgetown baseball team will open its new season at Charleston Southern for a three-game series beginning next Friday.

By February 9, 2012

Sports

Soccer fills freshman class

Facing the graduation of three of its star seniors, the Georgetown men’s soccer program has added six new players for next year’s fall season, a recruiting class ranked sixth-best in the nation.

By February 9, 2012

Features

On the way back: Homelessness in Georgetown

On January 19, Clark Carvelli was discovered by Georgetown Department of Public Safety officers on land adjacent to University property by Canal Road NW. He was later pronounced deceased of natural causes. He and his friend Joseph Cunningham, along with another person, had been living in the woods between the University and Canal Road for an undetermined amount of time. After the incident, Cunningham said the National Park Police asked him to vacate the woods before the next day.

By the February 2, 2012

Leisure

Sparking Infatuation with The Bi(g) Life

“A Wilde man once said, ‘A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.’” Spoken with sincerity, this line guides The Bi(g) Life, featuring two dreamers who share with the audience their identities and individual visions of the world as they grapple with the heavy social issues of sexuality and body image.

By February 2, 2012

Leisure

Kabombing fine dining

If you were to try one of Red Fire Grill Kabob’s signature dishes at an event, or somewhere outside of their M St. shop, you might enjoy it. Sure, it is not a gourmet kabob, but for a chain restaurant, the food is decent, and maybe even enjoyable. The basmati rice is well seasoned, and the fresh baked bread complements the chicken, beef and lamb kabobs—which sadly give the impression of being overcooked and reheated—nicely.

By February 2, 2012

Leisure

Caught defenseless against the dark arts

Although Daniel Radcliffe’s brooding face graces posters for The Woman in Black, viewers hoping to find Harry Potter magic in the film are setting themselves up for sore disappointment—the only essence of Hogwarts to be gotten from this film is its foggy intro and outro. But if you’ve been hankering for a creepy, British haunted house film that will give you more than two jumps, then The Woman in Black will deliver. Like Paranormal Activity, it is the kind of film to see with an easily frightened friend and a bag of well-buttered popcorn. And although its trailer sells the movie as a nuanced, psychological thriller, the film is simple, spooky, and fun. Going in with horror movie expectations rather than high hopes for Radcliffe’s budding career will leave you satisfied instead of disgruntled.

By February 2, 2012

Leisure

Picasso masterfully maneuvers his pencil

According to his mother, Pablo Picasso’s first word was “piz,” a shortening of the Spanish word for “pencil.” And although his legacy is as the co-founder of cubism and creator of such groundbreaking paintings as “Guernica,” a new exhibit of his work at the National Gallery of Art demonstrates his power with that most basic of artistic tools. “Picasso’s Drawings, 1890-1921: Reinventing Tradition,” on display through May 6, explores the evolution of the artist’s style as he instigated the rise of a revolutionary movement.

By February 2, 2012

Leisure

Blast that Box: The old me’s dead and gone

Every rapper’s favorite tagline seems to be that the game is always changing. However, I doubt 1988 Ice Cube, having just released the massively influential album Straight Outta Compton, would ever have believed that he would go on to create family fodder like the 2005 kiddie roadtrip film Are We There Yet? In the 24 years since his N.W.A. classic, Ice Cube underwent the amazing development from gangsta rapper to cuddly movie father figure.

By February 2, 2012

Leisure

God Mode: Doppel-gamers

Ever since arcade games first started sucking down people’s quarters, video games have allowed players to create alternate identities. But we’ve come a long way since Pac-Man limited your digital persona to three letters on a scoreboard.

By February 2, 2012

Leisure

Critical Voices: Gotye, Making Mirrors

The Belgian-born Australian singer, songwriter, and musician Wouter De Backer goes by Gotye, the French translation of his name. Yet despite his adopted Frenchness, the multi-talented artist is immensely popular down under, and Making Mirrors, the singer’s recently released third album, was voted the number one album by listeners of Triple J, Australia’s renowned radio station. With a soulful, ‘60s-style pop vibe featuring simple, poignant lyrics accompanied by a diverse amalgam of instruments—from trumpets and wineglasses to guitars and bells—this album is a standout, and a breath of fresh air, in the current pop scene.

By February 2, 2012

Leisure

Critical Voices: Lana Del Rey, Born to Die

While Lana Del Rey has been incessantly assaulted by a hailstorm of criticism since the release of her single “Video Games,” most of the insults have had little to do with the quality of the rising pop star’s music. Despite being accurately described as spoiled, contrived, and dead inside—or perhaps as a direct result of these qualities—Del Rey has released an album that is far more refined than her debut LP, A.K.A. Lizzy Grant, and more enjoyable than her critics are willing to admit.

By February 2, 2012

Voices

In 2012 presidential race, our last hope is Leslie Knope

No currently airing television show highlights the tedium and frustrations of government bureaucracy with comedic ease quite like NBC’s Parks and Recreation. The show’s popularity and comic brilliance is assuring to viewers, especially those who double as voting citizens, that government officials like the Deputy Parks Director of the Pawnee Parks Department, Leslie Knope, exist. Sadly, however, it seems characters like Knope only occupy in the fictional sphere.

By February 2, 2012

Voices

The gender spectum spans more than just pink and blue

A few years ago, when I was coloring with my nephew, he asked me which crayon I wanted to use. I chose purple, saying, “It’s my favorite color.” He picked up pink, and said “I love pink, it’s my favorite color.” Unconventional, but who really cares? Two weeks later he came back, and reported that pink was no longer his favorite color. Only girls like pink. That particular wavelength of light had been designated effeminate.

By February 2, 2012

News

Turkish Ambassador speaks in Copley Lounge

Namik Tan, Turkey’s envoy to Washington, proudly asserted his country’s crucial role in Middle Eastern and European affairs yesterday in Copley Formal Lounge. “The sick man of Europe is now the healthiest man of Europe,” Tan declared.

By February 2, 2012

Voices

Carrying On: A pirate’s life for me

In the war against online copyright infringement, the Stop Online Piracy Act—better known as the reason you couldn’t use Wikipedia two weeks ago—represents something in between a scorched earth policy and the Death Star’s destruction of Alderaan in Star Wars. The problem with the bill is that its definition of piracy is so general, and its enforcement mechanisms so extreme, that it could require the shutdown of large swaths of the Internet (including pretty much any site with user-generated content). Under SOPA, everyone would be a pirate.

By February 2, 2012