Archive

Whiskey Business: No illusions about absinthe

Ever read any Baudelaire? How about Oscar Wilde? Admired a Van Gogh or Degas? Most famous artists of the late 19th century can attribute their creative genius to one powerful, mysterious type of alcohol: absinthe.

By Mary Cass September 29, 2011

Byte Me: Please don’t Google me

In my last column, I argued that with people already overwhelmed by the likes of Twitter and Facebook, Google Plus did not offer enough to justify investing even more time in a social network. It didn’t seem like a controversial statement to me.

By Kelsey McCullough September 29, 2011

Critical Voices: Feist, Metals

Metals sounds as if Feist drove away from home in a car filled with every instrument she could find at the flea market. She went into the Canadian wilderness and made music with anyone she met out there. At least, that’s what it looks like from the album cover with her chilling out on a tree limb.

By Nico Dodd September 29, 2011

Critical Voices: Blink-182, Neighborhoods

After eight long years of uncertainty and chaos, Blink-182 has returned with Neighborhoods, the group’s first full-length album since 2003. Though numerous botched attempts at a comeback seemed to signal the band’s dying moments, Neighborhoods explodes from the ashes of heated arguments and broken friendships to proudly declare, as vocalist Mark Hoppus did at the 51st Grammy Awards, “Blink-182 is back!”

By Kirill Makarenko September 29, 2011

D.C. mourns another victim lost to gender violence

Last Sunday, a candlelight vigil was held in Dupont Circle to honor the late Dr. Gaurav Gopalan, a gay man and prominent member of Washington, D.C.’s LGBT community He was found dead in women’s clothing on an 11th Street sidewalk two weeks ago, a victim of gender violence.

By Patricia Cipollitti September 29, 2011

City on a Hill: D.C. schools still struggling

As time goes on, more and more cracks have begun to show in ex-D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s educational reforms. Even as investigations into the citywide standardized test cheating scandal continue, the focus turned this week to the sad state of many middle schools in the District.

By Gavin Bade September 29, 2011

Dean Martin Iguchi talks new programs, ideas for NHS

The School of Nursing and Health Studies operated without a permanent dean for one year, from June 2010 to June 2011. After a year’s search for a new dean, Dr. Martin Iguchi was appointed Georgetown’s new Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Studies in July. Iguchi said that during his tenure, he will work on expanding the school’s online nursing master’s program and establishing relationships with health-related community-based organizations inside and outside of D.C.

By Holly Tao September 29, 2011

GU alumni donations recession-proof

While many universities’ alumni donations have been impacted by the economic downturn, the Georgetown Fund, Georgetown’s alumni giving fund received more donations during the 2011 fiscal year, which began on July 1, 2010 and ended June 20, 2011, than in the 2010 fiscal year.

By Rosa Bichell September 29, 2011

Editorials

City leaders disappoint on ethics reform

In recent months, D.C.’s government has come under fire for corruption and shady relationships with lobbyists. Now, more than ever, the D.C. City Council needs ethics reform.

By the Editorial Board September 29, 2011

Editorials

Davis died unjustly, but hopefully not in vain

On Sept. 21, Troy Davis was executed at a Georgia state prison after 20 years on death row. His case received minimal press attention for two decades until the week before his execution date, when an impassioned effort to save his life began across the world. The use of the death penalty in a case with “too much doubt,” as Davis’s supporters chanted outside the prison, sparked outrage as petitioners critiqued Georgia’s insouciant decision to kill a man who was never proven irrefutably guilty.

By the Editorial Board September 29, 2011

Georgetown and the CCP: an exclusive relationship

Let me say from the start that I have nothing at all against dialogue. However, when dealing with an authoritarian regime like the Chinese Communist Party, there seems to be a fine line between an open exchange of ideas and an approach to engagement that is more permissive than it is persuasive.

By Daniel Lamagna September 29, 2011

Editorials

Fairfax County deer culling is good for all

Last week, deer hunting season officially commenced in Fairfax County. This year, the county’s government has allowed bow hunters to hunt deer in the county’s 18 parks as part of an effort to combat dangerous and ecologically harmful deer overpopulation in the area

By the Editorial Board September 29, 2011

Candidates full of hot air and not running out of steam

While watching a recent Republican Presidential debate, I was puzzled by the reaction to Rick Perry’s signing an order that required mandatory vaccination against human papillomavirus for sixth grade girls in Texas—an uncharacteristic move for a staunch social conservative like Perry.

By George D'Angelo September 29, 2011

Smithsonian 9/11 exhibit captures a moment in time

Partially overlooked in the glut of media coverage of the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks were two exhibits here in Washington which used artifacts from the three attacks. For just nine days leading upto September 11, the Smithsonian Museum of American History displayed a small collection of visceral reminders of 9/11 that gave viewers an intimate sense of what exactly happened to victims that day.

By Udayan Tripathi September 29, 2011

Qwikster off to a slow start

Last week I got an email from Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix, that began, “Dear Emma, I messed up. I owe you an explanation.” Well thanks, Mr. Hastings, but … excuse me? I do have a Netflix account, but the letter seemed a little more personal than anything I usually hear from heads of major companies.

By Emma Forster September 29, 2011

SAC commissioners, student leaders discuss changes

On Wednesday night, Student Activities Commission board members and student group leaders came together for a forum to discuss SAC funding guidelines. SAC has drawn heavy criticism in the past for its funding guidelines, which were created in the spring of 2010 at a closed meeting that involved no student group leaders. The meeting was meant to be an opportunity for SAC and student leaders to create a better system for both SAC and student groups.

By Eileen McFarland September 22, 2011

Professors discuss suitability of diversity requirement at GU

Last February, Georgetown University’s Initiative on Diversity and Inclusiveness’s Working Group on Academics released a recommendation calling for the implementation of a diversity course requirement in the Georgetown core undergraduate curriculum. Though the group had anticipated the requirement beginning in the 2011-2012 academic year, professors and faculty at Georgetown are still divided on whether the course is a good idea, making the plan’s future uncertain.

By Neha Ghanshamdas and Fatima Taskomur September 22, 2011

Saxa Politica: Hold GUSA to promises

It’s that time of year again, when we elect a number of our fellow classmates to senatorship in the Georgetown University Student Association. As regular as the yearly elections are, so are the outlandish promises made by candidates as they vie for the few votes necessary to win (one student only had to garner four votes to win one of last year’s GUSA Senate elections).

By Geoffrey Bible September 22, 2011

SaxaNet problems, expansion

The University Information Systems set up a new wireless network, SaxaNet, in 18 University buildings to address the lack of wireless connectivity on Georgetown’s campus, but a number of students have had trouble connecting to the network at all. UIS is also looking to expand wireless coverage to areas on campus that are not currently provided wireless access.

By Matthew Weinmann September 22, 2011

Pop culture supplements the humanities

This semester, Georgetown is offering an array of popular culture-themed classes, from “Philosophy and The Wire” to “Videogames in Critical Content.” While the courses are in high demand, the idea of merging TV and movies with serious academic questions has drawn criticism and ridicule.

By Zoe Gadegbeku and Morgan Manger September 22, 2011

Free music that won’t get you sued by the RIAA

After a long week of classes and gloomy weather, this weekend comes as a welcome break. But why put yourself through another listen of “Party Rock Anthem” when you could be stomping your feet to lyrical Brazilian “choro” music? Whether you’re a music buff or simply looking for a new and exciting beat, head over to McNeir Auditorium in New North at 1:15 p.m., where Rogerio Souza and his colleagues are sure to deliver an entertaining afternoon. The best part? It’s completely free.

By Laura Gevarter September 22, 2011

Don’t let Real Steel‘s robots steal your money

It’s hard to expect a movie centering on the world of robotic boxing to be top-notch cinema, but somehow even Hugh Jackman’s rugged Australian charm can’t save Real Steel, a wannabe action flick with flawed plot and mediocre acting.

By Alex Manasseri September 22, 2011

ShopHouse: all spice and no nice

For most college students, Chipotle represents a paradise of fat, guacamole-stuffed burritos, and bowls that satisfy their appetite without murdering their wallet. But fans of the chain’s gloriously simplified Mexican cuisine may be surprised and slightly confused to learn that last Thursday, the company opened a store focused on Asian cuisine—ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen in Dupont Circle.

By Amy Liu September 22, 2011